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Wednesday, March 04, 2020, 11:12
WHO chief: Coronavirus is a virus with 'unique characteristics'
By Xinhua
Wednesday, March 04, 2020, 11:12 By Xinhua

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gestures during a daily press briefing on COVID-19 at the WHO headquarters in Geneva on March 2, 2020. (FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)

GENEVA - Different from SARS, MERS or influenza, the novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19 is "a unique virus with unique characteristics," the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) said here on Tuesday.

"We are understanding this virus and the disease it causes more and more," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

COVID-19 does not transmit as efficiently as influenza, according to the data collected so far, the WHO chief said, noting those people who are infected but not sick are not major drivers of COVID-19 transmission

COVID-19 does not transmit as efficiently as influenza, according to the data collected so far, Tedros said, noting those people who are infected but not sick are not major drivers of COVID-19 transmission.

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He stressed that evidence from China showed that most of the reported cases develop symptoms within two days and only one percent have no symptoms.

The ongoing studies on examining the antibodies in COVID-19 in large numbers of people will provide further insight into the extent of infection in populations over time, said Tedros.

Although no vaccine and no specific treatment are available for COVID-19 so far, Tedros noted that more than 20 vaccines are in development globally, and several therapeutics are in clinical trials.

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Tedros reiterated that COVID-19, rather than seasonal flu, can be contained by a comprehensive approach.

He urged countries to adapt their existing healthcare systems to contain COVID-19. "They are not starting from scratch," he said.

The WHO warned of a global shortage and price gouging for protective equipment to fight the coronavirus and asked companies and governments to increase production by 40 percent as the death toll from the respiratory illness mounted.

Since the coronavirus outbreak, prices of surgical masks have increased sixfold, N95 respirators have tripled in cost and protective gowns cost twice as much, the WHO said.

It estimates healthcare workers each month will need 89 million masks, 76 million gloves and 1.6 million pairs of goggles.

With Reuters inputs

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