In the face of the novel coronavirus outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for rational and prudent measures for protection and prevention on 31 January.

In a press briefing in Geneva on Friday, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said that it's OK that the authorities in countries are taking right measures, including medical checks, monitoring and surveillance, to protect their people against the coronavirus, but they need to be done in a smart and rational way. "Prudent protection and prevention, that's important!" He suggested that people wear masks if they were to be in a high risk environment, for example, hospitals or epicenters of the outbreak. But if it's a normal everyday situation, like in a meeting, masks may not be necessary. "It's important to not install too much fear into people and to have them lead a normal life as good as possible in these circumstances," he said, calling for a rational approach to the coronavirus and not being panic.