WHO eyes Aussie flu, virus developments

Australia and other southern hemisphere countries need support so they have the capacity to manage both seasonal influenza and the COVID-19 respiratory disease, a senior World Health Organisation expert says.

The experience those countries will have with both diseases circulating at the same time will greatly benefit countries in the northern hemisphere that may face the same situation in six months time, WHO head of emergencies programme Mike Ryan told a news conference.

Ryan referred to Australia as well as South Africa, Chile and Argentina in his comments on Monday.