Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Case Tracker
Provided by Johns Hopkins University this COVID-19 Global Case Tracker Dashboard shows you the most up-to-date information about the global spread of the new corona virus.
About the 2019-20 Coronavirus Pandemic
The 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The outbreak started in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and recognized it as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. As of end March 2020, more than a million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in over 200 countries and territories, resulting in approximately 64,000 deaths. More than 250,000 people have recovered.
The virus is mainly spread during close contact, and by small droplets produced during coughing, sneezing, or talking. These small droplets may also be produced during breathing, but rapidly fall to the ground or surfaces and are not generally spread through the air over large distances. People may also catch COVID-19 by touching a contaminated surface and then their face. The virus can survive on surfaces up to 72 hours. It is most contagious during the first 3 days after symptom onset, although spread may be possible before symptoms appear and in later stages of the disease. The time between exposure and symptom onset is typically around five days, but may range from 2 to 14 days. Common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
The pandemic has led to severe global socioeconomic disruption, the postponement or cancellation of sporting, religious, and cultural events, and widespread fears of supply shortages resulting in panic buying. Schools and universities have closed either on a nationwide or local basis in more than 160 countries, affecting approximately 97 percent of the world's student population.
Source: Wikipedia (April 5, 2020)
Please find below further updates from The World Health Organization (WHO).
INFOSAN Quarterly Summary, 2020 #3
During such international food safety events, the INFOSAN Secretariat relies on the swift action of national INFOSAN Emergency Contact Points (ECP) to respond to requests for information. Rapid sharing of information through INFOSAN enables members to implement appropriate risk management measures to prevent illness.
Call for entries: 2nd WHO Health for All Film Festival
The World Health Organization invites independent film-makers, production companies, NGOs, communities, students, and film schools from around the world to submit their original short films to the 2nd Health for All Film Festival.
Launched in 2020, the festival aims to recruit a new generation of film and video innovators to champion global health issues.
The inaugural Health for All Film Festival in 2019/2020 accepted 1,300 short film submissions from more than 110 countries.
“Telling stories is as old as human civilization. It helps us understand our problems and heal ourselves. WHO is proud to announce the second Health for All Film Festival, to cultivate visual storytelling about public health,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We look forward to receiving creative entries inspired by WHO’s mission to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable.”
The competition categories this year will align with WHO’s global goals for public health.
- Universal health coverage (UHC): films about mental health, noncommunicable diseases and other UHC stories linked to communicable diseases not part of emergencies;
- Health emergencies: films about health emergencies, such as COVID-19, Ebola, as well as health responses in the context of humanitarian crises and in conflict-affected settings;
- Better health and well-being: films about environmental and social determinants of health, such as nutrition, sanitation, pollution, and/or films about health promotion or health education.
For each of these three grand prix categories, judges will accept short documentaries or fiction films (3 to 8 minutes in length), short videos for social media or animation films (1 to 5 minutes in length).
Three other prizes will be awarded for a student-produced film, a health educational film aimed at youth, and a short video designed exclusively for social media platforms.
Submissions are open from 24 October 2020 to 30 January 2021.
After the close of submissions, critically-acclaimed artists from the film and music industries will review the shortlisted films with WHO experts and recommend winners to WHO’s Director-General, who will make the final decision. The jury composition
will be announced in by January 2021.