![\"\"](\"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WHOrep.jpg\")
\n\n\n\n\n\n\nby Vincent Wood\n\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/VincentWood.png\")
\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Covid-19 coronavirus<\/a> has proven ten times deadlier than the swine flu outbreak that spread across the globe a decade prior, the World Health Organisation<\/a> has confirmed.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe swine flu pandemic, which spanned a stretch of time between January 2009 and August 2010, saw more than 1.6million confirmed cases, resulting in the confirmed deaths of 18,449 people.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nNow the World Health Organisation\u2019s top official Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned the coronavirus pandemic currently gripping the planet has outstripped the fatalities caused by the H1N1 strain tenfold.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nIt comes as the UN health body urges governments to relax restrictions slowly as nations including Denmark, the US and Spain move towards reopening their societies.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201c\u2019We can only say what we know, and we can only act on what we know\u201d, he\u00a0said. \u201cEvidence from several countries is giving us a clearer picture about this virus, how it behaves, how to stop it and how to treat it.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cWe know that Covid-19 spreads fast and we know that it is deadly \u2013 ten times deadlier than the 2009 flu pandemic. We know that the virus can spread more easily in crowded environments like nursing homes. We know that early case finding, testing, isolating, caring for every case, and tracing every contact is essential for stopping transmission.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cWe know that in some countries cases are doubling every three to four days. However while Covid-19 accelerates very fast it decelerates much more slowly.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cIn other words the way down is much slower than the way up. That means control measures must be lifted slowly and with control\u201d.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nHe went on to implore governments to consider the impact of the virus on human health as the first priority in relaxing social distancing measures.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nHis comments come as Donald Trump said he would consider relaxing advice from the White House urging people to stay within their homes.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe US president has repeatedly urged for the economy to reopen while local officials, many of who have backed up guidance with the full force of the law, have expressed concern that Mr Trump\u2019s approach would only see the outbreak continue for longer while leading to further deaths.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2018We can only say what we know, and we can only act on what we know\u2019, WHO chief says in call for slow return to life as normal. by Vincent Wood The Covid-19 coronavirus has proven ten times deadlier than the swine … Continue reading