The World Health Organization has declared that we are experiencing a global pandemic. The virus has already infected more than 118,000 people in 114 countries.
On Wednesday (11), the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic for Covid-19, an infection caused by the new coronavirus. The organization stated that the number of cases, deaths and affected countries are expected to increase.
According to the WHO, a pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease. It's a term most often used when referring to influenza and generally indicates an epidemic that has spread to two or more continents with sustained person-to-person transmission.
As the world's leading health agency, the WHO is the first body to declare a pandemic.
Regarding the severity of the disease, it is not an issue that falls within the WHO's strict definition of a pandemic, only its spread. Even the organization may consider the overall burden of the disease on the population before declaring a pandemic.
"Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change the WHO's assessment of the threat posed by this coronavirus. It does not change what the WHO is doing or what countries should do," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
Number of cases expected to increase
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, upon declaring the pandemic, highlighted that the number of countries affected by the novel coronavirus has tripled in two weeks. And that the number of cases, deaths, and affected countries is expected to increase in the coming days and weeks. Half of the countries with coronavirus have registered their first case in the last 10 days.
According to him, the WHO is genuinely concerned about the alarming levels of the novel coronavirus. This is the first time the world has seen a pandemic caused by a coronavirus.
"Pandemic is not a word to be used lightly or carelessly. It's a word that, if misused, can cause irrational fear or unwarranted acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death," he emphasized.
Michael Ryan, the executive director of the WHO's emergencies program, stressed that the declaration does not mean the WHO will adopt new recommendations to combat the virus.
"Declaring a pandemic is not like declaring an international emergency—it is a characterization or description of a situation, not a change in the situation. (...) This is not the time for countries to focus solely on mitigation," said Michael Ryan.
Mitigation is the public health strategy that primarily aims to care for the sick and priority groups. The WHO still believes that all countries must strive to contain the virus's circulation.