Thread by @WHO

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/cbjbDzI2MTAy…

"The world has now recorded more than 8 million cases of #COVID19.

In the first two months, 85,000 cases were reported.

In the past two months 6 million cases have been reported"-@DrTedros

"There have been more than 435,000 deaths and in the Americas, Africa and South Asia; #COVID19 cases are still rapidly rising.

However, there are green shoots of hope, which show that together through global solidarity, humanity can overcome this pandemic"-@DrTedros

"We now have great examples of many countries that have shown how to effectively suppress the virus with a combination of testing, tracing, and quarantining patients and caring for those that get sick"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Lab capacity has been dramatically enhanced across the world to boost #COVID19 testing, which is critical for identifying where the virus is and informing government actions"-@DrTedros

"New mega hubs have been established that are now key to the distribution of personal protective equipment, which includes millions of masks, goggles, aprons and gloves; as well as other medical supplies"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Tech companies have developed apps that can assist with the critical task of contact tracing.

And there has been an enormous effort to accelerate the science around the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros

"Early on in the outbreak; on 11 February, WHO convened a Research and Innovation Forum on #COVID19, where hundreds of researchers came together from across the world with the aim of quickly developing quality diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines"-@DrTedros

"One of the key priorities identified was for the world to focus on accelerating research around treating patients with #COVID19.

Specifically, researchers agreed to investigate existing drugs with potential, including steroids"-@DrTedros

"WHO also developed a core protocol, which has been adapted and used by researchers around the world.

And yesterday, there was the welcome news of positive initial results from the RECOVERY trial in the 🇬🇧"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"#Dexamethasone, a common steroid, has been shown to have a beneficial effect on those patients severely ill with #COVID19"-@DrTedros

"According to the early findings shared with WHO, for patients on oxygen alone the [#dexamethasone] treatment was shown to reduce mortality by about one fifth.

And for patients requiring a ventilator, mortality was reduced by about one third"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"However, #dexamethasone was shown to not have a beneficial effect for those with milder disease, who did not need respiratory support.

This is very welcome news for those patients with severe #COVID19, these drugs should only be used under close clinical supervision"-@DrTedros

"We need more therapeutics that can be used to tackle #COVID19, including those with milder symptoms.

WHO has now started to coordinate a meta-analysis pooling data from several clinical trials to increase our overall understanding of this intervention"-@DrTedros #dexamethasone

"And, we will update our clinical guidance to reflect how and when #dexamethasone should be used to treat #COVID19"-@DrTedros

"I want to thank the 🇬🇧 government, the @UniofOxford, and the many hospitals, researchers, patients and families who have contributed to this scientific breakthrough"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #dexamethasone

"WHO will continue to work with all partners to develop other therapeutics & vaccines for #COVID19, incl. through the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator.

Over the coming weeks & months, we hope there will be more treatments that improve patient outcomes & save lives"-@DrTedros

"While we are searching for #COVID19 treatments we must continue strong efforts to prevent as many infections as possible by finding, isolating, testing and caring for every case; and tracing and quarantining every contact"-@DrTedros

"#COVID19 is affecting the whole 🌍 but it’s important to remember that for the most vulnerable communities, this is just one of many threats they face"-@DrTedros

"We have consistently stressed the importance of ensuring essential health services continue, including routine vaccination and services for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"I want to touch on Neglected Tropical Diseases, an issue I care deeply about.
NTDs are a group of 20 diseases incl. elephantiasis, sleeping sickness, leprosy, trachoma & intestinal worms that collectively wreak havoc on the poorest & most marginalized communities"-@DrTedros

"These diseases disfigure, disable and can kill, and they strike hardest in paces of poverty and in remote areas where access to quality health services is extremely limited"-@DrTedros #BeatNTDs

"WHO and partners have developed a new roadmap, which moves away from single disease programmes to integrated approaches to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of neglected tropical diseases, as part of an overall movement toward #HealthForAll"-@DrTedros #BeatNTDs

"The NTDs roadmap puts greater ownership on natl. & local governments to drive action.
Like with #COVID19, it calls for greater collaboration between governments, academia, civil society & the private sector in order to boost innovation & access to health technologies"-@DrTedros

"I have seen first hand the courage of people who are living with NTDs, which is why I call on countries not to forget about the most vulnerable"-@DrTedros #BeatNTDs #HealthForAll

"Together, we can achieve anything and I am encouraged by progress in tackling the #Ebola outbreak in the East of the #DRC.

If there are no more cases in the next seven days, the Government of DRC will be able to declare the outbreak over"-@DrTedros

"The lessons learned and experience gained by Congolese #healthworkers are now being applied to inform the #Ebola outbreak response in the West of the #DRC, as well as broader lessons on testing and contact tracing, which are directly transferable for tackling #COVID19"-@DrTedros

The full briefing by @DrTedros 👇 bit.ly/30OBt8c

"I want to acknowledge journalists on this call & around the 🌍. According to @UNESCO, which has been working with Press Emblem Campaign, between 1 March-31 May 127 journalists were killed in 31 countries. Others have been harassed & detained while reporting #COVID19"-@DrTedros

"Journalists are critical to holding decision makers to account and communicating lifesaving public health messages to the general public.
They should never be a target for violence; they should be protected so that they can continue to do their critical work"-@DrTedros #COVID19