World Health Organization (WHO) officials held a press conference on February 24 to update the public on the coronavirus outbreak.
They, in particular, said that international community should prepare for a potential pandemic of coronavirus, which has now spread substantially outside China.
"Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear. We do not live in a binary world. It is not either-or. We must focus on containment while doing everything we can to prepare for a potential pandemic," Ghebreyesus said in a press brief, as quoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Twitter.
The WHO director-general also said that the coronavirus outbreak was a common threat for all countries, and "we can only overcome it together."
The deadly virus was first detected in China's Hubei province in December last year and has since spread to some 30 countries, prompting the WHO to declare a global health emergency.
As per the latest update, more than 77,000 people have been infected worldwide, with more than 2,600 deaths.
According to CNBS, South Korea confirmed another 231 cases on Monday, which brings the total in the country to more than 830. The recent surge in cases prompted the South Korean government raise the COVID-19 alert to its highest level.
Meanwhile, Iran health officials have confirmed 61 total cases in the country as of Monday, with 12 deaths nationwide. Most of the confirmed cases were found in the city of Qom.
The localized outbreaks outside of China are fueling concerns among infectious disease experts and scientists that the virus is spreading too quickly and may be past the point of containment
