Covid-19 Is Officially A Pandemic, But WHO Says Don’t Panic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) just declared that the novel coronavirus Covid-19 can now be characterized as a pandemic.
This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus. And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled, at the same time.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Director-General of World Health Organization
The official definition of a pandemic is “an epidemic that has spread across multiple continents or worldwide, crossing international boundaries, affecting a large number of people”.
(Credit: Johns Hopkins University)
The definition says nothing about how dangerous the virus is. It says nothing about how much we should panic.
In fact, WHO is asking us to not panic, because the virus can still be contained as long as it is taken seriously by all countries.
We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Director-General of World Health Organization
The keyword here is that all countries must be vigilant in their response to Covid-19. There needs to be additional caution taken to detect, test, treat, isolate, trace, and mobilize all peoples so that large-scale transmission is prevented.
In fact, even for countries that have been hit with huge numbers of confirmed cases, it’s still not too late to contain the spread of the virus through preventive measures.
According to the WHO, the holistic way for countries to deal with a pandemic is:
First, prepare and be ready.
Second, detect, protect and treat.
Third, reduce transmission.
Fourth, innovate and learn.Â
So don’t panic just because Covid-19 has a new designation now. The ways of prevention are the same. Malaysia is ready and prepared, but we must always stay vigilant.
Share your thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
