WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom calls for greater solidarity among countries to contain spread of Coronavirus

World Health Organization Chief Tedros Adhanom has said that the dramatic measures taken by China to rein in the deadly Novel Coronavirus outbreak have prevented significant spread abroad. He said it has provided a window of opportunity to halt transmission.

UN health agency's chief has also called for greater solidarity, accusing some governments of wealthy countries of being well behind in sharing data on virus cases.

In a technical briefing to the WHO's Executive Board in Geneva yesterday, Mr Tedros said, while 99 percent of cases are in China, just 176 cases are in rest of the world. He said, let us not miss this window of



opportunity.

Mr Tedros said, the WHO had received complete case report forms for only 38 percent of the cases outside China.

More than 20,400 cases of the virus have been confirmed in China since the virus was first detected on 31st of December last year.

Mr Tedros further said, the WHO was sending masks, gloves, respirators and 18,000 protective isolation gowns to 24 countries, as well as 2,50,000 test kits to speed up the process of diagnosis for carriers of the virus. He also reiterated his call for countries not to impose travel and trade restrictions because of the virus.