- The recent coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
- Known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus has resulted in more than 160,000 infections.
- COVID-19 has now been reported on every continent except Antarctica.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) publish their latest confirmed numbers on this situation dashboard every day.
- To read our feature article answering some of the most common questions and concerns surrounding COVID-19, click here.
03/17/2020 12:35 GMT — Coronavirus reaches Greenland
Yesterday, officials reported Greenland’s first case of COVID-19. The individual in question, who lives in Nuuk, the country’s capital, is in home isolation.
Greenland’s officials recommend that people avoid flying to or from Greenland.
Read more here.
03/16/2020 17:30 GMT — SARS-CoV-2 spreads fast, sometimes before symptoms appear
A new study, led by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, calculated the “serial interval” of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The term serial interval refers to “the duration between symptom onset of a primary case and symptom onset of its secondary cases.”
The new study, which will appear in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, found that the average serial interval of COVID-19 is 4 days.
Study co-author Lauren Ancel Meyers, a professor of integrative biology at UT Austin, explains what this means.
“Ebola, with a serial interval of several weeks, is much easier to contain than influenza, with a serial interval of only a few days. Public health responders to Ebola outbreaks have much more time to identify and isolate cases before they infect others,” she says.
“The data suggest that this coronavirus may spread like the flu. That means we need to move quickly and aggressively to curb the emerging threat.”
The study also found that over 1 in 10 COVID-19 cases occurred as a result of being in contact with a person who was carrying the virus but showing no symptoms.
“This tells us that COVID-19 outbreaks can be elusive and require extreme measures.”
– Lauren Ancel Meyers
03/16/2020 17:00 GMT — First vaccine trial starts in the US
Later today, 45 healthy volunteers will take part in the first human trial of a vaccine against COVID-19.
The vaccine does not contain SARS-CoV-2, so it cannot cause COVID-19. Instead, it contains a harmless segment of genetic code copied from SARS-CoV-2.
The trial, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will take place at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle.
If the first tests are successful, the vaccine is still likely to take up to 18 months before it reaches the public, say NIH officials.
03/16/2020 15:55 GMT — Physicians find 20–30% drop in lung capacity in recovered patients
Doctors at the Hong Kong Hospital Authority have examined 12 patients who recovered from COVID-19 and found reduced lung capacity in two to three of them.
Dr. Owen Tsang Tak-yin, the Medical Director of the authority’s Infectious Disease Centre, says, “They gasp if they walk a bit more quickly.”
“Some patients might have around a drop of 20–30% in lung function,” adds Dr. Tsang Tak-yin.
However, it is worth noting that it is too early to establish the long-term effects of COVID-19. The physicians did not carry out an extensive study, and it is too soon to tell whether these observations in 12 people will extend to the majority of people recovering.
Read more here.
03/16/2020 15:45 GMT — SARS-CoV-2 can spread in every climate, regardless of temperature
See thread here.
03/16/2020 14:55 GMT — Publishers make coronavirus content freely available
A number of scientific publishers have made all of their coronavirus content freely available. These include:
03/16/2020 14:24 GMT — The number of COVID-19 cases worldwide surpassed 160,000
03/16/2020 13:06 GMT — What happened over the weekend?
- The United States extends the travel ban for foreign nationals who have recently visited the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland. U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents can still return.
- CDC recommend the cancellation or postponement of all large events or mass gatherings of 50 people or more for the next 8 weeks.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19.
- Italy reports 3,497 new cases on Sunday — taking the number of people with a COVID-19 diagnosis to 21,157 — and 173 new deaths.
- Spain has gone into lockdown amid 1,522 new cases, including Prime Minister Pedro Sancheź’s wife.
- Ireland has advised all pubs to close until March 29 and asked people to refrain from having house parties in the lead up to St. Patrick’s Day.
- Germany is the latest European country to implement border closures, while in the capital Berlin, gyms and bars closed over the weekend.
03/13/2020 14:44 GMT — European coronavirus updates
Schools are now fully closed in 13 European countries, including Albania, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, and Poland. Also, there are partial school closures in nine countries, including Austria, Croatia, France, Spain, and Switzerland.
- In the United Kingdom, professional football leagues have suspended matches until April 3.
- Scotland calls for gatherings of over 500 people to be cancelled.
- As of Monday, the Czech Republic is banning movement into and out of the country. The only exceptions will be that foreign nationals without residence permits can leave, and residents will be allowed to return.
- As the total number of cases in Bulgaria reaches 23, the parliament has imposed a state of emergency, closing schools and implementing travel bans.
- In Germany, there have now been more than 3,000 cases of COVID-19 and three deaths.
Read more here.
03/13/2020 14:38 GMT — Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19
Following a trip to London, the wife of the Canadian Prime Minister began feeling sick. Since then, she has tested positive for COVID-19; according to Trudeau, her symptoms are mild. She has announced that she will self-isolate for the next 14 days.
Read more here.
03/13/2020 10:14 GMT — COVID-19 is now classed as a pandemic: What now?
In a new Medical News Today feature, we speak with experts about what the new classification of “pandemic” means. The article also includes strategies for coping with anxiety.
Read the feature here.
03/13/2020 09:51 GMT — South Korea reports more recoveries than new cases
South Korea is home to the largest outbreak of COVID-19 outside of China. Today, for the first time since the outbreak began, in January, South Korea has reported a higher number of recoveries than new infections.
On Thursday, officials reported 114 new cases; today, they reported 110 new cases, while 177 patients were released from hospitals.
Read more here.
03/12/2020 16:01 GMT — New study confirms mean incubation period
A recent study featuring in the Annals of Internal Medicine investigates how long it takes for symptoms to appear once a person has contracted SARS-CoV-2.
The mean incubation period, according to the authors, is 5.1 days, and about half of the affected people will develop symptoms at that point. The authors also estimate that 97.5% of people will develop symptoms within the first 11.5 days.
Based on their findings, the study’s senior author Justin Lessler, Ph.D., writes that “the current recommendation of 14 days for active monitoring or quarantine is reasonable, although, with that period, some cases would be missed over the long term.”
Read more here.
03/12/2020 13:45 GMT — Pandemic could be “over by June,” according to Chinese officials
According to Mi Feng, a spokesperson for China’s National Health Commission, “Broadly speaking, the peak of the epidemic has passed for China. The increase of new cases is falling.”
At a news conference, Dr. Zhong Nanshan, the senior medical adviser to the Chinese government, explained that if countries take adequate precautions, the coronavirus pandemic could be over within a few months. He said:
“My advice is calling for all countries to follow WHO instructions and intervene on a national scale. If all countries could get mobilized, it could be over by June.”
Read more here.
03/12/2020 08:47 GMT — Trump restricts travel from Europe to the US
In a televised address from the Oval Office, President Trump announced a number of steps designed to reduce the economic disruption that COVID-19 may cause.
Among these actions is a travel order. From midnight on Friday, it will not be possible to travel from Europe to the U.S. However, this excludes those traveling from Britain and people who normally reside in the U.S. who have undergone “appropriate screenings.”
He also laid out some other proposals designed to assist people in the U.S. affected by the outbreak, including sick pay, medical leave, and family leave.
Read more here.
03/11/2020 17:32 GMT — The WHO officially classify COVID-19 as a pandemic
03/11/2020 16:19 GMT — In a healthcare setting, infection control does work
A recent paper published in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology has assessed infection control measures implemented by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.
The authors describe how the hospitals proactively worked to reduce the risk of infection in the 6 weeks that followed the start of the outbreak.
In total, 413 healthcare workers treated cases of COVID-19, and none contracted the infection.
The authors conclude that “Appropriate hospital infection control measures can prevent healthcare-associated transmission of the coronavirus.”
Read more here.
03/11/2020 12:01 GMT — Comparing the US’ COVID-19 testing rates with those of other countries
03/11/2020 11:44 GMT — Is Europe “the new China”?
To date, Italy has registered more than 10,000 coronavirus infections and 631 deaths. These figures prompted Robert Redfield, head of the CDC, to say, “Right now, the epicenter — the new China — is Europe.”
In Italy, the government have advised 62 million residents to mostly stay home. Shops and restaurants remain open, but police are enforcing a rule that customers stay 1 meter (3 feet) apart, while the authorities have also asked some businesses to close by 6 p.m.
Read more here.
03/11/2020 09:37 GMT — The people of Wuhan go back to work
As the epicenter of the epidemic, Wuhan has been locked down since late January. Yesterday, President Xi Jinping visited the region for the first time since the outbreak began.
Now, as the number of new COVID-19 cases in the region continues to fall, the people of Wuhan, China are returning to work.
The Hubei provincial government’s website posted a notice advising that those who work on public transport and anyone involved in manufacturing medical supplies or daily necessities could go back to work.
Read more here.
03/11/2020 08:59 GMT — UK Health Minister has COVID-19
Nadine Dorries, a U.K. Health Minister, is the first member of Parliament to test positive for SARS-CoV-19. To date, the U.K. has recorded 382 cases and six deaths.
Ms Dorries has self-isolated and is recovering. Read more here.
03/10/2020 17:08 GMT — Experts comment on diagnostic tests
In a Viewpoint article published yesterday in the journal JAMA, Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore, MD, and colleagues shed light on the controversy surrounding the United States’ SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing capability.
They describe the current situation in the context of how the FDA approve diagnostic tests in emergency situations.
“As the U.S. moves to make up for initial missteps, emerging evidence should guide policy and practice,” they conclude. “The public health and medical communities should recognize the need to alter policy to fit changing circumstances and support consistent and compassionate messaging that recognizes both the benefits and limitations of testing.”
Read the full article here.
03/10/2020 12:59 GMT — Here are some of the differences between COVID-19 and flu
03/10/2020 11:00 GMT — Study says average incubation period is 5.1 days
A new study, appearing in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, finds that the average incubation period for SARS-CoV-2 is 5.1 days.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD, have analyzed 181 COVID-19 cases that doctors diagnosed before February 24 in China and other countries.
According to their calculations, “97.5% of those who develop symptoms will do so within 11.5 days […] of infection,” the authors note in their paper.
“Based on our analysis of publicly available data, the current recommendation of 14 days for active monitoring or quarantine is reasonable, although, with that period, some cases would be missed over the long term.”
– Justin Lessler, senior author
03/10/2020 08:43 GMT — Researchers focus on drugs that target SARS-CoV-19
As scientists begin to better understand how SARS-CoV-2 enters human cells, they are homing in on potential ways to prevent infection. Over recent weeks, there has been a flurry of publications.
For instance, one laboratory study shows that antibodies that can neutralize the virus that causes SARS also reduce how well SARS-CoV-2 can infect cells.
Another study finds that a drug with approval for treating pancreatitis can reduce virus entry into cells.
In a recent article, Medical News Today cover some of the latest research.
03/10/2020 07:43 — Latest CDC briefing discusses risk
The latest briefing was hosted by Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Dr. Messonnier explains that many people in the U.S. are likely to be exposed to the virus over the next 12–24 months. However, the CDC do not expect that many people will develop a serious illness.
03/09/2020 15:28 GMT — FDA warn companies over coronavirus cure claims
Today, the FDA and Federal Trade Commission sent letters to seven companies that sell products claiming to cure, treat, or prevent COVID-19. These products include essential oils, teas, and colloidal silver.
Currently, there are no vaccines or approved drugs to treat COVID-19. In a press release, FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn explains:
“The FDA considers the sale and promotion of fraudulent COVID-19 products to be a threat to the public health. […] We understand consumers are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and urge them to talk to their healthcare providers, as well as follow advice from other federal agencies about how to prevent the spread of this illness. We will continue to aggressively pursue those that place the public health at risk and hold bad actors accountable.”
Read more here.
03/09/2020 11:53 GMT — WHO guidelines on when to use a face mask
03/09/2020 11:39 GMT — Children just “as likely” to get COVID-19 as adults
Early reports suggested that children were less likely than adults to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 than adults.
A recent study, which has not yet been through the peer review process, concludes that the coronavirus is just as likely to infect children as adults. However children are much less likely to develop symptoms.
Although the authors explain that their study has numerous limitations, the results warrant further investigation.
Read more here.
03/09/2020 10:38 GMT — Yesterday, China reported the lowest number of daily cases since reporting began
For 2 days running, there have been no new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 outside of Hubei province.
Yesterday, China reported 40 new cases, which is the lowest number since they began publishing data on January 20, 2020.
Of these, 36 occurred in Wuhan. The remaining four, reported in Gansu province, were linked to individuals who had traveled from Iran. Although this is encouraging news, the government do not want to become complacent.
Chen Yixin, secretary general of the Communist Party’s Politics and Law Commission, said:
“We must stay cautious, not be blindly optimistic and must not have war-weariness. We should not reduce the vigilance against the epidemic and the requirements of prevention and control.”
Read more here.
03/06/2020 15:55 GMT — Global coronavirus cases exceed 100,000
According to scientists at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, there have now been 100,647 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,411 deaths. More encouragingly, 55,753 people have recovered from COVID-19.
The last 24 hours have seen the first death in both the U.K. and the Netherlands, as well as the first cases in Vatican City, Serbia, and Cameroon.
Visit the Johns Hopkins interactive map here.
03/06/2020 13:11 GMT — Busting coronavirus myths
A new article, published on Medical News Today, investigates a range of myths that surround the coronavirus.
The author explains, “when the word ‘pandemic’ starts appearing in headlines, people become fearful, and with fear come misinformation and rumors.”
03/06/2020 12:03 GMT — Cruise ship passengers quarantined off the coast of California
More than 3,000 crew and passengers are currently quarantined off the coast of San Francisco in the cruise ship Grand Princess.
Yesterday, the U.S. Coast Guard airlifted diagnostic kits onto the ship to test fewer than 100 people, including 35 who are ill. Passengers remain confined to their rooms until the results come back.
The Grand Princess is the sister ship of the Diamond Princess that was recently quarantined in Japan.
Read more here.
03/06/2020 11:33 GMT — Doctors discuss priorities for US health community
Three doctors from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security have recently published an article, in JAMA, outlining key measures that the U.S. government and healthcare sector should take to handle SARS-CoV-2.
Drawing from experience with similar epidemics, they explain how hospitals, clinics, healthcare workers, and diagnostic companies need to respond in the coming days and weeks.
The authors write, “Preparation will take time, so healthcare and public health systems need to move quickly forward in their efforts to be ready to confront this disease around the country.”
Read more here.
03/06/2020 10:44 GMT — CDC advise public to create a “household plan”
03/06/2020 09:21 GMT — First coronavirus fatality reported in UK
The number of COVID-19 cases in the U.K. has now reached 116. A 70-year-old woman, who was receiving treatment at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, has become the virus’ first fatality.
The woman had not been overseas, and officials are tracking down anyone she may have been in contact with.
Read more here.
03/06/2020 08:53 GMT — What can you do to stay safe?
Medical News Today recently published a practical guide outlining concrete steps people can take to prevent infection.
03/06/2020 8:12 GMT — What is the mortality rate of coronavirus?
The WHO recently reported a 3.4% mortality rate for COVID-19. In a new feature, experts explain why this figure might be an overestimate.
03/05/2020 11:16 — Reports of possible human-to-dog infection
A Pomeranian in Hong Kong, belonging to a woman with COVID-19, has tested positive for the virus. However, the canine has not displayed any symptoms.
Talking about the importance of this development, Prof. Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, explains:
“We have to differentiate between real infection and just detecting the presence of the virus.
I still think it’s questionable how relevant it is to the human outbreak as most of the global outbreak has been driven by human-to-human transmission.
We need to find out more, but we don’t need to panic — I doubt it could spread to another dog or a human because of the low levels of the virus. The real driver of the outbreak is humans.”
03/05/2020 09:22 — COVID-19 cases reported in 13 states
The CDC have reported cases of COVID-19 in 13 states: Arizona, California, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Read more here.
03/05/2020 09:12 GMT — Iran releases 54,000 prisoners to curb coronavirus’ spread
To date, Iran has reported 2,336 cases of COVID-19, including 290 involving members of parliament; there have been 77 deaths.
In an effort to halt the spread of the virus in their prison system, the authorities have temporarily freed 54,000 prisoners.
Read more here.
03/04/2020 14:01 GMT — Why are people with underlying health conditions and the elderly at greater risk of COVID-19?
Professor Jon Cohen, Emeritus Professor of Infectious Diseases and previously Dean at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, in the U.K., explains why people with chronic health conditions and the elderly are at greater risk of COVID-19.
“This is in part because they have less ‘reserve’ to cope with the stress of an infection and partly because natural immunity wanes as we get older.”
“As a specific example, coronavirus causes a respiratory illness, and this places greater stress on the heart, so people with preexisting heart disease will find it harder to deal with a serious respiratory infection. This is not something that is limited to coronavirus infection — the same principle applies to all types of respiratory infections.”
Dr. Andrew Freedman, Reader in Infectious Diseases at Cardiff University, in the U.K., echoes this sentiment.
“The elderly are known to have weaker immune systems but are also more likely to have other medical problems, such as cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes, etc.”
“The main cause of severe morbidity and mortality due to the virus is pneumonitis leading to respiratory failure, so patients with chronic respiratory conditions such as COPD are not surprisingly at greater risk.”
“However, other conditions, such as chronic heart failure and kidney disease, are also associated with reduced reserve and less favorable outcomes to infection.”
Read the full statements here.
03/04/2020 13:20 GMT — Latest WHO report shows numbers in China are down but surpass 10,000 worldwide
03/04/2020 10:00 GMT — WHO webinar outlines role of media in containing COVID-19
The WHO have held a roundtable, including Melinda Frost, technical officer for risk communication at the WHO, Genevieve Hutchinson, senior health adviser at the BBC, Ida Jooste, global health advisor at Internews, and Laura Ngo-Fontaine, senior communications officer at the IFRC.
They warn that we are experiencing an infodemic, which involves widespread rumors and the public being bombarded with an overwhelming amount of information, making it difficult to find accurate answers to questions.
In this context, the media forms part of the global health ecosystem, and its aim is to ensure that people have access to clear facts and to discourage stigmatization.
Recommended resources include: WHO Information Network for Epidemics, Red Cross COVID-19 info hub, and WHO, UNICEF and IFRC guide to preventing and addressing social stigma.
03/04/2020 08:43 GMT — Number of COVID-19 cases now exceeds 90,000
Globally, the number of coronavirus cases has exceeded 90,000, and there have been more than 3,000 deaths. Around 80,000 of the COVID-19 cases have occurred within China, but the virus has made its way to around 60 countries.
Outside of China, the largest outbreaks are in South Korea, Iran, and Italy. Read more here.
03/04/2020 08:23 GMT — Coronavirus claims 9 lives in Washington State
As of Tuesday, there have now been 27 cases in the greater Seattle area, including nine deaths.
So far, the Seattle area cluster is the largest outbreak in the U.S. and the only one to have caused deaths. Read more here.
03/04/2020 07:45 GMT — The WHO explain some differences between COVID-19 and flu
03/03/2020 16:33 GMT — Second coronavirus case confirmed in New York state
A 50-year-old man has been hospitalized in New York state. Although the individual had not traveled to high risk countries, he had recently visited Miami.
Read more here.
03/03/2020 15:57 GMT — Scientists question how deadly the new coronavirus is
Because the current epidemic is constantly evolving, it has proven challenging to calculate the mortality rate of COVID-19.
The authors of a recent paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine believe that preliminary figures might have been overstated.
Early estimates suggested a mortality rate of around 1%. The authors believe that the “overall clinical consequences of COVID-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza (which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1%).”
03/03/2020 12:24 GMT — Researchers ask whether cruise ship quarantine was the right choice
On February 3, 10 people aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Passengers and crew remained quarantined inside until February 19.
By the time of their release, 17% of those onboard had contracted the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
A recent paper featuring in the Journal of Travel Medicine concludes that if the passengers had had permission to leave the cruise ship, there would have been fewer infections.
Read more here.
03/03/2020 11:15 GMT — New York City doctor concerned over lack of access to diagnostic tools
In an interview with CNBC, Dr. Matt McCarthy, a New York-based doctor and author, voiced concerns that they do not have easy access to coronavirus testing kits. “I still do not have a rapid diagnostic test available to me,” he explains.
Dr. McCarthy continues, “at one of the busiest hospitals in the country, I don’t have it at my fingertips.” He refers to this state of affairs as a “national scandal.”
03/03/2020 10:11 GMT — US death toll reaches 6
Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for the Seattle and King County Public Health agency, announced today that there have been six coronavirus fatalities in the Seattle area.
Washington state now has 18 COVID-19 cases. Of these, 14 fall within Dr. Duchin’s jurisdiction, and eight are associated with one nursing facility in Kirkland, a suburb of Seattle.
At a Whitehouse briefing, Vice President Mike Pence advised that the risk to people in the U.S. is still low. Read more here.
03/02/2020 14:44 GMT — Washington state announces second coronavirus death in US
On Saturday night, a 70-year-old man with SARS-CoV-2 infection died in a care home near Seattle.
Read more here.
03/02/2020 12:38 GMT — Surgeon General urges people to stop buying face masks
In a tweet, U.S. Surgeon General, Jerome Adams, writes, “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!”
He continues: “The best way to protect yourself and your community is with everyday preventive actions, like staying home when you are sick and washing hands with soap and water, to help slow the spread of respiratory illness. Get your #FluShot– fewer flu patients = more resources for #COVID19.”
03/02/2020 11:51 GMT — EU raises risk level from “moderate” to “moderate to high”
The death toll across the European Union now stands at 38. The ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) has announced today that the risk level has risen from “moderate” to “moderate to high” for people in the European Union.
“In other words, the virus continues to spread,” said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at a news conference in Brussels.
Read more here.
03/02/2020 11:19 GMT — First COVID-19 death on U.S. soil
Over the weekend, the CDC announced the first death of a patient from COVID-19 on U.S. soil. The patient, a man in his 50s, was one of three individuals who tested positive for the virus at a hospital in Washington state. The other two people are linked to a long-term care facility, where one is a healthcare worker.
CDC spokesperson Dr. Nancy Messonnier commented:
“This is the first reported death in the United States from COVID-19, as well as the first reported case in a healthcare worker and the first possible outbreak in a [long-term care facility]. These reports from Washington follow others of community spread in Oregon and two places in California, earlier this week.”
She went on to say: “While there is still much to learn about the unfolding situations in California, Oregon, and Washington, preliminary information raises the level of concern about the immediate threat for COVID-19 for certain communities in the United States.”
“Most people in the United States will have little immediate risk of exposure to this virus, but some people will be at increased risk depending on their exposures. The greatest risk is to those who have been in close contact with people with COVID-19. People with suspected or confirmed exposure should reach out to their state or local public health department.”
Read the full report here.
02/28/2020 16:01 GMT — Coronavirus reaches sub-Saharan Africa
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health announced the first case of COVID-19 in Nigeria. The patient arrived on a Turkish Airlines flight from Italy on February 24th.
Read more here.
02/28/2020 12:51 GMT — Scientists are investigating existing drugs in the search for coronavirus treatments
Denis Kainov, one of the authors of a new paper, explains, “Drug repurposing is a strategy for generating additional value from an existing drug by targeting diseases other than that for which it was originally intended.”
Read more here.
02/28/2020 11:21 GMT — Latest WHO report adds nine new member states to those that coronavirus has affected
According to the latest WHO update, in the last 24 hours, nine new member states have registered cases of COVID-19: Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Norway, Pakistan, Romania, and North Macedonia.
02/28/2020 10:11 GMT — Mainland China: Number of new coronavirus cases drops to lowest since January
On Thursday, mainland China had 327 new cases of coronavirus; this is the lowest number since January 23rd.
Read more here.
02/28/2020 09:05 GMT — WHO and World Tourism Organization release joint statement
The organizations call for combined efforts; they write, “International cooperation is vital for ensuring the sector can effectively contribute to the containment of COVID-19.”
Read the full briefing here.
02/27/2020 14:48 GMT — Healthline Media’s senior director of medical affairs provides some perspective
02/27/2020 11:34 GMT — The latest World Health Organization (WHO) report finds that the number of COVID-19 cases outside of China now exceeds the number of cases inside the country
02/26/2020 16:20 GMT — South America reports its first case of COVID-19
Brazil’s Ministry of Health announces the first case of COVID-19 in South America. The 61-year-old with the virus recently traveled to Italy, where there have been 324 cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths.
02/26/2020 15:17 GMT — There are now more than 80,000 cases of COVID-19 worldwide
02/26/2020 10:00 GMT — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that the United States must prepare for coronavirus spread
In a telebriefing, the CDC advised people in the U.S. to begin preparing for the possibility that coronavirus might spread within communities.
Read more about the recent briefing here.
02/24/2020 18:28 GMT — Woman with no symptoms transmits virus to five family members
A report in the journal JAMA describes a woman with SARS-CoV-2 who displayed no symptoms. This so-called asymptomatic carrier transmitted the infection to five other people.
Read more about the case study here.
02/21/2020 11:12 GMT — Experts condemn “rumors and misinformation”
A letter in The Lancet voices the concerns of 27 scientists. The group condemns the spread of conspiracy theories surrounding COVID-19, outlining the harmful consequences of these rumors.
Read more about the paper here.
To read our feature article answering some of the most common questions and concerns regarding COVID-19, click here. For information on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus, this CDC page provides advice.