Much remains unknown about the effects of the new coronavirus on the body. That’s because more research is needed before conclusions can be drawn.
However, studies have provided us with some answers. One was a study of more than 44,000 confirmed cases of the disease by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control (CCDC) and here’s a brief overview of what it found:
The virus infects the tissues and airways deep inside the lungs rather than the nose
Fever, fatigue and a dry cough are the most common symptoms for patients
The disease can progress to pneumonia and ultimately organ failure
Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system. That means the elderly or those with underlying health conditions are more vulnerable
Of the cases examined, 81% developed mild symptoms
This CT scan shows human lungs that have been affected by Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirusImage caption: This CT scan shows human lungs that have been affected by Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus
California reported its first case on Wednesday – and it’s in someone who had not travelled abroad or been in contact with a confirmed case.
President Donald Trump said the risk to the US was “very low” and suggested that the spread of the virus had been contained.
But Mr Trump’s opponents (remember, it’s a presidential election year in the US) attacked funding cuts to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention CDC, at an event on Wednesday.
The spread of the infection is inevitable, the CDC has said. Flawed kits were distributed by the CDC, which has limited America’s ability to test for the virus.
There are 59 cases in the US, including the 42 people brought back from cruise ship Diamond Princess.
More on *that* beard advice…
NHS staff have now been asked to shave their beards to allow face masks to fit more securely.
Earlier we told you about an infographic, published by America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a 2017, showing different sorts of beards and whether they are compatible with respirators. It’s been widely shared on social media despite the advice being unrelated to the current coronavirus outbreak.
Now hospital bosses at Southampton University NHS Trust in the UK have sent a mass email to staff with the image attached, telling about the “known problem” with ill-fitting masks on hairy faces.
The email from medical director Derek Sandeman says facial hair “compromises the ability to protect any individual through a mask”.
He adds: “I am writing to ask those who do not have a strong cultural or religious reason for a beard and who are working in at-risk areas to consider shaving.
“I recognise for some this is a big ask, that beards are so popular at present. However I do believe this is the right thing to do.”
Emirates airline bans some passengers from flights to Saudi Arabia
Emirates airline says passengers from a number of countries – including China, Japan, Italy, Iran, India and Pakistan – won’t be allowed to fly with them to Saudi Arabia. It comes after Saudi Arabia barred foreign visitors going on pilgrimage or Umrah in the country. Saudi Arabia has not reported any cases of the virus.
The government is set to launch a public information campaign focusing on hygiene and prevention
In Tenerife, 168 Britons have been told to isolate themselves at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel
At least eight UK schools have closed while others – including the one attended by Prince George – have sent pupils home amid fears they may have been exposed to the virus during half-term trips to northern Italy
More than 7,000 people in the UK have been tested. Of the 15 diagnosed with Covid-19, eight have been discharged from hospital
People who have returned from Iran and parts of South Korea since 19 February, and from Hubei province in China in the past two weeks, are also advised to call the helpline, stay indoors and avoid contact with other people
The latest on the UK’s new coronavirus cases
Some further detail on the latest two people to be diagnosed with Covid-19 in the UK.
It is not clear which part of the UK the other person is from but they contracted it in Italy.
Ministers have said they expect more cases to emerge.
Do beards put you at risk?
CDCCopyright: CDC
French Fork and Verdiand Van Dyke beards are incompatible with wearing a respirator, according to the CDC.Image caption: French Fork and Verdiand Van Dyke beards are incompatible with wearing a respirator, according to the CDC.
A bizarre claim that men are being warned to shave their beards to protect against coronavirus has been doing the rounds on social media.
It stems from an infographic, issued by America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), showing which facial hair styles are incompatible with filtering facepiece respirators.
Sections of the media and social media have seized upon the infographic as new official advice that men with certain beards should shave them off to avoid catching the virus.
The blog explains: “Facial hair that lies along the sealing area of a respirator, such as beards, sideburns, or some mustaches, will interfere with respirators that rely on a tight face-piece seal to achieve maximum protection.”
The blog’s timing aside, many of the face masks people have been wearing to protect against the coronavirus do not have a tight seal.
President Emmanuel Macron says that France is preparing for a jump in the number of cases.
“We are facing a crisis, an epidemic, that is coming,” he said while visiting a hospital in Paris where the first French national with coronavirus died on Tuesday.
“We are going to have to deal with it as best we can,” he added.
France has 18 confirmed cases, with two deaths including a Chinese tourist who was visiting. On Wednesday some public events were cancelled, including the last day of a major carnival in Nice on Saturday.
AFPCopyright: AFP
How close are we to a pandemic?
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
San Fiorano is one of the Italian towns on lockdownImage caption: San Fiorano is one of the Italian towns on lockdown
Major outbreaks of the coronavirus were detected in both Italy and Iran in the past few days while cases in South Korea have surged, making that one of the worst-affected countries.
Clearly this is no longer a problem just in China, with a small number of exported cases, and many people are asking if the virus is about to become a pandemic and whether containing is still possible.
There are concerns about how Indonesia is testing for the coronavirus. So far the country has not reported any Covid-19 infections, despite its close proximity and links to China.
“There’s a ton of inter-connectivity between China and Indonesia, and if we look at all the other countries in the neighbourhood, everyone is reporting cases,” Dr Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease consultant and scientist at the University of Toronto, in Canada, told the BBC.
“They [Indonesia] have only recently developed the capacity to detect these cases and I think if we look at a map and look at travel patterns and where this might be amplified, that might be one of the regions that we look at.”
Two people in the country have died with symptoms similar to coronavirus, reports the Straits Times. But no-one has tested positive for the new virus.
Round-up: What’s the latest?
There’s been a lot of updates – with new cases confirmed in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. So here’s a round-up of the latest:
Saudi Arabia has banned foreigners from entering the country for pilgrimages as well as tourists from countries where the coronavirus has spread
Death toll rises to 22 in Iran
The UK announced two more cases, bringing the total to 15
European countries declare more infections, including the first case in Romania
Japan plans to close all schools from 2 March in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus
There are doubts whether the annual Hajj pilgrimage – a major event for Muslims globally – will go ahead in July and August in Saudi Arabia
More countries are putting emergency plans in place, including Australia
Recovered patients testing positive again
Celia Hatton
BBC Asia Pacific Regional Editor
Chinese health officials say that about 14% of patients in Guangdong province who had the coronavirus but recovered and were discharged from hospital have tested positive for the virus again.
Health officials admit they’re still learning about the new coronavirus and how it operates within the human body.
The same phenomenon has been reported in Japan, when a woman in her 40s who had recovered and tested negative for the virus then tested positive more than three weeks later.
The authorities in both countries have pledged to continue tracking former patients, even after they’ve been discharged from hospital.
Another senior Iranian politician tests positive
The chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee has become the third high-profile politician in the country to contract the virus.
“My corona test has come out positive… there is nothing to worry about. I am in quarantine now. God willing our people will defeat the corona,” Mojtaba Zolnour said.
Iran’s deputy health minister and an MP have also tested positive.
Video content
Video caption: Iran’s deputy health minister appeared unwell at a press conference before his diagnosisIran’s deputy health minister appeared unwell at a press conference before his diagnosis
BREAKINGJapan schools to close
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has called for all schools to close from 2 March for several weeks.
A timeline of key dates
With such a rush of new developments, it’s worth us looking back at where and when this all started:
31 December: China alerts the World Health Organization to several cases of unusual pneumonia in the city of Wuhan
7 January: Chinese authorities identify a new type of coronavirus
13 January: The WHO reports a case in Thailand, the first outside of China
30 January: The WHO declares the outbreak a global emergency as the death toll in China jumps to 170
2 February: The Philippines reports the first death outside China, a Chinese man from Wuhan
7 February: Li Wenliang, a doctor who tried to issue a warning about the coronavirus, dies
15 February: A Chinese tourist dies in France, the first death in Europe
11 February: The WHO announces that the disease caused by the virus would be called Covid-19
19 February: Iran reports two deaths – the first in the Middle East
26 February: The global death toll approaches 2,800 as 80,000 cases are recorded worldwide, with Brazil confirming the first case in Latin America
As European countries report an increase in cases, a second person has been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Switzerland. A 28-year-old man is in hospital in Geneva with mild symptoms after attending an IT conference in Milan.
Geneva has cancelled its annual watch fair that attracts the world’s leading watchmakers, scheduled to take place on 25-29 April.
AFPCopyright: AFP
The Watches & Wonders watch fair is an important source of income for GenevaImage caption: The Watches & Wonders watch fair is an important source of income for Geneva
Do Iran’s numbers add up?
James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent, BBC News
Iran almost certainly has far more cases than are being reported.
There are 26 deaths out of 246 people known to have been infected with the coronavirus in the country.
That gives a fatality rate of more than 10%, which is massively out of line with other nations.
The actual death rate of the virus is thought to be in the region of 1%. It is possible the virus has hit an exceptionally vulnerable group in Iran.
But the most likely explanation is Iran has a much larger pool of people infected with coronavirus.
Many scientists have concerns about Iran’s ability to contain the virus and cases in other countries have been linked to Iran.
Here is some more analysis by James:
How close are we to a pandemic?
What does coronavirus do to the body?
Much remains unknown about the effects of the new coronavirus on the body. That’s because more research is needed before conclusions can be drawn.
However, studies have provided us with some answers. One was a study of more than 44,000 confirmed cases of the disease by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control (CCDC) and here’s a brief overview of what it found:
You can read BBC health correspondent James Gallagher’s full piece about the CCDC study here.
What’s the situation in the US?
California reported its first case on Wednesday – and it’s in someone who had not travelled abroad or been in contact with a confirmed case.
President Donald Trump said the risk to the US was “very low” and suggested that the spread of the virus had been contained.
But Mr Trump’s opponents (remember, it’s a presidential election year in the US) attacked funding cuts to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention CDC, at an event on Wednesday.
The spread of the infection is inevitable, the CDC has said. Flawed kits were distributed by the CDC, which has limited America’s ability to test for the virus.
There are 59 cases in the US, including the 42 people brought back from cruise ship Diamond Princess.
More on *that* beard advice…
NHS staff have now been asked to shave their beards to allow face masks to fit more securely.
Earlier we told you about an infographic, published by America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a 2017, showing different sorts of beards and whether they are compatible with respirators. It’s been widely shared on social media despite the advice being unrelated to the current coronavirus outbreak.
Now hospital bosses at Southampton University NHS Trust in the UK have sent a mass email to staff with the image attached, telling about the “known problem” with ill-fitting masks on hairy faces.
The email from medical director Derek Sandeman says facial hair “compromises the ability to protect any individual through a mask”.
He adds: “I am writing to ask those who do not have a strong cultural or religious reason for a beard and who are working in at-risk areas to consider shaving.
“I recognise for some this is a big ask, that beards are so popular at present. However I do believe this is the right thing to do.”
According to the Health and Safety Executive, stubble and beards “make it impossible to get a good seal of the mask to the face”.
Watch: Empty streets and cafes in Venice
Normally tourists jostle for space in the hectic city of Venice, but the quarantine in northern Italy has emptied the streets and cafes.
The death toll in Italy has now increased to 14.
Video content
Emirates airline bans some passengers from flights to Saudi Arabia
Emirates airline says passengers from a number of countries – including China, Japan, Italy, Iran, India and Pakistan – won’t be allowed to fly with them to Saudi Arabia. It comes after Saudi Arabia barred foreign visitors going on pilgrimage or Umrah in the country. Saudi Arabia has not reported any cases of the virus.
The broader picture in the UK
If you’re just tuning into our live coverage now, here is a quick round-up of the latest coronavirus developments in the UK, after the total number of cases rose to 15.
The latest on the UK’s new coronavirus cases
Some further detail on the latest two people to be diagnosed with Covid-19 in the UK.
The BBC understands that one person – who contracted the virus in Tenerife – is from Derbyshire, and that a school in the county has closed because of the case.
It is not clear which part of the UK the other person is from but they contracted it in Italy.
Ministers have said they expect more cases to emerge.
Do beards put you at risk?
A bizarre claim that men are being warned to shave their beards to protect against coronavirus has been doing the rounds on social media.
It stems from an infographic, issued by America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), showing which facial hair styles are incompatible with filtering facepiece respirators.
Sections of the media and social media have seized upon the infographic as new official advice that men with certain beards should shave them off to avoid catching the virus.
The problem is that the CDC’s graphic was not issued in relation to this coronavirus outbreak. In fact is was published way back in 2017 as part of a blog aimed at those who wear respirators in the workplace.
The blog explains: “Facial hair that lies along the sealing area of a respirator, such as beards, sideburns, or some mustaches, will interfere with respirators that rely on a tight face-piece seal to achieve maximum protection.”
The blog’s timing aside, many of the face masks people have been wearing to protect against the coronavirus do not have a tight seal.
Experts have also questioned how effective face masks are in protecting against the virus in the first place.
France ‘facing an epidemic’
President Emmanuel Macron says that France is preparing for a jump in the number of cases.
“We are facing a crisis, an epidemic, that is coming,” he said while visiting a hospital in Paris where the first French national with coronavirus died on Tuesday.
“We are going to have to deal with it as best we can,” he added.
France has 18 confirmed cases, with two deaths including a Chinese tourist who was visiting. On Wednesday some public events were cancelled, including the last day of a major carnival in Nice on Saturday.
How close are we to a pandemic?
Major outbreaks of the coronavirus were detected in both Italy and Iran in the past few days while cases in South Korea have surged, making that one of the worst-affected countries.
Clearly this is no longer a problem just in China, with a small number of exported cases, and many people are asking if the virus is about to become a pandemic and whether containing is still possible.
You can read more here.
Iranian death toll jumps to 26
We reported earlier that the death toll in Iran was 22. The health ministry has just announced that has increased to 26.
It also announced a big jump in the number of cases – with 106 confirmed in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 245.
Iran is one of the epicentres of new infections. Officials earlier this week expressed doubts over the true number of cases reported in Iran.
Reality Check: How is Iran responding to the outbreak?
Why no infections in Indonesia?
There are concerns about how Indonesia is testing for the coronavirus. So far the country has not reported any Covid-19 infections, despite its close proximity and links to China.
“There’s a ton of inter-connectivity between China and Indonesia, and if we look at all the other countries in the neighbourhood, everyone is reporting cases,” Dr Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease consultant and scientist at the University of Toronto, in Canada, told the BBC.
“They [Indonesia] have only recently developed the capacity to detect these cases and I think if we look at a map and look at travel patterns and where this might be amplified, that might be one of the regions that we look at.”
Two people in the country have died with symptoms similar to coronavirus, reports the Straits Times. But no-one has tested positive for the new virus.
Round-up: What’s the latest?
There’s been a lot of updates – with new cases confirmed in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. So here’s a round-up of the latest:
Recovered patients testing positive again
Celia Hatton
BBC Asia Pacific Regional Editor
Chinese health officials say that about 14% of patients in Guangdong province who had the coronavirus but recovered and were discharged from hospital have tested positive for the virus again.
Health officials admit they’re still learning about the new coronavirus and how it operates within the human body.
The same phenomenon has been reported in Japan, when a woman in her 40s who had recovered and tested negative for the virus then tested positive more than three weeks later.
The authorities in both countries have pledged to continue tracking former patients, even after they’ve been discharged from hospital.
Another senior Iranian politician tests positive
The chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee has become the third high-profile politician in the country to contract the virus.
“My corona test has come out positive… there is nothing to worry about. I am in quarantine now. God willing our people will defeat the corona,” Mojtaba Zolnour said.
Iran’s deputy health minister and an MP have also tested positive.
Video content
BREAKINGJapan schools to close
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has called for all schools to close from 2 March for several weeks.
A timeline of key dates
With such a rush of new developments, it’s worth us looking back at where and when this all started:
You can learn more about the global spread of Covid-19 in our visual guide to the outbreak.
Switzerland confirms a second case
As European countries report an increase in cases, a second person has been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Switzerland. A 28-year-old man is in hospital in Geneva with mild symptoms after attending an IT conference in Milan.
Geneva has cancelled its annual watch fair that attracts the world’s leading watchmakers, scheduled to take place on 25-29 April.