Thread by @WHO

LIVE on #Periscope: Daily media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros

pscp.tv/w/cRvvcTI2MTAy…

@DrTedros "I’d like to start today by talking not about #COVID19, but about #Syria.
Since the 1st of December, dozens of health facilities have suspended services in the Idleb & Aleppo areas. Out of nearly 550 health facilities in northwest Syria, only about half are operational"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "2 attacks on health facilities took place yesterday afternoon, on 2 separate hospitals in Aleppo. Luckily, there were no casualties.

We repeat: health facilities & #healthworkers are #NotATarget in conflict & attacks on health are a breach of international law"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "Nearly 900k people have been displaced, including half a million children. Children are particularly prone to hypothermia & respiratory tract infections & due to lack of shelter, many of them are sleeping in the open with their families, exposed to the elements"-@DrTedros #Syria

@DrTedros "In the coming days, WHO is sending essential medicine & supplies across the border from 🇹🇷 to #Syria. We are sending supplies for trauma, intensive & surgical care to Idleb & Aleppo governorates; in addition to drugs for non-communicable diseases & #PrimaryHealthCare"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "Although we are now devoting a lot of attention to #COVID19, WHO is still responding to many other emergencies around the world"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "As of 6am GVA time this morning, #China has reported 72,528 #COVID19 cases to WHO, incl. 1870 deaths.
In the past 24h, 🇨🇳 has reported 1,891 new cases, including both clinically- & lab-confirmed cases.
Outside 🇨🇳, there are now 804 cases in 25 countries, with 3 deaths"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "In the past 24 hours, there have been 110 new #COVID19 cases outside #China, including 99 on the #DiamondPrincess cruise ship"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO "We have now had cases of #COVID19 outside #China for more than a month. We are supporting national authorities in every country that has cases to track the virus and understand how people were infected"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO "So far there are 92 #COVID19 cases in 12 countries outside #China of human-to-human transmission.

At the moment we don’t have enough data on cases outside 🇨🇳 to make a meaningful comparison on the severity of disease or the case fatality rate"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO "We’re following up with countries to get more information about what happens about each #COVID19 case & the outcome.

However, we have not yet seen the sustained local transmission, except in specific circumstances like the #DiamondPrincess cruise ship"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO "Yesterday I spoke to #Singapore’s Minister of Health and we are very impressed with the efforts they are making to find every #COVID19 case, follow up with contacts, and stop transmission"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1229711415319179266?s=20

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO "#Singapore is leaving no stone unturned, testing every case of influenza-like illness and pneumonia. So far they have not found evidence of #COVID19 community transmission"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1229711415319179266?s=20

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO "I also spoke to the Minister of Health of #Malaysia to discuss the #Westerdam case and other aspects of their preparations"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO @KKMPutrajaya "These signals show the importance of all countries being ready for the arrival of the #coronavirus, to treat patients with dignity & compassion, to protect #healthworkers & to prevent onward transmission"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO @KKMPutrajaya "Many countries are taking steps to prepare themselves, with WHO support.

We’ve shipped supplies of personal protective equipment to 21 countries & will ship to another 106 countries in the coming weeks"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO @KKMPutrajaya "By the end of the week, 40 countries in @WHOAFRO and 29 in @pahowho are due to have the ability to detect #COVID19"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO @KKMPutrajaya "Many of these countries have been sending samples to other countries for testing, waiting several days for results. Now they can do it themselves, within 24-48 hours"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1229800076475805697?s=20

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO @KKMPutrajaya "Some countries in @WHOAFRO including #DRC are now leveraging the capacity they have built up to test for Ebola to test for #COVID19. This is a great example of how investing in health systems can pay dividends for health security"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO @KKMPutrajaya "Other countries like 🇳🇦, 🇳🇬 & 🇹🇱 are running workshops with the media to ensure accurate & reliable reporting.

Several countries are prioritizing surveillance and monitoring at ports of entry, including 🇧🇩, 🇰🇭, 🇪🇹, 🇵🇰, 🇷🇸 and 🇸🇸"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO @KKMPutrajaya "We’re working with partners in some of the most fragile contexts to prepare countries for the arrival of the #coronavirus. We still have a chance of preventing a broader global crisis.
WHO will continue working night & day with all countries to prepare them"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros @WHOWPRO @WHOSEARO @WHOAFRO @pahowho @WHO_Europe @WHOEMRO @KKMPutrajaya The full briefing on #COVID19 by @DrTedros 👇bit.ly/2HyrGZ3