GENEVA: The world finally realized the impending catastrophe five years ago on Tuesday when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic.
Five weeks prior, the WHO had already issued its highest alarm. However, that caution, which omits the “p” term, had not been taken seriously.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the chief of the United Nations health agency, finally acknowledged that the growing outbreak could be “characterised as a pandemic” during a press conference on March 11, 2020.
It was only at that point that many nations realized how serious the situation was and acted, far too late.
Millions were died, businesses were destroyed, and health systems were severely damaged by the pandemic, which had not been seen like this in a century.
