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A lot of people think that deciding to call an outbreak a "pandemic" is an important step that triggers action. It's not. The important step - the one with rea

A lot of people think that deciding to call an outbreak a "pandemic" is an important step that triggers action. It's not. The important step - the one with real legal consequences - is the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The WHO declared a PHEIC on 30 January, about a month and a half before they called the outbreak a "pandemic." One WHO official made a funny statement in which he expressed his annoyance with ignorant journalists who don't know that using the word "pandemic" isn't important, in terms of the actual public health response and the procedures laid down in the International Health Regulations: > A sign of the WHO’s frustration was visible during a news conference this week – one of around 30 hour-long briefings the WHO has held for international media since the COVID-19 outbreak began. A senior official who had been asked repeatedly by journalists about whether the disease constituted a pandemic gave a half-joking but tetchy response: "This is a word you love, right? You just can't wait, can you?" https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-messaging-insi/who-officials-rethink-epidemic-messaging-amid-pandemic-debate-idUSKBN2101AY https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-me...

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
But this article indicates that using the word "pandemic" is important. It describes how the pandemic declaration in 2009 "triggered some countries to take expensive measures", and explains that the WHO refused to say "pandemic" because they thought it implies the disease can't be controlled.
- DiogenesKynikos 6y ago
  The word "pandemic" is not a major trigger in public health. PHEIC is the trigger. "Pandemic" may have psychological significance to many people, especially those who don't know about global public health policy and have never heard of the term "PHEIC." The WHO feared that the psychological impact of using the term might actually be counterproductive, because it signals that the spread of the disease cannot be controlled. In any case, SARS-COV-2 objectively did not become a pandemic until long after a PHEIC was declared.

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago

But this article indicates that using the word "pandemic" is important. It describes how the pandemic declaration in 2009 "triggered some countries to take expensive measures", and explains that the WHO refused to say "pandemic" because they thought it implies the disease can't be controlled.

DiogenesKynikos 6y ago
The word "pandemic" is not a major trigger in public health. PHEIC is the trigger. "Pandemic" may have psychological significance to many people, especially those who don't know about global public health policy and have never heard of the term "PHEIC." The WHO feared that the psychological impact of using the term might actually be counterproductive, because it signals that the spread of the disease cannot be controlled. In any case, SARS-COV-2 objectively did not become a pandemic until long after a PHEIC was declared.