WHO "COVID-19, Critical Moment... Countries Must Actively Prepare to Contain"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasized once again on the 27th (local time) that the world is at a critical point regarding the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and that countries around the world must actively prepare to contain COVID-19.

At a press conference held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Director-General Ghebreyesus said, "All countries must prepare for the first confirmed case, the first cluster infection, and the first evidence of community transmission," adding, "At the same time, all scenarios must be anticipated."

Director-General Ghebreyesus stated, "In the past two days, the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases outside China has exceeded those reported within China," and "In the past 24 hours, seven countries including Brazil, Georgia, Greece, and Norway have reported their first confirmed cases."

According to the WHO, as of 6 a.m. on the same day, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in China was 2,747, with a cumulative total of 78,630 confirmed cases including these deaths. Outside China, based on the same criteria, 3,474 people in 44 countries were confirmed positive, and 54 people lost their lives to COVID-19.

Director-General Ghebreyesus emphasized, "If we act proactively now, we can contain COVID-19. We can also prevent people from getting sick and save lives," adding, "My recommendation is that these countries must move quickly." He continued, "COVID-19 in Iran, Italy, and Korea shows what this virus is capable of," and stressed, "However, this virus is not influenza, and with appropriate measures, it can be contained."

Director-General Ghebreyesus explained that China tested more than 320,000 samples in Guangdong Province, but only 0.14% tested positive, saying, "This means containment is possible. That is one of the important messages China has given." He added, "There are also countries like Belgium, Cambodia, India, Nepal, the Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam that have not reported cases for more than two weeks," and evaluated, "(These countries) show that aggressive early responses can prevent transmission before the virus gains a foothold."

Director-General Ghebreyesus warned, "No country should assume that such cases (confirmed cases) will not occur," adding, "That would be a truly fatal mistake. This virus does not respect borders and does not consider race, ethnicity, gross domestic product (GDP), or level of development."

He said, "Today, every country has several important questions to ask itself," mentioning, "Are you prepared for the first confirmed COVID-19 case? What will you do in the event of an outbreak? Do you have prepared isolation facilities? Are there sufficient medical oxygen and ventilators?" He continued, "Our message is that COVID-19 has the potential to become a pandemic," and said, "Again, this is not a time for fear. It is time to take measures to prevent COVID-19 infection and save lives."