March 26, 2020 — A roundup of the latest news about COVID-19

Cases in the U.S. are doubling every three to four days, hospitals across the country struggle to meet the anticipated need, and some Latin American countries are downplaying the danger. Here’s the latest news about the virus, at home and around the world:

• As of this morning, there have been almost 490,000 confirmed cases around the world. Nearly 70,000 are in the U.S., nearly 15,000 more than yesterday. The worldwide death toll has passed 22,000, with more than 1,000 deaths in the U.S.
• “We originally thought that it would be doubling every six to seven days and we see cases doubling every three to four days.”
• A leading epidemiologist estimates deaths in the U.S. won’t peak for another three weeks.
• New Orleans has the fastest-growing rate of diagnosed cases in the world, rising 30% between Tuesday and Wednesday.
• See how the trajectories of different countries and states compare in their efforts to control the pandemic.
• 72 hours inside the emergency room of an overstretched hospital in Queens, where 13 COVID-19 patients died in a single day.
• Hospitals across the country are rushing to find enough beds for the surge of coronavirus patients.
• When you’re homeless, a stay-at-home order is impossible to meet.
• Leaders of the world’s most powerful economies, the Group of 20, will meet virtually today to coordinate their coronavirus response.
• Meanwhile, the leaders of Brazil, Mexico, and Nicaragua are downplaying the danger in their countries.
• Influential chef Floyd Cardoz, 59, has died of COVID-19.
• A supermarket in Pennsylvania threw out $35,000 worth of fresh food after a woman intentionally coughed on it.
• Meet “the world’s PE teacher.”
• On Sunday night, Elton John will host a televised all-star benefit concert to support the charitable organizations Feeding America and First Responders Children’s Foundation. Alicia Keys, Backstreet Boys, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mariah Carey, Tim McGraw and others will each be performing from their own homes.
• Before they hunkered down, people in New York and other cities rushed out to adopt dogs and cats, emptying shelters.