Butterfly Effect of New Coronavirus: Measles Deaths Surge

Figure | Measles case report for the past 40 years, the predicted value in 2019 exceeds the past 20 years (Source: Nature)

When people's attention is attracted by the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) is worried that another ancient virus may have a larger outbreak: that is measles. Before the arrival of COVID-19, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Africa was already suffering from measles. Since October 2018, this ancient human familiar virus has claimed the lives of more than 6,500 local children and is still spreading. The arrival of the new corona epidemic will inevitably bring unprecedented blows to the local health system, making the already extremely difficult measles control work worse. 

According to Balcha Masresha, an epidemiologist at the WHO Africa Office, "We have been tracking the spread of the virus since 2018. This may be the largest documented measles outbreak in a country since the measles vaccine appeared in 1963. "In fact, measles outbreaks are not limited to Africa. In the past five years, due to its extremely infectious nature, the measles virus, once suppressed by vaccines and mass immunization, began to appear frequently in many countries around the world, and it is faintly coming back.

The data shows that in 2018 alone, the number of deaths from measles worldwide reached 140,000, and reported cases increased by 58% compared with 2016. Even wealthy countries such as the United States and Italy have experienced notable cluster outbreaks because many parents refused to vaccinate their children, and the once-improved group immunization has experienced loopholes due to the decline in the proportion of people immunized. Not to mention poor countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, because of insufficient funds and poor health systems, it is more difficult to obtain vaccines and medical resources. Even with the help of the WHO and other organizations to take control measures, it is difficult to comprehensively stop the spread. With COVID-19 becoming a global pandemic infectious disease, it has spread in Africa and attracted most of the public health resources. 23 countries have suspended measles vaccination activities. This is very likely to cause a significant increase in the number of patients worldwide, even reaching the highest point in 20 years.