Coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak: Preparedness and readiness of countries in the eastern mediterranean region

On 31 December 2019, a cluster of acute respiratory illness was reported fromChina and later confirmed as novel coronavirus on 7 January 2020. This virus isthe same member of the coronavirus family that caused the severe acuterespiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV) reported in China 2003, and Middle Eastrespiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. The initialcases have been linked to a live seafood market in Wuhan, China, and the specificanimal source is yet to be determined. The detection of this new virus in humanswithout knowing the source of the infection has raised greatly heightenedconcerns not only in China, but also internationally. To date, the outbreak hasspread to most provinces in China and 25 other countries within a relativelyshort period. Consequent to its spread, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director Generalof the World Health Organization (WHO), declared the outbreak a Public HealthEmergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020.