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I’m grateful that so many young people are spreading the word and not the virus. As I keep saying, solidarity is the key to defeating COVID-19 - solidarity between countries, but also between age groups. Thank you for heeding our call for solidarity, solidarity, solidarity.

— Tedros Adhanom

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Source: WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 20 March 2020, World Health Organization.
Source quality: Precise citation Points to a specific work with a page, chapter, date or similar locator, so you can look it up.

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In the last few days the progress of the (COVID-19) virus, especially in some countries, especially human-to-human transmission, worries us (WHO). Although the numbers outside China are still relatively small, they hold the potential for a much larger outbreak.

Tedros Adhanom (2020)

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We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.

We now have a name for the disease and it's COVID-19.

Tedros Adhanom (2020)

COVID-19 is taking so much from us. But it’s also giving us something special – the opportunity to come together as one humanity – to work together, to learn together, to grow together.

The main reason for this (global emergency) declaration (of COVID-19) is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries. Our (WHO) greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems.

Tedros Adhanom (2020)

Reports of military incursion into Al-Shifa hospital are deeply concerning. We've lost touch again with health personnel at the hospital. We're extremely worried for their and their patients' safety.

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Tedros Adhanom (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.