(Reproduced from JAMA) 

1. The virus, which spread from a single city to a whole country in only 30 days, has 2.3% overall.
2. The age distribution shows that most of the cases (87%) occurred in patients aged 30-79 years, while 10% were in patients 29 years and younger and 3% at 80 years and older.
3. While there were 300 cases and 5 deaths with SARS before the Chinese government reported it to the World Health Organization. There were only 27 cases and no deaths with COVID-19 as it was reported to that agency.
4. A major goal, is to buy enough time for scientific research, hopefully before the disease has become too widespread.
5. Irans COVID-19 situation continued to worsen, with 34 deaths now reported (and a case fatality rate of nearly 10%)
6. Italys government decried an "epidemic of misinformation" and tried to reassure the public that "only 0.1% of the country is involved" in the outbreak. 
7. Summer Olympics in Tokyo, scheduled to begin in late July, may be called off.
8. Japans leaders are asking all schools in the country to close for several weeks -- to the consternation of health experts who noted that children appear to be the group least vulnerable to COVID-19. 
9. Switzerland has cancelled its biggest sports event, a ski marathon that normally attracts 14,000 participants, which was to be held March 8
10. Religious pilgrims are now "temporarily" barred from Saudi Arabia, no matter where they come from.
11. Australia has contingency plans to quarantine people in stadiums and order mass vaccinations if COVID-19 becomes widespread there. 
12. In China, some airlines have restored some international flights as virus spread in the country seems to be waning
13. If the disease continues to spread in communities, control might no longer be a practical goal and response efforts likely will need to transition to various modification strategies, which could also include isolating ill people at home, closing schools and to encouraging telework, the officials write.

Medscape: Should travelers avoid parts of the world near coronavirus hotspots? 

1. The primary advice of national authorities is to avoid Hubei province - epicenter of an outbreak that has now infected 80,000 people worldwide - and to reduce Chinese travel to the bare minimum.
2. When one is inside China, Swiss travelers for example are advised by their government to avoid huge gatherings and "cough or sneeze into a tissue or handkerchief”. You can also use the crook of your arm while sneezing. France had also told its nationals not to eat raw meat or visit animal markets. The Spanish Foreign Ministry also insisted against contact with animals in China and recommends to be sure that one should stay at least one metre away from the next person.
3. For travelers to Italy - the Dutch government advises that its citizens should avoid areas already locked down by local authorities and travel to parts of the wider Lombardy region around the closed-off towns only if necessary. Also, the Finnish Foreign Ministry advice on Italy is simply to "take special care."

Differences occur in the advice to travelers on their return from an affected area.

Germanys main authority for infectious diseases has told those returning with symptoms from outbreak regions in Italy to see a doctor and call before visiting the doctor. But France asks such people not to visit the doctor but directly call emergency services.

Britain has requested its nationals to "self-isolate" at home if they have been to the areas quarantined by Italy whether they have or not any symptoms. The Danish Health Authority currently stipulates no routine quarantine or isolation of people who have travelled to China or other places hit by the outbreak.

4. Turkey advises against all but essential travel to China but has not yet issued travel advice on Italy.
5. Nigeria has a voluntary two-week self-quarantine in place for all passengers arriving from China or any country with "a major outbreak." Guidance for returning air passengers says that they should avoid going out but if they want to then wear a mask.

Dr KK Aggarwal

President CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA