WHO: Current MERS-CoV situation not Public Health Emergency of International Concern

The World Health Organization's (WHO) emergency committee on the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) concluded on Wednesday that the current MERS-CoV situation does not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern at present. After its second meeting held by teleconference on Wednesday afternoon, the emergency committee convened by the WHO last week under the International Health Regulations (IHR) arrived at the above unanimous decision. WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Security and Environment Keiji Fukuda told a press conference that based on the information provided by both countries with cases and WHO staff, the emergency committee provided certain guidances to the WHO director-general. "Basically what the emergency committee said is that the situation that they see right now related to the virus is serious and is something that requires close monitoring," said the senior health official. "However, in their assessment, the current situation does not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern at present based on the evidence they see before them," he said, adding that the emergency committee also highlighted several areas where countries and the WHO should pay attention to. Given that the situation could change in the future, the committee asked the WHO to continue to provide updated information on the situation, as Fukuda stated, who declared that WHO at this time does not have any plans to restrict travel and will continue to closely monitor the situation. The emergency committee, which was convened on July 9 and held its first meeting on that day, will be reconvened in September, on a date to be determined, the WHO said. But the health organization stressed that serious new developments may require an urgent reconvening of the committee before then.