New virus pneumonia WHO "emergency situation" decision reason postponed January 23 20:15
WHO: World Health Organization to hold an expert emergency committee on Wednesday to address "public health emergencies of international concern" regarding pneumonia suspected to be due to a new type of coronavirus that is spreading in China We discussed, but delayed the decision because more information was needed. Why did you put off your decision?
The reason for the postponement of the WHO “emergency” judgment is
WHO = The World Health Organization's "emergency" refers to a situation in which the spread of illness internationally could pose a public health hazard to other countries and urgent coordination of international measures is urgently needed. The top secretary-general is to declare as a "public health emergency of international concern." The main considerations here are the extent to which the disease is likely to spread, its "infectiousness", how many people will die, and the "pathogenicity" that can be seen from the mortality rate.
For example, the mortality rate is not high, as in the case of the new influenza flu in 2009, but it is highly infectious and likely to spread around the world, and as in the case of Ebola, it is highly infectious. Nonetheless, an “emergency” was declared for infectious diseases with a high mortality rate.
According to a press conference held by the WHO after the emergency meeting on February 22, the data on infected people provided by China, although showing the number of people, did not know when the disease occurred, and could not accurately determine the spread of the infection. It could not be confirmed. In addition, it is said that human-to-human transmission was confirmed, but there were not enough data on whether the infection was spreading from one to the next or what symptoms were occurring in the infected person. is.
At the meeting, there was an opinion that a declaration of emergency should be issued to call attention, and it was split in two, but he decided to postpone the judgment because he needed more data.
"It is necessary to determine enough" Prof. Hitoshi Oshitani, Tohoku University
Regarding this, Professor Hitoshi Oshitani of Tohoku University, who led the infectious disease control at the WHO, said, "The most important point is the risk of the spread of the new coronavirus to other countries, but from human to human. I don't know how and under what circumstances the infection will occur. "
Furthermore, when "SARS" causing severe pneumonia spread in China and other parts of Asia in 2003, the number of patients increased rapidly and spread from other parts of China to other countries. We are most concerned about the surge in numbers, and we need to make sure that this is really happening. "
"I can understand the decision," Nobuhiko Okabe, Kawasaki Health and Safety Research Institute
"The Declaration of Emergency states that the spread of infection and the pathogenicity of the disease spread to other countries," said Mr. Nobuhiko Okabe, director of the Kawasaki Institute of Health and Safety, who has served on the WHO Committee on Infectious Disease Control. The new coronavirus has been discovered at an early stage, and enough data has not been collected, so WHO's judgment can be understood. " I said.
He acknowledged that the current status of infection is that the number of severely ill persons is not so large at present. It is necessary to look at the situation calmly and make a judgment. "