COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[4][5]

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[6][7] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[8][6]

Antarctica

People coming to Antarctica research stations have to undergo isolation and COVID-19 screening.[1] The Antarctica research stations of Australia and Germany have respirators; it remains unconfirmed whether the research stations of the U.S. and Britain have them.[1] The British Antarctic Survey implemented precautionary measures.[9]

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on travel caused complications with evacuating British Antarctic Survey personnel from the continent.[10]

In April 2020, a cruise ship headed for Antarctica had almost sixty percent of its passengers test positive for COVID-19.[11][12]

As of 14 April 2020, bases in Antarctica contain only skeleton crews, visitors have been limited, and scientific research has been impacted.[13]

Several conferences on the topic of Antarctica that had been planned for mid-2020 were cancelled due to the pandemic.[14]

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See also

References
  1. Taylor, Adam; Pitrelli, Stefano (March 24, 2020). "One continent remains untouched by the coronavirus: Antarctica". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  2. Torres, Elle (March 20, 2020). "What life is like on Antarctica, the only continent without a case of coronavirus". ABC News. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  3. Agence France-Presse (March 31, 2020). "Pacific islands, Antarctic bases: coronavirus-free living in some of Earth's most isolated places". South China Morning Post. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  4. Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. Reynolds, Matt (4 March 2020). "What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  6. "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  7. "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  8. "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  9. "British Antarctic Survey response to COVID-19". British Antarctic Survey. March 24, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  10. Amos, Jonathan (7 April 2020). "Coronavirus complicates journeys home from Antarctica". BBC News. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  11. Griffiths, James; Castillo, Jackie (April 8, 2020). "Passengers to be evacuated from Antarctic cruise ship after almost 60% test positive for coronavirus". CNN. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  12. Al-Arshani, Sarah (April 9, 2020). "Nearly 60% of the passengers on an Antarctic cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus". Business Insider. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  13. Laing, Aislinn; Garrison, Cassandra (April 14, 2020). "'Isolated within isolation': keeping out coronavirus in the frozen Antarctic". Reuters. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  14. "International Antarctic conferences cancelled due to coronavirus". Australian Antarctic Division. March 19, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
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