npr--2020-04-26--6 Solutions To Beat COVID-19 In Countries Where The Usual Advice Just Won't Work

6 Solutions To Beat COVID-19 In Countries Where The Usual Advice Just Wo n't Work The fight against coronavirus will not be won until every country in the world can control the disease .
But not every country has the same ability to protect people .
For low-income countries that struggle with weak health systems , large populations of impoverished people and crowded megacities , `` there needs to be a very major adaptation '' to the established measures we 've been using to fight COVID-19 , says Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr , an epidemiologist and director of ICAP , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The COVID-19 playbook that wealthy nations in Europe , Asia and North America have come to know — stay home as much as possible , keep a six foot distance from others , wash hands often — will be nearly impossible to follow in much of the developing world .
`` I think they 're trying , but it 's not easy , '' El-Sadr says .
`` Ministries of health are working , partnering with international organizations to try to innovate — and hopefully , if the innovation works , it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the solutions now being tried .
Problem : Countries in the developing world face massive shortages of medical gear like personal protective equipment , says Avril Lenoir , executive director of Doctors Without Borders .
And the cutback in commercial flights has made it difficult to bring in equipment .
Solution : The U.N. has launched what it 's calling `` solidarity flights '' – hiring charter planes to airlift millions of face masks , face shields , goggles , gloves , gowns and other supplies .
On April 14 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight from Addis Ababa full of COVID-19 gear to transport to countries in need .
`` This is by far the largest single shipment of supplies since the start of the pandemic , and we will ensure that people living in countries with some of the weakest health systems are able to get tested and treated , '' said Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari , WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean in a statement .
Assessment : `` In the short run , a program like this is fine so long as we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says El-Sadr .
`` Without [ supplies like ] PPE , you 're at risk of losing your scarce and precious health workforce — and you want to protect them at any cost . ''
But hiring chartered flights to deliver any kind of aid – instead of commercial flights – is expensive , says Manuel Fontaine , director of emergency programs at UNICEF .
The U.N. is calling on donors to provide $ 350 million to continue this program ; so far , it has received $ 84 million .
Create safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : How do you protect the most vulnerable individuals in crowded cities and refugee camps ?
And how do you keep infected individuals from spreading the disease ?
Solution : Health authorities are trying out a somewhat controversial strategy : separating the sick and those at high risk , moving them from the homes where they might live alone or with an extended family into vacant homes or taking over facilities previously used for other purposes , such as learning centers .
The people being targeted include the elderly and those with preexisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 — as well as the homeless .
The strategy has been cited by several health researchers as a practical way to control the spread of disease in densely packed communities .
Francesco Checchi of the London School of Tropical Health and Medicine wrote a paper on the subject , and Dr. Paul Spiegel of Johns Hopkins University , in another paper , recommended this as a potential solution in refugee settings .
Assessment : In his paper , Spiegel warns that the strategy of isolating these groups are `` novel and untested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the developing world where the strategy has been rolled out , it has had mixed results .
Shah Dedar , an aid worker with the humanitarian group HelpAge , says that religious and community leaders among the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh do n't like the idea of taking the sick or the elderly from the families who might care for them .
But `` elderly men and women with chronic diseases [ who lived alone ] were very much keen to the idea and appreciated the initiative , '' says Dedar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rohingya leaders to give it a try , Spiegel of Johns Hopkins University says that this may not always be possible .
In the case of a severe outbreak , aid workers may have to forcibly separate populations , whether the community approves or not .
And he warns that this shielding measure is no guarantee it will keep the virus at bay — it could spread within these facilities , as has happened at some nursing homes in the U.S. And in Cape Town , South Africa , conditions in a homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government have prompted complaints from the residents about close contact and lack of sanitation — and a call from Doctors Without Borders to shut it down .
Get out of town Problem : Some citizens are afraid of staying in big cities where social distancing is hard to maintain and outbreaks are more likely to spread .
Solution : Those who have family in ancestral homelands are traveling back to stay in these rural environments – it 's happened in countries ranging from Bangladesh to Italy .
Assessment : Both government officials and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it puts elderly people in those rural environments at risk if the city dwellers might be contagious yet asymptomatic or presymptomatic .
The other downside of fleeing to these more remote areas , says El-Sadr , is that `` health care services are less likely to be available . ''
That said , El-Sadr notes that this kind of population shift can be a good strategy in an area where transmission within a community has not yet occurred but is deemed likely .
This could be a `` way that people can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to make a living , get social support [ if they are sick ] , get more access to food , where they can socially distance more readily . ''
Problem : Social distancing is hard to enforce in densely populated low-income countries .
Solution : Many governments around the world have turned to the police to ensure that people stay home — and hand out punishments to those who are n't following the lockdown rules .
In India , for example , people who violate the lockdown could face up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country have faced unusual punishments , such as writing `` I am very sorry '' 500 times , according to an NPR report .
Assessment : Unfortunately , there have been reports of officers using physical violence to keep people in their homes in several countries , including India , Bangladesh and the Philippines .
In Kenya , the violence has resulted in public outcry , with citizens calling for more civility from its police force .
`` This is no way to fight a coronavirus epidemic , '' tweeted a Kenya-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make medical equipment Problem : More supplies to fight COVID-19 are needed .
Solution : Get factories to switch gears and respond to the coronavirus.Kenya 's textile industry has pivoted to making masks and protective equipment .
The Kitui County Textile Center ( KICOTEC ) has shifted from sewing chef 's whites and school uniforms to turning out face masks and scrubs for healthcare workers .
Kenya 's state-owned oil company is now making hand sanitizer , which it says it is distributing for free .
In South Africa , the state-owned missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ design and build ventilators , and to convert armored trucks into ambulances .
The government has launched an initiative called the National Ventilator Project , which calls for companies to build 10,000 ventilators by the end of June , using locally available parts and materials .
Similar efforts are underway in Nigeria , where the government announced that they 're working with car companies to manufacture locally-made ventilators .
In Kenya , KICOTEC turning out 30,000 surgical masks a day , according to Kenya 's Ministry of Health .
Kenya 's petroleum company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , and plans to make at least 600,000 gallons more .
But WHO projects that countries will need millions of masks , goggles and other supplies to protect healthcare workers and citizens while mounting a response to COVID-19 .
So local manufacturing can only partly fill the gap .
But local authorities believe it is critical : `` We 're trying to build up local capacity to ensure that the critical facilities , the beds and ventilators , respirators could be made available within the country , '' says Adaeze Oreh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Health , `` So we 're not constrained by international travel restrictions , border closures and relying on imports . ''
Problem : Public health officials globally stress the importance of frequent hand-washing in the fight against COVID-19 .
In low- and middle-income countries , however , 35 % of people lack regular access to soap and water , according to WHO .
`` The health workers say we must wash our hands , '' said Zukwisa Qezo , a 47-year-old mother of two who lives in the Cape Town township to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
The city must bring us soap . ''
Solution : To improve the ability for people to clean their hands , WHO advises that hand hygiene stations — either with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizer — to be placed at the entrances of buildings , and in transport hubs such as bus and train stations .
The system can be as simple as two buckets — one filled with chlorinated water , and one to catch the wastewater .
Assessment : Public hand-washing stations , which were effective in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resurrected in countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone , NPR reports .
Doctors Without Borders reports that their volunteers are setting up hand washing points in many of the settings they operate in , including migrant camps in Nigeria and health facilities in Mozambique .

6 Solutions To Beat COVID-19 In Countries Where The Usual Advice Just Won't Work
Enlarge this image Sally Deng for NPR Sally Deng for NPR
The fight against coronavirus will not be won until every country in the world can control the disease. But not every country has the same ability to protect people.
For low-income countries that struggle with weak health systems, large populations of impoverished people and crowded megacities, "there needs to be a very major adaptation" to the established measures we've been using to fight COVID-19, says Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, an epidemiologist and director of ICAP, a global health organization at Columbia University.
The COVID-19 playbook that wealthy nations in Europe, Asia and North America have come to know — stay home as much as possible, keep a six foot distance from others, wash hands often — will be nearly impossible to follow in much of the developing world.
"I think they're trying, but it's not easy," El-Sadr says. "Ministries of health are working, partnering with international organizations to try to innovate — and hopefully, if the innovation works, it can be scaled up."
Here are some of the solutions now being tried.
Fly in tons of medical gear
Problem: Countries in the developing world face massive shortages of medical gear like personal protective equipment, says Avril Benoit, executive director of Doctors Without Borders. And the cutback in commercial flights has made it difficult to bring in equipment.
Solution: The U.N. has launched what it's calling "solidarity flights" – hiring charter planes to airlift millions of face masks, face shields, goggles, gloves, gowns and other supplies. On April 14, the U.N. dispatched an Ethiopian Airlines charter flight from Addis Ababa full of COVID-19 gear to transport to countries in need.
"This is by far the largest single shipment of supplies since the start of the pandemic, and we will ensure that people living in countries with some of the weakest health systems are able to get tested and treated," said Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean in a statement.
Assessment: "In the short run, a program like this is fine so long as we're dealing with an acute event," says El-Sadr. "Without [supplies like] PPE, you're at risk of losing your scarce and precious health workforce — and you want to protect them at any cost."
But hiring chartered flights to deliver any kind of aid – instead of commercial flights – is expensive, says Manuel Fontaine, director of emergency programs at UNICEF. The U.N. is calling on donors to provide $350 million to continue this program; so far, it has received $84 million.
Create safe havens for the sick and elderly
Problem: How do you protect the most vulnerable individuals in crowded cities and refugee camps? And how do you keep infected individuals from spreading the disease?
Solution: Health authorities are trying out a somewhat controversial strategy: separating the sick and those at high risk, moving them from the homes where they might live alone or with an extended family into vacant homes or taking over facilities previously used for other purposes, such as learning centers. The people being targeted include the elderly and those with preexisting health conditions that make them susceptible to COVID-19 — as well as the homeless.
The strategy has been cited by several health researchers as a practical way to control the spread of disease in densely packed communities. Francesco Checchi of the London School of Tropical Health and Medicine wrote a paper on the subject, and Dr. Paul Spiegel of Johns Hopkins University, in another paper, recommended this as a potential solution in refugee settings.
Assessment: In his paper, Spiegel warns that the strategy of isolating these groups are "novel and untested." And thus far, in parts of the developing world where the strategy has been rolled out, it has had mixed results.
Shah Dedar, an aid worker with the humanitarian group HelpAge, says that religious and community leaders among the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh don't like the idea of taking the sick or the elderly from the families who might care for them. But "elderly men and women with chronic diseases [who lived alone] were very much keen to the idea and appreciated the initiative," says Dedar.
While HelpAge was able convince local Rohingya leaders to give it a try, Spiegel of Johns Hopkins University says that this may not always be possible. In the case of a severe outbreak, aid workers may have to forcibly separate populations, whether the community approves or not. And he warns that this shielding measure is no guarantee it will keep the virus at bay — it could spread within these facilities, as has happened at some nursing homes in the U.S.
And in Cape Town, South Africa, conditions in a homeless "camp" set up by the government have prompted complaints from the residents about close contact and lack of sanitation — and a call from Doctors Without Borders to shut it down.
Get out of town
Problem: Some citizens are afraid of staying in big cities where social distancing is hard to maintain and outbreaks are more likely to spread.
Solution: Those who have family in ancestral homelands are traveling back to stay in these rural environments – it's happened in countries ranging from Bangladesh to Italy.
Assessment: Both government officials and citizens have criticized this exodus, saying that it puts elderly people in those rural environments at risk if the city dwellers might be contagious yet asymptomatic or presymptomatic.
The other downside of fleeing to these more remote areas, says El-Sadr, is that "health care services are less likely to be available."
That said, El-Sadr notes that this kind of population shift can be a good strategy in an area where transmission within a community has not yet occurred but is deemed likely. This could be a "way that people can have more of an ability to survive, to make a living, get social support [if they are sick], get more access to food, where they can socially distance more readily."
Get the police involved
Problem: Social distancing is hard to enforce in densely populated low-income countries.
Solution: Many governments around the world have turned to the police to ensure that people stay home — and hand out punishments to those who aren't following the lockdown rules. In India, for example, people who violate the lockdown could face up to a year in prison. Others in the country have faced unusual punishments, such as writing "I am very sorry" 500 times, according to an NPR report.
Assessment: Unfortunately, there have been reports of officers using physical violence to keep people in their homes in several countries, including India, Bangladesh and the Philippines. In Kenya, the violence has resulted in public outcry, with citizens calling for more civility from its police force. "This is no way to fight a coronavirus epidemic," tweeted a Kenya-based journalist.
Reinvent factories so they can make medical equipment
Problem: More supplies to fight COVID-19 are needed.
Solution: Get factories to switch gears and respond to the coronavirus.Kenya's textile industry has pivoted to making masks and protective equipment. The Kitui County Textile Center (KICOTEC) has shifted from sewing chef's whites and school uniforms to turning out face masks and scrubs for healthcare workers. Kenya's state-owned oil company is now making hand sanitizer, which it says it is distributing for free.
In South Africa, the state-owned missile manufacturer Denel, has been working to design and build ventilators, and to convert armored trucks into ambulances. The government has launched an initiative called the National Ventilator Project, which calls for companies to build 10,000 ventilators by the end of June, using locally available parts and materials.
Similar efforts are underway in Nigeria, where the government announced that they're working with car companies to manufacture locally-made ventilators.
Assessment:
In Kenya, KICOTEC turning out 30,000 surgical masks a day, according to Kenya's Ministry of Health. Kenya's petroleum company has produced more than 80,000 gallons so far, and plans to make at least 600,000 gallons more.
But WHO projects that countries will need millions of masks, goggles and other supplies to protect healthcare workers and citizens while mounting a response to COVID-19.
So local manufacturing can only partly fill the gap. But local authorities believe it is critical: "We're trying to build up local capacity to ensure that the critical facilities, the beds and ventilators, respirators could be made available within the country," says Adaeze Oreh, a senior official in Nigeria's Ministry of Health, "So we're not constrained by international travel restrictions, border closures and relying on imports."
Set up handwashing stations
Problem: Public health officials globally stress the importance of frequent hand-washing in the fight against COVID-19. In low- and middle-income countries, however, 35% of people lack regular access to soap and water, according to WHO.
"The health workers say we must wash our hands," said Zukwisa Qezo, a 47-year-old mother of two who lives in the Cape Town township to NPR. "But with what?! The city must bring us soap."
Solution: To improve the ability for people to clean their hands, WHO advises that hand hygiene stations — either with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizer — to be placed at the entrances of buildings, and in transport hubs such as bus and train stations. The system can be as simple as two buckets — one filled with chlorinated water, and one to catch the wastewater.
Assessment: Public hand-washing stations, which were effective in the fight against Ebola, are being resurrected in countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone, NPR reports. Doctors Without Borders reports that their volunteers are setting up hand washing points in many of the settings they operate in, including migrant camps in Nigeria and health facilities in Mozambique.


npr--2020-04-26--Stockholm Expected To Reach Herd Immunity In May, Swedish Ambassador Says

Stockholm Expected To Reach Herd Immunity In May , Swedish Ambassador Says Sweden 's ambassador to the U.S. believes the country 's controversial strategy of pursuing `` herd immunity '' — and not locking down the country — is bearing success , with the capital Stockholm on course to reach herd immunity in the next few weeks .
`` About 30 % of people in Stockholm have reached a level of immunity , '' Karin Ulrika Olofsdotter told NPR .
`` We could reach herd immunity in the capital as early as next month . ''
Herd immunity means the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune to an infectious disease by either recovering from it or through vaccination .
Some researchers have put the threshold for coronavirus herd immunity at 60 % in some areas .
There is no scientific proof , however , that people who have recovered from COVID-19 are actually protected from a second infection .
The World Health Organization on Friday said the idea that one-time infection can lead to immunity remains unproven .
Olofsdotter agreed that more research and testing is needed to answer the lingering question regarding immunity .
The Swedish government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation require it , but there are currently no plans to switch course , she said .
Schools , restaurants and malls have remained open in Sweden .
The government has issued social distancing guidelines , discouraged nonessential travel and recommended that people over 70 stay at home .
Authorities also banned gatherings of more than 50 people and visits to nursing homes are prohibited .
While the vast majority of Swedes approve and follow the government 's guidelines , reports suggest Stockholm 's residents have begun to break the rules as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swiftly responded by threatening to shut down any restaurant or bar that fails to implement adequate social distancing .
`` I do n't want to see any full open-air restaurants in Stockholm or anywhere else .
Otherwise , businesses will be closed , '' Swedish Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg said on Friday .
According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University , there are more than 18,500 confirmed coronavirus cases in Sweden , with 2,194 deaths as of Sunday .
These numbers do n't bode well when compared to other Nordic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month relaxed some of its restrictions , is closing in on 8,800 coronavirus cases .
Its death toll stands at 422 .
Finland recently extended its ban on mass gatherings through the summer .
The country has more than 4,500 confirmed cases and reported 190 coronavirus deaths .
Both Denmark and Finland have a population of around 5 million each , which is roughly half of that of Sweden .
`` We share the same goal as all other countries , and that is of course to save as many lives as possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` So we face the same reality as everyone else .
But what 's different , and I think it 's important to underline that all countries are different , is that politicians take the measures that they think works best for their country and their general public . ''
More than half all deaths in Sweden have occurred in elderly care homes , Dr. Anders Tegnell , chief epidemiologist at Sweden 's Public Health Agency , told CNBC on Thursday .
The government is investigating the causes behind the high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Once we know how the virus got into our elderly care facilities , the government can make recommendations and take measures to try to stop that , because that is the biggest tragedy of all this , that it has gotten into the nursing homes , '' Olofsdotter told NPR .
The ambassador said the decision to keep restaurants , shops and schools open during the crisis could potentially speed up Sweden 's economic recovery , but she made clear that businesses and employees have been suffering under the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6.5 % before , is now roughly around 11 % and growing , '' she said .
`` This is , of course , extremely serious , and we expect that our GDP will shrink between 4-10 % for 2020 . ''
European Union leaders last week failed to reach a deal on an economic recovery program for its 27 member states .
Earlier this month , Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said thousands in the country could die .
`` We have chosen a strategy of trying to flatten the curve and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because then the health care system probably will not cope , '' he told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter .
`` But it also means that we will have more seriously ill people who need intensive care , we will have significantly more deaths .
We will count the dead in thousands . ''

Swedish Ambassador Says Stockholm Expected To Reach 'Herd Immunity' In May
Enlarge this image toggle caption Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images
Sweden's ambassador to the U.S. believes the country's controversial strategy of imposing only limited restrictions — and not locking down the country — is bearing success, with the capital, Stockholm, on course to reach herd immunity in the next few weeks.
"About 30% of people in Stockholm have reached a level of immunity," Karin Ulrika Olofsdotter told NPR. "We could reach herd immunity in the capital as early as next month."
Herd immunity means the majority of a given population has become immune to an infectious disease either by recovering from it or through vaccination. Some researchers have put the threshold for coronavirus herd immunity at 60% in some areas.
There is no scientific proof, however, that people who have recovered from COVID-19 are actually protected from a second infection. The World Health Organization on Friday said the idea that one-time infection can lead to immunity remains unproven.
Olofsdotter agreed that more research and testing are needed to answer the lingering question regarding immunity. The Swedish government is ready to change its strategy should the situation require it, but there are currently no plans to switch course, she said.
Schools, restaurants and malls have remained open in Sweden. The government has issued social distancing guidelines, discouraged nonessential travel and recommended that people over 70 stay at home. Authorities also banned gatherings of more than 50 people, and visits to nursing homes are prohibited.
While the vast majority of Swedes approve of and follow the government's guidelines, reports suggest that Stockholm's residents have begun to break the rules as the weather gets warmer. The government swiftly responded by threatening to shut down any restaurant or bar that fails to implement adequate social distancing.
"I don't want to see any full open-air restaurants in Stockholm or anywhere else. Otherwise, businesses will be closed," Swedish Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg said on Friday.
According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, there are more than 18,500 confirmed coronavirus cases in Sweden, with 2,194 deaths as of Sunday.
These numbers don't bode well when compared with those of other Nordic countries. Denmark, which this month relaxed some of its restrictions, is closing in on 8,800 coronavirus cases. Its death toll stands at 422. Finland recently extended its ban on mass gatherings through the summer. The country has more than 4,500 confirmed cases and has reported 190 coronavirus deaths. Denmark and Finland have a population of around 5 million each, which is roughly half of Sweden's.
"We share the same goal as all other countries, and that is of course to save as many lives as possible and protect public health," Olofsdotter said. "So we face the same reality as everyone else. But what's different — and I think it's important to underline that all countries are different — is that politicians take the measures that they think works best for their country and their general public."
More than half of all deaths in Sweden have occurred in elderly care homes, Dr. Anders Tegnell, chief epidemiologist at Sweden's Public Health Agency, told CNBC on Thursday. The government is investigating the causes behind the high mortality at the nation's nursing homes.
"Once we know how the virus got into our elderly care facilities, the government can make recommendations and take measures to try to stop that, because that is the biggest tragedy of all this, that it has gotten into the nursing homes," Olofsdotter told NPR.
The ambassador said the decision to keep restaurants, shops and schools open during the crisis could potentially speed up Sweden's economic recovery, but she made clear that businesses and employees have been suffering under the pandemic.
"Our unemployment, which was about 6.5% before, is now roughly around 11% and growing," she said. "This is, of course, extremely serious, and we expect that our GDP will shrink between 4-10% for 2020."
European Union leaders last week failed to reach a deal on an economic recovery program for its 27 member states.
This month, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said thousands in the country could die.
"We have chosen a strategy of trying to flatten the curve and not get too dramatic a process, because then the health care system probably will not cope," he told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. "But it also means that we will have more seriously ill people who need intensive care — we will have significantly more deaths. We will count the dead in thousands."


npr--2020-04-26--New York's Daily COVID-19 Deaths Below 400 For First Time In April

New York 's Daily COVID-19 Deaths Below 400 For First Time In April For the first time this month , New York 's daily death toll from COVID-19 has dropped below 400 , according to Gov .
Andrew Cuomo .
Speaking at his briefing Sunday , Cuomo said that 367 New Yorkers died from the respiratory illness the day before — less than half of where it was at the height of the outbreak .
New hospitalizations also dropped to about 1,000 on Saturday .
Cuomo described the latest numbers as `` only not terrible news compared to where we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's death toll from the disease as `` horrific . ''
`` There is no relative context to death .
Death is death .
367 people passed .
367 families , '' Cuomo said in his briefing .
Cuomo largely attributed the decline to the efforts of New Yorkers adhering to social distancing , saying his role was to provide `` facts '' to New Yorkers who were willing to act responsibly .
`` Government really ca n't act unless the people fully support the action .
What we have done here , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a function of what people did , '' Cuomo told reporters .
With the number of new daily infections on the decline in New York , Cuomo also detailed a rough plan to reopen the state 's economy .
He described a multiphase approach with certain sectors opening sooner than others .
In determining how this plan would roll out , Cuomo cited a series of factors , including federal guidance suggesting states document a decline of cases for 14 days before reopening .
The governor said the main metrics guiding how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test results for antibodies and the virus itself .
Ultimately , Cuomo said , the infection rate would have to remain low for the rollout to function .
`` If we keep the infection rate below one person infecting one person , that is where the infection rate continues to drop , that is where you 'll see the curve dropping , '' Cuomo told reporters .
`` So we have to stay there . ''

New York's Daily COVID-19 Deaths Below 400 For First Time In April
Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP
For the first time this month, New York's daily death toll from COVID-19 has dropped below 400, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Speaking at his briefing Sunday, Cuomo said that 367 New Yorkers died from the respiratory illness the day before — less than half of where it was at the height of the outbreak.
New hospitalizations also dropped to about 1,000 on Saturday.
Cuomo described the latest numbers as "only not terrible news compared to where we were." He referred to Saturday's death toll from the disease as "horrific."
"There is no relative context to death. Death is death. 367 people passed. 367 families," Cuomo said in his briefing.
Cuomo largely attributed the decline to the efforts of New Yorkers adhering to social distancing, saying his role was to provide "facts" to New Yorkers who were willing to act responsibly.
"Government really can't act unless the people fully support the action. What we have done here, government couldn't do. It was a function of what people did," Cuomo told reporters.
With the number of new daily infections on the decline in New York, Cuomo also detailed a rough plan to reopen the state's economy. He described a multiphase approach with certain sectors opening sooner than others. In determining how this plan would roll out, Cuomo cited a series of factors, including federal guidance suggesting states document a decline of cases for 14 days before reopening.
The governor said the main metrics guiding how the state reopens include rate of hospitalizations and test results for antibodies and the virus itself. Ultimately, Cuomo said, the infection rate would have to remain low for the rollout to function.
"If we keep the infection rate below one person infecting one person, that is where the infection rate continues to drop, that is where you'll see the curve dropping," Cuomo told reporters. "So we have to stay there."


npr--2020-04-26--Antibody Tests Go To Market Largely Unregulated, Warns House Subcommittee Chair

Coronavirus antibody tests have garnered attention from officials as a potential tool to evaluate people 's immunity to the illness .
But the majority of companies creating the tests have had little to no regulatory oversight , according to the chair of the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy .
Antibody tests , when accurate , can detect if someone has been exposed to the coronavirus in the past .
More than 100 of these tests have been brought to market in the last several weeks , but the majority of them are not being tested by the Food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D-Ill. ) in an interview on Sunday with NPR 's Weekend Edition .
Krishnamoorthi said that federal officials have told his subcommittee that companies selling antibody tests can go one of two routes as they seek to bring their products to market .
`` One is to basically get authorization from the FDA to sell them , and four companies have taken advantage of that .
And then the other is not to get any authorization from the FDA and go ahead and sell them , and 107 have taken advantage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA authorization , the majority of antibody test-makers are `` self-validating , '' according to Krishnamoorthi .
`` Because of this kind of voluntary compliance type of regimen , '' he said , `` there is absolutely no incentive for a junk test-maker to actually produce their results to the FDA . ''
He added : `` A Wild West of unregulated tests are now proliferating , and our biggest concerns are that they are unreliable , inaccurate and in many cases making fraudulent claims about their testing results . ''
Even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have many questions about what the presence of coronavirus antibodies means .
Some officials have suggested that people who have coronavirus antibodies in their blood would be safe from reinfection , or immune from the disease .
But scientists have urged skepticism about this idea .
In a brief dated Friday , the World Health Organization cautioned , `` There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection . ''
A major challenge in the global pandemic has been timely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are looming questions around how prevalent the disease really is .
That 's where accurate , widespread antibody testing could come in .
`` Right now , only use a test that has been authorized by the FDA , '' Krishnamoorthi advised .
`` They 've listed a handful of tests that have actually been authorized on their website . ''

Antibody Tests Go To Market Largely Unregulated, Warns House Subcommittee Chair
Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP
Coronavirus antibody tests have garnered attention from officials as a potential tool to evaluate people's immunity to the illness. But the majority of companies creating the tests have had little to no regulatory oversight, according to the chair of the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy.
Antibody tests, when accurate, can detect if someone has been exposed to the coronavirus in the past. More than 100 of these tests have been brought to market in the last several weeks, but the majority of them are not being tested by the Food and Drug Administration, said Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) in an interview on Sunday with NPR's Weekend Edition.
Krishnamoorthi said that federal officials have told his subcommittee that companies selling antibody tests can go one of two routes as they seek to bring their products to market.
"One is to basically get authorization from the FDA to sell them, and four companies have taken advantage of that. And then the other is not to get any authorization from the FDA and go ahead and sell them, and 107 have taken advantage of that."
In lieu of mandatory FDA authorization, the majority of antibody test-makers are "self-validating," according to Krishnamoorthi.
"Because of this kind of voluntary compliance type of regimen," he said, "there is absolutely no incentive for a junk test-maker to actually produce their results to the FDA."
He added: "A Wild West of unregulated tests are now proliferating, and our biggest concerns are that they are unreliable, inaccurate and in many cases making fraudulent claims about their testing results."
Even if test results are accurate, scientists still have many questions about what the presence of coronavirus antibodies means.
Some officials have suggested that people who have coronavirus antibodies in their blood would be safe from reinfection, or immune from the disease.
But scientists have urged skepticism about this idea. In a brief dated Friday, the World Health Organization cautioned, "There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection."
A major challenge in the global pandemic has been timely, accurate testing. Without population-wide testing, there are looming questions around how prevalent the disease really is.
That's where accurate, widespread antibody testing could come in.
"Right now, only use a test that has been authorized by the FDA," Krishnamoorthi advised. "They've listed a handful of tests that have actually been authorized on their website."


npr--2020-04-26--For The First Time In 6 Weeks, Millions Of Children In Spain Can Play Outside Again

For The First Time In 6 Weeks , Millions Of Children In Spain Can Play Outside Again Children across Spain were able to leave their homes for the first time in six weeks on Sunday , as the government eased restrictions that have kept anyone under the age of 14 from venturing in public .
Streets and parks in many cities filled with children riding bikes and scooters , with adults accompanying them .
While it was a welcome change of routine for many , in photos and videos posted to Twitter , some criticized those who were n't wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart as they strolled neighborhoods and talked to neighbors .
Many of these children live in apartments without any sort of outdoor space or windows with direct sunlight .
Some had n't felt fresh air in over a month .
Spain is one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 — with more than 226,000 confirmed cases and 23,000 deaths , according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University .
It also has one of the strictest set of confinement measures in Europe .
Since the government declared a state of emergency on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unable to leave their homes except for buying food , going to the pharmacy , walking pets or going to work if they 're unable to work from home .
They face fines of more than $ 1,000 for breaking the rules .
Children , however , have not been allowed to leave under any circumstances .
After mounting pressure from parents and political leaders , as well as a decrease in daily fatality rates and new infections , the Spanish government announced last week that starting Sunday , children could leave the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as long as they 're accompanied by an adult from the same household and stay within a radius of one kilometer ( 0.62 miles ) from their home .
In Moià , a town about an hour and a half away from Barcelona , Iris El Bourj took her 8-year-old son Bruno and 4-year-old son Alan on a bike ride to the nearest plaza after lunch .
In contrast to the sunny , busy streets in nearby Barcelona , Bruno and Alan were able to frolic under the spring rain in a deserted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let them spend their energy , especially living in a small town like this with woods nearby , '' said El Bourj .
`` But one hour a day is still not much . ''
Bruno and Alan have been mostly playing inside – the family has a small backyard , which has given them some access to fresh air and direct sunlight .
El Bourj says that while Bruno keeps himself busy with homework and YouTube , the hardest thing has been entertaining Alan .
`` He 's a very active boy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she said as Alan zoomed by on a balance bicycle .
`` Physical exercise is important .
They 've been spending most of the time in front of the television or computer . ''

For The First Time In 6 Weeks, Millions Of Children In Spain Can Play Outside Again
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lucia Benavides/NPR Lucia Benavides/NPR
Children across Spain were able to leave their homes for the first time in six weeks on Sunday, as the government eased restrictions that have kept anyone under the age of 14 from venturing in public.
Streets and parks in many cities filled with children riding bikes and scooters, with adults accompanying them. While it was a welcome change of routine for many, in photos and videos posted to Twitter, some criticized those who weren't wearing face masks or staying more than 6-feet apart as they strolled neighborhoods and talked to neighbors.
Many of these children live in apartments without any sort of outdoor space or windows with direct sunlight. Some hadn't felt fresh air in over a month.
Spain is one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 — with more than 226,000 confirmed cases and 23,000 deaths, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University.
It also has one of the strictest set of confinement measures in Europe. Since the government declared a state of emergency on March 14, people in Spain have been unable to leave their homes except for buying food, going to the pharmacy, walking pets or going to work if they're unable to work from home. They face fines of more than $1,000 for breaking the rules.
Children, however, have not been allowed to leave under any circumstances.
After mounting pressure from parents and political leaders, as well as a decrease in daily fatality rates and new infections, the Spanish government announced last week that starting Sunday, children could leave the house for one hour each day, as long as they're accompanied by an adult from the same household and stay within a radius of one kilometer (0.62 miles) from their home.
In Moià, a town about an hour and a half away from Barcelona, Iris El Bourj took her 8-year-old son Bruno and 4-year-old son Alan on a bike ride to the nearest plaza after lunch. In contrast to the sunny, busy streets in nearby Barcelona, Bruno and Alan were able to frolic under the spring rain in a deserted park.
"This is going to let them spend their energy, especially living in a small town like this with woods nearby," said El Bourj. "But one hour a day is still not much."
Bruno and Alan have been mostly playing inside – the family has a small backyard, which has given them some access to fresh air and direct sunlight. El Bourj says that while Bruno keeps himself busy with homework and YouTube, the hardest thing has been entertaining Alan.
"He's a very active boy and wasn't getting his energy out," she said as Alan zoomed by on a balance bicycle. "Physical exercise is important. They've been spending most of the time in front of the television or computer."


npr--2020-04-26--Speaker Pelosi: President Trump's Effort To Sideline The WHO Is 'Dangerous'

Speaker Pelosi : President Trump 's Effort To Sideline The WHO Is 'Dangerous' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , is criticizing President Trump 's effort to withhold funding from the World Health Organization and other steps his administration is reportedly taking to sideline the global health agency .
`` It 's stupid — it 's more than stupid ; it 's dangerous , '' Pelosi told NPR .
In an interview Sunday with All Things Considered , Pelosi referenced reporting from The Washington Post , which found that members of the Trump administration had removed references to the WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She says the administration is effectively isolating the United States during a global pandemic .
`` Worse than [ the funding ] — if you can believe it — worse than that is that he and the secretary of state have been deleting any reference to the World Health Organization in any of our strategies on how we can deal with the pandemic .
That may be more harmful than just the money , '' Pelosi said .
NPR has not independently confirmed the Post 's reporting on steps the administration is taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , the president said he would halt funding to the WHO , an agency he 's accused of being too `` China-centric . ''
The Democratic speaker added that while Trump could temporarily withhold funding , he could n't make it policy .
`` If he wants to hold up some money , that is questionable in terms of his legality , but he can not stop the money ever from going , '' Pelosi said .
On the latest coronavirus relief package , which was signed into law on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources '' in establishing the legislation 's priorities .
The $ 484 billion package included an additional $ 321 billion to replenish the quickly depleted Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses .
It passed the House Thursday with an overwhelming 388-5 vote , but it has been criticized by some Democrats , including New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , who said the bill did not provide funds for state and local governments .
Another New York Democrat , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , voted against the bill , arguing it did n't do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the criticism , Pelosi said `` she was n't defending '' the legislation , but was `` very proud '' of what Democrats had accomplished .
Pelosi also said future coronavirus relief would focus on providing more funds for state and local governments .
`` We will go forward and we will have in that legislation as large a number as possible to reflect the needs of our state and local governments , and that means to help them address the outlays they 're making for the coronavirus and also to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering , '' Pelosi said .

Speaker Pelosi: President Trump's Effort To Sideline The WHO Is 'Dangerous'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is criticizing President Trump's effort to withhold funding from the World Health Organization and other steps his administration is reportedly taking to sideline the global health agency.
"It's stupid — it's more than stupid; it's dangerous," Pelosi told NPR.
In an interview Sunday with All Things Considered, Pelosi referenced reporting from The Washington Post, which found that members of the Trump administration had removed references to the WHO in its COVID-19 materials and initiatives. She says the administration is effectively isolating the United States during a global pandemic.
"Worse than [the funding] — if you can believe it — worse than that is that he and the secretary of state have been deleting any reference to the World Health Organization in any of our strategies on how we can deal with the pandemic. That may be more harmful than just the money," Pelosi said.
NPR has not independently confirmed the Post's reporting on steps the administration is taking to sideline the WHO.
Earlier this month, the president said he would halt funding to the WHO, an agency he's accused of being too "China-centric." The Democratic speaker added that while Trump could temporarily withhold funding, he couldn't make it policy.
"If he wants to hold up some money, that is questionable in terms of his legality, but he cannot stop the money ever from going," Pelosi said.
A next legislative effort
On the latest coronavirus relief package, which was signed into law on Friday, Pelosi dubbed House Democrats the "intellectual resources" in establishing the legislation's priorities. The $484 billion package included an additional $321 billion to replenish the quickly depleted Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses.
It passed the House Thursday with an overwhelming 388-5 vote, but it has been criticized by some Democrats, including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said the bill did not provide funds for state and local governments. Another New York Democrat, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, voted against the bill, arguing it didn't do enough to protect working families.
In response to the criticism, Pelosi said "she wasn't defending" the legislation, but was "very proud" of what Democrats had accomplished.
Pelosi also said future coronavirus relief would focus on providing more funds for state and local governments.
"We will go forward and we will have in that legislation as large a number as possible to reflect the needs of our state and local governments, and that means to help them address the outlays they're making for the coronavirus and also to address the revenue loss that they're suffering," Pelosi said.


npr--2020-04-26--Small Businesses Will Race For Dollars From Second Installment Of Federal Aid

Small Businesses Will Race For Dollars From Second Installment Of Federal Aid Businesses desperate for financial aid have exhausted a $ 349 billion federal loan program .
Banks and businesses will now vie for a second round of funding before the money runs out .
Get ready for another scramble as struggling small businesses try to grab hold of a financial lifeline .
The Federal Government is restarting an emergency loan program for small businesses tomorrow .
That program burned through its first $ 350 billion in less than two weeks .
After complaints that some of the money went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of big banks , lawmakers directed that a chunk of the new money be funneled through community banks .
NPR 's Scott Horsley reports on how one small bank has been helping small business customers get to the front of the line .
SCOTT HORSLEY , BYLINE : In the last three weeks , Edward Barry and his team at Capital Bank made $ 172 million worth of loans to nearly 600 small businesses .
That 's about as much money as the Maryland-based bank ordinarily lends out in a whole year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on those loans , Barry 's getting ready to do it all over again .
EDWARD BARRY : ( Laughter ) like being in a pie-eating contest where first prize is more pie .
HORSLEY : Barry understood early on in the coronavirus lockdown small businesses would be desperate for credit and that money for emergency loans would quickly run out .
Capital Bank has a long history of working with the Small Business Administration and mom-and-pop borrowers .
So the bank could anticipate what the government would be looking for .
Barry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website before the rules were even finalized , giving their customers a head start .
BARRY : We started to kind of lay out end to end , what do we think needs to happen ?
- knowing there was a lot of empty boxes and said , well , what do we think the answers are ?
- and write them in pencil or in chalk .
And we 'll just write them in ink when the government gives us answers .
HORSLEY : This process was more challenging because most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barry and the rest of his team were working out of their homes .
BARRY : I have three kids at home who are online doing their schoolwork .
I got two dogs and my wife .
And when it gets really crowded or noisy here , I tend to do my conference calls walking around my neighborhood .
HORSLEY : Barry pulled bankers off of other projects to work with small-business people who needed loans often at night and on weekends , people like Jennifer Taxson .
She 's the co-owner of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to commercial and residential customers .
Taxson was forced to close her showroom last month and idle some of her seven employees .
She says the personal handholding made a big difference .
JENNIFER TAXSON : Working with our small , local bank , knowing who to call , getting guidance without being prompted on how this process works is a whole lot different than not knowing where you upload your documents , not knowing who you call , not hearing back from anybody .
HORSLEY : While many customers at big banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was approved in about a week .
And since she 's using the money to pay her employees , she does n't believe she 'll have to pay it back .
TAXSON : We just received the funds .
We will be bringing on everybody who we 've had to either furlough or partially furlough .
Next week , we 'll have a full staff of gainfully employed people .
HORSLEY : Barry says his typical small-business borrower has about a dozen employees .
He 's made loans for as little as $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaints they were only lending money to preferred customers , about a third of Barry 's loans went to people who 'd never banked with him before .
The government is paying bankers both fees and interest to make these loans .
But Berry says it also feels like an opportunity for banks to do their part to help those who are hurting .
BARRY : They 're people you know , your neighbors , your friends , family members .
It 's your local restaurant , your local coffee shop , your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeps people working so hard .
HORSLEY : Barry and his colleagues have been busy preparing a new batch of applications for when the program restarts tomorrow with another $ 320 billion .
Once again , that money is likely to go quickly .
Scott Horsley , NPR News , Washington .

Small Businesses Will Race For Dollars From 2nd Installment Of Federal Aid
Businesses desperate for financial aid have exhausted a $349 billion federal loan program. Banks and businesses will now vie for a second round of funding before the money runs out.
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:
Get ready for another scramble as struggling small businesses try to grab hold of a financial lifeline. The Federal Government is restarting an emergency loan program for small businesses tomorrow. That program burned through its first $350 billion in less than two weeks. After complaints that some of the money went to big businesses or the preferred customers of big banks, lawmakers directed that a chunk of the new money be funneled through community banks. NPR's Scott Horsley reports on how one small bank has been helping small business customers get to the front of the line.
SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: In the last three weeks, Edward Barry and his team at Capital Bank made $172 million worth of loans to nearly 600 small businesses. That's about as much money as the Maryland-based bank ordinarily lends out in a whole year. And while the ink is barely dry on those loans, Barry's getting ready to do it all over again.
EDWARD BARRY: (Laughter) like being in a pie-eating contest where first prize is more pie.
HORSLEY: Barry understood early on in the coronavirus lockdown small businesses would be desperate for credit and that money for emergency loans would quickly run out. Capital Bank has a long history of working with the Small Business Administration and mom-and-pop borrowers. So the bank could anticipate what the government would be looking for. Barry and his colleagues built their own application website before the rules were even finalized, giving their customers a head start.
BARRY: We started to kind of lay out end to end, what do we think needs to happen? - knowing there was a lot of empty boxes and said, well, what do we think the answers are? - and write them in pencil or in chalk. And we'll just write them in ink when the government gives us answers.
HORSLEY: This process was more challenging because most of the bank's branches were closed. Barry and the rest of his team were working out of their homes.
BARRY: I have three kids at home who are online doing their schoolwork. I got two dogs and my wife. And when it gets really crowded or noisy here, I tend to do my conference calls walking around my neighborhood.
HORSLEY: Barry pulled bankers off of other projects to work with small-business people who needed loans often at night and on weekends, people like Jennifer Taxson. She's the co-owner of a Washington business that sells light fixtures to commercial and residential customers. Taxson was forced to close her showroom last month and idle some of her seven employees. She says the personal handholding made a big difference.
JENNIFER TAXSON: Working with our small, local bank, knowing who to call, getting guidance without being prompted on how this process works is a whole lot different than not knowing where you upload your documents, not knowing who you call, not hearing back from anybody.
HORSLEY: While many customers at big banks were left hanging, Taxson's loan was approved in about a week. And since she's using the money to pay her employees, she doesn't believe she'll have to pay it back.
TAXSON: We just received the funds. We will be bringing on everybody who we've had to either furlough or partially furlough. Next week, we'll have a full staff of gainfully employed people.
HORSLEY: Barry says his typical small-business borrower has about a dozen employees. He's made loans for as little as $2,500. While some big banks drew complaints they were only lending money to preferred customers, about a third of Barry's loans went to people who'd never banked with him before. The government is paying bankers both fees and interest to make these loans. But Berry says it also feels like an opportunity for banks to do their part to help those who are hurting.
BARRY: They're people you know, your neighbors, your friends, family members. It's your local restaurant, your local coffee shop, your pizza parlor. And that's what keeps people working so hard.
HORSLEY: Barry and his colleagues have been busy preparing a new batch of applications for when the program restarts tomorrow with another $320 billion. Once again, that money is likely to go quickly. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
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npr--2020-04-26--Tracking The Pandemic: How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State?

Tracking The Pandemic : How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State ?
Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States on Jan. 21 , over a half-million people in the U.S. have confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
On April 12 , the U.S. became the nation with the most deaths globally , but there are early signs that the U.S. case and death counts may be leveling off , as the growth of new cases and deaths plateaus .
The pattern is n't consistent across the country , as new hot spots emerge and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's case count is growing , click here .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
In response to mounting cases , state and federal authorities have emphasized a social distancing strategy , widely seen as the best available means to slow the spread of the virus .
Most states have put in place measures such as closing schools and nonessential businesses and ordering citizens to stay home as much as possible .
It 's not clear how long such measures need to be in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan , the city in China where the virus originated , a strictly enforced lockdown and widespread testing have slowed the outbreak dramatically , enough to bring an end to the 76-day lockdown .
A large portion of U.S. cases are centered on New York City .
Since March 20 , New York state , Connecticut and New Jersey have accounted for around 50 % of all U.S. cases .
As of April 9 , nearly 60 % of all deaths from COVID-19 have been in these three states .
While New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as seen below , it notched between 8,000 and 10,000 new cases each day between March 31 and April 12 .
To understand how one state 's outbreak compares with another 's , it 's helpful to look at not just the daily counts but the rate of change day over day .
In the following chart , we display cases on a logarithmic scale , meaning that every axis line is 10 times greater than the previous one .
This type of scale emphasizes the rate of change .
When case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's curve trends sharply upward , as New York 's does over the first 15 days past 100 cases .
Generally , this is evidence of unbridled community transmission of the disease .
As new cases slow , the curve bends toward horizontal , showing that the state 's outbreak may be leveling off .
This does n't mean the number of cases has stopped growing , but the rate of growth has slowed , which could signify that social distancing measures are having an effect .
In some areas , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the earliest outbreaks — such as California and Washington — seem to be having success at suppressing the disease .
The outlook in Washington has improved to the point that the state has returned unused Army hospital beds it had received in preparation for a peak in cases .
Elsewhere , limited access to testing may make the number of cases look smaller than it really is .
As testing becomes more readily available , we are likely to see the number of confirmed cases continue to grow , even if not at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used here are compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
State-by-state testing and hospitalization data are still being assessed for reliability .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local health department 's website .
Stephanie Adeline , Alyson Hurt , Connie Hanzhang Jin , Ruth Talbot and Thomas Wilburn contributed to this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-04-26--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-04-26--Science Becomes A Dividing Issue In Year Of Election And Pandemic

Science Becomes A Dividing Issue In Year Of Election And Pandemic It now seems apparent that COVID-19 will dominate American life for months to come , quite possibly through the national election in November .
That means the disease , and efforts to respond to it , will likewise dominate the 2020 campaign and make it largely about something it has never been about before .
That something is science .
It is hard to think of a time when hard science — biology , virology , epidemiology — has been so much the core of our political conflict .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccination have long been a part of our political conversation , but not at the forefront of presidential elections .
This virus crisis has largely taken over the political conversation .
Americans are all learning new , polysyllabic vocabulary and complex truths about threats they can not see .
And that is likely to bring out all of the culture 's ambivalence about science .
Last summer , a Pew Research Center survey found that 86 % of Americans expressed `` a fair amount or a great deal of faith '' that scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the survey 's co-author told NPR , `` It tends to be kind of soft support . ''
In fact , only 48 % were willing to say that medical doctors `` make fair and accurate research statements and recommendations all or most of the time . ''
And only 32 % were willing to say as much for `` medical research scientists . ''
A YouGov poll in April 2017 found an even less sanguine attitude , as reported in Scientific American .
That measure found only 35 % of Americans had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientists .
A plurality ( 45 % ) had `` a little , '' while those with `` none at all '' had grown substantially since YouGov polled the same question in 2013 .
Little wonder then that political figures such as Texas Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick , a Republican , and media personalities such as Fox News ' Tucker Carlson pounce on the difference between various projections of deaths from COVID-19 .
They interpret lower death totals ( thus far ) as evidence that the threat was overblown , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutdowns and social distancing are working — and note that the threat is not over .
Scientific experts , like experts in general , have fared poorly in the populist atmosphere of the past decade in Europe and the United States .
`` Voters say they reject expertise because experts , whom they think of as indistinguishable from governing elites , have failed them , '' writes Tom Nichols , a professor of national security affairs at the U.S .
Naval War College .
Nichols published a book in 2017 called The Death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Knowledge and Why It Matters .
Summing up his argument for Politico , Nichols observed that Americans have always had a healthy skepticism about `` eggheads '' of various kinds .
He says that skepticism renewed itself in the `` social and political traumas '' of the 1960s and 1970s .
But since then , he argues , `` Globalization and technological advances have created a gulf between people with enough knowledge and education to cope with these changes and people who feel threatened and left behind in the new world of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that for many , science is a source of wisdom but by no means the only one .
There can be a `` balancing '' of science with religious teaching or humanistic ethics — or what people may regard as their own common sense .
That is why so many Americans may identify with President Trump 's overeagerness about potential drug therapies for COVID-19 that have worked on other diseases .
Trump 's hopefulness for the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine , for example , was apparently not shared by one of the administration 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bright tried to limit broad use of the drug because its application lacked `` scientific merit . ''
As a result , he says , he was removed as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority .
In a statement released by his attorneys last week , Bright sounded the alarm : `` To combat this deadly virus , science , not politics or cronyism , has to lead the way . ''
Also this past week , the president stood at the podium of the White House briefing room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus in the fall .
He then deferred to his top scientific adviser on the question .
`` We will have the virus in the fall , '' said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health .
Trump also insisted the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been misquoted about the difficulties of managing COVID-19 in the fall .
Dr. Robert Redfield took the lectern to say he had not been misquoted .
But all this was prelude to the Thursday night stunner , when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' therapy ideas to raising the question of whether injecting a disinfectant ( which can kill the coronavirus on a surface ) into a person could kill the virus ( in reality , doing so would be toxic ) .
This prompted such immediate blowback — from scientists , hospital personnel and even the makers of Lysol — that the president later insisted he had made the comment sarcastically .
And the next evening 's briefing was cut off at just 22 minutes , with the president taking no questions .
The crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it spreads through the human population .
It will stress both in myriad ways .
Americans ' conflicted relationship with science will play a role in how they deal with that stress .
For the moment , most are accepting the scientific approach of social distancing in service of a greater good .
But there are rejections of stay-at-home orders in street protests and in some statehouses .
Saturday night , Trump repeated a line used to argue for reopening the country sooner rather than later : `` Remember , the Cure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself . ''
He added , `` Be careful , be safe , use common sense ! ''
The struggle has been joined , and it will likely outlast both this one campaign season and this one pandemic .

Science Becomes A Dividing Issue In Year Of Election And Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images Michael Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
It now seems apparent that COVID-19 will dominate American life for months to come, quite possibly through the national election in November.
That means the disease, and efforts to respond to it, will likewise dominate the 2020 campaign and make it largely about something it has never been about before.
That something is science.
It is hard to think of a time when hard science — biology, virology, epidemiology — has been so much the core of our political conflict. Issues from evolution to stem cells to vaccination have long been a part of our political conversation, but not at the forefront of presidential elections.
This virus crisis has largely taken over the political conversation. Americans are all learning new, polysyllabic vocabulary and complex truths about threats they cannot see.
And that is likely to bring out all of the culture's ambivalence about science.
Trust in science
Last summer, a Pew Research Center survey found that 86% of Americans expressed "a fair amount or a great deal of faith" that scientists act in their best interests.
But the survey's co-author told NPR, "It tends to be kind of soft support." In fact, only 48% were willing to say that medical doctors "make fair and accurate research statements and recommendations all or most of the time." And only 32% were willing to say as much for "medical research scientists."
A YouGov poll in April 2017 found an even less sanguine attitude, as reported in Scientific American. That measure found only 35% of Americans had "a lot of confidence" in scientists. A plurality (45%) had "a little," while those with "none at all" had grown substantially since YouGov polled the same question in 2013.
Little wonder then that political figures such as Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, and media personalities such as Fox News' Tucker Carlson pounce on the difference between various projections of deaths from COVID-19.
They interpret lower death totals (thus far) as evidence that the threat was overblown, even though public health experts consider it proof that shutdowns and social distancing are working — and note that the threat is not over.
Rejecting expertise
Scientific experts, like experts in general, have fared poorly in the populist atmosphere of the past decade in Europe and the United States.
"Voters say they reject expertise because experts, whom they think of as indistinguishable from governing elites, have failed them," writes Tom Nichols, a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College.
Nichols published a book in 2017 called The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters. Summing up his argument for Politico, Nichols observed that Americans have always had a healthy skepticism about "eggheads" of various kinds.
He says that skepticism renewed itself in the "social and political traumas" of the 1960s and 1970s. But since then, he argues, "Globalization and technological advances have created a gulf between people with enough knowledge and education to cope with these changes and people who feel threatened and left behind in the new world of the 21st century."
Lacking "scientific merit"
The plain fact is that for many, science is a source of wisdom but by no means the only one. There can be a "balancing" of science with religious teaching or humanistic ethics — or what people may regard as their own common sense.
That is why so many Americans may identify with President Trump's overeagerness about potential drug therapies for COVID-19 that have worked on other diseases.
Trump's hopefulness for the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine, for example, was apparently not shared by one of the administration's own leading vaccine scientists, Richard Bright. Bright tried to limit broad use of the drug because its application lacked "scientific merit." As a result, he says, he was removed as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
In a statement released by his attorneys last week, Bright sounded the alarm: "To combat this deadly virus, science, not politics or cronyism, has to lead the way."
Also this past week, the president stood at the podium of the White House briefing room and cast doubt on the survival of the coronavirus in the fall. He then deferred to his top scientific adviser on the question.
"We will have the virus in the fall," said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health.
Trump also insisted the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been misquoted about the difficulties of managing COVID-19 in the fall. Dr. Robert Redfield took the lectern to say he had not been misquoted.
But all this was prelude to the Thursday night stunner, when the president extended his embrace of "game-changer" therapy ideas to raising the question of whether injecting a disinfectant (which can kill the coronavirus on a surface) into a person could kill the virus (in reality, doing so would be toxic).
This prompted such immediate blowback — from scientists, hospital personnel and even the makers of Lysol — that the president later insisted he had made the comment sarcastically. And the next evening's briefing was cut off at just 22 minutes, with the president taking no questions.
A long-term struggle
The crisis is spreading through the body politic even as it spreads through the human population. It will stress both in myriad ways. Americans' conflicted relationship with science will play a role in how they deal with that stress.
For the moment, most are accepting the scientific approach of social distancing in service of a greater good. But there are rejections of stay-at-home orders in street protests and in some statehouses.
Saturday night, Trump repeated a line used to argue for reopening the country sooner rather than later: "Remember, the Cure can't be worse than the problem itself." He added, "Be careful, be safe, use common sense!"
The struggle has been joined, and it will likely outlast both this one campaign season and this one pandemic.


npr--2020-04-27--AP Exams Are Still On Amid Coronavirus, Raising Questions About Fairness

AP Exams Are Still On Amid Coronavirus , Raising Questions About Fairness A lot is at stake for students taking Advanced Placement exams , even in normal times .
If you score high enough , you can earn college credit .
It 's also a big factor in college applications .
But for some students , the idea of studying right now feels impossible .
`` I 'm constantly thinking about making sure my family does n't get sick and I do n't get sick , '' says Elise , a high school junior outside Boston .
( We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's worried about hurting her college applications . )
Concerns about the coronavirus have put most standardized tests , such as the SAT and ACT , on hold this spring .
But AP exams are going forward with a new online format — and that 's raising questions about fairness .
Elise , 17 , says she spent months preparing for what is typically a three-hour , multiple-choice and essay-based exam ; she was blindsided when she learned it will now be an online , 45-minute , open-response test .
`` I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get when I open that test , '' she says .
Elise was hoping the College Board , which administers AP exams , would cancel this year 's exams , as it did the spring SATs .
But since the tests are being offered , she says she feels she has to take them .
She worries it would look bad on her college applications if she opted out .
For other students , just the idea of taking the exam at home is causing anxiety .
Kayleen Guzman , 17 , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace and quiet in her house right now .
`` Currently , it 's me , my mom , my dog , my sister and my stepdad , '' she explains .
`` Sometimes I feel like it 's too much chaos . ''
But Guzman is glad she still has the opportunity to take the AP exams at all this year .
She says she worked hard in her two AP classes and she wants the chance to earn college credit .
However , it 's still unclear how much credit colleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exams .
`` None of us would say that we are confident that a 3 or 4 or 5 on the AP exam this year means the exact same thing as a 3 , 4 and 5 on the exam last year , '' says Harvard University 's Andrew Ho , who studies the reliability of educational tests .
Ho says that because of the new format , this year 's AP exams wo n't be measuring the same thing as previous years ' exams .
For one , the new tests will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids take it — from a proctored classroom to their laptops at home — is a big deal .
But Ho adds , `` Just because it 's not completely comparable does n't mean the College Board and colleges , through their own policies , could n't adjust . ''
Some colleges are already adjusting .
The University of California system has come out explicitly to say it wo n't change the way it credits AP scores .
Other colleges that did n't want to go on the record say they are planning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details were n't ready to share just yet .
In a statement , College Board spokesperson Jerome White said the organization decided to move forward with AP testing to give motivated students the opportunity to earn college credit .
He added that the organization is making `` a significant financial investment '' to make the exams available online , from cheating prevention software to helping students who may not have an Internet connection or access to a computer .
Still , some educators worry that those efforts wo n't be enough .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distraction , '' says Savannah Lodge-Scharff , an AP Physics teacher for Boston Public Schools .
She argues that without in-person classes , many students wo n't be able to engage with the material in the same way .
On top of that , financial stress means many of her students are juggling additional responsibilities , like taking care of siblings .
`` I have some of my students who are working 40 , 50 , 60 hours a week at the grocery store right now in the fear their parents are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explains .
And then there 's the question of geographic equity .
This year 's exams will be administered at the same time worldwide , meaning students in Hong Kong will be up at midnight to take it .

AP Exams Are Still On Amid Coronavirus, Raising Questions About Fairness
Enlarge this image Jackie Ferrentino for NPR Jackie Ferrentino for NPR
A lot is at stake for students taking Advanced Placement exams, even in normal times. If you score high enough, you can earn college credit. It's also a big factor in college applications. But for some students, the idea of studying right now feels impossible.
"I'm constantly thinking about making sure my family doesn't get sick and I don't get sick," says Elise, a high school junior outside Boston. (We're not using her full name because she's worried about hurting her college applications.)
Concerns about the coronavirus have put most standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT, on hold this spring. But AP exams are going forward with a new online format — and that's raising questions about fairness.
Elise, 17, says she spent months preparing for what is typically a three-hour, multiple-choice and essay-based exam; she was blindsided when she learned it will now be an online, 45-minute, open-response test.
"I have no idea what I'm going to get when I open that test," she says.
Elise was hoping the College Board, which administers AP exams, would cancel this year's exams, as it did the spring SATs. But since the tests are being offered, she says she feels she has to take them. She worries it would look bad on her college applications if she opted out.
For other students, just the idea of taking the exam at home is causing anxiety. Kayleen Guzman, 17, from Boston says it's hard to find peace and quiet in her house right now.
"Currently, it's me, my mom, my dog, my sister and my stepdad," she explains. "Sometimes I feel like it's too much chaos."
But Guzman is glad she still has the opportunity to take the AP exams at all this year. She says she worked hard in her two AP classes and she wants the chance to earn college credit.
However, it's still unclear how much credit colleges will give students for this year's exams.
"None of us would say that we are confident that a 3 or 4 or 5 on the AP exam this year means the exact same thing as a 3, 4 and 5 on the exam last year," says Harvard University's Andrew Ho, who studies the reliability of educational tests.
Ho says that because of the new format, this year's AP exams won't be measuring the same thing as previous years' exams. For one, the new tests will cover less material. And changing where kids take it — from a proctored classroom to their laptops at home — is a big deal. But Ho adds, "Just because it's not completely comparable doesn't mean the College Board and colleges, through their own policies, couldn't adjust."
Some colleges are already adjusting. The University of California system has come out explicitly to say it won't change the way it credits AP scores. Other colleges that didn't want to go on the record say they are planning to change their policies, but the details weren't ready to share just yet.
In a statement, College Board spokesperson Jerome White said the organization decided to move forward with AP testing to give motivated students the opportunity to earn college credit. He added that the organization is making "a significant financial investment" to make the exams available online, from cheating prevention software to helping students who may not have an Internet connection or access to a computer.
Still, some educators worry that those efforts won't be enough.
"This situation has created a lot of distraction," says Savannah Lodge-Scharff, an AP Physics teacher for Boston Public Schools. She argues that without in-person classes, many students won't be able to engage with the material in the same way. On top of that, financial stress means many of her students are juggling additional responsibilities, like taking care of siblings.
"I have some of my students who are working 40, 50, 60 hours a week at the grocery store right now in the fear their parents are going to be laid off," she explains.
And then there's the question of geographic equity. This year's exams will be administered at the same time worldwide, meaning students in Hong Kong will be up at midnight to take it.


npr--2020-04-27--CDC Adds 6 Symptoms To Its COVID-19 List

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added several new symptoms to its existing list of symptoms for COVID-19 .
The CDC has long said said that fever , cough and shortness of breath are indications that someone might have the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
It has now added six more conditions that may come with the disease : chills , repeated shaking with chills , muscle pain , headache , sore throat and new loss of taste or smell .
The expanded symptoms list could prove important , because with a limited number of test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test must first show symptoms .
There is anecdotal evidence for some of those newly listed symptoms .
NPR and other news outlets reported last month that loss of smell and taste were reported by some people with COVID-19 .
Patients with the disease caused by the coronavirus have also reported muscle pain , chills and headache .
The symptoms usually appear within two to 14 days after exposure to the virus , the CDC says .
It stresses the `` emergency warning signs '' for COVID-19 are trouble breathing , persistent pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or inability to arouse .
and bluish lips or face .
People with any of these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately , the CDC says .
The coronavirus has proved highly contagious and potentially deadly , but the vast majority of people who become infected will show either no symptoms or only mild ones .
The U.S. , which has the highest number of confirmed cases in the world , is poised to cross the 1 million mark in coming days , with the number of deaths from the disease surpassing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the CDC .

CDC Adds 6 Symptoms To Its COVID-19 List
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Conroy/AP Michael Conroy/AP
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added several new symptoms to its existing list of symptoms for COVID-19.
The CDC has long said that fever, cough and shortness of breath are indications that someone might have the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. It has now added six more conditions that may come with the disease: chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.
The expanded symptoms list could prove important because with a limited number of test kits available, typically those seeking a test must first show symptoms.
There is anecdotal evidence for some of those newly listed symptoms. NPR and other news outlets reported last month that loss of smell and taste were reported by some people with COVID-19. Patients with the disease caused by the coronavirus have also reported muscle pain, chills and headache.
The symptoms usually appear within two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, the CDC says. It stresses the "emergency warning signs" for COVID-19 are trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion or inability to arouse. and bluish lips or face. People with any of these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately, the CDC says.
The coronavirus has proved highly contagious and potentially deadly, but the vast majority of people who become infected will show either no symptoms or only mild ones. The U.S., which has the highest number of confirmed cases in the world, is poised to cross the 1 million mark in coming days, with the number of deaths from the disease surpassing the annual death toll for pneumonia and flu, according to the CDC.


npr--2020-04-27--Britain's Johnson Back At Work After COVID-19, Counseling Patience During Lockdown

Britain 's Johnson Back At Work After COVID-19 , Counseling Patience During Lockdown After spending weeks recovering from COVID-19 , British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was back on the job Monday , praising his country for its `` grit and guts '' in the face of the pandemic , but warning that any let-up in efforts to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus risked `` a new wave of death and disease . ''
Speaking outside No .
10 Downing Street , Johnson , who tested positive for the coronavirus in March and was hospitalized early this month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was discharged two weeks ago .
He was the first major world leader to contract the disease .
As COVID-19 in Britain spread after the first cases were detected in March , Johnson initially resisted imposing restrictions to contain it , but reversed course when models estimated that a quarter of a million people could die in the United Kingdom without dramatic policies aimed at mitigation .
Johnson compared the disease to `` an unexpected and invisible mugger , which I can tell you from personal experience it is . ''
`` [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have begun together to wrestle it to the floor , '' he said .
`` We must also recognize the risk of a second spike , the risk of losing control of that virus , '' Johnson said , which would `` mean not only a new wave of death and disease but also an economic disaster . ''
He called on businesses anxious to reopen to `` contain your impatience . ''
`` I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict and in spite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly succeeded , '' he said .
`` If we can show the same spirit of unity and determination as we 've all shown in the past six weeks then I have absolutely no doubt that we will beat it , '' Johnson said .
The U.K. is among the hardest-hit countries in Europe , with at least 20,732 confirmed deaths from the disease .

Britain's Johnson Back At Work After COVID-19, Counseling Patience During Lockdown
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images
After spending weeks recovering from COVID-19, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was back on the job Monday, praising his country for its "grit and guts" in the face of the pandemic, but warning that any letup in efforts to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus risked "a new wave of death and disease."
Speaking outside No. 10 Downing Street, Johnson, who tested positive for the coronavirus in March and was hospitalized early this month, spent three nights in intensive care and was discharged two weeks ago. He was the first major world leader to contract the disease.
As COVID-19 in Britain spread after the first cases were detected in March, Johnson initially resisted imposing restrictions to contain it but reversed course when models estimated that a quarter of a million people could die in the United Kingdom without dramatic policies aimed at mitigation.
Johnson compared the disease to "an unexpected and invisible mugger, which I can tell you from personal experience it is."
"[This] is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor," he said.
"We must also recognize the risk of a second spike, the risk of losing control of that virus," Johnson said, which would "mean not only a new wave of death and disease but also an economic disaster."
He called on businesses anxious to reopen to "contain your impatience."
"I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict and in spite of all the suffering we have so nearly succeeded," he said.
"If we can show the same spirit of unity and determination as we've all shown in the past six weeks, then I have absolutely no doubt that we will beat it," Johnson said.
The U.K. is among the hardest-hit countries in Europe, with at least 20,732 confirmed deaths from the disease.