Thread by @WHO

Daily media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/cR6ZQjI2MTAy…

@DrTedros "As of 6am GVA time this morning, #China has reported 74,675 cases of #COVID19 to WHO, including 2121 deaths.

The data from 🇨🇳 continue to show a decline in new cases. Once again, we’re encouraged by this trend, but this is no time for complacency"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros "Outside #China, there are now 1076 #COVID19 cases in 26 countries, with seven deaths.

In the past 24 hours the Islamic Republic of #Iran has reported 5 cases, 2 of which have died"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros "Of all cases outside #China, over 1/2 are among passengers on the #DiamondPrincess cruise ship.

The first passengers have now disembarked, providing they have a negative test, no symptoms and no contact with a confirmed case in the past 14 days"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@DrTedros "#Japan has also advised passengers to stay at home for a further 14 days and monitor their temperature and has set up a hotline for passengers to call if they have concerns"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@DrTedros "#Japan is in regular contact with other countries through a mechanism set up under the International Health Regulations, so those countries can follow up with their nationals who were passengers on the ship"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@DrTedros "In addition to monitoring the evolution of the #COVID19 outbreak, WHO’s main role is to work with countries and partners to coordinate the global response.

We’re doing that in several ways, both internally and externally"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros "As you know, a WHO-led international team of experts is now on the ground in #China, working with their Chinese counterparts to find answers to some of the things we don’t know, including the transmissibility of the virus & the impact of the measures that 🇨🇳 has taken"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "The team has been brought together through the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, and includes experts in epidemiology, virology, clinical management, outbreak control and public health"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

"[Experts are] from the following institutions:
@NUSingapore
@SNUCM_Official
@NCDCgov
@CDCgov
@NIH
@rki_de
The St Petersburg Pasteur Institute
The Natl Institute of Infectious Diseases 🇯🇵
The 🇷🇺 Natl Medical Research Center of Phthisiopulmonology & Infectious Diseases"-@DrTedros

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros "We’ve convened the WHO Health Security Council, a daily meeting of myself, @DrMikeRyan, the Regional Directors & other senior staff, to review the evolution of the #COVID19 outbreak and coordinate the response"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan "Yesterday we held the first of what will be weekly briefings with diplomatic missions here in Geneva, to keep our Member States informed – and we are holding these daily news briefings to keep the media informed"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan "Two weeks ago, I briefed the @UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres and we agreed to activate the United Nations Crisis Management Team, led by @DrMikeRyan"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @UN @antonioguterres "Today we are holding a second call with @UN country representatives, to brief them on the measures they can take at country level to coordinate the UN #COVID19 response"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @UN @antonioguterres "Twice a week we have a call with clinical experts who are treating patients with #COVID19, including front-line workers in #China, to share information about the progression of disease and what works and what doesn’t in treatment"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @UN @antonioguterres "We’ve also set up an online platform where clinicians can share anonymized patient data, so we can build a clearer picture of the disease.

What we’re seeing is that the earlier patients are tested and treated, the better they do"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @UN @antonioguterres "We’re also looking forward to results from two clinical trials of therapeutics prioritized by the WHO R&D Blueprint.
One combines two drugs for HIV, lopinavir & ritonavir & the other is testing an antiviral called remdisivir.
We expect preliminary results in 3 weeks"-@DrTedros

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @UN @antonioguterres "I’ve written to 12 chief executives of manufacturers of personal protective equipment to seek their cooperation to ensure supply to protect #healthworkers"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @UN @antonioguterres "Today we had a call with faith-based organizations as another way of reaching communities with messages to prevent #coronavirus infection"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @UN @antonioguterres "We’re partnering with the @AfricaCDC to coordinate our efforts to prepare African countries for the potential arrival of the #coronavirus"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @UN @antonioguterres @AfricaCDC "You will get sick of me saying that the window of opportunity remains open for us to contain this #COVID19 outbreak.

WHO is doing everything we can to seize that window of opportunity, and we urge the international community to do the same"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@NUSingapore @SNUCM_Official @NCDCgov @CDCgov @NIH @rki_de @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @UN @antonioguterres @AfricaCDC The full briefing on #COVID19 by @DrTedros 👇bit.ly/37Hh1Gc