Coronavirus (covid-19): Latest news and resources

What you need to know |Latest coverage | Most read | BMJ Journals | BMJ Best Practice and BMJ Learning

Research |Education | News | Opinion | Features | Editorials

Resources for clinicians

• Infographic - updated guidance on PPE
  Guidelines for personal protective equipment for primary and secondary care have been released by Public Health England
• The BMJ—Covid-19: a remote assessment in primary care
  Most patients with covid-19 can be managed remotely with advice on symptomatic management and self isolation
• The BMJ—Coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19): a guide for UK GPs
  Practical guide for GPs on when to suspect covid-19 and how to respond
• BMJ Learning—Infection control: including basic personal protective equipment
  Learn how to don and doff basic personal protective equipment
• BMJ Learning—Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  Free access to our most relevant CPD online courses to update and refresh clinical knowledge for those supporting our healthcare systems in the fight against covid-19
• BMJ Best Practice—Covid-19
  An updated module from BMJ Best Practice

Infographic available

A visual guide correct PPE for patient contact primary and secondary care

last updated 4 Apr 2020

Infographic available

A visual guide to remote consultations with people displaying covid-19 symptoms

last updated 25 Mar 2020

Infographic available

A visual overview of assessment of people with covid-19 in primary care

last updated 17 Mar 2020

What you need to know

• Careers—How can I cope with redeployment?
  During the covid-19 pandemic trainees may be asked to work in unfamiliar environments. Abi Rimmer asks experts how doctors can deal with the change
• Editorial—Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and covid-19
  Extra risk is plausible on current balance of evidence
• Careers—Covid-19: what do trainees need to know?
  Sarah Hallett, chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, answers questions on how the covid-19 pandemic might affect trainees
• Research—Clinical characteristics of 113 deceased patients with coronavirus disease 2019
  Older age and certain underlying health conditions are key risk factors for severe disease and death
• Analysis—Managing mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers during covid-19 pandemic
  Neil Greenberg and colleagues set out measures that healthcare managers need to put in place to protect the mental health of healthcare staff having to make morally challenging decisions
• Editorial—Drugs and the renin-angiotensin system in covid-19
  Clinical effects are unpredictable, so treatment decisions must be tailored and pragmatic

Latest coverage from The BMJ

Updated 3 April 2020

• Careers—How can I keep calm during self-isolation?
  On top of the stress of work, there are now additional pressures to deal with at home, especially if you are self-isolating. Abi Rimmer asks experts how best to manage these
• Editor's Choice—Protect our healthcare workers
  For healthcare staff at the front line of the covid-19 pandemic, work has suddenly become a frightening place
• Editorial—Money injection for public services
  Where should we direct these precious extra resources?
• Editorial—Drugs and the renin-angiotensin system in covid-19
  Clinical effects are unpredictable, so treatment decisions must be tailored and pragmatic
• Feature—Are UK doctors getting sufficient protective equipment against covid-19?
  The BMA has warned that doctors are at risk of serious illness or even death because of a lack of PPE
• Feature—Covid-19: Can France’s ethical support units help doctors make challenging decisions?
  France has set up “ethical support units” to help doctors make difficult choices about which patients with covid-19 to treat in intensive care
• News—Covid-19: Patients who are improving could have treatment withdrawn if others could benefit more
  Doctors could be forced to withdraw lifesaving treatment from stable or improving patients
• News—Covid-19: doctors’ visas are automatically extended for one year
  The visas of doctors, nurses, and paramedics that will expire before 1 October will automatically be extended
• News—Covid-19: Rules on sharing confidential patient information are relaxed in England
  The Department of Health and Social Care for England has relaxed the rules on sharing patients’ confidential data
• News—Covid-19: four fifths of cases are asymptomatic, China figures indicate
  New evidence has emerged from China indicating that the large majority of coronavirus infections do not result in symptoms
• Opinion—Covid-19 will make us stop some activities for good
  Our planning, preparedness, and understanding of transmission, protection, and treatment will have to change
• Opinion—During covid-19, Americans need immediate access to health insurance
  How can Congress and the White House step up to protect the public and promote our collective health
• Opinion—Access to remote abortion services should not be temporary
  Remote abortion care should always be offered to ensure the health of women
• Opinion—A US doctor on bracing for the worst of covid-19: “We show up despite knowing the risks”
  Jennifer Hong describes how at her US hospital, uncertainty weighs heavily as providers prepare themselves for the upcoming surge of covid-19 cases
• Opinion—Should we give priority care to healthcare workers in the covid-19 pandemic?
  If several patients need access to ICU, should greater priority be given to healthcare workers?

Most read

• Practice—Covid-19: a remote assessment in primary care
• Practice—Coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19): a guide for UK GPs
• News—Doctors are told not to perform CPR on patients in cardiac arrest
• Analysis—Managing mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers during covid-19 pandemic
• Opinion—To wear or not to wear: WHO’s confusing guidance on masks in the covid-19 pandemic
• Opinion—First shift on the covid-19 ward

BMJ Journals

Articles from the BMJ's specialty journals

• Stroke and Vascular Neurology—Consensus for prevention and management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for neurologists
• Emergency Medicine Journal—Emergency departments and the COVID-19 pandemic: making the most of limited resources
• General Psychiatry—Mental healthcare for psychiatric inpatients during the COVID-19 epidemic
• Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin—EMA advice on the use of NSAIDs for Covid-19
• Postgraduate Medical Journal—COVID-19 and non-communicable diseases
• International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer—COVID-19 Global Pandemic: Options for Management of Gynecologic Cancers
• ESMO Open Cancer Horizons—Cancer care during the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Italy
• Frontline Gastroenterology—An urgent need to institute COVID-19 testing in patients with IBD experiencing flares
• British Journal of Sports Medicine—Football cannot restart soon during the COVID-19 emergency
• World Journal of Pediatric Surgery—Recommendation about the perioperative prevention of infection to healthcare workers and the anesthesia management of children with SARS-CoV-2 infection
• Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases—Are my patients with rheumatic diseases at higher risk of COVID-19?
• Gut—Epidemiological, clinical and virological characteristics of 74 cases of coronavirus-infected disease 2019 (COVID-19) with gastrointestinal symptoms
• Thorax—Impact of respiratory muscle training on respiratory muscle strength, respiratory function and quality of life in individuals with tetraplegia
• European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy—The healthcare and pharmaceutical vulnerability emerging from the new Coronavirus outbreak
• Family Medicine and Community Health—Contributions and challenges of general practitioners in China fighting against the novel coronavirus crisis
• BMJ Open—A cluster randomised trial of cloth masks compared with medical masks in healthcare workers
• Journal of Clinical Pathology—Autopsy in suspected COVID-19 cases
• Journal of Clinical Pathology—Practical laboratory considerations amidst the COVID-19 outbreak: early experience from Singapore
• Gut—COVID-19 in gastroenterology: a clinical perspective
• Heart—Cardiologists and Coronavirus: Looking after ourselves and each other so we can continue to look after patients
• BMJ Simulation & Technology Enhanced Learning—Preparing and responding to 2019 novel coronavirus with simulation and technology-enhanced learning for healthcare professionals
• BMJ Open Respiratory Research—Effect of acute respiratory infections in infancy on pulmonary function test at 3 years of age
• General Psychiatry—A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic
• BMJ Open—Influence of trust on two different risk perceptions as an affective and cognitive dimension during Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak in South Korea
• British Journal of Opthalmology—The importance of recognising possible early ocular manifestation and using protective eyewear
• European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy—Houston we have a problem: coronavirus
• Gut—SARS-CoV-2 induced diarrhoea as onset symptom in patient with COVID-19
• Gut—Diarrhoea may be underestimated: a missing link in 2019 novel coronavirus
• BMJ Global Health—An updated roadmap for MERS-CoV research and product development
• Family Medicine and Community Health—Challenges and responsibilities of family doctors in the new global coronavirus outbreak
• Family Medicine and Community Health—Preparedness of community-based organisations in biohazard

Podcasts from the BMJ's specialty journals

• IJGC—Managing Gynecologic Cancers During the COVID Pandemic
• Heart—Coping with Covid-19 - advice from a New York City Intensivist
• ESMO Open Cancer Horizons—Cancer care during the spread of covid-19 in Italy
• Heart—Covid-19 in Seattle: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
• Heart—Cardiology in the Covid-19 era

BMJ Best Practice

BMJ's clinical decision support tool

• Medical education during the COVID-19 outbreak
• Covid-19
• SARS
• Middle East respiratory syndrome

BMJ Learning

Interactive, peer reviewed learning modules from BMJ

• Infection control - including basic personal protective equipment
• Personal protective equipment and isolation for high consequence infectious diseases

What we currently understand about the virus

Recorded on 10 Feb 2020

Research

• Clinical characteristics of 113 deceased patients with coronavirus disease 2019
  Older age and certain underlying health conditions are key risk factors for severe disease and death
• Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses (2009)
  Hygiene and physical barriers, especially handwashing, wearing masks, and isolation of potentially infected patients, are effective in preventing the spread of viral infections
• Clinical findings in a group of patients infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) outside of Wuhan, China
  Compared with the initial patients infected in Wuhan, the symptoms of patients in Zhejiang province are relatively mild

Education

• Covid-19: a remote assessment in primary care
  Most patients with covid-19 can be managed remotely with advice on symptomatic management and self isolation
• Facemasks for the prevention of infection in healthcare and community settings
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19): a guide for UK GPs
  Practical guide for GPs on when to suspect covid-19 and how to respond

Coronavirus News

April 2020

• How can I keep calm during self-isolation?
  On top of the stress of work, there are now additional pressures to deal with at home, especially if you are self-isolating. Abi Rimmer asks experts how best to manage these
• Covid-19: Patients who are improving could have treatment withdrawn if others could benefit more
  Doctors could be forced to withdraw lifesaving treatment from stable or improving patients
• Covid-19: doctors’ visas are automatically extended for one year
  The visas of doctors, nurses, and paramedics that will expire before 1 October will automatically be extended
• Covid-19: Rules on sharing confidential patient information are relaxed in England
  The Department of Health and Social Care for England has relaxed the rules on sharing patients’ confidential data
• Covid-19: four fifths of cases are asymptomatic, China figures indicate
  New evidence has emerged from China indicating that the large majority of coronavirus infections do not result in symptoms
• Covid-19: Hospitals can remove 15% cap on testing of NHS staff
  NHS hospitals have been told to remove the 15% cap on the proportion of tests for covid-19 infection
• Covid-19: Use radiotherapy only if “unavoidable,” says NICE
  Patients should be treated with radiotherapy only if it is “unavoidable,”
• Covid-19: US gives emergency approval to hydroxychloroquine despite lack of evidence
  The US FDA has authorized clinicians to prescribe chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine
• Covid-19: New York City deaths pass 1000 as Trump tells Americans to distance for 30 days
  Donald Trump has told Americans to practise social distancing for another 30 days
• Covid-19: UK deaths are higher than previously reported, new data suggest
  The number of UK deaths from covid-19 is higher than previously reported
• Covid-19: death rate is 0.66% and increases with age, study estimates
  The overall death rate from covid-19 has been estimated at 0.66%

March 2020

• Covid-19: healthcare staff in hotspot areas are prioritised as testing expands
  Medical leaders have welcomed the government’s “belated” decision to expand covid-19 testing
• From conference centre to hospital
  Teams begin work setting up the Nightingale Hospital London at the Excel conference centre
• Covid-19: Doctors still at “considerable risk” from lack of PPE, BMA warns
  The BMA has warned that doctors are still being placed at “considerable risk” by shortages of PPE
• Covid-19: Trump extends physical distancing to 30 April, as cases climb in New York
  Donald Trump has extended physical distancing guidelines for the US
• Mercedes F1 to provide breathing aid as alternative to ventilator
  Mercedes F1 will produce continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines
• Getting the right PPE: five minutes with . . . Sarah Hallett
  The chair of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee discusses what to do if you think you might not have the proper protective equipment
• How can I cope with redeployment?
  During the covid-19 pandemic trainees may be asked to work in unfamiliar environments. Abi Rimmer asks experts how doctors can deal with the change
• Lack of PPE in care homes is risking spread of virus, leaders warn
  A lack of access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and staff testing in care homes poses a major risk of covid-19 being spread
• “Illogical” lack of testing is causing healthy staff to self-isolate, BMA chief warns
  The absence of covid-19 testing for NHS staff is causing huge workforce shortages
• Hospitals brace for disaster as US surpasses China in number of cases
  The US has become the country with the most confirmed cases of covid-19
• Doctors are told not to perform CPR on patients in cardiac arrest
  Healthcare staff in the West Midlands have been told not to start chest compressions or ventilation in patients who are in cardiac arrest if they have suspected or diagnosed covid-19
• Covid-19: what do trainees need to know?
  Sarah Hallett, chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, answers questions on how the covid-19 pandemic might affect trainees
• Over 300 Italian doctors and scientists call for more testing
  Doctors have called for facilities to ramp up RNA testing to identify mild and asymptomatic cases of covid-19
• Medical students and FY1 doctors to be given early registration to help combat covid-19
  Final year medical students are to be offered early provisional registration and foundation year 1
• Researchers launch app to track spread of symptoms in the UK
  700 000 people signed up in the first 24 hours of the launch of an app to help track the spread of coronavirus across the UK
• Guidance needed for singlehanded GPs to deal with covid-19 pandemic
  Singlehanded GPs are worried about what will happen to their practice patients if they themselves become ill with the covid-19 virus and have to self-isolate
• Diabetes clinicians set up social media account to help alleviate patients’ fears
  A group of diabetes doctors and other clinicians has set up a social media account to help alleviate patients’ fears around covid-19
• What is the UK’s testing strategy?
  What tests are currently available?
• Medical schools given powers to graduate final year students early to help NHS
  Medical schools have been granted the power to graduate their students early to allow them to work for the NHS during the covid-19 pandemic
• Covid-19: what treatments are being investigated?
  The race is on to develop or repurpose drugs to help end the epidemic
• India imposes lockdown for 21 days and cases rise
  The Indian government has announced a countrywide lockdown for three weeks
• Doctors’ leaders warn that staff could quit and may die over lack of protective equipment
  The BMA has called the shortage of personal protection equipment across the NHS “totally unacceptable”
• FDA approves use of convalescent plasma to treat critically ill patients
  The FDA has approved the use of plasma from recovered patients to treat people who are critically ill with covid-19
• Gilead withdraws orphan drug designation from potential treatment after criticism
  The FDA has withdrawn orphan drug designation from a potential covid-19 treatment
• Trump declares intention to “re-open economy” within weeks against experts’ advice
  Trump is growing increasingly impatient with social distancing measures urged by US public health officials
• Covid-19: experts question analysis suggesting half UK population has been infected
  Experts have criticised an unpublished modelling study released to the media
• Trials of four potential treatments to generate “robust data” of what works
  The World Health Organization is to coordinate an international study of treatments for covid-19
• UK lockdown is “crucial” to saving lives, say doctors and scientists
  Medical leaders and scientists have backed the UK government’s decision to impose stringent new restrictions
• Sixty seconds on . . . anosmia
  The World Health Organization is now examining how common it might be for infected people to experience a loss of smell (anosmia) or taste (ageusia)
• Most patients require mechanical ventilation in first 24 hours of critical care
  Two thirds of covid-19 patients who required critical care in the UK had mechanical ventilation within 24 hours of admission, an audit has found
• Doctors are given new guidelines on when to admit patients to critical care
  Decisions about whether to admit patients with covid-19 to critical care should consider the medical benefit, NICE has recommended
• Medical students should not work outside their competency, says BMA
  Any employment should be voluntary and within the competency of the student, says the BMA in new guidance
• Don’t forget chronic lung and immune conditions during covid-19, says WHO
  The World Health Organization has called on the global community to continue efforts to tackle longstanding health problems during outbreaks like covid-19
• New York is centre of US epidemic as Trump pitches in to help
  Trump said he was activating the National Guard to help the states hit hardest by covid-19
• Doctors in final trimester of pregnancy should avoid direct patient contact
  Women who are more than 28 weeks pregnant should avoid direct contact with patients
• Clinical trials suspended in UK to prioritise covid-19 studies and free up staff
  New clinical trials are being suspended to prioritise covid-19 studies
• Highest risk patients are asked to stay at home for 12 weeks
  People in England who are at very high risk of severe illness because of covid-12 will be asked to stay at home for at least 12 weeks
• Give NHS staff rest spaces and free parking not thank yous, says doctor
  An NHS consultant has called for NHS staff working during the covid-19 pandemic to be rewarded with rest areas and free parking
• US testing ramps up as early response draws harsh criticism
  Daily testing for coronavirus infection in the United States is finally approaching levels seen in other developed countries
• Sixty seconds on . . . covid kindness
  The nice things that people are offering to do for NHS staff during this time
• European drugs agency to review safety of ibuprofen
  Debate over the safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in treating covid-19 has continued
• Identifying and isolating asymptomatic people helped eliminate virus in Italian village
  An Italian academic has claimed striking evidence that most people infected with covid-19 show no symptoms
• Six million doses of hydroxychloroquine donated to US despite lack of evidence
  Drug company Teva has said that it will donate more than six million doses of hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets to hospitals across the US
• Covid-19: GPs can stop health checks for over 75s and routine medicine reviews
  GPs can stop or postpone some routine work to free them up to deal with covid-19
• Experts question the evidence behind closing London Underground and city metros during the pandemic
  City metros have closed or reduced services
• Medical students to be employed by NHS as part of epidemic response
  Medical students could soon be employed in various roles in the NHS
• Covid-19: cases grow in US as Trump pushes promise of a malaria drug
  Trump called himself a “wartime president” and invoked an old defence production act to direct factories to produce protective equipment
• Covid-19: 15 000 deregistered doctors are told, “Your NHS needs you”
  The UK government plans to bring a Coronavirus Bill before parliament with sweeping powers
• Schools set to close across UK except for children of health and social care workers
  Schools across the UK will close on Friday 20 March for the foreseeable future
• UK government calls on industry to help boost testing capacity to 25 000 people a day
  As many as 25 000 people a day will be tested for covid-19 in NHS hospitals
• Covid-19: all non-urgent elective surgery is suspended for at least three months in England
  Trusts are also advised to urgently discharge inpatients who are medically fit to leave
• Covid-19: pregnant doctors should speak to occupational health, say experts
  All pregnant healthcare professionals have been advised to discuss their circumstances with their local occupational health department
• Trump sought to buy vaccine developer exclusively for US, say German officials
  The US president, Donald Trump, made secret overtures to the German company CureVac
• BMA calls for rapid testing and appropriate protective equipment for doctors
  The BMA has said that it is working to ensure that all doctors have appropriate protective equipment
• Doctors warn of humanitarian catastrophe at Europe’s largest refugee camp
  A UK based charity has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic
• Don’t panic: five minutes with . . . Kai Zacharowski
  The president of the European Society of Anaesthesiology advises doctors on getting through the covid-19 pandemic
• UK starts social distancing after new model points to 260 000 potential deaths
  The UK government has been forced to change its plan
• Covid-19: trainees will not move jobs in April
  Postgraduate trainees will not rotate to new roles on 1 April
• Ibuprofen should not be used for managing symptoms, say doctors and scientists
  Scientists and senior doctors have backed claims by France’s health minister
• Junior doctor calls on colleagues to gather supplies for staff working long hours
  A junior doctor has called on her colleagues to gather supplies that will help healthcare professionals working long hours during the covid-19 outbreak
• Covid-19: medical schools are urged to fast-track final year students
  UK medical schools have been urged to fast-track final year medical students
• Covid-19: outbreak could last until spring 2021 and see 7.9 million hospitalised in the UK
  According to a briefing document from Public Health England
• Covid-19: UK holds off closing schools and restricts testing to people in hospital
  People should self-isolate at home for at least seven days
• Trainees and covid-19: your questions answered
  Abi Rimmer answers your questions
• Covid-19: GPs call for same personal protective equipment as hospital doctors
  GPs have called for practices to be given the appropriate personal protective equipment to protect themselves and staff from covid-19
• Medical conferences around the world are cancelled after US cases are linked to Massachusetts meeting
  Fears about covid-19 have led to numerous medical conferences around the world being postponed or cancelled
• Covid-19: GPs call for appraisals and CQC inspections to be suspended
  GP leaders have called for assurances that they will not face contractional sanctions if a covid-19 pandemic forces them to suspend normal practice
• WHO declares pandemic because of “alarming levels” of spread, severity, and inaction
  Covid-19 has officially been declared a pandemic
• Trump cancels all flights from Europe, apart from the UK
  The US has closed all flights from Europe for 30 days
• UK ramps up testing by 500% as health minister tests positive for virus
  The UK government will extend statutory sick pay of £94.25
• UK budget gives £94 a week statutory sick pay to self-isolators and their carers
  UK health minister Nadine Dorries has tested positive for covid-19
• China’s president Xi visits Wuhan amid confidence that virus is under control
  China’s leader, Xi Jinping, toured the city of Wuhan on 10 March as reported new cases in China continued to plummet
• Trump proposes tax cuts and improved health insurance, but millions are not covered
  Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the payroll tax to ease the financial pain faced by US people and businesses owing to the covid-19 outbreak
• Covid-19: What’s the current advice for UK doctors?
  Abi Rimmer rounds-up what you need to know
• Portugal closes all medical schools after 31 cases confirmed in the country
  Portugal has temporarily closed all its medical schools in an attempt to slow the transmission of covid-19
• Covid-19: roundup of latest news
  Catch-up on all the latest news
• UK trade talks with EU must not hinder cooperation in tackling threat, BMA warns
  A post-Brexit trade agreement must ensure that pandemic threats such as covid-19 can be tackled effectively, the BMA has said
• Covid-19: emergency departments lack proper isolation facilities, senior medic warns
  NHS emergency departments in England do not have adequate isolation facilities
• Covid-19: out-of-hours providers are drafted in to manage non-urgent patients in community
  NHS leaders have been ordered to organise a primary care management service to care for covid-19 patients
• UK records first death, as world’s cases exceed 100 000
  The death toll across the world from covid-19 has exceeded 3300, with China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran having the highest numbers
• Trump claims public health warnings on covid-19 are a conspiracy against him
  US public health officials are struggling to overcome conflicting messaging on covid-19 from the White House
• Covid-19: GP surgeries close for two weeks after staff test positive
  Two general practices were closed for almost two weeks after practice staff tested positive for SARS-Cov-2
• Ninety per cent of cases will hit NHS over nine week period, chief medical officer warns
  Nearly all covid-19 cases will hit the NHS in a “heavily concentrated” burst, says the chief medical officer for England
• Hoarding and misuse of protective gear is jeopardising the response, WHO warns
  The World Health Organization has estimated that current supplies of face masks are “rapidly depleting”
• UK could delay non-urgent care and call doctors back from leave and retirement
  Healthcare staff on leave and those who have retired could be called “back to duty”
• Retired doctors could be asked to return to work, says Hancock
  Hancock said this option is being considered, but that it was “not something we need right now.”
• US health department staff sent to meet citizens returning from China weren’t protected, claims whistleblower
  Complaint alleging that untrained staff were sent without proper protective equipment to meet the first Americans evacuated from Wuhan
• School closures and bans on mass gatherings will need to be considered, says England’s CMO
  England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty says that it is “only a matter of time” before there is onward transmission of coronavirus in the UK
• Trump says risk to Americans is “very low”
  President Donald Trump describes the US response to the covid-19 outbreak as “a tremendous success" on 27 February

February 2020

• Italy confirms 11 deaths as cases spread from north
  Confirmed cases of covid-19 in Italy leapt by 45% to reach 322 on 25 February
• Covid-19: surge in cases in Italy and South Korea makes pandemic look more likely
  A surge in cases in northern Italy on 24 February heightened fears that the emerging infection has passed the tipping point
• Rules on isolation rooms for suspected covid-19 cases in GP surgeries to be relaxed
  GPs seeing patients who might have covid-19 can give them a face mask and ask them to sit two metres away from other people in the surgery if no spare room is available, new guidance is expected to say
• Wales tests 90% of suspected patients in their own home
  More than 100 people had been tested in Wales as of 13 February, with no positive cases
• Covid-19 has killed more people than SARS and MERS combined, despite lower case fatality rate
  Coronavirus does not seem to be as “deadly as other coronaviruses including SARS and MERS,” says WHO
• Coronavirus: home testing pilot launched in London to cut hospital visits and ambulance use
  Community testing scheme part of a pilot
• Coronavirus: online GP bookings should be stopped because of safety risks, warns BMA
  General practices should be able to turn off their online booking systems in response to the covid-19 outbreak without fear of repercussions, says the BMA
• Coronavirus: NHS staff get power to keep patients in isolation as UK declares “serious threat”
  The UK government declares coronavirus a serious and imminent threat to public health
• Coronavirus: global stocks of protective gear are depleted, with demand at “100 times” normal level, WHO warns
  Demand for personal protective equipment has skyrocketed
• Coronavirus: doctor who faced backlash from police after warning of outbreak dies
  Li Wenliang warned other doctors about novel coronavirus at the start of the outbreak
• Australian GPs raise concerns about shortage of face masks
  GPs in Australia have raised concerns over the safety of their teams because of the lack of protective equipment
• Coronavirus should be on “everybody’s agenda,” says vaccine expert
  Seth Berkley, chief executive officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, says that while some responses may be “over-reaching,” what is currently known about the virus suggests it should be treated seriously
• Hong Kong health staff strike to demand border closure as city records first death
  Healthcare workers start unprecedented industrial action to put pressure on the government to close the border

January 2020

• WHO declares international emergency as death toll exceeds 200
  WHO has declared 2019-nCoV outbreak a public health emergency of international concern
• Wuhan: Britons to be evacuated as scientists estimate 44 000 cases of 2019-nCOV in the city
  Hundreds of British citizens will fly back from Wuhan
• Coronavirus: partial border closures into Hong Kong are not enough, say doctors
  Healthcare workers in Hong Kong are bracing for a potential explosion of cases locally
• Chinese premier rallies medics in coronavirus fight
  China’s premier visits Wuhan to inspect and direct the prevention and control efforts
• Coronavirus: mild but infectious cases may make it hard to control outbreak, report warns
  Unclear whether the outbreak can be contained within China
• Coronavirus: what do we know so far?
  We answer your questions about this evolving situation
• Coronavirus: UK screens direct flights from Wuhan after US case
  Health teams in the UK will meet each direct flight aircraft from Wuhan, China
• Coronavirus: cases surge as official admits human to human transmission
  More than 200 confirmed cases of infection with the novel coronavirus have emerged in China

Coronavirus Opinion

April 2020

• During covid-19, Americans need immediate access to health insurance—here’s how Congress should grant that
  How in this time of crisis, can Congress and the White House step up to protect the public and promote our collective health
• Access to remote abortion services should not be temporary
  Remote abortion care should always be offered to ensure the health of women
• A US doctor on bracing for the worst of covid-19: “We show up despite knowing the risks”
  Jennifer Hong describes how at her US hospital, uncertainty weighs heavily as providers prepare themselves for the upcoming surge of covid-19 cases
• Richard Smith: Covid-19—an oblique view on who shall live and who shall die
  Should the priority be to minimise deaths or to preserve a functioning world for those who survive?
• Should we give priority care to healthcare workers in the covid-19 pandemic?
  If several patients need access to ICU, should greater priority be given to healthcare workers?

March 2020

• First shift on the covid-19 ward
  A trainee ophthalmologist shares his experience of being redeployed to the frontline of covid-19 preparation and hopes that it will allay fears
• One size doesn’t fit all—coronavirus response must consider smaller hospitals
  Where London leads, the rest of the country tends to follow, especially in terms of health policy. But is it sensible?
• I’m torn between going home, and helping the NHS
  What is it like when medical school comes to an abrubt end?
• Prevent, detect, respond: How community health workers can help in the fight against covid-19
  How community health workers can be part of the effective response to covid-19
• Doctors have a moral duty to ensure that covid-19 testing is rolled out progressively
  NHS workers need prioritisation for testing
• Protecting wildlife—a lesson from the covid-2019 outbreak that should not be overlooked
  We should not ignore the protection of wild animals and their part in this pandemic
• Covid-19 will make us stop some activities for good
  Our planning, preparedness, and understanding of transmission, protection, and treatment will have to change
• Coronavirus is the vital wake up call for the bigger challenge, climate change
  Now is the time to envision how we rebuild society and put climate at the centre of our economic and political decision making
• The role of palliative care had to be adapted to manage this “ultra-emergency”
  Raffaella Bertè and colleagues recount the experience of managing the covid-19 outbreak in a small town in Italy
• No assumptions should be made about people’s quality of life irrespective of any disability
  Daniel Baker, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, discusses his fears about covid-19 and whether he would receive critical care
• Covid-19—Healthcare workers are scared but, in some ways, also lucky
  When this is over I sincerely hope we also win the peace and remain more like we always wanted to be
• Covid-19—the corona cohort of soon-to-be doctors
  Please be kind and patient with us, it will help us flourish in this turbulent start to our careers
• Extraordinary times: coping psychologically through the impact of covid-19
  Covid is affecting the psychological health of staff
• Covid-19 is bringing unpredictability and fear to the rheumatology community
  There is widespread concern and fear about what covid-19 will bring, says Dawn P Richards
• What will covid-19 mean for the illegal drug market and people dependent upon it?
  This pandemic has the potential to amplify the risks and harms of using illicit drugs, argues Ian Hamilton
• Richard Lehman’s covid-19 reviews—30 March 2020
  In this weekly round-up, Richard Lehman looks at a personal selection of articles of relevance to clinicians dealing with covid-19
• Population-level covid-19 symptom tracking is the health radar we lack
  Gathering accurate information about the symptoms and spread of covid-19 across the UK is essential
• The views of patients and the public should be included in policy responses to covid-19
  Patients and our communities are a critical partner in or out of crisis and in the quest towards more equitable, sustainable and resilient health systems
• In a pandemic, does patient feedback still matter?
  Yes, covid-19 is extraordinarily contagious: but so is gratitude, so is kindness, so is hope
• Moving paediatricians to climate change action
  A visit to the Union of Paediatricians of Russia leaves Tony Waterston reflecting on the attitudes towards the climate crisis in Russia and the role of paediatricians in tackling it
• Words have consequences, especially during a pandemic
  Politicians must avoid saying things that stir up hatred of others, says Martin McKee
• On the front lines of the response to covid-19 in Spain: a nation under a state of emergency
  From Madrid, let me tell you—prepare for it, prepare right away
• Fear in the time of covid
  Fear is all around—for ourselves, for our families, and for our patients, says Helen Salisbury
• Running a free clinic in the US during the coronavirus pandemic
  For the free clinics in the US that look after a population nearly invisible to the healthcare system, covid-19 has presented some tough decisions.
• Stephen L Roberts: Covid-19 and the crisis of international politics
  Covid-19 is a diagnostic for understanding and evaluating the ongoing crisis of international politics
• Covid-19—on trust, experts, and the brilliance of everyday people
  Abraar Karan considers the nature of expertise during a pandemic and argues that the notion of “the expert” is largely misplaced
• Covid-19—it is vital we put this crisis to good use
  In every crisis lies an opportunity. Covid-19 is no exception
• Looking after doctors’ mental wellbeing during the covid-19 pandemic
  Kevin Teoh and Gail Kinman share ways that doctors can look after themselves during the covid-19 pandemic
• Europe is ducking its responsibilities to the refugees on Lesbos
  An urgent response is needed
• Covid-19: Don’t forget the impact on US family physicians
  Very big changes—very little credit or guidance, says Doug Kamerow
• Covid-19—recriminations and political point scoring must wait
  Now is surely not the time for premature post mortems on our response to covid-19, says David Oliver
• Healthcare workforce safety and Ebola in the context of covid-19
  Healthcare workers deaths could be prevented with simple interventions
• Covid-19—One minute to midnight
  Making the new measures on physical distancing stick is but one of the priorities for the immediate days and weeks ahead
• Covid-19—we are yet to witness a cohesive government communications strategy
  The public’s response to “social distancing” is a government communications failure, says Lesley Henderson
• Can we improve the NHS’s ability to tackle covid-19 through emergency public health interventions?
  Are we missing a trick by not also working to lower the baseline demands placed on the NHS?
• Richard Lehman’s covid-19 reviews—23 March 2020
  Richard Lehman looks at a personal selection of articles of relevance to clinicians dealing with covid-19
• How might the social stigma around covid-19 perpetuate the spread of disease?
  We must pay attention to the social ills that are being disseminated in the wake of covid-19, argues Davina Nylander
• Living in a high-risk group for covid-19
  Emma Cartwright describes what it is like being in a high risk group for covid-19
• What was difficult if not impossible two weeks ago is happening fast now with Covid-19
  Already the NHS is beginning to move rapidly towards “information age healthcare”
• Covid-19—government communications need to build and sustain trust
  The UK government’s communications on the covid-19 pandemic have been a masterclass in how not to do things, writes Andy Cowper
• Mitigating the impact of covid-19 on vulnerable migrants
  Stephen Bradley, Helen Barclay, and Rebecca Farrington share advice on caring for vulnerable migrants during the upheaval the covid-19 pandemic will bring
• The life and death decisions of covid-19
  If the NHS’s intensive care capacity is breached, how do we decide which patients should get priority? Daniel Sokol considers the various ethical arguments
• Coping through covid-19: advice for clinicians and leaders
  There are things you can do to take care of yourself during the covid-19 pandemic, says Fiona Day
• Covid-19—supermarket wisdom
  Tom Jefferson reports from lockdown in Italy
• The role of smoking cessation during respiratory virus epidemics
  High quality smoking cessation advice should form part of public health efforts during epidemics of respiratory viruses
• Lessons from the frontline of the covid-19 outbreak
  This has been a steep learning curve for frontline clinicians
• Risky smoking practices and the coronavirus: A deadly mix for our most vulnerable smokers
  Providing regular support to smokers now to reduce and eradicate risky smoking practices will reduce the burden of the virus in real time
• Covid-19—we must keep faith in our experts
  Misinformation is spreading along with the virus, says Partha Kar
• Covid-19 and reproductive health: What can we learn from previous epidemics?
  Benjamin Black and Gillian McKay argue that there is enough global precedence to prepare for many of the indirect consequences this pandemic will bring
• Statistics are people too
  In our ongoing preoccupation with the number of “cases” of covid-19, we must not forget that behind every number is an individual, says William Cayley
• Covid-19: We each have a professional responsibility to be civil and show respect and kindness for others at all times
  We should be looking out for each other, providing emotional support where needed
• Prehabilitation could save lives in a pandemic
  Small changes in cardiopulmonary fitness may have a large impact on patients who are medically frail
• Covid-19: The painful price of ignoring health inequities
  Coronavirus disease provides a painful reminder of why inequities harm all of us
• Opinion—Even hospitals are not immune to xenophobia amid a pandemic
  We have to remember that it is not you against me, but us against the virus, says Rucira Ooi
• Opinion—Covid-19—what is a new and continuous cough?
  Helen Macdonald explores how guidance on the symptoms of covid-19 can be tricky to interpret and apply
• Opinion—Covid-19—This too shall pass
  Mary Black recounts what she has learnt from her experience of living in warzones
• Opinion—Covid 19—lockdown blues
  Italy is not Italy anymore, says Tom Jefferson
• What might we learn from the covid-19 pandemic?
  Perhaps the first lesson I’ve learnt is that it’s OK to be brave about making disruptive decisions, says Helen Salisbury
• When the problem is urgent and important
  There have been cracks of light through this crumble into crisis, says Matt Morgan
• How can we involve communities in managing the covid-19 pandemic?
  Strategies to enhance community engagement and cooperation during the covid-19 pandemic
• UK’s coronavirus policy places too much responsibility in the hands of the public
  There's too little responsibility in the hands of government, says Simon Williams
• Ethics in these pandemic times may require us to endure sacrifices on our personal freedom or comfort
  Covid-19 has brought to the fore a range of ethical issues affecting individuals, organisations, and governments, says Daniel Sokol
• Covid-19 is a chance to remember that the team matters, not just our personal success
  It is not just coronavirus that is spreading, we also seem to have a growing pandemic of dysfunction, says Peter Brindley
• Home based exercise activities could help during self isolation
  Pre-exposure conditioning may represent an important and effective individual intervention with a potential public health benefit
• Doctors’ wellbeing: self care during the covid-19 pandemic
  During a period of increased stress and uncertainty it is more important than ever for NHS staff look after themselves, say Michael Farquhar and Shreena Unadkat
• Covid-19—are we rationing who we care about?
  Certain vulnerable groups risk being left behind in our response to the covid-19 outbreak, says Ian Hamilton
• Covid-19—Medical students face disruption and uncertainty
  Medical students are facing disruption, uncertainty, and a lack of information as a result of the covid-19 outbreak
• A letter from ICU
  Matt Morgan writes to his patients
• Better use of data and digital offer rapid opportunities to address covid-19
  Covid-19 shows that we must overcome organisational barriers to deliver clean, realtime, standardised data in support of direct care, system planning, and urgent response
• Our experience with covid-19 patients has led to significant concerns over how they are identified and isolated
  For hospitals in the UK to mount the best possible response to this pandemic, further broadening of the definition of a possible case of covid-19 be necessary
• What should primary care be doing to prepare for the wider spread of covid-19 and future pandemics?
  Authors suggest some strategies to improve primary care preparedness
• Covid-19: Older adults and the risks of misinformation
  We need to counter misinformation on covid-19
• Staff wearing beards and covid-19: trickier than it looks
  Are doctors who may be exposed to the coronavirus under an obligation to remove their beards?
• Covid-19: is CT scanning ready to answer a diagnostic call?
  What is the role of imaging in combatting covid-19 pulmonary infections?
• Assessing mortality during the covid-19 outbreak
  Carl Heneghan looks at what we can learn from the latest data
• WHO’s confusing guidance on masks in the covid-19 pandemic
  To wear or not to wear?
• Slowing down the covid-19 outbreak: changing behaviour by understanding it
  Changing people’s transmission-related behaviours is becoming more urgent
• Covid-19—why putting a name to it matters
  We should be quicker to name and slower to sensationalise
• Should we wave goodbye to the handshake?
  Banning handshakes has been proposed as a way to limit the spread of covid-19
• Covidair flight 19 from Rome to Oxford and back again
  Tom Jefferson reports on fear and anger in Italy as the lockdown starts
• How to triage effectively in a pandemic
  Triage in a pandemic is even thornier than you might think
• Is general practice prepared for a pandemic?
  The very short answer is no, says Helen Salisbury
• My worry about my mother is not her dying of covid-19, but her dying on a trolley in an emergency department
  "Standard protocol” makes death in acute hospital highly likely
• To control the covid-19 outbreak, young, healthy patients should avoid the emergency room
  Young, healthy people can help to prevent outbreaks, says Abraar Karan
• Behavioural strategies for reducing covid-19 transmission in the general population
  Human behaviour will determine how quickly covid-19 spreads, say Susan Michie and colleagues
• Covid-19: Is it reasonable to ask retired doctors to return to “duty”
  Retired doctors must not feel an “onus” on them to return to clinical practice
• Covid-19—we live in surreal times
  We need an international effort to document the outbreak, its history and evolution
• Opinion—Covid-19—many questions, no clear answers
  The virus serotype is new, but is that enough to justify the frenetic media attention, asks Tom Jefferson

February 2020

• Behavioural science must be at the heart of the public health response to covid-19
  Human behaviour will determine how quickly covid-19 spreads
• The covid-19 outbreak has shown we need strategies to manage panic during epidemics
  Panic is a word that’s been widely used during this coronavirus outbreak, yet Robert Peckham argues that this social phenomenon is little understood
• Communicating research evidence about covid-19 to reduce public panic
  We need to translate research findings into timely and effective public health messages
• Covid-19 highlights the need for greater support for global health systems
  Countries with weaker health systems must not be left behind in the global emergency response, says Keerti Gedela
• Covid-19 is a timely reminder we need to improve global diagnostic capacity
  We need to think of diagnostic capacity beyond crises, says Laura Hallas
• Face to face with covid-19 on Hong Kong’s dirty team
  A doctor from Hong Kong describes what it is like to work in a hospital managing the coronavirus outbreak
• Coronavirus: rolling out community testing for covid-19 in the NHS
  Doctors from a London NHS Trust describe their experience of rolling out community testing for covid-19
• Coronavirus and the ethics of quarantine: why information matters
  Isolation and quarantine throw harsh light on the complex tensions in public health, says Julian Sheather
• Protecting healthcare workers in China during the coronavirus outbreak
  Protecting staff on the frontline is a critical challenge for this outbreak
• Why do we wait until emergency vaccines are necessary before recognising we need them?
  We are too slow to see the emergence of infectious diseases as an evolutionary certainty
• We need new forms of governance to better manage our response to pandemics
  Once again we are playing catch up with coronavirus

January 2020

• Coronavirus: containing the parallel epidemics of xenophobia and misinformation
  The global health community must counter misinformation
• Is reporting of the coronavirus producing viral panic?
  There are two different outbreaks: one outbreak of a coronavirus, and one of viral fake-news
• Coronavirus—knowledge is the antidote to fear
  The outbreak of a serious infectious disease is not just a biomedical event. It affects people and their communities
• Coronavirus: The psychological effects of quarantining a city
  During disease outbreaks, community anxiety rises. Mass quarantine is likely to raise that substantially

Editorials

• Money injection for public services
  Where should we direct these precious extra resources?
• Drugs and the renin-angiotensin system in covid-19
  Clinical effects are unpredictable, so treatment decisions must be tailored and pragmatic
• Covid-19: why is the UK government ignoring WHO’s advice?
  Testing and tracing must resume urgently
• Europe’s migrant containment policies threaten the response to covid-19
  Policy makers must include migrant camps in their national plans
• Covid-19: risk factors for severe disease and death
  A long list is emerging from largely unadjusted analyses, with age near the top
• Covid-19 risks and response in South Asia
  The region is ill prepared for the crisis that lies ahead
• Covid-19: control measures must be equitable and inclusive
  Failure to respect the needs of vulnerable groups will seriously undermine response efforts
• Challenges for NHS hospitals during covid-19 epidemic
  Healthcare workers need comprehensive support as every aspect of care is reorganised
• Covid-19 exposes weaknesses in European response to outbreaks
  European countries must work together in the common interest
• Covid-19 and community mitigation strategies in a pandemic
  We have to rely on targeted, non-coercive, community interventions
• Bearing the brunt of covid-19: older people in low and middle income countries
  A global expert group on older people might be useful
• Video consultations for covid-19
  How appropriate are video consultations for dealing with the coronavirus crisis
• Preventing a covid-19 pandemic
  We need to think beyond containment, says John Watkins
• Preparedness, decentralisation, and the hunt for patient zero
  Fabrizio Carinci discusses the lessons we can learn from Italy's outbreak of covid-19
• Coronaviruses in animals and humans
  Controlling outbreaks will require detailed knowledge of their biology and behaviour
• Covid-19: a puzzle with many missing pieces
  Better information on epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatments are urgent priorities
• Response to the emerging novel coronavirus outbreak
  Worldwide political commitment to pandemic preparedness is essential

Feature

• Are UK doctors getting sufficient protective equipment against covid-19?
  The BMA has warned that doctors are at risk of serious illness or even death because of a lack of PPE
• Covid-19: Can France’s ethical support units help doctors make challenging decisions?
  France has set up “ethical support units” to help doctors make difficult choices about which patients with covid-19 to treat in intensive care
• Covid-19: how coronavirus will change the face of general practice forever
  GPs say the covid-19 pandemic will bring about lasting change in how they work, Jacqui Thornton reports
• The world’s largest refugee camp prepares for covid-19
  Gaia Vince reports on the growing fears of an imminent, catastrophic outbreak of covid-19
• Covid-19 and long term conditions: what if you have cancer, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease?
  What is it like having a LTC in the covid-19 outbreak?
• Covid-19: how to be careful with trust and expertise on social media
  At times of crisis we turn to experts—but news outlets and social media must be careful about the information they share, particularly informally, writes Sue Llewellyn
• Covid-19: how doctors and healthcare systems are tackling coronavirus worldwide
  As coronavirus continues to spread, doctors and healthcare systems are facing a multitude of challenges at all stages of the pandemic
• On the front lines of coronavirus: the Italian response to covid-19
  Marta Paterlini reports on the front lines of a country in total lockdown
• Budgeting for covid-19: changing the narrative and narrating the change
  The UK government's move to the “delay” phase raises the question of what an effective reaction to covid-19 is going to look like, says Andy Cowper
• Covid-19: are we getting the communications right?
  Other countries’ experiences are instructive, says Andy Cowper
• Letter from China: covid-19 on the grapevine, on the internet, and in commerce
  People are turning to rumour, hope, and faith to protect themselves from the new coronavirus
• Response to the emerging novel coronavirus outbreak
  Worldwide political commitment to pandemic preparedness is essential
• Coronavirus shows how UK must act quickly before being shut out of Europe’s health protection systems
  The threat posed by 2019-nCoV and the fragmentation of existing health protection systems caused by Brexit call for urgent assessment of cross Europe cooperation
• In Beijing, coronavirus 2019-nCoV has created a siege mentality
  Residents are hunkering down while following activities 1200 km away in Wuhan

Analysis

• Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility: struggling to deliver on its innovative promise