(Apr.15) Watch the Vidoe How Coronavirus Spread Through The Air

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COVID-19 新冠肺炎时事

Till 5:15pm, April 15, 2020, the coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 210 countries and territories around the world and 1 international conveyance (the Diamond Princess cruise ship harbored in Yokohama, Japan). There are totally 2005,542 COVID-19 cases in the world and 126,858 people have died.

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Researchers Modelling the Spread of the Coronavirus Emphasise the Importance of Avoiding Busy Indoor Spaces

A joint project carried out by four Finnish research organisations has studied the transport and spread of coronavirus through the air. Preliminary results indicate that aerosol particles carrying the virus can remain in the air longer than was originally thought, so it is important to avoid busy public indoor spaces. This also reduces the risk of droplet infection, which remains the main path of transmission for coronavirus.

Aalto University, Finnish Meteorological Institute, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and University of Helsinki have studied how extremely small airborne aerosol particles emitted from the respiratory tract when coughing, sneezing or even talking are transported in the air. Such particles can carry pathogens such as coronaviruses.

The researchers modelled a scenario where a person coughs in an aisle between shelves, like those found in grocery stores; and taking into consideration the ventilation.

▲ The researchers modeled a situation in which a person coughs down a shelf-restricted corridor typical of grocery stores. Photo: Petteri Peltonen / Aalto University

The researchers obtained the same preliminary result: in the situation under investigation, the aerosol cloud spreads outside the immediate vicinity of the coughing person and dilutes in the process. However, this can take up to several minutes. ‘Someone infected by the coronavirus, can cough and walk away, but then leave behind extremely small aerosol particles carrying the coronavirus. These particles could then end up in the respiratory tract of others in the vicinity’, explains Aalto University Assistant Professor Ville Vuorinen.

‘The preliminary results obtained by the consortium highlight the importance of our recommendations. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare recommends that you stay at home if you are unwell and that you maintain physical distance with everyone. The instructions also include coughing into your sleeve or a tissue and taking care of good hand hygiene’, says Jussi Sane, Chief Specialist at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

The World Hasn't Seen A Recession This Bad Since The 1930s

The coronavirus pandemic is plunging the global economy into its deepest slump since the Great Depression of the 1930s and governments and health officials must work together to prevent an even worse outcome.

That's the stark warning from the International Monetary Fund, which said on Tuesday there was a risk of the recession extending into 2021 if policymakers fail to coordinate a global response to the virus.

In its latest outlook for the world economy, the IMF said it expects GDP will contract by 3% in 2020, a far worse recession than the one that followed the global financial crisis of 2008, and a 180-degree reversal of its previous forecast in January when it was expecting growth of 3.3% this year.

"The Great Lockdown, as one might call it, is projected to shrink global growth dramatically. A partial recovery is projected for 2021... but the level of GDP will remain below the pre-virus trend, with considerable uncertainty about the strength of the rebound," the IMF said. "Much worse growth outcomes are possible and maybe even likely," it added.

Macron Says France’s Lockdown to Be Eased From May 11

▲ In his televised address, Macron told the French that the nationwide lockdown will be extended until May 11, 2020. Photo/FRANCE 24

French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday the country's coronavirus lockdown will be extended until May 11 and eased afterward, setting out a plan to progressively wind down restrictive measures.

"The epidemic is not under control yet," Macron said in an address to the nation Monday evening. "The strictest lockdown must continue until May 11."

After that date, kindergartens, schools and workplaces will progressively reopen, based on a plan that will be announced by the government by the end of April. The elderly, handicapped and those with pre-existing chronic conditions would have to remain under lockdown beyond May 11, and cafés, restaurants, bars, cinemas and theaters, concert halls and museums would remain closed, according to Macron.

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Latest From the World

Nearly 2 million cases worldwide: A total of 1,980,003 coronavirus infections have been recorded globally, including 126,557 Covid-19 related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. This doesn't represent the total number of active cases, but rather the number of infections since the pandemic began.

Trump pulls WHO funding: The US President said US financing for the World Health Organization will stop while a review into its handling of the pandemic is conducted. Trump has previously called the WHO "China-centric" in its response to the virus.

UN says WHO must be "supported": UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement after Trump's withdrawal of funding that now was not the time to reduce the global health watchdog's resources to fight the pandemic. "Now is the time for unity," he said.

Germany's highest single day number of deaths: 285 people died of Covid-19 within 24 hours in the country on Tuesday. However, fewer new infections were recorded than in recent weeks, with cases rising by 2,486.

US reports most deaths in a single day: At least 2,353 fatalities were reported in the United States on Tuesday. More than 608,000 cases have been recorded in the country, including nearly 26,000 deaths

Study rules out coronavirus drug: A French study has found that hydroxychloroquine doesn't help coronavirus patients and was associated with heart complications. The drug, usually used to prevent and treat malaria, has been touted as a "game changer" by US President Donald Trump.

South Korea heads to the polls: With its coronavirus epidemic increasingly under control, the East Asian nation is holding a legislative election today. Voters are being temperature tested and must stand one-meter away from each other.

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April 15, 2020

(1:08pm April 15) China Adds Liquidity, Trims Rates Ahead of Poor GDP Data. China’s central bank injected medium-term funding into the financial system Wednesday and cut the cost of the funds as expected, bolstering measures aimed at countering the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

(8:20am April 15) Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province reported 8 new confirmed local COVID-19 cases and 14 imported cases on Tuesday, 12 from Russia, 1 from Italy, 1 from Japan.

(8:15am April 15) Shanghai reported 4 new imported coronavirus cases from Russia on Tuesday, as the city’s total imported cases hit 283; 76 close contacts are put under centralized quarantine.

(4:36am April 15) Private international schools in China are facing refund requests from parents unsatisfied with online learning as schools closed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Parents of students at the Sanlitun campus of the British School of Beijing recently were told they must pay tuition of as much as 70,000 yuan ($10,000) even though only online classes are being provided. Some parents complained that the e-learning doesn’t justify the cost.

(9:46pm April 11) SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son said Sat that SoftBank and China's BYD reached an agreement to set up a mask production line for the production of 300m masks a month, including 100m N95 masks & 200m surgical masks, and start non-profit selling in Japan in May.

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