WHO warns hospitals to brace for surge in coronavirus patients this autumn

The WHO's European director has warned hospitals to brace for a surge in patient numbers
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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned European hospitals they should be braced for a surge in Covid-19 patient numbers this autumn.

Hans Kluge, WHO Europe regional director, said a potential increase in Covid-19 cases will be down to a host of factors, including flu season and children returning to school.

He urged governments across the continent to use local lockdowns to target small outbreaks of the virus as winter approaches.

"Let's not forget that we're entering three phenomena - one is the reopening of the schools for the academic year, the second is the flu season and the third is the excess mortality in the elderly population during the winter," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"So I wouldn't be surprised, unfortunately, if we see an increase in October, especially towards late November (of hospital admissions) - there's no reason for panic but we have to be aware.

"It is far too early to draw all the conclusions for the time being but we know what needs to be done.

The schools minister appeared on BBC Breakfast as educational establishments reopened
BBC Breakfast

"This is the key message: if we look back in February, the full option was lockdown and re-booting but now we should target the virus and not the schooling, the economy and society."

Schools are re-opening in England and Wales this week for the majority of pupils for the first time since lockdown was imposed on March 23.

The WHO recently advised that children 12 and over wear masks when distancing is impossible.

Schools minister Nick Gibb is urging parents to send their children back to classrooms. On Tuesday morning the minister said any pupil with coronavirus symptoms will be sent home from school to be tested, in a bid to curb further spread of the virus due to schools opening.

It comes after a government u-turn on pupils wearing face masks in corridors, and a statement from the government, after much questioning, over whether it would close pubs before schools in the event of a large second wave outbreak.

Mr Gibb told BBC Breakfast: "I would urge parents to send their children back to school to help them to catch up on the lost education that they will inevitably have suffered during the lockdown period, and schools are doing everything they can to make sure that their pupils and their staff are safe."

The WHO has put out multiple warnings in recent days 
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Asked what will happen if a child gets a cough or a cold, Mr Gibb said: "If a child is showing the symptoms of coronavirus then they will be asked to return home, to go home, and then the family asked to have a test.

"If that test proves positive, then the school will take advice from the local health protection teams and that will involve tracing all the children and adults that that child will have come across, and those people then will be asked to self-isolate.

"And then, if it is the advice of the local health protection team, a mobile testing unit will go into the school as well to test more young people."

The WHO has made several statements regarding the longevity of Covid-19 in recent days.

In the United States, cases this week passed a grim 6 million milestone. The body has warned that eight months into the pandemic healthcare workers and first responders are seeing a toll on their mental and physical health.

A WHO statement read: "The front-line responders working tirelessly to save lives during the pandemic deserve time to rest.

"Talk to your colleagues or supervisor if you think you may be experiencing burnout."