WHO's Tedros: Concerned about number of COVID-19 cases with no clear epidemiological link

"Although the total number of COVID-19 cases outside China remains relatively low, I stressed our concern about cases with no clear epidemiological link (travel history to China, contact with a confirmed case)," World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a Twitter thread on Saturday.

Key takeaways

"More than 80% of patients have mild disease and will recover, 20% have critical COVID-19, in 2% of reported cases, the coronavirus is fatal."

"We have just appointed special envoys to provide strategic advice and high-level political advocacy and engagement in Africa."

"We have published a strategic preparedness & response plan, with a call for $675 million to support countries, especially the most vulnerable."

"The UN Agency has identified 13 priority countries in Africa because of their direct links to China or the high volume of travel with China."

"We have shipped more than 30,000 sets of personal protective equipment to six countries in Africa, and we are ready to ship almost 60,000 more sets to 19 countries in the coming weeks."

"We are calling on all countries to invest urgently in preparedness."