WHO says coronavirus ‘can be characterized as a pandemic’

The World Health Organization says the COVID-19 outbreak “can be characterized as a pandemic.”

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who heads the U.N. agency, said the WHO is “deeply concerned by the alarming levels of spread and severity” of the outbreak. He also expressed concern about “the alarming levels of inaction.”

By reversing course and using the charged word “pandemic” that it had previously shied away from, the U.N. health agency appeared to want to shock lethargic countries into pulling out all the stops.

“Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.”

“Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this coronavirus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.”

The WHO added that Iran and Italy are the new front lines of the battle against the virus that started in China.

“They’re suffering but I guarantee you other countries will be in that situation soon,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO’s emergencies chief.

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says the WHO declaration of a pandemic comes as no surprise.

She says the government had already been preparing as if the spread of the disease were a pandemic, including pulling together the $1-billion package announced by the Liberals Wednesday to address the fallout, including more money for medical supplies, equipment and research.

More than 118,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported in 114 countries and 4,291 deaths.