Coronavirus Monitor: World Health Organization Names Disease COVID-19

On, February 11,The World Health Organization (WHO) named the disease caused by the 2019-nCoV as COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-19) as the death toll mounted to 1,116.

The WHO's global forum on Coronavirus has further stated that the COVID-19 is a grave threat to the world.

Here are the latest developments about the virus:

Global Developments

Statistics

The virus has so far claimed 1116 lives, 1114 from mainland China, and one each from Hong Kong and Philippines.

The total number of confirmed cases for the Coronavirus have risen to more than 45,200 spread across 28 countries.

According to a real time data monitor by John Hopkins University, over 5066 people have recovered. The recovered cases have been kept under observation and are treated with a variety of medicines by various doctors.

Studies on the virus

Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, the director general of WHO, has stated that the vaccine for the virus should be ready in about 18 months.

The WHO has ensured that the virus does not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and is also pronounceable and related to the disease.

The disease is called COVID-19 while the strain is called 2019-nCoV

Developments in China

The Chinese government has decided to change the method of numbering the positive cases in Wuhan. Only those cases which test positive and have symptoms will be considered as confirmed cases.

A clinical trial is underway to understand the 2019-nCoV in China.

Chinese E-commerce giants JD and Alibaba are hiring people who have lost jobs and are also looking at schemes such as "employee sharing" in hospitality, dining, movie theaters, department stores and various other sectors.

Other developments

The Centres for Disease Control erroneously sent a woman who had tested positive to a Marine Corps Air Station Miramar instead of quarantining in a hospital. The woman had returned from Wuhan.

The number of confirmed cases in the Diamond Princess cruise parked off Tokyo rose to 175.

Nokia and BT have joined Amazon, Ericsson, Facebook, Sony, Intel, Cisco, LG and other tech companies in withdrawing from this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona due to the increasing fear about the spread of the Coronavirus.

Britain's The Native Antigen Company has stated that they have found novel antigens to fight the COVID-19. These recombinant proteins will assist in developing vaccines.

Coronavirus in India

Two of the 174 people tested positive on the cruise parked off Tokyo are Indian and worked as crew members.

The first person who tested positive for the Coronavirus in India is now stable and has tested negative. The third test should also be negative for the patient to be identified as recovered. The results for the third test are awaited.

A man in Andhra Pradesh killed himself after he suspected that he had Coronavirus. Even though doctors told him that he wasn't infected, he did not believe them and killed himself so as to not spread the virus, further.

Also Read: Man Suspects He Has Coronavirus; Kills Self In Andhra Pradesh

Read our previous monitor here.

Misinformation around Coronavirus

Misinformation around Coronavirus is increasing daily. Videos with misleading narratives as well as theories that chickens across India contain the virus are circulating on social media.

Also Read: Did The Simpsons And Comic Series Asterix Predict The 2019 Coronavirus Outbreak?

The WHO has initiated a four-pronged approach to battle misinformation around the new virus. People in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia will face jail terms for spreading misinformation around the virus. While Vietnam may impose fines on people found guilty of sharing fake news.

BOOM has been actively debunking misinformation surrounding the virus.