Italy Reports Nearly 500 Deaths in 24 Hours: CCP Virus Updates For March 18

A member of the Military Emergency Unit disinfects the Central University Hospital of Asturias during a 15-day state of emergency declared to combat the outbreak of the coronavirus in Oviedo, Spain, on March 17, 2020. Eloy Alonso/Reuters

The novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, and the disease it causes, COVID-19, has spread to more than 100 countries and territories around the world, killing thousands.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.