In a rare move the World Health Organization declared coronavirus an international public health emergency.

The outbreak that began in Wuhan, the capital of China’s central province of Hubei, has spread to more than 8100 people, with 98 cases in 18 countries outside China.

In his news conference the WHO Director-General praised China for its response to the outbreak and outlined several recommendations aimed at preventing or reducing the cross-border spread of the disease. 

To Discuss:

• Einar Tangen is a political and economic affairs commentator.
• Dr. Eric Ding is  an Epidemiologist at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health.
• Xi Chen is an assistant professor of Public Health at Yale University
• Dr. William Schaffner is a Professor of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University

For More:

China fast-tracks novel coronavirus vaccine development, samples will take no more than 40 days to manufacture https://t.co/YyCH1OKAuU pic.twitter.com/LbPg1jNTkM

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) January 28, 2020

WHO's declaration serves as notice that the world's top health advisory body thinks the situation is grave and can add urgency to any appeals for aid. Governments then make their own decisions about what protective measures to take.https://t.co/F4pgoTAn6f

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 30, 2020

Two cruise ship passengers suspected of having coronavirus do not have the virus, the Italian Ministry of Health said Thursday night.

A 6,000-passenger ship had been forced into quarantine near Rome because of fears the passengers might have the virus. https://t.co/bYuzZ1xTvp

— CNN International (@cnni) January 30, 2020