What a year this week was

We lost an hour this week thanks to the switch to daylight savings time. Imagine what else could have happened if we’d had an extra 60 minutes to squeeze in more announcements about travel bans, school closings, the shutdown of professional sports leagues or concert cancellations. It was the week we learned about the need to "flatten the curve" and about why it's important for some people, including prime ministers, to practise self-isolation. What a week. What! A! Week!

It was impossible to keep up with all the developments as COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. There was a moment on Thursday when I had to take a short subway ride in Toronto, meaning my phone would disconnect from the outside world. While on the train, I wondered what surprise would await me when I emerged from the tunnel. Sure enough, as I reconnected with the world, there were half a dozen alerts telling me the NHL season had been suspended.

Everyone is looking for reliable, up-to-date information about the pandemic. Here at The Conversation, our global network had unprecedented traffic on Thursday. And then on Friday, Thursday’s traffic record was surpassed. Our platform team in Melbourne, headed by James Hill, worked overtime to make sure our site didn’t crash – a common occurrence at other news organizations when they experience an unexpected surge in readers. At one point, our global network had about 10 times the normal traffic. James and his team worked around the clock to make sure there were no disruptions. It takes a village to deliver quality journalism: expert authors, knowledgeable editors and dedicated developers.

This story is changing so quickly, some COVID-19 articles can be made obsolete by the latest developments. But for your weekend reading, I’ve assembled some stories from the global network of The Conversation that provide needed information as this crisis continues.

Have a safe weekend and we’ll be back in your Inbox on Monday.

Scott White

CEO | Editor-in-Chief

COVID-19: News you can use

With COVID-19 containment efforts, what are the privacy rights of patients?

Hongyu Zhang, McGill University

Some measures taken in China to contain the COVID-19 outbreak have raised concerns about patient privacy. As other countries bring in containment measures, will patient privacy be compromised?

Social distancing: What it is and why it’s the best tool we have to fight the coronavirus

Thomas Perls, Boston University

With no vaccines or treatments, the fight against coronavirus comes down to this behavioral technique. A physician explains how it works.

Coronavirus: not all hand sanitisers work against it – here’s what you should use

Manal Mohammed, University of Westminster

It needs to contain at least 60% alcohol content to be effective.

Vodka won’t protect you from coronavirus, and 4 other things to know about hand sanitizer

Jeffrey Gardner, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Most commercial hand sanitizers are mainly alcohol, but forget about hitting the liquor store and mixing your own.

When the coronavirus gets tough, the tough get stockpiling

Xiaodan Pan, Concordia University; Benny Mantin, University of Luxembourg; Martin Dresner, University of Maryland

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, people are stockpiling essential supplies. But policy-makers may be able to influence both the supply and demand through public announcements and advisories.

What is a virus? How do they spread? How do they make us sick?

Lotti Tajouri, Bond University

Soap can dissolve the fatty envelope on the outer part of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, leading to the destruction of the whole virus particle.

Coronavirus with a baby: what you need to know to prepare and respond

Karleen Gribble, Western Sydney University; Nina Jane Chad, University of Sydney

Preparing now can help keep you and your loved ones safe.

Why a Roman philosopher’s views on the fear of death matter as coronavirus spreads

Thomas Nail, University of Denver

A first-century B.C. Roman poet and philosopher, Lucretius was worried that our fear of death could lead to irrational beliefs and actions that could harm society.