In a Media briefing, held on Wednesday, the World Health Organisation has declared Coronavirus (COVID-19) a Global Pandemic, as it spreads freely to over 114 countries
The agency said that over 118,000 cases and more than 4000 deaths have been reported. The virus has now found a foothold on every continent except Antarctica
The WHO has defined a pandemic as a “Worldwide Spread” of a new disease, which is determined according to its geographical spread and severity of illness that it causes
“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 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General
This was the first coronavirus to reach pandemic levels, “we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled.”
“This is not just a public health crisis; it is a crisis that will touch every sector — so every sector and every individual must be involved in the fight.”
He said that Countries must take all of government, all of society approach, make comprehensive strategy built around to prevent infection, save lives and minimise impact.
In Summary:
- Prepare and be ready
- Detect, Protect and Treat
- Reduce Transmission
- Innovate and learn
If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize their people in the response, those with a handful of novel coronavirus cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters, and those clusters becoming community transmission, Ghebreyesus said.
“Several countries have demonstrated that this virus can be suppressed and controlled,” he added This is a developing story: Please check back for updates
