CORONA VIRUS HOURLY UPDATES

CORONA VIRUS HOURLY UPDATES

20 March 12:15 GMT — Most COVID-19 deaths now in Italy

Deaths from COVID-19 in Italy have exceeded those reported in China, after 473 people died in the past 24 hours. The coronavirus has so far killed 3,405 people in Italy, according to official statistics from 19 March. In China, 3,242 people have died of the disease since the outbreak began in December, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Globally, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has doubled in less than two weeks, to more than 200,000.


On 19 March, seven countries confirmed their first coronavirus cases, including Zambia, Gambia, Mauritius, and Kyrgyzstan, according to WHO.

19 March 20:00 GMT — Coronavirus hospitalisations occur at any age, says US CDC

COVID-19 can be severe enough to require hospitalisation in adults of any age, according to a report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).


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The report, released on 18 March, analyses the severity of COVID-19 cases in the United States from 12 February–16 March by age group. Although the mortality rate is highest in adults over 65 — consistent with data reported from China, Italy and elsewhere — 20% of hospitalisations in the country occurred in people aged 20–44 years.

The CDC’s report excludes cases imported from Wuhan, China or Japan, including patients from cruise ships. In total, there were 2,449 cases for which age data were collected. Of them, 29% were adults under the age of 45.

That statistic is roughly consistent with numbers released by the Italian Higher Institute of Health, which reported on 15 March that 24% of cases in the country occurred in adults aged 19–50. These data do not include age-group breakdowns of severe cases, only fatalities. Italy surpassed China in the number of total COVID-19 deaths on 19 March.


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Among COVID-19 patients aged 20–44 in the United States, the CDC’s report estimates that up to 21% required hospitalisation. But the percentage of cases requiring intensive care in that age bracket was only 2–4%, significantly lower than any other adult age group. And fatalities remain low among young adults, the report shows.

No data were collected regarding underlying conditions that have been shown to make people more susceptible to the disease, so it is unclear whether the young adults being hospitalised are those who are more vulnerable. Still, the report stresses, severe illness “can occur in adults of any age”.

19 March 11:00 GMT — No new confirmed cases in Hubei province

On 18 March, Hubei, the Chinese province at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, recorded no new cases of COVID-19 for the first time since the beginning of the epidemic, according to the country’s National Health Commission. Eight deaths were reported in the province that day.

A month ago, Hubei was confronting several thousand new confirmed cases each day. Since December, it has recorded more than 67,000 people with COVID-19, and more than 3,000 deaths.

Across China, there were 39 new cases recorded on 18 March, and 13 deaths.

Italy now faces the largest number of new cases per day, with 3,526 confirmed yesterday. New cases have also surged in the United States, Iran, Spain, France and Germany.

18 March 10:00 GMT — Deaths outside China surpass those inside the country

The total number of people who have died from COVID-19 outside China has overtaken deaths inside the country for the first time since the disease emerged, according to reports by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 16 March. The number of confirmed infections outside China surpassed those inside the country on the same day.

As of 17 March, there were 179,112 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, including 81,116 in China. Of the 7,426 deaths from the disease, 3,231 have been in China.

Europe had the largest 24-hour spike in new infections, with 8,507 reported since 16 March, and 428 deaths. Several regions recorded their first cases, including Somalia, Benin, Liberia and the Bahamas.


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