GENEVA: As fresh cases of COVID-19 infections emerged in China, coronavirus experts gathered at the office of the UN health agency on Tuesday, to discuss about the upcoming challenges and threats.
A spokesperson for the WHO in Geneva confirmed during a scheduled press briefing those Chinese scientists had been invited to take part in the meeting of the Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 (TAG).
Earlier a 30-member expert group was formed in June 2020 to guide the UN health agency and other member states on coronavirus mutations and variants. Previous meeting of the group was held in October.
WHO needs Chinese scientists to share data
In another statement, WHO said that Chinese scientists had been invited to share detailed data on viral sequencing in the meeting of experts at WHO headquarters in Geneva.
The move was followed by a high-level gathering last Friday between the officials of WHO and China, who were asked to share further detailed information about China’s COVID-19 strategy.
According to WHO, senior Chinese officials from National Health Commission and National Disease Control and Prevention Administration briefed the UN health body on China’s advanced strategy and actions in the areas of epidemiology, monitoring of variants, status of vaccination, clinical care, communication and R&D.
WHO further asked for continues sharing of specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation, comprising hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and details of deaths, and data on vaccinations, especially in vulnerable people and those having 60 years old and above.
The WHO statement further reiterated the importance of vaccination and boosters to provide protection against severe disease and death for those at higher risk.
