WHO (World Health Organization)-Updates & Reports

 Hat Tip to 'titano', FluTrackers:

The Latest: WHO says China virus not global health emergency
https://waow.com/2020/01/23/the-latest-singapores-1st-coronavirus-case-is-a-wuhan-man/

The World Health Organization says a viral illness in China that has sickened hundreds of people is not yet a global health emergency.

The decision came after Chinese authorities moved to lock down three cities on Thursday and canceled major events in the capital, Beijing, during the Lunar New Year holiday period to try to contain the new virus.

The United Nations health agency announced the decision after independent experts spent two days assessing information about the spread of the newly identified coronavirus.

WHO defines a global emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. Previous global emergencies have been declared for the emergence of Zika virus in the Americas, the swine flu pandemic, and polio.

Ok.

Get this.

In another twist and turn of the extremely odd and unusual circumstances and events, the head of the WHO suddenly dies in the middle of a major outbreak.



https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/global-health-emergencies-advocate-peter-salama-dies-at-age-51/

https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-mourns-death-dr-peter-salama


That's one helluva an oddly timed coincidence.  

What's more likely it's a random unconnected coincidence or there is a nefarious connection? (Was he killed off because he wanted to declare a health emergency?)

Hat Tip to 'Shiloh', FluTrackers:

WHO seeks to answer nCoV unknowns as more local spread noted outside of China
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/01/who-seeks-answer-ncov-unknowns-more-local-spread-noted-outside-china

Filed Under:
2019-nCoV; Coronavirus
Lisa Schnirring | News Editor | CIDRAP News
| Jan 28, 2020


Following a meeting with Chinese government officials, including the country's president, the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced an agreement to send a WHO-led international expert team to China to get a better grasp of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, as China's cases surged past 4,000 and two new countries—Germany and Sri Lanka—reported their first cases.

In other developments, three countries, including Germany, reported instances of local spread, with more reporting additional travel-linked cases.

WHO expert team to probe key questions

A WHO delegation, led by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, arrived in Beijing yesterday and met with a group that included China's President Xi Jinping and its health minister Ma Xiaowei, MD.

In a statement, the WHO said discussions centered around China's strong capacity to manage respiratory disease outbreaks, collaboration on containment measures in Wuhan, further studies to gauge disease severity and transmission, and the need for China to continue sharing data and virus materials.

The WHO will send the international expert team to China as soon as possible. In the past, the WHO had sent similar international joint teams to gather more information on other outbreaks, such as MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) in Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

"We appreciate the seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership, and the transparency they have demonstrated, including sharing data and genetic sequence of the virus," Tedros said.

Though there are still many unknowns about the outbreak, including the source of the virus and extent of its spread, most reported cases have been mild, with about 20% of patients experiencing severe disease, the WHO said. It added that the number of cases in and outside of China is deeply concerning, and that a better understanding of transmissibility and severity is urgently needed to guide response steps.

The WHO said it continues to monitor developments and could reconvene its emergency committee on short notice to consider again if the situation warrants a public health emergency of international concern under International Health Regulations.

News of the joint meeting broke during a media briefing today with top US health officials. At the event, US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, said the US had offered to send experts separately or as part of a WHO group and that he was delighted to hear the news (see separate CIDRAP News story).

China tops 4,000 cases, 100 deaths

China today reported 1,771 new cases today, the largest daily number since the outbreak began, boosting the overall total to 4,515 cases.

The latest illnesses were reported from 30 of China's 33 provinces and administrative regions. But about 1,300 of the cases are in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, according to the latest Hubei province update translated and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board.

The number of people with severe infections rose to 976, and 26 more people died, raising the fatality count to 106.

Short incubation period in Vietnam

Last week Vietnam was the first country to report local transmission, and today a team from Vietnam published details about the event in an early online report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The report said Vietnam's local case is part of a family cluster, involving the 27-year-old son whose parents flew to Hanoi from the Wuhan area earlier this month. The man's 65-year-old father, who had underlying health conditions, became ill a few days later and was hospitalized.

His son, who lives in Long An province in Vietnam, had not traveled to any area where the virus was spreading and had shared a hotel room with his parents for 3 days after they arrived in Vietnam. A few days later, he began experiencing a dry cough, fever, vomiting, and loose stools. The authors of the report said the son's clinical course suggests the incubation period could have been 3 days or less.

The report also noted that the family traveled across four cities in Vietnam, using planes, trains, and taxis. So far no other illnesses have been detected in 28 contacts who are under monitoring.

Local spread in 3 more nations

Also today, Germany reported its first 2019-nCoV case, involving a 33-year-old Bavarian man who is thought to have been infected by a colleague from China while attending company training last week in Bavarian state, Deutsche Welle, a newspaper based in Germany, reported, citing Bavarian health officials.

The colleague, a woman from Shanghai, started feeling sick on the flight back to China on Jan 23. The woman's parents, who live near Wuhan, had recently visited her in Shanghai.
The Bavarian man recovered from his illness enough to return to work, but when the Shanghai colleague was diagnosed as having 2019-nCoV, the company urged its employees to report symptoms, which prompted the man to get tested.

Later today, Bavaria's health ministry reported three more similar cases in employees who worked for the same company, according to a government statement translated and posted by Avian Flu Diary (AFD), an infectious disease news blog. The health ministry said a few other contacts are being tested and added that about 40 employees who are considered close contacts will be tested as a precaution.

Japan reported three more cases today, one of which involves local spread, raising its number of 2019-nCoV cases to seven. The locally acquired case involves a man in his 60s from Nara prefecture who had contact with a visitor from Wuhan. Media reports said the man is a tour bus driver who drove two groups of Chinese tourists from Wuhan earlier this month.

Japan's other cases reported today, which bring its total to seven, involve a woman and man in their 40s, both from Wuhan. Neither had not visited the outbreak market.

Meanwhile, Taiwan today in reporting its eighth case said the patient is a man in his 50s from central Taiwan who contracted the virus from his wife, whose illness was recently detected when she got sick after returning from working in China, Reuters reported today. Taiwan officials said the man's illness marked its first locally acquired case.

Imported cases in Thailand, Canada, France

Thailand today reported six more patients with imported infections, five of them members of the same family who had traveled from hard-hit Hubei province, according to a separate Reuters report. The sixth was from the city of Chongqing, another of China's hot spots. The detections demonstrate that infected travelers will be coming from a range of affected Chinese areas.

The country has now reported 14 imported cases, the most of any area outside the mainland. According to the report, Thai officials today announced plans to screen all travelers from China.

Canada today announced its third case, involving a British Columbia man from the Vancouver area in his 40s who arrived back from Wuhan last week, according to a provincial government statement. He regularly travels to China for work and contacted local health authorities last week when he got sick after returning from Wuhan. He is in home isolation, and health officials are monitoring his contacts.

France reported its fourth case, in an elderly Chinese man who was visiting the country from Hubei province, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. The man is in serious condition in a Paris hospital.

WHO is live NOW:

https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/videos/514349309209825/

ReadyMom wrote:WHO is live NOW:

https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/videos/514349309209825/

Sounds like they might be declaring Global health emergency tomorrow.

ReadyMom wrote:

ReadyMom wrote:WHO is live NOW:

https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/videos/514349309209825/

Sounds like they might be declaring Global health emergency tomorrow.

If they declare a Global health Emer. How would that change things here??

ReadyMom wrote:

ReadyMom wrote:WHO is live NOW:

https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/videos/514349309209825/

Sounds like they might be declaring Global health emergency tomorrow.

Meeting tomorrow:

International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on novel coronavirus in China
https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2020/01/30/default-calendar/international-health-regulations-emergency-committee-on-novel-coronavirus-in-china

30 January 2020 Geneva, Switzerland

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The Emergency Committee on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) will be reconvened by the World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday, 30 January.

The meeting is planned to start at 13:30 Geneva time.

The Committee will advise the Director-General on whether the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and what recommendations should be made to manage it.

The Director-General’s decision, following the Committee’s advice, will be made public on WHO’s website and via a press conference. The recommendations will also be made public.

Dave58 wrote:

ReadyMom wrote:

ReadyMom wrote:WHO is live NOW:

https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/videos/514349309209825/

Sounds like they might be declaring Global health emergency tomorrow.

If they declare a Global health Emer. How would that change things here??

Dave, they talked about that for a couple min, today and explained that if they declare a global emergency, then they can take more (my words next) a more universal/across the board type of approach towards the virus. Right now each country is doing their own thing (obviously what they think will work or what they can afford to do). Also, I think $$ can be allocated for countries that need it for the fight.   (If I'm misunderstanding any of this, someone please correct me)

Live Feed for today's WHO meeting:

ReadyMom wrote:Live Feed for today's WHO meeting:

Still no declaration. They are meeting, again, tomorrow. Sounds like they just don't want to pull the trigger.

ReadyMom wrote:

ReadyMom wrote:Live Feed for today's WHO meeting:

Still no declaration. They are meeting, again, tomorrow. Sounds like they just don't want to pull the trigger.

So ... the news is reporting that WHO is declaring a Global Emergency.  Did I miss it? Hubby walked in from work, while I was watching it ... maybe I did.  

So, I think the whole idea for this is money & logistics. They can give funds & organized help to countries that need it for containment. Like when our Prez or a Governor declare a National or State 'State of Emergency'

Coronavirus declared global health emergency by WHO
Today, 03:12 PM
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51318246

Coronavirus declared global health emergency by WHO
30 January 2020
Coronavirus has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China.

"The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The concern is that it could spread to countries with weaker health systems.

The death toll is now at 170 in China.

The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 counties outside of China, but no deaths...

i hope this one blongs here.if. not.ok it'll get moved.lol


World Health Organization declares coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency

https://www.foxnews.com/health/worl...oronavirus-outbreak-a-global-health-emergency

xxx-Reserved

Hat Tip to 'Shiloh', FluTrackers:

China marks biggest nCoV jump; WHO unveils response plan
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/02/china-marks-biggest-ncov-jump-who-unveils-response-plan

(SNIP) ... WHO spells out response strategy

At a media briefing today, the WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said $675 million is a lot of money, but a big investment in preparedness now can lead to an even larger cost savings. He added that though the main focus is on helping China, another major worry is the potential impact on countries with weaker health systems.

The goals of the 28-page plan are to limit human-to-human transmission; identify, isolate, and care for patients; communicate critical information; minimize social and economic impact; reduce spread from animal sources; and tackle other unknowns. Three main focus areas are the rapid scale-up of international coordination, stepped-up readiness and response, and accelerated research and other innovations. The WHO said it has already released $9 million from its contingency fund. Of the $675 million price tag, about $60 million would be to support the WHO's operations,with the rest targeted to at-risk countries. ---CONTINUED---

‘We’re Shadow Boxing:’ WHO Official on Coronavirus Fight
https://www.theepochtimes.com/were-shadow-boxing-who-official-on-coronavirus-fight_3229970.html

There’s a lot that international health experts still don’t know about the new coronavirus, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said Thursday.

(SNIP) ... Scientists have made progress sequencing the virus’ DNA and know roughly how it is transmitted, Ghebreysus said at a press conference at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva. But experts are still struggling to pinpoint the origin of the outbreak, and its host, and come up with a vaccine or treatment, officials said. As many as three different animals could have been involved, Dr. Mike Ryan, who directs WHO’s emergencies program.

“We don’t know the source of the outbreak, we don’t know what its natural reservoir is, and we don’t properly understand its transmissibility or severity,” Tedros said. “To put it bluntly, we’re shadow boxing.” ---CONTINUED---

US$675 million needed for new coronavirus preparedness and response global plan
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/05-02-2020-us-675-million-needed-for-new-coronavirus-preparedness-and-response-global-plan

Urgent support needed to protect vulnerable countries from outbreak

5 February 2020 News release
Geneva, Switzerland

To fight further spread of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China and globally, and protect states with weaker health systems, the international community has launched a US$675 million preparedness and response plan covering the months of February through to April 2020.

“My biggest worry is that there are countries today who do not have the systems in place to detect people who have contracted with the virus, even if it were to emerge,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Urgent support is needed to bolster weak health systems to detect, diagnose and care for people with the virus, to prevent further human to human transmission and protect health workers.”

The Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for the new coronavirus lays out activities and resources needed by international health organizations globally, including WHO, to implement priority public health measures in support of countries to prepare and respond to nCoV-2019 for a period February-April 2020. The objectives of the plan are to limit human-to-human transmission of the virus, particularly in countries most vulnerable if they were to face an outbreak; identify, isolate and care for patients early; communicate critical risk and event information; minimize social and economic impact; reduce virus spread from animal sources; and address crucial unknowns.

The plan focuses on:

Rapidly establishing international coordination and operational support;
Scaling up country readiness and response operations;
Accelerating priority research and innovation.

“The effectiveness of outbreak response depends on the preparedness measures put in place before outbreaks strike,” said Dr Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. “That is why we are seeking resources to safeguard the most vulnerable countries to protect people from the new coronavirus before it arrives on the doorstep.”

As noted in the SPRP, WHO assesses that the outbreak poses a very high risk in China, and high risk regionally and globally. The risk assessment was based on factors including the likelihood of further spread, the potential impact on human health, and the varying levels of effectiveness in national preparedness and response measures. Accelerated action, as called for in the plan, can address these risks and areas requiring support.

As of 10 a.m. Central European Time on 5 February, 25 countries have reported confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, including China, where 24,363 people had contracted the virus, or over 99% of all cases. In all other countries, 191 cases have contracted the virus.

2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019‑nCoV):
STRATEGIC PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PLAN
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/srp-04022020.pdf

Draft as of 3 February 2020
28 page PDF

(SNIP) ... This strategic preparedness and response plan outlines the public health measures that the international community stands ready to provide to support all countries to prepare for and respond to 2019‑nCoV. The document takes what we have learned so far about the virus and translates that knowledge into strategic action that can guide the efforts of all national and international partners when developing context‑specific national and regional operational plans. ---CONTINUED---

Hat Tip to John West's Daily Big Threat Blog:

WHO cautions that transmission of the new coronavirus outside of China could increase
https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/08/who-cautions-coronavirus-transmission-could-increase-beyond-china/

The World Health Organization’s director-general cautioned Saturday that transmission of the new coronavirus outside of China may increase and countries should prepare for that possibility.

“It’s slow now, but it may accelerate,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference in Geneva. “So while it’s still slow there is a window of opportunity that we should use to the maximum in order to have a better outcome, and further decrease the progress and stop it.”

(SNIP) ... During the press conference on Saturday, the head of WHO’s health emergencies program, Dr. Mike Ryan, said at this point it’s not clear why little transmission has occurred outside of China.

“The question remains as to whether we’re in a lag phase and the rate of infection [outside China] may pick up, or whether we’re seeing what is the natural history of the disease. It’s way too soon to tell,” Ryan said. ---CONTINUED---

China Reports Nearly 100 Deaths In A Single Day From Coronavirus
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/10/804387615/china-reports-nearly-100-deaths-in-a-single-day-from-coronavirus

The head of the World Health Organization is warning that a few cases of the novel coronavirus that have been spread by people who never traveled to China could be "the tip of the iceberg," as officials reported the highest single-day death toll since the epidemic began.

(SNIP) ... In a tweet on Sunday from Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the "spread outside #China appears to be slow, but could accelerate." ... CONTINUED

WHO Director-General's remarks at the media briefing on 2019-nCoV on 10 February 2020
https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-2019-ncov-on-10-february-2020

(BIG SNIP) ... In recent days we have seen some concerning instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China, like the cases reported in France yesterday and the UK today.

The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire.

But for now, it’s only a spark. Our objective remains containment. We call on all countries to use the window of opportunity we have to prevent a bigger fire. ---CONTINUED---

The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire.

No.
This is politically driven B.S.

The positive detections in "the wild" are not the spark, but the glow of the fire that is already burning.

Hat Tip to 'Shiloh', FluTrackers:

COVID-19: New coronavirus given name by World Health Organization
https://globalnews.ca/news/6535635/coronavirus-name-covid19/

COVID-19: New coronavirus given name by World Health Organization
By Maham Abedi Global News
Posted February 11, 2020 10:22 am
Updated February 11, 2020 10:23 am

The new coronavirus has been named COVID-19, the World Health Organization announced Tuesday.

This type of coronavirus was first detected in December in the Chinese city of Wuhan...

Hat Tip to 'Pathfinder', FluTrackers:

WHO brands coronavirus 'public enemy number one'
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health/who-brands-coronavirus-public-enemy-number-one-idUSKBN20504Y

GUANGZHOU, China/GENEVA (Reuters) - The coronavirus outbreak in China may be over by April, the country’s senior medical adviser said on Tuesday, but deaths surpassed 1,000 and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a global threat potentially worse than terrorism.

The world must “wake up and consider this enemy virus as public enemy number one,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters, adding the first vaccine was 18 months away.   ---CONTINUED---

Hat Tip to FluWiki, Facebook:

Prepare to close schools, stop rallies as Covid-19 spreads, warns WHO
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/02/12/prepare-to-close-schools-ban-rallies-as-covid-19-spreads-warns-who/?fbclid=IwAR1g_hJpgmOKxJvprIKjzerMw5exfM7N-uNkW4ZoVb9I8X8fQGU_ibL-Ess

PETALING JAYA: It is time for all countries, including Malaysia, to prepare for the possibility of wider transmission of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific Dr Takeshi Kasai said today.

(SNIP) ... The World Health Organization representative said the region was at a critical juncture with the virus now confirmed in many parts of the world.

“There are now reports of clusters of cases with no apparent link to China. The latest information suggests that the virus may be more transmissible than early data suggested. --- CONTINUED---

Hat Tip to 'Commonground', FluTrackers:


WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks
https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-ebola-and-covid-19-outbreaks

Today, 02:00 PM
12 February 2020 Good evening to all colleagues who have joined from the media and our Organization.

Once again, I would like to thank Professor Steffen and all the members of the Emergency Committee on Ebola for their time and advice.

The Emergency Committee on Ebola has advised that the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to be a public health emergency of international concern, and I have accepted that advice.

As I said yesterday, as long as there is a single case of Ebola in an area as insecure and unstable as eastern DRC, the potential remains for a much larger epidemic.

WHO’s risk assessment is that the risk of spread is high nationally and regionally, and low globally.

Nonetheless, the signs are extremely positive in the eastern DRC, and I hope that by the time the Emergency Committee reconvenes, we will be able to declare an end to the outbreak.

But even as we near the end of this outbreak, we must act now to prevent the next one.

And we cannot forget that while this Ebola outbreak has killed 2249 people, measles has killed more than 6300 people in DRC, in less time.

Only half of health facilities have access to water.

Strengthening a health system may not be as sexy as responding to an outbreak, but it is equally important.

Tomorrow I will travel to Kinshasa, DRC for discussions with Felix Tshisekedi President and other senior ministers about how to strengthen DRC’s health system and protect and promote the health of its people.

The current outbreak of COVID-19 highlights why this is so critical.

Our greatest fear remains the damage this coronavirus could do in a country like DRC.

Even as the flames of one outbreak begin to die down, we are fighting another fire-front.

As of 6am Geneva time this morning, there are 44,730 cases of COVID-19 in China, with 1,114 deaths.

Outside China, there are 441 cases from 24 countries, and one death.

The number of newly confirmed cases reported from China has stabilized over the past week, but that must be interpreted with extreme caution.

This outbreak could still go in any direction.

The number of countries reporting cases also has not changed since 4 February. Of the 48 new cases confirmed outside China yesterday, 40 were on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is currently quarantined in Yokohama.

We are in constant contact with the Japanese government, the International Maritime Organization, and the owner of the ship to protect the health of all passengers.

Now we have three cruise ships that have experienced delayed port clearance or have been denied entry to ports, often without an evidence-based risk assessment.

Together with the International Maritime Organization, we will issue a communique to all countries to respect the principle of “free pratique” for ships and the principle of proper care for all travelers, in accordance with the International Health Regulations.

We have also established lines of communication with IMO, the Cruise Lines International Association and the major cruise operators to ensure we have accurate information and can provide the right advice.

WHO has published guidance on how to handle public health events like this on ships, and we urge countries and companies to follow that guidance.

I’m also pleased to announce that today Cambodia agreed to accept the Westerdam cruise ship, which has been stranded at sea for several days.

Based on what we have been told, there are no suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 on board the Westerdam.

The ship will arrive in Cambodia tomorrow morning.

This afternoon I spoke to Cambodia’s Minister of Health to thank him for allowing the Westerdam to dock in his country, and I would like to use this opportunity to appreciate the government, especially His Excellency the Prime Minister.

This is an example of the international solidarity we have consistently been calling for.

Outbreaks can bring out the best and worst in people.

Stigmatizing individuals or entire nations does nothing but harm the response.

Instead of directing all our energy against the outbreak, stigma diverts our attention and turns people against each other.

I will say it again: this is a time for solidarity, not stigma.

===

As you know, the research and innovation forum on COVID-19 concluded this afternoon.

I was very encouraged to see the energy and speed with which the global research community has taken up this challenge.

As we speak, research groups are meeting with the leading research funders to start work immediately on the most pressing questions.

Some of these issues include easy to apply diagnostics, the best approaches for infection prevention, potential therapies that could be used to treat patients, existing vaccine candidates and how to accelerate them, and how to address the infodemic.

We’re also doing deeper investigations to identify the source of this virus and to prevent further transmission from animals to humans.

WHO is now developing a master plan for coordinating clinical trials and ensuring they are done coherently and consistently.

Meanwhile, we continue to support countries with the tools and equipment they need now to diagnose cases and protect health workers.

We have shipped diagnostic kits to laboratories around the world, and we will continue to do so.

And we’re also sending supplies of masks, gloves, gowns and other personal protective equipment to protect frontline health workers in 18 countries that need our support, and we have more in the pipeline.

Finally, our advance team in China has made good progress in working out the composition of the team and the scope of its work. We hope to have more news to announce soon.

I thank you.

Hat Tip to John West's Daily Big Threat Blog:

World Health Organization, After Discouraging Travel Bans: Coronavirus ‘More Powerful’ than Terrorism
https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2020/02/12/world-health-organization-after-discouraging-travel-bans-coronavirus-more-powerful-than-terrorism/#

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Tuesday the newly discovered coronavirus ravaging China, or any viral outbreak, can have “more powerful consequences than any terrorist action” and encouraged global governments to “do whatever it can to stop it.”

The remarks follow a month of WHO officials initially refusing to declare the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), then discouraging nations from imposing travel bans on China, caving to pressure from the Communist Party. The Party considers travel bans an indication of a lack of trust in Beijing’s ability to contain the outbreak and, thus, an insult. ---CONTINUED---

WHO - 12 February 2020
News release
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-02-2020-world-experts-and-funders-set-priorities-for-covid-19-research

Geneva, Switzerland

Leading health experts from around the world have been meeting at the World Health Organization’s Geneva headquarters to assess the current level of knowledge about the new COVID-19 disease, identify gaps and work together to accelerate and fund priority research needed to help stop this outbreak and prepare for any future outbreaks.

The 2-day forum was convened in line with the WHO R&D Blueprint – a strategy for developing drugs and vaccines before epidemics, and accelerating research and development while they are occurring.

“This outbreak is a test of solidarity -- political, financial and scientific. We need to come together to fight a common enemy that does not respect borders, ensure that we have the resources necessary to bring this outbreak to an end and bring our best science to the forefront to find shared answers to shared problems. Research is an integral part of the outbreak response,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “I appreciate the positive response of the research community to join us at short notice and come up with concrete plans and commitment to work together.”

The meeting, hosted in collaboration with GloPID-R (the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness) brought together major research funders and over 300 scientists and researchers from a large variety of disciplines. They discussed all aspects of the outbreak and ways to control it including:

• the natural history of the virus, its transmission and diagnosis;
  
• animal and environmental research on the origin of the virus, including management measures at the human-animal interface;
  
• epidemiological studies;
  
• clinical characterization and management of disease caused by the virus;
  
• infection prevention and control, including best ways to protect health care workers;
  
• research and development for candidate therapeutics and vaccines;
  
• ethical considerations for research;
  
• and integration of social sciences into the outbreak response.
  

“This meeting allowed us to identify the urgent priorities for research. As a group of funders we will continue to mobilize, coordinate and align our funding to enable the research needed to tackle this crisis and stop the outbreak, in partnership with WHO,” said Professor Yazdan Yazdanpanah, chair of GloPID-R. “Equitable access – making sure we share data and reach those most in need, in particular those in lower and middle-income countries, is fundamental to this work which must be guided by ethical considerations at all times.”

During the meeting, the more than 300 scientists and researchers participating both in person and virtually agreed on a set of global research priorities. They also outlined mechanisms for continuing scientific interactions and collaborations beyond the meeting which will be coordinated and facilitated by WHO. They worked with research funders to determine how necessary resources can be mobilized so that critical research can start immediately.

The deliberations will form the basis of a research and innovation roadmap charting all the research needed and this will be used by researchers and funders to accelerate the research response. [h=2]Note to editors[/h]
GloPID-R is a global alliance of international research funding organizations investing in preparedness and response to epidemics.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Situation Report –24
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200213-sitrep-24-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=9a7406a4_2

Data as reported by 13 February 2020*

HIGHLIGHTS
•No new countries reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

•WHO has developed a database to collect the latest scientific findings and knowledge on Coronavirus disease. For more information, please see here.

•The two-day global research and innovation forumregarding COVID-19was convened in line with the WHO R&D Blueprintthis week. Leading health experts from around the world met at WHO to assess the current level of knowledge about the new COVID-19 disease, identify gaps and work together to accelerate and fund priority research needed to help stop this outbreak and prepare for any future outbreaks. For more details, please see here.

•Overnight 14’840 cases, including 13’332 clinically diagnosed cases were reportedfrom Hubei. This is the first time China has reported clinically diagnosed cases in addition to laboratory-confirmed cases. For consistency, we report here only the number of laboratory-confirmed cases. WHO has formally requested additional information on the clinically diagnosed cases, in particular when these have occurred in the course of the outbreak and whether suspect cases were reclassified as clinically diagnosed cases. ---CONTINUED---

Hat Tip to 'Shiloh', FluTrackers:

WHO Director-General's remarks at the media briefing on COVID-2019 outbreak on 14 February 2020
https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-COVID-2019-outbreak-on-14-february-2020

14 February 2020

Good afternoon everyone. I am speaking to you from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where I have met with President Tshisekedi, ministers, UN colleagues and other partners – to review the impressive progress that has been made toward ending the Ebola outbreak, and to talk about future plans to ensure that everyone in the DRC can access quality health services going forward.

I have been impressed with the commitment of President Tshisekedi and his government to ending the outbreak in eastern DRC and I would like to urge the whole world to recommit to getting to zero Ebola cases. But it is also vitally important that resources and attention focus on strengthening the country’s health system and bolstering preparedness.
Whether it’s Ebola or COVID-19, investing in preparedness is the smartest way to ensure disease outbreaks are identified and stopped quickly.

I am glad to say that countries around the world are in a better state of preparedness for COVID-19 than they were just a week ago, and WHO’s efforts to help countries boost their lab capacity continue.

Now the latest numbers on the COVID-19 outbreak.

As you know, China has changed the way it reports data from Hubei province.
There are now a total of 47,505 laboratory-confirmed cases in China, and 16,427 cases that have been clinically-confirmed in Hubei province.

While it’s not uncommon in outbreaks for case definitions to change over time as more information becomes available, we are seeking further clarity on how clinical diagnosis is being made, to ensure other respiratory illnesses including influenza are not getting mixed into the COVID-19 data.

In total, there have been 1,381 deaths in China, including 121 reported today.
Outside China, there have been 505 cases in 24 countries and two deaths.
The vice minister of the national health commission has said that as of Tuesday 1716 health care workers have been infected, and six have died.

This is a critical piece of information, because health workers are the glue that holds the health system and outbreak response together. But we need to know more about this figure, including the time period and circumstances in which the health workers became sick.
WHO guidelines have been developed for health workers taking care of hospitalised adults and paediatric patients with acute infections. These guidelines have been made available to all countries.

As I said the other day, we have been in regular contact with suppliers, asking them to prioritize production and distribution of personal protective equipment to health workers on the front lines. We are also in touch with Member States on this important issue.

I’m glad to say that the WHO-led Joint Mission with China on COVID-19is moving forward. We expect the full team to touch down over the weekend.

The mission consists of 12 international and WHO experts and a similar number of national expert counterparts from the People’s Republic of China.

The Joint Mission will include in-depth workshops, a data review with the principal ministries, a series of meetings with key national-level institutions and field visits in three provinces to understand the application and impact of response activities at provincial and county levels, including urban and rural settings.

The goal of the joint mission is to rapidly inform the next steps in the COVID-19 response and preparedness activities in China and globally.

Particular attention will be paid to understanding the transmission of the virus, the severity of disease, and the impact of ongoing response measures.

Furthermore, it will be important to review which type of information is needed so that the world can use this window of opportunity to prepare health systems and workers for possible outbreaks.
Clearly this is an evolving picture. Health workers and responders in China are working with virtually no sleep in difficult conditions. But we need to ensure that we’re getting the most accurate data, as quickly as possible, to assist China and support the global response.
We’re working with our Chinese counterparts on these issues, and this is also part of the scope of work for the WHO-led joint mission with China.

Finally, I wish to thank Cambodia for demonstrating to the world the meaning of solidarity.
While other countries turned away the Westerdam cruise ship, Cambodia allowed it to dock.
Today hundreds of passengers are disembarking and are en route to their home countries.
20 passengers who reported signs of illness have tested negative for the COVID-19 virus.
I hope that other countries will follow Cambodia’s lead.

Lastly, I want to say again, from my heart, that this is the time for solidarity, not stigma. There are worrying signs that the world is not hearing the call for unity and standing in unison with those at the epicenter in China who are saving lives and alleviating suffering.

I thank you.

Why?????

Hat Tip to 'Gert van der Hoek ', FluTrackers:

WHO says it no longer uses 'pandemic' category, but virus still emergency
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-who/who-says-no-longer-uses-pandemic-category-but-virus-still-emergency-idUKKCN20I0N8

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization no longer uses the term pandemic, but the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak remains an international emergency that is likely to spread further, a spokesman said on Monday.

Fears of a coronavirus pandemic grew after sharp rises in new cases reported in Iran, Italy and South Korea, although China relaxed restrictions on movement in several places including Beijing as its rates of new infections eased.

The Geneva-based WHO declared the 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak a pandemic, which turned out to be mild, leading to some criticism after pharmaceutical companies rushed development of vaccines and drugs.

WHO declared the novel coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, in December a public health emergency of International concern, known as a PHEIC, on Jan. 30. The designation, which remains in place, was aimed at helping countries with weaker health systems shore up their defenses, especially in Africa.[/SIZE]

Hat Tip to John West's Daily Big Threat Blog:

WHO calls on international community to prepare for potential coronavirus pandemic
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/europe/who-calls-on-international-community-to-prepare-for-potential-coronavirus-pandemic20200225013637/

Geneva (/topic/geneva) [Switzerland], Feb 24 (ANI): World health officials on Monday said that countries across the world should prepare for a potential pandemic of coronavirus, which has now spread substantially outside China.

"Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear. We do not live in a binary world. It is not either-or. We must focus on containment while doing everything we can to prepare for a potential pandemic," Ghebreyesus said in a press brief, as quoted by the World Health Organization
(WHO (/topic/who)) on Twitter. ---CONTINUED---

A Mixed Message

Coronavirus latest: WHO says the virus isn't a pandemic 'yet', but markets think otherwise
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-latest-markets-selloff-amid-spread-outside-of-china-185116547.html

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday downplayed the prospects of the coronavirus outbreak becoming a worldwide pandemic — which came as little comfort to global markets that sold off in the wake of an eruption of new infections outside of China. ---CONTINUED---

Hat Tip to John West's Daily Big Threat Blog:

WHO Recommends 10 Basic Prevention Measures Against Covid-19
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/WHO-Recommends-10-Basic-Prevention-Measures-Against-Covid-19-20200228-0010.html

The World Health Organization (WHO) outlined ten necessary personal prevention measures against COVID-19, including cleaning hands and surfaces regularly and avoiding traveling when having a fever or cough.

"Your risk depends on where you live, your age, and general health. WHO can provide general guidance. You should also follow your national guidance and consult local health professionals," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a daily briefing. ---CONTINUED---

It's time to declare a pandemic. If it walks like a duck ...

Hat Tip to John West's Daily Big Threat Blog:

WHO raises global risk of coronavirus from 'high' to 'very high'
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200228-who-raises-global-risk-of-coronavirus-from-high-to-very-high/

The rapid spread of the coronavirus increased fears of a pandemic on Friday, with six countries reporting their first cases and the World Health Organization (WHO) raising its global spread and impact risk alert to “very high”, Reuters reports.

World shares fell again, winding up their worst week since the 2008 global financial crisis and bringing the global wipeout to $6 trillion.

Hopes that the epidemic that started in China late last year would be over in months, and that economic activity would quickly return to normal, have been shattered. ---CONTINUED---

 Hat Tip to John West's Daily Big Threat Blog:

Coronavirus containment strategy is working, WHO chief tells Riyadh conference
https://www.thenational.ae/world/gcc/coronavirus-containment-strategy-is-working-who-chief-tells-riyadh-conference-1.986578

The head of the World Health Organisation told the opening session of the second Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum on Sunday that the containment strategy for coronavirus was working “in some countries” and called for those efforts to continue as the global crisis rolls on.

(SNIP) ... “We shouldn’t abandon the containment strategy because we see it’s working in some countries,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, told the 1,300 delegates gathered in Riyadh, without identifying specific cases.

The disease is a serious issue, said Dr Ghebreyesus, but must be set in context.   ---CONTINUED---

Hat Tip to FluTrackers:

Situation Report #47 Reported by March 7, 2020
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200307-sitrep-47-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=27c364a4_2

WHO Concession: China Never Warned It About Coronavirus Outbreak
https://www.newsmax.com/us/worldhealthorganization-china-us/2020/07/02/id/975496/?fbclid=IwAR2tW2c7YAxtGIfL1RSloUFmpLiQHuaWn9NlDIosX0Har2f4RZBkswxD8ss

(SNIP) ... The WHO recently revised its “Timeline of WHO’s response to COVID-19” on Tuesday after Republicans in the House Foreign Affairs Committee released its Interim Report on Origins of COVID-19 Pandemic. It concluded “despite public reporting to the contrary ... China never notified the WHO about the outbreak in Wuhan.”   ---CONTINUED---

ReadyMom wrote:WHO Concession: China Never Warned It About Coronavirus Outbreak
https://www.newsmax.com/us/worldhealthorganization-china-us/2020/07/02/id/975496/?fbclid=IwAR2tW2c7YAxtGIfL1RSloUFmpLiQHuaWn9NlDIosX0Har2f4RZBkswxD8ss

(SNIP) ... The WHO recently revised its “Timeline of WHO’s response to COVID-19” on Tuesday after Republicans in the House Foreign Affairs Committee released its Interim Report on Origins of COVID-19 Pandemic. It concluded “despite public reporting to the contrary ... China never notified the WHO about the outbreak in Wuhan.”   ---CONTINUED---

I took a quick look at the articles, and it looks like the WHO is trying to CoverTheirA-- by blaming the whole thing on China. Possibly as a counter measure against Trump pulling the US out of the WHO.

I don't buy it, because, for all of January and February, we, here on this forum were ahead of the WHO on understanding what was going on. There is no way that could have happened without them sandbagging.