National Review
Date: April 22, 2020
By Wesley J. Smith
Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks next to Michael J. Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, during a news conference on the coronavirus in Geneva, Switzerland, January 29, 2020. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
The WHO ignored a warning on December 31 from Taiwan, based on Chinese Internet sources, that an “atypical pneumonia” had appeared in Wuhan. As the Taiwan Center for Disease Control put it, “In China, the term “atypical pneumonia” is commonly used to refer to SARS, a disease transmitted between humans caused by coronavirus.” Taiwan is not a member of the U.N., and the WHO is a U.N. agency. But that is no excuse for pretending Taiwan does not exist — as a WHO representative did in an infamous interview.
Even though the PRC is the most tyrannous government on earth, WHO repeatedly accepted China’s disinformation about the virus. For example, on January 13, the WHO issued a press release, stating:
To date, there has been no suggestion of human to human transmission of this new coronavirus. There have been no infections reported among health care workers, which can be an early indicator of person to person spread.
It also opined in the press release (involving the first case in Thailand) that there should be no travel restrictions.
The WHO also opposed President Trump’s travel restrictions from China of January 31, warning against causing “stigma or discrimination.” [FULL STORY]
