Coronavirus live updates: US confirms 53 cases, CDC outlines pandemic planning
This is a live blog. Please check back for updates.
All times below are in Eastern time.
Total confirmed cases: More than 80,200
Total deaths: At least 2,704
3:52 pm: US health officials say human trials on coronavirus vaccine to start in 6 weeks
Human trials testing a potential vaccine for the COVID-19 coronavirus are expected to begin in six weeks, U.S. health officials announced Tuesday. “We are on time at least and maybe even a little bit better,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, told reporters at a press conference. “Hopefully, no further glitches.” The White House reportedly asked Congress on Monday for $1.25 billion in additional funding to bolster its coronavirus response, including money to develop a vaccine and therapeutics to treat the virus. The National Institutes of Health has been working with biotech company Moderna to develop a vaccine using the current strain of the coronavirus.
3:49 pm: US health officials say coronavirus will likely cause a global pandemic
The coronavirus outbreak that’s shuttered commerce across China will likely become a global pandemic, a top U.S. health official said, adding that it’s just a matter of time before the outbreak starts spreading in the U.S. “Current global circumstances suggest it’s likely this virus will cause a pandemic,” Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters at a news briefing. “It’s not so much a question of if this will happen any more, but rather more a question of when this will happen and how many people in this country will become infected and how many of those will develop severe or more complicated disease,” she added. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar added: “We can’t hermetically seal off the United States.”
3:46 pm: FDA says it’s monitoring the market for potential drug shortages, fraudulent treatment claims
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is monitoring for potential drug shortages and fraudulent treatment claims as the coronavirus outbreak places a pause on its product inspections in China. The FDA has identified about 20 drug products that either solely source their active ingredients or produce finished drug products in China and has contacted their manufacturers to see if they have experienced any supply issues, FDA spokesperson Stephanie Caccomo said in a statement. “None of these firms has reported any shortage to date,” Caccomo said. “We will continue to remain in contact with the manufacturers so that we can best help mitigate any potential issues in the future.” Since Jan. 24, the FDA has also reached out to over 180 manufacturers to remind them of their requirement to notify the FDA of any anticipated supply disruptions, Caccomo said. —Higgins-Dunn
2:50 pm: CDC hopes the coronavirus outbreak is seasonal like the flu and subsides in the summer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is a hypothesis among mathematical modelers that the coronavirus outbreak “could potentially be seasonal” and relent in warmer conditions. “Other viral respiratory diseases are seasonal, including influenza and therefore in many viral respiratory diseases we do see a decrease in disease in spring and summer,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on a conference call Tuesday. “And so we can certainly be optimistic that this disease will follow suit.” –Feuer
2:25 pm: Kudlow tries to assuage coronavirus concerns and impact on US economy
National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow tried to assuage concerns over the cornavirus and its impact on the U.S. economy, saying officials “have contained this.” The comments came hours after the CDC said the COVID-19 coronavirus is “likely” to continue to spread throughout the United States and the American public should “prepare for the expectation that this is going to be bad.” –Lovelace
1:49 pm: Coronavirus outbreak could force cancellation of 2020 Tokyo Games, IOC member says
A senior member of the International Olympic Committee said that if it proves too dangerous to hold the Olympics in Tokyo this summer because of the coronavirus outbreak, organizers are more likely to cancel it altogether than to postpone or move it. Dick Pound, a former Canadian swimming champion who has been on the IOC since 1978, making him its longest-serving member, estimated there is a three-month window — perhaps a two-month one — to decide the fate of the Tokyo Olympics, meaning a decision could be put off until late May. —Associated Press
1:24 pm: Eleventh death in coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy
A 76-year-old woman died in the northern Italian city of Treviso, the Veneto region said, the eleventh victim of the worst coronavirus outbreak in Europe. Italy is struggling against the contagion with its epicenter in the wealthy regions of Lombardy and Veneto. The number of confirmed cases rose to 322 from 229 on Monday, the vast majority of them in the north of the country. —Reuters
1:09 pm: Economic fallout from coronavirus appears ‘much worse’ than SARS
The economic drag from the new coronavirus will turn out to be larger than SARS, according to Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. Seroka was working in Shanghai during the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak. “At that time, we were all grounded,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday. “This appears to be much worse because of the number of folks who were infected and the lack of productivity.” While estimates vary, economists believe SARS cost the global economy about $40 billion. — Belvedere
12:54 pm: Romania confirms first case as Italy reports more deaths
Romania confirmed its first case — a man who returned three weeks ago from Italy, television station Realitatea Plus said, quoting medical sector sources. In Italy, three more people infected with the coronavirus have died, bringing the death toll there to 10, the chief of the Civil Protection agency said. The number of cases in Italy more than doubled in the last day, topping 322 as of Tuesday morning, according to Italian health officials. The contagion was particularly strong in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, the country’s industrial and financial heartland. Italy’s neighboring countries have committed not to close their borders, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said, as Rome’s government struggles to contain the biggest coronavirus outbreak in Europe. —Reuters with CNBC
12:34 pm: US health secretary Azar says more cases likely, seeks more funding
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said there will likely be more cases of coronavirus in the United States as he asked a Senate subcommittee to approve $2.5 billion in funding to fight the outbreak after proposing cuts to the department’s budget. Azar said the funding would help the U.S. expand surveillance systems for the fast-spreading virus, support state and local governments, help development of vaccines and therapies and expand stockpiles of protective equipment like surgical masks. He said the U.S. currently has a stockpile of 30 million surgical masks, but HHS estimates suggest the country needs 300 million masks. —Reuters
12:01 pm: CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic
The CDC outlined what schools and businesses will likely need to do if the COVID-19 virus becomes an epidemic outbreak in the U.S. Schools should consider dividing students into smaller groups or close and use “internet-based tele-schooling,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters on a conference call. “For adults, businesses can replace in-person meetings with video or telephone conferences and increase teleworking options,” Messonnier said. She said local communities and cities may need to “modify, postpone or cancel mass gatherings.” Hospitals may need to triage patients differently, add more tele-health services and delay elective surgery, she said. “We are asking the American public to work with us to prepare for the expectation that this is going to be bad,” she said. —Lovelace, Feuer
11:37 am: Bahrain reports 6 new cases of coronavirus coming from Iran
Bahrain has identified six more new cases of coronavirus all coming from Iran, taking the total number in the Gulf kingdom to 23, the state news agency BNA reported, citing the health ministry.In a precautionary measure to limit the spread of the virus, the education ministry said all public and private schools, including kindergartens, would be closed for two weeks from Wednesday, BNA added.