Coronavirus WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic

The World Health Organization will not yet call the coronavirus a pandemic, claiming that needs across affected countries are too varied and the classification would increase fear, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a briefing Monday.

Context: WHO considers the classification of a global pandemic when epidemics occur in several countries at once. However, there’s no clear threshold for the number of cases that meet the definition of an epidemic, with the CDC defining it as “an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in that area.”

More new coronavirus cases outside China than inside for first time

The number of new cases of the novel coronavirus reported outside China has exceeded those inside the country for the first time, the World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing on Wednesday.

Details: Tedros called the sudden increase in cases in South Korea (1,595), Italy (453) and Iran (141) “deeply concerning.”

WHO raises global coronavirus risk to “very high”

The World Health Organization raised its global risk assessment for the novel coronavirus to “very high” Friday, its highest risk level as countries struggle with containing spread of the virus.

The big picture: This week, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized how countries’ responses can make or break the chances of preventing more cases. Today, he said the alert “is a reality check for every government. … The window of opportunity is closing. Wake up.”

Go deeper: Full coverage of the coronavirus

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