Editor's note

The novel coronavirus outbreak is a fast-moving story. To stay up to date, each morning I read the World Health Organization’s latest situation report. Situation Report 21, which arrived in my inbox on Monday evening, put the number of confirmed global cases at 40,554 and the number of deaths at 910. Useful though these figures are for working out what is happening, they only provide a snapshot in time.

I was glad when Edward Parker, a systems biologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, asked me if we could launch their interactive coronavirus map on The Conversation. The map lets you wind back the clock and view the global situation of the coronavirus outbreak on any given day, so it’s possible to tell if the situation is getting better or worse, and to what extent control efforts are working.

The map is also unique in that you can compare the novel coronavirus outbreak with other recent outbreaks, including Sars (2003), the swine flu pandemic (2009), and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa (2014).

Elsewhere, a storm in a coffee cup has been brewing. People – including artist Grayson Perry – were outraged that Tate Britain is recruiting a new head of coffee for the princely salary of £39,500. An expert explains the cultural value of such a role and why we shouldn’t get into such a froth about it. We also take a glimpse at the economic and physical feasibility of building a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Clint Witchalls

Health + Medicine Editor

Top stories

Coronavirus outbreak mapper.

Coronavirus outbreak: a new mapping tool that lets you scroll through timeline

Edward Parker, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

A new tool has been developed to track the history of the novel coronavirus and other recent outbreaks.

The Tate Britain in London houses the roastery for the coffee that is served across the group’s all four sites. Managing it is one the responsibilities of the Tate’s master of coffee. Kiev.Victor/Shutterstock

Tate’s head of coffee: what debate over pay reveals about clash of ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture

Chris Land, Anglia Ruskin University

Should a master of coffee be paid less than a curator or do they have equal cultural value and therefore be paid the same?

Eva Mont/Shutterstock

Scotland-Northern Ireland bridge: how to make it a reality

Wanda Lewis, University of Warwick

Floating bridges and submerged tunnels could be used to cross the Irish Sea.

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