Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), announced Sunday he is self-quarantining after a personal contact tested positive for the coronavirus.
“I have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19,” the man who is charged with leading the global fight against the virus announced in a tweet. “I am well and without symptoms but will isolate himself over the coming days, in line with WHO protocols, and work from home.”
I have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for #COVID19. I am well and without symptoms but will self-quarantine over the coming days, in line with @WHO protocols, and work from home.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) November 1, 2020
“My W.H.O. colleagues and I will continue to engage with partners in solidarity to save lives and protect the vulnerable,” he added.
Early in the global coronavirus pandemic the W.H.O. itself advised such actions were not needed.
On January 14, the day before the first case to reach the United States reportedly flew from Wuhan to Seattle, Washington, the W.H.O. denied the disease was spreading through human-to-human transmission.
“Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel [coronavirus] identified in [Wuhan],” the W.H.O. wrote on Twitter.
Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in #Wuhan, #China🇳. pic.twitter.com/Fnl5P877VG
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 14, 2020
As of Sunday night, more than 46 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus, including 1.19 million people who have lost their lives to COVID-19 since it emerged late last year, according to a live tally of the pandemic run by Johns Hopkins University.
UPI contributed to this story
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