U.S. Takes More Big Pandemic Response Steps; Europe COVID-19 Cases Soar

that the General Assembly will adjourn on Mar 18 and will reconvene in late May to address critical issues.

Early Signals from U.S. Syndromic Surveillance
In another development, researchers who monitor syndromic surveillance systems reported some of the first signals that might reflect increased activity due to COVID-19. On Twitter, Marc Lipsitch, DPhil, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard University, noted that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) flulike illness latest chart shows a slight increase, though flu testing is declining. “Only one week so far but best evidence I know for widespread COVID-19 in the absence of viral testing,” he said. “Something to watch carefully in each region.”

In a related development, Caitlin Rivers, PhD, an epidemiologist with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, with Nicholas Reich, PhD, associate professor of biostatistics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and others examined the most recent trends of flulike illness not due to influenza by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) region and noted some changes this week.

On Twitter, Rivers said regions 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) and 10 (which includes Washington) and a number of states show some changes, especially in California and Missouri, but with some key caveats—including fewer than usual provider reports from Missouri. They cautioned that the results don’t necessarily mean that the virus is circulating in those two states, but syndromic surveillance data are useful for guiding further investigation.

Regarding the latest confirmed cases, the Minnesota Department of Health yesterday reported its first three community transmission cases and said the state’s overall total is at 35.

Italy Sees Biggest 1-Day Jump; Infections Spike in Malaysia
Italy yesterday reported its biggest 1-day jump, with 3,590 new cases and 368 more deaths, raising its respective totals to 24,747 and 1,809, according to the health ministry’s latest update. In Spain, the death count jumped from 86 to 213 yesterday, with cases rising by 2,000 to 7,753, according to El Pais, which also reported that the government has deployed the military to patrol affected areas and ordered the military pharmacy to increase disinfectant production.

France’s total climbed to 5,400 cases, 120 of them fatal, Le Monde reported yesterday. And the United Kingdom’s totals are now at 1,372 cases, 35 of them fatal.

Elsewhere, Iran’s health ministry yesterday reported 1,209 cases, along with 133 more deaths, boosting its respective totals to 13,938 cases and 724 deaths.

In Asia, cases declined in most areas, except for Malaysia, which reported 190 new cases yesterday, most of them related to a religious event at a mosque outside of Kuala Lumpur that drew about 10,000 people from several countries, the South China Morning Post reported. Malaysia saw an earlier wave of infections shortly after the virus struck China, but activity is increasing again, with 428 cases now reported.