Thread by @kakape

New numbers on #COVID19 from @DrTedros:
China:
44,730 with 1,114 deaths
Outside China:
441 cases in 24 countries, 1 death

number of new cases seems to have declined in past week, he says, but urges extreme caution interpretation
“This outbreak could still go in any direction."

@DrTedros .@DrTedros points out that no new countries have reported #COVID19 cases since 4 February.
And of 48 new cases confirmed outside #China yesterday, 40 were on board the #DiamondPrincess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama.

@DrTedros .@DrTedros mentions the plight of the Westerdam cruise ship, which will soon dock in Sihanoukville. "Based on what we have been told, there are no suspected or confirmed cases of #COVID19 on board”. Tedros: "Outbreaks can bring out the best & worst in people."

@DrTedros Stabilization in #COVID19 cases in the last number of days is "very reassuring”, says @DrMikeRyan. “It is to a great extent the result of the huge public health operation in China”.

@DrTedros #SARSCoV2 seems less aggressive/accelerated in China outside Wuhan/Hubei (and also outside China), says @DrMikeRyan. But no surprise that he cautions against any types of predictions.

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan Really important information: Of all the #COVID19 cases outside of China, only 22% are actually due to transmission outside of China, says @DrMikeRyan. "Only 8 cases globally we could not find a plausible explanation for their exposure.” #SARSCoV2

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan There is no good evidence that #SARSCoV2 is already spreading undetected in other countries, says @DrMikeRyan. Flu surveillance is also not picking it up, he points out. Still: "Does not mean it is not happening.” #COVID19

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan Picking up 41 unusual pneumonia cases in a population of 23 million people in the middle of an influenza season was "picking the needle out of the haystack”, says @DrMikeRyan. And the notification has allowed a massive global response he points out. #COVID19 #SARSCoV2