Spain Becomes Latest Epicenter of Coronavirus After a Faltering Response

Spain Becomes Latest Epicenter of Coronavirus After a Faltering Response

The government declared a state of emergency Friday, days after it allowed mass gatherings in the capital and cases jumped to 4,200.


The Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona shut its doors to visitors on Friday.
The Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona shut its doors to visitors on Friday.Credit...Joan Mateu/Associated Press
Raphael Minder
By Raphael Minder
March 13, 2020
Updated 7:23 p.m. ET

MADRID — Just last weekend, about 120,000 people marched through downtown Madrid to celebrate International Women’s Day. Some 60,000 soccer fans filled one of the city’s largest stadiums. And 9,000 supporters of Vox, Spain’s third-largest party, gathered inside a former bullring.

Now Spain has the second-highest number of infections of any European country, after Italy — overtaking the larger nations of France and Germany — and faces the fastest spreading contagion on the Continent.

Between last weekend and Friday, the number of cases in the country shot from several hundred to 4,200, with 120 deaths, and the prime minister warned that the number of cases could reach 10,000 by next week. That would give Spain one of the fastest rates of coronavirus contagion in the world.

The government declared a state of emergency.

Spain’s initial, seemingly blasé approach to the virus and its failure to take mitigating steps sooner is facing sharp criticism. And coming on the heels of the crisis in northern Italy, where a slow response allowed the virus to overwhelm the health care system, Spain’s experience once again underscores the necessity for governments to take strict measures early to combat the virus’s spread.

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It may also prove to be the latest warning to governments that have resisted imposing tough restrictions before a spike in cases brings on a crushing public health crisis.


ImageA police officer blocked the road to Igualada on Thursday, one of the four towns in northeastern Spain that have been locked down.
A police officer blocked the road to Igualada on Thursday, one of the four towns in northeastern Spain that have been locked down.Credit...Samuel Aranda for The New York Times
On Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, while acknowledging that ‘‘many more families are going to lose loved ones,’’ took a notably restrained set of measures, even as British medical officials estimated the number of infected people in the country was already between 5,000 and 10,000.

In Spain, after defending the decision to let mass gatherings go on, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned on Friday that Spain was “facing very difficult weeks.” Two ministers in his cabinet have already tested positive, and he and the rest of the cabinet are now being tested.

While there have been significant outbreaks in Basque and Catalan towns, the Madrid region has become the epicenter of Spain’s crisis. By Wednesday, Madrid accounted for about half of the cases and almost two-thirds of the fatalities.

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All Madrid schools and universities have now been shuttered for at least 14 days, with other regions later following suit. Catalonia, the region in northeastern Spain, said late Friday that it would start to “restrict entrances and departures” though it did not offer details.

Get an informed guide to the global outbreak with our daily coronavirus newsletter.

On Thursday, three of the politicians who led last weekend’s events tested positive for coronavirus, raising questions about whether those in charge in Spain had actually helped spread the virus, rather than halt it.

The far-right Vox party apologized to its followers for holding its Madrid meeting, while both the leader and the secretary general of Vox tested positive for coronavirus.


Image
Empty shelves at a grocery store in Guernica, in the Basque region.
Empty shelves at a grocery store in Guernica, in the Basque region.Credit...Vincent West/Reuters
The rapid worsening of the situation in Spain has now heightened the political bickering in a country that was already deeply polarized.

Shortly after Mr. Sánchez spoke on Friday, Pablo Casado, the leader of the main opposition Popular Party, said his group would support extending the state of emergency beyond the initial 15 days, if needed.

But he also took a direct swipe at Mr. Sánchez, saying his government “should start leading.” Mr. Casado added, “During the last weeks, the government has made serious mistakes.” It’s time, he said, to “show firmness and determination.”

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Until Friday, the Spanish authorities had avoided sweeping measures that could spook people.

Only a day earlier, in a news conference on Thursday that was held by video link while he and his cabinet members underwent coronavirus testing, Mr. Sánchez skirted questions about a state of emergency. He dismissed suggestions that the Spanish authorities had been underestimating the health threat.


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Newlyweds leaving a civil registry in Madrid on Friday. The city’s local authorities decreed that all wedding ceremonies must be held behind closed doors.
Newlyweds leaving a civil registry in Madrid on Friday. The city’s local authorities decreed that all wedding ceremonies must be held behind closed doors.Credit...Chema Moya/EPA, via Shutterstock
While recognizing that there was no “instruction manual” to deal with this kind of health crisis, Mr. Sánchez said he could offer “a message of calm, serenity, unity and above all trust in those who know how to contain the extension of this virus.”

Yet some Spanish medical specialists believe his reassuring tone was overdone.

Ángela Hernández Puente, a doctor who is the deputy secretary general of a Madrid health sector labor union, said in a phone interview that “Spain has until now handled this crisis with a certain level of complacency — and certainly not energetically enough.’’

‘‘Instead of letting professionals lead the work, politicians have got in the way,’’ she said. ‘‘I’ve seen more a blame game between them than coordination.”

Some criticism has also come from outside Spain, notably Italy.

Walter Ricciardi, one of Italy’s top health experts, said it was “madness” that women had been allowed to march through Madrid last weekend.

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“These big rallies do a favor to the virus, instead of obstructing it,” Dr. Ricciardi said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper ABC. “We have been saying that Italy was only the first European country that was affected, but that this would then happen to the other countries as well.”


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The usually bustling La Boqueria market in Barcelona was almost empty on Thursday.
The usually bustling La Boqueria market in Barcelona was almost empty on Thursday.Credit...Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press
While Spain has long been praised for having one of Europe’s most advanced public health systems, Madrid hospitals are scrambling to find more face masks and add beds to cope with the growing rate of coronavirus cases.

At Madrid’s La Paz hospital, the gym has been turned into a makeshift sleeping area. In the Catalan town of Igualada, which is under lockdown, the mayor described the situation in the local hospital as “desperate.”

Part of the challenge in Spain is that health care is largely in the hands of regional administrations rather than the central government.

While Mr. Sánchez has been stressing the strong level of cooperation with regional politicians, tensions are emerging. It has not helped that he leads a left-wing minority coalition government that barely scraped into office earlier this year, after inconclusive elections.

“We have a very good Spanish health system, but we have the problem that it is fragmented between 17 regions and under the control of politicians who often do not wear the same party colors,” said Ms. Hernández Puente, the health labor union official.


Image
An empty gallery at El Prado Museum in Madrid on Thursday.
An empty gallery at El Prado Museum in Madrid on Thursday.Credit...Bernat Armangue/Associated Press
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The state of emergency will come into force Saturday, but it’s unclear how far it will stretch.

As in Italy, there are concerns about tightening the screw too far on the movement of people in Spain, which is heavily reliant on its services industry, particularly a tourism sector that accounts for 12 percent of Spain’s gross domestic product.

In a report published Friday, academics from the Esade university warned that the economic impact of coronavirus on Spain “will be more severe than in other countries because of its economic structure.”

Even as Spain prepares its state of emergency, Mr. Sánchez has continued to emphasize that Spain should coordinate its response to coronavirus with its European Union partners. So far those responses have been diffuse.

As a Socialist leader, Mr. Sánchez has also sounded acutely aware of what he learned from the euro debt crisis, when countries like Spain imposed stringent budget cuts and austerity measures.

“Europe knows it cannot repeat errors that end up burdening our economies,” Mr. Sánchez said Thursday.

The Coronavirus Outbreak - Answers to your most common questions

The Coronavirus Outbreak - Answers to your most common questions
Updated March 13, 2020

What is a coronavirus?
It is a novel virus named for the crownlike spikes that protrude from its surface. The coronavirus can infect both animals and people and can cause a range of respiratory illnesses from the common cold to lung lesions and pneumonia.

How contagious is the virus?
It seems to spread very easily from person to person, especially in homes, hospitals and other confined spaces. The pathogen can travel through the air, enveloped in tiny respiratory droplets that are produced when a sick person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes.

Where has the virus spread?
The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has sickened more than 142,100 in at least 113 countries and more than 5,300 have died. The spread has slowed in China but is gaining speed in Europe and the United States. World Health Organization officials said the outbreak qualifies as a pandemic.

What symptoms should I look out for?
Symptoms, which can take between two to 14 days to appear, include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Milder cases may resemble the flu or a bad cold, but people may be able to pass on the virus even before they develop symptoms.

How do I keep myself and others safe?
Washing your hands frequently is the most important thing you can do, along with staying at home when you’re sick and avoiding touching your face.

How can I prepare for a possible outbreak?
Keep a 30-day supply of essential medicines. Get a flu shot. Have essential household items on hand. Have a support system in place for elderly family members.

What if I’m traveling?
The State Department has issued a global Level 3 health advisory telling United States citizens to “reconsider travel” to all countries because of the worldwide effects of the coronavirus. This is the department’s second-highest advisory.

How long will it take to develop a treatment or vaccine?
Several drugs are being tested, and some initial findings are expected soon. A vaccine to stop the spread is still at least a year away.

L.A. County coronavirus cases hit 40 as community spread intensifies; state reported its fifth death

L.A. County coronavirus cases hit 40 as community spread intensifies; state reported its fifth death
By COLLEEN SHALBY, RONG-GONG LIN II, ANITA CHABRIA, LUKE MONEY, NINA AGRAWAL
MARCH 13, 20205:05 PM
Santa Clara County announced a second death from COVID-19 Friday evening. The person who passed away was an adult woman in her 80s, was hospitalized March 9, and was among the COVID-19 cases previously reported by the county, a news release from the county’s public health department said.

The death was the fifth in California, which had 247 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Friday morning. Santa Clara County has the most cases of any county in the state, reporting 79.

L.A. County Public Health Department officials confirmed eight new cases of the novel coronavirus Friday, bringing the local total to 40.

Three of those cases are likely the result of community transmission, as the source of exposure is unknown. Two of the individuals are hospitalized, public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said at a news conference.


Children’s Hospital Los Angeles said in a news release Friday that it was treating a child between the ages of 6 and 9 with COVID-19. The child, who had no history of travel and has an unrelated underlying medical condition, was in isolation, as were the child’s parents, the hospital said.

Officials said they expect cases to expand significantly as more people get tested. Ferrer said L.A. County got more test kits this week, and noted that initial testing limitations have made estimates difficult to gather.

“It’s very hard to know how many cases we have,” she said.

On Monday L.A. County officials will release geographic locations and age groups of the known cases. Those who may be close contacts of individuals who test positive for the virus may start receiving “blanket quarantines,” rather than being interviewed first, Ferrer said.

In Riverside County a former patient from a Rancho Mirage skilled nursing home tested positive for COVID-19, officials said Friday. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County public health officer, said the department plans to test each patient and employee at the 99-bed facility as soon as possible.

“Quick action is required when we are dealing with a vulnerable population like this,” said Kaiser.

An elderly patient at a Northern California assisted-living facility died from the disease earlier this week, and the death toll has mounted at a Seattle-area nursing home that has been at the center of the U.S. coronavirus epidemic.

As the number of cases throughout the world grew to more than 137,000, with more than 2,500 infections reported in Italy, World Health Organization officials said Friday that Europe has now become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

In the U.S., President Trump declared a national emergency, freeing up more resources to aid local and state governments. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin reached a deal on an economic stimulus package, providing paid sick leave for workers and billions of dollars for food programs and unemployment benefits.

At the same time, school districts, sports organizations, concert promoters and religious groups were racing to cancel or delay large gatherings to guard against the spread of the virus.

The National Collegiate Athletic Assn. canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, all theaters on Broadway went dark, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would no longer welcome visitors, and Major League Baseball called off spring training games and delayed the start of the season by at least two weeks.

Amid growing concerns and fresh signs that the virus is continuing to sweep across California, officials continued to take action against the virus.

School officials announced that Los Angeles Unified School District – the second largest school district in the U.S. – would shut down on Monday as fears over the coronavirus continued to mount. The move will affect more than 670,000 children and adult students.

LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner said that the district was planning for a two-week closure, at least, but refrained from providing a reopening date.

“These next two weeks will be difficult, and we are not certain what lies ahead after that,” he said.

Other school districts across the state continued to close campuses, affecting hundreds of thousands of students. Long Beach Unified School District, San Diego Unified School District, Santa Clara Unified School District, and Oakland Unified School District officials announced that schools would close until at least early April. San Francisco announced it was closing its public schools for three weeks, beginning Monday through the end of the regularly scheduled spring break April 3.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles also announced that Catholic schools in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties would close and move to remote learning effective Tuesday, until at least March 31. The archdiocese serves nearly 75,000 students, including many from low-income and immigrant communities.

“We recognize the significant impact this extended closure will have on our entire community, students, families, and staff,” Paul Escala, Superintendent of Catholic Schools wrote in a letter to families. “We also acknowledge the burden this will place on our staff and working families. As a community of faith, we must come together and help one another.”

Earlier the archdiocese announced it was lifting from its parishioners the obligation of attending Sunday Mass for the next three weeks. The Diocese of San Jose issued a similar suspension on all public masses beginning Saturday.

“Baptisms, weddings, and funerals may be celebrated but should be limited to immediate family,” San Jose diocese Bishop Oscar Cantú said.

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said City Hall would be closed to non-city employees, with the exception of members of the public attending City Council meetings. The Los Angeles City Council also planned to sharply reduce the number of public meetings, to limit potential public exposure to the virus.

With Garcetti’s order properties to limit city properties to no more than 50 outside visitors at a time, the operators of Griffith Observatory opted to close. The Hollywood Hills landmark normally has about 4,000 visitors a day. The Los Angeles Zoo also said it would close.

The city-owned Los Angeles Convention Center is rescheduling the Rug Show, the Best of You LA Expo and about eight other planned consumer shows, said Doane Liu, executive director of the Department of Convention and Tourism Development.

The Los Angeles Public Library said Friday that the Central Library in downtown and all 72 branch libraries will close through March 31. Due dates for borrowed materials are being extended and late fines waived during the closure period, the library said in an announcement on its website.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Natural History Museums announced they will close their main campuses until further notice. The decision affects LACMA’s main Wilshire campus, the museum’s gallery at Charles White Elementary School in MacArthur Park, and all public programs and events.

The Los Angeles County Probation Department, which maintains juvenile halls and camps, is temporarily suspending visitations to its juvenile halls and residential treatment facilities in an attempt to keep the coronavirus from infecting its staff or the youth under their supervision, officials said Friday.

The prohibition applies to weekend, special and after-court visits from family or community groups, but will not stop court-ordered or required legal visits from taking place, according to the department. Youth will have extended phone privileges and internal programming will continue, officials said.

The calls for “social distancing” to slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 could be seen from the San Francisco waterfront, where normally bustling food stands were nearly empty, to Los Angeles International Airport, where cars could make the usually jammed vehicle loop in just five minutes.

In Palm Springs, the landmark aerial tramway closed indefinitely. And following Disneyland’s announced closure through the end of March, Universal Studios theme park said it, too, would close through March 28, while the adjoining Universal CityWalk shopping center would remain open. Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Knott’s Berry Farm will all close until the end of March.

Disney said it planned to keep hotels at the resort open until Monday to give guests time to make plans. The company said it would pay its employees during the shutdown.

The park has closed only three other times since its 1955 opening: on a national day of mourning after the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy, following the 1994 Northridge earthquake and after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the U.S.

Santa Clara County, which has been hard hit, banned all gatherings of 100 or more and limited gatherings of 35 or more. No sick individuals or high-risk persons may be present at such gatherings, officials said.

County Health Officer Dr. Sarah Cody called the virus a historic struggle in medical terms.

“These measures are designed to slow the spread of disease,” Cody said.

The number of confirmed cases rose to at least three in San Joaquin County — prompting officials there to declare a local public health emergency — and Santa Cruz County now has at least seven cases.

“We have shifted our efforts away from containment and towards mitigation,” said Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel. “We continue to work closely with our regional, state and national partners in our efforts to lessen the impact of COVID-19.”

After calling for the cancellation of all gatherings of more than 250 people, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a sweeping executive order allowing the state, if necessary, to take over hotels and medical facilities to treat a potential tide of coronavirus patients.

“This is where we need to go next,” Newsom told reporters Thursday, adding that the shutdowns are aimed at slowing the virus’ spread and to “get through the next few months, so we don’t overwhelm our healthcare delivery system.”

The governor had exempted casinos, card rooms and movie theaters from his guidance against large gatherings. But he said his administration was “moving quickly and effectively towards a resolution” with those businesses. Newsom said that movie theater operators had told him they were trying to devise ways to introduce social distancing while still allowing patrons to gather to see films.

Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, compared the situation to a “national earthquake” that is hitting hard but will pass.

“If we just close down the damn country … we might get in front of this and stop it, in which case that short-term panic will lead to a collective sigh of relief,” he said.

Two days after the World Health Organization first said that COVID-19 had caused a world pandemic, health experts struggled to come to grips with the magnitude of the challenge.

At a House Oversight Committee hearing Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said the U.S. was “failing” to provide testing for everyone who needs it.

“The system is not really geared to what we need right now — what you are asking for,” said Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “That is a failing…. Let’s admit it … the idea of anybody getting it easily, the way people in other countries are doing it, we’re not set up for that. Do I think we should be? Yes.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence — who is heading the White House response to the disease — urging the administration to rapidly expand coronavirus testing capacity and to establish clear guidelines for when state and local government should deploy public health measures.

The head of the American College of Emergency Physicians said in a call with reporters that the virus would “put a fairly tremendous strain on our health system.” Dr. William Jaquis said he expects the case counts to rapidly increase in the coming weeks, adding: “COVID is very serious and we’re treating it as such.”

Another federal official said blood banks had seen a substantial drop in donations because of a fear of the coronavirus. That trend needs to be reversed, said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

“We need people to prevent the blood supply from getting depleted. We need it not to get to the point that surgeries are having to get canceled,” Marks said. “To ensure an adequate blood supply, we need people to come out and donate blood.”

Even as they scrambled to address the threat, public officials had to tend firefighters and police officers whose work exposed them to the virus.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said three deputies and five county Fire Department staff members had been placed under quarantine after responding to a call Monday involving a person in Walnut who later died of the coronavirus.

The department announced that six firefighters were quarantined after responding to a call at Union Station on March 2. The woman had respiratory issues and declined to be transported to the hospitals. LAFD was notified that she tested positive for the virus on Friday. The firefighters had regularly reported to work, but have not shown symptoms. They will only need to be quarantined for three more days.

Times staff writers Hailey Branson-Potts, Andrew J. Campa, James Rainey, Susanne Rust, Dakota Smith, Alex Wigglesworth and Richard Winton contributed to this report.

కోడిని తింటే ‘కోవిడ్‌’ రాదు..

Mar 14, 2020, 04:31 IST

వదంతులను నమ్మొద్దంటున్న పశుసంవర్ధక శాఖ 

సాక్షి, అమరావతి బ్యూరో: కోడి మాంసం తింటే కరోనా (కోవిడ్‌) వైరస్‌ రాదని పశుసంవర్ధక శాఖ స్పష్టం చేసింది. దీనిపై వస్తున్న పుకార్లను నమ్మొద్దని సూచించింది. కరోనా వైరస్‌ ప్రచారంతో ఆందోళన చెందిన మాంసంప్రియులు చికెన్‌ తినడం భారీగా తగ్గించేశారు. దీంతో ధరలు పాతాళానికి పడిపోయి కోళ్ల పరిశ్రమ కకావికలమైపోతోంది. ఈ పరిశ్రమ యజమానులు ఆర్థిక నష్టాల్లో కూరుకుపోయారు. దీంతో పశుసంవర్ధక శాఖ స్పందించింది..
- కోడి మాంసం, కోడిగుడ్లు తినడం వల్ల కరోనా వైరస్‌ సోకదన్న విషయం శాస్త్రీయంగా నిరూపణ అయిందని.. దీనిపై విస్తృతంగా ప్రచారం చేయాలని ఆ శాఖ సిబ్బందికి ఆదేశాలిచ్చింది. 
- పౌల్ట్రీ ఫెడరేషన్ల సహకారంతో అవగాహన కార్యక్రమాల నిర్వహణతో పాటు.. ప్రోత్సాహక చర్యలు చేపట్టాలని పశుసంవర్ధక శాఖ జిల్లా జాయింట్‌ డైరెక్టర్లు, సంబంధిత అధికారులకు సూచించింది. 
- పుకార్ల కారణంగా కోళ్ల సంఖ్య తగ్గిపోయి భవిష్యత్తులో చికెన్, కోడిగుడ్ల ధరలు అమాంతంగా పెరిగే ప్రమాదం పొంచి ఉంది. 
- కోళ్ల దాణాలో వాడే ముడి సరకులైన మొక్కజొన్న, సోయాల ధరలు దెబ్బతిని రైతులూ నష్టపోయే అవకాశం ఉంది.

WHO declares novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic

WHO declares novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic
Jamie Gumbrecht-Profile-Image
By Jamie Gumbrecht and Jacqueline Howard, CNN

Updated 0045 GMT (0845 HKT) March 12, 2020
01 global pandemic


Big efforts to keep travelers safe from coronavirus
A completely empty San Marco Square is seen on March 9, 2020 in Venice, Italy. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced a "national emergency" due to the coronavirus outbreak and imposed quarantines on the Lombardy and Veneto regions, which contain roughly a quarter of the country's population. Italy has the highest number of cases and fatalities in Europe. 
The movements in and out are allowed only for work reasons, health reasons proven by a medical certificate.The justifications for the movements needs to be certified with a self-declaration by filling in forms provided by the police forces in charge of the checks.
(Photo by Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images)
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This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow)—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in the lab. Credit: NIAID-RML
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Fujian Fire Department rescued an infant at 00:16 March 8th from the debris of a hotel in southeastern China's Quanzhou city. The hotel has been used as coronavirus quarantine center.

Minutes later, the infant boy's father and mother were rescued and sent to hospital, Fujian Fire Department said.

According to staff from Ministry of Emergency of Management on the ground, the infant has vital signs when he was sent to the hospital.
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A picture taken on March 10, 2020 shows a deserted Via del Corso shopping street near Piazza del Popolo in Rome after Italy imposed unprecedented national restrictions on its 60 million people Tuesday to control the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP) (Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images)
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A child suffering from cerebral palsy celebrates Holi, the spring festival of colours, during an event origanized by Trishla Foundation, a non-profit organisation for cerebral palsy treatment, in Allahabad on March 6, 2020. (Photo by SANJAY KANOJIA / AFP) (Photo by SANJAY KANOJIA/AFP via Getty Images)
Face masks and rainbows as Holi is celebrated

Big efforts to keep travelers safe from coronavirus
A completely empty San Marco Square is seen on March 9, 2020 in Venice, Italy. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced a "national emergency" due to the coronavirus outbreak and imposed quarantines on the Lombardy and Veneto regions, which contain roughly a quarter of the country's population. Italy has the highest number of cases and fatalities in Europe. 
The movements in and out are allowed only for work reasons, health reasons proven by a medical certificate.The justifications for the movements needs to be certified with a self-declaration by filling in forms provided by the police forces in charge of the checks.
(Photo by Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images)
See life under lockdown in Italy
Ivan Watson in Seoul, South Korea.
Coronavirus will probably affect you. How you can prepare

Japanese government under scrutiny for handling of coronavirus
This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow)—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in the lab. Credit: NIAID-RML
How we can fight the coronavirus
South Korean Health Minister Park Neung-Hu..
Health minister hopes South Korea has 'passed the peak' of outbreak

Church attendance hit hard in Italy by lockdown
Fujian Fire Department rescued an infant at 00:16 March 8th from the debris of a hotel in southeastern China's Quanzhou city. The hotel has been used as coronavirus quarantine center.

Minutes later, the infant boy's father and mother were rescued and sent to hospital, Fujian Fire Department said.

According to staff from Ministry of Emergency of Management on the ground, the infant has vital signs when he was sent to the hospital.
Rescue underway after hotel collapse in China
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A picture taken on March 10, 2020 shows a deserted Via del Corso shopping street near Piazza del Popolo in Rome after Italy imposed unprecedented national restrictions on its 60 million people Tuesday to control the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP) (Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images)
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A child suffering from cerebral palsy celebrates Holi, the spring festival of colours, during an event origanized by Trishla Foundation, a non-profit organisation for cerebral palsy treatment, in Allahabad on March 6, 2020. (Photo by SANJAY KANOJIA / AFP) (Photo by SANJAY KANOJIA/AFP via Getty Images)
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(CNN)The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.

There are 118,000 cases, more than 4,000 deaths, the agency said, and the virus has found a foothold on every continent except for Antarctica.

"We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled at the same time," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.
"Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO's assessment of the threat posed by this coronavirus. It doesn't change what WHO is doing, and it doesn't change what countries should do."
Why CNN is calling the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic
Why CNN is calling the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic

I
f countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize their people in the response, those with a handful of novel coronavirus cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters, and those clusters becoming community transmission, Ghebreyesus said.
"Several countries have demonstrated that this virus can be suppressed and controlled," Ghebreyesus said.
A pandemic is defined as the "worldwide spread" of a new disease. Whereas, an outbreak is the occurrence of disease cases in excess of what's normally expected and an epidemic is more than a normal number cases of an illness, specific health-related behavior or other health-related events in a community or region, according to the World Health Organization.
In January, the WHO declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. CNN announced on Monday that it is using the term pandemic to describe the current coronavirus outbreak.
The last pandemic reported in the world was the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009, which killed hundreds of thousands globally.
Coronavirus outbreak has 'pandemic potential' but it's not there yet, WHO says
Coronavirus outbreak has 'pandemic potential' but it's not there yet, WHO says
"WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction," Ghebreyesus said of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
"We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: All countries can still change the course of this pandemic."
Pandemics of the past
Pandemics have been a part of human history for centuries, with one of the earliest ever reported dating back to 1580. Since then, at least four pandemics of influenza occurred in the 19th century and three occurred in the 20th century, according to the CDC.
What we can learn 100 years later from the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic
What we can learn 100 years later from the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic
The most severe pandemic in recent history was the 1918 influenza pandemic, sometimes referred to as the "Spanish flu." The pandemic was estimated to have infected about 500 million people or one-third of the world's population and killed some 50 million worldwide.
There remains some debate about where this H1N1 flu virus originated, but scientists have found that the virus had genes of avian origin. In other words, it had a connection to birds.
More American soldiers died from the 1918 flu pandemic than were killed in battle during World War I in 1918, according to the CDC. In 1919, the pandemic subsided but the H1N1 virus continued to circulate seasonally for 38 years.
Your flu risk may be linked to the year you were born
Your flu risk may be linked to the year you were born
Then in 1957, a novel influenza A H2N2 virus emerged in East Asia, triggering a pandemic that is estimated to have killed 1.1 million worldwide and 116,000 in the United States. The virus was comprised of genes that could be linked to an avian influenza A virus, suggesting it had a connection to birds.
The virus was first reported in Singapore in February 1957, Hong Kong in April 1957, and in coastal cities in the United States in the summer of that same year. Yet its survival in the human population was short and the virus disappeared about a decade after its arrival. Some scientists suggest that it was supplanted by a H3N2 subtype.
In 1968, a pandemic caused by an influenza A H3N2 virus that originated in China swept the world. That virus was comprised of two genes from an avian influenza A virus, according to the CDC.
The virus was first noted in the United States in September 1968 and led to about 100,000 deaths nationwide and 1 million worldwide. Most excess deaths were in adults 65 and older, according to the CDC.
The H3N2 virus continues to circulate globally as a seasonal flu virus.
Everything you need to know about the H1N1 influenza virus pandemic
Everything you need to know about the H1N1 influenza virus pandemic
In the spring of 2009, a novel influenza A H1N1 virus emerged. It was detected first in the United States and then spread quickly across the world.
The virus contained "a unique combination of influenza genes not previously identified in animals or people," according to the CDC. It was found to be of swine origin.
During that H1N1 pandemic, the CDC estimated that somewhere between 151,700 and 575,400 people died worldwide during the first year the virus circulated. Globally, 80% of the deaths were estimated to have occurred in people younger than 65.
The World Health Organization declared the global H1N1 pandemic over in August 2010, but the H1N1 virus continues to circulate as a seasonal flu virus every year.
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Now in early 2020, the world has been waiting to see whether the novel coronavirus would become a pandemic.
"This is unprecedented," Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the CDC, wrote in an article published on CNN.com in February.
"Other than influenza, no other respiratory virus has been tracked from emergence to continuous global spread. The last moderately severe influenza pandemics were in 1957 and 1968; each killed more than a million people around the world," Frieden wrote. "Although we are far more prepared than in the past, we are also far more interconnected, and many more people today have chronic health problems that make viral infections particularly dangerous."

ప్రపంచ మహమ్మారి (పాండమిక్‌) అంటే..?

ప్రపంచ మహమ్మారి (పాండమిక్‌) అంటే..?

కరోనా వైర్‌సను ప్రపంచ ఆరోగ్యసంస్థ ప్రపంచ మహమ్మారిగా ప్రకటించింది. అసలు దీని అర్థం ఏంటి? ఏ వ్యాధైనా అనేక దేశాల్లో (ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా) ఒక వ్యక్తి నుంచి మరొకరికి ఒకే సమయంలో సోకినపుడు దాన్ని పాండమిక్‌ అంటారు. సాధారణంగా ఈ పాండమిక్‌ కింద కొత్త వైర్‌సలు వ్యక్తుల నుంచి వేరొకరికి చాలా సులువుగా సోకుతుంటాయి. వాటిని అదుపు చేయడం అంత తేలిక కాదు. కరోనాను ఎదుర్కొనడానికి ప్రస్తుతం ఎలాంటి వ్యాక్సిన్లూ లేవు. అందుకే దీన్ని నిరోధించడమే మార్గాంతరం.

125 దేశాల్లో కొవిడ్‌ కల్లోలం

• ఐరోపాతో నెలపాటు కటీఫ్‌
• రవాణాపై ట్రంప్‌ ఆకస్మిక ప్రకటన
• మనుషులకే... సరకులకు కాదని వివరణ
• ఆంక్షలు వ్యర్థం... మండిపడ్డ ఈయూ 
• భద్రతా మండలి సమావేశాల కుదింపు

వాషింగ్టన్‌, మార్చి 12: కరోనావైరస్‌ ప్రపంచాన్ని కమ్మేసింది. ఇది ప్రపంచ మహమ్మారి అని ప్రపంచ ఆరోగ్య సంస్థ అధ్యక్షుడు ప్రకటించిన వేళకు ఏకంగా 125 దేశాల్లో విలయతాండవం చేస్తోంది. అగ్రరాజ్యం అమెరికా సైతం దాసోహమైంది.వాషింగ్టన్‌ డీసీ సహా 15 రాష్ట్రాల్లో ఆరోగ్య అత్యవసర స్థితి ప్రకటించారు. పరిస్థితి చేజారడంతో 30 రోజుల పాటు తమ దేశానికి రావొద్దంటూ 26 ఐరోపా సమాజ దేశాలకు అధ్యక్షుడు ట్రంప్‌ బాంబు పేల్చారు. వైరస్‌ వ్యాప్తిని అరికట్టడంలో ఈయూ సరిగా స్పందించలేదని ఆయన తప్పుబట్టారు. స్వదేశాలకు వచ్చే అమెరికన్లకు ఈ బ్యాన్‌ వర్తించదని, వాణిజ్య కార్యకలాపాలు కూడా కొనసాగుతాయని చెప్పారు.

ట్రంప్‌ కూడా కొలరాడో, నెవెడా, విస్కాన్‌సన్‌ల్లో ఎన్నికల సభలను రద్దు చేసుకున్నారు. వైరస్‌ దెబ్బకు ఘోరంగా పడిపోయిన ఆర్థికవ్యవస్థలను ట్రంప్‌ నిర్ణయం మరింత గాయపరుస్తుందని, మాంద్యం పెరిగేందుకు అవకాశం ఇస్తుందని, ఆర్థిక విధ్వంసం చోటుచేసుకుంటుందని ఈయూ దేశాలు మండిపడ్డాయి. ‘ఇది ప్రపంచ సంక్షో భం. ఈ సమయంలో కావల్సినది అన్ని దేశాల పరస్పర సహకారం. ఏకపక్ష నిర్ణయాలు కాదు’ అని యూరోపియన్‌ కౌన్సిల్‌, యూరోపియన్‌ కమిషన్‌ల అధ్యక్షులు విమర్శించారు. 

హాలీవుడ్‌ సూపర్‌స్టార్‌కు కరోనా

హాలీవుడ్‌ సూపర్‌స్టార్‌ టామ్‌ హాంక్స్‌, ఆయన భార్య రీటా హాంక్స్‌కు కరోనా సోకింది. విఖ్యాత గాయకుడు ఎల్విస్‌ ప్రెస్లీపై వార్నర్‌ బ్రదర్స్‌ తీసే సినిమాకు సంబంధించిన ప్రీప్రొడక్షన్‌ పనుల నిమిత్తం ఆయన ఆస్ట్రేలియాలో ఉన్నారు. తమకు నీరసం, చలిజ్వరం, ఒళ్ల నొప్పులు రావడంతో పరీక్ష చేయించుకున్నామని, కరోనా లక్షణాలున్నట్లు ధ్రువపడిందని టామ్‌ తన ఇన్‌స్టా ద్వారా తెలియజేశారు. ఐక్యరాజ్యసమితి ఈ నెలలో జరపతలపెట్టిన మెరైన్‌ బయోడైవర్సిటీ, దేశీ య, స్థానికాంశాలు, మహిళా సమస్యలపై తలపెట్టి న సదస్సులను వాయిదా వేసుకుంది. అటు భద్రతా మండలి తన షెడ్యూల్‌ను కుదించుకుంది. డెలిగేట్ల సంఖ్యను భారీగా తగ్గించాలని సభ్య దేశాల ను కోరింది. సమావేశాలు విశాలమైన హాళ్లలో ఉండేట్లు చూడాలని నిర్ణయించింది. ఐక్యరాజ్యసమితి మానవ హక్కుల మండలి వార్షిక సమావేశాలను కరోనా కారణంగా రద్దు చేసింది.

తీవ్ర దశను దాటేశాం : చైనా

చైనా దాదాపుగా తెరిపిన పడ్డట్లే కనిపిస్తోంది. హ్యూబై రాష్ట్రంలో గురువారం కొత్త కేసులు 8 మాత్ర మే నమోదయ్యాయి. డిసెంబరులో వైరస్‌ మొదలయ్యాక సింగిల్‌ డిజిట్‌లో కేసులు నమోదు కావడం ఇదే ప్రథమం. అయితే వ్యాధి బారిన పడ్డ 4,257 పరిస్థితి విషమంగానే ఉంది. ‘వైరస్‌ అత్యధిక దశను దాటేశాం. ఆటో రంగంలో కీలకమైన వుహాన్‌లో కొన్ని పరిశ్రమలను తెరుస్తున్నాం’ అని నేషనల్‌ హెల్త్‌ కమిషన్‌ ప్రతినిధి లీ ఫెంగ్‌ చెప్పారు.

ఐఎంఎఫ్‌ సాయం కోరిన ఇరాన్‌

దేశమంతా వైరస్‌ విస్తరించి, వాణి జ్యం,ఎగుమతులు దెబ్బతినడంతో ఆర్థికసాయం అందించాలని ఐఎంఎఫ్‌ను ఇరాన్‌ అర్థించిం ది. ఇప్పటికే అమెరికా ఆర్థిక ఆంక్షలతో ఇరాన్‌ తీవ్ర ఇబ్బందులు పడుతోంది. కాగా, పశ్చిమాసియా, గల్ఫ్‌ దేశాల్లో కేసుల సంఖ్య గురువారంనాడే  10 వేలకు పైగా నమోదయ్యాయి. వీటిలో ఇరాన్‌ పరిస్థితి మరీ గడ్డుగా ఉంది. మరణాల సంఖ్య429కు పెరిగింది.                                                    

మోదీకి నెతన్యాహూ ఫోన్‌

వైరస్‌ త్వరగా వ్యాపిస్తుండడంతో వివిధ దేశాల సాయాన్ని ఇజ్రాయెల్‌ అర్థించింది. భారత ప్రధాని, నా స్నేహితుడు మోదీకి కూడా ఫోన్‌ చేసి పరిస్థితిని వివరించానని, సాయం కోరానని ఇజ్రాయెల్‌ ప్రధాని బెంజమిన్‌ నెతన్యాహూ చెప్పారు. కరోనా వైరస్‌ ఓ ఏడాదికాలం లేక అంతకంటే ఎక్కువే ఉంటుందని సింగపూర్‌ ప్రధాని లీ సియెన్‌ లూంగ్‌ అంచనా వేశా రు. ‘ప్రస్తుతానికి పరిస్థితి అదుపులోనే ఉంది. రవాణా ఆంక్షలు విధించాం. అయితే ఎల్లకాలం ప్రపంచంతో సంబంధాలు లేకుండా గడపలేం’ అన్నారాయన. కాగా, అమెరికా అధ్యక్షుడు ట్రంప్‌ గత వారం ఫ్లోరిడా రిసార్టులో బ్రెజిల్‌ అధ్యక్షుడు జైర్‌ బోల్సనారోను కలి శారు. బోల్సనారోతో ఆయన సమాచార అధికారి ఫాబియో వజింగార్టెన్‌ కూడా ఆ సమావేశంలో పాల్గొన్నారు. స్వదేశం వెళ్లాక ఫాబియోకు వైరస్‌ సోకినట్లు పరీక్షల్లో తేలింది.

కెనడా ప్రధాని భార్యకు వైరస్‌

కెనడా ప్రధాని జస్టిస్‌ ట్రూడో భార్య సోఫీ గ్రెగరీ ట్రూడోకు కరోనా సోకింది. దాంతో తామిద్దరం స్వయంగా ఏకాంతవాసంలో ఉండనున్నట్లు ట్రూడో ప్రకటించారు. ఇంటి నుంచే అధికారిక కార్యకలాపాలు నిర్వర్తించనున్నట్లు తెలిపారు. 

అరుణ గ్రహంపైకి మిషన్‌ వాయిదా

అంగారకుడిపై పరిశోధనలకు గాను రష్యా-ఐరోపా సమాజం సంయుక్తంగా పంపదలిచిన అంతరిక్ష నౌకను రెండేళ్ల పాటు వాయిదా వేశాయి. మార్స్‌పై జనజీవనానికి అవకాశం ఉందా లేదా అన్నది పరిశోధించడానికి ఓ రోబోను అక్కడ ప్రవేశపెట్టాలన్నది ఈ మిషన్‌ లక్ష్యం. కరోనా వైర్‌సని దృష్టిలో పెట్టుకుని, అన్నీఆ లోచించాక- ఈ ప్రయోగాన్ని 2022కు వాయిదావేశామని రష్యా అంతరిక్ష పరిశోధన సంస్థ రాస్‌కాస్మోస్‌ అధ్యక్షుడు దిమిత్రి రోగోజిన్‌ చెప్పారు. 

మోదీకి బ్రిటన్‌ ప్రధాని ఫోన్‌

ప్రధాని నరేంద్ర మోదీకి బ్రిటన్‌ ప్రధాని బోరిస్‌ జాన్సన్‌ గురువారం రాత్రి ఫోన్‌ చేసి వైరస్‌ నిరోధానికి తీసుకోవాల్సిన చర్యలు, సహకారంపై చర్చించారు. బ్రిటన్‌ ఆరోగ్యమంత్రి నాడిన్‌ డోరీస్‌కు వైరస్‌ సోకడంపై ప్రధాని ఆందోళన వ్యక్తం చేస్తూ ఆమె త్వరగా కోలుకోవాలని ఆకాంక్షించారు.

ఎవరెస్ట్‌ మూసివేత

ఎవరెస్ట్‌ శిఖరాధిరోహణను చైనా మూసేసింది. ఈ శిఖరానికి నేపాల్‌ వైపు నుంచి అత్యధికంగా వెళ్తారు. చైనా ఉత్తర ప్రాంతం నుంచీ, టిబెట్‌ నుంచీ వెళ్లే వీలుంది. ఈ దారుల్లో వెళ్లేందుకు అనుమతులు నిరాకరిస్తున్నట్లు చైనా అధికారులు ప్రకటించారు. బేస్‌ క్యాంప్‌ల్లో వైరస్‌ సోకే ప్రమాదం ఉండడం, చలి ప్రదేశాల్లో వైరస్‌ సోకేవారి పరిస్థితి తొందరగా విషమించే అవకాశం ఉండడం వల్ల అనుమతులు నిలిపేస్తున్నట్లు తెలిపారు. నేపాల్‌ మాత్రం యథావిధిగా కొనసాగించనుంది. 

అమెరికాలో నో షేక్‌హేండ్స్‌, నో కిసెస్‌

ఎన్నికల ప్రచారం హోరెత్తుతున్న వేళ అమెరికన్‌ రాజకీయవేత్తలు కరచాలనాలకు, ముద్దులకు దూరం పెట్టారు. కరోనా భయంతో ఒకర్నొకరు తాకడానికే ఇష్టపడడం లేదు. మరీ బావుండదని అనుకున్నారేమో... పిడికిళ్లు తాకించుకోవడం, భుజాలను పరస్పరం రాపాడించుకోవడం చేస్తున్నారు. ట్రంప్‌ ఇప్పటికే తన ర్యాలీలను రద్దు చేసుకోగా, డెమొక్రటిక్‌ పార్టీ నేతలు బెర్నీ సాండర్స్‌, జో బిడెన్‌ మాత్రం కొనసాగిస్తున్నారు. 

అమెజాన్‌, ట్విటర్‌ ప్రత్యేక చర్యలు

వర్క్‌ ఫ్రం హోం చేయాల్సిందిగా సామాజిక మాధ్యమ దిగ్గజం ట్విటర్‌ ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా ఉన్న తన ఉద్యోగులను కోరింది. అటు డెలివరీ దిగ్గజం అమెజాన్‌- తన ఉద్యోగులకు పెయిడ్‌ సిక్‌లీవు మంజూరు చేసి- ఇళ్ల దగ్గరే ఉండిపోవాలని కోరుతోంది.

కబళిస్తున్న మహమ్మారి

ఎన్ని దేశాలకు విస్తరించింది	125
ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా మొత్తం కేసులు	1,30,237
ఇందులో నయమై డిశ్ఛార్జి అయిన వారు	68,677
చికిత్సలో ఉన్న  కేసులు	56,804
ఇందులో క్రిటికల్‌గా ఉన్నవారు	5,714
కొత్తగా నమోదైనవి	1,600
మొత్తం మృతుల సంఖ్య	4,756

చికిత్సలో ఉన్నవారు, మృతులు దేశాల వారీగా!

దేశం	కేసులు	మృతులు
చైనా	14, 814	3169
ఇటలీ	10,590	827
ఇరాన్‌	6687	429
దక్షిణ కొరియా	7470	66
ఫ్రాన్స్‌	2221	48
స్పెయిన్‌	2968	84
అమెరికా	1283	38
జర్మనీ	1938	3
జపాన్‌	509	16
బ్రిటన్‌	434	8
ఇరాక్‌	48	8
నెదర్లాండ్స్‌	496	5

South Korea's drive-through screening clinic and other lessons

South Korea's drive-through screening clinic and other lessons India can take from the global community to contain Coronavirus infection
Myupchar Mar 04, 2020 15:59 PM IST
   
Many parts of the world woke up to the scary realization last week that the novel coronavirus may touch their lives as well. It is no longer a virus restricted to China; South Korea, Italy, Iran, and Japan have seen a sudden spike in cases. With Italy, the virus has made an entry into Western Europe as well - a precarious situation given the open borders in the area. Washington state, in the western US, has reported cases and deaths in populations with no exposure to high-risk countries. India also reported new cases, taking the tally up to 28. 

 South Koreas drive-through screening clinic and other lessons India can take from the global community to contain Coronavirus infection
Representational image. Image source: Getty Images.
WHO officials have warned that the world is entering ‘uncharted territory’ as the virus becomes more global. Are there some lessons that India can take from other countries to mitigate the spread of the disease? Times of crisis are also times of innovation, so India will do well to take some of these interventions under its wings. 

South Korea pioneers drive-through screening clinics
South Korea, which now has over 5,000 confirmed cases and over 30 deaths, found inspiration from fast-food chains like Mcdonalds to speed up screenings. In the northern city of Goyang, a drive-through screening clinic was opened on the 26th of February. Those with symptoms drive to the clinic, where healthcare providers in hazmat suits take their identifying information, record their temperature and take swab samples. There is limited face to face contact, and a lower risk of the disease spreading as patients don’t have to stay together in waiting rooms. Further, there is limited touching of surfaces that may carry germs; the patients do not get out of the car at all and the entire process of screening is done within minutes.

Results are processed within 3 days and sent via text. If the virus does become endemic in India, these improvised screening stations can be a great boon since rates of infections are highest in hospitals. 

Italy, Saudi Arabia and Japan take various measures to limit large public gatherings
Italy didn’t allow fans to attend major football games over the weekend as it became apparent that the country had a large number of confirmed cases. In a more drastic step, Japan announced that all schools will be closed for a month to prioritise the health of children. Schools are ideal for the spread of infections - children may not be as aware or cautious about covering their mouths when they sneeze and play areas are full of dirty and exposed surfaces. Saudi Arabia has also put a stop on religious pilgrims entering the country. Most countries that are affected have put travel advisories in place to contain the virus. India has also issued travel advisories and cancelled e-visas issued to people from at-risk countries. Many companies, like Google and Twitter, are encouraging their employees to work from home.

However, if the epidemic becomes more serious, school and office closures may be required. Large public gatherings will also need to be discouraged or banned. While these may sound like draconian measures, there is currently no cure for the disease and this is, unfortunately, all that we have.

Stepping up airport safety 
SeaTac airport in Seattle has stepped up screening and safety measures. Washington state, of which Seattle is the largest city, has seen a sudden rise in cases. Hospital-grade disinfectants are being used to routinely clean the airport with a special focus on ‘high touch point areas’ such as handrails, doorknobs, armrests and elevator buttons. Airlines such as Delta and Alaska airlines are also disinfecting their planes when they arrive at the airport. Further, hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed all over the airport as well.

India should also beef up these safety measures at its international airports. Before passengers disembark flights, announcements informing passengers about personal hygiene and symptoms should be made so that they are better prepared.

Currently, our best defence is disseminating useful information so that the public is armed with the best personal hygiene habits. This will require massive government commitment and some smart planning - India should be keeping a close eye on the drastic measures various effected countries have taken.

For more information, read our article on Coronavirus.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.

Updated Date: Mar 04, 2020 15:59:43 IST

Tags : Airport Screenings, Coronavirus, Coronavirus India, Japan Coronavirus, NewsTracker, Schools Shut, Screening Clinics, South Korea, Work From Home