WHO: Response to coronavirus should based on facts, not speculations

Medical staff check a patient's condition at a temporary hospital called the "Wuhan Livingroom" in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February 10, 2020. /Xinhua Photo

The Chinese government has always maintained close cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the fight against the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, at a regular media briefing on Friday.

The global response to the outbreak should be based on facts rather than speculations, noted Ryan.

Ryan made the remarks in response to Western media reports claiming that the release of information about the novel coronavirus pneumonia was "not transparent."

Calling these reports "opinions and speculations," he stressed that China had shared the genetic sequences of the coronavirus with the world and has continually communicated with other countries.

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