coronavirus COVID-19 MetaCenter Peter Rabinowitz Crosscut
March 11, 2020 | Department News

UW Pandemic Expert Explains Our Obsession with COVID-19 (Crosscut - by Peter Rabinowitz)

A viral illness spreads across Washington state, causing respiratory illness. Most cases are mild, but some are severe and even fatal. At the same time it causes many fewer illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths than the seasonal flu. So why are we obsessed with this COVID-19? Why is it that pharmacies have run out of surgical masks and hand sanitizer, and people no longer feel shy about wearing a mask in public? Why are conferences and classes getting canceled and governors declaring states of emergency when we don’t do that with seasonal flu?

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coronavirus New York Times Peter Rabinowitz MetaCenter
February 14, 2020 | Health News

Coronavirus Cases Seemed to Be Leveling Off. Not Anymore (New York Times - Quotes Peter Rabinowitz)

The news seemed to be positive: The number of new coronavirus cases reported in China over the past week suggested that the outbreak might be slowing — that containment efforts were working.

But on Thursday, officials added more than 14,840 cases to the tally of the infected in Hubei province alone, bringing the total number to 48,206, the largest one-day increase so far recorded. The death toll in the province rose to 1,310, including 242 new deaths.

coronavirus MetaCenter David Pigott IHME
February 11, 2020 | Department News

UW Professor Tracks Critical Coronavirus Information in Real Time

Gathering information in real time that is critical to gaining a better understanding of the coronavirus is the goal of a project being undertaken by UW Assistant Professor David Pigott, as part of team that includes multiple organizations around the world. The team is tracking publicly reported confirmed cases of the 2019 novel Coronavirus throughout the world.

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coronavirus New York Times MetaCenter Peter Rabinowitz John Lynch
February 10, 2020 | Health News

Jump in Coronavirus Cases on Ship Poses a Critical Test for Japan (New York Times - Quotes Peter Rabinowitz)

Japan already had several confirmed coronavirus cases when a giant cruise ship arrived at the port of Yokohama last week.

Now, with the disclosure that 64 people from that ship have tested positive for the virus, Japan is scrambling to prevent a larger outbreak even as it prepares to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for the Summer Olympics starting in Tokyo in July.

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Peter Rabinowitz coronavirus MetaCenter Snohomish County Pandemic health secutiry
January 22, 2020 | Health News

What Is the Coronavirus? Symptoms, Treatment and Risks (New York Times - Includes Peter Rabinowitz)

Jan. 21, 2020

A respiratory virus has spread from China to at least a dozen other countries, including the U.S. Here’s what you need to know.

An international outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus has killed at least 132 people and sickened about 6,000, according to the Chinese health authorities.