Although the World Health Organization (WHO) had refrained from naming the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as a pandemic, today, Wednesday, the health agency declared a state of pandemic due to the global risk of spread and impact that the virus represents worldwide.
More than 100 countries have been quickly affected by the virus that causes the disease, SARS-CoV-2 and, at the moment, the number of confirmed cases accounted for 121,564, while deaths already reached 4,373.
Before this picture, it is worth differentiating between what is an epidemic and a pandemic:
one. According to WHO, an epidemic occurs when the disease attacks many people from the same place, during the same period of time. While a pandemic is declared when a new disease spreads worldwide.
two. WHO declared its last global pandemic in 2009, with influenza A.
3. The word pandemic is used colloquially when major outbreaks of contagion are generated on the five continents.
“WHO estimates that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We can expect the number of cases, deaths and countries affected to increase” in the coming days and weeks, he added.
Media briefing on # COVID19 with @DrTedros. #coronavirus https://t.co/aPFXT3ex5y
– World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 11, 2020
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