UN health agency to gauge global threat, as China confirms coronavirus transmission between humans

Following an announcement by China’s national health body that a new virus first identified there, can be transmitted from person to person, the World Health Organization (WHO) is to hold a meeting to decide if it should be declared a global health emergency.

In a message released on social media, WHO said that the agency’s Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, will “convene an Emergency Committee on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) under the International Health Regulations”, with the aim of ascertaining “whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and what recommendations should be made to manage it”.

The Chinese National Health Commission confirmed earlier that two people in Guangdong province had been infected via human-to-human transmission, raising the potential of the virus spreading more widely.

“Based on current information, an animal source seems the most likely primary source of this outbreak with limited human-to-human transmission occurring between close contacts”, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarević said. 

These days hundreds of millions of people will cross-cross China, as they travel to celebrate the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year. This also risks complicating efforts to contain the virus.

Some 278 cases have been identified worldwide, including the major metropolitan centres of Beijing and Shanghai, but most patients are in Wuhan, a city of around 11 million.

“More cases should be expected in other parts of China and possibly in other countries in the coming days”, said Mr. Jašarević. “A team from WHO are concluding a mission with health officials in Wuhan working on the response to novel coronavirus”.

WHO has issued guidance on how to detect and treat people sickened by the virus, including regular hand washing; covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing; thoroughly cooking meat and eggs; and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness, such as coughing and sneezing.

Original source: UN News
Published on 21 January 2019