Coronavirus detected in Nigeria, Mexico and more countries, WHO has "issues" entering Iran

The risk of spread and impact of the coronavirus is now very high at a global level, the highest level of alarm, but containment is still possible, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. The Director General of WHO said it would be a "big mistake" to switch from a public health strategy of containment to mitigation, where authorities accept the virus is spreading.

In the last few days, 24 cases had been exported from Italy to 14 countries and 97 cases had been exported from Iran to 11 countries. China's 329 reported cases in the past 24 hours was the lowest there in more than a month, the Director General said. On Nigeria, the country had well-tested mechanisms for dealing with these dangerous pathogens, citing experience with Lassa fever and cholera, the WHO Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director said. Nigeria has expanded its influenza diagnostics and the same labs can now do COVID diagnosis, he added. Mexico has become the second country in Latin America to report cases.