WHO and coronavirus: analysis of the measures taken

The World Health Organization was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Geneva. The main function is to solve the health problems in the world. The announcement about the appearance of the coronovirus was first made on December 31, 2019. But in the New Year's bustle, few people paid attention to the information. The scale of the problem was not clear, but over time, the disease acquired the scale of a pandemic.

First WHO response to coronavirus in China

The first meeting on coronavirus by the WHO commission showed that its members are carefully monitoring the situation in Wuhan and the outbreak. In particular, the National Health Commission in China submitted a report to WHO on January 12, 2020 on the activities that are being carried out to counter the virus. The first reaction of the WHO was to clarify all the circumstances of the emergence of a new virus, recommendations to countries on preventing the spread of the disease around the world.  

T. A. Ghebreyrus, who is the director general of the WHO, called a meeting of the emergency committee on the new virus. The meeting was held on January 22, 2020. The task is to establish whether the disease is an emergency in the healthcare sector, whether it is of international importance.

The background of the question is this. On December 31, the Chinese authorities notified the WHO of the emergence of an unknown type of pneumonia in Wuhan. The province is located in the central part of the country. On January 7, Chinese doctors identified the causative agent of the disease based on the results of testing the diseased population - 2019 ncov.

Results of the last emergency meeting

The latest emergency meeting was convened at the initiative of the CEO, who was in China. In the country, he held talks with Xi Jinping.

At the meeting, a new outbreak of a previously unknown virus was declared a public health emergency of international concern. On March 11, WHO announced that the coronovirus had become a pandemic.

WHO conclusions: spread, severity of the virus

On March 1, the WHO about the coronovirus confirmed the danger level "high". Deaths were recorded as of March 1 in the United States, Australia and Thailand. Rospotrebnadzor recommended that Russians not travel to countries with an unfavorable epidemiological situation. But, as practice shows, a certain part of the population does not follow them.  

SARS spans the continents. In some countries, for example, in Iran, Italy, the situation is critical, which indicates the unpreparedness of national healthcare systems. Russia, for its part, restricts air communication with Iran, South Korea and a number of other countries.  

What did countries around the world recommend doing?

WHO experts recommended that all countries of the world be ready to take action because of the new virus. According to experts, the export of diseases can spread to any of the states. Thus, each of them must be prepared to meet the infection, as well as take measures to contain it. These include:

• carrying out activities for epidemiological surveillance;
• identification and isolation of patients;
• tracing their contacts in order to stop the further spread of the infection;
• country situation data should be reported to WHO. 

Countries around the world are required to share information about the virus and the presence of diseases. Countries should pay attention to reducing the number of cases of infection of the population, the prevention of secondary infection, and the provision of assistance to other countries. Additionally, you need to take part in the filling of knowledge and the virus, as well as publish the results of its research. All countries of the world must strictly comply with the WHO recommendations regarding foreign travel.    

Where did the epidemic start?

In mid-December last year, in the city of Wuhan, citizens who were feeling unwell sought medical help. The clinical picture of the disease was similar to influenza and SARS. At first, doctors mistook the disease for pneumonia of unknown origin, which was first identified in animal dealers, seafood. The infected were investigated. They found a virus of unknown origin to science. It was given the original name 2019-nCoV.

Further, on February 11, 2020, it received a new name - COVID-2019. Scientists from China have identified the causative agent of the disease and established a genetic link to the sequence of its genome. The virus has at least 70% similarity in genetic sequence with SARS-CoV. It causes acute respiratory syndrome in the human body. In other words, atypical pneumonia.  

In the process of studying a new disease, it was revealed that its incubation period is from 2 to 20 days. According to the latest information, a person is contagious to others before the onset of symptoms of the disease. It spread rapidly in China, and then beyond its borders. On January 22, Wuhan was put under quarantine. The disease is rapidly developing throughout the country: after 2 days it spread to the districts adjacent to Wuhanb: Huanggang, Chibi, Ezhou.

Where a small number of people are infected

Countries where there are few people infected with coronovirus as of March 2020

Where there are no infected people

Cases of infection have not been recorded:

• Mauritius;
• Kyrgyzstan;
• Myanmar;
• Madagascar;
• Fiji.

The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets, but it does not get along well in hot climates. This may explain the few cases of its spread in these countries.

What does WHO recommend to people for prevention

Prevention of a viral infection is no different from the measures that every prudent person takes from SARS and influenza. In particular, WHO recommends:

1. Regular hand washing. Carefully, at least 20 seconds. In addition, it is necessary to wipe the hands between the fingers with solutions containing alcohol. You can buy them at a pharmacy. If a virus has settled on the hands, then washing and rubbing it will kill it.  
2. Keeping distance in public places. It is difficult to follow this advice in public transport. But it is worth trying to stay away from sneezing and coughing citizens with obvious signs of SARS. When a person coughs, they spread droplets that contain any virus, including 2019-nCoV.
3. No need to touch the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth.
4. Compliance with the rules regarding respiratory hygiene. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Throw away the handkerchief after use. Treat hands with alcohol-based formulations, or wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If a person covers his mouth when sneezing, he thereby prevents the further spread of virus particles into the environment.
5. With an increase in body temperature, the appearance of wheezing, difficulty breathing, you should immediately seek medical help. The doctor should know if a person has visited countries where an unfavorable epidemiological situation has developed.
6. It is necessary to follow up-to-date information and follow the recommendations of doctors. Health authorities, both at the federal and local levels, have the most up-to-date information on the dynamics of the incidence of coronovirus.
7. Everyone should understand that antiviral drugs do not save from a newly diagnosed infection! The other day, information was received that the manufacturers of the Arbidol drug were fined, since the information they provided was unreliable.

Personal protective measures for those who have visited adverse areas:

1. Follow the recommendations above.
2. If you feel unwell, stay at home until you are fully recovered, even if the person has a slight malaise (headache, rhinitis). This is necessary in order to refrain from contact with others, not to visit clinics. This person will protect others from the virus.
3. If a person feels unwell, he has symptoms of SARS, flu, cough, shortness of breath, immediate medical attention is the key to future successful treatment. The symptoms of the new virus and SARS are similar in the early stages of the disease. Only a medical professional will be able to identify the disease and determine it using specially designed tests. If you have traveled to countries where there is an outbreak of coronovirus, you should immediately notify the doctor about this. This will allow specialists to take all the necessary measures.

Any decision of the WHO on coronovirus related to the prevention of the disease must be implemented by citizens. Without exaggeration, all over the world. An adequate response to the problem, which has acquired a global scale, will help stop the spread of infection, the complications of which threaten to be fatal to humanity.