MANILA – Argentina, Chile, Poland, and Ukraine reported cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) for the first time, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday.
In a situation report on March 4, the WHO said each country has one case each. There are 80,422 confirmed cases and 2,984 deaths in China while 12,668 confirmed cases and 214 deaths were recorded outside China.
On March 3, eight member states – Andorra, 1; Jordan, 1; Latvia, 1; Morocco, 1; Portugal, 2; Saudi Arabia, 1; Senegal, 1; and Tunisia, 1 – reported new Covid-19 cases.
The states noted that all their cases were imported.
The WHO also announced that its prequalification team has opened the Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to candidate in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) laboratory tests to detect the Covid-19 virus.
"The EUL procedure is developed to expedite the availability of IVDs needed in public health emergency situations," it said, adding that manufacturers are invited to submit an "expression of interest".
The coronavirus cases were detected in central China in December last year and had spread to South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Vietnam, the Philippines, New Zealand, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal, US, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Austria, Iceland, Israel, Croatia, Russian Federation, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, San Marino, Finland, Greece, Czechia, Romania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Estonia, Ireland, Portugal, Andorra, Armenia, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, North Macedonia, Poland, Ukraine, Sweden, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Egypt.
On February 27, the WHO published the rational use of personal protective equipment for Covid-19 which summarizes the organization's recommendations for the appropriate use of personal protective equipment in health care and community settings, including the handling of cargo.
On Feb. 18, the WHO published a new protocol titled “Surface sampling of coronavirus disease 2019: A practical 'how-to' protocol for health care and public health professionals”.
The WHO said the document determines viable virus presence and persistence on fomites in various locations where a Covid-19 patient is receiving care or isolated and to understand how fomites may play a role in the transmission of the virus.
It also advised that the practice of frequent hand-washing, avoiding unprotected contact with farm and wild animals, the practice of proper cough etiquette, and avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections remain the best ways to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus.
The WHO has declared the Covid-19 outbreak an international health emergency. (PNA)
