My name is Christopher Black.

And welcome to this Q and a session live from W to headquarters here in Geneva, Switzerland.

I'm so happy to be joined today by one of our experts here.

Dr Silber.

William.

Welcome.

Sylvie Avenue.

Um, I wonder if you could tell our audience a little bit about yourself.

What do you do here in the future?

Okay, so I'm Dr City Ray on.

I work at W Chew on Epidemic and Pandemic Diseases.

I currently I'm very busy with the cove in 19 disease.

But in the past, I also used to work on the influence our influence upon the making particular in 2000 and 9 2000 and 10.

And that's exactly what we're gonna be talking about today because we've seen a lot of questions in social media things, people coming to our Web sites, questions coming up from journalists and press conferences asking about the similarities between this new Corona virus Cove in 19 and flew.

And so we thought it would be a great time to talk a little bit about the similarities and the differences in these two diseases.

And so thank you for joining we're gonna go, we're gonna unpack these two issues.

In the meantime, if you want to ask a question too soon, v Doctor, just put a question in the comments section of whatever platform you're watching is on and tell us where you're coming from.

Tell us your name and tell us what's on your mind.

So thank you for joining.

So, Dr Bob, um, when we talk about flu, we're really meeting most times.

Sees no influenza in your teller of viewers.

What is seasonal influenza?

Well, the first in France eyes the due to a virus.

Actually, familiar viruses on those viruses tend to circulate in human population off temperate climates.

So that's why we see often epidemic of influence are during the winter season or cold season, depending where you live and it's a respiratory disease.

So it gives you cough, runny nose fever, muscle ache and on symptoms that are common to most of respiratory disease.

Basically, flu is something that many people take a little bit light heartedly in a way, but it's actually something that has profound impacts on countries and on families.

It's something that can be quite quite harmful.

Is that true it's true.

I'm actually because people get used to seasonal flu MP.

They make they feel that, well, it's It's not very important on Dhe because it's something they know but actually flew.

Tend to kill between 250,000 to 650,000 people every year on her on Some people are more likely to get severe disease, and if they don't get treatment, they can die from it.

And flu influenza?

We can protect people with the vaccine.

Yes, so there is a vaccine every year that is produced.

It's a bit tricky disease because, as you know, it's a family of viruses.

So every year we need to look at what are the viruses circulating?

And we need to develop the vaccine to target those particular viruses.

And this is why is the composition of the vaccine changes every year?

Thank you so much.

So no, as many people know and think something that our people have been asking his questions on.

We have a new Corona virus, and that's called Cove It.

19.

So what are Corona viruses and what is this covert 19.

So corn I viruses are viruses.

It's also familiar viruses We have common coronaviruses, four types that are also circulating and sometimes at the same time as the flu viruses.

And so they also give some kind of common cold.

But then we have other Corona viruses that are a bit different because those corner viruses are most of the time originated from animals, and so they are not exactly like human coronaviruses e.

They have specificities that make them a little bit more dangerous.

And we had the experience in 2000 and three with sauce, which emerge in Asia on then in 2012 13 with Merce, which emerged in the Middle East.

And this year we do have Cove in 19 again, apparently has emerged also in Asia, and it's a new virus to humans.

It's a new virus, probably thes virus was circulating in animals.

Andi incidently jumped.

One or two humans on dhe started to spread from human to human.

Thank you, doctor, beyond.

So if you're joining us a little bit late, we're looking at similarities and differences between this new Corona virus, covert 19 and flu or seasonal influenza.

You can, if you have any questions for Dr Brio, put them in the comments section of which every platform you're watching is on.

And if you're watching it on Twitter, you can use the hashtag ask W H O.

So I have a few questions for you myself.

Doctor is covert.

19 spread the same way it's flu, So Cove in 19 is a very new disease on De.

So we are still investigating all the way it can be spread between people.

But from the initial observations we have seen in China, it seemed that flew on cove in 19 of them, same way off transmitting.

And these are two respiratory viruses, and so they transmit.

When somebody a cough are sneeze or speak Andi.

It's transmitted by small droplets of humidity that you have in your mouth, and it goes to the other person.

But these droplets cannot travel very far, so you need to be very close to people to get infected.

Those droplets as welcome, drop on some surfaces, and if somebody comes on touch, the surface is after you have spoken or cough.

Denzel's person touches the surface is with the aunt, and then the hand is contaminated.

And then if this person touches the face or the mouths of the nose with the contaminated hand person can get the virus.

So with influenza, we have a vaccine to protect ourselves with covert.

19.

We don't currently have a vaccine, So how can people protect themselves from Kobe?

19.

So, actually, the measure to protect yourself for both viruses are are similar because we recommend, therefore, to protect yourself by washing your hands very regularly, because then you cannot.

If you're ends are contaminated, you will not put your virus in your eyes, your mouth, your nose.

We recommend also, when somebody is showing respiratory symptoms coughing, sneezing to stay home and to rest until they recover.

And if you see somebody showing symptoms, it's better to stay one meter away so that you are not getting the virus through through droplets.

Also, what is important for people who are sick.

They can also protect the other by wearing a mask.

But again, the best way to protect the others is also to stay home and try to not being contacted with the other at least more than one meter so that you don't transmit the virus.

So this is something we're seeing a lot of questions about When should I wear a mask or when should not wear a mask?

So if I understand you correctly, you're saying, if I'm sick, I should be wearing a mask to help protect the people around me.

That's the general rule.

Yeah, I think way can say, this is a general rule.

I think it's not necessary for everybody to wear a mask for two reasons.

First reason.

Because we don't have enough mask for everyone.

Andi need to reserve those max for the people who really need it on the people.

We needed other people who are really exposed to a very sick patient.

And this is the else care workers, nurses, doctors and all the people working closely with patients on secondly, because sometimes when you wear a mask first, if you wear it for many hours, you will see it's not very comfortable and you tend to do mistakes.

And instead of being more cautious, you tend to forget that what is most important is to have a clean ends because even with the mask, you can still touch your eyes on dhe.

Still get the contamination through the ice, so it's better to just be aware wash your hands frequently and you will be better protected than badly wearing a mask.

Basically.

Thank you so much, Dr Leo.

So where am I getting so many questions from everyone here?

Thank you so much for your questions and your enthusiasm on this.

We will try to get to as many as we can in the time we have.

And I'm from originally from Canada.

So I'm gonna take the first question from Canada from Patricia Compton.

Van Alberta is asking Is covert 19 on Leah Winter virus.

And that way, will it disappear once the warm weather comes, which in Alberta sometime in July.

But, um So is it a warm?

Is it a cold wind?

Cold weather virus covered.

19.

This is something we don't know yet.

We really don't know because because we are still in winter.

In many places of the world where we're seeing the virus.

What some studies have been done on with on Cove in 19 in laboratory way.

Try now to investigate.

What are the elemental in the climate, the humidity, the heat and so on that can influence the survival of the virus.

But we need to see what will happen in summer.

What happens usually with respiratory viruses in summer is that people tend to go more outside and how system to be more ventilated because it's hot and so probably thes helps to reduce the transmission off respiratory viruses.

So something you mentioned there brings about to me is that way.

Just have to also remember that this Corbett 19 is a new virus, So we're learning more about it every day.

Where's influenza is something that we've been studying learning about for many, many years?

But that's another similarity of difference between the two s.

So we have a question from in terms of that when we got to how to prevent covered 19 from getting two countries.

So the question from David Miranda, who was in asking about African country, specifically, um, are there any countries that are safe from covert 19 transmission arriving to their country, huh?

I think, yeah, it's It's a good question, really.

I hope that many countries would be safe from Cove in 19 when we have been able to contain the virus where it is currently on.

This is why we encourage countries to put in place strong measures now so that it can stop.

We can stop the transmission now, but if it doesn't work, then the virus may continue to travel on travel to other places.

Currently, what we have seen is that the virus has traveled with travelers, but at the same time it's very hard to stop all the travel on hers because movement is part of life.

And if you stop movement, then our life will be very different.

And we may suffer a lot more from from thes than from the disease itself.

So currently what is really difficult is to find the right violence between maintaining a normal life on protecting people.

And we are looking at all the options that are available to maintain this violence.

Right.

So something you mentioned there about containing covert 19 we don't contain influenza.

Is that right?

Is that another difference?

Or and why is that?

Yeah, it's very difficult to contain influenza for two reasons.

The first reason is that some people may with influence, are infected with influenza.

Viruses, don't show symptoms and will transmit the disease even if they don't feel sick, so they won't stay at home because they are fine And so they will come and meet with friends and families and transmit the virus so very hard.

Thio, stop the virus in those conditions wth the other situation is as well that influenza are generates immunity, and and so those viruses is that it's a big family of viruses.

They are always somehow circulating.

So we would then thio let them circulate but protect the people who are most at risk to do severe disease on This is strategy that is slightly different than Fork over 19.

Thank you so much, Doctor.

So we're getting lots of questions about travel.

This is really on people's minds.

So people are asking really simple questions, like, Should I be traveling now?

So you mentioned this a little bit, but let's say I people do travel.

We have Lola Rama's saying that she's just returned.

She just returned from France to United States, and she's worried.

Should she stay at home?

Should she go visit people?

What would your advice to people be who have been traveling, who haven't, as far as we know, come into contact with people are sick with so currently in the world, we have many different epidemics summit In times of size and intensity.

Some countries, they have just sporadic cases.

So I think if you have visited those country, your risk is extremely low and so you shouldn't be afraid.

And I should just go home and just a monitor your health.

And if you feel bad and sick, you stay home and you seek for medical advice.

But other people will travel to countries where there is already kind of intense transmission, and they're not so many country, actually, currently so on DSO.

If you have visited those country, then you may be a little bit more cautious when you come back because you maybe the more attention to your a fever and check it.

Maybe he wanted what, twice a day just to make sure that you are still safe and do It's for 14 days, for instance, so in terms of where people could get more information, W chose Web site is a good source for global information for specific information.

If you're in other countries, their National health service would be a good a good place to start.

Ministry of Health, for example, In us, we've got CDC in the game and we've got an H at's.

Where else can people get information?

Yeah, I think many countries now are not only providing information through their technical agency on this is often a complex information, I would say, very detailed, but you have also hotlines in many countries where you can call and get a rapid advice.

Andi, you can check on many website.

I think now there is a lot off advice on dhe on, so I think there are plenty off sources.

We have also developed a page called A P Winn, where you can find a specific advice.

If you are a new employee year and you want to protect your employees or if you have a face based organization and you want to undertake safe gatherings, etcetera so different.

Can you find that it from going from the W H o ciders that ever separate?

No, it's linked to devolution.

Be www, Jordan, I NT and we have information on all of our six languages and some other languages develop more.