‘Whole world’ put on alert over coronavirus

The WHO has urged the ‘whole world to be on alert’ over the new coronavirus strain that has now killed 170 people.

World Health Organisation health emergencies program head Michael Ryan briefs the press in Geneva on the latest on the coronavirus epidemic. Picture: AFP

The World Health Organisation has urged the “whole world to be on alert” over the deadly new corona­virus strain that has now spread to every province of China and killed 170 people, following the greatest 24-hour leap in fatalities since it was detected last month.

With 7711 people now infected with the pneumonia-like disease, including new cases in China’s remote Tibet region, WHO’s emergency committee will reconvene early on Friday to again consider whether to declare a global health emergency. The Geneva-based organisation opted last week not to make the declaration that has been used only five times — including during Ebola outbreaks — and which signifies a disease has spiralled beyond control of a single government and requires a more co-ordinated global response.

On Thursday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that would be reconsidered in light of evidence the virus was now being transmitted locally in countries outside China.

Dr Tedros praised China’s “determination to end the new outbreak” and its actions so far to prevent the spread to other ­countries, but said in a tweet “the potential for further global spread is why I called the EC (emergency committee)”.

With almost 100 coronavirus cases now confirmed outside China — and Germany, Vietnam and Japan all reporting new cases in recent days in which the patient had not recently been to China — WHO health emergencies program chief Michael Ryan told reporters in Geneva that “the whole world needs to be on alert now”.

“The whole world needs to take action and be ready for any cases that come from the epicentre, or any other epicentre that becomes established,” he said.

Beijing has effectively locked down Wuhan city and most of central Hubei province — home to more than 50 million people — to try to contain the outbreak, and many countries have imposed travel restrictions to and from mainland China.

Retail giants including Ikea, Starbucks, H&M, McDonald’s and Taco Bell have all announced widespread, temporary store closures across China in recent days, further deepening the economic impact of the outbreak at a time traditionally associated with high consumer spending.

With the extended Chinese Lunar New Year set to end on Sunday, there are fears the subsequent mass movement of people returning home could further escalate the spread of the disease.

Three of 200 Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan by their government on Wednesday have tested positive for the virus. The US and Singapore have evacuated citizens and all three countries have said they would quarantine and test those airlifted out.

More than 6000 tourists were trapped on a cruise ship in Italy on Thursday after the liner was locked down over two suspected cases of the deadly coronavirus.

Samples from a Chinese couple were sent for testing after three doctors and a nurse boarded the Costa Crociere ship in the port of Civitavecchia.

About 20 per cent of new corona­virus patients have become seriously ill from the disease, which can be spread through coughing, sneezing or human-to-human contact. So far it has a mortality rate of about 2.2 per cent, significantly lower than the 9.6 per cent recorded during the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak of 2003 though multiples above that of seasonal flu (0.1 per cent), which kills thousands every year. While the virus has spread to 18 countries, some public health experts warn the biggest risk is that it takes hold in Africa.