This online dashboard tracks the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus across the globe in real time

Mary Meisenzahl

Jan 27, 2020, 21:46 IST

This online dashboard tracks the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus across the globe in real time

This map shows the spread of the Coronavirus.

The coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China, has killed at least 81 people and infected more than 2,800.
The virus can pass from human to human, and experts are rushing to study it and stop it from spreading further.
A dashboard from Johns Hopkins University uses CDC and WHO data to map the disease's spread in real time and fight misinformation.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The death toll of the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has now reached 81, and the virus has infected more than 2,800 people.

A map produced by researchers at Johns Hopkins tracks and visualizes reports about the outbreak using data from the CDC, WHO, China CDC, and other sources with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping. As reports come in, the map keeps track of the total confirmed cases, total deaths, and total recoveries. Each red dot represents an outbreak, with the size corresponding to the relative size of the outbreak. Clicking on a particular case shows the region's information.

Johns Hopkins

In the panic and confusion often found in the aftermath of an outbreak, false information can spread quickly. Adding to the confusion, China seems to have suppressed information about the illness in its early days. At least eight people were arrested in China, accused of "publishing or forwarding false information on the internet without verification" about the coronavirus. Journalists reported being threatened and detained after reporting on the virus.

Johns Hopkins

One chart on the dashboard shows how quickly the infection has spread in mainland China compared to the rest of the world. So far, the virus has spread to 13 other countries, including the US, France, Australia, and Japan. Experts expect that the true number infected is much higher than the official total.

Health officials believe that the coronavirus will be milder than SARS, but as a precaution, Wuhan has been quarantined, and at least 12 other cities have travel restrictions, affecting an estimated 33 million people.

See the full dashboard here.