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Friday, 29 March 2024

WHO: Chinese coronavirus 'not yet' a global emergency

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WHO: Chinese coronavirus 'not yet' a global emergency
WHO: Chinese coronavirus 'not yet' a global emergency

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday that the new coronavirus that has emerged in China and spread to several other countries does not yet constitute an international emergency but it was tracking its evolution "every minute".

Zachary Goelman reports.

Despite mounting global concern and extraordinary measures taken in China to protect the public, the World Health Organization on Thursday (January 23) said it was too early to consider an international outbreak of a new virus to be a global emergency.

Speaking in Geneva, the W-H-O director said, "this is an emergency in China... but it has not yet become a global health emergency.

It may yet become one." The W-H-O announcement comes as China imposed unprecedented measures to control the newly-identified coronavirus.

Most public transport in the city of Wuhan, population 11 million, was suspended on Thursday and people were told not to leave.

Video obtained by Reuters show empty market stalls, where people have been panic-buying and rushing to stock up on supplies.

One Wuhan resident, originally from South Africa, shot this video from the city's airport while trying to leave the city: (SOUNDBITE) (English) TRAVELLER AT WUHAN AIRPORT, SIBUSISO SGWANE, SAYING: "It is also important to note that most of the railway stations are actually closed.

So people coming to airport will have to make alternative arrangement.

So it is difficult to travel around today due to the virus.

And people were actually advised to stay at home and also not to mingle with the crowds." Later on Thursday neighboring Huanggang, a city of about 7 million people, announced a similar lockdown.

Chinese health authorities say the newly-identified coronavirus strain has infected hundreds and killed more than a dozen people.

Patients have been identified in South Korea, Japan, and the United States.

Airports across the globe have started screening travelers.

While the W-H-O adopts a wait-and-see approach to the outbreak, health officials speaking the World Economic Forum in Switzerland cautioned that while the illness appears to be less fatal than the recent SARS virus, it could be more contagious.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CLINICIAN SCIENTIST AND "WELLCOME TRUST" DIRECTOR, JEREMY FARRAR, SAYING: "Ten percent of people died in SARS.

I suspect the mortality rate with this infection will be lower than that as it spreads to a much wider population.

So what we have is a broader infection with probably a less marked number of people, percentage of people dying.

But that is from a pubic health perspective harder to deal with." American health officials said work on a vaccine was underway, but the treatment would not likely be ready for some time.

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