Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

COVID19 can be called pandemic: WHO 

INDONESIA-CHINA-HEALTH-VIRUS
INDONESIA-CHINA-HEALTH-VIRUS
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Muscat: WHO said on Wednesday that COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic.


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 WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.


It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death"


In the past two weeks, the number of cases of COVID19 outside has increased 13-fold and the number of affected countries has tripled. In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of COVID19 cases, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher."


He added, "WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear."


He said just looking at the number of COVID19 cases and the number of countries affected does not tell the full story.


Of the 118,000 COVID19 cases reported globally in 114 countries, more than 90 per cent of cases are in just four countries, and two of those – and - have significantly declining epidemics.


81 countries have not reported any COVID19 cases, and 57 countries have reported 10 cases or less. We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic," WHO official said.


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