Thread by @kakape

Regular @WHO presser on #Covid19 starts with @DrTedros saying, that there are now more than half a million confirmed cases and more than 20,000 deaths. “These are tragic numbers, but let’s also remember that around the world there are hundreds of thousands of survivors."

@WHO @DrTedros Says he told G20 meeting yesterday to fight #covid19 with every resource, to unite for this fight and to “ignite the industrial might and innovation of the G20 to produce and distribute the tools needed to save lives."

@WHO @DrTedros "Viral outbreaks are a fact of life”, says @DrTedros. "How much damage they do is something we can influence."

@WHO @DrTedros Good news: "Today in Norway and Spain the first patients will shortly be enrolled in the SOLIDARITY trial”, says @DrTedros. "This is a historic trial which will dramatically cut the time needed to generate robust evidence.”

@WHO @DrTedros More than 45 countries taking part in trial, says @DrTedros. ”The more countries who join the trial, the faster we will have results.” (Details on the trial and treatments being tested in our story here: sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/w…)

@WHO @DrTedros Good to see @DrTedros highlighting this caveat: "The history of medicine is strewn with examples of drugs that worked on paper, or in a test tube, but didn't work in humans or were actually harmful”

@WHO @DrTedros "In the meantime, we call on individuals & countries to refrain from using therapeutics that have not been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of #COVID19”, says @DrTedros. "We must follow the evidence. There are no shortcuts."

@WHO @DrTedros Says at a meeting of 50 health ministers earlier today, China, Japan, S Korea and Singapore shared their experiences, and lessons they learnt:

@WHO @DrTedros - early detection and isolation of cases
- identification and quarantine of contacts
- optimize care
- communicate to build trust & engage communities

@WHO @DrTedros "The chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment is now one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives”, says @drtedros

@WHO @DrTedros .@drtedros ends with something that Singapore’s minister of health said at the briefing: We are only at the beginning of this fight. We need to stay calm, stay united and work together.

@WHO @DrTedros My Q first: What data is there on asymptomatic cases? Are there any serological surveys that have been done?
@mvankerkhove says several countries working on this. "We don’t have results yet. We are eagerly anticipating these results.”

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove Interesting from @DrMikeRyan: A wide group of researchers has come together to conduct serological surveys and collect necessary data. This is SOLIDARITY2, he says. SOLIDARITY3 will be trial testing drugs to prevent #covid19 (chemoprophylaxis).

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan Another question about asymptomatic cases. @mvankerkhove says most people identified as “asymptomatic” are contacts being tested earlier. "Many of the people listed as ‘asymptomatic' go on to develop symptoms a day or two later."

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan Key is to understand when people are infectious, says @mvankerkhove. Says transmission is being driven by people with symptoms but specifically by people very early in infection having mild symptoms. (This is a huge part of what makes #covid19 so tricky.)

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan Q whether as case numbers rise there is a point where #covid19 is no longer controllable?
@mvankerkhove points out that the more is tested the more cases will be found, says that can be overwhelming. "But you need to test to be able to find where the virus is”, she says.

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan And @DrMikeRyan adds that there is the danger of a perverse disincentive if countries are “punished” for rising case counts.
"Countries that test and find lots of cases should be commended”, he says.

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan .@drmikeryan answers question from Nigeria. Says that Africa is a young continent and that may be an advantage, but that there are many vulnerable too (HIV+ for instance). Points to Africa’s experience in dealing with infectious disease outbreaks and its resilience.

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan Q on human rights concerns about some of the measures introduced to fight #covid19.
@drmikeryan says @WHO takes issues of surveillance, personal data, data protection and intrusion very seriously. “There are serious issues here that have to be addressed."

@WHO @DrTedros @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan Good if individuals can be convinced through community engagement to offer a little piece of sovereignity in this crisis, says @DrMikeRyan. "But that must be a temporary gift, it must be an explicit gift and it must be something that is not taken for granted"