What Is a Pandemic & Why Has the Coronavirus Become One? Everything You Need to Know

The World Health Organization announced on Wednesday that COVID-19 has now been officially categorized as a pandemic

RELATED:What happens during a pandemic?

While situations can vary, the WHO explains that both seasonal and pandemic influenza can infect people of all ages and “most cases will result in self-limited illness in which the person recovers fully without treatment.” However, seasonal influenza, or the flu, can typically be more deadly among the elderly or people with existing medical conditions.the WHO’s Ghebreyesus explained

, “In the past two weeks, the number of cases of #COVID19 outside China has increased 13-fold & the number of affected countries has tripled. There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, & 4,291 people have lost their lives.” “Thousands more are fighting for their lives in hospitals. In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of #COVID19 cases, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher,” he"Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly.

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