Many hospitalized COVID-19 patients are younger adults, study finds - today's coronavirus news and analysis
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As coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, here are some of the latest headlines, resources and stories to help you arm yourself with the best information.
COVID-19’s impact around the globe
- Globally, coronavirus deaths surpass 10,000
- California, world's fifth-largest economy, announces a state-wide stay at home order for its 40 million residents
- China reports no new local infections for second day in a row
- Argentina becomes the first Latin American country to order a coronavirus lockdown
- Some U.S. jails have started releasing their prisoners
- India could send cash transfers to those in its informal economy
- France's Cannes Film Festival postponed.
- Italy's death toll overtakes China's at 3,405
What is the World Economic Forum doing about the coronavirus outbreak?
CDC data finds younger adults are more vulnerable to COVID-19 than earlier thought
New research from the Centers for Disease Control found that people of all ages could be greatly sickened by the virus and those aged 20 to 54 comprised 40% of those hospitalized. The data is based on a study of 2,500 of the first recorded cases in the United States. Read more here.
California issues 'stay home' order as US death toll hits 200
California issued an unprecedented statewide “stay at home” order for its 40 million residents and Washington warned Americans to return home or stay abroad indefinitely, as the number of coronavirus deaths in the country hit 200.
Governor Gavin Newsom said the directive is effective immediately, while predicting the outbreak could infect more than half the state's population within eight weeks.
“We are confident the people of California will abide by it, they will meet this moment,” Newsom, a first-term Democrat told a news briefing from the state capital in Sacramento. Los Angeles, as the nation’s second-largest city, would likely be “disproportionately impacted” in the coming weeks, he said. Read the full story here.
COVID-19 hasn't yet spread aggressively in Africa - Experts consider why
Temperature could be a factor cases haven't significantly increased in Africa, according to experts in a live WHO Africa Media Leader briefing supported by the World Economic Forum. To prepare for a sudden influx once the seasons change, the WHO is adapting the measures it recommends to slow the spread of the disease n the African continent. Experts say these measures will take into account the shares of people who live in crowded houses without running water who might find it challenging to hand wash frequently with soap. Read more here.
What Bill Gates said about pandemics in 2015
During the Ebola crisis in West Africa, Bill Gates said we were not prepared for the next epidemic. “If anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s most likely to be a highly infectious virus rather than a war – not missiles, but microbes,” warned Bill Gates during a TED Talk five years ago.”
Said Gates, "We have invested a huge amount in nuclear deterrents, but we’ve actually invested very little in a system to stop an epidemic." Read more here.
Fighting disease outbreaks with data
With current technologies, we can analyze masses of data to identify outbreaks and use advanced machine learning models to predict future movement across geographies. While collating relevant data and standardizing it at a global level is a complicated task, there are opportunities to help anticipate and fight the next outbreak. Read more here.
WHO: Strengthening preparedness around the globe
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