Who declares coronavirus a pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the global authority that declares a pandemic. The WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made the official declaration of the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
Prior to the WHO declaration, the organization had already raised its global risk assessment to "very high" on January 30, 2020, and had issued a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020.
The WHO's decision to declare a pandemic was based on several factors, including:
- The rapid spread of the virus to multiple countries and regions around the world.
- The high number of cases and deaths reported globally.
- The severity of the illness caused by the virus, particularly in older adults and those with underlying health conditions.
- The lack of immunity to the virus in the global population.
- The potential for further spread of the virus through human-to-human transmission.
The WHO's declaration of a pandemic was made after careful consideration and consultation with experts from around the world. The declaration was intended to raise awareness of the severity of the outbreak and to prompt a coordinated global response to contain the spread of the virus.
It's worth noting that the WHO's declaration of a pandemic is not the same as a declaration of a national emergency or a state of emergency, which is typically made by national governments.