New SARS Virus Threatens Entire World
Geneva, Switzerland (Reuters via CCTV) - The novel coronavirus has become a threat to the entire world, said the general director of WHO at the World Health Assembly 2013 in Geneva Monday.
The novel coronavirus was first recognized in March 2012 in the Middle East area. It has been watched worldwide because the virus belongs to the same family with SARS and has a 50 percent fatality rate.
At the World Health Assembly 2013 on Monday, Dr. Margaret Chan, the Director-General of WHO showed special concern about the spread of novel coronavirus. She said this virus caused the world to take action because WHO has not confirmed the origin of this virus or how it transmits.
"Looking at the overall global situation, my greatest concern right now is the novel coronavirus. We understand too little about this virus when viewed against the magnitude of its potential threat. The novel coronavirus is not a problem that any single affected country can keep to itself or manage all by itself. The novel coronavirus is a threat to the entire world," said Dr. Chan.
Novel coronavirus was renamed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). WHO said that several Middle East countries have been affected by this significant public health threat, including Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, and cases with direct or indirect connection to the Middle East have also been reported by France, Germany, Britain and Tunisia.
