The WHO declared the coronavirus a pandemic. What does it mean?

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has finally declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic. While such pronouncements have led to fear and panic, WHO is quick to clarify that the declaration does not mean that the virus has become deadly.

The following article written by Amy Mckeever for the National Geographic explains to us what the pandemic means. In addition, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus states in the same article that the COVID-19 disease can be controlled, but many countries are struggling due to the lack of resources or resolve. This helps explain why the WHO has recommended the use of lockdowns, community quarantines, and travel bans as a way of controlling the spread of the virus.

Editor’s Note: Whether lockdowns, community quarantines, and travel bans are effective at controlling the coronavirus remains to be seen, but to date, more than 2/3 of the entire population of the world are already subjected to these draconian solutions.