We're taking a break from the usual Talk Evidence to focus on the new corona virus that has emerged in China.

With a brand new disease, we have to build our evidence base from scratch - basic virology, epidemiology, pathogenicity, transmissibility, and ultimately treatment are all unknowns.

In this episode of Talk Evidence, we're trying to get away from the headlines and talk about what we need to know - to hopefully give you some insight into these issues.

(8.00) Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, talks to us about the pathogenicity of covid-19

(17.30) Wendy Barclay, head of the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London, describes what can change the R0 of a viral disease.

(20.50) Raina MacIntyre, professor of biosecurity at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales, talks to us about how effective masks are at preventing spread of viruses.

(30.00) We discuss treatment options in the face of massive uncertainty.

To read more about covid-19 and to keep up to date with the disease visit https://www.bmj.com/coronavirus where all of the information on the disease if freely available.