COVID-19 Declared a ‘Global Pandemic’ by World Health Organization

The spread of the coronavirus now qualifies as a “global pandemic” according to World Health Organization.

The W.H.O. had avoided using the term to describe COVID-19, for fear of giving the impression that it was unstoppable.

“’Pandemic’ is not a word to use lightly or carelessly,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the W.H.O., said at a news conference in Geneva.

There is evidence of the coronavirus on six continents now. COVID-19 has infected more than 120,000 people and killed more than 4,300.

RELATED: How To Protect Yourself Against the Coronavirus

According to the W.H.O., an “epidemic” is defined as a regional outbreak of an illness that spreads unexpectedly. In 2010, it defined a “pandemic” as “the worldwide spread of a new disease” that affects large numbers of people. The C.D.C. says it is “an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people.”

Johns Hopkins University is tracking COVID-19 globally. Click here to see the progress of the virus.

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Terry West

Broadcasting has been my passion for 25+ years. I have recorded extensively for radio, TV, audiobooks, games, apps, podcasts, and documentaries. I know the truth about the One Ring, how to gank a demon, the Doctor’s name, and the Death Star’s only weakness. I am a father, writer, and award-winning broadcaster.