Yesterday, a report from the World Health Organization yesterday confirmed that the global COVID-19 outbreak is now being officially recognized as a pandemic:
"WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction.
"We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.
"Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death."
Man speaks out about his experiences with coronavirus, including the symptoms you should look out for:As of yesterday's report, there have now been more than 118,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across 114 countries, and 4,291 people have lost their lives.
Now x-ray scans released by the Radiological Society of North America have shown the impact the disease had of a Chinese man, 44, who died from coronavirus.
Per the Daily Mail, the scans show white patches in the lower corners of the patient's lungs, which indicates what radiologists refer to as "ground glass opacity" - the partial filling of air spaces.
These abnormalities are similar to those found in patients suffering from SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).
The scans proceed to show how the fluid in the spaces of the man's lungs became more pronounced over time - as evident when comparing image A to image F.
The patient reportedly worked at the Wuhan seafood market - believed to be the origin of the outbreak.
He was admitted to hospital on Christmas Day in 2019 after he had been suffering from a fever and cough for nearly two weeks. Doctors later diagnosed the man with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Sadly, despite undergoing treatment, he passed away a week later.
The RSNA also shared CT scan images of a 54-year-old woman that present the same white patches. After displaying a fever, fatigue, and a cough, doctors later diagnosed the woman with pneumonia caused by COVID-19.