COVID-19 'can be characterised as a pandemic': WHO chief

E-Paper | March 12, 2026

COVID-19 'can be characterised as a pandemic': WHO chief

AFP Published March 11, 2020

World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on COVID-19 virus at the WHO headquaters on March 11 in Geneva. — AFP

The new coronavirus outbreak can now be characterised as a pandemic, the head of the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was alarmed by the spread and severity of the outbreak, along with a lack of action taken to combat it.

“COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic,” he told reporters in Geneva. “We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction.”

He said he expected the number of cases and deaths would grow in the coming days and weeks.

“We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus,” he said.

He also said hard-hit Iran was trying its best to control the outbreak but needed more supplies.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Mar 11, 2020 10:53pm

This is not a breaking news as the whole world already knows about it.

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Sairbeen plus.

Mar 11, 2020 11:14pm

Why so much delay in finding a cure or vaccine. There’s a cure for every ailment, provided some one finds it.

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Orakzai

Mar 11, 2020 11:23pm

What is the difference between epidemic and pandemic

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hysterics

Mar 11, 2020 11:42pm

if thyre not doing a good enough job what does he suggest?? shut the us down for 3 weeks or however long it takes to stop the spread. flu has killed more.

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Corona Beer

Mar 11, 2020 11:43pm

Too Little, Too Late

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kamal chowkidar

Mar 12, 2020 12:23am

What is his job responsibility? Who is he blaming? If things are not going right then he should resign.

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Jameel

Mar 12, 2020 12:48am

@Sairbeen plus., Are you even serious? Please read the journals how medicine becomes available for Human use

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Abdul Ghani

Mar 12, 2020 01:05am

@Orakzai, the epidemic is a sudden outbreak, while pandemic is the diseases spread into many countries or areas of a large population. the endemic word also used when a disease stayed for a long time in a specific area or population.

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Ajmad

Mar 12, 2020 01:28am

@Orakzai, Epidemic is in certain area like Asia and Pandemic is wide spread like whole world or almost all countries of world.

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cuban

Mar 12, 2020 03:14am

Speaking of "lack of action" I wonder what IK is doing these days? It's hard to believe that our PM hasn't taken leadership of this crisis - also hard to believe that Pakistan only has 20 infections.

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T. M. Reddy

Mar 12, 2020 05:03am

Here it is: Cancel Everything to contain COVID-19: Social distancing is the only way to stop the coronavirus. We must start immediately. I am not kidding, it is real and it will be effective... India has quarantined itself now...

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fairplay

Mar 12, 2020 05:38am

@hysterics, USA flu deaths 0.1 percent. Covid-19 2-3 percent. China and Europe high risk patients 34 percent deaths. Iran 57 percent. facts not hysterics.

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fairplay

Mar 12, 2020 05:39am

@Sairbeen plus., extreme care is required. billions will get the vaccine when ready.

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fairplay

Mar 12, 2020 05:39am

@Orakzai, consult a dictionary.

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Indo-Arya

Mar 12, 2020 06:25am

I have been saying all this time - the WHO Chief had delayed recognizing this outbreak at the beginning. If the WHO was really alert and had ears to the ground during Dec 2019, when the Chinese doctor called out the virus, they may have been able to contain the spread within the area of Wuhan. Even after, in Feb 2020 WHO was stubborn and didn't call for a global emergency which it has been compelled to do so now. The WHO Chief needs to be sacked immediately and charges for criminal negligence must be filled.

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Sikander Sher

Mar 12, 2020 07:17am

@Sairbeen plus., it tKes minimum 8 months to make a vaccine... This is a new virus never seen before.. Expected date of vaccine according to CDC is October 2020

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Waqas

Mar 12, 2020 07:19am

WHO is to blame for all this spread, they never gave strong alert before. Even they criticized those countries who took strict measures at the beginning. They are asking for strict measures now when it reached more than 100 hundred countries. I'm amazed what kind of world health organization we have

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Ibrahim S

Mar 12, 2020 08:50am

Is anyone listening to WHO in Raiwind.

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Wajahat Ali Khan

Mar 12, 2020 10:35am

@Orakzai, The WHO defines a pandemic as the worldwide spread of a new disease, across several countries or continents, affecting a large number of people. In contrast, an epidemic refers to a more localised or regional outbreak of a disease, rather than one that has spread across the globe.

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