COVID-19 Updates
Media Inquiries
Karen Teber
GUMC Senior Director of Communications
km463@georgetown.edu
Last Updated: 25 May 2020
Human coronaviruses are a type of virus and are common throughout the world. Scientists know of seven different coronaviruses that can infect people and make them sick. Common human coronaviruses usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses similar to the common cold. Most people get infected with these viruses at some point in their lives and these illnesses usually only last for a short amount of time.
However, two of these known human coronaviruses, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV have been known to cause severe symptoms including death.
In December 2019, a novel coronavirus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of a respiratory illness (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China. As of May 25, 2020, globally, there are more than 5,304,700 confirmed cases (based on WHO case definitions for COVID-19) and over 342,000 deaths as a result of the outbreak.
Please click here for a timeline of the outbreak.
For the most up to date information on COVID-19, please see:
COVID-19 Frontline Guide for Local Decision-Makers
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing significant disruptions to cities and local communities in the US and around the world. Successful suppression of COVID-19 in the United States will require urgent and decisive action by state, local and community leaders across the country. In collaboration with colleagues at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, the Center for Global Development, and Talus Analytics, we are launching the COVID-19 Frontline Guide. This resource is intended to provide leaders and public officials with a web-based decision support tool and progress indicators to assist in informed decision-making on how to combat COVID-19 in their jurisdictions. This guide provides a framework to help local leaders establish strategies to fight the outbreak, both by reducing transmission of the disease and by supporting their communities effectively.
Access the Guide here: https://covid-local.org/
COVID Analysis and Mapping of Policies (AMP)
The COVID Analysis and Mapping of Policies (AMP) site is a part of the Georgetown Infectious Disease Atlas and provides access to a comprehensive list of policies and plans implemented globally to address the COVID-19 pandemic. In many cases, response efforts have been led by subnational governments or private and non-profit organizations. The database allows for simple searches, as each policy or plan has been categorized by the type of measure, in addition to implementation date and authorizing agency. In addition, policies can be identified by legal authority and plans by type of organization. Where available, PDFs or links to the original document or notice are included.
Access the database here: https://covidamp.org/
COVID-19 in Africa
As news of the emergence of a novel coronavirus spread from China in late December, 2019, commentators were quick to point out Africa’s potential vulnerability; a substantial number of African countries’ health systems score poorly on measures of epidemic preparedness and response, and trade links between Africa and China have grown dramatically in the past two decades. Trepidation remains over how countries in Africa will respond to an epidemic that has already overwhelmed health systems in Iran, Italy, Spain, and beyond. However, instead of being perceived as a source of disease, as African nations have been accused of being for millennia, African nations now see the threat as coming from abroad. In response, all 55 members of the African Union have imposed some form of travel restriction and 43 countries have closed their land, air, and sea borders completely or partially.
For more information, please read: COVID-19 in Africa: Imported threats and COVID-19 in Africa: Travel Restrictions and Border Closures.
Peer-Reviewed References
Phillips CA, Caldas A, Cleetus R, … Phelan AL, … Carlson CJ. (2020). Compound climate risks in the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature Climate Change. DOI:10.1038/s41558-020-0804-2.
Rourke MF, Eccleston-Turner M, Phelan AL, et al. (2020). Policy opportunities to enhance sharing for pandemic research. Science, 368, 716-18. DOI:10.1126/science.abb9342.
Phelan AL. (2020). COVID-19 immunity passports and vaccination certificates: scientific, equitable, and legal challenges. The Lancet. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31034-5.
Graeden E, Carlson CJ, Katz R. (2020). Answering the right questions for policymakers on COVID-19. The Lancet Global Health. DOI:10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30191-1.
Carlson CJ. (2020). From PREDICT to prevention, one pandemic later. The Lancet Microbe. DOI:10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30002-1.
Berger ZD, Evans NG, Phelan AL, et al. (2020). Covid-19: control measures must be equitable and inclusive. British Medical Journal, 368. DOI:10.1136/bmj.m1141.
Phelan AL, Katz R, Gostin LO. The Novel Coronavirus Originating in Wuhan, China: Challenges for Global Health Governance. JAMA; 2020. DOI:10.1001/jama.2020.1097.
Other References:
Florida R, Glaeser E, Mohd Sharif M, … Katz R, et al. How Life in Our Cities Will Look After the Coronavirus Pandemic. Foreign Policy. 2020 May 1.
Chu E, Woolverton A, Standley CJ. COVID-19 in Africa: ravel Restrictions and Border Closures. Washington: Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science & Security, 2020.
Schlegelmilch J, Carlin EP. 4 steps Congress can take to help prevent the next big pandemic. The Hill (Online Ed.). 2020 Mar 27.
Standley CJ, Woolverton A. COVID-19 in Africa: Imported Threats. Washington: Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science & Security, 2020.
Katz R. Panel Discussion: Leadership During the COVID-19 Crisis. Washington: Georgetown Institute of Politics & Public Service.
Boyce M, Katz R. The 1918 Influenza Pandemic and COVID-19. Boston: PBS The American Experience, 2020.
Muggah R, Katz R. How cities around the world are handling COVID-19 – and why we need to measure their preparedness. Cologny: World Economic Forum, 2020.
Sorrell EM, Gronvall GK, Fischer JE. Laboratory Diagnostics—Rarely Appreciated Until Something Goes Wrong. Think Global Health. Washington: Council on Foreign Relations, 2020.
Alton J, Carlin EP. Now is the time to resource the Public Health Emergency Fund. The Hill (Online Ed.). 2020 Feb 28.
Holmes C, Boyce M, Katz R. Africa’s Response to COVID-19: Success against coronavirus will require national leadership, engaged local responders, and strong cooperation with NGOs. Think Global Health. Washington: Council on Foreign Relations, 2020.
Carlin EP, Schlegelmilch J. What coronavirus teaches us for preventing the next big bio threat. The Hill (Online Ed.). 2020 Feb 24.
Katz R, Phelan AL. Why Global Governance of Disease Matters for the Emergence of a Novel Coronavirus. Think Global Health. Washington: Council on Foreign Relations, 2020.
Experts in the Media
Center experts have been helping to educate the public on the outbreak. Below are links to recent press articles quoting Center members:
Huff Post
Where To Buy Cloth Face Masks For Coronavirus Online, feat. Erin Sorrell, 19 May 2020
KJZZ
COVID-19 Testing Everywhere In Arizona, But Which Is Best To Take?, feat. Claire Standley, 19 May 2020
South China Morning Post
All eyes on China as World Health Organisation body meets on coronavirus response,Taiwan, feat. Alexandra Phelan, 18 May 2020
Martha Stewart
What to Expect from Life Post Quarantine, According to Experts, feat. Rebecca Katz, 14 May 2020
DCist
Virginia Will No Longer Include Antibody Tests In Overall Test Data, feat. Erin Sorrell, 14 May 2020
Democracy Sausage Podcast
Weapons of mass detection, feat. Alexandra Phelan, 14 May 2020
Healthline
What You Can Do If There’s a Shortage of Disinfectants in Your Area, feat. Julie Fischer, 12 May 2020
The Nevada Independent
Nevada meets two of three reopening criteria under new coronavirus model, feat. Rebecca Katz, 12 May 2020
PBS NewsHour
The health risks that remain as countries take tentative steps to reopen, feat. Rebecca Katz, 11 May 2020
ABC News
Coronavirus ‘immunity’ certificates could help the world reopen, but experts say they’re ‘extremely dangerous‘, feat. Alexandra Phelan, 11 May 2020
Additional Resources
Coronawho?
Georgetown University Coronavirus Website
Expert Recommendations for U.S. and Global Preparedness for COVID-19 (pdf)
U.S. CDC – What to Do if You Are Sick with COVID-19 (pdf)
Emergency Legal Preparedness: Novel Coronavirus
WHO Global Surveillance for human infection with novel coronavirus
COVID-19 Zotero Group
Information Submission for Zotero nCoV Library