By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave a comment 0comments Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/watch-live-the-world-health-organization-holds-news-conference-on-novel-coronavirus-2 Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: WHO looking into safety of hugs for grandparents, official says World Updated on Apr 29, 2020 3:58 PM EDT — Published on Apr 29, 2020 11:00 AM EDT GENEVA — A top World Health Organization official says the U.N. health agency is looking into whether grandparents can safely hug their grandchildren without risk of contracting the coronavirus. The comments from Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead of WHO’s emergencies program, come after a top Swiss health official this week suggested that grandparents could hold young grandchildren — under age 10 — close without risk of contracting COVID-19 disease. Most statistics show the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions have been the overwhelming majority of victims who have died from the pandemic. At a WHO news conference, Van Kerkhove acknowledged that many grandparents “are dying to hug their children, grandchildren” and said the issue was one of the “living reviews” conducted by WHO. By — Associated Press Associated Press
GENEVA — A top World Health Organization official says the U.N. health agency is looking into whether grandparents can safely hug their grandchildren without risk of contracting the coronavirus. The comments from Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead of WHO’s emergencies program, come after a top Swiss health official this week suggested that grandparents could hold young grandchildren — under age 10 — close without risk of contracting COVID-19 disease. Most statistics show the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions have been the overwhelming majority of victims who have died from the pandemic. At a WHO news conference, Van Kerkhove acknowledged that many grandparents “are dying to hug their children, grandchildren” and said the issue was one of the “living reviews” conducted by WHO.