WHO declares Covid-19 as a pandemic, what does this mean for the world?

On March 11, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued an official statement, considering the new coronary pneumonia epidemic (Covid-19) as a global pandemic.

This is the first pandemic caused by corona virus, Mr. Ghebreyesus emphasized.

What is pandemic?

According to Xinhua (China), pandemic (pandemic) is one of the WHO classification levels of influenza. WHO has classified the flu into six levels, of which the highest level is pandemic, defined as an outbreak of influenza virus in at least one other country - outside the epidemic country, showing that the virus is currently spread throughout the countries.

Conceptually, the pandemic at the time referred to the scope of the influenza virus, not the severity and mortality of the pandemic. In 2009, the pandemic H1N1 flu in the United States and Mexico was listed by WHO as a pandemic, although the pandemic has spread worldwide, but the mortality rate is low.

Therefore, the WHO official website in 2010 gave a simple definition of a pandemic, that is, "a new disease is spreading globally". For example, a flu pandemic is the spread of a new flu virus worldwide and most people do not have immunity to this virus.

According to CNN, specific criteria for a pandemic are not commonly identified but there are three general criteria: a virus can cause illness or death; sustained human-to-human transmission and evidence spread throughout the world.

According to Xinhua News Agency, WHO no longer uses the six classification scales mentioned above to assess infectious diseases such as influenza, but instead has changed them into four main stages.

In an interview in late February, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said that WHO no longer uses the old system but the world still uses the term pandemic to describe the spread of these infectious diseases. Global.

What does it mean for outbreaks and treatments?

Despite the declaration of Covid-19 as a pandemic, the WHO Director-General emphasized that describing the situation as a pandemic did not change the organization's assessment of the threat of new strain of coronavirus and does not change the measures. WHO measures are taken as well as measures that countries should take.

WHO continues to urge countries to detect, test, treat, quarantine and monitor people's health.

Dr. Nathalie MacDermott, Clinical Lecturer at King's College London, said that changing the term would not affect any practical measures that the world has been warned in the past few weeks to prepare for a major Translate.

WHO officially declared Covid-19 a pandemic

However, the use of this term highlights the importance of open cooperation and sharing among nations, together becoming a united front in efforts to control the overall situation.

Professor Nigel McMillan, of Menzies Institute of Health, Queensland, said that the WHO declared the pandemic meant that health authorities needed to prepare for the next phase.

" Including preparing hospitals that can handle large numbers of patients, stockpiling any antiviral drugs and advising people that it's time, they will need to consider health care measures. like staying home if you're sick, avoiding crowded people and so on , "said Mr McMillan.

He said this could be the most difficult part for many governments - encouraging people to change their behavior, such as canceling, not going to major events if they are sick.