COVID-19 Update 25 February 2020
Today's biggest headline:
Global markets plummeted while new extra-Chinese cases soared. America's government has finally come out swinging ahead of November's elections.
Get the COVID-19 Daily Update
The full briefing is for Intelligent Prepper members only, but it's free to join. Just drop your email below to get the daily brief in your inbox.
No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Over 830 people just like you are discussing the latest COVID-19 info in our private Facebook group. Click here to join in.
Today's Biggest Developments
- Global stock markets plummeted as pandemic fears grew. The UK's FTSE 100 hit a four-month low while the American Dow Jones tumbled over 1,000 points.
- The US is planning a clinical trial of an experimental drug to fight the novel coronavirus. The drugmaker's shares were up 4.6%, or over $4B, on the news. No word yet on timelines.
- A hotel in Spain's Tenerife has been locked down after a visiting Italian doctor tested positive for coronavirus. Hundreds of guests are affected.
- Iran's deputy health minister, Iraj Harichi, has tested positive for the disease. So far the government has confirmed 95 cases and at least fifteen deaths.
- An Iranian plane carrying more than 130 passengers and crew was diverted en route to Istanbul for quarantine in Ankara.
- South Korea will surpass 1,000 confirmed cases today and has reported ten deaths, while Italy now reports 270 cases and seven deaths.
- Two more European countries announced their first cases - Austria and Croatia.
- The US is set to spend $2.5B fighting the disease as confirmed cases surpassed 50.
- A number of schools in England have told students returning from Italian ski holidays.
Want to help? Click here to see a list of charities supporting communities affected by the outbreak.
The Latest Stats
CONFIRMED CASES
80,289
+4.1% since yesterday
CONFIRMED DEATHS
2,704
+4.3% since yesterday
RECOVERIES
27,840
+11.5% since yesterday
COVID-19 Growth

Confirmed Cases by Country / Region
- 77,660 Mainland China
- 977 South Korea
- 691 Others
- 270 Italy
- 160 Japan
- 90 Singapore
- 84 Hong Kong
- 61 Iran
- 53 US
- 37 Thailand
- 31 Taiwan
- 22 Australia
- 22 Malaysia
- 16 Germany
- 16 Vietnam
- 13 United Arab Emirates
- 13 UK
- 12 France
- 11 Canada
- 10 Macau
- 8 Kuwait
- 8 Bahrain
- 3 Spain
- 3 Philippines
- 3 India
- 2 Russia
- 2 Oman
- 1 Afghanistan
- 1 Nepal
- 1 Cambodia
- 1 Israel
- 1 Belgium
- 1 Lebanon
- 1 Finland
- 1 Sweden
- 1 Iraq
- 1 Egypt
- 1 Sri Lanka
Prognosis
South Korea is facing a crisis as numbers there soar. Shelves are emptying. |
Supermercados en Busan con casi ninguno de los alimentos en una de sus plantas.
— A.Guzmán 알랙스 (@Aguzmanm95) February 24, 2020
(Corea del Sur) #COVID19 #Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/rjQzgv0OAJ
While COVID-19 is less deadly than SARS or MERS, it's far more contagious than either one. The economic and political impacts will be far-reaching.
For example, should the Chinese supply shock further penetrate the US, and should fear continue to mount, it could very well push the country into recession.
A strong economy is widely seen as American President Trump's best path to reelection. In a very real way, the most significant casualty of this disease could be Donal Trump's reelection campaign.