Still in 'early stage' of understanding virus: WHO

The World Health Organization is cautioning that there are still a lot of unknowns about the coronavirus outbreak, including its transmission and origin, in a likely attempt to tamp down speculation and conflicting headlines about efforts to stop its spread.

Matthew Larotonda reports.

The World Health Organization is cautioning that there are still a lot of unknowns about the coronavirus outbreak.

What may be an attempt to tamp down speculation and conflicting headlines about global efforts to stop its spread.

A WHO spokesperson in Geneva said this on Tuesday: (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) SPOKESWOMAN, FADELA CHAIB, SAYING: "We are still in a very early stage of understanding this virus, how it is transmitted, the source of the virus, the incubation period, the clinical feature, the severity of it, etc.

(...) I mean research is underway from different sources and I hope that the meeting of today and tomorrow - they are not talking only about vaccines or therapeutics or diagnostic tests - they will also talk about the human-animal interface of this virus." The WHO has been organizing emergency meetings of international health experts and governments in an effort to coordinate response to the virus.

The director-general of the WHO also said on Tuesday that he believes the outbreak serves as a test: Can the world come together to fight a common threat?