The World

It’s an unprecedented time and situation. “A microscopic virus has brought us to our knees,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at the start of the 73rd annual World Health Assembly on Monday. Leaders from around the world convened, for the first time virtually, for two days of meetings to address the world's response to the global pandemic...

For awhile it seemed kids were largely spared by the impacts of the coronavirus. But doctors are beginning to reassess this. In very rare instances, the virus now appears to be associated with an extreme overreaction of the immune system in children, requiring intensive care. The World's host Marco Werman speaks to Dr. Lorenzo D’Antiga in Bergamo, Italy. Spain has been one of the European countries hit hardest by the coronavirus...

A handful of newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in Wuhan, China, widely believed to be the original epicenter of the disease. The new cases have the Chinese government moving forward with a sweeping new plan of mass testing. And, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities to bioweapons all around the world. A record 1.1 billion people watched the FIFA Women’s World Cup last summer in France, a peak in both popularity and the fight for gender equity...

Governments around the world are looking to start reopening society. But there have been a variety of approaches, and many people want to know: When is it safe to go back to work? As part of our weekly series taking your questions to the experts, The World's Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Joseph Allen from Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health on how to make an office environment safe amid the coronavirus crisis...

Governments around the world are looking to start reopening society. But there have been a variety of approaches, and many people want to know: When is it safe to go back to work? As part of our weekly series taking your questions to the experts, The World's Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Joseph Allen from Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health on how to make an office environment safe amid the coronavirus crisis...

We still don't know whether people who've been infected with the novel coronavirus are immune from infection, and if so, for how long. But scientists are starting to put together the pieces of the puzzle. Madagascar is marketing a new herbal drink as a potential treatment — if not a cure — for the coronavirus. While the World Health Organization has warned against the use of untested treatments for the coronavirus, some African countries are ordering the new drink...

Renewed tensions between Beijing and Washington threaten cooperation on halting the spread of COVID-19 and make completion of a landmark trade deal between the two superpowers less likely. And, countries everywhere are weighing the decision of when and how to reopen. But, there's no easy answers and no blueprint to follow...

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out his exit strategy for how the UK comes out of lockdown. But not everyone is backing it, including leading lawmakers from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And, when the globe first learned about the new coronavirus emerging in China, we were basically told to watch out for two things: a fever or a persistent, dry cough. But, a lot has changed since then in terms of what we know about the symptoms of COVID-19...

Brazil has become one of the global epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic, recently surpassing China in the number of reported cases. And, black men and women are nearly twice as likely to die with coronavirus as white people in England and Wales, according to UK government officials. Also, the Puerto Rican indie pop duo Buscabulla have released their debut album "Regresa."

From The World and PRX, this is the Number in the News. Today’s number: 6. Astronaut Cady Coleman understands what isolation feels like. Coleman spent nearly six months living on the International Space Station. With much of the world under lockdown to counter the spread of the novel coronavirus, Coleman is sharing lessons on surviving social isolation to help people down on planet Earth.