Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
WHO Holds Off On Declaring Global Emergency Over Coronavirus, Saying There Are Few Cases Outside China
The New York Times: Coronavirus Is Spreading, But W.H.O. Says It’s Not A Global Emergency
The World Health Organization on Thursday decided not to declare the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak a global emergency, despite the spread of the dangerous respiratory infection from China to at least five other countries. Although the disease has reached beyond China, the number of cases in other countries is still relatively small, and the disease does not seem to be spreading within those countries, agency officials said. Of more than 800 cases now reported, the wide majority — and all the 25 deaths — have been in China, according to Chinese officials. (Grady, 1/24)
Reuters: WHO Says Not Declaring Virus A Global Emergency But Taking It Seriously
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement after its Emergency Committee of 16 independent experts reviewed the latest evidence and made its recommendations, which he accepted. "Make no mistake, though, this is an emergency in China," Tedros told a news conference at WHO headquarters in Geneva. "But it has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one." (1/23)
Bloomberg: WHO Does Not Declare Coronavirus Outbreak A Global Emergency
Public heath experts gathered by the United Nations agency to review the situation were split over whether they should recommend declaring a public health crisis of international concern and instead opted to continue monitoring the outbreak. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general, said he would reconvene the committee within 10 days, or at a moment’s notice should the situation take a turn for the worse. (Paton, Mulier and Cortez, 1/23)
Stat: WHO Declines To Declare China Virus Outbreak A Global Health Emergency
Tedros said the world should be ready for additional cases and an evolution in the outbreak and that he could reconvene the emergency committee as circumstances changed. “It could be in a day, it could be in a couple, it could be any time,” he said. The committee did recommend that WHO send an international mission of experts to China to assist the country’s investigation and response. Tedros accepted that suggestion, but China has to agree to it before a team can go. (Joseph, 1/23)
