WHO "COVID-19 Pandemic Threat Very Realized"

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that the threat of a pandemic of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become very real.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on the 9th (local time), "COVID-19 has now gained a foothold in many countries," expressing this concern.

He said, "Over the weekend, the number of COVID-19 cases reported from 100 countries surpassed 100,000," adding, "It is clearly distressing that so many people and countries have been affected so quickly."

However, Director-General Tedros emphasized, "This will be the first pandemic in history that can be controlled," and stressed, "We will not be dictated by this virus."

Michael Ryan, head of the WHO Emergency Response Team, stated that there is no precise definition for declaring a COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, a pandemic refers to when transmission occurs between countries and control is lost, but he emphasized, "There are countries like Singapore and China that have succeeded in controlling COVID-19."

According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the United States, as of 3:30 a.m. on the 10th (Korean time), the global number of COVID-19 infections stands at 113,519, with 3,995 deaths.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.