The humanitarian impact of the coronavirus continues to climb, with more than 9,000 confirmed cases globally and over 3,000 deaths, at the time of writing.

Today, Washington State reported a sixth death from the virus, with New York City governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, confirming a second case in the city, per the New York Times. The rapid spread of the SARS-like virus to over 60 countries is now forcing governments to scramble to devise plans to combat the virus without causing widespread socio-economic disruption.

While the standout piece of advice on preventing the coronavirus, according to the World Health Organization, remains to frequently and thoroughly wash your hands, researchers are now urging the public to clean their smartphones.

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Per the Metro, smartphone users are being encouraged to clean their screens with alcohol wipes twice daily to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, warning that germs can linger on screens for almost a week unless properly disinfected.

Speaking to the publication, professor William Keevil, from the University of Southampton said: "You could be washing your hands, but if you start touching your smartphone screen and then touch your face that is a potential route of infection."

The average person picks up their phone around 2,600 times a day, and uses it around 76 times, according to research by Dscout.

China built a 1000 bed hospital in five days to treat the coronavirus:

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This comes after the Surgeon General of the United States advised the public not to buy masks in an attempt to combat the coronavirus.

"Seriously people - STOP BUYING MASKS," Jerome M. Adams wrote on Twitter. "They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!"

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"The best way to protect yourself and your community is with everyday preventive actions, like staying home when you are sick and washing hands with soap and water, to help slow the spread of respiratory illness. Get your #FluShot- fewer flu patients = more resources for #COVID19 [sic]," he continued.

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Coronavirus could survive on your phone for a week, researchers claim