Category: Corona Virus

Weve all seen the scenes of anxious customers tearing through grocery aisles, loading toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and canned goods into piled-high shopping carts. The mania comes after thousands of work-from-home orders, vast state-wide lockdowns, a declared National Emergency, and an unnerving sense of ambiguity about how much the coronavirus will alter American life. The survivalist instinct is to stockpile goods and hope that a decade-worth of toilet paper might spare you from whats to come. Unfortunately, people like Chris, a 67-year-old woman who works at a grocery store in Seattle, is caught in the crossfire of the panic. Chris is one of 70+ people who have shared their experience working in the service industry with us.

Chris is employed by QFC, a Pacific Northwest supermarket chain that she describes as having three floors and a dense supply of goods. Despite that, she tells me that the store can barely keep up with demand. Bottles of hand sanitizer last 20 minutes, the chicken gets cleared out immediately, dry goods disappear within hours. All of this has left Chris feeling vulnerable. Seattle is one of the epicenters of the domestic Covid-19 outbreak. She understands that at her age, she falls into the bracket of people most vulnerable to a serious illness if she contracts the virus. States like New York and Ohio have closed down museums, movie theaters, bars, and restaurants in the wake of the pandemic, but core community infrastructure like grocery stores and pharmacies remain open. Chriss work schedule isnt going anywhere. Shes expected to be on the linoleum floor, surrounded by a swarm of nervy patrons, each of whom could potentially pass her the disease.

Right now, Chris is self-isolating at home. She informed her employer last Wednesday that she will be taking a temporary leave of absence after deciding that the chances of contracting coronavirus at her job were too great to risk it. Right now, there is no social safety net for people like Chris. She is no longer generating an income, and rent is bearing down in two weeks (though a moratorium on evictions in Washington state has been signed). The Trump administration fast-tracked a sick-leave bill to keep infectious workers at home, but thus far, the same guarantee does not exist for elderly or immunocompromised people who are staffing the few private institutions that will, in all likelihood, remain open for the remainder of the pandemic. Chris says she feels caught between two bad options: She needs to make money in order to live, but her current means of employment might kill her. We spoke about that, as well as about how the panic buying has affected her grocery stores bottom line, and the shreds of optimism she finds in the attitude of the Seattle community.

So when did the panic buying start to pick up at your store?

It was when Governor Inslee declared a state of emergency [on Feb. 29]. We were just swamped. They were all over the place. They cleared the shelves. And this isnt a small store. Weve got three levels, and its practically a full city block. They cleared out the non-perishables, toilet paper was gone, anything that had to do with antiseptic sprays or wipes was gone. They went to the Clorox, never mind the hand sanitizer. We hadnt ordered in anticipation of this, so we ran out. Ever since that Saturday they have been there every single day, buying everything. We put hand sanitizer on the shelf and its gone in 20 minutes.

Has this been high stress for you?

Back in September I fell and broke my elbow, and my main job is to go up to people who look confused and find out if theyre looking for something and to help them find that. Basically, I was thrown right into the middle of all these people. Ive seen whats been going on. Ive seen all the rice and beans disappear, be it dry goods or canned. They cleared out the chicken. We cant keep chicken in. At this point were over-ordering, and the staff of the store is working really hard. Its been something else. They keep buying water. Why do you need water?

So a number of states have moved to shut down everything except for grocery stores and pharmacies. What does it feel like knowing that for as long as were under quarantine, youll still be going to work and be out and about when everyone else is shut in?

Heres the thing. Ive been taking this in stride. But last Sunday, when I saw that the crowds were not going down, and while I was keeping up on all the medical news and whats going on, it hit me that, you know, Im not in a good situation here. On Wednesday I called in and said I needed to take a leave of absence to the end of the month. So right now Im negotiating to find a way to have an income while preemptively quarantining. Because Im in that vulnerable group.

I have a realistic outlook. I do not expect to get through this horrible pandemic without getting sick at some point. I absolutely expect for that to happen. But I dont want to get sick before were past the peak of infections. If I do get it and I get it seriously, I dont want to be stuck out in the streets because theres no room in the hospital. Im reading Twitter reports from doctors in Italy about how they have to make this gut-wrenching decision about who they treat. Theyre having to let people die. I dont want to be stuck in that, and I dont want to contribute to that.

The problem is I also need to have an income and health insurance, and I dont know how to do that while self-quarantining. Its an awful decision: Go to work and put your life at risk, or lose your job, lose your income, and lose your insurance. I havent committed either way at this point. Im trying to find a way to stay home.

Trump came out a week ago and announced a national sick-leave plan. Are you holding out hope for some sort of legislation that will allow people like you, in that vulnerable group, to stay home while keeping an income?

It seems to me like its an oversight that they didnt specify that some way for the elderly or compromised to stay home. I applaud Inslee for taking the initiative and being the first state to call an emergency and open up all sorts of federal help. He has been able to get some leniency in unemployment. But right now, the requirement is that you have to be sick in order to be able to get that. Its an oversight that they didnt take that further, to offer that to vulnerable people before they get sick. Ive got my fingers crossed. Ive been making as much noise as I can about this. I hope that at some point it will occur to the people in power that they need to open this up more.

When youre at the store, surrounded by all these people, do you feel vulnerable?

Absolutely. Im pretty much concentrated on giving the best service I can to people. If they are looking for a product we dont have, Ill pull out my phone and find where they can get it. I give them new information. I really do try to do my best. But when Im in the break room or before I go into work or after I get off, I have concerns. And thats whats made me stay home with no income coming in, looking at the bills coming at the end of the month. I dont have savings, at this point all my credit is approaching max, and Ive got rent coming up in a week or two. I dont know what Im going to do. Do I worry about that, or do I just go ahead and go to work? At this point I dont think its safe. The virus has spread too much in Seattle. I think what finally started to get to me was two days before I made this decision, Amazon cleared up all their offices after an employee got sick. That building was right near my dentists office where I was getting dental care. Its too close. A reasonable person would worry.

I dont want to be glib about a serious situation, but I am curious: Do you have an idea how profitable all this panic buying has been for the stores bottom line?

I know that its doing good business. Ordinarily, we do in the mid-single-digit thousands, and last week we did, I think, $200,000. Its been really good for them financially, but on the other hand, people are being worked to death. You have all these people coming in, and a lot of them are pissed off that they cant find what they need to get, theyre pissed off that they have to wait in line for so long, but no matter what store you go to you run into those issues. Were ordering huge amounts of stuff to try to keep up with the demand.

Are customers still polite despite all of that?

On any given day, over the last four years, you have a few assholes. They feel privileged and entitled, and no matter what you do they take it as an opportunity to mistreat you in some way. But Im finding that because of the panic, everyones a little bit in shock. So theyre very tolerant. Theres a hashtag called #WeGotThisSeattle. If you look on there, its a very reassuring bunch of tweets. Theres a fine dining restaurant thats changing from being a sit-down restaurant to a takeout burger place. Youve got people offering to do grocery runs for each other. Since nobody is coming to concerts, the symphony is doing these live streams on the internet, so you can sit back and watch that. Its amazing to see how people are stepping up. By and large, everybody is trying to help everybody else out, because were all in this together.

Were looking to hear from people who work in the service industry in the US about their experiences related to the coronavirus. Share your story in the form below, and we might use it in an upcoming video, article, or podcast episode. (You can also access the Google form here.)

Excerpt from:

Coronavirus panic is clearing out grocery stores; heres how workers are handling it - Vox.com

SACRAMENTO Across California, as the coronavirus marches through communities, life as everyone understands it in the Golden State is changing dramatically, hour by hour, minute by minute.

The state has begun enacting extreme measures to halt the coronavirus outbreak. On Monday, seven counties around Silicon Valley, one of the hardest-hit areas in the nation, announced a shelter-at-home order that begins Tuesday, which Mayor Sam Liccardo of San Jose said was the strongest directive yet in the United States. Residents, including those living in San Francisco, were told not to go out for three weeks except to meet essential needs.

A day earlier, Gov. Gavin Newsom had told all residents older than 65 to stay in their homes. He called for the closure of bars, nightclubs and wineries, and restrictions on restaurants. He banned visits to hospitals and nursing homes unless patients were on the edge of death. He announced plans to buy hotels to house some of the states 150,000 homeless people.

For days, the virus has consumed the states leaders. In the capital, Mr. Newsom huddled around a conference table with his advisers, scrambling to sort out how 6 million public school children would do if they were not in class.

In the heart of Silicon Valley, Mr. Liccardo raced down the 101 freeway dialing technology executives, begging them to contribute to a fund to prevent people from falling into homelessness.

And in the fields of the Central Valley, the nations breadbasket, Miguel Arias, Fresnos City Council president, inspected the tight living quarters of farmworkers mattresses stacked up in a garage and recoiled at the thought of what would happen if, or more likely when, the virus spreads there.

California, Americas most populous state, with an economy bigger than the United Kingdoms, has been remarkably resilient since the Great Recession, powered by technology, agriculture and Hollywood. No one knows how far the mounting toll from the virus will climb, but California is already one of the hardest-hit states, and stands as one of the places with the most to lose.

The shelter-in-place order announced on Monday, which goes into effect on Tuesday, is expected to disrupt life for millions of residents in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties. The city of Berkeley also issued the same order.

This is not the moment for half-measures, and history wont forgive us for waiting an hour more, Mr. Liccardo said.

Residents are being ordered to stay home except for essential reasons, which include buying food; people can also leave for outdoor activities including walking, hiking or running and caring for a pet.

Mayor Joe Goethals of San Mateo put it this way: Im asking people to go home with their families and to stay there until they are told otherwise.

Mayor London Breed of San Francisco said necessary government offices and essential stores would be allowed to remain open. The order, she said in a Twitter post, would be effective at midnight.

In a state very familiar with disasters, from wildfires to earthquakes, the leaders of California found themselves in recent days confronting something altogether different, with no playbook to lean on.

[Want to get our daily newsletter California Today by email? Heres the sign-up.]

The state that has pioneered the technology that allows people to connect remotely is quickly realizing how much human contact is important not only for the economy but also for the well-being of its residents.

In the time it takes for an email to drop in an inbox, or a news alert to flash across an iPhone screen, school districts, one after another, were closing. Movie productions were shutting down, premieres canceled. At the ports, terminals were shuttered, as fewer ships, loaded with consumer goods and parts for American factories, set sail from China. And exports, poultry and oranges, were piling up on the docks.

Even Disneyland was closing its gates, and the ski lifts stopped running at resorts.

With the sense of crisis growing by the minute, the governors office was confronting a dizzying number of problems.

One moment it was how to prevent renters from being evicted and homeowners from being foreclosed on.

Another, how to expand the states capacity to test for the virus.

And the school closings, designed to enforce social distancing and halt the spread of the virus, raised a number of difficult questions.

In shirt sleeves, and as aides came in and out of the room with news updates, the governor considered how to feed low-income children who rely on free or reduced-price lunches. What about child care for parents who cannot work from home, especially health care workers who are needed at hospitals to treat sick patients?

This is real, Mr. Newsom said while managing the many crises. This is raw.

Mr. Newsom has said he expected the economic damage from the crisis to be worse than the aftermath of 9/11 but not as bad as the financial crisis of 2008, but those assessments are changing by the day. Yet with a $21 billion budget surplus, plus a rainy-day fund of close to $16 billion, Mr. Newsom said he was confident the state could manage the economic fallout from the crisis. We are well positioned from a cash perspective to get through this, he said. More perhaps than any other state.

But at the ground level, the pain is coming fast. Drivers have been laid off and forced to sell their trucks. Those who are still working are putting off oil changes and maintenance to stay afloat.

Were picking and choosing which bills to pay, said Gio Marz, 30, a truck driver who hauls containers from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to warehouses in Southern California.

Restaurants are closing, and real estate agents say buyers are pulling their offers because sagging stock portfolios have left them spooked and shriveled the amount of cash they have for down payments.

Even the most optimistic economists are forecasting a recession. This is the first time in 10 years that Ive thought, OK, this is the thing that could finally tip us into recession, said Chris Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, a consulting firm.

Fallout from the coronavirus has been swift across the state.

At one of Mayor Liccardos favorite Chinese restaurants, Hunan Taste, in San Jose, only two of the 15 tables had customers at a time when the restaurant would normally be overflowing with city hall workers, lawyers and sheriffs deputies. The owner had already laid off two kitchen workers. At an empty Mexican restaurant Mr. Liccardo visited, the head of a local Latino business organization told him business owners were weeks away from shutting down. A nearby fitness studio was empty, and classes were canceled.

This is grim, Mr. Liccardo said. This looks worse than 2008.

Later, in a nearly empty City Hall, he met with three aides, all sitting several feet apart in accordance with the countys social distancing guidelines, and discussed converting school gymnasiums and the hulking city convention center into isolation centers for the sick.

The mayor estimates that 8 percent of city revenues have vanished, blowing up plans for a balanced budget and raising the likelihood of cuts to city programs.

Miles away, in the farming community of Mendota in the Central Valley, Maria Martinezs home, a single-story ranch with brick and stucco siding and solar panels on the roof, would seem an ideal place to hunker down and keep a safe distance from others.

But peek inside, and several single mattresses sit in the garage. Like many of her neighbors, Ms. Martinez, a 57-year-old immigrant from El Salvador, rents out beds for $300 a month to the farmworkers who cycle through town. She crams them in wherever she can find space sometimes there are 20 renters living in 1,100 square feet.

Mr. Arias, the Fresno official who was visiting her, worried the cramped living environment, pervasive around town, would fuel a spread of the coronavirus if it reaches the community.

Theyre living on top of each other, he said. Theres no way that they can honor the six-foot social distance. Thats the most dangerous part.

At La Nayarit, a grocery store and wire transfer operation just outside Mendotas main commercial district, the owners use Clorox wipes on all their counters and door handles at least once every two hours. One of the owners, Baudelia Fuentes, 73, microwaved dollar bills on a recent afternoon, hoping that would disinfect them.

The most anxiety-provoking question around town is, what happens if the virus spreads among farmworkers?

Oh, were done, said Rolando Castro, the mayor of Mendota.

It would threaten not only farm operations, but also the economy of a town with five dollar stores and where 42 percent of families live in poverty. There will not be money to spend in the local pool hall, or at the taco truck across the street. Or at the auto mechanic shop that Mr. Castro owns.

As a sense of crisis convulsed California and the nation, tourists in Southern California enjoyed their last few hours at Disneyland, which was closed as of Saturday. The park has closed only twice before at times of national crisis: after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The weather was overcast, and crowds were noticeably smaller than usual. The line for the popular Space Mountain ride was just over an hour, and the wait for the Matterhorn ride was about 30 minutes. On a normal spring weekday, waits for those rides can be twice as long.

If Im going to get corona, I might as well get it at Disneyland instead of work, said Sami Nielsen while strolling down the parks main street. She traveled to California from Arizona with friends to celebrate her 27th birthday.

After a series of meetings late Friday, Mr. Newsom signed an executive order requiring the state to continue to send money to local districts to pay for distance learning and school meals and to help supervise children while they are out of school.

I am deeply concerned about the capacity of these communities that are shutting down the schools already to meet the needs of their children and parents, he said.

The terrifying backdrop to all of this is the steadily growing number of confirmed infections over the weekend the number of infections in California reached 380 and the certainty they will rise sharply as testing becomes more widespread.

Tests are going to substantially increase, the governor said. Positive rates will substantially increase. The anxiety and concern about anticipating the publics reaction knowing that will heighten anxiety is something we are all trying to manage.

Tim Arango reported from Sacramento, Thomas Fuller from San Jose, John Eligon from Mendota, and Conor Dougherty from Oakland. Louis Keene contributed from Anaheim, and Joe Purtell from Elk Grove.

Continued here:

Shelter in Place: Some Residents in Bay Area Ordered to Stay Home - The New York Times

California called for all people 65 and older to shelter in their homes. Massachusetts moved to ban dining in at bars and restaurants beginning Tuesday, effectively closing Bostons bars for St. Patricks Day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended no gatherings with 50 people or more be held for the next eight weeks. And Puerto Rico set some of the strictest measures in the United States, imposing a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and closing nonessential businesses.

As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States climbed to over 3,100 across 49 states on Sunday, and after weeks of conflicting signals from the federal government, state and local officials across the nation began enacting stricter measures to try to slow the viruss spread.

Massachusetts said that beginning on Tuesday bars and restaurants would be able to offer takeout and delivery only. The state also banned gatherings of more than 25 people and ordered all public and private schools to close Tuesday.

I realize these measures are unprecedented, Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts said Sunday night, but were asking our residents to take a deep breath and understand the rationale behind this guidance.

The state of Ohio ordered restaurants and bars to close as of 9 p.m. Sunday, but said it would allow food to be carried out and delivered. Marylands governor ordered casinos, racetracks and betting facilities to close indefinitely.

Even as public health experts were publicly urging social distancing, Representative Devin Nunes, Republican of California, went on Fox News and encouraged healthy people to dine out at restaurants. Likely you can get in easily, he said. Lets not hurt the working people in this country that are relying on wages and tips to keep their small business going.

And Oklahomas governor was criticized on social media after sharing a selfie on Twitter on Saturday of him with his children having dinner at a packed food hall in the heart of Oklahoma City. In the since-deleted tweet, he captioned the photo with, Eating with my kids and all my fellow Oklahomans at the @CollectiveOKC. Its packed tonight! #supportlocal #OklaProud.

The scope of the public health crisis became even clearer over the weekend as officials in Louisiana, New York and Virginia reported their first deaths tied to the coronavirus. Only West Virginia was without a single diagnosis.

In the Omaha, Neb., area, officials reported the first known instance of community spread. In Illinois, a nursing facility where a woman tested positive was placed on lockdown. And in Pittsburgh, where the first local cases were announced on Saturday, city leaders urged bars to limit the number of people they allowed inside.

New York City officials advised all members of the United Nations diplomatic community that they should assume they have been exposed to the coronavirus, should practice the maximum-possible social distancing and should not expect any special accommodations if they are sickened, according to a memo of a teleconference briefing shared by diplomats.

Two American emergency-room doctors one in Washington State and one in New Jersey were in critical condition with Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, the American College of Emergency Physicians said on Saturday. Dr. William Jaquis, the organizations president, said it was unclear whether the doctor in Washington, who is in his 40s, had contracted the virus at the hospital. The physician in Paterson, N.J., who is 70, had been leading his hospitals emergency preparedness.

The authorities in Texas began preparing judges for the possibility that they may have to be ready to order the quarantine of coronavirus patients who refuse to isolate themselves.

Despite the clearing out of grocery-store shelves in recent days, the nations biggest retailers, dairy farmers and meat producers said the food supply chain remains intact and has been ramping up to meet the stockpiling brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

At a news conference on Sunday afternoon, President Trump said he had had a phone call with the chief executives of several food suppliers, who said they were committed to staying open through the pandemic. He said the call was very reassuring and said there was no need to hoard essential food supplies.

You dont have to buy so much, take it easy, just relax, Mr. Trump said. Were doing great, it all will pass.

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Tracking the Impact of the Coronavirus on the U.S. - The New York Times

The coronavirus is raising a lot of questions for parents, like what does it mean to work from home while parenting young children? Westend61/ Getty Images hide caption

The coronavirus is raising a lot of questions for parents, like what does it mean to work from home while parenting young children?

Updated on March 16 at 1 p.m. ET to reflect new guidance on play dates during school closures. This is an evolving story and guidance from health authorities is evolving quickly.

We are education reporters by day and parents by night (and day). But, in recent weeks, our two worlds have collided, with parents and educators equally concerned about the spread of COVID-19. So here's a quick rundown of some of the great questions we've heard from listeners and readers and the answers we've been able to explore in our reporting. For even more, you can listen to this new episode of NPR's Life Kit podcast.

Q. What's the single most important thing we can do to protect our kids?

Make sure they understand that hand-washing isn't optional. And that means showing them how to do it properly: using soap, warm water and time. Washing should take 20 seconds, which means you may need to help them find a song they can sing (in their heads, maybe twice) like the ABCs or "Happy Birthday" songs. Be sure they wash whenever they come in from outside, before eating, after coughing or sneezing or blowing their nose and, of course, after using the bathroom.

For younger kids, it can't hurt to remind them that nose-picking is a no-go, and that they should cough into their elbows. If you're feeling ambitious, clip their fingernails frequently, as they provide a sneaky hiding spot for viruses. Hand lotion keeps skin comfy and unbroken, which also helps prevent the spread of infection.

A few more ideas: Try laundering things like coats, backpacks and reusable shopping bags more frequently and take off shoes when you come inside. For cleaning the house, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says "diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective."

Q. How do I get my kids to STOP TOUCHING THEIR FACES?

Sorry. This is one of the few questions to which we have no good answer. Because I (Cory) have not yet figured out how to stop touching my own face.

As an experiment, maybe try making them wear scratchy mittens. Or do what I (Anya) did and paint your child's face so you can catch them red-handed, though this could also lead to unwanted faceprints on walls and windows.

Q. This health crisis can be scary. How should we talk about it with kids?

Keep it simple, age-appropriate and fact-based. For example, don't tell your child they won't get COVID-19; you don't know that. Instead, the CDC suggests telling children that, from what doctors have seen so far, most kids aren't getting very sick. In fact, most people who've gotten COVID-19 haven't gotten very sick. Only a small group have had serious problems. And, channeling the great Mr. Rogers: Look for the Helpers. Assure your kids, if they (or someone they love) do get sick, the world is full of grown-ups who will help. And be sure to check out this incredible comic by our colleague, Malaka Gharib. She made it specifically for kids who may be scared or confused about coronavirus.

Q. With racist incidents toward Asians and Asian Americans, is this a teaching moment for social justice?

Absolutely. We must remind the children in our lives that viruses can make anyone sick, regardless of a person's race or ethnicity. No matter where scientists first documented COVID-19, this outbreak isn't anyone's fault. Similarly, just because someone looks different or talks differently, doesn't mean they are at a higher risk of getting the coronavirus or spreading it. And let children know that if they hear language in school or on the playground that suggests otherwise, they should be sure to let you know.

Q. Why is/isn't my school being closed?

Closing schools is a complicated decision. Many school leaders and public health officials seem to be waiting for an infection or potential infection in their immediate school community before closing. While the science suggests closing schools earlier is more effective at slowing the spread of disease, it's important to understand why so many school leaders are so reluctant to close schools.

For one thing, parents should understand that for many kids in the United States, being sent home from school is also a public health risk. Many children may not have parents who can take off work, or work from home, if school is canceled. They may also live in unsafe neighborhoods. Millions of U.S. children rely on schools for free or reduced-price meals, too, and 1.5 million schoolchildren nationwide are housing-insecure. For many of these kids, having to miss several weeks of school could be incredibly destabilizing.

One more thing: Rest assured that the decision to close schools is not being taken lightly and is being made in conjunction with local public health officials. Emphasis on local this decision is being made school by school, district by district.

Q. What do we do if school is canceled?

Many parents and caregivers will have to scramble for child care, especially low-wage workers who may not have vacation or sick leave. If you're not one of those parents, try to do something to help those who are. School closure can last two weeks or more; flexibility and empathy will help us all through this.

For parents who can stay home, many are wondering: What exactly is "social distancing?" Can my children still go on play dates? Or is it screen time, all the time?

The idea with closing schools is to limit the number of social contacts. That is what is going to be most effective in slowing the spread of this disease.

The guidance on this point from public health authorities is evolving quickly, and typically towards being more strict about this rather than less.

NPR spoke to Marco Ajelli and Maria Litvinova, two scholars who have published several papers on school closures in epidemics. Litvinova had this to say:

"If the school is closed for a certain amount of time, even if it's long and difficult for parents to organize the care, it's important that they do not regroup children again because the effect of the school closure will be much less."

She says new research looking at the origins of the coronavirus outbreak in Hubei Province in China, as well as her own work looking at school closures due to flu outbreaks in Russia, suggests that limiting contacts to the size of the household, plus at most one other person, is ideal.

Ajelli echoed Litvinova: "To limit contact to two to three persons per day probably is enough to stop the epidemic to spread substantially." So depending on the size of your family, that could be it.

Families across the country are getting very creative with virtual play dates using video chat as well as platforms like Roblox, which allows kids to chat while playing a video game together.

Some public health authorities have suggested that for older children who can respect social distancing, outdoor meetups in open spaces might be permissible. But this hasn't been specifically studied, our sources say.

Q. What does it mean to work from home and parent young (preschool and elementary) kids that are home as a result of school closures at the same time? Disney+ all day everyday???

Common Sense Media is a great resource for quality screen-time recommendations both free and paid, educational and purely recreational including privacy tips. I (Anya) like Duolingo for language learning, Tynker for coding and Khan Academy for academic subjects. Epic is a subscription service with endless books and comics for tablets, searchable by age.

As we said, you can also get creative with video chat. In addition to checking in with grandparents, try setting up a remote play date for your kids. Some long-distance families stay connected with a Zoom or Google hangout portal that just stays open. Try playing hide-and-seek by carrying a laptop around the house!

Also, if school's been canceled, think about using video chat to continue learning opportunities: piano lessons, tutoring or Sunday school with your child's regular teacher. A company called Outschool does live online classes for kids.

There are even physical screen-time options. GoNoodle offers both physical dance/movement and meditation videos, and this is a great time for everyone in the family to learn TikTok dances like the Renegade.

Special note on teens and screens: Online spaces are their social spaces and it's good to respect that. Take this as an opportunity to learn more about their online worlds. Help them bust rumors and disinformation. (Check out this free online module to become an expert detector of coronavirus hoaxes.) Check in with their mental health. Be a media mentor.

Q. What about non-screen activities?

Yes! Getting outside isn't just a good idea, it's good for your physical and mental health. Go for a walk, a bike ride or, if possible, a family hike.

And here's a wild card: While everyone's home, try giving the kids more responsibility around the house, including cooking a meal or doing the laundry. And cleaning there's going to be a lot of cleaning to do!

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8 Things Parents Should Know About The Coronavirus: Life Kit - NPR

MADRID The scene is becoming all too familiar, and now it has gripped Spain: Streets are empty, shops are shuttered, families are cloistered at home and the numbers of those infected with the coronavirus, and those who have died, are growing.

Spain like Italy and France to varying degrees is now on lockdown, struggling to contain a virus that already seems out of control, with about 8,000 people infected and almost 300 dead. In the center of Madrid, police patrolled the streets, with few cars passing along its main artery, the Castellana. In Barcelona, the Gothic Quarter was empty, and private security kept anyone from entering the cathedral.

Spains prime minister, Pedro Snchez, said he was imposing drastic measures to fight the coronavirus, forcing people to stay indoors, with exemptions only for so-called exceptional circumstances.

The situation is no joke, said Sergio Gonzlez, 26, as he walked his dog in Barcelona, a mask covering his face.

Spains 47 million citizens had another concern, too, one that has echoed across the West: how to balance democratic values and practices while trying to change peoples behavior to safeguard their health.

That debate, which has surfaced in countries from Israel to France, has special resonance for the Spanish, after a transition to democracy only in the late 1970s. It has also exasperated tensions between the central government, which is imposing strict measures of social control, and some regional governments that have long bristled at Madrids interference in their affairs.

For the Spanish, the coronavirus has also highlighted their fractured political scene. A left-wing minority government came to power promising to curtail the authority of the police to control public gatherings which increased under a 2015 law introduced by a previous, conservative administration only to step up police powers.

The majority of the Spanish population wants to overcome this virus as soon as possible, so Im convinced the majority will comply with the stay-at-home rules, said Prime Minister Snchez when he declared a state of emergency on Saturday.

For the moment, at least, it looked like Spaniards had accepted the limits on civil liberties in order to defeat the coronavirus.

While bakeries and small supermarkets remained open, as providers of essential food supplies, some shopkeepers said they initially did not know what to do.

Is jamn a primary need? asked Pol Aranda, a seller of Spanish ham at a gourmet store near Barcelonas City Hall, who was ordered by the police to close on Sunday.

As he rolled down the shops curtain at midday, Mr. Aranda tried to end on a light note.

All the regional officials and public employees working nearby came to stockpile a lot of food yesterday, so it looks like for some, its definitely essential, he said.

Since its return to democracy after the 1975 death of Gen. Francisco Franco, the Spanish government has had a state of emergency only once, in 2010, when air traffic controllers held a wildcat strike. Military intervention swiftly reopened the countrys airports.

This time, the main opposition party agreed on the need to take such measures, lambasting Mr. Snchez as having acted too late but saying it would probably approve an extension after the order expires in 15 days.

Still, there was concern about enforcement as regional tensions rose to the surface.

Politicians in the Catalan and Basque regions where there have been strong independence movements have insisted that the state of emergency should not be used to take over their specific regional powers, which include running their own police forces and managing hospitals.

On Sunday, the local news media were already reporting some law-and-order contradictions. While police officers in Madrid let off some cyclists with a warning for taking an illegal leisure ride, Catalan officers fined cyclists instead.

Many locals were struggling to understand Spains new order, with many questions left unanswered and a lack of clarity over who would be punished for breaking rules.

An Uber driver in Madrid said she was afraid to take clients and wondered if drivers would also be held responsible if the police decided a passenger should not have been out.

Jorge Muoz, a bank employee in Madrid, said he was unsure how much the lockdown would impact his joint custody agreement for his son.

I would normally take him to school on Monday, but the school is, of course, shut, he said. Im not sure if Im going to get stopped by police for driving him to his mothers instead.

One of the immediate challenges for police officers on Sunday was to persuade tourists to abide by the new rules. Some seemed to see the measures as another major blow to the principles of the European Union, built on the idea of removing borders on the Continent.

We are so used to free movement in Europe that the only way authorities can make us follow an order seems to be by putting the police out in the streets, said Leonie Missfeldt, a 24-year-old German student who was taking a last walk by the beach in Barcelona before heading home on Monday.

Marika Shinozuka and Kazuki Hayashi, both from Japan, said they wanted to squeeze in more sightseeing before leaving Barcelona on Monday, earlier than planned.

Were wearing our masks and being careful, Ms. Shinozuka said as she posed in front of a mural depicting Uncle Sam and the message I Want You To Stay Home! We are all in the same boat now.

Raphael Minder reported from Madrid, and Elian Peltier from Barcelona.

Link:

Spain, on Lockdown, Weighs Liberties Against Containing Coronavirus - The New York Times

Coronavirus science and news

Updated March 14 with new vaccine information.

COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, has spread to every continent except Antarctica. Not too long after the virus was first discovered at the end of December, labs turned their sights toward treatment.

Currently, however, there is no cure for this coronavirus, and treatments are based on the kind of care given for influenza (seasonal flu) and other severe respiratory illnesses, known as "supportive care," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These treatments essentially treat the symptoms, which often in the case of COVID-19 involve fever, cough and shortness of breath. In mild cases, this might simply mean rest and fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) for comfort.

In hospitals, doctors and nurses are sometimes treating COVID-19 patients with the antiviral drug oseltamivir, or Tamiflu, which seems to suppress the virus' reproduction in at least some cases. This is somewhat surprising, Michigan Tech virologist Ebenezer Tumban told Live Science, as Tamiflu was designed to target an enzyme on the influenza virus, not on coronaviruses. The National Institutes of Health has begun a clinical trial at the University of Nebraska Medical Center to test the antiviral remdesivir for COVID-19, the agency announced Feb. 25. In China, doctors are also testing an array of other antivirals originally designed to treat Ebola and HIV, Nature Biotechnology reported.

In cases in which pneumonia inhibits breathing, treatment involves ventilation with oxygen. Ventilators blow air into the lungs through a mask or a tube inserted directly into the windpipe. A New England Journal of Medicine study of 1,099 hospitalized patients with the coronavirus in China found that 41.3% needed supplemental oxygen and 2.3% needed invasive mechanical ventilation. Glucocorticoids were given to 18.6% of patients, a treatment often used to reduce inflammation and help open airways during respiratory disease.

There is no vaccine for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Scientists are working to develop one, Hilary Marston, a medical officer and policy advisor at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said in a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health webcast on Monday (March 2).

As of March 14, doctors in Seattle are recruiting volunteers to participate in a clinical trial for an experimental vaccine for COVID-19 that's being developed by the biotechnology company Moderna Therapeutics. However, biomedical ethicists are concerned that a critical step in vaccine development was skipped. In order to fast-track the vaccine, the researchers didnt first show that it triggered an immune response in animals, a step that is normally required before human testing, Live Science previously reported.

The researchers did begin testing the experimental vaccine on lab mice on the same day they started recruiting people for the clinical trial, Stat News reported. The mice did show an immune response that was similar to the one triggered by an experimental vaccine for a related coronavirus MERS-CoV. (Vaccines work by priming your immune system to recognize a virus like SARS-CoV-2 as an enemy and put up an attack against it.)

Related: How this experimental vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 would work

Even so, doctors aren't sure how much this "fast-tracking" will speed up the time it takes to develop and bring such a vaccine to market.

Before this experimental vaccine was in the works, Marston had said not to expect a vaccine in the near term. "If everything moves as quickly as possible, the soonest that it could possibly be is about one-and-a-half to two years. That still might be very optimistic," Marston said.

The novel coronavirus, now called SARS-CoV-2, causes the disease COVID-19. The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, on Dec. 31, 2019, though it seems to have been spreading well before that date. Since then, it has spread to every continent except Antarctica. The death rate appears to be higher than that of the seasonal flu, but it also varies by location as well as a person's age, underlying health conditions, among other factors. For instance, in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, the death rate reached 2.9%, whereas it was just 0.4% in other provinces in China, according to a study published Feb. 18 in the China CDC Weekly.

Scientists aren't certain where the virus originated, though they know that coronaviruses (which also include SARS and MERS) are passed between animals and humans. Research comparing the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 with a viral database suggests it originated in bats. Since no bats were sold at the seafood market in Wuhan at the diseases epicenter, researchers suggest an intermediate animal, possibly the pangolin (an endangered mammal) is responsible for the transmission to humans. There are currently no treatments for the disease, but labs are working on various types of treatments, including a vaccine.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Is there a cure for the new coronavirus? - Livescience.com

As the nations risk advisor, CISA brings our partners in industry and the full power of the federal government together to improve American cyber and infrastructure security.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has beenmonitoring the evolving Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19 situation closely, taking part in interagency and industry coordination calls, and working with critical infrastructure partners to prepare for possible disruptions to critical infrastructure that may stem from widespread illness, should the virus take hold in the U.S.

CISA continues to work closely with federal partners to prepare the nation for possible impacts of a COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. This whole-of-nation effort is led by Health and Human Services through the Centers for Disease Control, with all other agencies, including CISA, in a support role.

The first and best source of authoritative information on COVID-19 is coronavirus.gov, where visitors will find information on the virus itself, situation updates, and tailored information for audiences including communities, schools, and businesses, as well as others.

Of note, CDC has posted interim guidance for businesses and employers to plan and respond to COVID-19, and CDC will update this interim guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available.

Check back for updates and additional information

GSA has created a landing page on USA.gov for government-wide information related to COVID-19 activities.The page is located at https://www.usa.gov/coronavirus and the Spanish page is at https://gobierno.usa.gov/coronavirus.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts in preparedness and readiness have facilitated a speedy, whole-of-government response in confronting COVID-19, keeping Americans safe, and helping detect and slow the spread of the virus. Learn more at https://www.dhs.gov/coronavirus.

The CISA Insights: Risk Management for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)provides executives a tool to help them think through physical, supply chain, and cybersecurity issues that may arise from the spread of Novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 has been detected in locations around the world, including multiple areas throughout the U.S. This is a rapidly evolving situation and for more information, visit the CDCs COVID-19 Situation Summary.

On March 6, 2020 the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released an alert reminding individuals to remain vigilant for scams related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Cyber actors may send emails with malicious attachments or links to fraudulent websites to trick victims into revealing sensitive information or donating to fraudulent charities or causes. Exercise caution in handling any email with a COVID-19-related subject line, attachment, or hyperlink, and be wary of social media pleas, texts, or calls related to COVID-19.

CISA encourages individuals to remain vigilant and take the following precautions.

On March 13, 2020, CISA released an alert encouraging organizations to adopt a heightened state of cybersecurity when considering alternate workplace options for their employees. Remote work optionsor teleworkrequire an enterprise virtual private network (VPN) solution to connect employees to an organizations information technology (IT) network.

The following are cybersecurity considerations regarding telework.

CISA encourages organizations to review the following recommendations when considering alternate workplace options.

WASHINGTON - CISA will continue to support our partners at HHS as they protect their IT systems. CISA has taken a number of steps over the last several weeks to increase cybersecurity preparedness across federal civilian agencies, including enhanced monitoring, issuing recommendations as agencies shift to telework, and identifying and protecting particularly important systems supporting COVID response efforts. Were confident that the measures weve all put into place are sufficient, and we will stay on the lookout for and defend against malicious activity.

See more here:

Coronavirus | CISA

The 201920 coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).[3] The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019 and recognised as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020.[4] As of 16 March, more than 183,000 cases of the disease have been reported in over 160 countries and territories, resulting in more than 7,100 deaths and around 79,000 recoveries.[2] Regions affected by major outbreaks include mainland China, Europe, Iran, South Korea, and the United States.[2] On 13 March, the WHO stated that Europe had become the new epicentre of the pandemic.[5]

The virus primarily spreads between people in a similar manner to influenza, via respiratory droplets from coughing or exhaling.[6][7][8] People are thought to be most contagious when symptomatic, though some spread might be possible before symptoms show.[9][10] The time between exposure and symptom onset is typically five days, but may range from two to fourteen days.[8][11] Common symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.[8][11] Complications may include pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, but research is ongoing. Efforts are aimed at managing symptoms and supportive therapy. Recommended preventive measures include handwashing, covering the mouth when coughing, maintaining distance from other people (particularly those who are unwell), and monitoring and self-isolation for fourteen days for people who suspect they are infected.[7][8][12]

Efforts to prevent spread have included travel restrictions, quarantines, curfews, event postponements and cancellations, and facility closures. These include a quarantine of Hubei, the nationwide quarantines of Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Germany,[13] curfew measures in China and South Korea,[14][15][16] various border closures or incoming passenger restrictions,[17][18] screening methods at airports and train stations,[19] and travel advisories regarding regions with community spread.[20][21][22][23]Schools and universities have closed either on a nationwide or local basis in at least 61 countries, affecting around 600million students.[24]

Effects of the pandemic include social and economic instability,[25]xenophobia and racism against Chinese and East Asian people, closure of religious institutions, cancelling or postponing of sporting and cultural events,[26] as well as the online spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories about the virus.[27][28][29]

On 31 December 2019, a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown cause was reported by health authorities in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, China,[149] and an investigation was launched in early January 2020.[150] These cases mostly had links to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which also sold live animals; consequently, the virus is thought to have a zoonotic origin.[151] The virus that caused the outbreak is known as SARS-CoV-2, a new virus closely related to bat coronaviruses,[152]pangolin coronaviruses[153] and SARS-CoV.[154] It is believed that the virus possibly originated in horseshoe bats (genus Rhinolophus).[155]

The earliest person with symptoms was traced back to 1 December 2019, someone who did not have connections with the later cluster linked to the wet market.[156][157] Of the early cluster of cases reported in December 2019, two-thirds were found to have a link with the market.[1][158][159] On 14 March 2020, an unverified report from the South China Morning Post said that a 55-year-old from Hubei province could have been the first person who contracted the disease on 17 November.[160][161]

On 26 February 2020, the WHO reported that, as new cases reportedly dropped in China but suddenly increased in Italy, Iran, and South Korea, the number of new cases outside China had exceeded the number of new cases in China for the first time.[162]

There may be substantial underreporting of cases, particularly among those with milder symptoms.[163][164] Reported numbers may also reflect local decisions on whom and when to test. As an example, on 13 March 2020, the UK reported 798 confirmed cases, but health officials estimated the actual number of people infected was probably between 5,000 and 10,000.[165]

As of 26 February, "very few" cases have been reported among youth.[11] A report from the WHO noted that those 19 and under made up just 2.4 percent of cases worldwide.[166]

WHO has recognised that it is the first known pandemic that can be controlled in at least several world regions.[4]

Among those who died from the disease, the time from development of symptoms to death was between 6 and 41 days, with a median of 14 days.[11]

As of 16March2020[update], more than 7,100 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19.[2] According to China's NHC, most of those who died were elderly about 80% of deaths were in those over 60, and 75% had pre-existing health conditions including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.[167]

The first confirmed death was on 9 January 2020 in Wuhan.[168] The first death outside China occurred on 1 February in the Philippines,[169][170] and the first death outside Asia was in France.[171] By 28 February, outside mainland China, more than a dozen deaths were recorded in each of Iran, South Korea and Italy.[172][173][174] By 13 March, over 40 countries and territories had reported deaths, on every continent (except Antarctica).[175]

Growth in total confirmed cases

Semi-log plot of daily new confirmed cases by region: Hubei Province, mainland China excluding Hubei, the rest of the world (ROW), and the world total[176][177]

Semi-log plot of coronavirus daily deaths by region: Hubei Province, mainland China excluding Hubei, the rest of the world (ROW), and the world total[176][177]

Case fatality rates by age group in China. Data through 11 February 2020.[178]

The severity of diagnosed COVID-19 cases in China[179]

Symptoms of COVID-19 are non-specific and those infected may either be asymptomatic or develop flu like symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, or muscle pain. The typical signs and symptoms and their prevalence, are shown in the corresponding table.[180]

Further development can lead to severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, septic shock and death. Some of those infected may be asymptomatic, returning test results that confirm infection but show no clinical symptoms, so researchers have issued advice that those with close contact to confirmed infected people should be closely monitored and examined to rule out infection.[1][181][182][183]

The usual incubation period (the time between infection and symptom onset) ranges from one to fourteen days; it is most commonly five days.[184][185] In one case, it had an incubation period of 27 days.[186]

The primary mode of transmission is via respiratory droplets that people exhale, for example when coughing or sneezing.[6][187][188] Droplets stay suspended in the air for only a short time but may stay viable and contagious on a metal, glass or plastic surface.[189] Details for the virus are not available as of 26February2020[update], and it is assumed that they are similar to other coronaviruses, which survive for up to nine days at room temperature.[190]Disinfection of surfaces is possible with substances such as 6271% ethanol, 50100% isopropanol, 0.2% sodium hypochlorite, 0.5% hydrogen peroxide, and 0.27.5% povidone-iodine, applied for one minute; benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine gluconate are less effective.[190]

The WHO has stated that the risk of spread from someone without symptoms is "very low". However, if someone has beginning symptoms and a mild cough, there is a risk of transmission.[191]

There have been estimates for the basic reproduction number (the average number of people an infected person is likely to infect), ranging from 2.13[192] to 4.82.[193][194] This is similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV).[195]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, first isolated from three people with pneumonia connected to the cluster of acute respiratory illness cases in Wuhan.[154]

SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to the original SARS-CoV.[196] It is thought to have a zoonotic origin. Genetic analysis has revealed that the coronavirus genetically clusters with the genus Betacoronavirus, in subgenus Sarbecovirus (lineage B) together with two bat-derived strains. It is 96% identical at the whole genome level to other bat coronavirus samples (BatCov RaTG13).[180][197] In February 2020, Chinese researchers found that there is only one amino acid difference in certain genome sequences between the viruses found in pangolins and those from humans, implying that pangolins may have been an intermediate host.[198]

Infection by the virus can be provisionally diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, though confirmation is ultimately by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) of infected secretions (71% sensitivity) and CT imaging (98% sensitivity).[199]

The WHO has published several RNA testing protocols for SARS-CoV-2, with the first issued on 17 January.[200][201][202][203] Testing uses real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR).[204] The test can be done on respiratory or blood samples.[205] Results are generally available within a few hours to days.[206][207]

A person is considered at risk if they have travelled to an area with ongoing community transmission within the previous 14 days, or have had close contact with an infected person. Common key indicators include fever, coughing and shortness of breath. Other possible indicators include fatigue, myalgia, anorexia, sputum production and sore throat.[208]

Characteristic imaging features on radiographs and computed tomography have been described in a limited case series.[209] The Italian Radiological Society is compiling an international online database of imaging findings for confirmed cases.[210] However, due to overlap with other infections such as adenovirus, imaging without confirmation by PCR is of limited use in identifying COVID-19.[209]

Strategies for preventing transmission of the disease include overall good personal hygiene, hand washing, avoiding touching the eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands, coughing/sneezing into a tissue and putting the tissue directly into a dustbin and (for those who may already have the infection) wearing a surgical mask in public.[211][212][213]Social distancing measures are also recommended to prevent transmission.[214][215]

Many governments advise against all non-essential travel to countries and areas affected by the outbreak.[216] China has banned the trading and consumption of wild animals.[217]

Health care providers taking care of someone who may be infected are recommended to use standard precautions, contact precautions and airborne precautions with eye protection.[218]

Contact tracing is an important method for health authorities to determine the source of an infection and to prevent further transmission.[219] Misconceptions are circulating about how to prevent infection, for example: rinsing the nose and gargling with mouthwash are not effective.[220]

As of 13 March 2020, there is no COVID-19 vaccine though a number of organizations are working to develop one.[221]

Handwashing is recommended to prevent the spread of the disease. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the toilet or when hands are visibly dirty; before eating; and after blowing one's nose, coughing, or sneezing. It further recommended using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol by volume when soap and water are not readily available.[211] The WHO also advises people to avoid touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.[212][222]

Health organisations recommended that people cover their mouth and nose with a bent elbow or a tissue when coughing or sneezing (the tissue should then be disposed of immediately).[212][223]

The use of surgical masks by those who may be infected has been recommended,[224][225][226] as they can limit the volume and travel distance of expiratory droplets dispersed when talking, sneezing and coughing.[227] The WHO has issued instructions on when and how to use masks.[228]

Masks have also been recommended for use by those taking care of someone who may have the disease.[226] Masks are not recommended for most people. There is limited evidence that the wearing of surgical masks by uninfected people at low risk is effective,[226] although they may help people avoid touching their face. Surgical masks are the lowest grade of protection, and are designed mainly to protect others from the wearer. Masks designed to protect the wearer are technically "respirators", though calling them "masks" is common. Only China has specifically recommended the use of masks by healthy members of the public.[176][227][229] Nevertheless, face masks have been widely used by healthy people in Hong Kong,[230] Japan,[231] Malaysia,[232] and Singapore.[233][234]

Social distancing includes infection control actions intended to slow the spread of disease by minimising close contact between individuals. Methods include quarantines; travel restrictions; and the closing of schools, workplaces, stadiums, theatres, or shopping centres. Individuals may also apply social distancing methods by staying at home, limiting travel, avoiding crowded areas, not shaking hands, and physically distancing themselves from others.[235][236][237] Many governments are now mandating or recommending social distancing in regions affected by the outbreak.[238][239][240]

Older adults and those with serious chronic conditions face increased risk of serious illness and complications and have been advised by the US CDC to avoid crowds and stay home as much as possible in areas of community outbreak.[241]

Self-isolation at home has been recommended for those diagnosed with COVID-19 and those who suspect they have been infected.[242]

It is presumed that the virus has reached the stage of community spread in large parts of the world. This means that the virus is spreading within communities whose members have not travelled to areas with widespread transmission. Government health agencies recommend that individuals self-isolate if they develop a continuous cough or a high-temperature fever. The self-isolation period should last for at least 14 days but preferably longer.[243]Additionally, individuals who have recently travelled to a country with widespread transmission or who have been in direct contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 have also been asked by some government health agencies to self-quarantine or practise social distancing for 14 days from the time of last possible exposure.[7][8][244]

The National Health Services has recommended that those self-quarantining at home stay two meters away from others within the household. Individuals undergoing self-quarantine should avoid contact with the elderly and chronically ill. People that self-quarantine should regularly wash their hands so that they don't spread the disease to others in the house or onto surfaces and objects that others will touch. As long as symptoms don't significantly worsen health services shouldn't be contacted.[242]

There are two basic strategies in the control of an outbreak: containment and mitigation. Containment is done in the early stages of the outbreak, and aims to trace and isolate those infected to stop the disease from spreading to the rest of the population. When it is no longer possible to contain the spread of the disease, efforts then move to the mitigation stage, when measures are taken to slow the spread and mitigate its effects on the health care system and society. A combination of both containment and mitigation measures may be undertaken at the same time.[247]

Part of managing an infectious disease outbreak is trying to decrease the epidemic peak, known as flattening the epidemic curve.[245] This decreases the risk of health services being overwhelmed and provides more time for vaccines and treatments to be developed.[245] Non-pharmaceutical interventions that may manage the outbreak include personal preventive measures, such as hand hygiene, wearing face-masks and self-quarantine; community measures aimed at social distancing such as closing schools and cancelling mass gathering events; community engagement to encourage acceptance and participation in such interventions; as well as environmental measures such surface cleaning.

More drastic actions were taken in China once the severity of the outbreak became apparent, such as quarantining entire cities affecting 60 million individuals in Hubei, and strict travel bans.[249] Other countries adopted a variety of measures aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. For example, South Korea introduced mass screening, localised quarantines, and issuing alerts on the movements of affected individuals. Singapore provided financial support for those infected who quarantine themselves and imposed large fines for those who failed to do so. Taiwan increased face-mask production, and penalised hoarding of medical supplies.[250] Some countries require people to report flu-like symptoms to their doctor, especially if they have visited mainland China.[251]

There are no specific antiviral medications, but development efforts are underway. Attempts to relieve the symptoms may include taking regular (over-the-counter) cold medications,[252] drinking fluids, and resting.[211] Depending on the severity, oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids and breathing support may be required.[253] The use of steroids may worsen outcomes.[254] Several compounds, which were previously approved for treatment of other viral diseases, such as favipiravir, ribavirin, remdesivir,[255] and galidesivir, are being investigated.[256][257]

The first known case of the novel coronavirus was traced back to 1 December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China.[156] A later unconfirmed claim, citing Chinese government documents, suggests that the first victim was a 55-year-old man who fell ill on 17 November 2019.[258][under discussion] Within the next month, the number of coronavirus cases in Hubei gradually increased to a couple hundred, before rapidly increasing in January 2020. On 31 December 2019, the virus had caused enough cases of unknown pneumonia to be reported to health authorities in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, China,[149] and an investigation into the illness began early in the following month.[150] These were mostly linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which also sold live animals, consequently the virus is thought to have a zoonotic origin.[151]

During the early stages, the number of cases doubled approximately every seven and a half days.[259] In early and mid-January 2020, the virus spread to other Chinese provinces, helped by the Chinese New Year migration, with Wuhan being a transport hub and major rail interchange in China; infected people quickly spread throughout the country.[180] On 20 January, China reported nearly 140 new cases in a day, including two people in Beijing and one in Shenzhen.[260] Later official data shows that 6,174 people had already developed symptoms by 20 January 2020.[261]

On 30 January, the WHO declared the outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.[262] Its director, Tedros Adhanom, has maintained his praise of China's response to the virus as of 24 February "to avoid a significant number of cases", despite the disease's potential to have sustained community transmission in other world regions.[263]

On 13 March, the WHO declared Europe to be the new centre of the pandemic, after the rate of new cases in Europe surpassed those recorded in other regions of the world apart from China.[264] By 16 March 2020, the total number of cases reported around the world outside China had exceeded that of Mainland China.[265] As of 16March2020[update], over 183,000 cases have been reported worldwide; more than 7,100 people have died; and over 79,000 have recovered.[2] There is thought to be a substantial underreporting of cases, particularly of cases with milder symptoms or no symptoms.[266][267]

As of 29 February, apart from mainland China, the epidemic had spread to several other countries around the world, with the most affected being South Korea, Italy and Iran. National response measures have included containment measures such as quarantines and curfews.[268]

The first person known to have fallen ill due to the new virus was in Wuhan on 1 December 2019.[156] A public notice on the outbreak was released on 31 December.[269] WHO was informed of the outbreak on the same day.[149] In late December, a group of eight medical personnel posted warnings but were warned by Wuhan police for "spreading rumours" for likening the virus to SARS.[270][271] By 7 January, the Chinese Government were discussing prevention and control of COVID-19.[272][273] In the early stages of the outbreak, Chinese National Health Commission said that they had no "clear evidence" of human-to-human transmissions.[274]

The Chinese Communist Party launched an aggressive campaign described by the Party general secretary Xi Jinping as a "people's war" to contain the spread of the virus.[275] In what has been described as "the largest quarantine in human history",[276] a quarantine was announced on 23 January stopping travel in and out of Wuhan,[277] which was extended to a total of 15 cities in Hubei.[278] Private vehicle use was banned in the city.[279]Chinese New Year (25 January) celebrations were cancelled in many places.[280] The authority announced the construction a temporary hospital Huoshenshan Hospital, which was completed in 10 days, and 14 temporary hospitals were constructed in China in total.[281]

On 26 January, the Communist Party and the government instituted further measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, including health declarations for travellers and changes to national holidays.[282] The leading group decided to extend the Spring Festival holiday to contain the outbreak.[283] Universities and schools around the country were also closed.[284][285][286] The regions of Hong Kong and Macau instituted several measures, particularly in regard to schools and universities.[287] Remote working measures were instituted in several Chinese regions.[288] Various travel restrictions were enacted.[288][289] Other provinces and cities outside Hubei imposed travel restrictions. Public transport was modified,[290][288] and museums throughout China were temporarily closed.[291][292]

After the outbreak entered its global phase in March, many Chinese students studying in Europe and the United States have returned home as the domestic daily new cases in China declined. Chinese authorities has taken strict measures to prevent the virus from "importing" from other countries. For example, Beijing has imposed a 14-day mandatory quarantine for all international travellers entering the city.[293]

The early response by the Wuhan authorities was criticised as prioritising a control of information that might be unfavorable for local officials over public safety, and the Chinese government was also criticised for cover-ups and downplaying the initial discovery and severity of the outbreak.[294]Whistleblowing from various Chinese doctors, including Li Wenliang on 30 December revealed that Wuhan hospital authorities were already aware that the virus was a SARS-like coronavirus and patients were already placed under quarantine.[295] However, news of the outbreak was dismissed as "rumor mongering" by the Wuhan Public Security Bureau.[296][297] By the time China had informed the WHO of the new coronavirus on 31 December, The New York Times reported that the government was still keeping "its own citizens in the dark".[298][299] Observers have also blamed the institutional censorship structure of the country's press that left senior officials with inaccurate information on the outbreak and "contributed to a prolonged period of inaction that allowed the virus to spread".[298][299] Some experts doubted the accuracy of the number of cases reported by the Chinese government, which repeatedly changed how it counted coronavirus cases.[300][301][302] The Chinese government has also been accused of rejecting help from the CDC and the WHO.[303]

Although criticisms have been levelled at the aggressive response of China to the virus,[304] China's actions have also been praised by some foreign leaders such as U.S. President Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel[305] and Russian president Vladimir Putin.[306][307] The director of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Chinese government "for the extraordinary measures it has taken to contain the outbreak",[308] and a later WHO report described China's response as "perhaps the most ambitious, agile and aggressive disease containment effort in history".[309] According to a media report on 16 March, the economy in China was very hard-hit in the first two months of 2020 due to the measures taken by the government to curtail virus spread, and retail sales plunged 20.5%[310]

The outbreak was confirmed to have spread to Italy on 31 January, when two Chinese tourists tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Rome.[311] In response, the Italian government suspended all flights to and from China and declared a state of emergency.[312] On 31 January, the Italian Council of Ministers appointed Angelo Borrelli, head of the Civil Protection, as Special Commissioner for the COVID-19 Emergency.[313][314] An unassociated cluster of COVID-19 cases was later further detected starting with 16 confirmed cases in Lombardy on 21 February.[315]

On 22 February, the Council of Ministers announced a new decree-law to contain the outbreak, including quarantining more than 50,000 people from 11 different municipalities in northern Italy.[316] Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said "In the outbreak areas, entry and exit will not be provided. Suspension of work activities and sports events has already been ordered in those areas."[317][318]

On 4 March, the Italian government ordered the full closure of all schools and universities nationwide as Italy reached 100 deaths. All major sporting events, including Serie A football matches, will be held behind closed doors until April.[319] On 9 March, all sport was suspended completely for at least one month.[320] On 11 March, Prime Minister Conte ordered stoppage of nearly all commercial activity except supermarkets and pharmacies.[321][322]

On 6 March, the Italian College of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) published medical ethics recommendations regarding triage protocols that might be employed.[323][324][325] As of 16March2020[update], there were 27,980 confirmed cases, 2,158 deaths and 2,729 recoveries in Italy.[326] On 16 March it was reported that in the last 24 hours 368 people have died of the virus. After China it is the worst hit country by the coronavirus.[327]

South Korea confirmed its first case on 20 January. There was a large increase in cases on 20 February,[328] potentially attributable to a gathering in Daegu of a new religious movement known as the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.[328][329][330]

A hospital was suspected by some as propagating the outbreak.[331][332] As of 22 February, among 9,336 followers of the church, 1,261 reported symptoms.[333] A petition was circulated requesting the church's disbandment.[334] On 28 February, over 2,000 confirmed cases were reported,[335] rising to 3,150 on 29 February.[336]

All South Korean military bases were on quarantine after tests confirmed that three soldiers were indeed positive for the virus.[331] Airline schedules were also affected and therefore they were changed.[337][338]

More than 1.5million South Koreans have signed a petition to impeach President Moon Jae-in over what they claim is the government's mishandling of the outbreak.[339]On 13 March, it was reported that South Korea is using a drive-thru method for testing for the virus. The test takes 10 minutes to do, and the results are available the next day.[340]

North Korea closed its border with China in January. The North Korean government officially denied to the WHO that they had any cases, but South Korean sources estimate at least 180 to 200 deaths among the army alone, not counting those among the civilian population. There is no estimate of those merely infected.[341]

Iran reported its first confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections on 19 February in Qom, where according to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, two people had died later that day.[342][343] Early measures announced by the government included the cancellation of concerts and other cultural events,[344] sporting events,[345] and Friday prayers,[346] closure of universities, higher education institutions and schools,[347] and allocated 5trillion rials to combat the virus.[348] President Hassan Rouhani said on 26 February 2020 that there were no plans to quarantine areas affected by the outbreak, and only individuals would be quarantined.[349]Shia shrines in Qom remained open to pilgrims.[350]

Iran became a centre of the spread of the virus after China.[351][352] Amidst claims of a cover-up of the extent of the outbreak in the country,[353] over ten countries have traced their cases back to Iran by 28 February, indicating that the extent of the outbreak may be more severe than the 388 cases reported by the Iranian government by that date.[352][354] The Iranian Parliament was shut down, with 23 of the 290 members of parliament reported to have had tested positive for the virus on 3 March.[355] A number of senior government officials as well as two members of parliament have died from the disease.[356] On 15 March, the Iranian government reported 100 deaths in a single day, the most ever recorded in such a time period.[357]

On 31 January, the Trump administration limited entry into the United States, as immigrants or non-immigrants, of all aliens who were physically present within the People's Republic of China, excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States.[358]

In the Pacific Northwest state of Washington, the first death in the United States was reported on 29 February, after an outbreak at a Life Care Centers of America elderly care in Kirkland, Washington,[359] following which Washington governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency.[360] Florida and California also declared a state of emergency in early March.[361][362][363] Over a dozen schools in the Seattle area cancelled classes on 3 March, for disinfection and other precautionary measures.[364] On 6 March, the University of Washington cancelled in-person classes; the Seattle-based university is home to 50,000 students.[365] Multiple public and private schools outside New York City have closed.[366] All schools within the Elk Grove Unified School District in the Sacramento, California, area shut down on 7 March, after a case of the virus appeared in Elk Grove.[367]

Major US corporations, including Amazon, Facebook, Twitter and Goldman Sachs imposed employee travel restrictions and some cancelled conferences.[368] Some companies, including Microsoft, GitHub and Square, Inc., also encouraged employees to work from home.[369]

Many major US sports leagues cancelled scheduled events. The National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended the 201920 season indefinitely. On 12 March, the Major League Soccer (MLS) and Major League Rugby (MLR) announced their 2020 seasons would be suspended for 30 days.[370][371] The National Hockey League (NHL) suspended play of the 201920 season.[372]Major League Baseball announced it would be suspending operations, including the remaining spring training games, and delaying the start of the 2020 season for at least two weeks.[373] On March 16, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced that all race events through May 3 would be postponed.[374] Other events cancelled or suspended include the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the XFL season,[375] the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open.[376][377]

On 11 March, President Trump announced the suspension of most travel from Europe (excluding the United Kingdom) for 30 days, beginning on 13 March. He also said that health insurance companies agreed to waive all co-payments for coronavirus treatments and extend insurance coverage to cover coronavirus treatments.[378] The Department of Homeland Security clarified that the travel suspension only applied to the Schengen Area; it does not apply to European countries that are not members of the Schengen Agreement, such as the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Croatia, Albania, or Belarus.[379] Furthermore, the travel ban does not apply to US citizens or permanent residents, or their family members or those travelling on certain types of visa.[380] On 14 March, President Trump expanded the travel ban on Europe to include the United Kingdom and Ireland.[381] In addition, a representative of the insurance industry clarified that, contrary to the president's statement, major health insurers had only agreed to waive co-payments for coronavirus testing, and not for coronavirus treatment, which is far more costly.[382]

As of 16March2020[update], the epidemic was reported to be present in 49 of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose to 4,734, with 93 deaths.[383][384] On 13 March, U.S. President Trump declared a national emergency due to the virus outbreak. The action made federal funds available to respond to the crisis.[385] Per media reports on 15 March, many businesses closed or reduced hours throughout the U.S. as a method to try to combat the virus.[386]

The White House has been criticized for downplaying the threat, controlling the messaging, and directing health officials and scientists to "coordinate all public statements and appearances" related to the virus with the office of Vice President Mike Pence.[387][388] Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The New York Times that he was instructed by the White House not to talk about the coronavirus without clearance.[389] President of the United States Donald Trump has vowed to "keep the numbers low", leading to claims that he is trying to limit the magnitude of the published statistics.[390] On 4 March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States deleted the running tally of the number of people tested for the coronavirus across the US from its website. Allegations of a cover-up and concerns has risen that the deletion could possibly limit the country's response to the epidemic.[391]

The 201920 coronavirus pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Japan on 23 January 2020 from China.[citation needed]

On 27 February 2020, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe requested that all Japanese elementary, junior high, and high schools close until early April to help contain the virus.[392] The outbreak has been a concern for the 2020 Summer Olympics which is scheduled to take place in Tokyo starting at the end of July.[393] The Japanese government has thus been taking extra precautions to help minimise the outbreak's impact.[394] On 15 March it was reported that 15 coronavirus clusters had been identified in Japan, with the largest cluster in the Osaka area.[395]

The UK response to the virus first emerged as one of the most lax and controversial of the affected countries and as of 16 March 2020 the British government has not imposed any form of social distancing or mass quarantine measures on its citizens.[396][397] On 15 March it was reported that the UK government would no longer test those individuals self-isolating with mild symptoms of coronavirus, however, it would extend testing for those individuals seeking hospital treatment for the virus or those in long-term care facilities.[398]

The pandemic has spread to multiple other countries, in total, more than 160 territories have had at least one case.[399] Due to the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, multiple countries in the Schengen Area have restricted the free movement within the area, and set up border controls.[400]

An analysis of air travel patterns was used to map out and predict patterns of spread and was published in the The Journal of Travel Medicine in mid-January 2020. Based on information from the International Air Transport Association (2018), Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Taipei had the largest volume of travellers from Wuhan. Dubai, Sydney and Melbourne were also reported as popular destinations for people travelling from Wuhan. Bali was reported as least able in terms of preparedness, while cities in Australia were considered most able.[401][402]

There have been international comments that the 2020 Olympics should be moved from Japan or postponed. On 22 January, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced that it would be moving the matches in the third round of the 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament from Wuhan to Nanjing, affecting the women's national team squads from Australia, China PR, Chinese Taipei and Thailand.[403] A few days later, the AFC announced that together with Football Federation Australia they would be moving the matches to Sydney.[404] The Asia-Pacific Olympic boxing qualifiers, which were originally set to be held in Wuhan from 3 to 14 February, were also cancelled and moved to Amman, Jordan to be held between 3 and 11 March.[405][406]

Australia released its Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on 7 February. It states that much is yet to be discovered about COVID-19, and that Australia will emphasise border control and communication in its response to the pandemic.[407]

A worker disinfects an ambulance in Daegu, South Korea

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and the Italian task force discuss how to respond to the coronavirus outbreak

As a result of the outbreak, many countries and regions including most of the Schengen area,[408] Armenia,[409] Australia,[410] India,[411] Iraq,[412][413] Indonesia,[414]Kazakhstan,[415] Kuwait,[416] Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan,[417] Vietnam,[418] and the United States[419] have imposed temporary entry bans on Chinese citizens or recent visitors to China, or have ceased issuing visas and reimposed visa requirements on Chinese citizens.[420] Samoa even started refusing entry to its own citizens who had previously been to China, attracting widespread condemnation over the legality of the decision.[421][422]

The European Union rejected the idea of suspending the Schengen free travel zone and introducing border controls with Italy,[423][424][425] which has been criticised by some European politicians.[426][427] After some EU member states announced complete closure of their national borders to foreign nationals,[428] the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that "Certain controls may be justified, but general travel bans are not seen as being the most effective by the World Health Organization."[429]

Saudi Arabia has temporarily banned foreigners from entering Mecca and Medina, two of Islam's holiest pilgrimage sites, to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the Kingdom.[430] The United States suspended travel from the Schengen Area and the UK.[431] Many countries then started closing their borders to virtually all non-citizens or non-residents in rapid succession, including India,[432] Slovakia,[433] Denmark,[434] Poland,[435] and Lithuania.[436]

Owing to the effective quarantine of public transport in Wuhan and Hubei, several countries have planned to evacuate their citizens and diplomatic staff from the area, primarily through chartered flights of the home nation that have been provided clearance by Chinese authorities. Canada, the United States, Japan, India, France, Australia, Sri Lanka, Germany and Thailand were among the first to plan the evacuation of their citizens.[437] Pakistan has said that it will not be evacuating any citizens from China.[438] On 7 February, Brazil evacuated 34 Brazilians or family members in addition to four Poles, a Chinese and an Indian citizen. The citizens of Poland, China and India got off the plane in Poland, where the Brazilian plane made a stopover before following its route to Brazil. Brazilian citizens who went to Wuhan were quarantined at a military base near Brasilia.[439][440][441] On the same day, 215 Canadians (176 from the first plane, and 39 from a second plane chartered by the US government) were evacuated from Wuhan, China, to CFB Trenton to be quarantined for two weeks. On 11 February, another plane of Canadians (185) from Wuhan landed at CFB Trenton. Australian authorities evacuated 277 citizens on 3 and 4 February to the Christmas Island Detention Centre which had been "repurposed" as a quarantine facility, where they remained for 14 days.[442][443][444] A New Zealand evacuation flight arrived at Auckland on 5 February; the passengers (including some from Australia and the Pacific) were quarantined in a naval base at Whangaparoa north of Auckland.[445] The United States announced that it would evacuate Americans aboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess.[446] On 21 February, a plane carrying 129 Canadian passengers evacuated from Diamond Princess landed in Trenton, Ontario.[447] The Indian government has scheduled its air force to evacuate its citizens from Iran.[448]

On 5 February, the Chinese foreign ministry stated that 21 countries (including Belarus, Pakistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt and Iran) had sent aid to China.[449]

The US city of Pittsburgh announced plans to send medical aid to Wuhan, which is its sister city.[450] The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) also announced plans to provide help.[451] Some Chinese students at other American universities have also joined together to help send aid to virus-stricken parts of China, with a joint group in the Greater Chicago Area reportedly managing to send 50,000 N95 masks and 1,500 protection suits to hospitals in the Hubei province on 30 January.[452]

The humanitarian aid organisation Direct Relief, in co-ordination with FedEx transportation and logistics support, sent 200,000 face masks along with other personal protective equipment, including gloves and gowns, by emergency airlift to arrive in Wuhan Union Hospital, who requested the supplies, by 30 January.[453] The Gates Foundation stated on 26 January that it would donate US$5million in aid to support the response in China that will be aimed at assisting "emergency funds and corresponding technical support to help front-line responders".[454] On 5 February, Bill and Melinda further announced a $100million donation to the World Health Organization, who made an appeal for funding contributions to the international community the same day. The donation will be used to fund vaccine research and treatment efforts along with protecting "at-risk populations in Africa and South Asia."[455]

Japan, in the process of co-ordinating a plane flight to Wuhan to pick up Japanese nationals in the city, has promised that the plane will first carry into Wuhan aid supplies that Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated will consist of "masks and protective suits for Chinese people as well as for Japanese nationals".[456] On 26 January, the plane arrived in Wuhan, donating its supply of one million face masks to the city.[457] Also among the aid supplies were 20,000 protective suits for medical staff across Hubei donated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.[458]

On 28 January, the city of Mito donated 50,000 masks to its sister-city of Chongqing, and on 6 February, the city of Okayama sent 22,000 masks to Luoyang, its sister-city. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party on February 10, made a symbolic deduction of 5,000 yen from the March salary of every LDP parliamentarian, a total of 2 million yen, to donate to China, with the party's secretary-general, Toshihiro Nikai, stating that "For Japan, when it sees a virus outbreak in China, it is like seeing a relative or neighbor suffering. Japanese people are willing to help China and hope the outbreak will pass as soon as possible."[459]

Peace Winds Japan has declared it will send a staff member to China to help distribute the face masks and other goods that the NGO will send to the country.[458]

Other countries have also announced aid efforts. Malaysia announced a donation of 18 million medical gloves to China.[460] The Philippine Red Cross also donated $1.4million worth of Philippine-made face masks, which were shipped to Wuhan.[461] Turkey dispatched medical equipment,[462] and Germany delivered various medical supplies including 10,000 Hazmat suits.[463] On 19 February, Singapore Red Cross announced that they will send $2.26million worth of aid to China, consisting of protective material and training.[464]

The WHO has commended the efforts of Chinese authorities in managing and containing the epidemic, with Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressing "confidence in China's approach to controlling the epidemic" and calling for the public to "remain calm".[465] The WHO noted the contrast between the 2003 epidemic, where Chinese authorities were accused of secrecy that impeded prevention and containment efforts, and the current crisis where the central government "has provided regular updates to avoid panic ahead of Lunar New Year holidays."[466]

On 23 January, in reaction to the central authorities' decision to implement a transportation ban in Wuhan, WHO representative Gauden Galea remarked that while it was "certainly not a recommendation the WHO has made," it was also "a very important indication of the commitment to contain the epidemic in the place where it is most concentrated" and called it "unprecedented in public health history."[466]

On 30 January, following confirmation of human-to-human transmission outside China and the increase in the number of cases in other countries, the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the sixth PHEIC since the measure was first invoked during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Tedros clarified that the PHEIC, in this case, was "not a vote of no confidence in China," but because of the risk of global spread, especially to low- and middle-income countries without robust health systems.[262][467] In response to the implementations of travel restrictions, Tedros stated that "there is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade" and that "WHO doesn't recommend limiting trade and movement."[468]

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201920 coronavirus pandemic - Wikipedia

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans.

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

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Coronavirus - World Health Organization

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This article was first published on Jan. 27, 2020 and last updated on March 11, 2020.

Human coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that can cause a variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to severe diseases like Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV). The World Health Organization says Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans until late 2019.

Human coronavirus was first discovered in 1965 and accounts for many cases of the common cold. The virus gets its name from its crown-like shape. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, which means they're transmitted between animals and people. SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and researchers suspect MERS-CoV is transmitted from dromedary camels to humans.

Coronaviruses affect all age groups and most are not dangerous. They often only cause mild symptoms like a stuffy nose, cough and sore throat that can be treated with rest and over-the-counter medications. Most coronaviruses spread like any other cold viruses spread, including:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says people in the United States who get a coronavirus will usually get infected in the fall and winter, though it can happen any time of the year. And most people will get infected with one or more of the common human coronaviruses (229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1) during their lifetime.

Severe cases can lead to pneumonia, acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

While four strains of coronaviruses (229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1) are typically not severe, three others have proven deadly. An outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus (named SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, in early January 2020. Chinese health officials noted thousands of cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by novel coronavirus, in China, and infections were reported in several international locations, including the U.S. Like other coronaviruses, the symptoms of novel coronavirus include fever, difficulty breathing and pneumonia, and the virus spreads via person-to-person contact.

At the time of the latest update, at least 4,290 people have died and more than 118,162 people have been infected with COVID-19 worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. China was home to more than 80,000 of the cases. The Chinese government took unprecedented steps to curb the virus by placing almost 60 million people on lockdown, and banning travel to and from 15 cities in the Chinese province of Hubei. Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also put the entire country, which includes 60 million residents, on lockdown on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, to contain the spread of the virus.

The United States also implemented travel restrictions that went into effect Feb. 3, 2020. The restrictions required any U.S. citizen returning to the states from China to a mandatory 14 day quarantine, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a press briefing. The U.S. also announced enhanced screening and quarantine measures for Americans returning from Italy and South Korea.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also called out the National Guard on Tuesday, March 10, to help create a 1-mile containment area in New Rochelle, New York, to help stop what is being called a "cluster" of COVID-19 cases.

While it's been reported the virus might have originated in a food market in Wuhan, the World Health Organization says not enough is known about the epidemiology of this strain of coronavirus to fully understand its features, how its transmitted and its origins.

The new coronavirus' incubation period is still unknown. However, health officials at the WHO assume it is about 14 days; they are not aware if people are contagious during the incubation period.

People should can take steps to protect themselves from COVID-19. Here's how:

The other two deadly coronaviruses are SARS and MERS. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a type of coronavirus that was first reported in Asia in February 2003. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans. Due to its contagious nature, SARS became a world epidemic, spreading to 32 countries and infecting 8,459 people. Many of the people who contracted SARS also developed pneumonia, and almost 800 people died as a result of SARS.

SARS generally starts with a high fever (higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit [38 degrees Celsius]), and leads to headache and body aches. Other symptoms include diarrhea and mild respiratory issues. After about a week, most people develop a cough and eventually pneumonia.

Like other coronaviruses, SARS spreads through person-to-person contact. But the CDC says the SARS virus might spread through the air or in other ways that are still not known. The good news is since 2004 there has not been any recorded case of SARS.

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a type of coronavirus that was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It has since spread to several other countries, including the United States. Most people infected with MERS-CoV developed severe respiratory illness, including fever, cough and shortness of breath. The World Health Organization has documented 2,494 cases of MERS since 2012 and 858 deaths.

The symptoms of MERS are similar to other coronaviruses and include:

Research has suggested that MERS is spread via person-to-person contact; however, some evidence has shown that dromedary camels also are a major host for MERS-CoV and source of MERS infection in humans. The WHO is still not clear on how the virus jumped from animals to humans, but strains of MERS that are identical to human strains have been isolated from camels in several countries, including Egypt, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

There currently is no vaccine for MERS, but scientists are working on creating one. In the meantime, the best ways to protect yourself from MERS are to:

Last editorial update on Mar 10, 2020 05:06:45 pm.

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What Is Coronavirus? | HowStuffWorks