Coronavirus: A visual guide to the pandemic
There
are now more than 220,000 confirmed cases, the majority outside China where the
virus originated.
Europe
is now at the centre of the crisis with cases and deaths increasing rapidly in
several countries.
This
series of maps and charts will help you understand what is going on.
1. The virus outbreak is a global pandemic
The
rise in the number of daily confirmed cases internationally has led the World
Health Organization (WHO) to declare its spread a global pandemic.
This
is when an infectious disease is passing easily from person to person in many
parts of the world at the same time.
More
than 80,000 people in China have been diagnosed with coronavirus since its
emergence in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, in December.
But
there are now more than 130,000 confirmed cases outside China, according to the
latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.
However, the actual number
of people with coronavirus internationally is thought to be a much higher
number - as many of those with mild symptoms have not been tested and counted.
WHO
director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said Europe is now at the centre of
the global outbreak.
In
response to the virus's spread, countries around the world are ramping up
measures to try to slow it down.
Governments
have halted flights from virus-hit nations, locked down towns and cities and
urged people to stay at home.
President
Donald Trump has declared a national emergency in the US and announced travel
restrictions on several European countries, including the UK and Ireland, as
well as China and Iran.
Many
international conferences and sporting events have also been cancelled or
postponed, including Six Nations rugby matches, Euro 2020 and the Copa America.
3. Numbers across Europe are also rising
European
countries have seen steep rises in infections and deaths, and the region has
become the new epicentre of the crisis.
As
well as Italy, Spain, France and Germany now have thousands of confirmed cases
each.
Germany's
Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that up to 70% of its population - some 58
million people - could contract coronavirus.
However,
some German virologists dispute the high figure, suggesting a worst-case
scenario of 40,000 cases.
Spain,
which now has the third highest number of cases outside China, brought in a
state of emergency on 14 March.
In
the UK, confirmed cases stand at more than 2,600, and 104 people have died.
On
Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a shift
in strategy, urging everyone in the UK to avoid unnecessary social
contact, work from home where possible, and stay away from pubs and
restaurants.
4. China still has the most cases
The
number of overall coronavirus cases in China was rising until early March, but
it has levelled off in the last couple of weeks.
The
country still has the highest number of confirmed cases of any country and
accounts for nearly 40% of all global cases.
Government
and regional officials have imposed tight restrictions in a bid to reduce
infections, including cancelling flights, closing schools and workplaces and
ordering some cities to go into lockdown.
The
origins of the coronavirus have been linked to illegally traded wildlife at the
seafood market in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, where the outbreak began.
The exact source has not yet been identified.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.