World Health Organization Declares the Coronavirus a Global Pandemic

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has officially declared the coronavirus (COVID-19) as a global pandemic.

Per The New York Times, Chief of the W.H.O. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a news conference, "Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. We cannot say this loudly enough or clearly enough or often enough. All countries can still change the course of this pandemic."

The W.H.O. defines a "pandemic" as "the worldwide spread of a new disease." As of publishing, COVID-19 has been diagnosed on six continents in over 100 countries with over 120,000 people infected. More than 4,300 people have died.

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told the House Oversight Committee, "The bottom line: It is going to get worse. We would recommend that there not be large crowds. If that means not having any people in the audience as the N.B.A. plays, so be it."