This week, the World Health Organization, or WHO, declared the worldwide spread of COVID-19 a pandemic. But to some, that was long overdue. So why the long deliberation on the part of the organization?
Rebecca Fischer is an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Texas A&M University School of Public Health. She told Texas Standard Friday that a pandemic declaration doesn’t mean that COVID-19 has become more deadly, but it does mean that it is more widespread.
“At this point, they have now signaled to local and national governments around the world that our containment strategy is not quite holding it back, but that there is still hope that we could turn this pandemic around,” she said.
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– The political, economic and social reasons for a pandemic declaration
– The difference between an epidemic and a pandemic
– Why it took so long for the WHO to declare a pandemic
Written by Morgan Kuehler.
