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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

A man wearing face mask stands near an empty shelf of rice at a supermarket in Hong Kong, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. Ten more people were sickened with a new virus aboard one of two quarantined cruise ships with some 5,400 passengers and crew aboard, health officials in Japan said Thursday, as China reported 73 more deaths and announced that the first group of patients were expected to start taking a new antiviral drug. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

Coronavirus leads to face mask demand, price gouging

Face masks have become a hot commodity, selling out at numerous pharmacies and medical supply stores, including in the Washington area, because of fears of China's coronavirus that is spreading rapidly across Asia and worldwide.

February 6, 2020
This Feb. 2, 2020, photo provided by the Department of Defense shows empty lodging facilities at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The Department of Defense says it is providing temporary lodging support for up to 1,000 passengers being evacuated from China to the U.S. in response to the coronavirus outbreak there. (Todd Holly/U.S. Air Force via AP)

Coronavirus forces colleges to cancel study-abroad programs

Packed dorms and globe-trotting students are forcing Washington-area colleges to reckon with the new virus from China, including canceling study programs abroad and recalling students from Beijing as fast as possible, as case counts climb in Asia, the U.S. and elsewhere.

February 5, 2020
President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Wildwoods Convention Center Oceanfront, Tin Wildwood, N.J. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Donald Trump wins Iowa GOP caucuses

President Trump romped victory Monday on the Republican side of an Iowa caucus that was poorly attended, competitive in name only and overshadowed by an unwieldy Democratic contest.

February 3, 2020
In this Feb. 2, 2020, photo, a military officer wearing a protective suit gives instructions to evacuees from Wuhan, China, as they travel to a hospital after their arrival at a military base in Wroclaw, Poland. Arek and Jenina Rataj were starting a new life in the Chinese industrial center of Wuhan when a viral outbreak spread across the city of 11 million. While they were relatively safe sheltering at home, Arek felt compelled to go out and document the outbreak of the new type of coronavirus. Among his subjects: the construction of a new hospital built in a handful of days; biosecurity checkpoints; and empty streets. (AP Photo/Arek Rataj) **FILE**

CDC taps over $100M in reserve funds for virus fight

The Trump administration has notified Congress that it will tap $105 million from a reserve fund designed to combat infectious diseases as it responds to the novel coronavirus that has sickened thousands in China and put the rest of the globe on high alert.

February 3, 2020
Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II previewed the new health rules on Friday. All flights from China will be funneled through seven airports. Officials stressed that the measures will be temporary.

Trump administration imposes drastic measures to contain coronavirus

Global coronavirus infections exceeded 17,000 Sunday, as the Trump administration imposed drastic measures to contain the virus in the U.S. by ordering levels of quarantine for American citizens returning from China and denying entry to the U.S. among foreign nationals who recently have been to the Asian country.

February 2, 2020
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks about the coronavirus in the briefing room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. From left are Joel Szabat, Acting Under Secretary for Policy, Department of Transportation, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, Azar, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci.(AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

U.S. declares health emergency over coronavirus

The Trump administration is taking more drastic steps to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading in the U.S., denying entry to the U.S. among foreign nationals who've traveled in China and pose a transmission risk.

January 31, 2020