It now appears almost inevitable that the new coronavirus outbreak will soon be

identified as a global pandemic

WHO has declared the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern”. The outbreak has
not met the criteria needed to be described as a pandemic when it comes to its geographical spread and
impact, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing with
reporters.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also

said during the briefing
"Our decision about whether to use the word 'pandemic' to
describe an epidemic is based on an ongoing assessment of
the geographical spread of the virus, the severity of disease it
causes and the impact it has on the whole society,"