CNBC: WHO says coronavirus death rate is 3.4% globally, higher than previously thought
“World health officials said Tuesday the mortality rate for COVID-19 is 3.4% globally, higher than previous estimates of about 2%. ‘Globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases have died,’ WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Geneva. In comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1% of those infected, he said. The World Health Organization had said last week that the mortality rate of COVID-19 can differ, ranging from 0.7% to up to 4%, depending on the quality of the health-care system where it’s treated. Early in the outbreak, scientists had concluded the death rate was around 2.3%…” (Lovelace/Higgins-Dunn, 3/3).

Devex: World Bank announces $12B for coronavirus response
“The World Bank on Tuesday announced a financing package worth up to $12 billion, aimed at supporting countries in their response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The funding will be used ‘to respond to country requests for crisis financing of their immediate needs and also to lessen the tragic impacts of the virus,’ World Bank President David Malpass told reporters…” (Igoe, 3/4).

Reuters: Coronavirus forces IMF, World Bank switch to virtual Spring Meetings
“The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, citing growing concerns about the fast-spreading coronavirus, on Tuesday said they will adopt a ‘virtual format’ for their Spring Meetings instead of convening in person in Washington…” (Shalal/Lawder, 3/3).

U.N. News: ‘We can’t stop COVID-19 without protecting health workers’: WHO chief
“A shortage of protective equipment is endangering health workers worldwide, warned the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday, citing ‘severe and mounting disruption to the global supply’ caused by ‘rising demand, panic buying, hoarding, and misuse.’ Speaking to the media in Geneva, WHO chief Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyesus said that ‘we can’t stop COVID-19 without protecting our health workers’…” (3/3).

Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Misinformation Lives Online, Despite Efforts to Stamp It Out
“Facebook Inc. and other technology giants have vowed to fight misinformation related to the coronavirus epidemic on their platforms. Yet even as they remove fraudulent posts, listings, and other content, conspiracy theories and false information continue to proliferate online…” (Herrera, 3/3).

Additional coverage of international organizations’ responses to the COVID-19 outbreak is available from BBC, The Hill, New York Times, Reuters (2), STAT, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.