The World

With masks and ventilators in short supply, how health care providers around the world deciding to allocate scarce resources? And, Moscow residents got a four-hour notice Sunday before the city went under a sweeping quarantine. The order from the mayor of Moscow came just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a week-long, paid, stay-at-home holiday. Also, the new Social Distancing Festival was created as an online space for artists to showcase their work if a performance or exhibition has been impacted by COVID-19. Our coronavirus coverage has never been behind a paywall. No paywalls, ever. Your donations help us make our nonprofit journalism available to everyone. Click here to donate >

US President Donald Trump’s unproven endorsement of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 has triggered a run on the drug worldwide — including in Mexico. Also, the spread of the coronavirus and the border closures have slowed down humanitarian aid to war-torn Syria. Host Marco Werman speaks with David Miliband, the chief executive officer of the International Rescue Committee, about what help is available for Syrians. Also, a round of applause for doctors, nurses and medical professionals. That's what people in London, Madrid, Wuhan and other major cities around the globe have done to show their support for those on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.  Our coronavirus coverage has never been behind a paywall. No paywalls, ever. Your donations help us make our nonprofit journalism available to everyone.

The novel coronavirus is novel in a number of ways. It's disturbingly easy to spread, often coming from people with no symptoms. Infectious disease epidemiologist Gabriel Leung, who has been at the forefront of understanding the coronavirus, explains what we now know and what remains a mystery about COVID-19. And, we speak with former Pentagon chief Leon Panetta about the challenges that limit the movement and role of US troops to help combat the coronavirus crisis. Also, how do you explain a pandemic to kids so they get the gravity of the situation, but don't freak out? Our coronavirus coverage has never been behind a paywall. No paywalls, ever. Your donations help us make our nonprofit journalism available to everyone. Click here to donate >

As India settles into a nationwide lockdown, a looming question is whether its health care system will be prepared for what's next. And, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore have all been praised for "flattening the curve" of COVID-19 outbreaks. But sadly, these places can't celebrate just yet. If you're an ant the size of a sesame seed, danger can come in many forms. New research has found that Myrmecina graminicola ants have a unique defense: They tuck into a ball and roll. Our coronavirus coverage has never been behind a paywall. No paywalls, ever. Your donations help us make our nonprofit journalism available to everyone. Click here to donate >

From The World and PRX, this is to add The Number in the News to your smart speaker News Briefing on an Amazon or Google smart speaker. Produced by The World’s Bianca Hillier.