Cancelled flights, airport shutdowns and soaring ticket prices all preventing people returning homeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAustralians stranded around the world by cancelled flights, airport shutdowns or soaring ticket prices say they want to heed their government’s advice to return home during the pandemic – but don’t know how.From the UK to Sri Lanka,...

Warning after contamination found across Wuhan hospital, with virus on much equipment Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageScientists have issued an urgent call to protect health workers in hospitals after finding “extensive” levels of coronavirus contamination in specialist wards and intensive-care units and on equipment ranging from keyboards to gel hand...

The government’s reluctance to put the health of citizens first during the Covid-19 outbreak has echoes in the 1940s and 50sDavid Edgerton is the author of The Rise and Fall of the British Nation• See all our coronavirus coverageWhat’s the best way to respond to a global health emergency? For countries like Italy, Spain, South Korea and Denmark, the answer is closing schools and public...

For some, workplaces are hotspots. For the over-65s, it’s shops and restaurants. We urgently need to change our behaviourPetra Klepac is assistant professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineSee all our coronavirus coverageEarly detection and early response. In an ideal world, this will contain an outbreak of infectious disease and prevent it...

Coronavirus is a grave threat to the economy and the lives of millions – a new benefit payment for all affected workers should be just the start• See all our coronavirus coverageThe coronavirus pandemic has shown us all in just a few days how fragile our way of life really is. Basic certainties about our health, that of our loved ones and our normal way of life can no longer be taken for...

Foreign secretary says dramatic step necessary to fight spread of coronavirusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has advised the British public to avoid non-essential travel anywhere in the world for at least 30 days as the government steps up its battle against Covid-19.Raab said the dramatic decision followed on from the prime...

There is no one right way to curb a pandemic. But now research has shown ‘mitigation’ is riskier than tougher measures• See all our coronavirus coverageHow can you chart the right course through a turbulent and dangerous new sea with no reliable map or GPS? We are all part of the living experiment that is about to find out. After failing to mandate widespread social distancing last week, an...

Macron tells citizens to prepare for ‘long and difficult crisis’ ahead of EU leaders’ conferenceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe EU is set to endorse the strictest travel ban in its history as France joined Italy and Spain in full lockdown and Donald Trump told Americans to change their behaviour, acknowledging for the first time that beating the coronavirus...

This pandemic will open up sinkholes in society – volunteers may have to help out in services from deliveries to education• See all our coronavirus coverageNous sommes en guerre: we are at war. With those words, President Macron put France on notice yesterday that everything had changed, promising hundreds of billions of euros to ensure that no business would go bust because of the virus.Yet...

Some people face a stark choice during the coronavirus outbreak – go out to work or don’t get paidCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageForced to decide between nursing mild cold and flu symptoms at home without earning anything or sucking it up, going out to work and paying the bills, self-employed workers face a stark yet not uncommon choice.The prime minister, Boris...

Until New York shut down, I didn’t appreciate how privileged I was. Now, I am trying to fight my anxiety by making the most of mundane momentsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRemember the good old days when supermarket shelves were stocked with toilet paper? Remember when only a few people were familiar with the phrase “social distancing”? Remember when you could...

‘Rare’ 1,100-year-old brooch from Norfolk among treasures foundAn astonishingly well-preserved medieval brooch featuring what could be dragon and dog decorations is among a record number of objects discovered last year by the nation’s army of metal detectorists.The British Museum on Tuesday announced that 1,311 finds which are defined as treasure had been found by members of the public...

Major chains including Odeon, Cineworld and Picturehouse to go dark• Coronavirus and culture – a list of major cancellationsHuge numbers of cinemas across the UK and Ireland are shutting down due to the coronavirus.Major chains, including Odeon, Cineworld and Picturehouse, as well as BFI Southbank, the screening complex operated by the British Film Institute, have announced they are closing...

Latest figures from public health authorities on the spread of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom. Find out how many confirmed cases have been reported near you. Please note: these are government figures on numbers of confirmed cases - some people who report symptoms are not being tested, and are not included in these counts.Coronavirus - live news updatesFind all our coronavirus coverage hereHow to...

What are the symptoms caused by the virus from Wuhan in China, how does it spread, and should you call a doctor?Find all our coronavirus coverage hereCoronavirus – latest updatesHow to protect yourself from infectionIt is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. Continue...

All eyes will be on the southern European state to see if the ECB’s measures will prevent a health emergency becoming an economic oneIf there were any doubts as to how seriously European officials are treating the Covid-19 emergency, the Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte’s reference to this being his country’s “darkest hour” should help dispel them. Italy is the European country...

Whether you’re a catastrophist or a conspiracy theorist, everyone has their own way of coping with the pandemic. But what we really need is solidarity and honestySee all our coronavirus coverageHow do you feel? I’m not asking if you have a temperature and a cough. What I mean is: how do you feel in yourself? How are you coping emotionally? I ask because, since we have all become amateur and...

A survey found that 37% of teachers said they did not have hot water and soap available for pupilsGlobal crises often bring surprises for schools. The first world war flagged up the high number of young soldiers who couldn’t read or write. In the second world war, middle-class country families despaired when evacuated children showed up malnourished and riven with lice. In the aftermath of both,...

Hannah Devlin speaks to Prof Paul Hunter about fatality rates; why different figures are being quoted across the media; how the rates are calculated; and is the fatality rate the only useful number to look at? Continue...