What you need to know today about the virus outbreak
A surgical mask is placed on The "Fearless Girl" statue outside the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, March 19, 2020, in New York. Stocks are swinging between gains and losses in early trading on Wall Street Thursday, but the moves are more subdued than the wild jabs that have dominated recent weeks. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)
A person walks along the Las Vegas Strip devoid of the usual crowds after casinos have been ordered to shut down due to the coronavirus Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Las Vegas. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Britain's Queen Elizabeth leaves Buckingham Palace for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic, in London, Thursday, March 19, 2020. She is heading to her Berkshire home a week earlier than she normally would at this time of year, and is expected to remain there beyond the Easter period. For some people the new COVID-19 coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, but for some it can cause severe illness. (Aaron Chown/PA via AP)
Fruit vendors cross an almost empty EDSA hi-way as enhanced community quarantine is implemented to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Manila, Philippines Thursday, March 19, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause more severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health problems. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A man walks in an empty parking lot at the port, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, March 19, 2020. Israeli government enacting a series of emergency measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Workers of the Ryongaksan Soap Factory make disinfectant in Pyongyang, North Korea Thursday, March 19, 2020. North Korea has been engaged in an intense campaign to guard against COVID-19, though it hasn’t officially reported any cases of infection. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)
A man points beside a fireman as they prepare a machine that sprays disinfectants along a road to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Metro Manila, Philippines on Thursday, March 19, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause more severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health problems. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Children play in a street of Saint Jean de Luz, southwestern France, Thursday, March 19, 2020. French President Emmanuel Macron said that for 15 days starting at noon on Tuesday, people will be allowed to leave the place they live only for necessary activities such as shopping for food, going to work or taking a walk. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)
There's a rare glimmer of hope for the rest of the world as it battles the coronavirus pandemic: Chinese authorities said Thursday that Wuhan, the former epicenter that initially suffered thousands of cases a day, and its surrounding province had no new cases to report.
It also underscores just how much the outbreak has pivoted toward Europe, the United States and the Middle East. Africa also is seeing a worrying number of new cases.
Here are some of AP's top stories Thursday on the world's coronavirus pandemic. Follow APNews.com/VirusOutbreak for updates through the day:
WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY:
— Not surprisingly, the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits soared by 70,000 to the highest level in more than two years. Andrew Hunter, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics, forecasts that jobless benefit applications could easily exceed 1 million within the next few weeks.
— Inequality in testing has become a major contentious issue with accusations the rich and famous are jumping the line. Celebrities, politicians and professional athletes faced a backlash this week as several revealed that they had been tested for the coronavirus, even when they didn’t have a fever or other symptom.
— The wild swings on Wall Street settled down a bit in early trading on Wall Street Thursday. Markets have been volatile because investors are weighing the increasing likelihood of a recession against emergency efforts by global authorities to support the economy.
— Americans are increasingly worried they or a loved one will be infected by the coronavirus, with two-thirds now saying they're at least somewhat concerned — up from less than half who said so a month ago. That's according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that finds about 3 in 10 Americans say they're not worried at all.
— Emergency policies to curtail the spread of the respiratory disease have sent shockwaves through the economy. It's been especially difficult for small businesses, which are less resilient because of reduced foot traffic due to movement restrictions. An AP photo gallery presents one New York' business' struggle.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.
Here are the symptoms of the virus compared to the common flu.
One of the best ways to prevent spread of the virus is washing your hands with soap and water. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first washing with warm or cold water and then lathering soap for 20 seconds to get it on the backs of hands, between fingers and under finger nails before rinsing off.
You should wash your phone, too. Here’s how.
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ONE NUMBER:
9,000: The number of Muslim pilgrims quarantined in Indonesia Thursday. They were attending a four-day gathering at a boarding school that wasn’t approved by authorities and drew fears it could spread the virus widely in the world’s fourth most populous nation. It was organized by a Muslim missionary movement, Jamaat Tabligh, which held a similar event in Malaysia three weeks ago that has been linked to nearly two-thirds of that country’s 900 infections as well as dozens of cases in other nations.
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IN OTHER NEWS:
GO AHEAD AND BINGE: Americans hunkering down at home are occupying their time with Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and other streaming services. Up to a 20 percent increase is likely in the amount of time subscribers spend watching , and millions of new customers will hop aboard, one analyst predicts.
TRADITIONAL FRENCH SOAP ENJOYS REVIVAL: Amid the rapid spread of the new coronavirus across Europe, the hallmark Marseille tradition of soap-making is enjoying a renaissance, as the French rediscover an essential local product. Savonnerie de la Licorne, a family business going back more than a century which runs four soap shops on the Old Port, a museum and a small factory in the heart of Marseille, has seen its shop sales increase 30% and delivery orders quadruple since Italy declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus.
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The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak