<h3>The global crisis triggered by the spread of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, continues to take fresh and dramatic turns, causing havoc in dozens of countries around the world. Stock markets remain volatile, having recording <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-coronavirus-share-market-crash-is-unlike-those-that-have-gone-before-it-133691" target="_blank">historic collapses</a> in share prices.</h3>
<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320693/original/file-20200316-18028-1wvh8og.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=45&;auto=format&;w=1000&;fit=clip" target="_blank"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320693/original/file-20200316-18028-1wvh8og.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=45&;auto=format&;w=754&;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320693/original/file-20200316-18028-1wvh8og.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=45&;auto=format&;w=600&;h=287&;fit=crop&;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320693/original/file-20200316-18028-1wvh8og.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=30&;auto=format&;w=600&;h=287&;fit=crop&;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320693/original/file-20200316-18028-1wvh8og.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=15&;auto=format&;w=600&;h=287&;fit=crop&;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320693/original/file-20200316-18028-1wvh8og.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=45&;auto=format&;w=754&;h=360&;fit=crop&;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320693/original/file-20200316-18028-1wvh8og.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=30&;auto=format&;w=754&;h=360&;fit=crop&;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320693/original/file-20200316-18028-1wvh8og.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=15&;auto=format&;w=754&;h=360&;fit=crop&;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">US S&;P500 Intraday volatility (the swing from high to low within one day) is approaching what was observed during the global financial crisis.</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>As the disease continued to spread – to new geographies as well as in numbers – governments began to take what just weeks ago might have seemed extreme measures in a bid to contain it. <a href="https://theconversation.com/italys-darkest-hour-how-coronavirus-became-a-very-political-problem-133178" target="_blank">Italy enforced a nationwide lockdown</a> while several other countries issued travel restrictions. Schools and universities were shut down in some territories, while thousands of companies told their employees to work from home.</p>
<p>By March 16, at the time of writing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/covid-19-82431" target="_blank">COVID-19</a> had been detected in almost 150 countries, <a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/685d0ace521648f8a5beeeee1b9125cd" target="_blank">according to the World Health Organization</a>, which now regards the crisis as a <a href="https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-mission-briefing-on-covid-19---12-march-2020" target="_blank">pandemic</a>. More than 160 000 people had been diagnosed and fatalities had risen to close to 6,500.</p>
<hr />
<figure class="align-right "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320716/original/file-20200316-18073-ruhw8b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=45&;auto=format&;w=237&;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320716/original/file-20200316-18073-ruhw8b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=45&;auto=format&;w=600&;h=600&;fit=crop&;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320716/original/file-20200316-18073-ruhw8b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=30&;auto=format&;w=600&;h=600&;fit=crop&;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320716/original/file-20200316-18073-ruhw8b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=15&;auto=format&;w=600&;h=600&;fit=crop&;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320716/original/file-20200316-18073-ruhw8b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=45&;auto=format&;w=754&;h=754&;fit=crop&;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320716/original/file-20200316-18073-ruhw8b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=30&;auto=format&;w=754&;h=754&;fit=crop&;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320716/original/file-20200316-18073-ruhw8b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=15&;auto=format&;w=754&;h=754&;fit=crop&;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
<p><strong><em>This is our weekly roundup of expert info about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/covid-19-82431" target="_blank">Coronavirus</a>.</em></strong> <br />
<em>The Conversation, a not-for-profit group, works with a wide range of academics across its global network. Together we produce evidence-based analysis and insights from across academia. The articles are free to read – there is no paywall – and to republish.</em></p>
<hr />
<p>Amid all of the uncertainty about how the pandemic might unfold, and what its implications may be, articles from The Conversation have provided a unique guide. Publishing in four languages – <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/covid-19-82431" target="_blank">English</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/fr/topics/covid-19-82431" target="_blank">French</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/id/topics/covid-19-82797" target="_blank">Bahasa Indonesia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/es/topics/covid-19-83090" target="_blank">Spanish</a> – The Conversation’s eight editions have seen a spike in readership. We hope this is providing an antidote to misinformation emanating from some social and mainstream media.</p>
<p>In this second weekly column by our team of international health editors we are, once again, highlighting some of the most recently published articles from The Conversation’s global network.</p>
<h2>Prepare for our new way of life</h2>
<p>One thing has become evident: we have to prepare for a new way of life. Experts have weighed in on what this might entail:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Close schools and universities?</strong> From the International University of La Rioja, Spain, Vicente Soriano <a href="https://theconversation.com/por-que-es-necesario-cerrar-colegios-y-universidades-para-frenar-el-covid-19-133416" target="_blank">makes the argument for closure (in Spanish)</a> while Kyungmee Lee from Lancaster University, UK, argues that moving university courses online <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-universities-are-shifting-classes-online-but-its-not-as-easy-as-it-sounds-133030" target="_blank">isn’t as simple as it sounds</a>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Cancelling public gatherings.</strong> Another dramatic change has been the escalating cancellation of public gatherings and major sporting events. Simon Chadwick of EM Lyon Business School considers the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cancelled-matches-and-growing-turmoil-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-sports-industry-133472" target="_blank">decimation of the international sporting calendar</a>. Kari Brossard Stoos from Ithaca College, US, and Heather Dichter from De Montfort University, UK, <a href="https://theconversation.com/tokyo-olympics-how-coronavirus-is-hitting-preparations-132987" target="_blank">explore</a> how these cancellations will impact on the Olympic Games.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>“Telehealth”</strong> could play a role in limiting the spread of the virus. Centaine Snoswell and Anthony Smith from the University of Queensland in Australia <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-doctor-will-skype-you-now-telehealth-may-limit-coronavirus-spread-but-theres-more-we-can-do-to-protect-health-workers-133062" target="_blank">explain what it is</a>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>End of the handshake.</strong> Erika Hughes from the University of Portsmouth, UK, <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-coronavirus-the-end-of-the-handshake-133185" target="_blank">looks at</a> why COVID-19 could change greetings forever.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Epidemic, pandemic? The differences and key implications</h2>
<p>Another big question academics addressed regarded the WHO’s decision to ramp up its definition of the outbreak from an epidemic to a pandemic.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>What’s the difference between epidemic and pandemic?</strong> From Texas A&;M University, US, assistant professor of epidemiology Rebecca S.B. Fischer <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-pandemic-epidemic-and-outbreak-133048" target="_blank">explains</a>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>What drove the escalation from epidemic to pandemic?</strong> Fernando González Candelas head of the joint research unit on infection and public health at Valencia University, Spain, <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-que-ha-cambiado-para-pasar-de-epidemia-a-pandemia-133501" target="_blank">and writing in Spanish</a>, reports.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>What’s the UK doing differently?</strong> It appears that the British government is pursuing a different approach to that taken in other countries. <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-can-herd-immunity-really-protect-us-133583" target="_blank">Is this sensible?</a> Jeremy Rossman of the University of Kent, UK, writes.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Why it’s time to read about Spanish flu</h2>
<p>Academics have also offered historical perspectives, reaching back to the Spanish flu epidemic a century ago. Howard Phillips from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, <a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africa-bungled-the-spanish-flu-in-1918-history-mustnt-repeat-itself-for-covid-19-133281" target="_blank">reflects</a> on the elementary mistakes in the repatriation of South African soldiers from England in 1918. Meanwhile, Chris Colvin from Queen’s University Belfast, UK, and Eoin McLaughlin from University College Cork, Ireland, <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-and-spanish-flu-economic-lessons-to-learn-from-the-last-truly-global-pandemic-133176" target="_blank">explore</a> the economic lessons to be learned from the Spanish flu.</p>
<h2>Coronavirus is also spreading misinformation</h2>
<p>Along with the spread of the disease comes the spread of misinformation.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Vitamin C protects against coronavirus?</strong> Peter McCaffery, professor of biochemistry at the University of Aberdeen <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-its-time-to-debunk-claims-that-vitamin-c-could-cure-it-132803" target="_blank">debunks</a> a very common myth: taking vitamin C is unlikely to prevent or cure a coronavirus infection.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>How to engage with the news in times of crisis.</strong> Professor of journalism and social media at Griffith University, Australia, Mark Pearson, <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-5-ways-to-manage-your-news-consumption-in-times-of-crisis-133614" target="_blank">offers advice</a>. And Denis Muller from the University of Melbourne, Australia, <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-is-a-huge-story-so-journalists-must-apply-the-highest-ethical-standards-in-how-they-tell-it-133347" target="_blank">highlights</a> the importance of making sure that journalists apply the highest ethical standards in their reporting of the COVID-19 outbreak.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Who is patient zero?</h2>
<p>Massive questions still remain. One is who or what infected “Patient Zero”. Wanda Markotter from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-are-still-searching-for-the-source-of-covid-19-why-it-matters-133467" target="_blank">unpacks</a> steps scientists have taken to track the original source of COVID-19.</p>
<p>The good news is that there’s a great deal of knowledge sharing taking place internationally to tackle this pandemic, and Aleks Berditchevskaia and Kathy Peach from the Centre for Collective Intelligence Design at Nesta, UK, <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-seven-ways-collective-intelligence-is-tackling-the-pandemic-133553" target="_blank">look at</a> seven ways in which this is happening.</p>
<figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320569/original/file-20200315-50571-uveev1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;rect=5%2C0%2C3988%2C2658&;q=45&;auto=format&;w=754&;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320569/original/file-20200315-50571-uveev1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=45&;auto=format&;w=600&;h=400&;fit=crop&;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320569/original/file-20200315-50571-uveev1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=30&;auto=format&;w=600&;h=400&;fit=crop&;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320569/original/file-20200315-50571-uveev1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=15&;auto=format&;w=600&;h=400&;fit=crop&;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320569/original/file-20200315-50571-uveev1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=45&;auto=format&;w=754&;h=503&;fit=crop&;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320569/original/file-20200315-50571-uveev1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=30&;auto=format&;w=754&;h=503&;fit=crop&;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/320569/original/file-20200315-50571-uveev1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&;q=15&;auto=format&;w=754&;h=503&;fit=crop&;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Scientists are still searching for the source of COVID-19.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure>
<h6>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-weekly-expert-analysis-from-the-conversation-global-network-133646" target="_blank">original article</a>.</h6>

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