Coronavirus Updates: Disruptions, Rising Cases, Market Tremors and Warnings

February 26, 2020
Business

In the trial, the patient is being treated with the drug remdesivir, an antiviral developed by Gilead Sciences.

The test is taking place at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, which has a special biocontainment unit, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the N.I.H. Thirteen people from the cruise ship have been taken there for treatment.

There are no approved treatments for illnesses caused by coronaviruses, including the new one, known as COVID-19. Remdesivir is already being tested in two clinical trials in China, but efforts to enroll patients there have faltered.

“We urgently need a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the allergy and infectious diseases institute, at a briefing at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Several companies are also working to develop a vaccine for the virus. One of them, Moderna, said Monday it had delivered an experimental vaccine to the N.I.H. for early testing in humans, a record-setting pace.

What do you need to know? Start here.

Updated Feb. 25, 2020
- What is a Coronavirus?
  It is a novel virus named for the crown-like spikes that protrude from its surface. The coronavirus can infect both animals and people, and can cause a range of respiratory illnesses from the common cold to more dangerous conditions like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.
- How contagious is the virus?
  According to preliminary research, it seems moderately infectious, similar to SARS, and is probably transmitted through sneezes, coughs and contaminated surfaces. Scientists have estimated that each infected person could spread it to somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 people without effective containment measures.
- Where has the virus spread?
  The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has sickened more than 80,000 people in at least 33 countries, including Italy, Iran and South Korea.
- How worried should I be?
  New outbreaks in Asia, Europe and the Middle East are renewing fears of a global pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned this week that Americans should brace for the likelihood that the virus will spread to the United States.
- Who is working to contain the virus?
  The World Health Organization officials have been working with officials in China, where growth has slowed. But this week, as confirmed cases spiked on two continents, experts warned that the world is not ready for a major outbreak.
- What if I’m traveling?
  The C.D.C. has warned older and at-risk travelers to avoid Japan, Italy and Iran. The agency also has advised against all non-essential travel to South Korea and China.
- How do I keep myself and others safe?
  Washing your hands frequently is the most important thing you can do, along with staying at home when you’re sick.

But “even at rocket speed,” releasing a vaccine would take at least a year, Dr. Fauci cautioned.

He projected that initial human trials would begin in a month and a half, with about 45 people, and last three to four months. Then it would have to be expanded to “hundreds, if not thousands” of subjects in countries with active disease transmission, which would take six to eight months, he said.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/25/world/asia/coronavirus-news.html