The World Health Organization warns the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating – and that the U.S. could be the next epicenter, with New York the hardest hit. Boris Lushniak is the former acting surgeon general and served as commander of the U.S. medical team fighting Ebola in Liberia in 2015. He joins the program to discuss the latest.

Paul van Zyl is a co-founder of London’s Conduit Club, a venue for social philanthropy to spur solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues. The club has laid off 160 employees since the COVID-19 crisis began. Its founder joins the program to explain the extraordinary pressures faced by businesses and organizations like his.

If this is an unprecedented crisis for rich democracies, it’s even more alarming for the developing world and nations at war, like Syria and Yemen. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for an immediate global ceasefire to fight COVID-19, saying that the “true fight of our lives” is against the world’s “common enemy.” He speaks exclusively with Christiane about this global declaration.

New York is the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., accounting for about half of the country’s total cases. Dr. Cornelia Griggs is a pediatric surgeon who has warned in the New York Times that “the sky is falling,” and she joins the show to explain to Christiane why the cracks in the country’s medical system “are being splayed open like a gashing wound.”

In Washington, D.C., the Senate has been deadlocked over a rescue package, with Democrats saying the proposed trillion-dollar stimulus fails to adequately protect workers. Former Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer argues that the U.S. cannot afford to repeat past mistakes, when these stimulus packages have protected corporate profits over working families.

Nicholas Christakis is a physician, sociologist and author who has an important message for us all: even in trying times, humans show an innate instinct for good. It’s a case he makes in his latest book “Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society." He speaks with Hari about this latest theory. He also explains the importance of social distancing and why it actually works.

Mike Chinoy has served as a foreign correspondent for over 30 years. He joins the program to compare and contrast government approaches to COVID-19 in Asia and to discuss his new book, “Are You With Me?," an exploration of the work of activist lawyer Kevin Boyle.

COVID-19 has now caused nearly a quarter million infections and over 10,000 deaths worldwide. To prevent further contagion, bereaved families are forced to mourn their loved ones alone. Karen Armstrong is a former nun and one of the most prestigious religious scholars of our time. She joins the program to speak about faith, spirituality and community during these difficult times.

Dr. David Ho is a world-renowned doctor and researcher on the frontlines of the crisis. In the 1990s, he invented the AIDS cocktail, a drug strategy recognized as a turning point in the fight against the disease. Now he's racing to battle COVID-19, leading four teams working to find a treatment. He joins Walter Isaacson to explain the lessons we should have learned from the 2003 SARS outbreak.

At a time when we need art perhaps more than ever, theaters large and small have gone dark. It's a devastating time for those who make their living in the arts. Brian Cox is a legendary theater, film and television actor currently starring in HBO's "Succession." He joins Christiane to discuss the state of the arts in the midst of the pandemic.

In the face of this public health and economic crisis, a central concern is keeping workers and businesses from falling off the cliff. George Osborne was Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008 and is now editor of the Evening Standard. He joins Christiane to discuss the state of the crisis in London.

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Iranian prisons, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini will pardon 10,000 inmates. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen, is now on a temporary two-week release. Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, joins the program to discuss his wife's uncertain situation.

The White House Chief Medical Advisor says new data from Europe shows younger people at greater risk of infection than previously thought. Spearheading the current science is Dr. Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and co-discoverer of the Ebola virus. He joins Christiane to share his knowledge.

If the coronavirus is affecting so many people in homes, businesses and schools, imagine its effect on the world's most vulnerable people -- millions of refugees and others with no shelter. David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, has criticized a lack of international coordination to tackle COVID-19 and is appealing for $30 million to help protect displaced families.

Joe Biden swept three key states last night -- Florida, Illinois and Arizona -- putting him firmly on track to become the Democratic Party's nominee. Symone Sanders, a senior advisor to Vice President Biden, joins Christiane to discuss what's to come.

The biggest threats right now seem to be invisible, from the coronavirus itself to our inability to see loved ones in person, and our unspoken fears about the future. However, what is out of sight is not necessarily out of mind -- especially for psychologists like Laurie Santos. She joined Christiane via Skype with more on how to stay connected in a time of social distancing.

Social restrictions are tightening around the U.S. to combat the spread of COVID-19, with millions on lockdown in California and the New York tri-state area under strict social distancing, and in some cases curfews. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy joins Christiane to talk about how he's working to flatten the curve as the numbers keep rising.

The UK Chancellor has just announced a package of economic support, increasing the government's pledges to ailing businesses to combat the COVID-19 crisis. Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, oversaw the bailout program for the 2008 financial crisis. He now says his bank is acting "aggressively" to combat the COVID-19 crisis. He joins Christiane from Minneapolis.

There are an estimated 170,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world, and the death toll has jumped to more than 6,400. New York City has ramped up its efforts to contain the virus while taking care not to overwhelm its healthcare system. Christiane is joined by New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot for an update on the crisis.

While other countries struggle to contain the virus, the UK has been an outlier, remaining open -- but now it's doing an about-face. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is turning against mass gatherings, urging people to "stop all unnecessary social contact." Will this be enough to counter the disease? Christiane speaks to a doctor on the front lines, Dr. Sonia Adesara.