Coronavirus: 584 cases reported as 17 die globally

GENEVA, Switzerland – Not less than 584 cases of Coronavirus have been recorded globally with 575 cases reported in China alone as death toll hits 17, the World Health Organisation, WHO has said.

So far, the Coronavirus has spread to several countries including Japan, Singapore and the USA. Addressing journalists in Geneva, Director-General of WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus said that the outbreak poses a “very high risk” in China, regionally and globally.

The head of the UN health agency, WHO (World Health Organization), said that the respiratory disease Novel Coronavirus, is not yet an official Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), but warned that it remains an emergency in China.

According to Tedros, Novel Coronavirus causes severe diseases and that it can kill, but in most cases cause milder symptoms: “We know that among those infected, one quarter of patients have experienced severe disease and that it can kill. We know that most of those who have died had underlying health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease, that weakened their immune systems.

“We know that there is human-to-human transmission in China, but for now it appears limited to family groups and health workers caring for infected patients. At this time there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission outside China, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t happen”, he said

Mr. Tedros said that as of Thursday evening, 584 cases have now been reported to WHO, including 17 deaths. The vast majority of cases (575) have been reported in China.

Cases have also been reported in Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the United States of America and Vietnam, with further possible cases being investigated in other countries; among them, the United Kingdom.

“We don’t know the source of this virus. We don’t understand how easily it spreads and we don’t fully understand its clinical features or severity. WHO is working with our partners night and day in China and the other affected countries at the regional level, and here at headquarters, to fill the gaps in our knowledge as quickly as possible”.

He said more cases are expected in China, despite the actions taken by the Chinese authorities to control the outbreak but that China has succeeded in isolating and sequencing the virus, and has shared those genetic sequences with WHO and the international community.

“WHO is following this outbreak every minute of every day. At a country, regional and global level, we’re working to prevent human to human transmission.

“We have provided guidance to all countries for the rapid identification, management and containment of the virus based on the sequence we’ve got from China. We’re coordinating our networks of global experts. We’re working to advance the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. We are completely committed”.