Dr. Gauden Galea, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in China, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the WHO's offices in Beijing
With 24 deaths reported on January 26, the overall death toll of Coronavirus has notched up to 80. Thus far, over 2,500 cases of Coronavirus have been reported, mostly in China's Hebei province, but cases have also been reported from Australia, United States, Europe, Thailand, Nepal among other countries. This global outreach and increasing death toll is slowly turning Coronavirus into a global epidemic.
World Health Organisation (WHO) is yet to declare a 'public health emergency of international concern' over Coronavirus. This move by the WHO is baffling as China has quarantined a city (Wuhan) with a population larger than New York City.
With the declaration of global health emergency, WHO could launch a coordinated effort worldwide and ensure surveillance measures that could go a long way in containing and eventually overcoming this mysterious new virus.
In making its decision not to declare a global public health emergency, WHO officials cited a limited number of cases abroad, and strong, preventative containment measures in China. "While this outbreak is an emergency in China, it has not yet become a global health emergency," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told CNN.
Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, France, United States, Malaysia, Australia and Canada have all confirmed cases of Coronavirus infection. On Sunday, US confirmed a fifth case of the virus in Arizona.
According to South China Morning Post, the latest death toll for Coronavirus stands at 80 across China while 2,454 cases have been registered.
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