Coronavirus weekly: as the virus spreads, economies grind to a halt

Singapore, the model response? Singapore, which suffered from the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, had a highly organized response that, among other things, avoided a lockdown. The chair of infection control for National University of Singapore, Dale Fisher, explains how the country did it and the lessons for other countries.

South Korea’s contact tracing. South Korea, too, has been held up as a global model. One interesting aspect of its response is its acceptance of surveillance systems, notably CCTV and the tracking of bank card and mobile phone usage, to control the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The picture in Africa. There have been comparatively few reported cases in Africa so far. Akebe Luther King Abia, research scientist from University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa explains why that might, adding that countries on the continent need to do much more to prepare their health systems and public responses. Meanwhile, among many people in South Africa, joking is a common way to cope.

Direct payments to citizens are particularly beneficial to low-wage workers, many of whom will be hurt by the slowdown in consumer spending, says economist Steven Pressman from Colorado State University.

Low to middle-income countries more vulnerable. Globally, the impact of the coronavirus could be worse on low to middle-income countries and harm particularly vulnerable people, say professor of public policy David Evans of Pardee RAND Graduate School and Mead Over of Georgetown University. As previous pandemics have shown, the short-term shocks on the economy typically translate into slowing long-term growth.

Seeking the virus’s origin. Researcher Alexandre Hassanin, of Sorbonne Université, ISYEB – Institut de Systématique, Evolution, provides some context for one of the most vexing questions facing scientists: did it originate in a bat or pangolin and where? He describes a recent genetic analysis which suggests that the “SARS-Cov-2 virus is the result of a recombination between two different viruses.” (To read the original article in French, click here.)

The quest for anti-viral treatments. Could existing drugs work? Nevan Krogan, who is director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute at the University of California, San Francisco, describes the work of a 22-lab research team working around the clock to identify the most promising candidates for disarming this new virus.

The biology of why elders are more at risk. As scientists generate new data on how COVID-19 affects people, one point is very clear: Older people and those with chronic medical conditions are most at risk of serious illness or death. Brian Geiss, associate professor of microbiology, immunology and pathology at Colorado State University, explains how changes to a person’s immune system as we age affects its ability to fight off infections like COVID-19.

Confused children. Child development experts from the University of Calgary explain how parents can talk to their children about the pandemic.

Complex daily decisions. Many people isolating themselves at home still have questions. Adam Kamradt-Scott from the University of Sydney gets into a more nuanced discussion around social distancing and tries to answer basic questions such as: Can I take the dog for a walk?

The psychological toll. Finally, one common thread across all countries is stressed-out individuals. Nita Bharti from the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University offers some tips on how to maintain physical and mental health during this period.

Singapore, the model response? Singapore, which suffered from the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, had a highly organized response that, among other things, avoided a lockdown. The chair of infection control for National University of Singapore, Dale Fisher, explains how the country did it and the lessons for other countries.

South Korea’s contact tracing. South Korea, too, has been held up as a global model. One interesting aspect of its response is its acceptance of surveillance systems, notably CCTV and the tracking of bank card and mobile phone usage, to control the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The picture in Africa. There have been comparatively few reported cases in Africa so far. Akebe Luther King Abia, research scientist from University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa explains why that might, adding that countries on the continent need to do much more to prepare their health systems and public responses. Meanwhile, among many people in South Africa, joking is a common way to cope.

Direct payments to citizens are particularly beneficial to low-wage workers, many of whom will be hurt by the slowdown in consumer spending, says economist Steven Pressman from Colorado State University.

Low to middle-income countries more vulnerable. Globally, the impact of the coronavirus could be worse on low to middle-income countries and harm particularly vulnerable people, say professor of public policy David Evans of Pardee RAND Graduate School and Mead Over of Georgetown University. As previous pandemics have shown, the short-term shocks on the economy typically translate into slowing long-term growth.

Seeking the virus’s origin. Researcher Alexandre Hassanin, of Sorbonne Université, ISYEB – Institut de Systématique, Evolution, provides some context for one of the most vexing questions facing scientists: did it originate in a bat or pangolin and where? He describes a recent genetic analysis which suggests that the “SARS-Cov-2 virus is the result of a recombination between two different viruses.” (To read the original article in French, click here.)

The quest for anti-viral treatments. Could existing drugs work? Nevan Krogan, who is director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute at the University of California, San Francisco, describes the work of a 22-lab research team working around the clock to identify the most promising candidates for disarming this new virus.

The biology of why elders are more at risk. As scientists generate new data on how COVID-19 affects people, one point is very clear: Older people and those with chronic medical conditions are most at risk of serious illness or death. Brian Geiss, associate professor of microbiology, immunology and pathology at Colorado State University, explains how changes to a person’s immune system as we age affects its ability to fight off infections like COVID-19.

Confused children. Child development experts from the University of Calgary explain how parents can talk to their children about the pandemic.

Complex daily decisions. Many people isolating themselves at home still have questions. Adam Kamradt-Scott from the University of Sydney gets into a more nuanced discussion around social distancing and tries to answer basic questions such as: Can I take the dog for a walk?

The psychological toll. Finally, one common thread across all countries is stressed-out individuals. Nita Bharti from the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University offers some tips on how to maintain physical and mental health during this period.