The World Health Organization on April 8 made public a timeline of its fight against COVID-19 following an accusation by U.S. President Donald Trump that it was too slow to sound the alarm about the novel coronavirus. 

Trump on April 7 first unleashed a tirade against the WHO. 

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, however, praised the organization as "absolutely critical" to wiping out COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The WHO defended itself on April 8 by arguing that it had alerted the world to the COVID-19 threat in a timely manner and that it was "committed to ensuring all member states are able to respond effectively to this pandemic." 

The agency also said that it exerts limited power over individual governments and that it has worked at full stretch in handling the public health threat.