The steep rise in coronavirus deaths appeared to be leveling off Monday in hard-hit New York, echoing a trend underway in Italy and Spain. Meanwhile, the crisis escalated alarmingly in Britain, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to intensive care after his condition deteriorated.
“The numbers look like it may be turning,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, though he warned that the crisis is far from over while announcing the first, faint signs the outbreak there may be nearing its peak.
As deaths in the U.S. neared 11,000, with more than 365,000 confirmed infections, President Donald Trump said mitigation efforts were showing signs of slowing the spread of the virus.
A medical worker collects a blood sample from a man during a test for coronavirus for migrant workers returning from Malaysia in Surabaya, Indonesia, Tuesday, April 7, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. The migrant workers will be quarantined for 14 days before they are allowed to leave for their home villages. (AP PhotoTrisnadi)
Here are some of AP’s top stories Tuesday on the world’s coronavirus pandemic. Follow APNews.com/VirusOutbreak for updates through the day and APNews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak for stories explaining some of its complexities.
WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY:
— The latest statistical models show a glimmer of hope, forecasting fewer deaths in the U.S. before August. The only problem with this bit of relatively good news? It’s almost certainly wrong. All models are wrong. Some are just less wrong than others — and those are the ones that public health officials rely on.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, declares a state of emergency during a meeting of the task force against the coronavirus at the his official residence in Tokyo, Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Abe declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and six other prefectures to ramp up defenses against the spread of the coronavirus. (Franck RobichonPool Photo via AP)
— President Donald Trump and his administration are promoting an anti-malaria drug not officially approved for fighting the new coronavirus, even though scientists say more testing is needed before it’s proven safe and effective against COVID-19. Here’s what you need to know about the old malaria drug hydroxychloroquine.
— Trolls have found a new target: video conferencing platforms, like Zoom, that amid the pandemic are crucial for businesses, schools, churches and others to stay connected. Bad actors are disrupting virtual meetings with racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic messages.
— Chinese authorities are easing travel controls after declaring victory over the virus, but flowers and some other crops are withering while farmers wait for permission to move them to markets.
— Ancient burial rituals common across the largely Muslim Middle East are being disrupted by the outbreak. These include bodies solemnly washed by relatives, wrapped in shrouds and buried as quickly as possible, with large crowds of mourners in attendance.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.
Here are the symptoms of the virus compared with the common flu.
One of the best ways to prevent spread of the virus is washing your hands with soap and water. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first washing with warm or cold water and then lathering soap for 20 seconds to get it on the backs of hands, between fingers and under fingernails before rinsing off.
You should wash your phone, too. Here’s how.
TRACKING THE VIRUS: Drill down and zoom in at the individual county level, and you can access numbers that will show you the situation where you are, and where loved ones or people you’re worried about live.
ONE NUMBER:
— 659,000: The coronavirus wiped out 659,000 service jobs in the U.S. in March. The pandemic is almost sure to leave a mark on the way people work, shop and socialize, perhaps permanently shifting the way many service industries operate.
IN OTHER NEWS:
— CELEBRITIES UNVARNISHED: They may be revealing a new side to their lives during the lockdown, but there also has been backlash to the wealth inequity regular Americans see online.
— OLYMPIC TRAINING GOES ON: Despite the Tokyo Olympics being postponed a year because of the pandemic, medal-winning equestrian Phillip Dutton continues to prepare at his farm in West Grove, Pennsylvania.
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak