Posts in Emerging Risks
Statement on the second meeting of the Emergency Committee | WHO | 30 Jan 2020

The second meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus 2019 in the People’s Republic of China, with exportations to other countries, took place on Thursday, 30 January 2020, from 13:30 to 18:35 Geneva time (CEST).

The Committee’s role is to give advice to the Director-General, who makes the final decision on the determination of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Committee also provides public health advice or suggests formal Temporary Recommendations as appropriate.

Personal health advice from the WHO


WHO’s standard recommendations for the general public to reduce exposure to and transmission of a range of illnesses are as follows, which include hand and respiratory hygiene, and safe food practices:


  • Frequently clean hands by using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
  • When coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – throw tissue away immediately and wash hands
  • Avoid close contact with anyone who has fever and cough
  • If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care early and share previous travel history with your health care provider
  • When visiting live markets in areas currently experiencing cases of novel coronavirus, avoid direct unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals
  • The consumption of raw or undercooked animal products should be avoided. Raw meat, milk or animal organs should be handled with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.


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Novel coronavirus: protection for your organisation | International SOS | 28 Jan 2020
This is a rapidly evolving situation. International SOS is monitoring closely and updating our 2019-Novel Coronavirus website as more information becomes available. We advise all organisations to continue to monitor this outbreak, proactively communicating with your people to explain the ways to prevent infection, review and implement your plans for pandemic and other infectious disease outbreaks.
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WorldAware is closely monitoring the outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in China and around the globe | 31 Jan 2020
WorldAware intelligence alerts give you timely notification of any significant travel, safety, and security-related incidents that could impact your organization or people. Getting timely notification of such issues or incidents, with applied analysis, gives you and your people the advantage to prepare for and mitigate the threat to your organization and operations.
Supply chains plan for coronavirus disruption | Supply Chain Dive | 29 Jan 2020
Companies that rely on manufacturing from facilities in Wuhan, China, are considering alternative suppliers as facilities in the region face potential production delays. The number of coronavirus cases has exceeded 4,500 and the region has implemented a quarantine​ limiting travel in and out of the industrial hub.
Operation Yellowhammer - HMG reasonable worst case planning assumptions | The Guardian

Operation Yellowhammer is the codename used by the UK Treasury for cross-government civil contingency planning for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. In the event of exit with no-deal, the UK's unilateral departure from the EU could disrupt, for an unknown duration, many aspects of the relationship between the UK and European Union, including financial transfers, movement of people, trade, customs and other regulations. 

Operation Yellowhammer is intended to mitigate, within the UK, the effects of this disruption, and would be expected to run for approximately three months. It has been developed by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS), a department of the Cabinet Office responsible for emergency planning. When the UK ceases to be a member of the EU in October 2019, all rights and reciprocal arrangements with the EU end.

The attached document is the leaked report referred to in the Guardian article.

The Third Degree | Breakthrough
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Following Breakthrough’s widely-reported policy brief on Existential Climate-related Security Risk, this latest discussion paper provides supporting evidence for the contentious 3°C scenario. A 3°C scenario, developed in 2007 by US national security analysts, is reproduced in this paper highlighting a proven prescient in foreseeing some of the major socio-political events that have emerged in the last decade.

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