COVID-19 World Map: 571,678 Confirmed Cases; 197 Countries; 26,494 Deaths

WHO Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Situation Report 68

No new countries/territories/areas reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

The WHO Director-General highlighted in his media briefing yesterday that the chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment(PPE)is one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives. To date, WHO has shipped almost 2 million individual items of PPEto 74 countries and is preparing to send a similar amount to a further 60 countries. The Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing can be found here.

Today, WHO published the first edition of the practical manual to set up and manage a severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) treatment center and a SARI screening facility in health-care facilities. The document has been developed to meet the operational needs emerging with the COVID-19 pandemic. For more details, please see the document here.

Risk Assessment

Global Level: Very High

Coronavirus Situation in Numbers

Globally

• 571,678 confirmed cases (62,514 new)
• 26,494 deaths (3,159 new)

Western Pacific Region

• 101,462 confirmed cases (1444 new)
• 3,592 deaths (25 new)

European Region

• 324,343 confirmed cases (37,646 new)
• 18,740 deaths (2,635 new)

South-East Asia

• 3,085 confirmed cases (153 new)
• 114 deaths (9 new)

Eastern Mediterranean Region

• 38,931 confirmed cases (3,682 new)
• 2,508 deaths (172 new)

Regions of the Americas

• 100,314 confirmed cases (19,177 new)
• 1,485 deaths (309 new)

African Region

• 2,831 confirmed cases (412 new)
• 48 deaths (9 new)

Countries, territories or areas with reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, March 28, 2020

Recommendations and Advice for the Public

If you are not in an area where COVID-19 is spreading or have not traveled from an area where COVID-19 is spreading or have not been in contact with an infected patient, your risk of infection is low. It is understandable that you may feel anxious about the outbreak. Get the facts from reliable sources to help you accurately determine your risks so that you can take reasonable precautions (see Frequently Asked Questions). Seek guidance from WHO, your healthcare provider, your national public health authority or your employer for accurate information on COVID-19 and whether COVID-19 is circulating where you live. It is important to be informed of the situation and take appropriate measures to protect yourself and your family (see Protection measures for everyone).

If you are in an area where there are cases of COVID-19 you need to take the risk of infection seriously. Follow the advice of WHO and guidance issued by national and local health authorities. For most people, COVID-19 infection will cause mild illness however, it can make some people very ill and, in some people, it can be fatal. Older people, and those with pre-existing medical conditions (such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease or diabetes) are at risk for severe disease (See Protection measures for persons who are in or have recently visited (past 14 days) areas where COVID-19 is spreading).