<![CDATA[Coronavirus is now classified as a pandemic]>
The World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, a global pandemic.
By the time the WHO's director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement, the virus had affected 114 countries on every continent except Antarctica, claimed more than 4,900 lives and sickened nearly 150,000 people.
The designation is not a reflection of its severity, but rather that the outbreak is spreading widely across the globe " in contrast with an epidemic, which means an outbreak is spreading within a specific community.
The WHO is "deeply concerned, both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction" by world leaders in response to the outbreak, Tedros said. "We have therefore made the assessment that Covid-19 can be characterised as a pandemic."
However, he said WHO officials believe it is possible that the pandemic could be contained, and urged countries to take immediate action.
"We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic," he said.
What does the pandemic declaration mean?
By calling it a pandemic, the WHO is communicating that the illness is spreading unchecked. Though the designation may seem obvious after the rapid increase in cases, it is significant because it can enable different countries to implement emergency measures like travel and trade restrictions, and to activate preparedness plans to prevent the further spread of the virus.
The designation places Covid-19 in a different category to other recent outbreaks like Ebola or Zika, which were considered international emergencies.
Officials at the UN agency reiterated that the designation should not cause people to panic " it is merely meant to enable governments to better respond, not to indicate the illness is extremely severe.
WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan said the use of the term "is not a trigger for anything other than more aggressive, more intensive action".
Dr Wong Ka-hing, controller of Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection, said the city already had measures in place to contain the outbreak. "I am not surprised [by the WHO's decision]. Many countries and experts have said earlier that the outbreak was a pandemic. It doesn't affect or change the way Hong Kong deals with this," he said.
Why did the WHO wait until now?
The WHO considers a flu outbreak a pandemic if it is spreading in two regions of the globe, and the coronavirus outbreak is now expanding in four.
Another key criteria for officials in calling the outbreak a pandemic is seeing new cases of infections without clear links, indicating the spread of the virus within communities. Until the last two weeks, many cases in places like the US and Europe were linked to travellers returning from destinations with wider outbreaks, like Iran or South Korea.
However, in recent days officials across the US and Europe have confirmed widespread community transmission and have taken dramatic steps to put entire areas under lockdown.
Patients infected with Covid-19 are seen in a hospital in Sina, Iran. Photo: DPA alt=Patients infected with Covid-19 are seen in a hospital in Sina, Iran. Photo: DPA
When was the last time WHO declared a pandemic?
The last pandemic declaration was the 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak, which claimed more than 18,000 lives in 214 countries and territories, according to the WHO.
The first cases of Covid-19 were reported more than three months ago, but that amount of time is not unusual before the WHO takes this level of action. The WHO only called the 2009 swine flu outbreak a pandemic after the illness had already been spreading for six weeks.
The H1N1 flu strain is still with us " it's what infectious disease experts call endemic, and recurs as part of many regular flu outbreaks, though not in high numbers.
Experts warn it is possible that Covid-19 could also become an endemic illness, rather than being effectively eradicated as in the case of Sars.
The WHO announcement is the first time a coronavirus has been considered a pandemic, and Tedros said it is also the first pandemic the organisation believes will be able to be contained.
An analyst at a public health research institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, holds a sample of mucus to be tested for Covid-19. Photo: AFP alt=An analyst at a public health research institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, holds a sample of mucus to be tested for Covid-19. Photo: AFP
How should governments react?
When Tedros announced the decision, he also emphasised the agency's belief that the outbreak could be controlled.
"WHO has been in full response mode since we were notified of the first cases," Tedros said. "And we have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear."
"People, we're in this together " to do the right things with calm and protect the citizens of the world," Tedros said. "It's doable."
Ryan said some countries are only testing the elderly or people who had travelled to China, and urged them to update their monitoring and contact-tracing measures as well as do more to protect health workers exposed to the virus.
"We need to move now. Italy and Iran are in the frontline now. They are suffering but I guarantee you other countries will be in that situation very soon," he said.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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