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| A pair of soldiers patrol the deserted Via del Corso in Rome on the eve of the country going into quarantine. (Giuseppe Fama/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty) |
WHO describes coronavirus as a pandemic
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has characterized the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic amid “alarming levels of inaction” to stop the spread. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that describing the situation as a pandemic did not change the organization’s assessment of the outbreak or its approach to stopping it. “There’s been so much attention on one word,” said Tedros. “Let me give you some other words that matter much more, & that are much more actionable: Prevention. Preparedness. Public health. Political leadership. And most of all, People.” (Nature | Continuously updated)
- The American Chemical Society, one of the world’s largest scientific societies, cancelled its meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday, 13 days before it was due to begin. The American Physical Society’s huge March Meeting was also cancelled last week — one of scores of scientific conferences that have been called off worldwide. (Nature | Continuously updated)
- To what extent can isolating the sick, quarantining their contacts and encouraging social distancing slow the spread of COVID-19? Four epidemiologists dig into how countries can mitigate outbreaks, using data from coronavirus hotspots in China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran. How individuals respond to health advice will be as important as government actions, if not more so, conclude the researchers. (The Lancet | 12 min read)
- Epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch explains why the fatality rate for COVID-19 is so difficult to pin down and the measures that will eventually bring clarity. He also offers “the consensus for now” on the risk of dying for those with symptoms: around 1 or 2%, for young healthy adults. (The Washington Post | 6 min read)
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