Thread by @kakape

"In the past two weeks, the number of cases of #COVID19 outside China has increased 13-fold and the number of affected countries has tripled”, says @DrTedros at start of the @WHO presser in Geneva now.

@DrTedros @WHO BREAKING: @WHO now calls #covid19 outbreak a pandemic!

@DrTedros @WHO “We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction”, says @drtedros. "We have therefore made the assessment that #COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic.”

@DrTedros @WHO "There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people have lost their lives”, says @DrTedros. "Thousands more are fighting for their lives in hospitals."

@DrTedros @WHO "In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of #COVID19 cases, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher”, he says.

@DrTedros @WHO Calling it a pandemic does not change @WHO’s assessment of the threat of #covid19, says @drtedros. "It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do."

@DrTedros @WHO "We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action”, says @drtedros. "We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear.”

@DrTedros @WHO Says: "If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace, and mobilize their people in the response, those with a handful of #COVID19 cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters, and those clusters becoming community transmission”.

@DrTedros @WHO Even countries with large outbreak can still turn the tide, he says. Other countries have demonstrated this. "The challenge for many countries who are now dealing with large #COVID19 clusters or community transmission is not whether they can do the same – it’s whether they will"

@DrTedros @WHO .@WHO clearly escalating its rhetoric. @drtedros statement today is clearest, strongest message on global #covid19 situation that I have heard from him.

@DrTedros @WHO Note also that much of the worries formulated by @drtedros are about how countries have been reacting to the virus (or rather NOT reacting). @WHO clearly has made the judgement that they are not getting through to some people.

@DrTedros @WHO In answer to Q about closing schools etc. @DrMikeRyan emphasises that social distancing is important but "does not have the same immediate effect” as “chasing the virus”: finding cases, tracing contacts and isolating people.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan Question about process that led to calling outbreak a pandemic. @DrMikeRyan answers that "there is no formal process and pandemics as such are not declared, unlike a PHEIC, where there is a body of international law”. Says again that word is not an excuse to give up!

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan Responding to #covid19 pandemic is about solidarity, says @DrMikeRyan. Italy and Iran are suffering now, he says. “But I guarantee you other countries will be in that situation very soon!"

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan .@HelenBranswell asks whether there is any serology data from China. Answer: Not yet, but should come soon, and @WHO pressing many countries do do similar investigations.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @HelenBranswell "All countries now need to take a very close look at what are their objectives in responding to the epidemic in their own country”, says @DrMikeRyan. Do they really want to accept the virus spreading in uncontrolled way to all corners of their country?, he asks.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @HelenBranswell "All countries need to review their strategies right now”, says @DrMikeRyan.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @HelenBranswell "We’re not suggesting to shift from containment to mitigation. We’re not”, @DrTedros says. Proposing a blended strategy with containment an important pillar. (Hammering home same message again and again: We can beat this. Don’t give up!)

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @HelenBranswell "We have several countries now that have demonstrated the ability to turn the tide to reduce transmission”, says @mvankerkhove. "What we’re seeing what’s successful are the fundamentals of public health measures”: contact tracing, isolation, social distancing, hand hygiene...

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @HelenBranswell @mvankerkhove “Do everything you can to be as aggressive as you can on those first cases”, she says.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @HelenBranswell @mvankerkhove .@DrMikeRyan reiterates that it’s dangerous to go by what we know about influenza because countries like South Korea, China and Singapore have shown that unlike the flu, basic public health measures can curb the spread of #SARSCoV2.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @HelenBranswell @mvankerkhove “Doesn't mean we’ll completely stop it, but there is a real chance to bend the curve”, says @DrMikeRyan. That will reduce the number of cases the health system has to deal with, etc.