According to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, can survive for several hours in air particles and days on various surfaces. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, along with UCLA and Princeton University studied the survival rates of COVID-19 on copper, cardboard, plastic and stainless steal and compared their finding to the rates for SARs. The team concluded that COVID-19 is detectable in the air for up to 3 hours, on copper for up to 4 hours and up to 24 hour on cardboard. Researchers also found that COVID-19 can survive up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steal, though noting that the amount of the virus left on surfaces decreases over time.
Total Global Cases: Over 218,000
Total Deaths: At least 8,900
Total Recovered: Over 84,000
What Happened Today:
The World Health Organization warned that the novel coronavirus may be disproportionally affecting small children. A recent study showed that a number of children in China have developed severe/critical cases of the virus, meaning the virus may affect younger children more than previously thought. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO emerging disease and zoonosis unit, told reporters today that, "what we need to prepare for is the possibility that children can also experience severe [cases of the] disease."
WHO also warned President Donald Trump to stop calling COVID-19 the "Chinese Virus," arguing that that type of language can lead to racial profiling. "Viruses know no boarders and they don't care about your ethnicity, the color of your skin or how much money you have in the bank. So it's really important we be careful in the language we use lest it lead to the profiling of individuals associated with the virus," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's emergency programs, stated during the organization's press conference on Wednesday.
The U.S. Senate approved the coronavirus relief package that passed earlier in the House. The package will provide paid leave, enhanced unemployment benefits, free COVID-19 testing and food and health care aid. At this time, the White House is also discussing a bigger stimulus package that could cost $1 trillion to help soften the economic impact the virus will have. On Wednesday, Trump invoked the Defense Product Act, which allows the U.S. government to force the American industry to produce critically-needed medical equipment. Trump also stated that he will send military hospital ship to critically impacted areas in order to provide hospital beds to those in need.
The United Kingdom plans to shut down schools in England today. Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated: "Looking at where we are now, we think now that we must apply further downward pressure on that upward curve by closing the schools...they will remain closed for the vast majority of pupils until further notice." Scotland and Wales also closed its schools today and the U.S. and Canada closed their shared border to unnecessary travel.
Honda
Tracking the Spread:
Americas: United States-1,924 new cases (26 new deaths), Canada-58 (1), Brazil-51 (2), Ecuador-44, Chile-37, Colombia-28, Peru-28, Costa Rica-19, Panama-17, Mexico-11, Martinique-8, Cuba-3, Equatorial Guinea-3, Venezuela-3, Paraguay-2, Trinidad & Tobago-2, Aruba-1, Honduras-1, Montserrat-1, St. Martin-1.
Europe: Italy-4,207 new cases (475 new deaths), Germany-2,960 (2), Spain-2,943 (105), France-1,404 (89), United Kingdom-676 (33), Switzerland-373 (6), Netherlands-346 (15), Austria-314, Belgium-243 (4), Portugal-194 (1), Norway-113 (3), Sweden-96 (2), Denmark-80, Czechia-88, Ireland-74 (2), Luxembourg-63 (1), Poland-49, Romania-43, Finland-37, Estonia-33, Armenia-32, Greece-31, Croatia-18, Serbia-17, Belarus-15, Andorra-14, Bulgaria-11, Faeroe Islands-11, Latvia-11, Slovenia-11, Malta-10, Guadeloupe-9, Liechtenstein-9, Hungary-8, Slovakia-8, Lithuania-7, Moldova-6 (1), Montenegro-6, Bosnia & Herzegovina-5, Gibraltar-5, Albania-4 (1), Georgia-4, North Macedonia-4, Iceland-3, Ukraine-2, Channel Islands-1, Greenland-1.
Middle East: Iran-1,192 new cases (147 new deaths), Israel-96, Turkey-93 (1), Saudi Arabia-67, Bahrain-14, Egypt-14 (6), Kuwait-12, Iraq-10 (1), Qatar-10, Cyprus-9, Lebanon-9, Jordan-8, Oman-6.
Asia: Malaysia-117 new cases, South Korea-93 (3), Pakistan-60 (2), Indonesia-55 (12), Singapore-47, Thailand-35 (1), Russia-33, India-26, Taiwan-23, Japan-21, China-13 (11), Hong Kong-13, Brunei-12, Vietnam-10, Sri Lanka-7, Uzbekistan-7, Bangladesh-4, Cambodia-4, Macao-4, Kazakhstan-3, Kyrgyzstan-3, Mongolia-1.
Africa: South Africa-31 new cases, Algeria-14 (2), Morocco-10, Senegal-9, Burkina Faso-5 (1), Ivory Coast-5, Nigeria-5, Democratic Republic of the Congo-4, Rwanda-4, Cameroon-3, Kenya-3, Mauritius-3, Tanzania-2, Sudan-1, Tunisia-2, Zambia-2, Benin-1, Djibouti-1, Mauritania-1.
Oceania: Australia- 110 new cases (1 new death), Philippines-15 (3), Guam-3, New Caledonia-2.
