As the pace of new illnesses and deaths showed more signs of easing in European hot spots such as Italy and Spain, United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) today following his hospitalization yesterday.
Led mainly by ongoing heavy activity in the United States and Europe, the global total climbed to 1,341,907 today from 184 countries, including 74,169 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard. The latest country to report its first case is South Sudan, which has a population of 11 million.
WHO offers mask guidance; Lady Gaga announces broadcast
At today's WHO briefing, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said the agency has been evaluating the wider use of medical and nonmedical masks for COVID-19 and today issued guidance and criteria to help countries decide whether to recommend them to the public. He said the WHO is worried that the use of medical masks in the general population could further shrink the supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.
Tedros said that research on the use of nonmedical masks is limited. "There is no black-or-white answer and no silver bullet," he said. "Masks alone cannot stop the pandemic. Countries must continue to find, test, isolate, and treat every case and trace every contact."
However, he said that countries could consider recommending nonmedical masks for settings in which handwashing and physical distancing are difficult, such as in cramped living conditions. If used, they should be worn safely and properly; the WHO offers advice on how to put on, take off, and dispose of masks. Tedros also suggested that countries considering masks for the general population study their effectiveness to better inform the rest of the world.
Also at the WHO telebriefing, entertainer Lady Gaga today announced a One World: Together at Home broadcast for April 18 to support the WHO and frontline healthcare workers. Organized by Global Citizen, a humanitarian organization, and curated by Lady Gaga, the event will feature appearances by an international line-up of musicians and comedians.
European developments
In Europe today, the two biggest hot spots—Spain and Italy—both reported more than 3,000 new cases, but both saw more signs of declining cases.
In Italy, health officials extended lockdowns until after Easter and are outlining what the next phase of the outbreak response might look like, Reuters reported.
Health minister Robert Speranza said it's too early to say when the lockdown will be lifted, but he envisioned a "phase two" in which restrictions could begin to be eased. Social distancing would remain, with wider use of protection such as face masks, and health systems would be better equipped to more quickly diagnose and manage COVID-19. Testing and contact tracing would be expanded, possibly with help from phone apps, and a network of hospitals would be reserved to treat those with COVID-19.
Meanwhile, cases are still rising in other parts of Europe, including France, which reported 833 more deaths in hospitals and nursing homes, its highest 1-day fatality count, France 24 reported. Health minister Olivier Veran was quoted as saying that France has not reached the end of the epidemic's ascent.
And Turkey, an emerging hot spot, reported 3,148 new cases today, giving it the sixth highest case total in Europe. Based on surging case numbers, the country announced strict new measures such as mandatory use of face masks on public transport, at markets, and in public spaces, according to a BBC report. However, the country hasn't announced a lockdown, despite calls from medical groups to do so.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who tested positive for the virus about 11 days ago, was moved to the ICU today due to worsening symptoms after he was hospitalized for persistent symptoms yesterday, according to a separate BBC report.
Japan weighs emergency declaration
Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, signaled today that he would declare a state of emergency as soon as tomorrow, due to expanding transmission and quickly rising case numbers in Tokyo, Kyodo News reported today. However, he said he isn't likely to order a lockdown.
In a related development, Japan's emergency measures are expected to include the stockpiling of the antiviral drug favipiravir, enough for 2 million people, Asahi Shimbun reported. The country's health ministry today reported 383 more cases, 5 of them from airport quarantine.
Elsewhere in Asia:
- Singapore reported 66 new cases, all but one of them locally acquired. Links to other known cases were found for 35 of them, according to the health ministry.
- South Korea reported 47 more cases, at least 8 part of hospital clusters and 8 linked to nursing homes, Korea Centers for Disease Control said in an update.
- China has 39 new cases today, 38 imported and 1 local from Guangdong province. In addition, they have 78 asymptomatic cases, 40 of them imported, according to the National Health Commission.
Surging cases shake India's health system
In India, where cases have quadrupled in a week, there are increasing reports that the outbreak is overwhelming the health system, with some older patients turned away from hospitals and halts to outpatient care threatening the treatment of tuberculosis patients, the Los Angeles Times reported. Today the country reported 489 more cases, raising its total to 4,778.
