UK govt adviser says 'reasonable' estimate 55,000 could have COVID-19

23:06, March 17, 2020

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  Over 55,000 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Europe

  Europe, the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, is facing a serious situation as more than 55,000 cases have been confirmed, according to the latest report of the World Health Organization (WHO).Photo: CGTNItaly reported 3,233 more cases on Monday, bringing its total number to 27,980. The country is the most affected in Europe, with 349 more deaths, 2,158 in total.France reported 6,633 confirmed cases and 148 deaths, the Health Ministry announced on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on Monday evening, urging people to stay at home and said the nation is "at war" against the coronavirus. He added that all reforms will be suspended and its European borders will be closed as of Tuesday noon.Germany reported a jump in coronavirus cases by more than 1,100 to 6,012, the Robert Koch Institute for disease control said on Monday evening. The total death toll stands at 13.Spain reported a total of 9,942 cases, with 342 deaths as of Tuesday morning. The Spanish government said it would close its land borders from Tuesday. Meanwhile, the president of Spains Catalonia region tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.

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  COVID-19 cases could overwhelm UK, US hospitals if not controlled: Study

  A study led by Neil Ferguson, a famous epidemiologist at Imperial College London, predicts that the novel coronavirus could infect a jaw-dropping number of the UK and US populations and overwhelm hospitals over the course of the pandemic.People walk on a commercial street in London, Britain on March 18, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)The study, called Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand, was released on Monday by London’s Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team. The study said that if no any control measures were done by the governments nor any spontaneous changes in individual behavior were made, 81 percent of the UK and US populations would be infected and 510,000 in Britain and 2.2 million in the US would die over that period.The study predicted that critical bed capacity would be exceeded as early as the second week in April, with an eventual peak in ICU or critical care bed demand that is over 30 times greater than the maximum supply in both the two countries for an uncontrolled epidemic.(Image: Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand)If the two governments pursue the optimal mitigation policies like home isolation of suspected cases, home quarantine of those living in the same household as suspected cases and social distancing of the elderly and others at most risk of severe disease, they might reduce peak healthcare demand by two-thirds and deaths by half, said the study.The study suggested that suppression is the preferred policy option. If the British government enforces social distancing for the entire population, isolates all cases, demands quarantines of entire households where anyone is sick, and closes all schools and universities, the number of deaths in the country could drop to below 20,000. The difficulty is, the government should do this not in the short term, but for 12 to 18 months.While the public is still talking about the study,...

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  Can hot/humid climates stop spread of COVID-19?

  From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in .ALL AREAS.The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands, the WHO website says.