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That is word for word copy/paste from Wikipedia, not the WHO. What is the criteria the WHO uses to determine a pandemic?

potiuper 7y ago
Phase 6, the pandemic phase, is characterized by community level outbreaks in at least one other country [Italy|Iran] in a different WHO region [Europe|Eastern Mediterranean] in addition to Phase 5 that is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries [China & South Korea] in one WHO region [Western Pacific]. No threshold of cases or deaths triggers the community level definition and is left to discretion of the WHO.
- hef19898 7y ago
  So the WHO has done everything right. It is the hallmark of professionalism to follow rules even under pressure. And the WHo is under a tremendous amount of pressure right now.
concerned_user 7y ago
Yes, it is. Parent never asked for WHO definition in the first place, I wonder if there is any at all, probably a commercial secret. Pandemic in WHO definition is when Director General of WHO declares it a pandemic, probably after confirming with member states who contribute, they were criticized in 2009 for declaring too early too, so criteria might have changed.
SkyPuncher 7y ago
I have had trouble finding one as well (the parent comment).
- austincheney 7y ago
  I found this article which claims The WHO's use of the term is arbitrary based upon the conditions at hand. https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/11/21156325/coronavirus-pandemic-who-declares-covid-19-outbreak-global-h1n1 https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/11/21156325/coronavirus-pand... I suspect The WHO declared this a pandemic, based upon the article, out of concern for what they perceive to be insufficient government activity.
  - concerned_user 7y ago
    As I said there is probably no official WHO definition or criteria due to big economic impact of such declaration and it is decided on a case by case basis. EDIT: I was wrong, here is the chart: https://www.who.int/influenza/resources/documents/pandemic_phase_descriptions_and_actions.pdf https://www.who.int/influenza/resources/documents/pandemic_p...

potiuper 7y ago

Phase 6, the pandemic phase, is characterized by community level outbreaks in at least one other country [Italy|Iran] in a different WHO region [Europe|Eastern Mediterranean] in addition to Phase 5 that is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries [China & South Korea] in one WHO region [Western Pacific]. No threshold of cases or deaths triggers the community level definition and is left to discretion of the WHO.

hef19898 7y ago
So the WHO has done everything right. It is the hallmark of professionalism to follow rules even under pressure. And the WHo is under a tremendous amount of pressure right now.

concerned_user 7y ago

Yes, it is. Parent never asked for WHO definition in the first place, I wonder if there is any at all, probably a commercial secret. Pandemic in WHO definition is when Director General of WHO declares it a pandemic, probably after confirming with member states who contribute, they were criticized in 2009 for declaring too early too, so criteria might have changed.

SkyPuncher 7y ago

I have had trouble finding one as well (the parent comment).

austincheney 7y ago
I found this article which claims The WHO's use of the term is arbitrary based upon the conditions at hand. https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/11/21156325/coronavirus-pandemic-who-declares-covid-19-outbreak-global-h1n1 https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/11/21156325/coronavirus-pand... I suspect The WHO declared this a pandemic, based upon the article, out of concern for what they perceive to be insufficient government activity.
- concerned_user 7y ago
  As I said there is probably no official WHO definition or criteria due to big economic impact of such declaration and it is decided on a case by case basis. EDIT: I was wrong, here is the chart: https://www.who.int/influenza/resources/documents/pandemic_phase_descriptions_and_actions.pdf https://www.who.int/influenza/resources/documents/pandemic_p...