World Health Organization: “Coronavirus is a pandemic”

“A new virus that spreads around the world and against which the majority of men have no immune defenses.” This is the definition of a pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. And this is now officially the coronavirus: no longer an epidemic confined to certain geographical areas, but widespread throughout the planet. The Geneva Organization has stated this by admitting evidence that has been under the eyes for days: the infections are widespread in every continent except for Antarctica.

114 countries are affected out of a total of 193, especially in the northern hemisphere. Since it appeared in December 2019, coronavirus has caused over 118,000 infections and 4,200 victims. Now the WHO will have the power to issue directives and send teams to the most affected nations (respecting sovereignty), as it has already done in China, Italy and Iran. It will also be able to take new measures (in part it is already doing so) to streamline the delivery of health devices, such as masks, to the most affected countries.

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The pandemic declaration belongs to the WHO Director-General. There are no objective criteria. In 2009, the then director Margaret Chan was accused of having declared it too early, in the face of a disease (swine flu) considered to be not very serious. Today Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus waited until the very end, aware of the psychological effects, more than practical of such a move. “We are deeply concerned about the spread and severity of the disease and the alarming level of inaction” in some countries, he admitted Wednesday. “That’s why we decided that Covid-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.” The word “may suggest that there is nothing more we can do to contain the virus,” added the director. “This is not true. We are engaged in a struggle that can be won if we do the right things. “

The WHO was convinced by the growing curve no longer in a limited number of countries (China until a few days ago, today Italy, Iran and South Korea), but in the whole of Europe and in an America that – between declarations to the limit of the irresponsible of President Donald Trump and technical difficulties in distributing and carrying out the tests – she does not seem prepared to face a possible wave of infections. “There are countries that are not doing enough to stem the epidemic,” Ghebreyesus warned a week ago. The pandemic declaration today will also serve the WHO to have a stronger voice towards “defaulting” countries: among them the United States.

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“We expect an increase in the number of cases, deaths and countries affected,” explained Ghebreyesus. “The definition of a pandemic does not change the WHO’s assessment of the seriousness of the situation. It does not change what WHO is doing, nor what countries should do. ” At the same time, he added, “this is not just a health crisis, it is a crisis that will affect every sector, and requires that everyone be involved in the struggle.”

WHO, even before the pandemic declaration, had sent its experts to China, Italy and Iran to meet doctors and epidemiologists, analyze statistics and evaluate the situation of hospitals. Only Iran reacted late and with incomplete transparency to the arrival of the infection. The governments of Beijing and Rome have intervened with more determination and have earned the praise of Geneva. “We support the action taken by Italy,” said the WHO three days ago, after two weeks of visits and inspections. “Your measures will serve as a lesson in tackling the epidemic in other countries too.” The pandemic declaration will have no concrete effects on the organization of our hospitals or on the Italian response to the coronavirus, which has already been decided.

“The final message – concluded Ghebreyesus – is that we are not at the mercy of the virus. The big advantage we have is that our decisions, at the level of governments, economic actors, communities, families and individuals, is that we can all influence the trajectory of the epidemic. The rule of the game is never to give up “.