Epidemiologists on a joint WHO-China mission are trying to complete their understanding of the new respiratory virus that has gripped Wuhan, its surrounding areas, and beyond. That in turn will allow public health experts to better predict the likely length of the outbreak, says China Current host James Chau. He draws on his experience covering the SARS epidemic 18 years ago, and explores if there are relevant parallels between that the coronavirus outbreak unfolding today. This is an example, he says, of a fast-moving disease that is ahead of even our scientific advances. (Photo by Xinhua News agency)

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.

Doctors, nurses, and other key health workers have been traveling to Wuhan — creating a movement of volunteers, who are leaving the safety of their homes to fight the outbreak at its very epicenter. Their individual stories are being posted across social media, saying goodbye to their worried children, parents, and grandparents. Over the past weeks, Wuhan's exhausted health workers have been sleeping on floors, their faces deeply marked by long and grueling hours in masks and hazmat suits. These women and men are the heroes of Wuhan, risking their own health in order to save others. This is our tribute to them. (Photo by Xinhua News agency)