As the novel coronavirus outbreak grows and expands, scientists are rushing to identify a life-saving treatment – possibly a vaccine, or an innovation on an existing treatment. Antiretrovirals used in the AIDS response, and drug therapies from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, are being explored. But the World Health Organization says no effective treatments have been confirmed, and that further and urgent studies are underway. China Current host James Chau breaks down the latest, and talks about the mental health challenges for millions of people in China.

Dr. Parag Khanna is an economist and author, using his writing to shape our understanding of complex global issues in a rapidly changing world. China Current host, James Chau, discusses with Dr. Khanna China’s capacity to manage the outbreak of novel coronavirus and why not enough people recognize the impact of public health on their lives. They discuss what this means for China and the international community and whether global connectivity is more a burden than a blessing when it comes to global public health. Dr. Khanna speaks to James from Singapore.

The World Health Organization is on its way to China, on an international mission to urgently further understand the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that has infected tens of thousands of people in Wuhan and beyond. Dr. Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO Chief of Staff and Assistant Director-General, says the mission may go to Wuhan — or to another high-impact area, to avoid distracting from strained resources in the epicenter. He says China has helped secure the safety of the world by taking drastic action to contain the virus, pointing to the comparatively low number of infections globally. Dr. Schwartländer speaks to James Chau in this interview, sharing his insights on what the likely length of the outbreak might be, and why it is critical to mobilize a community-led movement to end it.