to treat 4,000 coronavirus patients people in the uk are being urged to stay at home this weekend to try to stop the spread of covid—19. britain's health secretary said the advice was not a request but an instruction. president trump has announced new recommendations for americans to wear masks when they go outside to slow the spread of the virus. us health officials have advised people to cover their faces but to keep medical—grade masks free for health workers. although mr trump stressed the suggestion wasn't compulsory. the head of the imf has said the coronavirus pandemic had created an economic crisis like no other. kristalina georgieva said that never in the history of the imf had the world economy come to a standstill. more than 90 countries have asked the organisation for help. now on bbc news: the latest information and health advice

on coronavirus, including what the symptoms are and how to self—isolate. hello and welcome to this bbc news special. i am annita mcveigh. stay with us as we share the latest information, health advice and reports about the coronavirus. we will show you exactly what sciences think the covid—19 is and ask how close are we to a vaccine? plus, will explain how to make sure that the facts you're getting about the virus are accurate and reliable. and a reminder that there is further advice and information about the pandemic on the bbc news website. but first, this coronavirus may be dominating headlines around the

world and changing the lives of hundreds of millions of people, but what exactly do we know about covid—19 and how close are we to a vaccine? bbc‘s jim covid—19 and how close are we to a vaccine? bbc‘sjim reed, reports. sars cough two is the technical name for the virus that causes covid—19. pa rt for the virus that causes covid—19. part of a coronavirus family that is one of sex that can affect humans. when amazing today we can get a genetic code for a virus really quickly and it turns out that this particular virus virus is very closely related to bat and pangolin viruses. wannabe theories is that it could have spread through of those species to —— one of those theories, to humans. the virus is made up of 30 genes compared to 20,000 to humans. imitates changes over time, allowing scientists to draw a family tree showing where different trains have come from and how they have

spread. because of the slight shifts and mutations the virus accumulates, we can track which would came from china in between came from the west coast for instance that are going to new york and so on. that is what the religious are looking at right now, to track the virus. the virus typically enters the human body through the nose or mouse, though spikes on the outside grab onto a protein which is common in cells in the throat and lungs. most covid—19 infections cause a fever as our immune system rights to where the virus from our body. essentially, viruses when they're in the phase of infection, absolutely hijack the host cell, turn it into a virus making factory, releasing new virus particles that are then free to infect other neighbouring cells within the same host. all of course, if they are exhaled or coughed or sneezed out, they are then able to infect any person. not unusual for a

virus to cause different symptoms in different people. it can depend on age, genetics and the amount you are exposed to. you always get this wide spectrum of responses to infection and covert is no different. we know that age is one of the key factors for whether you are more likely to suffer from severe disease. this map shows how eight different trains of the virus are now circulating quickly around the world, partly because no—one is immune. it may also be that a proportion of those infected show very mild symptoms but cannot still pass the virus onto others. there are a few things that are right for this virus to be very successful. 0ne iguana is the fact that it seems to be —— big one, the time of the commission., the time when you start setting the virus and the time you feel sick. it's very

impossible to catch those types of people unless we commence massive screening for the virus. i/o technology and drug companies around the world are now working on vaccines and treatments. wonder promising targets is though spikes on the outside of the virus itself. we have a colleague at university couege we have a colleague at university college london who is using the biggest supercomputer in europe to search through old libraries of drugs which have already been tried and tested for other viruses and other infections, just to see if none of them has the ability to ——if one of them has the ability to interview a coronavirus. should be a vaccine that stops us from getting disease in the first place but testing and factoring takes time. evenif testing and factoring takes time. even if sciences are successful, it is unlikely to be rolled out widely until sometime next year. spain continues to be one of the country's worst affected by the virus. more than 10,000 people there have already died and the country has beenin already died and the country has been in lockdown since the middle of

march. speaking from their apartment in barcelona, paul and his wife angela reflect on the daily challenges of being stuck inside with a four—year—old for more than three weeks.

that's the outlook from spain but in neighbouring italy, across europe and around the world, governments have imposed strict rules to make sure people stay at home. but multiple domestic abuse aid agencies are warning of a bleak picture for those stuck in a violent household with fewer avenues to report abuse.

megan spoke to a woman in lockdown with her abuser. domestic abuse hotlines in the us and france say they have had more calls since the coronavirus outbreak. but the un i warning that poorer women have fewer ways to report abuse. we spoke to this 27—year—old from rural india. it is the first —— the first time her husband hit her was her wedding night when she was 15. she told us that since the coronavirus outbreak, her husband's income has reduced to £5a her husband's income has reduced to £5 a day. schools have also closed across india and herfour children are home all day in their 1—room house. this angers her husband. india is now on a 21—day lockdown. we spoke to her the night before it was announced and haven't been able to reach her since. in china, where

the virus originated, authorities there say they now have a grip on there say they now have a grip on the outbreak. it is widely believed beijing is harnessing the power of its sophisticated surveillance state to track, monitor and control people to track, monitor and control people to stop the spread of the disease. the use of mobile phone data has proven particularly effective and 110w proven particularly effective and now some of the techniques are being accompanied by a growing number of companies around the world —— countries, including singapore, south korea, and iran. how can surveillance state tools help in a pandemic and what are the potential pitfalls for privacy and freedom. 0ur cyber security reporterjoe, explains. this robot is disinfecting a subway train so humans don't have to. it isjust a subway train so humans don't have to. it is just one of the high—tech tools that china is using to fight the coronavirus, along with drones and facial recognition cameras. but what about the technology we can't see? china's sophisticated and

controversial data surveillance system is used to track citizens on and off line. and it's proving extremely effective during the pandemic. the mass surveillance networks is taken the communist party decades to build. they faced new constant criticism from it around the world but as the world tries to get a grip on covid—19, many countries are looking to them for answers. here is how they are doing in south korea. are using your phone to locate where you are and then sending you an emergency alert if you are anywhere near where separate last patient has been. singapore, israel, iran, taiwan and russia have all adopted some or all of the chinese methods to temporarily harness the power of data. more expected to follow. how

does china's data surveillance system work? and how is it useful in a pandemic? it all starts with this. a national id card. you need one to do pretty much anything in china, from buying a mobile phone to using any act, anything you do leave the data trail linked back to your id. in areas on lockdown, phone location data is being used to monitor movement and enforce curfews. if a patient is meant to be in quarantine, geolocation things on the phone can alert authorities if they stray out of their homes. phone location data is also being used to map location data is also being used to ma p exa ctly location data is also being used to map exactly where that person visited in the two weeks before being diagnosed. a combination of human and automated computer analysis work out who they may have infected. if they went on a train and got too close to other commuters, a text messages sent out through one of the major apps, alerting those at risk. every person is being assigned a coloured qr code

depending on the risk they pose. green, no risk. 0range, they have entered a potential virus hotspot and read if they have tested positive for the virus and could still be contagious. none of this fibre surveillance would be any good without the chinese state's strip teams too. police and volunteers have literally manned the exits of apartment blocks to keep places on lockdown. but in countries where these data surveillance powers are being brought into help deal with coronavirus, some people are worried about the long—term. coronavirus, some people are worried about the long-term. my name is adam schwartz, i am a senior lawyer. is a great concern that when government get powers in a crisis, government never gives those powers away even when the crisis ends, so for example in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the united states created vast new

surveillance powers and 19 years later those powers are still very much in the hands of the us government. adam and others also have westerns about just government. adam and others also have westerns aboutjust how much of a difference this data surveillance can make an effort is worth it copy what we are basically saying to governments around the world is, before you unveil or unleash a brand—new meth surveillance power, it is necessary for governments to come forward and really public health professionals to come forward and show that these technologies would actually address the crisis. striking the delicate balance between privacy and security is an age—old problem for governments and the public. but perhaps never in history has the dilemma been more pressing and more life—threatening. now, many of us are facing the challenges of dealing with coronavirus, and also dealing with very different working conditions. you will have noticed where you are receiving the news has become very different, not least that the

programme you are watching now didn't exist two weeks ago. bbc‘s media editor has been looking at the challenges the news and media industry is facing. good evening. good evening. 0ur headlines for you this morning. coronavirus crisis. pandemic... especially one in the information age. trusted news becomes a precious commodity. for which there is high demand. britain has a range of regulated public service forecasters doing their best to produce world—class journalism. ratings for news programmes across all channels are soaring, with many presenters broadcasting from home. published data showing that transporting across the country... actually producing broadcast news is exceptionally hard and a global pandemic. innovation is the only

solution. there is plenty of it about. recording... here, a correspondent is at home in manchester, working on a bbc news piece with her cameraman and editor, who is nearly 30 miles away in derbyshire. the nhs scheme only cove rs derbyshire. the nhs scheme only covers england... these are the result of teamwork. and by children, too, who can make their presence felt when correspondence with home. keeping both staff and contributors safe has been a priority. keeping from interviewees can be hard, but who makes a loud sound to be ca ptu red who makes a loud sound to be captured safely in high—quality. and it's not just captured safely in high—quality. and it's notjust television. kitchens and front lounges have been converted into makeshift radios idiots, like those at the today programme. here is the bbc‘s david stiletto using a duvet to improve

sound quality. to a much greater extent sound quality. to a much greater exte nt tha n sound quality. to a much greater extent than is usually acknowledged, journalism is a product of a particularly energy, cometary and culture from within a newsroom like that of the bbc. it is hard to replicate that when you are set to metres apart. this place is usually densely packed but like millions of others also facing logistical challenges, most editors and producers are now working from home. i'm working on a piece with david hockney... apps such as skype are replacing daily face—to—face meetings. what you think about using the clip we have already laid down? we can do that. broadcasting is a lwa ys we can do that. broadcasting is always a technical adventure, but right now more than ever. i'm in central london working with elizabeth in kent. that is our media editor about how the appetite trusted news from reputable

broadcasters is soaring. but along with that comes a lot of misleading information from fake health advice to elation about government action. some information may be being spread by people who mean well but are nevertheless wrong. in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, passing on information can feel like one way we can support our families and friends. here at the bbc, we are working very hard to make sure that everything we broadcast and publish is accurate and up—to—date, but there is a whole load of information out there that isn't. and misinformation can spread fast. if a message is sent to a what that group of 20, then each of them shares it with 20 other people, and this happens five times, it can reach more than 3 million people very

quickly. untruths can take many forms. 0ne quickly. untruths can take many forms. one of the most common we are seeing is copied and pasted messages being passed around on what or facebook groups containing bad advice orfake facebook groups containing bad advice or fake killers. facebook groups containing bad advice orfake killers. and because these are shared by a friend or trusted source, it's not obvious who wrote these messages in the first place. 0ften wrote these messages in the first place. often they are attributed to a vague source like a friend's friend who is a doctor, soldier, or works for the government. for example, a voice note has been spreading on whatsapp. and ed, a woman is translating advice from a colleague who has a friend working ata colleague who has a friend working at a hospital on the spanish island of gran canaria. some of the tips are helpful such as washing surfaces thoroughly. but the voice memo includes misleading advice as well. the speaker suggests sunlight

neutralises the virus, and that coronavirus can be killed by taking a sip of warm water every 20 minutes. there is no scientific basis for either of these claims. if you are not sure, the whole post is true, it might do more harm than good to share it. and if the source isn't easily identifiable or the story hasn't been reported elsewhere, then it really is worth being sceptical about it. pictures taken out of context can also be really misleading. a video from italy was posted on twitter, showing military vehicles on the streets. there were rumours they were responding to coronavirus rea. in fa ct, responding to coronavirus rea. in fact, they were returning from routine exercises that had nothing to do with the outbreak. some of us may share information with our friends as a joke or to lighten the

mood, but even if they don't take it seriously, others might. for example, a claim that lions were released in russia to patrol the street was taken seriously by some. it was not true. we all want to share news that we think will help others but before you do, follow these steps. has the story been reported anywhere else? is it from a reliable source? has the photo or image been taken out of context? if you are not sure, then maybe it is fake, and you can stop that information from doing harm by not sharing it any further. if you want to check medical advice, go on the world health organization website. and if you feel that a story isn't real, you can always look to a reliable source like the bbc. that's it for now, but before we go we

thought we would share some of the striking images from the last week from around the world is the coronavirus continues to upend the lives of hundreds of millions of people. and a reminder, you can keep up—to—date with all the latest information on the lockdown in your area and your country on our website. thanks for watching. yes, our weather is turning warmer this weekend, but of course we follow the rules, we stay at home and we improvise. whatever your view on the weather outside, it will be sunnier by sunday and out there it will be warmer, it will also be windier as well with pollen

levels heading up. the big picture shows high pressure to the east of us, low pressure approaching from atlantic, and ahead of that will strengthen the southerly flow, of course that is a warm direction, so it will be a warm wind on sunday, lifting temperatures in the sunnier parts of eastern england to around 20, maybe 21 celsius. that said, there will be a touch of frost in places as saturday begins, cooler than this in the countryside, so some spots close to freezing. there will be a few mist and fog patches out there, more especially towards the midlands in southern england. some rain in northern scotland will set on across the northern isles, still the odd shower in scotland and northern england, from what will be a good deal of cloud, some sunny spells, elsewhere in england and wales there will be increasing sunshine as we go through the day. while all parts are going to be milder, it is particularly across england and wales where we will notice those temperatures into the mid—teens. but also a freshening southerly wind, a sign of things to come as we get deeper into the weekend. 0vernight and into sunday morning, although there is plenty of cloud around, enough wind to stop the temperature going down too far

so we are frost free as sunday begins, and sunday will deliver plenty of sunshine. while most places will hold onto that sunshine, the further west you are you will see it clouding over and it may well start to get a bit of rain later in the day, northern ireland, parts of western scotland, the far west of england and wales, some uncertainty about the timing of the arrival of any rain from the area of low pressure i showed you earlier. what is certain is that the wind will pick up more on sunday, gusts across western areas later in the day near 50 miles an hour but it will be warmer across all parts, particularly in that sunshine, across eastern parts of england we could see around 21 celsius. but pollen levels will be higher and particularly in england and wales. into next week, sunday night into monday, we will see from that area of low pressure a band of rain spread east across the uk, behind that as it clears on monday, sunshine returns, it will be cooler before temperatures head up again as the week goes on.

hello and welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm simon pusey. let's begin in china, where people are observing a three—minute silence all over the country to mourn patients and medical staff killed by the coronavirus. the by the coronavirus. pictures you are sitting here the pictures you are sitting here are from wuhan, the city where the virus originated. this is a train station. let's ta ke this is a train station. let's take a listen to the three minutes of silence.