WHO representative urges preventive action on virus

Gauden Galea, World Health Organization representative to China, has called on countries to make adequate preparations in their health systems in a timely manner before seeing explosive growth of COVID-19 infections, saying this plays a key role in keeping the fatality rate low. 

Galea made the remarks at a news conference in Beijing when asked about his suggestions to some regions outside China that are seeing higher fatality rates than Hubei provincial capital Wuhan in Central China, the most lethal hot spot in the country. 

"As the number of cases exceeds the ability of the health service to provide intensive care, then there is a higher risk of patients succumbing to the disease," he said. 

The case fatality ratio was extremely high in the first series of cases in China too. "This is common in an emerging infection," he said. 

He also noted a "learning effect" that helps reduce the fatality rate. 

Some Chinese provinces that managed to flatten the curve "have succeeded in keeping the load down and reducing mortality. There is probably also a learning effect. As a cohort of health professionals become more accustomed to treating cases, they also become more skilled in saving lives," he said. 

Policies as to how people are counted as cases may also affect the fatality rate. The fatality rates in some regions around the globe may be higher "because not enough mild cases have been tested and identified," he said. 

"So there's a wide range of hypotheses and explanations, I can add more, but the biggest message for us here is the importance of having well-prepared health systems with a capacity that is kept higher than the surge in the number of cases," he said. 

Countries that have yet to see explosive growth of COVID-19 infections should make all-out efforts to make preparations in their health systems, including the preparation of an adequately large number of respirators, he said. 

He also stressed the importance of solidarity and cooperation of countries in helping nations with weak health systems and limited medical resources ramp up the preparations. 

Galea said large countries or country blocs also could learn from China's successful experience in coping with the virus, for example dispatching medical teams to the hardest-hit regions, and enhancing public precautionary measures in areas that have not been seriously affected by the pathogen.