China

Checking for signs of COVID-19, a medical worker in a protective suit checks the temperatures of people who were on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship as they fly on a chartered evacuation plane from Japan to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

Coronavirus Update: 346 Americans Emerge From Quarantine At California Military Bases

3:36pm February 18, 2020

by Bill Chappell

"It is important to know that these people being released from quarantine pose no health risk to the surrounding community," a CDC press officer said in a statement to NPR.

Prominent Chinese rights advocate Xu Zhiyong speaks during a meeting in Beijing in a handout photo from 2013. Xu has been detained in southern China.

World News

Rights Activist Xu Zhiyong Arrested In China Amid Crackdown On Dissent

6:39am February 17, 2020

by Emily Feng

Friends of Xu tell NPR that the prominent legal and civil rights activist was arrested on Feb. 15 in southern China. Xu had managed to evade authorities tracking him for nearly two months.

Stir-fried mantou buns with cumin and chili. Food bloggers Stephanie Li and Christopher Thomas have eaten the small steamed bread often while on lockdown during the coronavirus outbreak. They had been working on a recipe for the buns before the virus hit,

In China, Quarantine Tests Cooks To Get Clever

5:04am February 17, 2020

by Bo Hamby

For food bloggers Christopher Thomas and Stephanie Li, staying indoors during the coronavirus epidemic means getting creative with what's on hand. They tag dishes on Instagram #cookupinlockdown.

A bus departs from the dock where the Diamond Princess cruise ship sits under quarantine with its thousands of passengers and crew. Japanese authorities said Friday that some older passengers who tested negative for the coronavirus were allowed to disemba

More Than 1,700 Health Workers In China Have Been Infected With New Coronavirus

5:54pm February 14, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

Chinese officials also said that six health workers have died from the disease now known as COVID-19. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases worldwide rose to more than 64,000.

A passenger (right) is hugged by Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen after she disembarked from the MS Westerdam at the port of Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Friday.

Cruise Ship Passengers Disembark After Being Stranded At Sea Over Virus Fears

5:14pm February 14, 2020

by Scott Neuman

The MS Westerdam, with nearly 1,500 passengers aboard, was rebuffed by Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines and Guam before ultimately being allowed to dock at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville.

A man wearing a face mask has his temperature checked before entering a community hospital in Shanghai on Thursday. China's official death toll and infection numbers from the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus spiked dramatically on Thursday after authorities ch

A Change In How 1 Chinese Province Reports Coronavirus Adds Thousands Of Cases

10:03am February 13, 2020

Hubei province has added "clinical cases" to the count — patients who exhibit all the symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, but have either not been tested or tested negative.

Queue Listen Now

The city of Wuhan, epicenter of the current coronavirus outbreak.

Can Coronavirus Be Crushed By Warmer Weather?

6:05pm February 12, 2020

by Allison Aubrey

Many respiratory illnesses, such as colds and flus, peak in winter, then die down with warmer weather. Some experts wonder if COVID-19 will follow a similar pattern.

Queue Listen Now

Medical workers in protective suits tend to coronavirus patients at the intensive care unit of a hospital in Wuhan, China.

There's No Specific Drug That Kills Coronavirus. But Doctors Have Ways To Treat It

6:45pm February 11, 2020

by Richard Harris

They're testing some drugs developed for other diseases. And they're offering supportive care — doing whatever's possible to keep vital organ systems functioning.

Queue Listen Now

Employees of the Egyptian Quarantine Authority prepare to scan the body temperature of incoming travelers at Cairo International Airport.

Health & Safety

New Coronavirus Disease Officially Named COVID-19 By The World Health Organization

12:17pm February 11, 2020

The disease first identified in China in late 2019 was previously called "2019-nCoV."

People wearing protective masks shopping at a supermarket in Shenyang in China's northeastern Liaoning province, on Monday.

Beijing Takes Direct Control Over Coronavirus Response In Hubei Province

3:29am February 11, 2020

by Scott Neuman

Two senior health officials in the province were fired, leaving Beijing in charge of efforts there to contain the virus which has killed more than 1,000 people since late December.