Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said at a media briefing that the world was not at the mercy of COVID-19.

Dr Tedros said the decisions made by governments, businesses, communities, families and individuals could influence the trajectory of the epidemic.

He went on to say that among those who were infected, most would recover. In China, of the 80 000 reported cases, more than 70% have recovered and been discharged.

Dr Tedros referred to the outbreak as an uneven epidemic at the global level, because of all the cases reported globally so far, 93% are from just four countries.

He appealed to countries to continue finding and testing cases and tracing their contacts to not only protect their own people, but to also affect what happens in other countries.

Using the example of China, which has brought its epidemic under control, and the Republic of Korea, which now has a decline in new cases, Dr Tedros reiterated that it was not too late to turn back the tide on the virus.

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