Thread by @WHO

Daily media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/cSPdgzI2MTAy…

@DrTedros "As of 6am GVA time this morning, #China has reported a total of 77,362 cases of #COVID19 to WHO, including 2618 deaths.

In the past 24 hours, 🇨🇳 has reported 416 new confirmed cases & 150 deaths.

We’re encouraged by the continued decline in cases in 🇨🇳"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros "Earlier today the WHO-#China joint mission concluded its visit & delivered its report.

As you know, the team has traveled to several different provinces, including Wuhan"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@DrTedros "The team has made a range of findings about the transmissibility of the #coronavirus, the severity of #COVID19 and the impact of the measures taken"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "They found that the #COVID19 epidemic peaked & plateaued between the 23rd of January & the 2nd of February & has been declining steadily since then.

They have found that there has been no significant change in the DNA of the #coronavirus"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "They found that the fatality rate is between 2%-4% in Wuhan, 🇨🇳 & 0.7% outside Wuhan.

They found that for people with mild #COVID19 disease, recovery time is about two weeks, while people with severe or critical disease recover within three to six weeks"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros "The team also estimate that the measures taken in #China have averted a significant number of #COVID19 cases.

The report contains a wealth of other information, highlights questions for which we still don’t have answers, & includes 22 recommendations"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros "Dr Bruce Aylward will give more detail tomorrow on behalf of the joint team. But the key message that should give all countries hope, courage and confidence is that this #coronavirus can be contained"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros "Outside #China, there are now 2074 #COVID19 cases in 28 countries & 23 deaths.

The sudden increases of cases in Italy, the Islamic Republic of Iran & the Republic of Korea are deeply concerning"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

@DrTedros "There’s a lot of speculation about whether these increases mean that this epidemic has now become a pandemic.

WHO has already declared a PHEIC – our highest level of alarm – when there were less than 100 cases outside 🇨🇳 & 8 cases of human-to-human transmission"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "Our decision about whether to use the word “pandemic” to describe an epidemic is based on an ongoing assessment of the geographical spread of the virus, the severity of disease it causes and the impact it has on the whole of society"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@DrTedros "For the moment, we are not witnessing the uncontained global spread of this #coronavirus, and we are not witnessing large-scale severe disease or death.

Does this virus have pandemic potential? Absolutely.
Are we there yet? From our assessment not yet"-
@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros "What we see are epidemics in different parts of the world, affecting countries in different ways & requiring a tailored response.

The sudden increase in new #COVID19 cases is certainly very concerning.

I have spoken consistently about the need for facts, not fear"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear.

We do not live in a binary, black-and-white world.

It’s not either-or.

We must focus on containment, while doing everything we can to prepare for a potential pandemic"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros "There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every country must make its own risk assessment for its own context"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

@DrTedros "But there are at least 3 priorities:
1. All countries must prioritize protecting #healthworkers
2. We must engage communities to protect people who are most at risk of severe disease,particularly the elderly and people with underlying health conditions"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros "But there are at least 3 priorities:
3. We must protect countries that are the most vulnerable, by doing our utmost to contain epidemics in countries with the capacity to do it"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros "I wish to thank the @EU_Commission for its contribution of 232 million euros, which demonstrates the kind of global solidarity that gives me hope"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus

https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1231950725460250624?s=20

@DrTedros @EU_Commission "#COVID19 is a shared threat. We can only face it together, and we can only overcome it together"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

Here are some photos from today's media briefing on #COVID19

The full briefing on #COVID19 by @DrTedros 👇

bit.ly/38XDkJ1