What are the latest developments?
- Globally, more than 80,000 people have been infected. About 2,800 have died - the vast majority in China's Hubei province. China confirmed another 327 cases - the lowest daily increase for a month - along with 44 deaths
- Switzerland suspended all events with more than 1,000 participants until 15 March, including the Geneva International Motor Show
- Iceland, Nigeria, Mexico, New Zealand, Belarus and the Netherlands all reported their first cases
- The first British death from Covid-19 was announced - a passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan
- Fear about the virus has continued to hit global markets. Shares have shed almost 13% of their value this week on London's FTSE, wiping £210bn ($267bn) from the value of companies on the index
What else did the WHO say?
Dr Ryan also stressed that current data information does not suggest the virus has become a global pandemic. "If we say there's a pandemic of coronavirus, we're essentially accepting that every human on the planet will be exposed," he said. "The data does not support that as yet and China has clearly shown that that's not necessarily the natural outcome of this event if we take action." Dr Tedros reiterated that the spread had the potential to become a pandemic, but cautioned against unnecessary panic. "Our greatest enemy right now is not the virus itself, it's fear, rumours and stigma," he said. The WHO has said proper containment, with the help of an "all government, all society approach" will help slow down rates of infection, break chains of infection and take pressure off healthcare systems around the world.DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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