In The News

Central Banks Line Up to Rescue Markets: Asia Times

Umesh Desai March 15, 2020
Financial markets fell sharply during the second week of March, rivaling the 1987 plunge. Central banks try to stabilize economic systems hit by the health crisis of COVID-19. “Expectations of fiscal support measures are rising in addition to the deep rate cuts by various central banks already included in bond prices,” explains Umesh Desai for Asia Times, describing how a new series of liquidity...

Countries That Contained COVID-19: New York Times

Benjamin J. Cowling and Wey Wen Lim March 15, 2020
China reports new infections of COVID-19 have slowed with strict containment measures and travel restrictions. China also discouraged home quarantines and set up special monitoring locations. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan have deep ties to China and prevented massive outbreaks without drastic shutdowns, explain Benjamin J. Cowling and Wey Wen Lim for the New York Times. The measures include a...

EU Condemns Trump Travel Ban: AP

Lorne Cook and Samuel Petrequin March 12, 2020
Nations try may approaches to combat COVID-19, including school closings and bans on public gatherings, even as the World Health Organization head points to alarming levels of inaction. “The European Union on Thursday lashed out at President Donald Trump’s ‘unilateral’ decision to restrict travel from Europe to the United States over the coronavirus, saying that the illness doesn’t respect...

Social Distancing Saves Lives: MarketWatch

Matthew McQueen March 12, 2020
More than half the global population could eventually be infected with COVID-19, and the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable. Sudden outbreaks can overwhelm health systems with limited staff, hospital beds and equipment. Already US testing capacity is stressed. To avoid disaster, public health experts advise avoiding large gatherings and maintaining social...

WHO Declares COVID-19 Pandemic: Voice of America

March 11, 2020
COVID-19 is now officially a global pandemic. The World Health Organization had resisted the declaration to avoid panics or notions that prevention is useless. “All countries can still change the course of this pandemic,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He pointed out that “Some countries struggle with a lack of capacity. Some countries are struggling with a lack of...

COVID-19 Travels 4 Meters? SCMP

Stephen Chen March 11, 2020
China has identified more than 80,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, almost three times more than the rest of the world. The high numbers permit research that aids understanding the disease's spread. Officials advise keeping a safe distance up to 2 meters meter or 6 feet. Yet researchers tracked infections during a January 22 bus trip and suggest a bus passenger with symptoms infected travelers...

COVID-19 Frontlines in Italy: Politico

Greta Privitera March 11, 2020
COVID-19 spreads quickly, and confirmed cases grow exponentially in countries that test and release results in transparent ways. An article for Politico suggests that Italy’s doctors struggle against an onslaught of cases – an assessment that neglects the greater number of nurses and other health care workers who are truly on the frontlines: “hospitals are scrambling to increase the number of...