WHO highlights omissions in report criticising UN well being physique’s Covid response | World News

The World Well being Organisation (WHO) on Thursday cited “a number of key omissions and misinterpretations” within the Lancet Fee report which on Wednesday blamed the UN well being physique for not declaring Covid-19 a public well being emergency and recognising the airborne unfold of the virus on time.

“There are a number of key omissions and misinterpretations within the report, not least concerning the general public well being emergency of worldwide concern (PHEIC) and the pace and scope of WHO’s actions,” WHO mentioned in a press release.

It detailed its actions to assist member international locations take care of the pandemic in time and mentioned it has recurrently up to date steerage and methods based mostly on the newest data in regards to the SARS-Cov-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, by way of its world professional networks and guideline growth teams from day one.

WHO mentioned it obtained the primary alerts of instances of pneumonia of unknown trigger in China’s Wuhan on December 30, 2019, and sought additional info from Chinese language well being authorities the subsequent day. On 1 January 2020, WHO mentioned, it activated its Incident Administration System to handle day by day actions. A staff, which incorporates focal factors on scientific care, an infection prevention, and management, diagnostics, logistics, and communications, met day by day all through 2020 into 2021 and continues to fulfill this 12 months, WHO mentioned.

WHO mentioned it issued a worldwide alert to all member states based mostly on its preliminary danger evaluation of the state of affairs in China on January 5, 2020. “This alerted the Member States and suggested them to take measures to establish instances, look after sufferers, and forestall an infection and onward human-to-human transmission for acute respiratory pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential,” mentioned the assertion. “This was WHO’s first world warning to take concrete measures for an unknown respiratory illness. WHO has persistently pushed knowledge-sharing by way of devoted briefings for international locations, throughout which the vital experiences of early-affected international locations had been shared and the weather of WHO’s complete response had been outlined.”

WHO mentioned it began discussions on January 9, 2020, with established world professional networks on all accessible info on the cluster reported from China. It added these networks enabled the real-time change of direct data, expertise, and early research findings, which fed immediately into WHO’s early recommendation and suggestions. Between January 10 and 12, a complete bundle of technical steerage was printed for international locations, it added.

WHO mentioned it printed the primary protocol on January 13, to develop PCR exams to establish instances based mostly on the discharge of the complete genome sequence two days earlier. It added it started transport validated PCR assays by February 2 to international locations globally. WHO mentioned on January 22 and 23, when there have been 9 instances and no deaths reported exterior China, its convened the Emergency Committee to fulfill, and advise whether or not the occasion constituted a public well being emergency of worldwide concern. The committee suggested that it didn't.

WHO mentioned from January 27 to twenty-eight, a staff travelled to China to fulfill with prime authorities officers, collect details about the outbreak, and search cooperation. It added on January 30, when 98 instances (and no deaths) had been reported in 18 international locations exterior China, the Emergency Committee was reconvened and suggested the outbreak constituted a public well being emergency of worldwide concern and was formally declared so issuing momentary suggestions for the way international locations might additional put together and reply.

WHO mentioned on February 4, WHO’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan was printed and outlined complete measures wanted to take to suppress transmission and save lives. “WHO performed, and continues to play, an important function in getting COVID-19 instruments to international locations in want… The pandemic isn't over, although the top is in sight, and WHO continues its response, whereas laying a stronger basis for the longer term.”