GENEVA: The World Health Organization sees the outbreak of the new coronavirus as a pandemic, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.
“We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” he told a news conference.
In prior press briefings, WHO officials maintained that COVID-19 had “pandemic potential,” but stopped short of declaring it.
“Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death,” said Dr. Tedros on March 11.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 11, 2020
"We have therefore made the assessment that #COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic"-@DrTedros #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/JqdsM2051A