Estate Planning

“I want to leave my children enough that they feel they can do anything, but not so much that they do nothing.” ~ Warren Buffet

Your Estate Plan

Although estate planning can be a complex task, a well-informed plan can make a big difference in what is left for your loved ones.

Source: Fidelity Investment

Here are a few steps you can take to begin thinking about your estate plan:

  • Gather important documents, and make sure that key family members know where they are.
  • Gather a list of all the things you own, noting any liabilities (like your mortgage) as well. Record the value of each asset (properties, collectibles, jewelry, etc.). Print copies of your most recent statements from your relevant accounts. Note the values and benefits from insurance policies.
  • Consider and write down your objectives for your estate plan. Who should get which assets? Who should get them if something should happen to your beneficiaries? Do you have minors who need care if something were to happen right now? Who should handle your assets if you become unable to make decisions about them? And so forth.
  • Review your will, if you have one in place.
  • Review and update the beneficiaries of your retirement accounts or insurance policies.
  • Review and update powers of attorney for matters of health care or other affairs.
  • Consider if you want to establish a trust, and prepare to talk to an attorney and experienced financial adviser about it.

We never know what could happen tomorrow. But we do know that having a solid estate plan can help ease the burden of your passing on your loved ones.

Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts

A trust is a fiduciary arrangement that allows a third party, or trustee, to hold assets on behalf of a beneficiary or beneficiaries. Trusts can be arranged in many ways and can specify exactly how and when the assets pass to the beneficiaries.

Since trusts usually avoid probate, your beneficiaries may gain access to these assets more quickly than they might to assets that are transferred using a will. Additionally, if it is an irrevocable trust, it may not be considered part of the taxable estate, so fewer taxes may be due upon your death.

Assets in a trust may also be able to pass outside of probate, saving time, court fees, and potentially reducing estate taxes as well.

Other benefits of trusts include:

  • Control of your wealth. You can specify the terms of a trust precisely, controlling when and to whom distributions may be made. You may also, for example, set up a revocable trust so that the trust assets remain accessible to you during your lifetime while designating to whom the remaining assets will pass thereafter, even when there are complex situations such as children from more than one marriage.
  • Protection of your legacy. A properly constructed trust can help protect your estate from your heirs’ creditors or from beneficiaries who may not be adept at money management.
  • Privacy and probate savings. Probate is a matter of public record; a trust may allow assets to pass outside of probate and remain private, in addition to possibly reducing the amount lost to court fees and taxes in the process.Trusts are a powerful and beneficial tool when properly used.

There are two types of trusts: a revocable living trust and an irrevocable trust. Some other terms associated with trusts include “grantor” and “non-grantor” — which are the parties creating the trust.

With a revocable living trust, you still control the assets, can change the trustee at any time, or sell your assets while you’re living, because the grantor — the person who created the trust — is normally the trustee as well. The only benefit a revocable living trust provides is to ensure your assets bypass probate. It does not provide any immediate tax benefits. In fact, income from a revocable living trust is taxed to the grantor.

An irrevocable trust is completely different. It can be used when “gifting” assets in order to reduce a grantor’s taxable estate. Be aware that once you transfer assets to an irrevocable trust, changes are permanent and cannot be undone — or at best — can only be made through a lengthy process. You no longer have any control to sell investments inside the trust and will have to ask your trustee — typically your children or grandchildren — to do so. Since you don’t legally own the assets any longer, they’re either taxed at trust income tax rates or your beneficiaries’ tax rates.

By using a will or trust to legally ensure that you will not only protect the things you worked hard to achieve, you will have the final say about those assets — taking care of the people you love when you’re no longer here. That means not leaving such decisions to attorneys, state governments or the IRS.


References:

  1. https://www.kiplinger.com/article/retirement/T021-C032-S014-estate-planning-is-more-important-than-you-think.html
  2. https://www.fidelity.com/life-events/estate-planning/basics
  3. https://www.fidelity.com/life-events/estate-planning/trusts

Wear a Cloth Face Covering

CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States.  CDC now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. 

This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.

In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

Cloth face coverings should:

  • Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
  • Be secured with ties or ear loops
  • Include multiple layers of fabric
  • Allow for breathing without restriction
  • Be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.  Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.


  1. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/03.16.20_coronavirus-guidance_8.5x11_315PM.pdf
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html

Goals, Systems, Habits…Oh My

To live the life you want, you must know what you you want!

To live a rich and fulfilling life, it important to have goals that aligns with those things you value most and habits, or a system, to achieve those goals. You must be able to distill those goals into a few seconds of spoken words you’ll remember.

Studies show that people who can clearly craft a narrative for their personal goals—and mentally and emotionally embrace their goals—have a better chance of reaching those goals.

It is recommended that people create several lists of goals: one for emotional, another for finances and another for health. State your goal for the current year, in the near future (years three and five), and further out (years seven and 10).

For example: A current emotional list includes going out for dinner with friends every month. In year five, the gal could be to take a dream vacation to Tahiti. In year 10, the goal could be to become debt-free or financially secure.

It’s about creating your own vision and speaking your goals aloud, which makes it much easier to stay focused on them. Having goal clarity is essential to motivation. Consequently, in order to get motivated to achieve your big dreams, you need to be clear on the next step or two. You’re finding clues and guides along the way. This is the process and emotional experience of pursuing a big dream.

Here’s what you need to move forward:

  1. A clear direction so you actually know what to do
  2. A hard and fast timeline
  3. The right system

“Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.” James Clear, Atomic Habits

Most personal goals are hard to reach since progress is often slow and occur in small increments, they’re boring and unmotivating, and they’re difficult to ultimately achieve. In the end, most well-intended individuals tend to abandon their goals and revert back to the old bad or undesirable habits they were attempting to change or eliminate. It takes willpower to achieve a goal without a system and there is a limited supply of will power. Willpower is a finite resource.

Instead of creating a goal, implement a system. Implementing a system would go along towards forming a new habit. For example, with financial security and planning for retirement, you could spend time educating yourself about cash flow, net worth, financial planning, saving and investing. In short, we should focus on the knowledge we need to form good personal financial habits.

“The real reason habits matter is not because they can get you better results (although they can do that), but because they can change your beliefs about yourself.” James Clear, Atomic Habits

James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits”, wrote a practical book on how to optimize your habits and get 1 percent better every day. He believes the most important key to achieving most of our goals are habits. Habits are those automatic routines we follow every day, day after day after day. If we make small changes to these automatic daily routines we all have, then we will see huge changes in our life quality and success over the months, years and decades later which is why this book is called “Atomic Habits.” It’s about small changes that lead to powerful explosive progress over a long period of time.

Scott Adams, the cartoonist behind the Dilbert comics, is an vocal advocate of building systems and says that you’ll “…be more successful by ignoring goals and focusing on building great systems in your life”.

The problems inherent in goals are many. The first and biggest problem, as James Clear points out, is that “winners and losers have the same goals.” And since winners and losers have the same goals, then your goals cannot make the difference between success and failure.

Instead of goals, it’s much better to focus on systems. Systems are the processes by which we achieve our goals. For example, if you have the goal of being an investor, then your systems may be paying yourself first with saving and investing 15 to 20 percent of your income every month and increase financial literacy by reading 5 financial and investing articles every week.

A systems-centred approach puts our focus on the process or daily habits rather than the end goal. It’s about finding ways to improve our skill of saving or investing, and most importantly finding enjoyment in the activity itself as our driving motivation.

“The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking.” James Clear, Atomic Habits

Goals have many built-in problems. They make us believe happiness is found in the future and sabotage lifelong progress. Focusing on systems, which are the processes and daily habits of our lives, will make us both more happier and more successful.


Sources:

  1. https://www.samuelthomasdavies.com/book-summaries/self-help/atomic-habits/
  2. https://growth.me/book-summaries/atomic-habits/

Vanguard will offer Private Equity Investments

Vanguard turns to what many view as the ‘dark side’ of investing, the world of complex, exclusive, expensive private equity investments

Vanguard Group plans to offer a private equity investments which will be managed by an outside firm called HarbourVest Partners. Initially, the private equity investment will be available only to institutions such as endowments and nonprofit foundations. But, Vanguard intends to move quickly beyond institutional investors.

Over time and as regulations change, Vanguard hopes to offer these private equity strategies to its individual, non-qualified retail investors.

Typically, private equity firms charge fees that are 2% of assets a year in management fees, plus 15% to 20% or higher of total returns in annual performance fees. Generally, money is locked up for years with little liquidity. This is why the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has long kept smaller, non qualified investors out of them.

In a statement, Vanguard chief executive Tim Buckley said, “Private equity will complement our leading index and actively managed funds, as we seek to broaden access to this asset class and improve client outcomes. While this strategy will be initially available to institutional advised clients, we aim to expand access to investors in additional channels over time. For individual investors in particular, this partnership will present an incredible opportunity — access and terms they could not get on their own.”

Contrasting Viewpoint

Eric Walters, founder of Silvercrest Wealth Planning, believes Vanguard’s move is “fraught with risks.” He added, “I think it could work if they are able to access top-quartile private equity managers, most of which are closed to new subscriptions”. Additionally, he added, “Managers below the top quartile often don’t do any better than public equities and often do worse. When you add the high fees and long holding periods, accessing lower-tier managers would be a bad deal for Vanguard clients.”

About Vanguard

Vanguard is one of the world’s largest investment management companies. As of December 31, 2019, Vanguard managed $6.2 trillion in global assets. The firm, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, offers 424 funds to its more than 30 million investors worldwide. For more information, visit vanguard.com.

About HarbourVest

HarbourVest is an independent, global private markets investment specialist with over 35 years of experience and more than $68 billion in assets under management, as of December 31, 2019.


References:

  1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoinegara/2020/02/05/vanguard-pushes-into-private-equity-by-accessing-dealmakers-like-stephen-schwarzman-robert-smith-and-orlando-bravo/#3431f0bf2760
  2. https://www.harbourvest.com/news/vanguard-and-harbourvest-announce-private-equity-partnership
  3. https://www.inquirer.com/business/vanguard-harbourvest-mortimer-tim-buckley-private-equity-20200206.html
  4. https://www.investmentnews.com/vanguard-puts-private-equity-investments-on-the-menu-187888

Asymptomatic People Should Wear Face Masks

Updated: April 4, 2:53 p.m.

CDC: Use Face Coverings in Public

As more studies show that people without symptoms of COVID-19 are spreading the virus, the CDC is advising that people use cloth masks or face coverings in public.

Scientists now know that a portion of people  with the coronavirus may lack symptoms – possibly 25% or higher. And others who are pre-symptomatic can transmit the virus before they show signs of COVID-19.

“In light of this new evidence, the CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings,” U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, said, including in grocery stores and pharmacies. “The CDC is always looking at the data and evolving the recommendations, and new ones will come as the evidence dictates.”

The guideline discourages people from using medical-grade or surgical-grade masks, such as N95 masks, and instead, leave those for medical professionals. People can purchase basic cloth or fabric masks online or make them at home.

If people choose to wear a face covering, they should wash their hands first, Adams said. They should not touch their faces while wearing a mask, and carefully remove the mask after use and wash their hands.

“This is all about you protecting me and me protecting you,” Adams said.

The new precaution doesn’t replace CDC guidance on social distancing, including staying at home as much as possible. That includes staying six feet away from others, not shaking hands, and washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds throughout the day.

Asymptomatic spread of COVID-19

“It’s good to think about wearing a mask as protecting your community and asking your community to do the same for you.” Jeremy Howard

However, the idea of universal face mask use in the U.S. has been gaining support with the growing belief by health experts that many people who have no idea they are infected are spreading the virus because they either have no symptoms or have not begun to experience symptoms.

A study by researchers in Singapore estimated that around 10% of new coronavirus infections may be spread by people who carry the virus but have not displayed any symptoms such as fever, cough, difficulty breathing or sore throat.

And, according to Jeremy Howard, a Melbourne-raised research scientist at the University of San Francisco who has become one of America’s leading champion of universal mask-wearing, stated that, “The primary transmission [of coronavirus] is now known to be droplet-based, and we now know that that transmission largely occurs in the first seven days after infection, when people are largely asymptomatic. So that means that if you’re highly infectious, you probably won’t know it. So we should all assume that we are potentially lethal to people around us. The way we are potentially lethal to people around us is when we speak: that’s when these micro droplets get ejected up to six feet.”

In response, the CDC has changed how it defined the risks of infection, saying essentially that anyone may be a carrier, whether they have COVID-19 symptoms or not. But neither it nor the World Health Organization changed their recommendations that everyone did not have to wear masks.

CDC reconsiders guidance to wear masks 

There is a growing number of Americans and vocal proponents of wearing face masks believe that wearing a mask reduces how many times they touch their eyes, nose and mouth, “but there aren’t any data to support that that’s a useful intervention,” Dr. Schaffner says.

There has been a fair amount of person-to-person coronavirus spread by people not showing symptoms, the CDC will look at whether having more Americans wear masks will prevent transmission of COVID-19.

Nevertheless, staying at home, “social distancing” and washing your hands remain the most important things people can do to help flatten the curve and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.


References:

  1. https://time.com/5794729/coronavirus-face-masks/
  2. https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/coronavirus-carrier-covid-asymptomatic-pandemic
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/02/face-masks-coronavirus-covid-19-public
  4. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52148534
  5. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52126735
  6. https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/490579-surgeon-general-asks-cdc-to-review-guidance-on

Economy and Markets will Recover

“There are ‘tremendous opportunities’ in markets.”  Larry Fink

To build wealth, it is advised that investors should take a long-term view of markets; and that they should take a long-term view in the way they manage their personal finances and investment portfolios.  It is certain that the world will get through; and, the economy and markets will recover once the COVID-19 crisis has abated.

For investors who keep their focus on the long-term horizon, “there are tremendous opportunities to be had in today’s stock markets”, according to Blackrock’s Chairman and CEO Larry Fink. For many of Blackrock’s clients, “the recent sell-off created an attractive opportunity to rebalance into equities,” Fink said.

Take banks as an example, “the damage has already been done” to the industry according to most financial professionals and traders.  Yet, the banks are in better condition financially than they were during the 2007-2009 financial crisis.  Once the virus spread stalls and the economy returns to normal operation, the Fed will still be supporting the banking system.

Positive sign for comeback

“Don’t watch their lips, instead watch their feet.”

Extraordinary monetary stimulus measures by the Federal Reserve and fiscal stimulus measures by Congress and the White House have put a proverbial floor under the market in late March.  As a result, many C-suite executives are buying up their own company’s stocks at a record pace, according to InsiderSource.

“Insiders have a 35+ year track record of buying on the type of extreme weakness experienced in Q1′20,” InsiderScore director of research Ben Silverman said in a note. “A dramatic increase in insider buying volume combined with dampened levels of insider selling has resulted in the generation of industry buy inflections – our strongest, quantitative macro signal – for the entire market.”

In his 2010 newsletter to Berkshire-Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffett wrote: “When it’s raining gold, reach for a bucket, not a thimble.”  Based on his vast and highly successful investing experience, he states that in period like the present, “Big opportunities come infrequently”.


  1. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/30/larry-fink-says-economy-will-recover-from-coronavirus.html?recirc=taboolainternal
  2. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/30/coronavirus-stock-market-jpmorgan-top-bank-stock-pick-for-trader.html?__twitter_impression=true&recirc=taboolainternal
  3. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/26/executives-are-buying-stock-in-droves-giving-a-strong-signal-that-the-comeback-is-for-real.html?recirc=taboolainternal
  4. https://www.cnbc.com/id/35616702

Dr. Fauci sees ‘Glimmers’

US health official Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, sees ‘glimmers’ that social distancing is working in the U.S.

“We hope and I believe it will happen that we may start seeing a turnaround, but we haven’t seen it yet,” Dr. Fauci said in a Tuesday afternoon COVID-19 briefing.


https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/31/us-health-official-fauci-sees-glimmers-that-social-distancing-is-dampening-coronavirus-outbreak.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Message

Protect Your Retirement from Coronavirus Market Swings | Money

From February 19th through February 27, the S&P 500 fell more than 11%,  In contrast, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate bond index —the benchmark tracked by core bond funds— is up 1%. If you are using Treasury bonds in your portfolio, you’ve likely seen a bigger gain of approximately 1.78%.

The coronavirus induced market collapse shows how using a three-bucket strategy can make it easier to stay the course during stock sell-offs. With a cash bucket and a bond bucket, you can generate the income you need without needing to touch your stock bucket when it is down.

3 Bucket Approach

Buckets 1 and 2 (cash and bonds) buy time for bucket 3 (stocks) to recover. Bucket 3 offer the best shot of delivering inflation-beating gains over the long-term.  Inflation and loss of purchasing power of the dollar are a very real threat for a retirement that can stretch 30 years.

  • Bucket No. 1 holds two to three years’ worth of living expensesreduced by your guaranteed incomein cash or cash equivalents.
  • The intermediate bucket—bucket No. 2—should hold three to seven years’ worth of expenses in a balanced portfolio with investments that give off a yield, such as dividend-paying stocks and bonds or bond funds.
  • Bucket No. 3 holds longer-term funds that may not be needed for several years. It can be invested in riskier assets, such as 100% stocks.

To read more:  https://money.com/coronavirus-protect-retirement/


References:

  1. https://money.com/bucket-approach-for-retirement-income-how-to-use/
  2. https://money.com/coronavirus-protect-retirement/

Should You Wear a Mask | Mayo Clinic

Should you wear a face mask to protect yourself from the virus, even if you’re not sick?

In a video posted by Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, states CDC current recommendation:

“The current recommendations regarding masks are that if you yourself are sick with fever and cough, you can wear a surgical mask to prevent transmission to other people. If you are healthy, there is not thought to be any additional benefit to wearing a mask yourself because the mask is not airtight and does not necessarily prevent breathing in of these viral particles, which are very tiny,” says Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist.

If you are going to a clinic or hospital to be seen by a health care provider because of concerns of cough or fever, Dr. Rajapakse recommends wearing a face mask to avoid transmitting possible infection or virus to other patients and medical staff. Face masks also are recommended for health care workers and people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

“Most people who do not work in a health care setting have not received training on how to put on and take off the masks properly. Doing this incorrectly can actually increase your risk of infection. Also, people who are wearing masks tend to touch their face more than those who are not, which can paradoxically result in an increased risk of infection as well,” says Dr. Rajapakse.

She says instead of wearing masks, people need to:

  • Wash their hands frequently using soap and water for 20 seconds or an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Practice cough etiquette. Cough into a flexed elbow or tissue, discard the tissue in the trash, and wash hands.
  • Stay home from school, work and public places if feeling unwell.


  1. Nipunie Rajapakse, M.D./Infectious Diseases/Mayo Clinic
  2. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-when-should-you-wear-a-face-mask/

Coronavirus 2020 Outbreak: Latest Updates | By WebMD News Staff

Updated Mar 29 at 4:41 PM

Facts and Faith, not Fear

The United States leads the world in cases of “confirmed” COVID-19 infections.

We stress “confirmed” cases since it is difficult to believe the accuracy and reliability of the number of cases of actual COVID-19 infections within China. We do not know if China’s reported number of cases of confirmed COVID-19 infections stands lower than the U.S. because there were less tests performed or due to obfuscation. We will probably never know for sure.

WebMD provides the latest updates on cases, government response, travel restrictions, and more here.

Coronavirus cases in U.S.

“Just a little bit of separation can stop a fire from spreading”  – CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield

The first coronavirus case in the U.S. was confirmed back on January 20 when a 35-year-old man went to an urgent care clinic in Snohomish County, Washington. He’d recently returned from visiting Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus was first noticed.

Since the first reported case, the virus has spread to all 50 states. The worst-hit state is New York, with more than 40,000 cases and 500 deaths. Other states with high case numbers include New Jersey, Washington, and California.

The first coronavirus death in the United States occurred in late February in Washington state. Since then, about 1,500 people have died in the United States. The only states not reporting deaths are Hawaii, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, citing “extensive community transmission” of COVID-19 in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut late Saturday urged residents to refrain from non-essential travel for 14 days effective immediately. The advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries such as trucking, public health professionals, financial services and food supply.

Worldwide Coronavirus Cases

According to Johns Hopkins University, there are more than 701,525 cases and 33,174 deaths worldwide. More than 145,000 people have also recovered.

As of early Sunday afternoon, the U.S. has the most cases followed by Italy’s 97,689, and China’s 81,439:

  • United States: 131,366
  • Italy: 97,689
  • China: 81,439
  • Spain: 78,799
  • Germany: 60,887
  • Iran: 38,309
  • France: 37,611
  • United Kingdom: 19,522
  • Switzerland: 14,795
  • Netherlands: 10,923
  • Belgium: 10,836
  • South Korea: 9,583

The top five in COVID-9 deaths are:

  • Italy: 10,779
  • Spain: 6,606
  • China: 3,300
  • Iran: 2,640
  • United States: 2,328
  • France: 2,314

Rapid-Result Coronavirus Test

The FDA has authorized a coronavirus test that the manufacturer says can tell if someone is infected with the virus within 5 minutes.

The test is meant to be used in places like a doctor’s office, emergency room, or urgent care center. The test will provide results through a platform currently used by many of those locations for tests like flu and strep, instead of sending the throat or nasal swab to a lab for analysis.

The FDA’s emergency use authorization (EUA), does not mean that the FDA has approved the test, but that it is allowing its use because of the coronavirus outbreak.

To read more of the update, go to:

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200124/coronavirus-2020-outbreak-latest-updates


https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/31/china-coronavirus-case-numbers-cant-be-compared-to-elsewhere-economist.html?__source=facebook%7Cmain

Sources:

  1. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-01/china-concealed-extent-of-virus-outbreak-u-s-intelligence-says
  2. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

* The respiratory infection, named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO), is closely related to SARS and MERS.