A recovered coronavirus patient donates plasma at the Binjiang Branch of the Blood Center of Zhejiang Province in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 19, 2020. (Xinhua Photo)

GENEVA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that a WHO team of experts is currently in China to find answers to some unknowns of COVID-19.

"The WHO-led international team of experts is working on the ground with their Chinese counterparts to find answers to some of the things we don't know yet about coronavirus," he said, adding that the team was formed under the Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network.

Tedros also said he had just briefed WHO member states on key COVID-19 related issues, which included that the international community needs to step up contributions for countries' preparedness, that a balance needs to be stricken between funding simple public health interventions and vaccine R&D, and that efforts are needed to get equipment to countries.

He thanked Canada for its contribution to fighting COVID-19 and pledged to continue working with all countries to stop the epidemic.

Earlier, Canada said it would provide two million U.S. dollars to the WHO to help countries prepare and respond to COVID-19.