On the 31st of January, the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus a global health emergency. Since that declaration, there have been a number of developments surrounding the disease. While there are pieces that provide a simplified round of and reports of the virus, this article is set to highlight all the major developments since WHO’s declaration.

Coronavirus Death Toll and Infection Rate

As of this writing,  there have been a total of 98 704 cases reported, with 3383 deaths and counting. There’s also been 55 497 people that have recovered from the disease. This interactive map as of March 6, 2020, 01:03 pm EST shows all the areas currently impacted by the coronavirus.

There have been 80 556 cases and 3042 deaths in Mainland China. Other reported deaths occurred in Italy with 148, Iran with 107,  South Korea with 40, 12 in the United States, 7 in France, 6 in Japan and on the Diamond Princess Cruise, 3 in Spain, 2 in Hong Kong, Spain, Australia, and Iraq,  and 1 in the United Kingdom, Philippines, Switzerland, San Marino, Taiwan, and Thailand respectively.

The number of cases in other countries includes:

• South Korea at 6593

• Italy with 3858

• Iran with 3513

• Germany with 545

• France with 423

• Japan at 360

• Spain with 282

• The United States with 233

• Switzerland with 119

• Singapore with 117

• The UK with 116

• Hong Kong with 105

• Sweden with 94

• Norway with 91

• The Netherlands with 82

• Australia with 60

•  Kuwait with 58

• Bahrain and Malaysia with 55

• Thailand with 48

• Canada with 46

• Taiwan at 44

• Austria with 43

• Iraq with 35

• Iceland with 34

• Greece with 31

• India with 30

• The United Arab Emirates with 29

• San Marino and Vietnam with 21

• Algeria with 17

• Oman, Vietnam Lebanon and Israel with 16

• Ecuador with 13

• The Czech Republic and Finland with 12

• Croatia with 11

• Macau and Denmark with 10

• Portugal and Qatar and the  with 8

• Azerbaijan, Romania, Ireland, and Belarus with 6

• Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Mexico with 5

• Palestine, New Zealand, Georgia, Russia, Senegal and Brazil with 4

• Saint Barthelemy, Estonia, and Egypt with 3

• Argentina, Slovenia, Bosnia and Hezegovenia, Indonesia, Hungary, Luxembourg, and Morocco with 2

• Afghanistan, Nigeria, Lithuania, Cambodia, Norway, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Faroe Islands, Armenia, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Andorra, Dominican Republic, Gibraltar, Chile, Nepal, Jordan, South Africa, Poland, Latvia, Tunisia, and Monaco all with 1 case each.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has asked for $675m to help countries address the expected spread of the virus.

What else is new?

• Dr. Li Wenliang, a 34-year old doctor at Wuhan Central Hospital who was among one of the first doctors to reportedly warn about the coronavirus outbreak, died of the virus in Wuhan on the morning of February 7th.
• Japan found 61 new cases of the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, off of Japan. As a result, around 3,700 people have been confined aboard the ship as part of a 14-day quarantine.
• During the beginning of February, China began enrolling patients in a clinical trial for an experimental drug for the new virus. The antiviral drug, called remdesivir and made by American pharmaceutical giant Gilead, was administered to the first patient infected with the virus in the United States, and doctors noted how his symptoms improved following a week of his condition worsening as well as pneumonia developing.
• Norwegian cruise company Royal Caribbean Cruises is planning on banning guests holding China, Hong Kong or Macau passports from boarding its ships.
• The United States has offered up to $100m to China and other impacted countries in order to combat the fast-spreading coronavirus.
• Turkey has temporarily stopped imports of livestock and animal fats from China.
• World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said all nations should prepare themselves for a potential pandemic.
• The Swiss government has canceled all events, with more than 1000 people participating. For example, the Geneva Motor show has been postponed.
• South Africa became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to confirm the presence of the coronavirus.

How Can I Protect Myself?

These are the basic protective measures suggested by WHO;

• Wash your hands frequently
• Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance between yourself as well as anyone who is coughing or sneezing
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose as well as your mouth
• Make sure you and the surrounding people are covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• If you have fever, cough or difficulty breathing, seek medical care early

Live Updates

Do not panic. Stay informed by reading credible media channels. If you want to keep a close track on the virus’s developments, the following sites will help provide live updates;

• https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/media-resources/news