The influx of people migrating to other countries from Ukraine owing to war, could cause a sudden surge in the Covid cases around the world, warns the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO said that since millions of people are being forced to migrate in large numbers of groups, this action could increase the Covid transmission at a faster rate. The WHO also expressed worry that a large number of people could be at risk of severe disease as oxygen supplies are critically low.

“Infectious diseases ruthlessly exploit the conditions created by war,” Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior advisor at the WHO, said during a press briefing in Geneva.

He cautioned that the refugees are particularly vulnerable to severe disease and death in wartime.

When the WHO is sounding sirens of caution of increasing Covid cases and the possible need of oxygen, media reports said that at least three major oxygen plants are now closed in Ukraine due to war.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said medical supplies delivered to Kyiv before Russia invaded the nation are currently inaccessible.

He also urged Russia to provide a safe humanitarian corridor to deliver critically needed medical supplies to Ukraine. There’s also a shortage of cancer medicine and insulin, according to the WHO.

The WHO said that the gathering of a large number of people will not only add to the risk of higher transmission of  Covid but would also put pressure on the healthcare system if many people fall severely sick.

Ukraine has already witnessed a massive wave of Covid before the declaration of war. Several people have lost their lives while millions had to be hospitalized for treatment. Now, because of the war, it is nearly impossible to conduct large-scale testing of Covid. This means that many infected persons will remain in public which will only increase the risk of the virus getting transmitted faster. Even the vaccination programme cant be taken up at this stage of war, he said.