W.H.O. Fights a Pandemic Besides Coronavirus: an ‘Infodemic’

Working with the big tech companies, the U.N. health agency has made strides in combating rumors and falsehoods on the internet about the new infection.

Beware the Pandemic Panic

The new virus’s death toll has just exceeded 130; for context, according to the CDC, about 15 million Americans have been sickened by the seasonal flu so far in the 2019-2020 flu season, and 8,200 have died from it. (The flu kills between 300,000 and 650,000 people around the world annually.)

The Deceptively Simple Number Sparking Coronavirus Fears

Here’s what the often cited R0 number tells us about the new outbreak—and what it doesn’t.

How to Avoid the Coronavirus? Wash Your Hands

I covered the SARS outbreak as a reporter in China, and I saw that common sense is the best defense against viral illness.

Don’t Worry About The Coronavirus. Worry About The Flu.

The first new disease outbreak in the social media era has been defined by the rapid spread of panic and uncertainty. Here’s what you should worry about — and what you shouldn’t.