WHO declares Covid-19 a pandemic but says no change in measures

Geneva: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday declared coronavirus disease as a pandemic, with its chief expressed his “deep concern” over “alarming levels of inaction” in combating the virus spread.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at a press conference at headquarters here, said that said the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold over the past two weeks, and thus the coronavirus outbreak qualified as a pandemic, or a disease spreading in multiple countries around the world simultaneously. “We have therefore made the assessment that Covid-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.” The WHO chief also stressed that pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly, as the word, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.

“Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’’S assessment of the threat posed by this coronavirus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do,” said Ghebreyesus.

In the press conference, he wondered if the world have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. “We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear,” Ghebreyesus said.

He, however, noted that just looking at the number of COVID19 cases and the number of countries affected did not tell the full story. According to the WHO, of the 118,000 Covid-19 cases reported in 114 countries, more than 90 per cent of cases are in just four countries, and the numbers of cases have significantly declined in two - China and South Korea.