The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Amid rising cases of new infections of the respiratory illness novel coronavirus in China and three other countries, the World Health Organisation (WHO) today informed that their emergency committee will convene tomorrow to advise if the current situation in China constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
Speaking to the media today at the United Nations in Geneva, WHO’s spokesperson Tarik Jašarević said that “the Director-General has convened the Emergency Committee for tomorrow, Wednesday 22nd January, to advise him if the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern and what recommendations should be put in place”.
Mr. Jasarevic informed that “so far, worldwide there has been a total of 278 officially reported confirmed cases of 2019 novel coronavirus”.
According to Chinese Health Officials, six people have died since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease in December 2019.
Yesterday, China’s health authorities confirmed a human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus which could make the virus spread more quickly and widely.
According to WHO’s spokesperson, “4 cases have been reported outside China, two in Thailand, one in Japan and one in the Republic of Korea. This is what we have been informing about you previously”.
He added that “more cases should be expected in other parts of China and possibly in other countries in the coming days. A team from WHO are concluding a mission with health officials in Wuhan working on the response to novel coronavirus”.
The WHO said that the outbreak was believed to have originated in a seafood and animal market in the city of Wuhan from where it is spreading to cities including Beijing and Shanghai.
“Based on current information, an animal source seems the most likely primary source of this outbreak with limited human-to-human trans missional occurring between close contacts”, Tarik Jasarevic told the media. He confirmed that there is a human-to-human transmission. “Based on previous experiences with respiratory illnesses and in particular with other coronavirus outbreaks and other data analysis shared with China, human-to- human transmission is occurring”.
The virus causes a type of pneumonia and belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as SARS. Symptoms include fever and difficulty in breathing, which are similar to many other respiratory diseases.
According to Jasarevic, “reports suggest that the novel coronavirus infection can cause mild to severe disease and be fatal in some. Based on current data, some new cases seem to experience milder diseases which is within the milder end of the spectrum of symptoms caused by respiratory illnesses”.
So far, WHO has not recommended trade or travel restrictions. To reduce exposure and transmission of the novel coronavirus, WHO recommends cleaning hands with soap and water, covering mouth and nose with masks or sleeve when coughing or sneezing and seek medical advice if a person is showing symptoms.
The novel coronavirus has caused alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which killed nearly 650 people across China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
- Exterior, Palais des Nations
- Wide shot, press briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Tarik Jašarević, Spokesperson of the World Health Organisation (WHO): “The Director-General has convened the Emergency Committee for tomorrow, Wednesday 22nd January, to advise him if the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern and what recommendations should be put in place”.
- Medium shot, journalists
- 5.SOUNDBITE (English) - Tarik Jašarević, Spokesperson of the World Health Organisation (WHO): “So far, worldwide there has been a total of 278 officially reported confirmed cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus”.
- Wide shot, press briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Tarik Jašarević, Spokesperson of the World Health Organisation (WHO): “So far 4 cases have been reported outside China, two in Thailand, one in Japan and one in the Republic of Korea. This is what we have been informing about you previously. More cases should be expected in other parts of China and possibly in other countries in the coming days. A team from WHO are concluding a mission with health officials in Wuhan working on the response to Novel Coronavirus”.
- Close up, journalist
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Tarik Jašarević, Spokesperson of the World Health Organisation (WHO): “Based on current information, an animal source seems the most likely primary source of this outbreak with limited human-to-human trans missional occurring between close contacts. Based on previous experiences with respiratory illnesses and in particular with other Coronavirus outbreaks and other data analysis shared with China, human to human transmission is occurring”.
- Medium shot, journalists
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Tarik Jašarević, Spokesperson of the World Health Organisation (WHO): “Reports suggest that the Novel Coronavirus infection can cause mild to severe disease and be fatal in some. Based on current data, some new cases seem to experience milder diseases which is within the milder end of the spectrum of symptoms caused by respiratory illnesses”.
- Wide shot, panel
- Medium shot, panel
- Medium shot, journalists
- Two shot, journalists
- Close up, hands typing
- Medium shot, journalists
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Hospitals continue to overflow with people injured while seeking food - WHO
As besieged Palestinian civilians face widespread malnutrition and starvation, hospitals in the Strip are increasingly overwhelmed by the influx of victims of shootings and other injuries at food distribution areas, warns the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , WHO , UNMAS
Urgent help is needed to halt a deadly cholera outbreak that is sweeping across Sudan, UN agencies said on Friday, while warning that communities continue to be terrorized by parties to the conflict even as they flee violence.
2
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News , Images | UNEP
Negotiations got under way at UN Geneva on Tuesday to agree on a legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution, with delegates from nearly 180 countries attending.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
Gaza: Hundreds of trucks per day of free aid needed “for months”, in addition to commercial supplies - OCHA
Despite the tactical pauses Israel introduced last week to allow some safe passage for humanitarian convoys, the amount of aid that has entered Gaza remains by far insufficient for the starving population, and UN trucks continue to face impediments on their way to delivering aid.
1
1
1
Edited News | UN WOMEN
Aid agencies echoed wider warnings of growing signs of widespread starvation in Gaza on Tuesday, as UN-partnered international food security experts released their most dire assessment yet of the situation in the wartorn enclave.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNDP , UNHCR
Sudan: urgent help needed as more than 1.3 million war-displaced people begin to return home
As conflict rages on across parts of Sudan, pockets of relative safety have emerged in the past four month, spurring more than one million internally displaced Sudanese to make their way home, says the International Organization for Migration (IOM). A further 320,000 cross-border refugees have come back to Sudan since last year, mainly from Egypt and South Sudan, to assess the current situation before deciding to return to their country for good.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
Gaza: SOS messages describe people fainting from hunger; UN health worker detained
Worrying alerts from United Nations staff in Gaza who have been fainting from hunger and exhaustion over the past 48 hours have increased fears for people’s survival in the devastated enclave, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , UNOG
Over 11.6 million refugees risk losing aid access due to funding cuts, says UNHCR
Approximately one in three refugees and other vulnerable individuals normally supported by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) are expected to lose out from funding cuts, it said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the following announcement on the Office’s opening of a new mission in Bangladesh.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
“The surge in the number of Afghans forced or compelled to return to Afghanistan this year is creating a multi-layered human rights crisis requiring the urgent attention of the international community,” UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday called for accountability and justice for the killings and other gross human rights violations and abuses in the southern city of Suweida.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNHCR
Syria: hundreds killed in Sweida, ‘widespread’ violations as civilians flee for their lives
Amid violent clashes in southern Syria’s Sweida governorate, a picture of grave human rights abuses and rising humanitarian needs is emerging by the hour, the UN said on Friday.