The WHO make a mockery of their own definition:

What is a pandemic?

24 February 2010

A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease.

An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges and spreads around the world, and most people do not have immunity. Viruses that have caused past pandemics typically originated from animal influenza viruses.

Source: https://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/frequently_asked_questions/pandemic/en/

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

SK saw a 40% increase in new cases today. Up from the 29% from the day before.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_coronavirus_outbreak_in_South_Korea

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

 

There seems to be some pressure to declare this outbreak a pandemic. What difference will it make if WHO does declare a pandemic?

Originally Posted by: Lionel Hutz 

 

The Times today - Leading article:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/comment/the-times-view-on-the-spread-of-coronavirus-panic-stations-b90xrhw62

"...

By the WHO’s own criteria the geographic scope of the virus and its potential lethality should qualify it as a pandemic. This formal confirmation accelerates decisions on the composition, dosage and schedules of vaccines. It further facilitates guidance on the best use of antiviral drugs. Declaring a pandemic is more than semantics. It helps to standardise national responses, puts pressure on countries to update their plans and allocate hospital space.

The world has grown smarter since then and, because of increasing global travel, more dangerous. There is thus no excuse for the WHO to delay. It may fear creating panic and it may be under pressure to play down the impact of the coronavirus lest it nudge the global economy towards recession. Instead the WHO’s leadership prefers to laud China’s attempts to stamp out the virus rather than highlight Beijing’s initial delayed response. That is simply not good enough. China’s reporting has to be held up to scrutiny. Its wildlife and “wet” markets, under the purview of local councils rather than central government, have long been a source of diseases passed from animal to human. Soon Covid-19 virus, left unchecked, will pass into states in Africa and beyond. The WHO is being frighteningly complacent."

Wow! Mirrors what some of us have been saying for days.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

 

 

well if the media are saying so then I'm sure the WHO will bow to their expert knowledge

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

Two more confirmed cases in the UK.

Patients were connected to Italy and Tenerife

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

 

The Times today - Leading article:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/comment/the-times-view-on-the-spread-of-coronavirus-panic-stations-b90xrhw62

"...

By the WHO’s own criteria the geographic scope of the virus and its potential lethality should qualify it as a pandemic. This formal confirmation accelerates decisions on the composition, dosage and schedules of vaccines. It further facilitates guidance on the best use of antiviral drugs. Declaring a pandemic is more than semantics. It helps to standardise national responses, puts pressure on countries to update their plans and allocate hospital space.

The world has grown smarter since then and, because of increasing global travel, more dangerous. There is thus no excuse for the WHO to delay. It may fear creating panic and it may be under pressure to play down the impact of the coronavirus lest it nudge the global economy towards recession. Instead the WHO’s leadership prefers to laud China’s attempts to stamp out the virus rather than highlight Beijing’s initial delayed response. That is simply not good enough. China’s reporting has to be held up to scrutiny. Its wildlife and “wet” markets, under the purview of local councils rather than central government, have long been a source of diseases passed from animal to human. Soon Covid-19 virus, left unchecked, will pass into states in Africa and beyond. The WHO is being frighteningly complacent."

Wow! Mirrors what some of us have been saying for days.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

 What difference will it make if WHO does declare a pandemic?

Originally Posted by: Lionel Hutz 

Well, we have a pandemic, whether the WHO are minded to call it such or not.

As ever, ideology has trumped protecting people and populations.

 



Open borders to the outside, open border to the inside.
“heaven” for criminals, illegal immigration and now illness.
 
We have been let down by the system again -

All travel to and from China should have been suspended at the outset.
All tourism to the Far East should have been stopped at the outset.
All cruises in the region should have been stopped at the outset.
All non-essential movement should have been stopped at the outset.
 
Once Italy became an epi-centre, borders should have been closed as soon as practicable - unfortunately, Italy coincided with half term holidays and all those ski trips - Denmark has announced its first cases today - a Danish family who went skiing in Italy last week.
 
There is no stopping the spread now. People say "oh don't worry, no worse than the flu and mortality rate is low" - that is complacent nonsense. It is not the headline death rate which counts, but the 20% hospitalisation rate which is the massive issue - there is no immunity to this virus and healthcare systems across Europe, including the NHS, will be overwhelmed if we end up in similar situations to China and Iran.
 

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

 

The Times today - Leading article:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/comment/the-times-view-on-the-spread-of-coronavirus-panic-stations-b90xrhw62

"...

By the WHO’s own criteria the geographic scope of the virus and its potential lethality should qualify it as a pandemic. This formal confirmation accelerates decisions on the composition, dosage and schedules of vaccines. It further facilitates guidance on the best use of antiviral drugs. Declaring a pandemic is more than semantics. It helps to standardise national responses, puts pressure on countries to update their plans and allocate hospital space.

The world has grown smarter since then and, because of increasing global travel, more dangerous. There is thus no excuse for the WHO to delay. It may fear creating panic and it may be under pressure to play down the impact of the coronavirus lest it nudge the global economy towards recession. Instead the WHO’s leadership prefers to laud China’s attempts to stamp out the virus rather than highlight Beijing’s initial delayed response. That is simply not good enough. China’s reporting has to be held up to scrutiny. Its wildlife and “wet” markets, under the purview of local councils rather than central government, have long been a source of diseases passed from animal to human. Soon Covid-19 virus, left unchecked, will pass into states in Africa and beyond. The WHO is being frighteningly complacent."

Wow! Mirrors what some of us have been saying for days.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

UK now on 15. Does that put us ahead of France? 

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

UK now on 15. Does that put us ahead of France? 

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

 

 

France are on 18 cases with 2 dead. New cases popping up all the time now all over Europe . It would seem inevitable that a major European outbreak is on the way. I still think the disruption will be the story rather than the amount of dead though hopefully. 

 

Originally Posted by: Ally Pally Snowman