It is now possible to track the coronavirus online. The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University has developed a dashboard to allow people around the world to track the coronavirus online. The dashboard should come in handy for investors who are watching the developments in relation to their technology and Chinese investments.
In a blog post, Lauren Gardner of the research collective laid out the history of the virus now known as 2019-nCoV, the coronavirus first detected in Wuhan, China. Chinese officials warned the World Health Organization about an outbreak of “pneumonia of unknown cause” in Wuhan on Dec. 31. By Jan. 23, there were more than 800 confirmed cases of the virus around the globe.
Cases have emerged in 20 different parts of China and nine countries. The first individuals were reported to be infected as early as Dec. 8, and they held stalls at the Wuhan South China Seafood Market, which was then closed on Jan. 1. Wuhan is a major transportation hub in central China, which is why the virus has spready to other countries via infected air passengers.
In response to the public health crisis, researchers at Johns Hopkins University built an online dashboard to enable people to track the coronavirus online. The dashboard is updated regularly as new confirmed cases of the virus are reported. The data comes from a number of different sources, including the WHO, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Click here to track the coronavirus online using the map from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. At the time of this writing, the dashboard shows that there are 4,473 confirmed cases of the coronavirus worldwide, including 4,409 cases in mainland China. Most of the cases in China are in Hubei province, which is where Wuhan is located, but large spots are developing throughout the western part of the country.
In the U.S., five confirmed cases have appeared in Arizona, Seattle, Wash., Fresno, Calif., and Chicago, Ill.
The tech industry, much of which has significant supply chain infrastructure in China, will be impacted by the coronavirus, and investors are watching. Stocks pulled back amid concerns about the impacts.
Wedbush strategist Brad Gastwirth said in a note this week that it’s too early to know how much of an impact the coronavirus will have on the tech industry and Chinese economy. Some 50 million people in China are under a travel ban. However, some still were able to travel for the Chinese New Year, so officials are advising investors to check back after the holiday is over and people return home.
According to Gastwirth, China is now at a “complete standstill” as no one is leaving their home to do anything. A bus driver in China said on WeChat that during his two-hour route with 60 stops, he didn’t have a single passenger. The Wedbush strategist expects that guidance from Chinese and tech companies will be muted.
Build forecasts for the tech industry haven’t changed yet, but he expects to see downward revisions at some point. The Chinese government could take more measures to stem the further spread of the virus, possibly by extending the New Year holiday further or preventing workers from returning to work for a set period of time. Apple’s supply chain is expected to be impacted by the measures being taken to rein in the coronavirus in China.
Gastwirth said iQiyi and Joyy could see positive benefits from the coronavirus because the Chinese will have a lot more time to consume content during their forced quarantine.
