DAILY STAR
Three potentially fatal diseases are posing a fresh threat to the UK in 2024, health chiefs have warned.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned dengue fever and mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) could become much more common in Britain. Meanwhile, Covid is still tearing through the population.
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, an expert on infectious diseases who leads the WHO’s Department for Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, warned climate change and sexual transmission are partly to blame for the spread of the diseases. Here’s what you need to know.
Covid
Coronavirus plunged the UK into its first lockdown March 2020. Now, nearly four years on, cases are still being reported in their thousands each week.
Dr Van Kerkhove told Sky News Covid is on the rise and stressed it was important for elderly and vulnerable people to get their jabs. She also recommended people in these groups be vaccinated against flu.
“The vaccination coverage in all countries of the at-risk groups is abysmal,” she said. “Covid-19 actually has solutions, influenza has solutions, that can prevent severe disease and death.”
