China’s Experience Gives Hope for Defeating Coronavirus Pandemic: WHO

Chinese Wuhan’s experience of pushing back the novel coronavirus gives hope that the pandemic can be stopped, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing on Friday.

"Yesterday, Wuhan, China, reported no new cases for the first time since the COVID19 outbreak started. Wuhan provides hope for the rest of the world, that even the most severe situation can be turned around," he said.

"Of course, we must exercise caution - the situation can reverse. But the experience of cities and countries that have pushed back this coronavirus give hope and courage to the rest of the world," he said, Tass reported.

The WHO chief recalled that the coronavirus hits most older people. But, in his words, "younger people are not spared." He called for solidarity among people of various ages to defeat the disease.

"Solidarity is the key to defeating COVID19 - solidarity between countries, but also between age groups," he stressed.

He also spoke about problems with supplying health workers with personal protective equipment. In this connection, he said talks were underway with Chinese manufacturers. "We’re currently finalizing the arrangements and coordinating shipments so we can refill our warehouse to ship personal protective equipment to whoever needs it most," he said, adding that WHO was working to increase the supply of diagnostic tests.

A pneumonia outbreak caused by the COVID-19 virus (previously known as 2019-nCoV) was reported in China’s city of Wuhan, a large trade and industrial center with a population of 12 million, in late December 2019. Cases of the new coronavirus have also been reported from more than 140 countries and territories.

The World Health Organization says that the novel coronavirus cases across the globe have exceeded 240,000, with more than 10,000 deaths.