COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 13 May

1. How COVID-19 is impacting the globe

2. A third of COVID-19 patients have reported neurological symptoms

COVID-19 is a serious disease and causes a wide range of problems from gastrointestinal disease (diarrhoea and nausea) to heart damage and blood clotting disorders. As one virologist pointed out for Agenda this week, it can also cause neurological symptoms in some patients.

Some patients have experienced brain inflammation or even stroke. According to other reports, COVID-19 patients have suffered from Guillain–Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks nerve cells, resulting in muscle weakness and eventual paralysis.

While more research is needed, these symptoms drive home the importance of taking this disease and its long-term effects seriously. Virologist Jeremy Rossman said this information also "highlights the continued importance of preventing viral transmission and identifying those who are, and have been, infected."

3. How coronavirus could reshape our cities forever

Public areas and urban environments could be transformed by coronavirus, according to a Reuters article. Social distancing could create green mazes in public parks while cities could be designed to be more compact to ensure that residents can access goods and services more easily.

"We are in a very experimental stage," said architect Harm Timmermans. "There will be a lot of trial and error, but the notion of the local will definitely be very important."

4. What sport could look like after COVID-19 lockdowns

Baseball and soccer have returned to South Korea and the measures taken there can provide a glimpse into what might be needed to resume other sports in the months ahead. These might include barely-filled stadiums, crowd noise pumped in through loud speakers, and athletes that trade handshakes for fist bumps.

Truly safe mass events will need something else: a contained virus. South Korea is one of the first countries to contain COVID-19 and other countries will need to follow suit or risk future outbreaks.

5. Here are 10 tips to help you focus while working from home

Has working from home left you exhausted? You're not alone, explained one expert for the Conversation this week. The self-control needed to manage the demands of working from home can deplete both your mental and physical energies. Finding ways to detach yourself from work can help you you get back on track.