COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica

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COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationAntarctica
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Part of a series on the
COVID-19 pandemic
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SARS-CoV-2 (Wikimedia colors).svg COVID-19 Portal

Antarctica is the only continent with no confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2][3]

Background[edit]

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[4][5]

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[6][7] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[8][6]

Antarctica[edit]

People coming to Antarctica research stations have to undergo isolation and COVID-19 screening.[1] The Antarctica research stations of Australia and Germany have respirators; it remains unconfirmed whether the research stations of the U.S. and Britain have them.[1] The British Antarctic Survey implemented precautionary measures.[9]

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on travel caused complications with evacuating British Antarctic Survey personnel from the continent.[10]

In April 2020, a cruise ship headed for Antarctica had almost sixty percent of its passengers test positive for COVID-19.[11][12]

As of 14 April 2020, bases in Antarctica contain only skeleton crews, visitors have been limited, and scientific research has been impacted.[13]

Several conferences on the topic of Antarctica that had been planned for mid-2020 were cancelled due to the pandemic.[14]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Taylor, Adam; Pitrelli, Stefano (March 24, 2020). "One continent remains untouched by the coronavirus: Antarctica". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  2. ^ Torres, Elle (March 20, 2020). "What life is like on Antarctica, the only continent without a case of coronavirus". ABC News. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  3. ^ Agence France-Presse (March 31, 2020). "Pacific islands, Antarctic bases: coronavirus-free living in some of Earth's most isolated places". South China Morning Post. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  4. ^ Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. ^ Reynolds, Matt (4 March 2020). "What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  7. ^ "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  8. ^ "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  9. ^ "British Antarctic Survey response to COVID-19". British Antarctic Survey. March 24, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  10. ^ Amos, Jonathan (7 April 2020). "Coronavirus complicates journeys home from Antarctica". BBC News. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  11. ^ Griffiths, James; Castillo, Jackie (April 8, 2020). "Passengers to be evacuated from Antarctic cruise ship after almost 60% test positive for coronavirus". CNN. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  12. ^ Al-Arshani, Sarah (April 9, 2020). "Nearly 60% of the passengers on an Antarctic cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus". Business Insider. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  13. ^ Laing, Aislinn; Garrison, Cassandra (April 14, 2020). "'Isolated within isolation': keeping out coronavirus in the frozen Antarctic". Reuters. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  14. ^ "International Antarctic conferences cancelled due to coronavirus". Australian Antarctic Division. March 19, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.

External links[edit]

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