The World Health Organization on Friday raised the risk of the spread of the Corona virus emerging in the world to a "high level", saying that the continuous increase in the number of new cases and affected countries "is certainly a cause for concern."
"We have now raised our assessment of the seriousness of proliferation and the seriousness of the consequences of Covid-19 to a very high level in the world," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Giberisos told reporters.
"We do not see an indication that the virus spreads easily between individuals. As long as the situation is like this we have an opportunity to contain the epidemic," he added.
"The key to containing the virus is to stop the chain of transmission," he stressed, stressing the importance of individuals taking precautionary measures to stop its spread.
He explained that "our first enemy is not the virus in itself, but fear of it or rumors about it and our great strength are the scientific facts, logic and solidarity."
He announced that more than 20 vaccines are under development globally, and many treatments are subject to laboratory experiments, with results expected "in the coming weeks."
It is "pointless" to ask whether the virus could be considered a global pandemic, said Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO´s health emergency program.
If this was the case, he added, "we acknowledge that every human being on Earth will be exposed to it. The available information does not indicate that."
"If we do not take the necessary steps ... it will be so in the future," he said, adding "much of what could happen with this virus is in our hands."
And expanded the list of countries in which the emergence of the new Corona virus, and monitored the first infection in sub-Saharan Africa, and lived global exchanges a difficult week also witnessed the succession of canceling events and organizing sports matches without an audience ...
Here are the latest developments in the world virus over the past 24 hours:
The virus has infected more than 83,670,000 people and killed more than 2,655 victims worldwide, according to a toll compiled by AFP from official sources as of Friday noon.
China (excluding Hong Kong and Macao), where the epidemic occurred at the end of December, recorded 78,824 injuries, including 2,888 deaths.
In the rest of the world, 4,846 cases were counted in 54 countries and regions, including 78 deaths.
South Korea has become the country with the fastest spread of the virus, with 571 new infections recorded in the past 24 hours. The total number in this country exceeded two thousand.
The virus has been announced in several new countries: the Netherlands, Nigeria, New Zealand, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Lithuania.
The case detected in Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria, was the first case in sub-Saharan Africa.
With the first recorded injury in Mexico Friday.
Japan announced the death of a Briton who was on the Diamond Princess, as a result of contracting the virus.
Global stock markets, worried about the devastating consequences of the virus on the economy, will turn to the worst week since the 2008-2009 financial crisis.
Oil prices continued their free fall, reaching their lowest levels in more than a year.
And the Chinese Internet giant "Baidu" expected a decrease of 13 percent in its turnover in the first third of the year due to the epidemic.
And the two air carriers "AIG" and "EasyJet" expected the decrease in demand in Europe and Asia due to the new Corn virus, which leads them to cancel flights and take austerity measures.
And Wall Street opened a decline, influenced by fears of an economic slowdown, and stock indexes lost at least 3%, including the Dow Jones, which fell after the opening by about 800 points, or 3%. The index lost 11% during the current week before the Friday session.
Switzerland has banned, until March 15th, at least all the activities that bring together more than a thousand people, which means the cancellation of the 90th edition of the Geneva Motor Show, which was scheduled to open on March 5, to embrace about 600,000 visitors from all over the world.
As a result, the Basel watch and clock exhibition was canceled until the beginning of 2021.
Facebook has canceled its annual conference, which brings together developers and was expected in May, California.
"BTS", the musical group, canceled four huge concerts that would have been held in April, Seoul.
The "Tokyo Disneyland" and "Tokyo Disneyisi" parks in the suburbs of the Japanese capital were closed for two weeks.
Sports were also damaged, as the last two stages of the Emirates Bicycle Tour were canceled following the discovery of the injury of two Italian riders.
He announced the organization of four matches of the Italian Football Championship without the presence of an audience, including the expected Inter Milan and Turin match.
As for the Japanese rugby club Sanwolfs, it has announced that its matches will be moved to Australia.
The International Olympic Committee confirmed that it is "determined" to organize the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 this summer.
The UN Security Council has expressed its willingness to introduce humanitarian exemptions for its severe economic sanctions against North Korea to help it fight the epidemic.
Security Council members called on Pyongyang, which closed its borders, to allow the entry of medical equipment.
North Korea has not yet announced any cases of the "Covid-19" virus.
