As the outbreak of novel coronavirus — 2019-nCoV — continues unabated, a meeting of top officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the People’s Republic of China this week aimed to lockdown next steps for a unified assault on the virus.
The biggest news to come out of the meeting was an agreement that will allow WHO experts into China as soon as possible. Those experts will work side-by-side with Chinese counterparts to better understand the outbreak and guide the global response to it.
The meeting brought Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, together with President Xi Jinping and reaffirmed much of China’s response to the outbreak.
“Stopping the spread of this virus both in China and globally is WHO’s highest priority,” Ghebreyesus said. “We appreciate the seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership, and the transparency they have demonstrated, including sharing data and genetic sequence of the virus. WHO is working closely with the government on measures to understand the virus and limit transmission. WHO will keep working side-by-side with China and all other countries to protect health and keep people safe.”
The statement reflects a public boost for a nation that has come under fire from some corners over its early efforts, especially now that the number of confirmed cases has risen to more than 4,500, most of them in China. The death toll has now topped 130, growing by scores in the last few weeks. In the United States, airport screenings continue to expand while other nations move to reduce traveler-spread exposure to 2019-nCoV.
A meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee last week deadlocked on whether or not to declare the virus’s spread a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
WHO specifically stated this week that it appreciated Chinese speed in identifying the virus and its openness to sharing information surrounding it. In the future, WHO hopes China will share biological material as well. The two sides also discussed continued collaboration on containment measures in Wuhan, public health measures throughout the nation, additional studies on the severity and transmissibility of the virus.
Other members of the meeting included WHO Regional Director Dr. Takeshi Kasai, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme Dr. Mike Ryan, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and Minister of Health Ma Xiaowei.