World Health Organisation delegation arrives in China to help fight coronavirus
A 15-member international team of experts led by the World Health Organization (WHO) will begin work in China today to investigate the coronavirus epidemic.
Canadian epidemiologist Dr Bruce Aylward—WHO veteran of previous health emergencies—will lead the team, which is believed to include experts from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The WHO is expected to collaborate with the Chinese government and the National Health Commission to tackle and contain the virus, which has already killed 908 people in China and infected 40,500 worldwide.
The special coronavirus group of China’s State Council, the country’s key administrative body, has advised workers to return to work in batches rather than all at once after the Lunar New Year break ended Monday. The Council is expected to coordinate with transport authorities to ensure the safe and smooth return of workers to key industries like agriculture and health.
The WHO-led team is expected to concentrate efforts to understanding the probable sources of the virus and related research towards developing a cure. They are also highly likely to investigate transmission pathways among people who have not visited China. Epidemic containment on a Chinese domestic and global scale is likely to be an immediate target for the experts.
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