WHO Calls the Coronavirus Outbreak a Pandemic as NBA Suspends Its Season

By Eli Okafor, Health & Wellness

March 11, 2020 at 8:55 PM CDT · 2 min read

What to know

•In the United States, the response moved quickly on Wednesday night.
•President Trump spoke from the Oval Office on Wednesday night and said he was suspending travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days, with some exceptions.
•Testing in the U.S. remains limited, and officials have acknowledged a shortage of test kits in some places.

The short answer

GENEVA, March 11 - The World Health Organization on Wednesday said the coronavirus outbreak can be characterized as a pandemic, a word the agency had avoided for weeks, as cases passed 118,000 worldwide and the virus continued to spread across Europe and the United States. "We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news briefing.

"We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news briefing. He said the label does not change the agency's assessment of the threat, and that all countries should act.

The label does not change how dangerous the virus is. It describes how widely it has spread. The disease, called COVID-19, has now been reported in 114 countries. More than 4,000 people have died, most of them in China. Italy locked down the entire country earlier this week.

In the United States, the response moved quickly on Wednesday night. Hours after the WHO announcement, the NBA said it was suspending its season after a Utah Jazz player, Rudy Gobert, tested positive for the virus. Actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, announced on social media that they had both tested positive for the virus.

President Trump spoke from the Oval Office on Wednesday night and said he was suspending travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days, with some exceptions. The restrictions, which do not apply to the United Kingdom, are to begin Friday. U.S. stocks fell, and the Dow closed in what traders call a bear market, a drop of 20 percent from its recent high.

What you can do now: Wash your hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your face. Stay home if you are sick. Public health officials are also urging people who are older or have health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes to avoid crowds and large gatherings.

Testing in the U.S. remains limited, and officials have acknowledged a shortage of test kits in some places. Several states, universities, and companies have already moved to cancel events and shift to working remotely. More announcements are expected over the coming days.