Coronavirus A Great Threat; Highest Alarm At Global Level: WHO

The risk of a global spread of the coronavirus is "very high”, but containment is still possible, WHO (the World Health Organization) said on Friday.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief WHO, said it would be a "big mistake" to switch from a public health strategy of containment to mitigation, where authorities accept the virus is spreading.

Tedros said that their epidemiologists are monitoring these developments continuously and now have increased assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of the impact of Covid-19 to 'very high' at a global level.

He added, "We do not see evidence as yet that the virus is spreading freely in communities. As long as that is the case we still have a chance of containing this virus.”

China's 329 reported cases in the past 24 hours were the lowest there in more than a month, Tedros said.

"We are on the highest level of the alert and highest level in terms of spread and of impact. But that is not to alarm or scare people. People need to take a reality check now and really understand an all-of-government, an all-of-society approach is needed” Said Dr Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's emergency program.

The WHO mission to Iran has been delayed due to "issues with getting flights and access to Iran right now. But the government of the UAE was helping to facilitate access and delivery of supplies," he added.

Mexico has become the second country in Latin America to report cases. On Nigeria, Ryan said the country had "well-tested mechanisms for dealing with these dangerous pathogens”.