WHO says it no longer uses 'pandemic' category, but virus still emergency
The World Health Organization no more uses the term pandemic, however the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak remains an international emergency that is more likely to spread further, a spokesman said on Monday.
Fears of a coronavirus pandemic grew after sharp rises in new cases reported in Iran, Italy and South Korea, although China relaxed restrictions on movement in several places including Beijing as its rates of new infections eased.
The Geneva-based WHO declared this year's 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak a pandemic, which ended up being mild, resulting in some criticism after pharmaceutical companies rushed development of vaccines and drugs.WHO declared the novel coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, in December a public health emergency of International concern, known as a PHEIC, on Jan. 30.
The designation, which remains set up, was aimed at helping countries with weaker health systems shore up their defenses, especially in Africa.Since that time the virus has spread, with an increase of than 77,000 known infections in China, including 2,445 deaths, and 1,769 cases and 17 deaths in 28 other countries, the most recent WHO figures show. South Korea, Japan and Italy are experiencing large outbreaks.
"There is no official category (for a pandemic)," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said."With regard to clarification, WHO does not utilize the old system of 6 phases - that ranged from phase 1 (no reports of animal influenza creating human infections) to phase 6 (a pandemic) - that some persons may be familiar with from H1N1 in 2009 2009," he said.
Colloquially, pandemic is utilized to denote the outbreak of a fresh pathogen that spreads easily person-to-person around the world, Jasarevic said.
"What we are seeing at the moment are outbreaks and clusters of cases in multiple countries. Some countries have since stopped transmission. They need to remain alert for the probability of reintroduction. There is going to be more cases in more places," he said.
"Definitions and terminology aside, our advice remains the same, and we continue dealing with countries to limit the spread of the virus while also finding your way through the opportunity of wider spread," he said.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said on Friday: "I'd like to assure you we are third , virus 24/7 at any hour ... These days our situation is that we are still in a phase where containment is possible with a narrowing window of opportunity."
