Thread by @kakape

Press conference on #COVID19 at @WHO now. Today, @drtedros starts by thanking journalists. "We rely on you to make sure people have accurate information about the threat they face, and how to protect themselves and others"

@WHO @DrTedros Gives new #covid19 numbers:

Global total:
95,265 cases
3281 deaths

New cases in past 24 hours in
China:
143 cases

Outside China:
2055 cases
in 33 countries

"Around 80% of those cases continue to come from just three countries."

@WHO @DrTedros .@drtedros says countries have been planning for a scenario like #covid19 for decades. Should activate plans now:
"This is not a drill.
This is not the time to give up.
This is not a time for excuses.
This is a time for pulling out all the stops."

@WHO @DrTedros "We are concerned that in some countries the level of political commitment and the actions that demonstrate that commitment do not match the level of the threat we all face”, says @DrTedros. (Feels like an escalation in rhetoric to me.)

@WHO @DrTedros Says countries need to:
-increase testing capacity
educate public about symptoms of #COVID19
-prepare hospitals
-ensure essential supplies are available
-train health workers to identify cases and protect themselves

@WHO @DrTedros "If we take the approach that there’s nothing we can do, that will quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy”, says @drtedros. (Feels like this sentiment underpins a lot of @WHO communication strategy re calling it a pandemic or not etc.)

@WHO @DrTedros Q: reports of #covid19 in pets. A from @mvankerkhove: aware of a dog in Hong Kong that has tested positive for virus. Sample was weakly positive and dog is doing well. Says threes no evidence for transmission from the dog to human or the human to dog, but deserves more study.

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove .@DrMikeRyan adds that it’s clear animals don’t play big role in spreading #covid19, but that there often areisolated cases of animals being infected with new pathogens. "This is not an unusual or unprecedented finding. It happens regularly with emerging diseases"

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan “A significant number of countries are not mobilising the whole government" to fight #covid19, says @DrTedros. "I can give you the list next time.”

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan (Some technical issues in Geneva. Audio is terrible today at the presser.)

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan .@drmikeryan says in China 20 of 31 provinces have today downgraded their public health warning because off #covid19 from red to yellow. End of January, all 31 provinces were red, he says. “There is hope in that."

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan Q about asymptomatic transmission. A from @mvankerkhove: Scientists are learning new things about the virus every day and things can change, but based on current evidence, “asymptomatic transmission is not a major driver of transmission” of #covid19.

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan .@DrMikeRyan says lesson from China and Singapore is to “break down the problem”: "Understand where you have sporadic cases, where you have clusters, where you have community transmission.” And then adapt response accordingly.

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan .@DrTedros reiterates that answer to #covid19 needs to come from whole government not just ministry of health. "This is the responsibility of the head of state, the head of government.” Says “this virus is touching everything in the country. It will."

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan "We don’t think that containment should be abandoned ... many countries are succeeding in that strategy, in containing the virus”, says @drtedros. Says in addition to containment strategy, “prepare for any eventualities.”

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan "In an influenza pandemic the usual assumption is that the spread is uncontrollable regardless of what we do, so we focus on saving lives”, @DrMikeRyan. "In this case some countries have demonstrated it is possible to control the spread.”

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan Both @drtedros and @drmikeryan saying important distinction here is that #covid19 is spreading uncontrolled in some places, but that does not mean it is uncontrollable.