According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), the institution considers the outbreaks of the new coronavirus in South Korea, Japan, Italy, and Iran to be of greatest concern.
During a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, last Monday (2), the head of the WHO expressed concern, but insisted that the outbreaks could be contained.
Tedros said Iran, the country with the highest number of deaths from the coronavirus after China, has received a WHO team to deliver medical supplies and support local authorities in combating the outbreak.
The director-general also spoke of about eight countries that have gone two weeks without new cases. He added that these countries have been able to contain their outbreaks. Tedros said that in China, the number of new cases of infection is decreasing. For him, this is an indication that it is possible to contain the spread, even in areas where there are large numbers of cases of the virus. “The decline has been steady,” he said.
In the last 24 hours, 129 new cases of infection were registered in the country. It was the lowest number since January 20.
The doctor also stressed that coronavirus cannot be treated as if it were a common flu, as it is not transmitted as effectively. And that the disease has severe consequences. “Globally, 3.41% of people with coronavirus have died. For comparison, seasonal flu usually kills less than 11% of those infected,” he explained, adding that only 11% of cases do not present any symptoms.
Coronavirus vs Flu
Another difference between the flu and the coronavirus is that there are no vaccines or medicines that have been proven to work against it. “However, clinical trials of medicines are being carried out and more than 20 vaccines are being developed,” he said.
Researchers recommend that to reduce the risk of infection, it is important for people to choose activities that are carried out outdoors or that involve as little contact with other individuals as possible. They also suggest maintaining an arm's length distance when talking to other people.