According to the news on the WeChat public account "United Nations" of the United Nations Department of Global Communications on November 21, a report from the Associated Press entitled "Internal E-mails Shows 65 Cases of New Coronary Infection among WHO's Geneva Staff" appeared in the newspapers. , Causing widespread concern around the world. At the press conference in Geneva, many reporters asked the WHO about this question one after another. Several key officials of the organization answered many questions raised by reporters one by one. From their explanations, we can draw this conclusion. One conclusion: the fact that WHO staff were infected with the new crown virus is not as sensational as the headlines of news reports.

01

Explanation of cluster infection

At the World Health Organization's press conference held in Geneva on November 16, Reuters reporters first reported to the Associated Press about the WHO's report on 65 people infected with the new crown, Maria Fan-, the head of the organization's new crown response measures. Kierkov asked her to provide an explanation for the reported cluster infection. Van Kelkov gave the following answer:

Yes, I also saw the Associated Press report. Apparently what the Associated Press reported was about an email sent to staff. The email said that the WHO has reported 65 cases since the beginning of this year. We do have employee infections. There are about 65 cases involving headquarter staff, but not all of them are related to office space, and 36 cases are related to office space. "Let us make it clear that these 65 infections have been counted since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We did have some interrelated cases last week. We don’t know if they constitute a real cluster. Everyone is in the current state. It’s okay, it’s just mild or asymptomatic."

Photo of the WHO Iraq Office｜The WHO Iraq Office provided the first batch of locally produced reagents to support national laboratories in testing for the 2019 coronavirus.

Van Kelkov further explained that when it comes to 36 infections related to office space, it refers to the total cumulative number since the beginning of the new crown pandemic. These 36 people have entered the headquarters building since the outbreak. But the cluster infection referred to in the report only involved five people, who tested positive last week. Van Kelkov said that in the event of any case, the first thing to do is to ensure that the relevant personnel can be tested and that they can receive appropriate care.

02

Epidemiological investigation in progress

Van Kelkov: "We are tracking the past and we are also considering the future, so what we have to do is to conduct contact tracing to see who has had contact with the infected person and see if there is a possibility of further spread. Just like most countries are doing. We need to see what they have been doing in the past 14 days and who they have been in contact with. Indeed, there have been a few infections among one of our teams, but they may also be Outside of the team, they were infected, so we are still conducting epidemiological investigations on these people, but they are currently in good condition."

Van Kelkov emphasized that there was no large-scale disease outbreak at the Geneva headquarters. While the WHO continues to actively monitor the health and safety of all employees, it is also giving due care to those who have been infected.

United Nations/Evan Schneider Medical staff at Mount Sinai Hospital in Astoria, New York City are waiting to be tested for coronavirus.

Van Kelkov: "Just like all workplaces, the information of those who tested positive is confidential, and in other places the information is also confidential. But the people who tested positive last week are doing well. After follow-up, they are resting comfortably at home. We are learning about their situation every day to ensure that they have what they need. If they need any support, we will provide care items when necessary. We are also ensuring those contacts The victims have been confirmed and supported in isolation. This is what we will continue to do until this pandemic is over."

03

Geneva is a highly infectious area

Van Kelkov said that although WHO has taken many measures to reduce any potential infection and spread opportunities in the headquarters building and other places, Geneva, where the organization is located, is a highly infectious area, which invisibly increases the WHO The probability of the organization staff being infected.

United Nations Photo/Loey Felipe Many research institutions around the world are racing against time to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.

We are normal people, we are going to the grocery store and we have to send our children to school. We now live in an area with a very high incidence, so as individuals we also need to consider measures to protect our own safety. What we suggest to everyone to do, and what everyone hears us every day is what we are talking about to our employees and relatives tirelessly.

Switzerland as a whole

The population of Switzerland is approximately 8.5 million, and 270,000 people have been infected with the new crown virus so far.

Geneva situation

Geneva, where the World Health Organization headquarters is located, has become a hot spot in Europe with a high incidence of new coronavirus infections. According to statistics, in the past two weeks, there have been at least 2,800 cases per 100,000 residents, the highest rate of infection per capita in Europe.

Reasons for high infection rate

The first is the high population density. In the densest place, nearly 30,000 people live per square kilometer, a density that exceeds the density of Manhattan, New York and downtown Paris. Secondly, Geneva is on the verge of two areas with severe new crown epidemics in France. Approximately 120,000 people working in the border areas travel between the two places every day, which virtually increases the chance of infection and spread of the virus.

04

Special Working Group of Experts

Ryan: "I want to remind everyone that our cantons of Vaud and Geneva are currently one of the places with the highest spread of the new crown virus in the world. Our staff are currently living in such a community. We are all people, we Living in a society, we are not living in a vacuum. We cannot completely protect ourselves-or yourself-from the influence of many related factors such as social or other contact with families and schools."

The intensive infection that appeared in the WHO last week is the first evidence of potential transmission at the organization's headquarters. The WHO has been increasing or reducing the number of office staff in the headquarters building based on the situation, and increasing or reducing the level of restrictions based on local epidemiology.

UN News | WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was in contact with people infected with the new crown virus. From the beginning of November to now, even though he was in time for the busiest season of the year when the organization’s decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, was held, he had to quarantine at home. . Lane said that the WHO has a complete system to guide staff whether or how to isolate them.

Ryan: "Maria, myself, the Director General or anyone here, we do not control internal contact tracking or other processes. We do not decide who can come to the office and who must be isolated at home. The Director General is not staying at home because I told him Or he told himself, but because our contact tracking team made this decision.

We have a task force composed of key experts. They meet, they make decisions, they investigate, and they manage internal infection cases in accordance with the principles laid down in our standard operating procedures. On the issue of who is or who is not working in the building, there is no policy-level discussion, and decisions are made entirely based on our standard operating procedures and science. In the past nine to ten months, this method has been very effective and helpful to us.

At the press conference, a reporter asked Director General Tan Desai about the results of his new coronavirus test, and he responded as follows:

Photo of the World Food Program | Medical supplies raised in Italy to fight the COVID-19 virus are ready to be shipped to China.

"I am very happy to go back to work in the office. It is very hard to work at home. Of course, I used to work on weekends and evenings, but when you work on weekdays, working from home is very, very difficult. Especially when coordination is required. At that time, as you can see, it is very, very difficult to preside over the World Health Assembly in isolation. The two weeks during the isolation period were also the busiest period. Of course, it was because the World Health Assembly was held. Two weeks is also the most difficult time."

I am all well, there are no symptoms, and it is the 17th day. Because there are no symptoms, and because I have been operating in accordance with the procedures, I think there is no need for testing. I can assure you that everything is fine and I am actually very, very busy, so the most important thing is to follow the rules. thank you all.