Coronavirus death toll rises to 17 as experts consider declaring a public health emergency

The death toll from a new global virus threat rose to at least 17 on Wednesday as experts from around the world gathered in Switzerland to determine how to best manage the outbreak. The World Health Organization's emergency committee, meeting in Geneva, will recommend whether or not the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern – a PHEIC. The panel has backed similar declarations made for outbreaks of SARS, MERS, Ebola, Zika and swine flu. The WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has the final say on declaring a PHEIC. If he does, he would then issue recommendations to countries to combat the new virus, although WHO has no enforcement power...MORE