Multiple sources have estimated that the number of worldwide infections reached around 220,000 by Thursday.

China, the reported epicenter of the outbreak, reported no new local infections for the first time since the pandemic began more than two months ago. The hopeful news contrasts sharply with the growing health crisis in Europe. Italy, the hardest-hit nation outside China, reported a record 475 deaths yesterday from the illness.

As China and other Asian nations show signs that the worst may be over for them, the respiratory illness continues to haunt much of the West. European states have closed their borders and implemented nationwide lockdowns in an attempt to contain the virus. In the United States, President Donald Trump has stated that his country is now at war with an “invisible enemy,” with states across the country urging residents to self-isolate.