WHO Says US Experts May Participate In Int'l Mission To Examine Coronvirus In China

WHO Says US Experts May Participate in Int'l Mission to Examine Coronvirus in China

US experts will likely join the World Health Organization's (WHO) international team set to investigate the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, WHO Emergencies Program Executive Director Michael Ryan said in a press briefing on Friday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th February, 2020) US experts will likely join the World Health Organization's (WHO) international team set to investigate the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, WHO Emergencies Program Executive Director Michael Ryan said in a press briefing on Friday.

"With regards to the international team, I believe we will have US experts on that team," Ryan told reporters.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the other members of the international team will arrive in China over the weekend. The team includes 12 international and 12 Chinese experts.

The goal of the mission, according to the WHO chief, is to quickly provide information about the next steps in the novel coronavirus response and the state of preparedness to fight the disease in China and across the world.

"Particular attention will be paid to understanding the transmission of the virus, the severity of the disease and the impact of ongoing response measures," Ghebreyesus said.

The duration of the mission will be decided depending on the scope of the work that the experts will have to complete while in country, Ghebreyesus added.

The new strain of coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December and has since spread to 24 countries. The virus has infected some 64,000 people worldwide, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,400 people.