COVID-19 no longer a high consequence infectious disease

As of March 21, 2020, COVID-19 is no longer considered as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) according to Public Health England. The decision to downgrade the category of COVID-19 came as new information about the disease has been discovered. Some of the factors that led to this decision include the low overall mortality rate, and the increase in clinical awareness as well as the availability of laboratory tests to detect the virus.

Editor’s Note: This is a good example of countries learning from science.

But we must highlight that fact that this news has not been covered by international media. Why does it keep mum on updates that does not conform to the narrative which pushes COVID-19 as infectious and deadly? Why does media continue to report news that fuels fear when new information from authorities are saying that COVID-19 is not as lethal or infectious as initially feared? [The US CDC has made an equivalent move with the publication of its Planning Scenarios for COVID-19, read CDC’s New COVID-19 Planning Document Shows Death Rate Much Lower Than WHO Estimates].