WHO worried virus could get worse after Beirut blast

(7 Aug 2020) The World Health Organization said it was scrambling to deploy $1.7 million worth of personal protective equipment to Beirut after 17 containers filled will supplies and equipment for the COVID-19 response were destroyed in the city's devastating chemical explosion.
Dr. Rick Brennan, the WHO emergencies director for the eastern Mediterranean region, expressed concerns about keeping a focus on fighting a growing coronavirus outbreak in Lebanon that could now get worse in the aftermath of the blast.
He also stressed the importance of now balancing the coronavirus response with pressing immediate needs such as trauma care and psychosocial support.
Speaking from Cairo, WHO's regional base, Brennan said the "huge volume" of supplies from a regional WHO hub will be needed to replace lost COVID-19 gear.
New supplies, including aprons, gloves, masks and respirators, are expected to arrive via a "phased series of flights" over the next week, with the first coming in the next two to three days.
Brennan said three assessments were currently under way: Of the health system, the humanitarian needs, and chemical contamination from the blast, the last of which being scaled up by WHO along with the American University of Beirut.
He also noted concerns about particulate matter still in the air, and that masks could be useful for some people in Beirut with respiratory or heart disease, not just in the fight against coronavirus.

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