In the COVID-19 pandemic, 1,323 American cases have been reported, along with 38 deaths. Worldwide, 127,863 cases and 4,718 deaths have been reported, as of 9:30 a.m., March 12. Globally, 68,310 people have recovered from the illness.
Key outbreak updates:
1. A predicted 70 million to 150 million Americans will contract COVID-19, Brian Monahan, MD, the attending physician of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, said, according to NBC News. Dr. Monahan made the comments during a closed-door meeting March 11.
2. Forty-five states have reported COVID-19 cases, along with Washington, D.C., as of 9 a.m., March 12.
3. President Donald Trump banned travel ban from Europe to the U.S. for 30 days beginning March 13, USA Today reports. The controversial decision was met with disapproval from EU Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
"The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation," a joint statement read.
Both the S&P 500 and the Dow fell into bear market territory after the ban was announced, but only the Dow remained in the bear market at the end of the day, according to CNN.
4. New COVID-19 test will deliver results within hours at Cleveland Clinic, a health system spokesperson told WOIO. The system will soon have in-house testing capabilities that will deliver results within eight hours, instead of two to seven days.
5. The CDC is developing blood tests that could reveal the extent of the U.S. outbreak and provide insight regarding how the disease spreads, STAT reports. The serologic tests won't diagnose active infections, but instead would let researchers test the blood of people who didn't have a confirmed COVID-19 case but lived in communities where the virus spread. Researchers are to look for signs of mounted immune responses after exposure.
6. Large gatherings should be canceled, Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said, according to STAT.
"The bottom line: It is going to get worse," Dr. Fauci said during a congressional hearing March 11.
7. The NBA has suspended its season indefinitely after a player tested positive for COVID-19, CNN reports. The NCAA's upcoming championship events will be played without fans, allowing only essential staff and limited family attendance, NCAA President Mark Emmert said March 11.
8. Democrats revealed an economic response package meant to help communities affected by the outbreak, according to The Wall Street Journal. The package would fund paid sick leave for affected individuals and expand unemployment insurance. Democratic lawmakers plan to pass it on the floor March 12, though it is not known how much Republican support it will have.
9. President Donald Trump fears an emergency declaration would create a panic, three people familiar with the situation told Politico. Instead, he is expected to sign a more limited designation in an attempt to boost the economy without waiting for Congress to sign off on an economic response package.