It is still "far too early" to predict an end to the epidemic caused by a new coronavirus that has appeared in China, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday.
"I think it is far too early today to try to predict the beginning, the middle or the end of this epidemic," said Michael Ryan, head of the WHO health emergencies department, to the press.
"This epidemic can go in any direction"
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that "the number of new cases reported in China (had) stabilized in the past week", but that "this should be interpreted with extreme caution" .
"This epidemic can go in any direction," said Dr. Tedros.
WHO hosted a conference on Tuesday and Wednesday at its headquarters in Geneva, bringing together several hundred epidemiology specialists from around the world to review ways to combat the disease, known as Covid-19.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday welcomed the "positive development" of the epidemic, the number of new cases falling for three days, despite a toll which now exceeds 1,100 deaths.
- coronavirus
- World
- epidemic
- Oms