Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Forbes
Forbes
Lifestyle
Lisette Voytko, Forbes Staff

WHO Says Coronavirus Is Not A Pandemic, Despite Increase In Cases And Deaths

Topline: The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that the coronavirus outbreak is not yet a pandemic, and⁠—despite the growing number of cases and deaths⁠—is hopeful that the disease’s spread can be limited, therefore containing the crisis before it could actually be considered a pandemic. 

  • “We are not in a pandemic,” said WHO Infections Hazards Director Dr. Sylvia Briand during a Tuesday press conference, adding that the group considers the coronavirus an epidemic at this time.
  • WHO classifies a pandemic as the “worldwide spread of a new disease,” while an epidemic is defined by an unusually high number of cases of either an illness or health-related event in a community or region. 
  • The last pandemic was 2009’s H1N1 flu outbreak, which killed hundreds of thousands of people globally.
  • Briand described patients outside of China as “spillover cases,” meaning those people were likely infected near Wuhan, the disease’s epicenter, before moving to other locations after being exposed to the virus. 
  • Briand said WHO believes transmission of those spillover cases can be stopped by current measures in place: early case detection, early isolation and treatment and tracing contact between infected patients and other people.
  • Tuesday’s announcement follows WHO’s Thursday declaration of coronavirus as a global health emergency.

Big number: 15,000. That’s how many more coronavirus cases there are than the number of cases reported during the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, according to the New York Times

What to watch for: Additional updates from WHO and other officials. China’s leader, Xi Jingping, called the outbreak “a major test of China’s system and capacity for governance,” according to the country’s state-run news media, adding: “Those who disobey the unified command or shirk off responsibilities will be punished.” The Times said Jinping’s comments were a tacit acknowledgment that China’s efforts to mitigate coronavirus’ spread were lacking in some areas.

Key background: More than 20,000 people are confirmed to have been infected with coronavirus, while nearly 427 have died, with all but two in mainland China. The U.S. has 11 confirmed cases, and flights from China are being redirected to 11 American airports that are screening those travelers. The illness, which first broke out in a Wuhan food market in December, has since spread to almost 30 countries and impacted local tourism and travel. Companies like McDonald’s, Starbucks, IKEA, Hyundai, Tesla, Disney and more have temporarily closed their doors in affected areas. The country of Macau, considered the world’s gambling capital, shut down its casino business Tuesday in response to the outbreak, which has sickened 10 people there. Several countries, including the U.S., are denying entry to visitors from Wuhan, and advising against travel to China, while several international airlines have suspended flights to the country. Millions in the mainland have been on lockdown since the Lunar New Year holiday ended January 25, while a return to post-holiday routines have been disrupted.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.