The Guardian view on the new coronavirus: buying time can save lives | Editorial

Many experts believe this outbreak will soon be declared a pandemic. Even if it is not containable, it can still be slowed

It now appears almost inevitable that the new coronavirus outbreak will soon be identified as a global pandemic. There has been a surge in cases in Iran, South Korea and Italy, and incidents confirmed in numerous countries, in addition to the almost 80,000 cases seen in China. The World Health Organization argues that it is not a pandemic - spreading internationally in an uncontrolled way - because it is cautiously optimistic that China's outbreak may have peaked thanks to the strict measures adopted by Beijing. Others say this is already a pandemic in all but name.

The WHO's hesitance may be partly due to its concern about the public reaction, as rational worries combine with limited medical knowledge, xenophobia and broader anxieties. "Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear," the WHO director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned on Monday. As concern spreads, economic effects are growing alongside the human toll. Stock markets have taken a hammering. Airlines are suffering, major international events are being cancelled, and companies dependent on Chinese-made components have halted production.