Coronavirus: 'Radical Change' To Life; Only 1 U.S. State Has Not Reported A Case
"As of today, 152 countries across the globe are affected by this new virus and over 7,000 people have lost their lives to it," the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe said Tuesday, describing the reach of a coronavirus that is disrupting lives in countries around the world.
Updated at 10:40 a.m. ET
"One third of globally reported cases are in the European region," the WHO's Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge said, reiterating his agency's recent acknowledgement that the COVID-19 pandemic's epicenter lies not in China, where it was discovered in December, but in Europe.
"The lives of millions of people in our region are undergoing radical change. There is quite simply a new reality," Kluge said in a briefing that was held in a U.N. building that has been nearly completely abandoned as workers stay home to practice social distancing. As Kluge spoke, a large bottle of hand sanitizer sat on the table in front of him.
The U.S. has more than 4,600 cases of the respiratory virus. Both New York and Washington state are reporting nearly 1,000 cases.
All but 1 U.S. states have reported a coronavirus case
As of late Monday, West Virginia was the only state that has not reported a coronavirus case. But the state was also among the last to gain the ability to test for the virus that causes COVID-19 — reflecting a wider problem in the U.S., where the rollout of a national testing system has been slowed by critical problems at the federal level.
West Virginia's public health lab "has tested 84 residents for COVID-19, with 80 results coming back negative and four tests pending," the state Department of Health and Human Resources said Monday afternoon.
Like many other states, West Virginia's public lab is now being bolstered by the testing efforts of commercial laboratories and some hospitals.
Kentucky Derby is postponed
The Kentucky Derby had been scheduled to be run on May 2 – but the crown jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown will instead be postponed until September, the Churchill Downs racetrack announced Tuesday.
The race traditionally takes place on the first Saturday of May; this year, it'll happen on Sept. 5.
People who have already bought tickets for the race will automatically have those tickets transferred to the September date; anyone who's unable to attend can seek a refund online, the racetrack said in a statement posted on its website.
Churchill Downs attracts more than 150,000 spectators for the race. But new federal guidelines recommend limiting public gatherings to a much smaller size – on Monday, the Trump administration advised Americans to avoid gathering in groups of 10 or more.
"The most recent developments have led us to make some very difficult, but we believe, necessary decisions and our hearts are with those who have been or continue to be affected by this pandemic," Churchill Downs Incorporated CEO Bill Carstanjen said of the decision.
Coronavirus symptoms and prevention
To prevent the coronavirus from spreading, the CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using a hand sanitizer if a sink isn't available. The WHO says people should wear face masks only if they're sick or caring for someone who is.
"For most people, COVID-19 infection will cause mild illness; however, it can make some people very ill and, in some people, it can be fatal," the WHO says. "Older people, and those with preexisting medical conditions (such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease or diabetes) are at risk for severe disease."
The most common symptoms of COVID-19, according to the WHO: fever (in 88% of cases), dry cough (68%), fatigue (38%) and sputum/phlegm production (33%). Shortness of breath occurred in nearly 20% of cases, and about 13% had a sore throat or headache, the WHO said in a report drawing on more than 70,000 cases in China. [Copyright 2020 NPR]
