AP: Unlike 2008 crisis, pandemic has no leader, no global plan
“When financial markets collapsed and the world faced its last great crisis in 2008, major powers worked together to restore the global economy, but the COVID-19 pandemic has been striking for the opposite response: no leader, no united action to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, which has killed over 200,000 people. … A clearly frustrated [U.N. Secretary-General António] Guterres told reporters Thursday that instead of ‘solid leadership’ to fight the pandemic, each country went ahead with a different strategy, increasing the risk that the virus would not disappear, but rather spread and then return…” (Lederer, 5/3).

CIDRAP News: WHO extends COVID-19 emergency; cases soar in Brazil, Russia
“The World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 emergency committee met [Thursday] to review the latest pandemic developments, and the WHO’s director general [Friday] accepted the group’s recommendation that the event still warrants a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations…” (Schnirring, 5/1).

New York Times: The Covid-19 Riddle: Why Does the Virus Wallop Some Places and Spare Others? (Beech et al., 5/3).

Reuters: Global coronavirus cases surpass 3.5 million amid underreporting fears (Wardell, 5/3).

Reuters: Countries must ease lockdowns slowly, be ready for virus to jump back — WHO (Nebehay/Kelland, 5/2).

STAT: Three potential futures for Covid-19: recurring small outbreaks, a monster wave, or a persistent crisis (Begley, 5/1).

U.N. News: COVID-19 pandemic exposes global ‘frailties and inequalities’: U.N. deputy chief (5/3).