Geneva, January 27: Amid the rising concerns across the world following the outbreak of the deadly novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an advisory for people which will help contain the spread of the flu-like virus. In its statement, the global agency said that on December 31, 2019, it was alerted to several cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China.  The global agency stated that the virus did not match any other known virus, which raised concern because when a virus is new, we do not know how it affects people.

As the virus is deadly and is spreading at an alarming rate, the WHO has issued an advisory for people on how to protect themselves and those around them from getting the disease. China Extends Lunar New Year Holiday as New Virus Toll Rises.

WHO Issues Advisory Amid Coronavirus Outbreak :

  • Frequently clean hands by using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water;

  • When coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – throw tissue away immediately and wash hands;

  • Avoid close contact with anyone who has fever and cough;

  • If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care early and share previous travel history with your health care provider;

  • When visiting live markets in areas currently experiencing cases of novel coronavirus, avoid direct unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals;

  • The consumption of raw or undercooked animal products should be avoided. Raw meat, milk or animal organs should be handled with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.

The WHO also said stay healthy while travelling and urged people to avoid travelling when the person has cough, cold and difficulty in breathing. In its statement, WHO said that after it was alerted on December 31, one week later, on 7 January, Chinese authorities confirmed that they had identified a new virus. The new virus is a coronavirus, which is a family of viruses that include the common cold, and viruses such as SARS and MERS. The WHO had temporarily named the virus as '2019-nCoV'.

On Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus took to Twitter and announced his plans to visit China to assess the situation following an outbreak of the coronavirus which killed 80 lives in China so far. In his tweet, Ghebreyesus said during his visit, he will meet government officials and health experts which will help his team understand the latest developments in an effort to provide further protection against the outbreak.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 27, 2020 01:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).