Thread by @kakape

“Although the situation in Europe is improving, globally it is worsening”, say @DrTedros at regular #covid19 @WHO presser. More than 100,000 new cases were reported on 9 of the last 10 days, he notes. Yesterday was the highest number on a single day so far: 136,000.

@DrTedros @WHO "Almost 75% of yesterday’s cases come from 10 countries, mostly in the Americas and South Asia”, says @DrTedros. Most countries in African region are still seeing increase in cases. "We also see increasing numbers of #Covid19 cases in parts of Eastern Europe and central Asia."

@DrTedros @WHO Overall almost 7 million #covid19 cases now reported to @WHO and almost 400,000 deaths. But some countries are also seeing very positive signs, says @drtedros. "In these countries, the biggest threat now is complacency”, he says, noting that most people are still susceptible.

@DrTedros @WHO Opening remarks end with @drtedros warning that "more than 6 months into the pandemic this is not the time for any country to take its foot off the pedal.” Says countries need to "work hard, on the basis of science, solutions and solidarity."

@DrTedros @WHO Q about situation in Africa.
"There is still great concern across Africa”, says @drmikeryan. "We thankfully have not seen a massive acceleration of cases in Africa as yet.” Some of that due to testing, "but we haven’t seen the hospital systems become overwhelmed."

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan Q about Brazil not releasing all data on #covid19.
“It is my understanding that the government in Brazil will continue to report the important figures”, says @DrMikeRyan. Says “some of the most detailed data" has come from Brazil. “We truly hope that that continues."

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan Q: Does WHO continue to work with CDC and other other US institutions?
“Absolutely", says @mvankerkhove. "we work with US colleagues… across the whole country”. Says that will continue. Also working together to tackle new Ebola epidemic, @DrMikeRyan points out.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove Q about Latin America.
"I think this is a time of great concern”, says @drmikeryan Says increasing numbers are seen "from Mexico all the way through to Chile”, though "some notable exceptions”.
“It's a time in which we need
strong government leadership in Latin America"

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove "It's not one country, it's many, many countries experiencing very severe epidemics” with "health systems coming under real strain”, says @DrMikeRyan. "I would say right now, the epidemic in Central and South America is the most complex of all of the situations we face globally”

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove Q about face shields. Could they help?
It is being discussed, says @mvankerkhove. "There is a role for face shields, if masks are not available”, she says, but says again: “masks alone will not protect you, face shields alone will not protect you from infection.”

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove Q about asymptomatic infections.

@mvankerkhove says most asymptomatic cases are being identified through contact tracing, “which is what we would want to see.”
While there are some truly asymptomatic cases, most are presympatomatic or have very mild disease, she says.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove “It still appears to be rare that an asymptomatic individual actually transmits onwards”, says @mvankerkhove. Says #covid19 transmission would be drastically reduced “if we actually followed all of the symptomatic cases”, isolated them, etc.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove I asked about @WHO’s solidarity trial given accumulating data that hydroxychloroquine does not work.
“It's always disappointing when any drug in any trial is not successful”, says @DrMikeRyan. "But we have to continue to build up the evidence. One trial is never enough."

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove But @DrMikeRyan also says: "I’m sure the PIs will be looking at the hydroxychloroquine arm again of the solidarity trial to see whether or not we need to again carry out an analysis this time around the issue of clinical effectiveness and decide on that basis.”
So: Stay tuned.