Monday: What you need to know today about the virus outbreak

The Associated Press

Here are some of AP's top stories Monday on the world's coronavirus pandemic. Follow APNews.com/VirusOutbreak for updates through the day and APNews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak for stories explaining some of its complexities.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY:

The Trump administration is finally acknowledging the plea of governors for help. Vice President Mike Pence leads a teleconference with the nation's governors in response to calls for a national testing strategy to help secure in-demand supplies like testing swabs and chemical reagents.

Stocks fell in early trading on Wall Street, with energy stocks hammered by the latest collapse in the price of oil. The S&P 500 was down 1% after the first 15 minutes of trading, ahead of a busy week where dozens of CEOs at the biggest U.S. companies are scheduled to show investors how badly the coronavirus outbreak hurt profits in the first three months of the year.

Nations around the world are taking advantage of their flattening coronavirus infection curves to tentatively ease lockdowns, offering plenty of options for U.S. lawmakers and communities to consider. The plan is to open up while maintaining enough social social distancing to prevent new flareups of the virus.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.

One of the best ways to prevent spread of the virus is washing your hands with soap and water. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first washing with warm or cold water and then lathering soap for 20 seconds to get it on the backs of hands, between fingers and under fingernails before rinsing off.

TRACKING THE VIRUS: Zoom in at the individual county level to access numbers showing the situation where you or loved ones live.

ONE NUMBER:

- 1,553: India recorded its biggest single-day spike in coronavirus cases on Monday. The government has eased one of the world's strictest lockdowns to allow some manufacturing and agricultural activity to resume.