�Թϲ�����

The coronavirus outbreak that has sickened at least 125,000 people on six continents and caused nearly 4,600 deaths is now an official global pandemic. But that doesn’t mean we should give up on trying to contain it, health experts say. The goal is no longer to prevent the virus from spreading freely from person to person, as it was in the outbreak’s early days. Instead, the objective is to spread out the inevitable infections so that the healthcare system isn’t overwhelmed with patients. Public health officials have a name for this: Flattening the curve. (Healy and Khan, 3/11)

To understand what may happen in the U.S., we can look at how COVID-19 propagated in other countries that had COVID-19 epicenters before the U.S. China for example makes up nearly 67% of the confirmed cases but despite that large number, the cases reported each day are finally starting to decrease. In the natural course of infectious spread there is a sharp increase, a peak and a decrease. China appears to be in the downward part of the curve. However, Italy, Iran, and South Korea, the next three hardest-hit nations, are still in their upward trajectory. (Baldwin and Taghipour, 3/11)

A mantra has emerged among health professionals calling for aggressive action on the coronavirus outbreak: "Flatten the curve." The catchy phrase refers to a so-called epidemic curve that is commonly used to visualize responses to disease outbreaks — and illustrates why public and individual efforts to contain the spread of the virus are crucial. It's all about speed. (Chow and Abbruzzese, 3/11)

China locked down megacities. Italy has put its entire populace into quarantine. Now New York’s governor has turned the town of New Rochelle into a “containment zone.” As the coronavirus continues its spread, officials are beginning to consider whether the United States should enact the type of large-scale, mandatory lockdowns touted by Beijing and praised at times by World Health Organization officials. The simple answer, according to experts, is no. But as the United States considers its next moves, there are lessons to be learned from what happened in China and other countries where cases are declining. (Rauhala, Wan and Shih, 3/11)

The traumas of recent history have informed Hong Kong’s response to the current coronavirus pandemic. An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, better known by its acronym, SARS, tore through the city in 2003, leaving 299 people dead. Keiji Fukuda, a U.S. expert on infectious diseases and former assistant director-general for health security at the World Health Organization, told Today’s WorldView that SARS and other outbreaks provided lessons for Hong Kong that it is applying today. “Virtually everybody here has been through the drill,” he said. “They know the consequences.” (Taylor, 3/12)

Older generations face a potentially life-threatening risk if infected with the novel coronavirus, which has caused deaths of 60-plus-year-olds stretching across the cities of China to the metropolises of Italy and now the United States. French President Emmanuel Macron advised his citizens to limit their visits to retirement homes last week, and Italy’s government has limited access to older people in nursing homes in an effort to keep from exposing them to infection. (Beachum, 3/11)

While the coronavirus outbreak poses health risks for everyone, officials have made clear that the elderly are particularly vulnerable.In Kirkland, Wash., a nursing home that saw one of the first confirmed U.S. clusters of Covid-19 has already confirmed the death of 19 residents. Now other nursing homes and long-term care facilities are putting strict restrictions in place to limit residents’ risk of exposure to infection. Elderly living at home are also being encouraged to limit social contacts. (Zia, 3/12)

While the novel coronavirus is primarily transmitted between people, touching infected surfaces can pass the virus, too. But don't call out sick just yet: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) have tips on how to properly disinfect work stations to keep yourself healthy and your workplace clean during a pandemic. (Andrew and Niu, 3/11)

In the midst of the novel coronavirus outbreak, people are being more careful about washing and sanitizing their hands, but experts warn cleaning better extend to your cellphone. "Your cellphone is a modern day 'hotspot'; it makes no sense to clean your hands and not wipe down your phone," said ABC News' chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton. (Moore, 3/11)

The presence of the new coronavirus in New Orleans has been anticipated for weeks. Gov. John Bel Edwards told residents on March 3 that it was a matter of “when, not if” the highly infectious disease would hit the state. But now that it’s here, with 13 presumptive positive cases in Louisiana, health care professionals and residents are making tough decisions about what it means to be exposed and who should self-quarantine. (Woodruff, 3/11)

When is an epidemic considered a pandemic, and what is the difference? What do health officials mean when they recommend “self-quarantining” or “social distancing”? As the coronavirus spreads around the world, new terms are entering the lexicon — and we’re here to help. Here’s a guide to the words and phrases you need to know to keep informed of the latest developments. (Gross and Padilla, 3/11)