Thread by @kakape

Tomorrow will mark 100 days since WHO was notified of first cases of “pneumonia with unknown cause" in China, @drtedros says at start of #Covid19 presser @WHO. “It’s incredible to reflect on how dramatically the world has changed, in such a short period of time."

@DrTedros @WHO Gives a long run-down of everything @WHO has done in those 100 days. “We have kept the world informed about the latest data.” (Hard not to feel that this is WHO justifying its actions after Trump’s criticism yesterday.)

@DrTedros @WHO Highlights:
5.1. - notified all Member States of this outbreak
22.1. - convened emergency committee
30.1. - reconvened committee and declared #PHEIC (at that point 98 cases and no deaths outside China)
February - international expert team visited China

@DrTedros @WHO Says WHO is launching UN #COVID19 Supply Chain Task Force, "to dramatically scale up the supply of these life-saving tools, and match supply with needs."

@DrTedros @WHO Ends opening remarks on religion: Says #covid19 means that billions of Christians, Jews and Muslims are not able to celebrate the way they usually would. "But we wish everyone a safe and joyful Easter, Passover and Ramadan."

@DrTedros @WHO My colleague @sciencecohen asks @DrTedros to respond to Trump's criticism of WHO and his threatening to cut funding. @drtedros says virus should not be politicised. "I was a politician, I know how difficult this could be. Although it's difficult, it is the right thing to do."

@DrTedros @WHO @sciencecohen Don’t politicize #covid19 says @DrTedros. "It exploits the differences you have at the national level.
If you want to be exploited and if you want to have many more body bags then you do it. If you don’t want many more body bags, then you refrain from politicizing it."

@DrTedros @WHO @sciencecohen In 1967, "former USSR and US came together and agreed to eradicate smallpox and brought the whole world together with them”, says @DrTedros. Says that spirit of coming together is needed against #covid19. "For god's sake, we have lost more than 60 thousand citizens of the world!"

@DrTedros @WHO @sciencecohen .@drtedros says he wants three things:
1. unity at national level
2. honest solidarity at global level incl. honest leadership from US and China
3. "quarantine politicising" of #covid19

@DrTedros @WHO @sciencecohen In response to another question about criticism, @drtedros says he has been subjected to racist abuse, has received deaths threats. "I don’t give a damn”, he says. Says Taiwan has been part of a campaign against him. (Rare for @drtedros to show this side in public.)

@DrTedros @WHO @sciencecohen Question about pets and #covid19. Several groups studying this, says @mvankerkhove. "seems like they are infected form their owners”. @DrMikeRyan emphasizes that animals "deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. They are victims like the rest of us” (👏 )

@DrTedros @WHO @sciencecohen @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan Another question about criticism that @drtedros is too close to China. @DrTedros says that media should also stop politicizing. Says in some cases media is "adding fuel to the fire". Asks to "mobilise the whole world to fight against a comment enemy, an invisible enemy."

@DrTedros @WHO @sciencecohen @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan .@drtedros says @WHO treats everyone the same, rich or poor. “We want to see everybody equally. That’s what we want, that’s what we do. Because we belong to all member states equally."

@DrTedros @WHO @sciencecohen @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan Repeats something he said earlier: The time will come to review what WHO did well and what it didn’t do well and the same goes for all players, he said. For now it is time to fight the virus, he says. “It’s dangerous. Let's not continue to play with fire.”