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		</div><p>The World Health Organisation (WHO) have said that the coronavirus outbreak can be classed as a pandemic.</p>
<p>But what does it mean?</p>
<p>Here are your questions answered.</p>
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<p><strong>– What is a pandemic?</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">";WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction";-<a href="https://twitter.com/DrTedros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrTedros</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a></p>
<p>&mdash; World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1237776967526764544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease.</p>
<p><strong>– Why is it now classed as one?</strong></p>
<p>The classification comes as WHO announced that there are more than 118,000 cases across 114 countries. So far 4,291 people have lost their lives.</p>
<p><strong>– When was the last one?</strong></p>
<p>This is the first coronavirus to cause a pandemic.</p>
<p>In recent history coronaviruses which had pandemic potential were Serious Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) in 2002/03, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) in 2012.</p>
<figure id="attachment_151607" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-151607" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-151607" src="https://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/6BECA7F9-CFEE-4C58-A923-0DA742CD99D5.jpeg" alt="" width="600" height="874" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-151607" class="wp-caption-text">Swine flu was declared a pandemic</figcaption></figure>
<p>The last major respiratory outbreak classed as a pandemic was Swine Flu which started in 2009.</p>
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<p><strong>– Does it make a difference in what is being done?</strong></p>
<p>WHO said the assessment “It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.”</p>
<p><strong>– What has WHO suggested?</strong></p>
<p>The global health body said that it was “deeply concerned by the alarming levels of inaction”, as it called for countries to take “urgent and aggressive action”.</p>
<p><strong>– What does this mean for the UK?</strong></p>
<p>The UK has already set out it’s battle plan to fight coronavirus which includes four main steps: to contain the disease; delay its onset; conduct research and mitigate its effects should transmission of the virus become established in the UK.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">There’s a lot of fake news out there about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a>, so it’s really important to get your information from a trusted source. We’ve been working with <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterUK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TwitterUK</a> to make sure your local NHS organisations are blue-tick verified — so it&#39;s easier to know who to trust. <a href="https://t.co/nyPQo55dGU">pic.twitter.com/nyPQo55dGU</a></p>
<p>&mdash; NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHSEngland/status/1237407364317241346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The classification of a pandemic will not change the current approach but the plan is under constant review.</p>
<p><strong>– What have the experts said?</strong></p>
<p>Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said: “The characterisation of the situation as a pandemic may mean that we see countries feel incentivised to implement further larger interventions, such as banning of public gatherings, sooner than would they were otherwise planning to.”</p>
<p> ;</p>
<p>Dr Nathalie MacDermott, academic clinical lecturer in paediatric infectious diseases at King’s College London, added: “This decision will likely have been made on the basis of the majority of the world’s continents now seeing significant and ongoing person to person spread of SARS-COV2.”</p>
<p><strong>– What can I do?</strong></p>
<p>The new classification does not change guidance for what people can do to avoid catching or spreading coronavirus.</p>
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<p>Here are the current steps advised by the government for the general public: Maintain good hand hygiene, wash your hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds.</p>
<figure id="attachment_151609" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-151609" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-151609" src="https://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/00210C8F-484B-4643-BDC1-9432AD079D84.jpeg" alt="" width="600" height="400" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-151609" class="wp-caption-text">Racegoers use hand sanitisers at Cheltenham</figcaption></figure>
<p>If soap and water are not available use hand sanitiser; cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues straight away and wash your hands afterwards; try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell; try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.</p>
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