The novel coronavirus, originally identified in 2019, continues to grow as an international fear. Precautionary travel measures are in place and response systems are activated across the globe. While uncertainty does remain, the rate of knowledge growth for this event is surpassing that experienced during SARS and other recent outbreaks. Check this page for up-to-date commentary from the NCDP team, other Columbia faculty, and the CDC’s own micro-site embedded below.
On the watch: COVID-19

NOTE: Now that COVID-19 has reached pandemic status, this on the watch page will be archived. Please follow our COVID-19 Microsite for up-to-date news and information.
NCDP Resources
- Crisis Leadership in a Pandemic
NCDP Media
- Coronavirus Doctors in U.S. Keep Getting Sick. What Happens Next? | 3/23/2020 in News Parliament
- Chloroquine May Be ‘Very Unsafe’ For Treating Coronavirus, Doctor Says | 3/23/2020 in Inquisitr
- Joe Biden Campaign Names Indian American Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to Advisory Panel on COVID-19 | 3/23/2020 in India West
- Grocery Stores Are Packed with People—And Workers Are Scared & Stressed | 3/22/2020 in Gothamist
- How South Korea Solved Its Acute Hospital-Bed Shortage | 3/22/2020 in The Wall Street Journal
- Coronavirus Doctors in U.S. Keep Getting Sick. What Happens Next? | 3/22/2020 in News Parliament
- Irwin Redlener: We are in the early stages of a crazy hospital crisis, ERS Running out of protective gear | 3/21/2020 in Breitbart
- There’s A Federal System for Signing Up Medical Volunteers — But It’s Neglected | 3/21/2020 in NPR Rocks WUKY
- Doctors use television and social media to sound the alarm: “We need masks today” | 3/20/2020 in Press Stories
- Doctors using TV and social media to sound the alarm: ‘We need masks today’ | 3/20/2020 in News Channel 21, KTVZ
- Doctors using TV and social media to sound the alarm: ‘We need masks today’ | 3/20/2020 in CNN
- Fmr Obama ebola czar: Americans shouldn’t listen to Trump about coronavirus | 3/20/2020 in MSNBC
- Haunted by Italy scenario, N.J. rushes to add hospital beds | 3/20/2020 in PBS WHYY
- Here’s why Florida got all the emergency medical supplies it requested while other states did not | 3/20/2020 in CT Mirror
- In pandemic, word definitions shift and new lexicon emerges | 3/20/2020 in Associated Press
- The Best-Case Outcome for the Coronavirus, and the Worst | 3/20/2020 in The New York Times
- Massachusetts hospitals facing coronavirus get ‘creative’ as ventilator shortages loom | 3/19/2020 in The Boston Herald
- Re-review: 2011 film ‘Contagion’ predicts features of COVID-19 pandemic | 3/19/2020 in The Voice
- S. government preparing for possibility of 18-month pandemic | 3/19/2020 in LifeSite News
- Americans facing a new normal midst coronavirus pandemic | 3/18/2020 in MSNBC
- Coronavirus Update: Tarrytown lab working to create COVID-19 treatment, vaccine | 3/18/2020 in ABC Eyewitness News 7
- Is the Bay Area’s ‘Unprecedented’ Lockdown the First of Many? | 3/18/2020 in Kaiser Health News
- New York’s Food Distribution Networks Brace for an Unprecedented Threat | 3/18/2020 in New York Times
- Trump Administration’s Coronavirus Response ‘Greatest Failure’ Of US Government ‘In My Lifetime | 3/18/2020 in Inquisitr
- Changing America’s way of life? | 3/17/2020 in The Final Call
- Coronavirus crisis puts medical experts center stage on cable, network newscasts | 3/17/2020 in Fox NEWs
- Is the Bay Area’s ‘Unprecedented’ Lockdown the First Of Many? | 3/17/2020 in Kaiser Health News
- As U.S. Braces for Coronavirus to Spread, Hospitals Worry About Shortages | 3/16/2020 in Time
- Hakeem Jeffries; Biden and Sanders Debate; Dr. Irwin Redlener Working from Home | 3/16/2020 in WNYC Brian Lehrer Show
- State public health cuts hamper coronavirus containment: Experts | 3/16/2020 in ABC News
- Tourists Deal with Prolonged Airport Strains As Coronavirus Screenings Start out: NPR | 3/16/2020 in NPR
- Hospitals prepare for the worst on coronavirus, and it’s not pretty | 3/15/2020 in AOL News
- Local Councilmember Mark Levine Says Widespread Testing is No Longer Useful | 3/15/2020 in West Side Rag
- Meet the Press – March 15, 2020 | 3/15/2020 in NBC Meet the Press
- Tips on how to shop amid coronavirus stockpiling | 3/15/2020 in NBC 5 Southern Oregon
- While the Governor suggested it might be nine to 14 weeks before New York’s healthcare system | 3/15/2020 in Gothamist
- ‘An international embarrassment’: Trump leveled by infectious disease expert for coronavirus response disaster | 3/14/2020 in Raw Story
- Bioethicist who thinks people should die at 75 advising Biden on coronavirus | 3/14/2020 in LifeSite News
- Coronavirus is already here. Blocking travelers won’t prevent its spread. | 3/14/2020 in Vox
- Hospitals prepare for the worst on coronavirus, and it’s not a pretty picture | 3/14/2020 in Yahoo News
- MSNBC Panel Widely Speculates About Trump Having Coronavirus, Blasts Hand-Shaking | 3/14/2020 in Media ITE
- Tips on how to shop amid coronavirus stockpiling | 3/14/2020 in NBC Southern Oregon
- Ultimately, coronavirus will affect the poor most, point out numerous studies | 3/14/2020 in IBT Times
- US hospitals are scrambling to prepare for a potential surge in coronavirus cases | 3/14/2020 in Business Insider
- Virus May Stretch Capacity of US Hospitals to Breaking Point | 3/14/2020 in Bloomberg News
- What the US health system needs now to fight COVID-19 | 3/14/2020 in PBS Newshour
- Coronavirus testing comes under criticism in SC, US | 3/13/2020 in Greenville News
- Irwin Redlener on coronavirus: ‘Our hospital systems need to be more ready than they currently are | 3/13/2020 in Fox News
- Expert: We’re in worse shape than Italy | 3/13/2020 in CNN Politics
- Former director at USAID: Social distancing is ‘critically important’ | 3/13/2020 in MSNBC
- HHS Official Ducks Whether There’ll Be Enough ICU Beds and Ventilators Available For Coronavirus Patients | 3/13/2020 in Hot Air
- Marni Soupcoff: Outbreaks are not an excuse to trample our rights | 3/13/2020 in National Post
- Preparedness Expert Rings Alarm Bell On Potential ‘Onslaught’ Of Hospitals, Ventilators | 3/13/2020 in Talking Points Memo
- US hospitals plan for ‘COVID-19 cabanas’, conference rooms to house patients | 3/13/2020 in Channel News Asia CAN
- Gotta fly? Wash your hands early and often to keep COVID-19 from following you home | 3/12/2020 in Popular Science
- Hospitals plan for ‘COVID cabanas,’ conference rooms to house patients | 3/12/2020 in Reuters
- Joe Biden campaign announces new coronavirus committee to provide counsel as pandemic fears escalate | 3/12/2020 in CNBC Politics
- Should Trump copy China’s aggressive Coronavirus strategy? | 3/12/2020 in Newsweek
- The Met, Guggenheim & Most Of NYC’s Cultural Institutions Announce Temporary Closure In Response To Coronavirus | 3/12/2020 in Gothamist
- Trump’s confounding ‘America First’ coronavirus address | 3/12/2020 in Politico
- Trump’s Brand Is Chaos | 3/12/2020 in Common Dreams
- Universities across US shut down classrooms | 3/12/2020 in China Daily.com
- Broadway Usher Has Reportedly Tested Positive for Coronavirus | 3/11/2020 in Gothamist
- Coronavirus in New York: What public health experts say about New Rochelle containment area | 3/11/2020 in USA Network: Iohud
- Coronavirus May Disproportionately Hurt the Poor—And That’s Bad for Everyone | 3/11/2020 in Time
- Coronavirus updates: Trump meets with Wall Street execs, March Madness closed to fans | 3/11/2020 in CNBC
- Joe Biden cancels Chicago rally and fundraisers in wake of coronavirus crisis | 3/11/2020 in Chicago Sun Times
- Most Americans Will Likely Be Exposed to Coronavirus, Republicans Told | 3/11/2020 in Daily Beast
- One gathering not canceled in Honolulu: A conference on risk management | 3/11/2020 in Hawaii News Now
- Overnight Health Care — Presented by Philip Morris International — Trump to deliver Oval Office statement on coronavirus | WHO declares pandemic | States impose drastic measures | Dems jam GOP with economic package | 3/11/2020 in The Hill
- Subways, Airports in Costly Rush to Clean Amid Virus Threat | 3/11/2020 in Bloomberg News
- The Coronavirus Has Dangerously Inverted the Long-Standing White House Theme | 3/10/2020 in The Atlantic
- More ‘extreme measures’ needed as coronavirus spreads, says disaster preparedness expert | 3/10/2020 in Fox News
- Bottled water, batteries, and toilet paper: 2 experts share the items that aren’t necessary to stockpile amid coronavirus fears | 3/10/2020 in Business Insider
- Rising concerns over available coronavirus test kits in the US | 3/9/2020 in MSNBC
- Columbia temporarily cancels class, quarantines affiliate after exposure to COVID-19 | 3/8/2020 in The Columbia Spectator
- Columbia U doctor on federal response to coronavirus: ‘gross amateur hour incompetence’ | 3/6/2020 in MSNBC
- Federal govt. increasingly struggling w/coronavirus response, containment–Elizabeth Warren drops out, leaving Bernie vs. Biden–California’s GOP hopeful in recapturing some congressional districts | 3/5/2020 on KNX Radio
- WCBS 880 In Depth: NYC’s Top Expert On Disaster Planning Breaks Down Coronavirus | 3/05/2020 on WCBS
- The Coronavirus Is a Pandemic, and We’re Not Prepared | 3/5/2020 in Daily Beast
- CDC Criticized For Its Slow Release Of Coronavirus Testing Kits | 3/3/2020 in WBUR News
- 11TH HOUR WAPO: Trump aide calls coronavirus response ‘complete chaos’ | 3/2/2020 in MSNBC
- Coronavirus: CDC ‘withholding’ potentially lifesaving information from doctors | 3/2/2020 in Independent
- Coronavirus patient in San Antonio mistakenly released | 3/2/2020 in The Hill
- Most Americans are not prepared for a disaster. Now survival kits are all over Instagram. | 3/2/2020 in VOX
- Is This Coronavirus ‘the Big One’? | 2/29/2020 in the New York Times
- Massachusetts officials ramp up coronavirus prep, but experts say specific measures needed | 2/28/2020 in the Boston Herald
- Disaster Preparedness Official: Don’t Panic Over Coronavirus Yet, But Be Aware | 2/28/2020 Interview on WCBS 880
- Coronavirus In The Tri-State Area: How Prepared Are We Really? | 2/27/2020 on CBS New York
- Coronavirus Update: CDC Goes Dark As California Reports First Possible Case Of Community Spread | 2/27/2020 in Gothamist
- Syrian refugees are experiencing their worst crisis to date. Coronavirus will make it worse. | 2/27/2020 Op-Ed by Irwin Redlener and Sean Hansen in the Washington Post
- Trump, seeking to tamp down fears of coronavirus, names Pence to lead response | 2/26/2020 in Los Angeles Times
- The Terrifying Reality of Trump’s Coronavirus Promise | 2/25/2020 in the Daily Beast
- What coronavirus teaches us for preventing the next big bio threat | 2/24/2020 Op-Ed by Ellen Carlin and Jeff Schlegelmilch in The Hill
- Our Experts Answer the Coronavirus Questions You’re Afraid to Ask | 2/20/20 in The Daily Beast
- Pentagon to extend availability of 4 military bases to help with coronavirus efforts: official | 2/15/2020 in Fox New (Video interview)
- China’s Coronavirus App Is Alerting Citizens When They’re in Danger of Being Infected | 2/12/2020 in Mental Floss
- Coronavirus Cruise Ship Fiasco Points to Possible ‘Super-Spreader’| 2/11/2020 in Yahoo News
- China launches coronavirus tracking app as death toll surpasses 1,000 | 2/11/2020 in ABC News
- How much should we worry about the new coronavirus? | 2/7/2020 Op-Ed by Irwin Redlener in The Hill
- US declares emergency over coronavirus, announces temporary travel ban | 2/3/2020 in ABC News
- Experts: Family doctors should prep for possible coronavirus cases
1/30/2020 in Bucks County Courier Times - U.S., China Beef Escalates as CDC Chases Coronavirus Vaccine | 1/28/2020 in the Daily Beast
- US declares public health emergency over coronavirus, announces temporary travel ban | 1/21/2020 in ABC News
From the Director
By Irwin Redlener
2/19/2020
Coronavirus has killed more than 2,000 people. All but six of them were in mainland China. The virus, officially called COVID-19, has infected more than 75,000 people. There are more than a thousand cases outside China.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health today reported three new cases of the COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total to 84 confirmed cases. The arrival this week of 14 infected American evacuees from a cruise ship in Japan brought the total number of cases in the United States to at least 29 people.
What You Should Know
- At the moment, there is no evidence of rapidly growing cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. -or any country other than China
- But if you have traveled in the past 60 days (overly cautious!) to China or have been in contact with someone with proven or suspected COVID-19, your health care provider and local public health officials should be informed.
- No special precautions for COVID-19 are necessary, other than what experts recommend as good practices to limit spread of any virus, such as regular, thorough hand washing and “cough and sneeze hygiene”.
- If you have severe “cold symptoms” with a fever, check in with your health provider; you could have the regular flu! (and stay home, if you can…)
- Get the seasonal flu vaccine every year
Challenges Ahead For Public Health And Government Officials
- Still not sure of actual duration of incubation period. Most experts say 14 days – but it could be longer.
- Still trying to prove that people infected with COVID-19 can transmit the virus before symptoms appear
- Vaccine to prevent COVID-19 remains in development; many months remain before being ready for widespread distribution
- So far, there is no specific medication to treat people who are infected with COVID- 19
- Public health scientists are working on more sophisticated and more effective ways to identify, track, test and isolate contacts of people infected with COVID-19
CDC 2019 nCoV Microsite