As coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, here are some of the latest headlines, resources and analysis.
Virus hits key tipping point
For the first time since the outbreak started, there are more cases outside China than in it. There are currently more than 169,000 cases globally, according to Johns Hopkins University, with around 81,000 reported cases China and more than 88,000 in other countries around the globe. Read more here.
What is the World Economic Forum doing about the coronavirus outbreak?
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic requires global cooperation among governments, international organizations and the business community, which is at the centre of the World Economic Forum’s mission as the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.
Since its launch on 11 March, the Forum’s COVID Action Platform has brought together 1,667 stakeholders from 1,106 businesses and organizations to mitigate the risk and impact of the unprecedented global health emergency that is COVID-19.
The platform is created with the support of the World Health Organization and is open to all businesses and industry groups, as well as other stakeholders, aiming to integrate and inform joint action.
As an organization, the Forum has a track record of supporting efforts to contain epidemics. In 2017, at our Annual Meeting, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was launched – bringing together experts from government, business, health, academia and civil society to accelerate the development of vaccines. CEPI is currently supporting the race to develop a vaccine against this strand of the coronavirus.
New restrictions in Norway
Norwegians were asked to return home from their holiday mountain cabins and take any home quarantine in their core municipalities. The move was made to ensure smaller municipalities could support their core populations and not be overwhelmed by the virus. Read more here.
CDC advises against gatherings of 50 or more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked Americans to cancel or postpone gatherings of 50 people or more - including weddings, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events or conferences - over the next 8 weeks. The recommendation does not apply to schools or businesses and was not intended to supercede the recommendations of local officials. Read more here.
Economists weigh the likelihood of a recession
US and European economists were surveyed recently about how COVID-19 would impact the economy. Forty percent of respondents said the COVID-19 outbreak will cause a major recession, while 50% of respondents said that reduced spending would have bigger economic effects than disruption to supply chains or illness-related reductions in workforces. Read more here.
Data monitoring is helping Singapore tackle COVID-19 - Here's how
A project in Singapore leveraging government data, COVID-19 SG, allows residents to see every known coronavirus case, the street where the infected person lived and worked, which hospital they were admitted to, their average recovery time and the network connections between infections. Despite concerns about potential privacy infringements, the Singapore government has taken the approach that openness about infections is the best way to help people make decisions and manage anxiety about what is happening. Read more here.
How the impact of pandemics has varied throughout history
As humans have become more civilized - with larger cities and increased contact with different populations - pandemics have become more likely. Advances in modern medicine have helped control casualty rates, though death tolls can still range widely. Read more here.
Thermal scanners can help detect some - but not all - infected people
For more information, visit the World Health Organization coronavirus page.
