Thread by @kakape

“Smoking kills 8 million people a year, but if users need more motivation to kick the habit, the pandemic provides the right incentive”, says @DrTedros at start of @WHO presser, launching the Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco.

@DrTedros @WHO The initiative "aims to help the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users quit during the #covid19 pandemic”, says @drtedros. Apparently it includes “WHO’s first-ever digital health worker, based on artificial intelligence” called “Florence”.

@DrTedros @WHO "Today the world recorded 12 million cases” of #covid19, says @DrTedros. "In the last six weeks cases have more than doubled. Across all walks of life, we are all being tested to the limit."

@DrTedros @WHO "There are many many examples from around the world that have shown that even if the #covid19 outbreak is very intense, it can still be brought back under control“, says @drtedros. Mentions Italy, Spain, South Korea.

@DrTedros @WHO Two experts from WHO are en route to China, says @drtedros “to learn about the progress made in understanding the animal reservoir for #covid19 and how the disease jumped between animals and humans” and "lay the ground work for the WHO-led international mission into the origins”.

@DrTedros @WHO Q about why review is starting now after earlier comments that it should be done after the pandemic.
Panel will "work with the director general to ensure that the pace, and nature of the evaluation does not interfere with the day to day response”, says @DrMikeRyan.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan The resolution said “at the earliest appropriate time”, says @drtedros. “We felt that starting it now can really help us to understand, as we respond, how the whole response is happening ... and we will continue to make sure that the evaluation doesn't affect the response"

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan Q: What measures should countries put in place to make sure they don’t have to lockdown again?
Open up slowly and in a stepwise fashion, says @DrMikeRyan but also collect data that "tells you where your problems are”. And be ready to move backwards if the data tells you to.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan Superspreading events are most worrying because “you get a small explosion of cases, which can very quickly mushroom”, says @DrMikeRyan. "A small fire is hard to see but it's easy to put out, a large fire is easy to see but very difficult to put out."

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan Authorities need to have surveillance in place.“But ultimately it comes down to communities and individuals, and how we protect ourselves, and how we protect others”, says @DrMikeRyan. "very important that people feel empowered, that they have the knowledge to be able to do that"

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan Q about reports of severe pneumonias in Kazakhstan.
There has been a surge in #covid19 cases, says @DrMikeRyan. “We're looking at the actual testing and the quality of the testing to make sure that there haven't been false negative tests for some of those other pneumonias."

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan Says @WHO is also working with authorities in Kazakhstan to review x-rays and "look at the patterns of the pneumonias to make sure that they're consistent with #covid19". But: “While we believe that many of these cases will be diagnosed as #COVID19, we keep an open mind."

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan Q about risk to pregnant women.
Pregnant women "don't seem to develop a different type of disease than women of the same age who are not pregnant”, says @mvankerkhove. But risk for severe disease higher in pregnant women with underlying conditions, she says.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove Q about Bolsonaro taking hydroxychloroquine.
In the context of #covid19 this drug should only be used under strict medical supervision, says @DrMikeRyan. “We would assume that that is the case in this case.”

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove Q about the situation in Mexico.
Mexico has fifth highest death toll in the world, says @DrMikeRyan and has seen big increases in case numbers while it is reopening. “This is a pattern we've seen in many other countries"

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove “It's very very clear from a number of countries that opening in a situation where you have intense community transmission and weak public health response leads to a difficult situation that may push a whole country back”, says @DrMikeRyan.