Thread by @kakape

#covid19 press conference @WHO starts with @DrTedros addressing Trump decision: The US "has been a long standing and generous friend to WHO and we hope it will continue to be so. We regret the decision of the president of the US to order a halt of funding to WHO."

@WHO @DrTedros "WHO is reviewing the impact on our work of any withdrawal of US funding”, says @DrTedros. @WHO "will work with our partners to fill any financial gaps we face and to ensure our work continues uninterrupted."

@WHO @DrTedros "Our mission and mandate are to work with all nations equally, without regard to the size of their populations or economies”, says @DrTedros. #covid19 does not discriminate between rich and poor nations, large and small. "Neither do we."

@WHO @DrTedros "This is a time for all of us to be united in our common struggle against a common threat”, says @drtedros. "When we are divided, the coronavirus exploits the cracks between us.”

@WHO @DrTedros Says @WHO’s performance in tackling #COVID19 pandemic will be reviewed by member states and independent bodies. "No doubt, areas for improvement will be identified and there will be lessons for all of us to learn”, says @DrTedros.

@WHO @DrTedros “For now, our focus, my focus, is on stopping the coronavirus and saving lives”, says @DrTedros. WHO is grateful to many nations, organisations and individuals who have expressed support and commitment to @WHO in recent days, he says. “WHO is getting on with the job.”

@WHO @DrTedros Q from US: How will US decision impact WHO’s program?
@DrTedros: “We are assessing how our programs will be a affected. .. We will try to fill any gaps with partners.”

@WHO @DrTedros Another question along the same lines. @DrTedros: "We will do the assessment and then announce it officially."

@WHO @DrTedros Q about criticism re Taiwan
not being part of WHO and whether early signals were missed. @drmikeryan clarifies that there were multiple reports on 31st December re cluster of pneumonia cases. Says they all emanated from press release of Wuhan health authority.

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan Taiwan: principal legal officer Steven Solomon explains that these decisions are made by WHO member states. "WHO is part of UN.” Explains that UN countries decided 1971 to accept People’s Republic China as sole legitimate representative of China. 1972 WHO member states did same.

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan Q about impacts of #PhysicalDistancing. @DrMikeRyan: "All of us are going to have to adapt to new ways of interacting”, while we continue to suppress virus and develop vaccine. Says public health measures need to be strengthened so world can transition out of lockdown.

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan .@mvankerkhove says there are a lot of things everyone can do to look after themselves and each other during #covid19 lockdown. "There is no lockdown on laughter, there is no lockdown on talking to your family."

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove Q from Pakistan about situation there and threat to people living in slums. @DrMikeRyan says he has worked several years in Pakistan working on polio eradication. "I personally know the challenge Pakistan faces in delivering an effective public health intervention.”

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove Pakistan “has had one of the most effective surveillance systems for polio in the world”, says @DrMikeRyan. @mvankerkhove explains how influenza surveillance systems are being retooled to use in fight against #covid19.

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove Q about situation in Azerbaijan. Relatively low number of cases and 12 deaths there, says @DrMikeRyan. "It’s not in the red zone for increase of over 100% per week”, he says. But: "Azerbaijan will have to be very careful in the coming weeks”. Test, trace, isolate...

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove .@HelenBranswell asks how reliable serology tests are and what results are showing?
@mvankerkhove: "There are a large number of rapid tests that are available now commercially.” Says they are still being validated. "That is a process that is ongoing."

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove @HelenBranswell .@mvankerkhove mentions first results coming out, mentions Heinsberg study and one from Denmark. Says unfortunately no full papers on these yet. “We need to really understand the methods that were used”, the specificity and sensitivity of tests etc.

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove @HelenBranswell With all the caveats: She says the percentage of people found to be antibody-psotive in these first studies is "lower than what many people were expecting”.

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove @HelenBranswell Q about WHO defense against charge that it acted late and opposed flight restrictions.
@drmikeryan: "We will be examining all the actions taken by everybody.” Says “the idea of having a defence at this point seems rather strange."

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove @HelenBranswell Says WHO alerted the world on January 5. Says there are millions and of cases of atypical pneumonia around the world every year. "It is quite remarkable that such a cluster was picked out, 41 confirmed cases ultimately in Wuhan."

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove @HelenBranswell .@DrMikeRyan says he is looking forward to after-action review which is done for every outbreak. On flight restrictions he says: "The imposition of flight restrictions by countries is the sovereign right of any member state."

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove @HelenBranswell .@mvankerkhove says she re-listened to press conference
from January 14. Says it was "first press conference I have ever done”. (Guess that means I have seen every presser she has ever done…) Says that one point made then was need to find out whether there is h2h transmission.

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove @HelenBranswell There is no private sector and public sector now, only a joint effort to combat #covid19, says @DrMikeRyan in response to a somewhat rambling question touching on role of climate change and what people can do. "Everyone has something to bring to the table”, says @DrMikeRyan.

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove @HelenBranswell On climate, @DrMikeRyan says impact of climate, cold, humidity on coronavirus is not known yet. "I would prefer to get rid of this disease“, not wait around to find out, says @DrMikeRyan. But acknowledges that we may have to learn to live with this virus.

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove @HelenBranswell "We are seeing this virus have the capability to accelerate in a number of different climates”, adds @mvankerkhove. “We need to treat this virus everywhere it shows up as aggressively as we can so we do not give it a chance to take off.”

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove @HelenBranswell And that’s it from Genava for today.