China Quarantines Millions After Thousands Exposed To Mutating Virus That Has Killed Many

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Ryan Saavedra - The Daily Wire


https://i.imgur.com/TEAiTz2l.jpg

China is essentially quarantining Wuhan, a city of more than 11 million people, in response to up to 4,000 people that have been exposed to a mutating Coronavirus that has killed at least 17 people.

“To combat the spread of the virus, which first appeared at the end of December and has killed at least 17 people and sickened more than 500, the Chinese government said it would cancel planes and trains leaving Wuhan beginning Thursday, and suspend buses, subways and ferries within it,” The New York Times reported. “In Beijing, at least 4,000 residents who had been exposed to the virus were kept in isolation, and 300 college students who had had contact with infected people were sequestered in a military camp for two weeks.”

Experts told The New York Times that a shut down of this scale was unprecedented in human history.

Several cases have been reported outside of China in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

“Chinese health officials said they had ascertained that the virus started in an unsanitary food market that was selling wild and exotic animals for consumption,” The Washington Post reported. “Snakes were the most likely cause of the virus, five Chinese scientists concluded in a paper published Wednesday in the Journal of Medical Virology.”

Tom Inglesby, *director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins, said, “In past outbreaks, we haven’t seen evidence that large-scale quarantine diminishes spread of disease. It runs the risk of people losing confidence in government. And it places enormous responsibilities on government to make sure that people can continue to get food, basic necessities, medicines.”

[lost in melb.]

A few Chinese peeps have come off the plane to Australia with this virus.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Someone in Washington state came from China carrying the virus the other day.

[DemonGeminiX]

Captain Trips?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mRDSW9-i_E

[Griffin]

Captain Trips?


The new 10 episode series of The Stand is coming out this year.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Shane Trejo - Big League Politics


https://i.imgur.com/iyi8gqGl.jpg

A deadly coronavirus, called the Wuhan virus based on the Chinese city it emanated from, has spread to the United States with a man in his 30s being declared patient zero in Washington state.

The patient came back to the U.S. from Wuhan, China on Jan. 15. He was displaying no symptoms at the time, according to the local and federal officials who made the public announcement, but became sick the days after he initially returned.

Dr. Scott Lindquist, who works as Washington’s state epidemiologist for communicable diseases, said the patient is in stable condition but is still being isolated in a hospital “out of an abundance of precaution and monitoring.” Passengers at several airports are going to be screened for the virus moving forward in an attempt to prevent its spread. Six people have already been reported dead worldwide from the coronavirus that can cause pneumonia.

This comes years after it was announced that a controversial facility would be opened in Wuhan where Chinese scientists would study the world’s most dangerous pathogens:


A laboratory in Wuhan is on the cusp of being cleared to work with the world’s most dangerous pathogens. The move is part of a plan to build between five and seven biosafety level-4 (BSL-4) labs across the Chinese mainland by 2025, and has generated much excitement, as well as some concerns.

Some scientists outside China worry about pathogens escaping, and the addition of a biological dimension to geopolitical tensions between China and other nations. But Chinese microbiologists are celebrating their entrance to the elite cadre empowered to wrestle with the world’s greatest biological threats.

“It will offer more opportunities for Chinese researchers, and our contribution on the BSL‑4-level pathogens will benefit the world,” says George Gao, director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology in Beijing. There are already two BSL-4 labs in Taiwan, but the National Bio-safety Laboratory, Wuhan, would be the first on the Chinese mainland…

Many staff from the Wuhan lab have been training at a BSL-4 lab in Lyon, which some scientists find reassuring. And the facility has already carried out a test-run using a low-risk virus.

But worries surround the Chinese lab, too. The SARS virus has escaped from high-level containment facilities in Beijing multiple times, notes Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. Tim Trevan, founder of CHROME Biosafety and Biosecurity Consulting in Damascus, Maryland, says that an open culture is important to keeping BSL-4 labs safe, and he questions how easy this will be in China, where society emphasizes hierarchy. “Diversity of viewpoint, flat structures where everyone feels free to speak up and openness of information are important,” he says.

Yuan says that he has worked to address this issue with staff. “We tell them the most important thing is that they report what they have or haven’t done,” he says. And the lab’s inter*national collaborations will increase openness. “Transparency is the basis of the lab,” he adds.

The reckless behavior of the Chinese communists very well may have caused a worldwide health crisis.

[DemonGeminiX]

Oh so they let this out from a research lab? That's definitely Captain Trips. Be on the lookout for Flagg if we survive the global pandemic.

[Griffin]

I need to inventory my ammo...

[Godfather]

Oh so they let this out from a research lab? That's definitely Captain Trips. Be on the lookout for Flagg if we survive the global pandemic.

Man, I actually just read The Stand on vacation a few weeks ago! Chilling.... especially right now.

I also read today that China spent the first few days of this outbreak arresting people who posted or wrote about it online. Good one China.

[Godfather]

Chinese doctor in the city of Wuhan in tears announcing that there are too many cases of sick people


https://youtu.be/8u6oc9TdAtE

Translation from a reddit user, so grain of salt, but:

direct translation is gonna be tough due to lack of context, but I can provide a rough gist.

He seems to be on the phone with another hospital that is sending more patients to his hospital. It's pretty obvious that all the hospitals are over-capacity at this point so he wants them to stop sending more patient his way. The people on the other side seems to suggest that they can send more doctors his way, but he replies he doesn't want more doctors, there's literally no room for patients.

The most concerning part is what the nurses say, which is they can't really reach anyone higher up. They were trying to reach the head administrator of the other hospital but were unsuccessful.

[Muddy]

Hopefully this isnt the one...

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I've always said and I maintain, the thing that will exterminate the human race won't be war, but it will be some super disease.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Brie Stimson | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/qdDGkw4h.jpg

The Chinse embassy in Paris has reportedly tracked down a woman who bragged on social media that she was able to get through coronavirus screening at the airport by taking medicine to lower her fever.

The woman left Wuhan, China, where the virus was first detected, before the city was quarantined and later posted pictures on her Instagram, claiming to be at a restaurant in Lyon, France, BBC News reported.

"Just before I left, I had a low fever and cough. I was scared to death and rushed to eat [fever-reducing] medicine," the woman tweeted, according to BBC. "I kept on checking my temperature. Luckily I managed to get it down and my exit was smooth."

On Thursday, the embassy said she no longer had a fever or cough but she would get further tests.

The case highlights the problem with temperature screenings, the main way major airports are testing travelers for the virus to prevent its spread.

As the number of coronavirus patients increases, doctors are also reportedly noticing that some of those infected show little or no fever, a fact that could complicate detection.

China’s National Health Commission told local governments that along with some patients not getting a fever they could also go as long as two weeks without showing any symptoms, Bloomberg reported, sourcing people familiar with the matter.

”The whole airport screening exercise is to simply give people comfort that there is some government action to protect the public,” Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy in Washington, D.C., said, according to Bloomberg. “It has no real public health utility in the case of coronaviruses. What really matters is surveillance, infection control and isolation.”

While all of the patients who have died from the virus exhibited some symptoms, including a cough, shortness of breath and chest tightness, some of them did not have a fever.

"People can cross borders without a fever then get sick after their arrival and taking paracetamol or aspirin can bring a fever down so it isn’t detected,” World Health Organization adviser David Heymann said, according to Bloomberg.

In the last week, the Chinese government quarantined the city of Wuhan, where the virus was first detected, and restricted travel in cities nearby, affecting millions of people just before the Lunar New Year.

The most effective way to detect the virus is through kits that use the genetic makeup of the virus, according to Bloomberg. Public health officials around the world have access to the test kits but they’re in low supply and Wuhan has already run out.

At least 25 people have died from the pneumonia-like disease and 800 patients have been sickened, Bloomberg reported.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Lauren Frias - Business Insider


https://i.imgur.com/TQHZl4el.jpg

Two new suspected cases of the deadly Wuhan coronavirus are being tested in Texas and Los Angeles.

Two people who had recently traveled to Wuhan, China, were taken to the hospital after displaying flu-like symptoms during airport screenings Wednesday night.

The Texas patient was identified as a student at Texas A&M University. The university said in a statement that the immediate health risk to the campus is "low," according to a Reuters report.

"The patient is being monitored," Dr. Erik Wilke from the Brazos County Health District, said at a Thursday afternoon press conference. "We've been in contact with the patient today as well, and are tracking. And again, fortunately, his symptoms are not severe and he's doing well."

The Centers for Disease Control added that, given that it is cold and flu season, more people may display similar symptoms to the novel coronavirus but may not necessarily be infected, Reuters reported.

"Health care providers were aware of public health guidance on novel coronavirus and quickly recognized that the patient met the criteria for coronavirus testing and is being kept isolated at home, while the precautionary testing is done," the Brazos County Health District said in a statement on Twitter on Thursday.

The California patient landed in Los Angeles International Airport, one of soon-to-be five US international airports where the CDC had set up screening procedures. The passenger had just arrived to LAX from Mexico City, and he was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, KTLA reported.

"To date, there has been no identified coronavirus cases in LA County and currently the risk of local transmission is low," Los Angeles county health officials told Insider in an emailed statement, adding that "when a suspected case of novel coronavirus is identified, Public Health works with the CDC and the healthcare facilities to assess and test."

The CDC did not immediately respond to Insider's emails for comment regarding the California patient.

The two new potential cases followed the first confirmed US patient in Washington — a man in his 30s who arrived in the US before screening procedures began last week. On an international scale, the coronavirus has killed at least 18 and infected more than 600 people as of Friday morning local time.

The World Health Organization has yet to declare the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak as a global health emergency after a Wednesday meeting, despite the entire city of Wuhan going under quarantine to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

"There is no evidence of human to human transmission outside China, but that doesn't mean it won't happen," director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference. "WHO is following this outbreak every minute of every day."

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Lia Eustachewich - The New York Post

1220079942047846400
New videos show “dire” situations at Chinese hospitals as health officials continue to grapple with the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

One clip tweeted by a South China Morning Post video producer shows an overflow of patients in blue face masks in a hospital corridor in Wuhan — as a doctor shouts something at the crowd.

“Video from a chat group shows the dire situation in Wuhan’s overcrowded hospitals,” the reporter, Xinyan Yu, wrote. “All concerned citizens, sick or not, have been waiting for confirmation on whether they’ve caught the #WuhanCoronavirus. Imagine how easily people can get sick from standing in these lines.”

Another video apparently shot at a Wuhan hospital shows a patient writhing around on the floor, while a disturbing clip that was also circulating on social media appeared to show covered dead bodies lining hospital hallways.

Wuhan, a city of 11 million, is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, which is believed to have originated from a seafood market that sold live wildlife for human consumption.

The coronavirus has claimed more than two dozen lives and sickened hundreds worldwide.

[Muddy]

So I think people with a relatively normal and in decent health can weather this virus...?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

So I think people with a relatively normal and in decent health can weather this virus...?

Unkown...we don't know enough about the disease yet and China sounds like they have been covering this up BIG TIME and it may be far worse than previously thought.

[Muddy]

Unkown...we don't know enough about the disease yet and China sounds like they have been covering this up BIG TIME and it may be far worse than previously thought.

I went to the CDC site this morning and it looks somewhat manageable..

[Godfather]

I went to the CDC site this morning and it looks somewhat manageable..

I read one report saying a healthy 36 year old died which is concerning. It also looks like the incubation period can be relatively long (the Chicago case was apparently 11 days), the r0 may be high meaning a high infection rate, and a lower lethality doesn't mean it won't be a big deal. The way I read that explained is that an outbreak like ebola burns itself out relatively quickly in a quarantined village because the lethality is 50-90%, whereas a highly infectious decease with a long incubation period has the potential to spread further and cause more damage and be more difficult to quarantine.

A lot of fear mongering and speculation in what I've said of course... but it's possible this one could be bad even with a lower lethality rate. Still important to remember the flu kills tens of thousands annually though to keep things in perspective.

[Muddy]

I read one report saying a healthy 36 year old died which is concerning. It also looks like the incubation period can be relatively long (the Chicago case was apparently 11 days), the r0 may be high meaning a high infection rate, and a lower lethality doesn't mean it won't be a big deal. The way I read that explained is that an outbreak like ebola burns itself out relatively quickly in a quarantined village because the lethality is 50-90%, whereas a highly infectious decease with a long incubation period has the potential to spread further and cause more damage and be more difficult to quarantine.

A lot of fear mongering and speculation in what I've said of course... but it's possible this one could be bad even with a lower lethality rate. Still important to remember the flu kills tens of thousands annually though to keep things in perspective.

I read somewhere on another site where someone had put it's lethality rate at 3%, but I dont know if that takes into account the long incubation period... 11 days.. Wow..!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

One person in Denver now in quarantine for possible exposure :|

[Godfather]

One person in Denver now in quarantine for possible exposure :|

One in Van too and 5-6 in Canada. Not at all surprised, Van is a huge hub for Chinese travel. Same with Toronto... and I spent significant time in both airports last week :|

[DemonGeminiX]

:rip: Godfather

[Godfather]

I think this is good to keep in mind (for myself more than anyone here because I've been reading too much about this :lol: )

Coronavirus misinformation floods social media - CBC News Canada

<iframe src="//www.cbc.ca/i/caffeine/syndicate/?mediaId=1686679107933" width="720" height="405" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Teh One Who Knocks]

One person in Denver now in quarantine for possible exposure :|They've confirmed that the patient quarantined in Denver has been to the Wuhan area of China :|

[lost in melb.]

From what I've read, the Chinese are actually exceptionally organised. 2 dozen deaths ( mostly old people ) is actually pretty good for such a massive population

[RBP]

The BlueDot algorithm scours news reports and airline ticketing data to predict the spread of diseases like those linked to the flu outbreak in China.

On January 9, the World Health Organization notified the public of a flu-like outbreak in China: a cluster of pneumonia cases had been reported in Wuhan, possibly from vendors’ exposure to live animals at the Huanan Seafood Market. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had gotten the word out a few days earlier, on January 6. But a Canadian health monitoring platform had beaten them both to the punch, sending word of the outbreak to its customers on December 31.

BlueDot uses an AI-driven algorithm that scours foreign-language news reports, animal and plant disease networks, and official proclamations to give its clients advance warning to avoid danger zones like Wuhan.

Speed matters during an outbreak, and tight-lipped Chinese officials do not have a good track record of sharing information about diseases, air pollution, or natural disasters. But public health officials at WHO and the CDC have to rely on these very same health officials for their own disease monitoring. So maybe an AI can get there faster. “We know that governments may not be relied upon to provide information in a timely fashion,” says Kamran Khan, BlueDot’s founder and CEO. “We can pick up news of possible outbreaks, little murmurs or forums or blogs of indications of some kind of unusual events going on.”

Khan says the algorithm doesn’t use social media postings because that data is too messy. But he does have one trick up his sleeve: access to global airline ticketing data that can help predict where and when infected residents are headed next. It correctly predicted that the virus would jump from Wuhan to Bangkok, Seoul, Taipei, and Tokyo in the days following its initial appearance.

Khan, who was working as a hospital infectious disease specialist in Toronto during the SARS epidemic of 2003, dreamt of finding a better way to track diseases. That virus started in provincial China and spread to Hong Kong and then to Toronto, where it killed 44 people. “There’s a bit of deja vu right now,” Khan says about the coronavirus outbreak today. “In 2003, I watched the virus overwhelm the city and cripple the hospital. There was an enormous amount of mental and physical fatigue, and I thought, ‘Let’s not do this again.’”

After testing out several predictive programs, Khan launched BlueDot in 2014 and raised $9.4 million in venture capital funding. The company now has 40 employees—physicians and programmers who devise the disease surveillance analytic program, which uses natural-language processing and machine learning techniques to sift through news reports in 65 languages, along with airline data and reports of animal disease outbreaks. “What we have done is use natural language processing and machine learning to train this engine to recognize whether this is an outbreak of anthrax in Mongolia versus a reunion of the heavy metal band Anthrax,” Kahn says.

Once the automated data-sifting is complete, human analysis takes over, Khan says. Epidemiologists check that the conclusions make sense from a scientific standpoint, and then a report is sent to government, business, and public health clients.

BlueDot’s reports are then sent to public health officials in a dozen countries (including the US and Canada), airlines, and frontline hospitals where infected patients might end up. BlueDot doesn’t sell their data to the general public, but they are working on it, Khan says.

The firm isn’t the first to look for an end-run around public health officials, but they are hoping to do better than Google Flu Trends, which was euthanized after underestimating the severity of the 2013 flu season by 140 percent. BlueDot successfully predicted the location of the Zika outbreak in South Florida in a publication in the British medical journal The Lancet.

Whether BlueDot proves as successful this time remains to be seen. But in the meantime, some public health experts say that despite covering up the SARS outbreak for months in 2002, Chinese officials have reacted faster this time.

“The outbreak is probably a lot bigger than one the public health officials have confirmation of,” says James Lawler, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, who treated quarantined Ebola patients in 2017 and 2018. “Just using a back-of-the-envelope calculation on how many travelers there are from China in a given week, and percentage than might have been affected, it’s a lot.”

An area containing eight cities and 35 million people have now been quarantined in China, The New York Times reported Friday, while The Wall Street Journal reports that hospitals in the epicenter of Wuhan are turning away patients and medical supplies such as masks and sanitizers have run out.

Lawler and others say that the coronavirus outbreak will continue to spread as travelers from China to other nations exhibit symptoms of infection. He says we still don’t know how many people will get sick, and how many of those will die before the outbreak recedes.

To stop the spread of disease, public health officials will need to tell the truth and tell it quickly. But in the meantime, it might be worth deputizing an AI-driven epidemiologist.

#yanggang

[RBP]

From what I've read, the Chinese are actually exceptionally organised. 2 dozen deaths ( mostly old people ) is actually pretty good for such a massive population

Do you really spell it with an S in Canada or are you just being boujee?

[DemonGeminiX]

Do you really spell it with an S in Canada or are you just being boujee?

Apparently, we're the only English-speaking country that uses the letter 'z'.

[Godfather]

Apparently, we're the only English-speaking country that uses the letter 'z'.

Huh... I have to admit that's not one I realized was spelled with an 's' ever. I always use a 'z.'

[lost in melb.]

Huh... I have to admit that's not one I realized was spelled with an 's' ever. I always use a 'z.'

That's probably because your computer/mobile was hijacked by an American Empirialist autocorrect when you were young and impressionable. Resist!







:scotland::england::australia::canada::rsa::wales: :gay:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

From what I've read, the Chinese are actually exceptionally organised. 2 dozen deaths ( mostly old people ) is actually pretty good for such a massive populationBecause the state run Chinese media has always been completely transparent, forthcoming, and honest?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Three confirmed US cases now, SoCal, Seattle, and Chicago.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Four confirmed US cases now, another one in SoCal.

[DemonGeminiX]

I've been seeing people online calling it the 'Kung Flu'.

[Godfather]

I've been seeing people online calling it the 'Kung Flu'.

:lol: I've also seen WuFlu

[lost in melb.]

Because the state run Chinese media has always been completely transparent, forthcoming, and honest?

It's not Iran, dude. They have western monitors.

The Chinese are used to taking orders and having movements restricted

[DemonGeminiX]

5 cases reported now in the US: 1 in Washington state, 1 in Chicago, 2 in California (Orange and Los Angeles counties), and 1 in Arizona.

There are confirmed cases in China (duh), France, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Australia.

[DemonGeminiX]

It's not Iran, dude. They have western monitors.

The Chinese are used to taking orders and having movements restricted

And they still lie to the outside world. They're like Russia, they'll do everything to save face in the world community until plausible deniability can no longer cover the evidence of the lie. Communists always convey the image of strength, even when shit is falling apart. It's a hallmark of the ideology.

[lost in melb.]

And they still lie to the outside world. They're like Russia, they'll do everything to save face in the world community until plausible deniability can no longer cover the evidence of the lie. Communists always convey the image of strength, even when shit is falling apart. It's a hallmark of the ideology.

Yes, they are not as open as the West.

Look, I can't prove it and I take your and Lance's points, but I don't think they are as bad as they used to be, nor as secretive as Russians ( for example). Openness (name and shame) is also part of their collectivist Asian society.

Now when it comes to their military and money dealings that's another matter.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Associated Press


https://i.imgur.com/ynUV4aOl.jpg

China on Monday expanded sweeping efforts to contain a viral disease by extending the Lunar New Year holiday to keep the public at home and avoid spreading infection as the death toll rose to 80.

Hong Kong announced it would bar entry to visitors from the mainland province at the center of the outbreak following a warning the virus’s ability to spread was increasing. Travel agencies were ordered to cancel group tours nationwide, adding to the rising economic cost.

Increasingly drastic anti-disease efforts began with the Jan. 22 suspension of plane, train and bus links to Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in central China where the virus was first detected last month. That lockdown has expanded to a total of 17 cities with more than 50 million people in the most far-reaching disease-control measures ever imposed.

The end of the Lunar New Year holiday, China’s busiest travel season, was pushed back to Sunday from Thursday to “reduce mass gatherings” and “block the spread of the epidemic,” a Cabinet statement said.

Tens of millions of people were due to crowd into planes, trains, and buses to return to work after visiting their hometowns or tourist sites for the holiday. Schools will postpone reopening until further notice, the Cabinet said.

Also Monday, China’s No. 2 leader, Premier Li Keqiang, visited Wuhan to “guide epidemic prevention work,” the Cabinet website said. Photos on the site showed Li, in a blue smock and green face mask, meeting hospital employees.

The U.S. Consulate in Wuhan said it was arranging to evacuate its diplomats and some American citizens on Tuesday. The French government said it would fly its citizens in Wuhan to France and quarantine them there. Japan was preparing to fly its nationals out of Wuhan.

French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen, which has a factory in Wuhan, said it was moving foreign employees and their families by bus to be quarantined in another city.

The disruption to business and consumer spending threaten to depress Chinese economic growth that Beijing is struggling to shore up after it sank to a multi-decade low of 6.1% last year. That could spread shockwaves to Asian economies that rely on China as a source of tourists and export markets.

Chinese regulators called on banks and insurers in a statement Monday to support to people and companies affected by the outbreak.

The biggest impact will be on travel, hotels, and restaurants but Chinese retail spending, factory output, and investment also might suffer if the outbreak and quarantines last, forecasters say.

https://i.imgur.com/xKF0Fbkl.jpg

The outbreak is a “notable downside risk” to growth, though it “could potentially be a high impact but short-lived event,” said Tommy Wu and Priyanka Kishore of Oxford Economics in a report.

They pointed to the example of the 2003 SARS outbreak when economic activity plunged but recovered relatively quickly. The impact should be “less severe” than SARS because of faster official reaction and “increased transparency,” they said.

Abroad, economies including Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines with big tourism industries that rely on Chinese travelers “seem most at risk,” said Wu and Kishore.

The National Health Commission said 2,744 cases were confirmed by midnight Sunday. There were 24 new deaths on Sunday, all in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located.

The youngest patient is a 9-month-old girl in Beijing. China also reported five cases in Hong Kong and two in Macao.

South Korea confirmed its fourth case Monday. Scattered cases also have been confirmed in Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, the U.S., Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, France, Canada, and Australia.

The U.S. has confirmed cases in Washington state, Chicago, southern California, and Arizona.

China’s health minister, Ma Xiaowei, said the country was entering a “crucial stage” as “it seems like the ability of the virus to spread is getting stronger.”

President Xi Jinping has called the outbreak a grave situation and said the government was stepping restrictions on travel and public gatherings while rushing medical staff and supplies to Wuhan.

The epidemic has revived memories of the 2002-03 SARS outbreak that originated in China and killed nearly 800 people.

https://i.imgur.com/BZ4JyQM.png

Then, Chinese authorities were criticized for reacting slowly and failing to disclose information. The government has responded more aggressively to the latest outbreak.

The National Health Commission said anyone traveling from Wuhan is required to register with community health stations and quarantine themselves at home for 14 days — the virus’ maximum incubation period.

Hong Kong announced it would bar entry to travelers from Hubei, starting Monday. Hong Kong residents returning from the area will be allowed to the territory but were told to quarantine themselves at home.

Two of Hong Kong’s most popular tourist attractions, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park, closed.

Also Sunday, Wuhan banned most vehicle use, including private cars, in downtown areas. The city will assign 6,000 taxis to neighborhoods to help people get around if they need to.

Wuhan is building two hospitals, one with 1,500 beds and another with 1,000, for the growing number of patients. The first is scheduled to be finished next week.

The National Health Commission said it is sending extra medical teams to Wuhan. The Chinese military dispatched 450 medical staff, some with experience in past outbreaks including SARS and Ebola.

The virus is from the coronavirus family that includes the common cold but also more severe illnesses like SARS and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The new virus causes cold- and flu-like symptoms, including cough and fever, and in more severe cases, shortness of breath and pneumonia.

The virus is thought to have spread to people from wild animals sold at a market in Wuhan. On Sunday, authorities banned trade in wild animals and called on the public to refrain from eating meat from them.

[DemonGeminiX]

Yes, they are not as open as the West.

Look, I can't prove it and I take your and Lance's points, but I don't think they are as bad as they used to be, nor as secretive as Russians ( for example). Openness (name and shame) is also part of their collectivist Asian society.

Now when it comes to their military and money dealings that's another matter.

That's because information, in and of itself, is a major commodity today, and really easy to come by. The Chinese understand this better than the Russians so the Chinese know better when to fold their hand in the face of mounting pressure.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Now they're saying that you don't even have to be symptomatic to be contagious. That's awesome.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

And at least the person here in Denver that was under quarantine has been tested negative for the virus. So it's not here....yet.

[DemonGeminiX]

Now they're saying that you don't even have to be symptomatic to be contagious. That's awesome.

That's fucking scary.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Jackie Salo - New York Post


https://i.imgur.com/ZFmHxfo.jpg

Chinese officials on Sunday revealed that patients infected with the coronavirus can spread the deadly illness before experiencing any symptoms — prompting fears about how to contain the disease.

China’s National Health Commissioner Ma Xiaowei said the flu-like virus is infectious during its incubation period of one to 14 days.

He cautioned that authorities’ knowledge of the new virus was limited and they are unclear on the risks posed by any possible mutations of the virus.

Dr. William Schaffner, a longtime adviser to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the new development “means the infection is much more contagious than we originally thought,” CNN reported.

Schaffner warned that current preventative methods won’t be enough to battle the growing epidemic since it’s difficult to track down the contacts that a patient had before they even began experiencing symptoms.

“Assuming that Ma is correct, we’re going to have to re-evaluate our strategy, that’s for sure,” Schaffner said.

Meanwhile, China said it has banned wildlife animal trade until the “epidemic situation is lifted nationwide.”

The mystery virus is believed to have originated from wild animals at markets in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

There have been 56 deaths and more than 2,000 cases diagnosed in the country, including a 9-month-old baby in Beijing, CNN reported.

[DemonGeminiX]

So everybody that is currently known to be infected could have infected everybody they've come into contact with before they started showing symptoms, and everybody those people come into contact with could be infected, and everybody...

This is gonna get worse.

[DemonGeminiX]

What's the over/under on the Chinese creating this intentionally?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

What's the over/under on the Chinese creating this intentionally?


Coronavirus may have originated in lab linked to China's biowarfare program
By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times


https://i.imgur.com/kGBTlxp.jpg

The deadly animal-borne coronavirus spreading globally may have originated in a laboratory in the city of Wuhan linked to China’s covert biological weapons program, said an Israeli biological warfare analyst.

Radio Free Asia last week rebroadcast a Wuhan television report from 2015 showing China’s most advanced virus research laboratory, known the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The laboratory is the only declared site in China capable of working with deadly viruses.

Dany Shoham, a former Israeli military intelligence officer who has studied Chinese biological warfare, said the institute is linked to Beijing’s covert bio-weapons program.

“Certain laboratories in the institute have probably been engaged, in terms of research and development, in Chinese , at least collaterally, yet not as a principal facility of the Chinese BW alignment,” Mr. Shoham told The Washington Times.

Work on biological weapons is conducted as part of dual civilian-military research and is “definitely covert,” he said in an email.

Mr. Shoham holds a doctorate in medical microbiology. From 1970 to 1991, he was a senior analyst with Israeli military intelligence for biological and chemical warfare in the Middle East and worldwide. He held the rank of lieutenant colonel.

China has denied having any offensive biological weapons, but a State Department report last year revealed suspicions of covert biological warfare work.

A Chinese Embassy spokesman did not return an email seeking comment.

Chinese authorities said they do not know the origin of the coronavirus, which has killed at least 80 and infected thousands.

Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told state-controlled media that initial signs indicated the virus originated from wild animals sold at a seafood market in Wuhan.

One ominous sign, said a U.S. official, is that false rumors circulating on the Chinese internet claim the virus is part of a U.S. conspiracy to spread germ weapons. That could indicate China is preparing propaganda outlets to counter any charges that the new coronavirus escaped from one of Wuhan’s civilian or defense research laboratories.

The World Health Organization is calling the microbe novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV. At a meeting Thursday in Geneva, the organization stopped short of declaring a public health emergency of international concern.

China has deployed military forces to Wuhan to halt all travel out of the city of 11 million people in an effort to contain the outbreak of the virus, which causes pneumonialike symptoms.

The Wuhan institute has studied coronaviruses including the strain that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), H5N1 influenza virus, Japanese encephalitis and dengue. Researchers at the institute also have studied the germ that causes anthrax, a biological agent once developed in Russia.

“Coronaviruses [particularly SARS] have been studied in the institute and are probably held therein,” Mr. Shoham said. “SARS is included within the Chinese BW program, at large, and is dealt with in several pertinent facilities.”

It is not known whether the institute’s coronaviruses are specifically included in China’s biological weapons program but it is possible, he said.

Asked whether the new coronavirus may have leaked, Mr. Shoham said: “In principle, outward virus infiltration might take place either as leakage or as an indoor unnoticed infection of a person that normally went out of the concerned facility. This could have been the case with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, but so far there isn’t evidence or indication for such incident.”

After researchers sequence the genome of the new coronavirus, they might be able to determine or suggest its origin or source.

[B]Biological weapons convention

Mr. Shoham, now with the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar Ilan University in Israel, said the virology institute is the only declared site in China known as P4 for pathogen level 4. That status indicates the institute uses the strictest safety standards to prevent the spread of the most dangerous and exotic microbes being studied.

The former Israeli military intelligence doctor also said suspicions were raised about the Wuhan Institute of Virology when a group of Chinese virologists working in Canada improperly sent to China samples of what he described as some of the deadliest viruses on earth, including the Ebola virus.

In a July article in the journal Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, Mr. Shoham said the Wuhan institute was one of four Chinese laboratories engaged in some aspects of biological weapons development.

He said the secure Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory at the institute was engaged in research on the Ebola, Nipah and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses.

The Wuhan virology institute is under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but certain laboratories within it “have linkage with the PLA or BW-related elements within the Chinese defense establishment,” he said.

In 1993, China declared a second facility, the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, as one of eight biological warfare research facilities covered by the Biological Weapons Convention, which China joined in 1985.

The Wuhan Institute of Biological Products is a civilian facility but is linked to the Chinese defense establishment. Mr. Shoham said it is thought to be involved in the Chinese Biological Weapons Convention program. China’s vaccine against SARS is probably produced there.

“This means the SARS virus is held and propagated there, but it is not a new coronavirus unless the wild type has been modified, which is not known and cannot be speculated at the moment,” he said.

The annual State Department report on arms treaty compliance stated last year that China engaged in activities that could support biological warfare.

“Information indicates that the People’s Republic of China engaged during the reporting period in biological activities with potential dual-use applications, which raises concerns regarding its compliance with the BWC,” said the report, adding that the United States suspects China failed to eliminate its biological warfare program as required by the treaty.

“The United States has compliance concerns with respect to Chinese military medical institutions’ toxin research and development because of the potential dual-use applications and their potential as a biological threat,” the report said.

The biosafety lab is about 20 miles from the Hunan Seafood Market, which reports from China say may have been the origin point of the virus.

Rutgers University microbiologist Richard Ebright told London’s Daily Mail that “at this point there’s no reason to harbor suspicions” that the lab may be linked to the virus outbreak.

[DemonGeminiX]

1 point for me. :dance:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Didn't realize that the story was truncated...rest of the story added above.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Yaron Steinbuch and Tamar Lapin - New York Post


https://i.imgur.com/4A4OkGD.jpg

Nearly half the population of the Chinese city at the heart of the coronavirus outbreak left town before it was put on lockdown, officials have revealed.

Wuhan’s mayor, Zhou Xianwang, said on Sunday that some 5 million people left the city during the Lunar New Year travel rush, raising new fears of a global pandemic.

The flu-like illness has so far killed 81 people and infected more than 2,800.

The exodus from the city of 11 million took place during the 24 days between Dec. 30, when the first reports of infection emerged, and Thursday, when the city was effectively quarantined, Zhou said.

The travelers took off for Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and Japan, as well as other parts of China, the South China Morning Post reported.

Seventeen cities in China, encompassing more than 50 million people, have now been locked down as the virus has continued to spread.

Anger mounted on social media over officials’ response, with some accusing the government of withholding information in the early days of the outbreak.

Zhou admitted on state TV on Monday that the city’s handling of the crisis was “not good enough” and offered to resign.

But he also said his hands had been tied by rules requiring Beijing’s approval before releasing sensitive information about infectious diseases.

Meanwhile Monday, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the virus originated at the Huanan Seafood Wholesales Market in Wuhan.

The now-shuttered market sold live animals including wolf pups, foxes, rats and peacocks.

“Thirty-one of the 33 positive samples were collected from the western zone of the market, where booths of wildlife trading concentrated,” the Chinese CDC said, according to China’s state-owned Xinhua news agency.

“The result suggests that the novel coronavirus outbreak is highly relevant to the trading of wild animals.”

Chinese authorities temporarily barred the trading of wild animals on Sunday.

On Monday, Mongolia closed its border with China, and Malaysia announced it would bar entry to visitors from Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the largest city.

President Trump also offered US help to control the growing crisis.

“We are in very close communication with China concerning the virus. Very few cases reported in USA, but strongly on watch. We have offered China and President Xi any help that is necessary,” Trump tweeted. “Our experts are extraordinary!”

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Ryan Saavedra - The Daily Wire


https://i.imgur.com/XJuaft1l.jpg

New reports from the Chinese government indicate that the number of people who have been infected by the coronavirus jumped from 2,700 yesterday to over 4,500 today as the number of people who have died from the outbreak is now well over 100.

“China on Tuesday reported 25 more deaths from a new viral disease, raising the total to at least 106, as the U.S. government prepared to fly Americans out of the city at the center of the outbreak,” The Associated Press reported. “There were 1,771 new cases confirmed on Monday, raising the national total to 4,515, according to the National Health Commission. It said 976 were in serious condition.”

The Washington Post reported that “a scientific assessment of the spread of the disease, assuming an optimistic 90 percent quarantine, still predicted more than 59,000 infections and 1,500 deaths — twice the toll of the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak.”

The New York Times reported yesterday that the rapid spread of the virus led China’s communist government to expanding its quarantine to an “unprecedented scope affecting 56 million people.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised its travel warning to China to its highest-level, strongly encouraging Americans to not travel to the communist nation.

“CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China,” The CDC said in a statement. “In response to an outbreak of respiratory illness, Chinese officials have closed transport within and out of Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province, including buses, subways, trains, and the international airport. Additional restrictions and cancellations of events may occur. There is limited access to adequate medical care in affected areas.”
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The Daily Wire reported yesterday that Ma Xiaowei, director of China’s National Health Commission, indicated that those who are infected with the virus but who are not yet showing symptoms may still be able to infect other people, making containment significantly harder.

“The epidemic is now entering a more serious and complex period,” Ma said on Sunday. “It looks like it will continue for some time, and the number of cases may increase.”

The Daily Wire reported on Saturday that Eric Toner, a scientist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Business Insider that he was not surprised by the rapid spread of the virus, and that he thinks millions of people could die from the virus based on a scientific model he created just a few months ago.

“Toner’s simulation of a hypothetical deadly coronavirus pandemic suggested that after six months, nearly every country in the world would have cases of the virus,” Business Insider reported. “Within 18 months, 65 million people could die.”

China is in the process of building a massive nearly 270,000 square foot hospital to respond to the crisis that it expects to be completed in the next few days.

Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, told BBC: “China has a record of getting things done fast even for monumental projects like this. This authoritarian country relies on this top down mobilization approach. They can overcome bureaucratic nature and financial constraints and are able to mobilize all of the resources. The engineering work is what China is good at. They have records of building skyscrapers at speed. This is very hard for westerners to imagine. It can be done.”

[RBP]

How do you build a 270,000 sq ft hospital in a few days?

[Muddy]

This is North Koreas "Christmas Gift" Rocket man spoke about.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

How do you build a 270,000 sq ft hospital in a few days?

Slave labor and substandard materials :dunno:

[lost in melb.]

Tents?

[RBP]

Tents?

Maybe just a little nervous.

[fricnjay]

Anybody else think that the communist Chinese government might have did this on purpose to control over population? :suspect:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Madeline Farber | Fox News


Top U.S. health officials this week provided further details on the nation's "coordinated public health response" to China-linked coronavirus that's killed more than 100 people and sickened thousands of others worldwide.

During a Tuesday news conference which included U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease (NCIRD) Director Nancy Messonnier, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci, officials said the outbreak is a "potentially very serious public health threat" in the United States, but that the current risk remains low.

Azar said the Chinese have refused continued offers from the U.S. to send CDC officials to the country to help with outbreak responses.

[DemonGeminiX]

By Madeline Farber | Fox News


Top U.S. health officials this week provided further details on the nation's "coordinated public health response" to China-linked coronavirus that's killed more than 100 people and sickened thousands of others worldwide.

During a Tuesday news conference which included U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease (NCIRD) Director Nancy Messonnier, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci, officials said the outbreak is a "potentially very serious public health threat" in the United States, but that the current risk remains low.

Azar said the Chinese have refused continued offers from the U.S. to send CDC officials to the country to help with outbreak responses.

They're hiding something.

[Muddy]

They're hiding something.

I would think we wouldn't accept their help either.

[DemonGeminiX]

I would think we wouldn't accept their help either.

Yeah, but we're more advanced in medical emergency response than they are. We wouldn't need their help.

[Muddy]

Yeah, but we're more advanced in medical emergency response than they are. We wouldn't need their help.

Are we? They manage over 1.4 billion people in that country..

[DemonGeminiX]

Are we? They manage over 1.4 billion people in that country..

If they're on par with us, then it's only because we gave them the tech. 30 years ago, they weren't jack shit compared to us.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Are we? They manage over 1.4 billion people in that country..

I think I'd rather be sick/injured in the United States versus China :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

China’s Health Care Crisis: Lines Before Dawn, Violence and ‘No Trust’ (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/30/business/china-health-care-doctors.html) via The New York Times

[Muddy]

I think I'd rather be sick/injured in the United States versus China :lol:

Agreed, because of many factors.. That place is like a petri dish..

[lost in melb.]

China’s Health Care Crisis: Lines Before Dawn, Violence and ‘No Trust’ (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/30/business/china-health-care-doctors.html) via The New York Times

They seem to be passionate about their work :dunno:


https://youtu.be/lA2SPn6cHFw

[lost in melb.]

More from the article:


Xiaoliang
Ann ArborOct. 1, 2018
As someone worked in healthcare industries in both countries for last 15 years, I feel compelled to express my opinion.

First of all, given the input of Chinese healthcare system, less than 5% of China GDP, Chinese healthcare system is one of most efficient system in the world. The life expectancy of China is on par with OECD countries. But due to the economic success, China is the victim of her own success, people live longer and demand better healthcare as any other nation. The current healthcare system is unable to keep up with the demand.

Secondly, healthcare sector is dominated by public hospitals. Local government is sole payer of all medical expenses. without market competition, the system is very inefficient.

Thirdly, there is no "Gate keeper". Any patient can go to the best hospital to get treatment of any illness. This is a huge waste of resources. Big cities, like Shanghai and Beijing, are trying to enforce referral system with limited success.

The ultimate solution has to come from opening up of healthcare system, allowing private hospitals and private insurance companies to compete with state controlled institutions.

Corruption is a symptom, rather than the root cause. Chinese doctors and nurses are vastly underpaid. Their workload is 5~10 times of their counterparts in the West.

There is no silver bullet for the problem. However the trends do point to the right direction.

[Godfather]

Hong Kong restricted travel from China... we're not though. I honestly think a lot of our politicians are afraid to call for it out of fears of being labeled xenophobic. Wouldn't be an issue if this originated in a white country would it? A virus is a virus morons.

[DemonGeminiX]

:rip: GF

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Associated Press


https://i.imgur.com/TKurftE.png
A Japanese chartered plane carrying evacuees from Wuhan, China, landed at Haneda international airport in Tokyo Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020, in Tokyo.

BEIJING (AP) — China, with 5,974 cases of a new virus, has more infections than it did in with SARS, though the death toll is still lower. China had 5,327 cases of SARS in the 2002-2003 outbreak.

China reported another large jump in cases Wednesday and a rise in the death toll to 132. That compares to 348 people killed in China during SARS. Severe acute respiratory syndrome killed nearly 800 people worldwide.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story is below:

Countries began evacuating their citizens Wednesday from the Chinese city hardest-hit by an outbreak of a new virus that has killed 132 people and infected more than 6,000 on the mainland and abroad.

A Japanese flight carrying evacuees home included four people with coughs and fevers, two of whom were diagnosed with pneumonia. The three men and one woman were taken to a Tokyo hospital in separate ambulances for treatment and further medical checks. Another woman developed nausea at the airport and was also hospitalized.

It wasn’t immediately known whether they were infected with the new type of coronavirus that appeared in the central city of Wuhan in December. Its symptoms, including cough and fever and in severe cases pneumonia, are similar to many other illnesses.

Where the virus has spread

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold. Others have evolved into more severe illnesses, such as SARS and MERS, though so far the new virus does not appear to be nearly as deadly.

https://i.imgur.com/ShWBbhq.png

https://i.imgur.com/TroVxce.png

China’s latest figures cover the previous 24 hours and add 26 to the number of deaths, 25 of which were in the central province of Hubei and its capital, Wuhan. The 5,974 cases on the mainland marked a rise of 1,459 from the previous day, although that rise is a smaller increase than the 1,771 new cases reported on Monday. Dozens of infections have been confirmed abroad as well.

The United Arab Emirates, home to long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad, confirmed its first cases on Wednesday in members of a family who had come from Wuhan, the state-run news agency reported. It wasn’t immediately clear how many family members were involved.

British Airways announced it was immediately suspending all flights to and from mainland China after the U.K. government warned against unnecessary travel to the country. BA said in a statement Wednesday that “we apologize to customers for the inconvenience, but the safety of our customers and crew is always our priority.” The airline operates daily flights from London’s Heathrow Airport to Shanghai and Beijing.

The outbreak has also affected international sporting events, with the International Hockey Federation postponing Pro League games in China and qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled in February in soccer, basketball and boxing being moved outside of the country. With just 177 days before the summer Games, Tokyo organizers are on edge over the outbreak’s possible knock-on effects.

In Australia, health officials said the Chinese women’s national soccer team was quarantined in the city of Brisbane over concerns it had passed through Wuhan a week ago.

The team will be kept in isolation in a hotel until Wednesday next week. None of the group of 32 players and staff have shown symptoms.

Chartered planes carrying evacuees home to Japan and the United States left Wuhan early Wednesday as other countries planned similar evacuations from areas China has shut down to try to contain the virus. The lockdown of 17 cities has trapped more than 50 million people in the most far-reaching disease control measures ever imposed.

A plane carrying Americans who had been in Wuhan left for Anchorage, Alaska, where they will be re-screened for the virus. U.S. hospitals are prepared to treat or quarantine people who may be infected. After departing Alaska, the plane is to fly to Ontario, California.

At the Tokyo airport, Takeo Aoyama, an employee at Nippon Steel Corp.’s subsidiary in Wuhan, told reporters he was relieved to be able to return home.

“We were feeling increasingly uneasy as the situation developed so rapidly and we were still in the city,” Aoyama said, his voice muffled by a white surgical mask.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed the condition of the four ill passengers after the flight of 206 Japanese evacuees arrived. They were taken in separate ambulances to a Tokyo hospital for treatment and further health checks.

All of the passengers had their temperatures checked before boarding and on the plane, and plans had been made for all of the evacuees to be treated and quarantined depending on their test results.

Among those remaining in Wuhan was Sara Platto, an Italian animal behavior researcher and veterinarian, and her son, Matteo.

“My son turned 12 on January 23, the first day of the lockdown in Wuhan. So he couldn’t invite his friends over. We had a remote birthday celebration, with people ‘visiting’ him over Wechat,” Platto said, referring to China’s Twitter-like messaging app. “We called it the epidemic birthday.”

Platto said there were 25 Italians stuck in Wuhan, some students, some very young, who stay in touch online for material and emotional support. She has used her scientific background to offer advice and debunk sensational false news, reminding friends to wash their hands and faces often.

As much as panic, people spending most of their times indoors have to deal with boredom.

Matteo usually has a very busy agenda between his school, sports, and volunteer work, but now “it’s like suddenly everything has slowed down,” Platto said. As with other international schools, classes are moving online until the all-clear is sounded.

“We have most of what we need for now. I think it’s a serious situation, but we are not in zombie land,” she said.

Several countries have confirmed cases of the virus, with most of them being Chinese visitors, people who visited Wuhan or family members in close contact to the sick. Japan’s six confirmed cases include a tour bus driver who drove visiting groups from Wuhan. Germany says four workers at an auto parts company possibly were infected when a colleague from Shanghai visited.

Australia and New Zealand were the latest countries planning evacuations. Both countries also stepped up their travel advice to China, as did Britain. Experts have feared travel during the Lunar New Year holiday would enable the further spread of the virus, and China expanded the holiday to keep people home, closing schools and offices to try to contain it.

Hong Kong’s leader said the territory will cut all rail links to the mainland and halve the number of flights. Mongolia and North Korea were closing their borders with China, and many places have curtailed flights or are screening travelers arriving from China.

Wuhan is building two hospitals in a matter of days to add 2,500 beds for treatment of patients with the virus.

The new virus is from the coronavirus family, which includes those that can cause the common cold as well as more serious illnesses such as SARS and MERS.

The source of the virus and the full extent of its spread are still unknown. However, the World Health Organization said most cases reported to date “have been milder, with around 20% of those infected experiencing severe illness.”

On Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss the latest information on the outbreak and reiterate their commitment to bringing it under control.

“The National Health Commission presented China’s strong public health capacities and resources to respond and manage respiratory disease outbreaks,” WHO’s statement said.

It said discussions focused on ways to cooperate to contain the virus in Wuhan and other cities and provinces and studies that could contribute to the development of medical countermeasures such as vaccines and treatments. Other WHO experts will visit China as soon as possible, it said.

“Stopping the spread of this virus both in China and globally is WHO’s highest priority,” Tedros said.

___

Associated Press writer Christina Larson in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Emily Zanotti - The Daily Wire


https://i.imgur.com/6PX9lbdl.jpg

Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other internet powerhouses are scrambling to control the flood of misinformation surrounding the coronavirus, a new and seemingly deadly disease responsible for dozens of deaths in China now spreading to other parts of the globe. But the Chinese government, it now seems, is working against the tide, spreading misinformation of their own to convince foreign governments and world health officials that they’re efficiently handling the outbreak.

The Daily Beast reports that Chinese state media is tweeting photos of roadblocks, checkpoints, and even a hastily constructed hospital to show it’s “on top of things.”

“People’s Daily, owned by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the most-circulated newspaper in China, and Lijian Zhao, a deputy director of information with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tweeted an image Monday morning of a building they claimed was a hospital in Wuhan, China, the center of the recent coronavirus outbreak,” the Daily Beast reported Tuesday. “The publication and the bureaucrat said enterprising workers in Wuhan had constructed the hospital in just 16 hours.

“In reality, the picture showed an apartment building more than 600 miles away.”

Both Daily Beast and Buzzfeed News were able to identify the building using an image search, but that didn’t stop other Chinese news sources from propagating the government’s claim.

“The Global Times, another party outlet, published a story Monday about the purported construction,” boasting that the hospital was completed in just 16 hours.

“The government wants to use the new hospital to show it is on top of things, but apparently it is not. Even the picture of the hospital is fake,” a researcher with Human Rights Watch told the Daily Beast.

Such obvious misinformation is actually detrimental to the overall public relations push, experts said, because it makes it appear as though China is deliberately trying to mask their response to the disease, which has, so far, killed around a hundred people and infected 2,700 — a significant number, but by no means indicative of a massive outbreak, or even a pandemic.

To put the numbers in perspective, the Centers for Disease control estimates that “so far this season there have been at least 15 million flu illnesses, 140,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 deaths from flu” in the United States alone.

But China struggles with containing disease, as evidenced by the SARS outbreak that took place in 2003, and those suffering from the coronavirus in China may be more likely to die not because the virus is so severe, but because the country lacks the infrastructure needed to handle a health crisis. A government-sponsored misinformation campaign does little to dispell that impression.

For China, the problem may also be internal. Memories of the SARS outbreak are still fresh in China and, The New York Times reported Monday, Chinese social media sites are overrun with commenters criticizing the government for botching the response to coronavirus. The Chinese government, which heavily censors such sites, seems powerless to control the anger, and it’s only a matter of time before distrust foments into more concrete anti-government action.

In the U.S. and Europe, social media sites and news organizations are working to head off disinformation campaigns, by foreign governments and viral media sources. The outbreak was not planned, “bat soup” is not responsible for the disease (though experts speculate Chinese “wet markets,” which sell warm, freshly slaughtered animal, may be breeding grounds for diseases like coronavirus), and coronavirus is not the result of bioweapons experimentation in Wuhan.

[DemonGeminiX]

^^^^^


And they still lie to the outside world. They're like Russia, they'll do everything to save face in the world community until plausible deniability can no longer cover the evidence of the lie. Communists always convey the image of strength, even when shit is falling apart. It's a hallmark of the ideology.

Told ya, Lost.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/nswnV7r.jpg

[Muddy]

China's obviously as sensitive as the Tweeter in Chief..

[PorkChopSandwiches]

:rofl:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/lW7jljo.png

Russia has closed its border with China over coronavirus fears, according to local reports.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order on Thursday to close the border, which he says will be carried out immediately, according to the Moscow Times.

“We’ll inform everyone today about the border-closure measures in the Far East region and other activities taken by the Russian government [to limit the spread of the deadly virus],” he said, according to the outlet.
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The Foreign Ministry said the country would also temporarily stop issuing electronic visas to Chinese nationals, according to the Moscow Times

The two countries had over $100 billion in trade last year, according to Forbes. The outlet reported they planned to increase their trade over the next five years to $200 billion.

Russia had suspended organized tour groups from China earlier in the week due to the virus. They had reportedly continued to let in Chinese visitors arriving by plane and train, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Chinese government has offered no timetable as to when it can contain the outbreak, although some specialists believe the spread of the disease will reach its peak in about two weeks.

The World Health Organization has called for an Emergency Committee meeting on Thursday to determine whether it constitutes a public health emergency.

The past 24 hours have seen 1,737 new cases and 37 people killed.

The Associated Press contributed to the report

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/U27RVbB.png

[Muddy]

Australia.. :lol: Them and their island shenanigans..

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Erin Schumaker - ABC News


https://i.imgur.com/9Xf3Oc0.jpg

The first case of human-to-human coronavirus transmission in the U.S. has been confirmed, in a patient in Illinois, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.

The transmission occurred between a husband and wife, who were in close contact with one another. The wife, a woman in her 60s, had traveled Wuhan, China, and had been diagnosed with the virus last week.

The transmission marks the sixth case of coronavirus in the U.S.

The World Health Organization is set to decide Thursday whether to declare the new coronavirus, which has sickened thousands and sparked concern around the world, a public health emergency of international concern.

The organization deliberated for two days last week on the same issue but declined to declare a global emergency at the time. Since then, however, patients from Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus without having visited China. The new coronavirus is in the same family of viruses as the common cold and SARS.

That human-to-human transmission outside of China "worries us," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general at WHO, said during a Wednesday news conference.

At last count, more than 7,700 people have been sickened by the novel coronavirus and 170 have died from it. More than 90% percent of those cases, and every death, have been in China.

According to WHO, 20% of cases are considered to be severe and 2% have been fatal. It's expected that the fatality rate of the new coronavirus will decrease as more cases are reported, since the sickest individuals tend to seek medical treatment first.

In the United States, 165 people are under investigation for the new coronavirus. Of those individuals, 68 have tested negative and five have tested positive, with those five people all having traveled to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. The remaining individuals' tests are in transit or have pending results.

Twenty American airports are screening passengers for signs of sickness and distributing educational materials the signs of coronavirus to people returning from China.

Airlines around the world have suspended some routes to China -- United, Delta, American Airlines, British Airways, Air Seoul, Lion Air, Lufthansa Group, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Air Asia, Air India, Air Canada, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines and Korean Air.

This week, the U.S. government chartered a flight to evacuate 196 Americans from Wuhan, China. Those evacuees were screened and monitored for signs of illness before and throughout their flight. After landing in California, the passengers entered a voluntary three-day quarantine and will be offered testing for the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump announced that he was forming a coronavirus task force made up of top health, transportation, and national security officials. The team will coordinate efforts to respond to coronavirus and work to prevent the virus from spreading.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Vandana Rambaran | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/pV70P9x.jpg

The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the new coronavirus outbreak a global emergency amid the recent jump in the number of infected patients.

"The main reason is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced at a press conference in Geneva on Thursday.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/EWkrA4Zl.jpg

A flight carrying 110 British and foreign nationals flew out of China on Friday and is expected to arrive at Royal Air Force Brize Norton in Oxfordshire at 1 p.m. (8 a.m. EST), according to the British Government.

“We know how distressing the situation has been for those waiting to leave,” Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a notice. “We have been working round the clock to clear the way for a safe departure. The welfare of those trapped and public safety have been our overriding priorities."

The plane will then travel to Spain where the passenger's home countries will take responsibility for them, the notice said. Chinese officials had originally blocked the flight on Thursday morning, which expected to leave Wuhan with 200 people.

Meanwhile, people in China are defying a lockdown by leaving and entering a bridge over the Yangzte River in Hubei province -- the country's virus epicenter. It's been on lockdown for vehicles, but people could still get out in "special circumstances," according to Reuters.

Weeks after China announced the outbreak of the coronavirus, the international community has increased measures to prevent a widespread epidemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency as it spreads to countries outside of China and the number of infected patients continues to grow.

Countries around the globe have increased travel restrictions to the infected mainland China and Hubei province -- with the U.S. State Department increasing its advisory to level 4: "Do Not Travel."

STATE DEPARTMENT, CITING CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, RAISES CHINA TRAVEL ADVISORY: 'DO NOT TRAVEL'

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have advised travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to the country.

Coronavirus has now infected more people in China than were sickened during the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s. No deaths have been reported outside of the country.

https://i.imgur.com/1Bi1oDo.png

Here are the latest figures.

How many have been infected or have died?

The death toll from the virus has increased to 213 on Friday, with a total of 9,692 infected. The number of cases has increased more than tenfold in a week, with 43 new deaths reported on Friday, the most in a 24-hour-period.

Where is the virus?

Roughly 99 percent of new cases have appeared in China. Of the new deaths, 37 occurred in Hubei province, with one in the southwestern province of Sichuan. The virus has been reported in at least 16 countries globally.

The United States currently has six cases of the virus: two in California, one in Arizona, one in Washington and two in Illinois, health officials say. The sixth case was confirmed Thursday in a Chicago resident, who is the spouse of the first confirmed travel-related case in Illinois. The new case marks the first in the U.S. that occurred via person-to-person transmission, CDC officials said.

United Kingdom -- 2 cases

France -- 5

Thailand -- 14

Australia -- 9

Germany -- 4

Canada -- 3

Japan -- 14

Malaysia -- 8

South Korea -- 6

Taiwan -- 9

United Arab Emirates -- 4

Vietnam -- 4

Sri Lanka -- 1

Philippines -- 1

Nepal -- 1

Malaysia -- 7

Finland --1

Cambodia -- 1

India -- 1

Singapore -- 13

Italy -- 2

What are the current travel restrictions?

Officials at the CDC have advised travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to the country. The U.S. State Department raised its China travel advisory to "Level 4: Do Not Travel." The U.S. expanded the screening of travelers arriving from Wuhan from five to 20 airports.

"Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means. The Department of State has requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel coronavirus," The advisory said.

Pakistan says they're halting all flights to and from China until Feb. 2.

Singapore said it would ban travelers from China's Hubei province.

The United Kingdom and New Zealand also advised their people against nonessential travel to China.

Russia has signed an order to close the border between them and China. They also blocked tour groups from China.

China has cut off access to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, trapping more than 50 million people.

Italy suspends all flights to China

South Korea urged an increase in its level of caution to "restraint" when traveling to China.

Hong Kong reduced half its flights and shut down rail service to mainland China.

United canceled all flights to China.

American Airlines suspended L.A. flights to and from Shanghai and Beijing.

Delta airlines reducing flights to China from 42 per week to 21 per week

British Airways suspended all flights to and from mainland China.

Virgin Atlantic suspending operations to Shanghai for two weeks

Lufthansa suspending flights to and from China until Feb. 9

Air India and Seoul Air halting all flights to the country.

Egypt Air suspending all fights starting Feb. 1

Air France suspending all flights until Feb. 9

Finnair, Cathay Pacific, and Jetstar also stopping service.

Lion Air canceled 50 flights to China into February.

Air Canada suspending all direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai.

Kenya Airways suspends all flights to China

The Associated Press contributed to the report

[lost in melb.]

Australia.. :lol: Them and their island shenanigans..

:headbang:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/bX1k3sOl.jpg

China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the U.S. has failed to give China any substantive help in its fight against the coronavirus outbreak and instead contributed to the international panic surrounding the illness, a report said.

China said it is unreasonable that the U.S. is preventing people from entering its borders, according to Reuters. The virus thus far is blamed in 361 deaths and 17,205 infections, mainly in the area around Huwan, China, the virus' epicenter. The foreign ministry added that some countries, like the U.S., overreacted to the outbreak and Beijing hopes nations around the world begin to make reasonable, calm and science-based judgments, the report said.

"All it has done could only create and spread fear, which is a bad example," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, according to the news agency. He said countries like the U.S. have "strong epidemic prevention capabilities and facilities," but instead of following World Health Organization guidelines, the U.S. concentrated on travel restrictions.

Trump said in an exclusive interview with Fox News on Thursday that his administration is working closely with China during the deadly coronavirus outbreak and said the U.S. was in "great shape" thus far in dealing with the illness.

Speaking before his rally in Des Moines, Trump said he was "dealing very closely with China."

"We are in great shape. China is not in great shape right now, unfortunately. But they’re working very hard," Trump said. "We’ll see what happens. But we’re working very closely with China and other countries."

There are now 11 confirmed cases in the U.S. as of Monday morning. although no deaths have been reported. There are six cases of infected in California, one in Arizona, one in Washington state, one in Massachusetts and two in Illinois.

The U.S. declared a public health emergency on Friday, with Trump signing an order barring entry to foreign nationals, other than the immediate family of American citizens and permanent residents who visited china within 14 days -- its longest incubation period. China criticized that decision.

The State Department also issued its highest level do-not-travel advisory for China.

“Just as the WHO recommended against travel restrictions, the U.S. rushed to go in the opposite way. Certainly not a gesture of goodwill,” said Chunying.

[lost in melb.]

Didn't China refuse help from the US :-k

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Didn't China refuse help from the US :-k

Yup, the CDC offered to send a team over to help.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/BEiIdqW.png

Coronavirus infection numbers have surpassed 20,000 on Tuesday, prompting President Xi Jinping to announce a "people's war of prevention of the epidemic" while addressing China's elite Politburo.

Xi said on Monday that China must race against time to limit the spread of the virus and said those who neglect their duties will be punished, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Experts believe the highly transmissible disease will become a pandemic as infected numbers continue to increase in China and countries around the world.

There are now 11 confirmed cases in the U.S.

As of Tuesday morning, there are six in California, one in Arizona, one in Washington state, one in Massachusetts and two in Illinois. No deaths have been reported in the U.S. and 99 percent of cases still remain in China.

https://i.imgur.com/XwKpNnS.png

Three more people were announced to have been infected in California on Sunday.

“I understand that people are concerned, but based on what we know today, the risk to [the] general public remains low,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s health officer. “A second case is not unexpected. With our large population and the amount of travel to China for both personal and business reasons, we will likely see more cases.”

The U.S. announced Sunday that Americans who traveled to China within the last 14 days would be sent to designated airports for enhanced screenings. Foreign nationals who recently went to China would be denied entry, other than the immediate family of American citizens and permanent residents.

China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the U.S. hasn't given the country any substantive help in its fight against the coronavirus outbreak. They added the U.S. was contributing to the international panic surrounding the illness, according to a report by Reuters.

https://i.imgur.com/KybVlLj.png

Three people in New York City are also being tested for the coronavirus after they made recent trips to mainland China, according to the state's department of public health.

"We are continuing to work closely with our partners at the CDC, State, and federal government as the coronavirus situation evolves,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “If you have traveled to the area affected by the outbreak in the last 14 days and feel unwell, call your doctor or visit a clinic, and you will be cared for."

Test results conducted by the CDC will take roughly 36-48 hours to determine if the three people in New York City were infected with the virus.

Weeks after China announced the outbreak of the coronavirus, the international community has increased measures to prevent a widespread epidemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency as it spreads to countries outside of China and the number of infected patients continues to grow.

Countries around the globe have increased travel restrictions to the infected mainland China and Hubei province -- with the U.S. State Department increasing its advisory to level 4: "Do Not Travel."

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have advised travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to the country.

Coronavirus has now infected and killed more people in China than were sickened during the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s.

Here are the latest figures.

How many have been infected or have died?

The death toll from the virus increased to 425 on Tuesday, with a total of 20,438 infected -- an increase of 15 percent in those killed and infected from the previous day.

The SARS outbreak had killed 349 people in mainland China back in 2002 and 2003 -- with 744 deaths and 8,096 infections globally, according to the CDC.

The first death outside of China was recorded in the Philippines on Sunday. The 44-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan was hospitalized last week with a fever, cough and sore throat, and died after developing severe pneumonia, according to the Philippines health department.

Hong Kong reported its first death on Tuesday in a 39-year-old man who traveled from Wuhan.

The WHO said the number of cases will keep growing as tests are pending on thousands of suspected cases.

Where is the virus?

Roughly 99 percent of new cases have appeared in China with the vast majority of the cases in Hubei province and its provincial capital, Wuhan -- the epicenter of the virus.

https://i.imgur.com/Aus74ob.png

About 150 cases have been reported in at least 25 countries globally.

The United Kingdom announced on Friday it has two cases of the virus, who are reportedly members of the same family.

"The patients are receiving specialist NHS [National Health Service] care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus," said Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer.

France -- 6 cases

Russia -- 2

Spain -- 1

Thailand -- 19

Australia -- 12

Germany -- 10

Canada -- 4

Japan -- 20

Malaysia -- 8

South Korea -- 15

Taiwan -- 11

United Arab Emirates -- 5

Vietnam -- 8

Sri Lanka -- 1

Philippines -- 2 (1 death)

Nepal -- 1

Finland --1

Cambodia -- 1

India -- 3

Singapore -- 18

Italy -- 2

Sweden -- 1

Differences between coronavirus and the flu?

The flu has estimated to have killed roughly 10,000 to 25,000 people with nearly 19 to 26 million infected in the U.S. between October 1, 2019, and January 25, 2020, according to the CDC. Coronavirus has impacted a far lesser number, although it's not yet clear how many have been infected or how widespread it is.

There have also been reports it can be spread without symptoms showing up. In respiratory illnesses, people with the most symptoms are the most contagious, the agency said. Children and those over 65 are the most likely to get sick from the flu, the CDC added.

Unlike the coronavirus, there's a seasonal vaccine for the flu. People over six months out are advised by the agency to get it during annual vaccination, with certain rare exceptions, such as severe allergies to the shot.

No vaccine has been developed for coronavirus as of yet, which makes it dangerous in that respect.

How did it start?

Chinese scientists believe the virus may have originated in bats. A study by the Wuhan Institute of Virology said that genome sequences from seven patients tested were identical to the bat coronavirus.

How does it transmit?

It's believed the normal coronavirus can be transmitted most commonly through respiratory droplets in the air, as well as close contact with an infected person or touching areas contaminated with the virus before washing. The digestive tract may also transmit the disease, according to scientists from the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University and the Wuhan Institute of Virology of the Chinses Academy of Science. They recently discovered "virus genetic material" in feces samples and rectal swabs from some patients, Chinese state media reported.

What are the current travel restrictions?

The U.S. declared the coronavirus a public health emergency on Friday with Trump signing an order barring entry to foreign nationals who recently were in China, other than the immediate family of American citizens and permanent residents.

Officials at the CDC have advised travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to the country. The U.S. State Department raised its China travel advisory to "Level 4: Do Not Travel." The U.S. expanded the screening of travelers arriving from Wuhan from five to 20 airports.

https://i.imgur.com/9c6gHMg.png

"Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means. The Department of State has requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel coronavirus," The advisory said.

Vietnam stopped all flights to and from China.

Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Australia all have similar policies to the U.S. on restricting non-citizens.

Mongolia and Singapore have shut their borders.

Singapore said it would ban travelers from China's Hubei province.

Pakistan says they're halting all flights to and from China until Feb. 2.

The United Kingdom and New Zealand advised their people against nonessential travel to China.

Russia has signed an order to close the border between them and China. They also blocked tour groups from China.

China has cut off access to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, trapping more than 50 million people

Japan bars foreign nationals who had been to Hubei province.

Carnival and Royal Carribean denying boarding of people who travel to China within 14 days.

Italy suspended all flights to China.

South Korea urged an increase in its level of caution to "restraint" when traveling to China.

Hong Kong reduced half its flights and shut down rail service to mainland China.

Delta suspended service to China on Feb. 6.

United's pilots, concerned for their safety, were able to drop trips to China without pay, a union memo said, according to Reuters.

American Airlines suspended L.A. flights to and from Shanghai and Beijing.

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents 15,000 pilots for American Airlines filed a lawsuit to halt service with the airline, citing “serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus."

"I am directing all APA pilots to cease flight operations between the United States and China," said APA president Eric Ferguson. "Until further notice, if you are scheduled, assigned, or reassigned a pairing into China, decline the assignment by calling your Chief Pilot or IOC Duty Pilot. Inform them you are declining in accordance with the CDC and WHO declarations."

Delta suspending service on Feb 6. -- last flight on Monday.

British Airways suspended all flights to and from mainland China.

Virgin Atlantic suspending operations to Shanghai for two weeks.

Lufthansa suspending flights to and from China until Feb. 9.

Air India and Seoul Air halting all flights to the country.

Egypt Air suspending all fights starting Feb. 1.

Air France suspending all flights until Feb. 9.

Finnair, Cathay Pacific, and Jetstar also stopping service.

Lion Air canceled 50 flights to China into February.

Air Canada suspending all direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai.

Kenya Airways suspends all flights to China.

The Associated Press contributed to the report

[perrhaps]

Last time I read, 20,000 Americans have died from the flu this flu season. Why aren't other countries quarantining American visitors and cancelling flights to and from here?

[DemonGeminiX]

Last time I read, 20,000 Americans have died from the flu this flu season. Why aren't other countries quarantining American visitors and cancelling flights to and from here?

I think most people with the flu aren't stupid enough to try to travel to another country while sick. Either that or the fact that they're visibly sick gets them turned away?

I know airlines have the right to refuse to let people board if they're visibly ill, so maybe the flu thing is a foregone conclusion. If you have the flu, don't expect to fly.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I think most people with the flu aren't stupid enough to try to travel to another country while sick. Either that or the fact that they're visibly sick gets them turned away?

Not to mention the fact that there's this little thing called a 'flu vaccine' that people can take to prevent/limit the severity of the flu. Plus, doctors know what causes the flu, how it's transmitted, all that good stuff. The flu isn't some brand new disease that just popped up out of nowhere.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/XztYPGkl.jpg

A Chinese newborn has become the youngest person infected with the coronavirus, after it was diagnosed just 30 hours after birth, according to multiple reports.

The baby's mother reportedly tested positive before she gave birth on Feb. 2 in Wuhan -- the epicenter of the virus, the BBC reported, citing state media outlet Xinhua. They added the baby is in stable condition.

The television network says the baby could have either contracted the virus while in the womb or became infected due to close contact with the mother after birth.

"This reminds us to pay attention to mother-to-child being a possible route of coronavirus transmission," chief physician of Wuhan Children Hospital's neonatal medicine department, Zeng Lingkong told Reuters.

The median age for infected patients is between 49 to 56 years old, according to a report by the Journal of American Medical Association.

A Korean Air flight traveling to Las Vegas was diverted to Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday due to concerns that some of its passengers had been exposed to the coronavirus, according to a statement from the airline.

The flight continued to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas once they passed screening tests.

Three of the flight's 200 passengers had reportedly been in China within 14 days of the flight's departure. After showing no signs of symptoms in Los Angeles, they were allowed back on the flight.

It wasn't clear if they had been to Wuhan.

https://i.imgur.com/l19cqRd.png

A spokesman from McCarran confirmed reports there were “concerns that passengers aboard had been to China.”

There are now 12 confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S.

As of Wednesday night, six were in California, one in Wisconsin, one in Arizona, one in Washington state, one in Massachusetts and two in Illinois. No deaths have been reported in the U.S., and 99 percent of cases still remain in China.

One person was announced to have been infected in Wisconsin on Wednesday after being exposed to the virus while in China, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

“DHS is operating with an abundance of caution and is working very closely with the local health department and UW Hospital and Clinics to ensure that this patient and any close contacts are closely monitored,” said State Health Officer Jeanne Ayers. “The risk of getting sick from 2019 novel coronavirus in Wisconsin is very low. We are responding aggressively to the situation and monitoring all developments. We are committed to keeping the public fully informed and will continue to provide updates as this situation unfolds.”

UW Health says they are operating with "an abundance of caution" to make sure the patient is "closely monitored."

“Since initial treatment at University Hospital, the patient has been self-quarantined at home. We are coordinating with the CDC, DHS, and local health authorities," said UW Health Medical Director of Infection Control Dr. Nasia Safdar.

The U.S. announced on Sunday that Americans who traveled to China within the last 14 days would be sent to designated airports for enhanced screenings. Foreign nationals who recently went to China would be denied entry in the U.S., except for the immediate family of American citizens and permanent residents.

In Asia, 20 passengers have tested positive for the coronavirus aboard one of two quarantined cruise ships outside of Japan, according to health officials in the country on Thursday.

https://i.imgur.com/yHmY0me.png

Yesterday, 10 people aboard the Diamond Princess ship had fallen ill with the virus, resulting in roughly 3,700 passengers being placed in quarantine -- a total of 5,000 on both ships.

https://i.imgur.com/MH1ezgb.png

Two additional people in New York City are also being tested for the coronavirus after returning from China.

“New York City is on high alert and prepared to handle any confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio in a statement. “My message to New Yorkers remains the same: if you have the travel history and are exhibiting symptoms, please see your health provider immediately.”

Earlier this week, testing for one of the previous three people in New York City come back negative for the coronavirus after they made recent trips to mainland China, according to the state's Department of Public Health.

“The first person who met the criteria to have samples sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was found not to have the 2019 novel coronavirus,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “The response and care the patient received reflects how well the systems we have in place are working. We want to thank everyone for all they did, and we will keep New Yorkers informed as the situation develops.”

Results of the pending four tests should be known in 36-48 hours, officials said.

China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the U.S. hasn't given the country any substantive help in its fight against the coronavirus outbreak. They added the U.S. was contributing to the international panic surrounding the illness, according to a report by Reuters.

https://i.imgur.com/n0Ot1qs.png

Weeks after China announced the outbreak of the coronavirus, the international community has increased measures to prevent a widespread epidemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency as it spreads to countries outside of China and the number of infected patients continues to grow.

Countries around the globe have increased travel restrictions to the infected mainland China and Hubei province — with the U.S. State Department increasing its advisory to level 4: "Do Not Travel."

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have advised travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to the country.

Coronavirus has now infected and killed more people in China than were sickened during the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s.

The SARS outbreak had killed 349 people in mainland China back in 2002 and 2003 -- with 744 deaths and 8,096 infections globally, according to the CDC.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By ROSS IBBETSON FOR MAILONLINE


https://i.imgur.com/WYcVVWM.jpg
Chinese news site Tencent allegedly listed figures for the coronavirus on Saturday showing that more than
154,000 were infected and a death toll of 24,589 - more than ten times and 80 times the official figures
respectively. The figures posted included 79,808 suspected cases - four times the official numbers - and
the number of cured cases as 269, rather than 351

Web users have questioned the authenticity of Beijing's coronavirus death toll after claiming to have spotted much higher statistics of the victims 'momentarily' on the country's largest online news site.

Tencent, the second largest company in China, allegedly listed figures for the coronavirus on Saturday showing 154,023 were infected and 24,589 dead - more than ten times and 80 times the official figures respectively.

But the website swiftly updated its 'Epidemic Situation Tracker' to reflect the official figures of 14,446 infected and 304 dead, internet users accused.

The images have sparked wild conspiracy theories.

While some people said the staggering figures could have been leaked by journalists with conscience in defiance of Beijing's order; others argued that the trending screen grabs could have been digitally altered.

https://i.imgur.com/w3IQGMq.jpg
The life-threatening disease has killed at least 565 people and infected more than 28,300

The other erroneous or leaked figures posted included 79,808 suspected cases - four times the official numbers - and the number of cured cases as 269, rather than 351.

The news comes amid widespread speculation that the Communist Party in Beijing may be suppressing the ravages of the deadly flu-like virus.

MailOnline cannot independently verify the authenticity of the screen grabs. Tencent has not issued any statement regarding the accusation.

The official death toll continues to rise in China as the country's National Health Commission reported 73 new deaths overnight - another daily record.

The life-threatening disease, which can spread through saliva, has killed at least 565 people and infected more than 28,300 globally.

https://i.imgur.com/ZtEfiCq.jpg
One image, shared by a website called Secret China, appeared to show Tencent reporting 2,577 people killed by
January 26 - more than 30 times higher than the governmental number

https://i.imgur.com/ee9MNBw.jpg
Another image purports to show Tencent updating the death toll to just 81 the day after

Netizens claimed to have seen higher death tolls briefly on Tencent twice already last month.

One Twitter user, who claims to be a Taiwan-based political analyst, shared one screen grab, which purported to show the death toll at 12,781 at around 8:30pm on January 27. The official death toll on the day was 80.

Another image, shared by a website called Secret China, appeared to show Tencent reporting 2,577 people killed by January 26 - more than 30 times higher than the governmental number.

The discussions and relevant screen grabs were circulating on Facebook and Twitter, both of which are blocked in China. The controversy has also been covered by Chinese-language websites based out of mainland China, such as Taiwan News.

Pincong, a Chinese forum with a focus on censored topics, commented on the Tencent figures: 'Don't know if this is true, but it is certain that the real figures are higher [than the official ones].

'Because the majority of sufferers in Wuhan have sent their pleadings for help through WeChat, accusing hospitals of refusing to admit them after they had been infected.

'[Therefore], these deaths were not counted into the epidemic statistics. This is enough to show how serious the real situation is.'

However, some comments under the Pingcong post suggested that the viral screen grabs could have been digitally altered.

One person called 'Hui Yeji' said: 'The real figures should not be much lower than this, but the picture is likely to be fake.'

To mock those spreading the conspiracy theories, another user known as 'InspectorBen' uploaded an edited screenshot which showed the death toll at 114,514 on January 32.

https://i.imgur.com/6WqQUkz.jpg
One user known as 'InspectorBen' uploaded an edited screenshot (above) which shows the death toll at 114,514
on January 32 to mock those spreading the conspiracy theories

https://i.imgur.com/Pi7HiES.jpg
The number of people infected with the coronavirus has soared since late January. The true toll is expected to be
considerably higher as many may have mild symptoms never get diagnosed

https://i.imgur.com/htNZf1z.jpg
The death toll jumped by more than 70 overnight, taking total deaths to 565 since January 20

China's Communist Party has been accused of under-reporting the official figures and cracking down on medics who have attempted to reveal the truth.

China on Thursday reported the death toll from the coronavirus had risen by 73 to 563, with the number of confirmed cases jumping by 3,694 to 28,018, the majority in and around Wuhan.

Most of those who have died were in that region, but officials have confirmed multiple deaths elsewhere, including in the capital Beijing.

But there have been reports from crematorium workers in Wuhan - the epicentre of the virus - that they are being sent corpses not added to the official tally.

Meanwhile hospital staff have leaked videos purporting to show dead bodies strewn across ward corridors in Wuhan.

And a doctor, 34-year-old Li Wenliang, earlier this week came down with the virus himself after he was cautioned by police for informing his colleagues at the start of the outbreak of 'SARS at a Wuhan seafood market.'

In addition, China has been critical of countries like the US for taking what it believes are extreme measures in barring its people from migration, setting a further dichotomy between what Beijing wants the world to believe and what is fact.

The US, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Taiwan and Vietnam have all banned foreigners crossing through their borders from China. And countless airlines have decided to halt flights to the country.

Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, reported 70 new deaths and 2,987 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, the local health commission said in a notice on Thursday.

Hubei in central China has been in virtual lock-down for nearly two weeks, with its train stations and airports shut and its roads sealed off.

The coronavirus was first identified in Hubei's provincial capital of Wuhan and is believed to have originated at a seafood market in the city.

The number of deaths on Wednesday was higher than the 65 reported on the previous day, though the number of new cases fell slightly from 3,156.

The province's healthcare infrastructure has come under heavy pressure as a result of the epidemic.

The commission said as many as 14,314 people were still undergoing treatment on Wednesday, with 2,328 still in a serious condition.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Sophie Bateman - The Daily Star


https://i.imgur.com/n1o9Hiwl.jpg

Rumours are circulating about the whereabouts of President Xi Jinping amid China's coronavirus epidemic.

The state leader hasn't been seen in several days, missing his regularly scheduled media appearances - odd behaviour for a leader who dominates the Chinese press.

It's even stranger for the President to vanish during a public health crisis, although state media reports Xi has been personally directing the country's response to the deadly virus that has killed more than 500 people.

Xi typically appears on CCTV's main news programme and the front page of the People's Daily almost every day, as both are run by the ruling Communist Party. The newspaper in particular often devotes entire front page spreads to photos of the President meeting dignitaries and conducting normal business.

He has now been absent from Chinese media for several days.

Media scrutinising his conspicuous absence have come up with several theories. One is that he has retreated into the background to minimise his perceived involvement with the coronavirus crisis, allowing other officials to take the fall.

"Xi is the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, but he's also uniquely vulnerable due to the way he has centralised control," speculates CNN. "Absolute power brings with it absolute responsibility."

This means lower-ranking Wuhan politicians will probably be blamed for the economic and societal devastation caused by the outbreak.

Another theory is that Xi has effectively quarantined himself because he's wary of catching the coronavirus from an infected member of the public.

"While you would think the 'people's leader' would want to be seen close to the people, perhaps, in this case, the risk of him catching the virus may be too high," suggests China analyst Bill Bishop.

He added that photos of Xi wearing a protective mask might also damage his reputation as a strong leader.

https://i.imgur.com/4yFp45H.jpg

Chinese citizens are particularly concerned by the disappearance of their President, and are using social media to communicate their worries and speculate as to where he might be.

However these posts are being "swiftly deleted by censors", CNN reports. The Chinese government has a stranglehold on the internet known as the "Great Firewall" and content that questions or criticises the state is often blocked.

"Rampant speculation is growing, as those desperate to see the back of Xi spread wild, wholly unfounded claims," CNN reports.

Social media posts criticising or making fun of Xi have been subjected to censorship in the past.

A series of memes comparing him to the rotund children's character Winnie the Pooh was deemed "a serious effort to undermine the dignity of the presidential office and Xi himself".

[DemonGeminiX]

Looks like we have 12 confirmed cases here in the US.

[Godfather]

Last time I read, 20,000 Americans have died from the flu this flu season. Why aren't other countries quarantining American visitors and cancelling flights to and from here?

The flu has already spread globally a hundred times over, it's too late. We could stop this though... I get that people are trying to calm folks down from freaking out by pointing out that the flu kills more people (and I agree that some perspective helps), but from what I understand this coronavirus has a higher infection rate and a higher mortality rate, and so it has the potential to be far worse than seasonal flu. Why let it get there...

I've seen old newspaper articles recently from the start of the Spanish Flu where they tried to bring calm by using the same reasoning.

[DemonGeminiX]

One American has died of the coronavirus, reports say. Few details are available except that the American was a 60 year old woman with health issues and was quarantined in Wuhan, China. She passed away on Thursday at a local Wuhan hospital.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Edmund DeMarche | Fox News


Japan may test every person aboard the Diamond Princess for the coronavirus after it was determined Monday that there were 60 new cases on the quarantined ship docked off the coast of Yokohama.

The Japan Times, which first reported the increase, said the passengers will be able to disembark after test results become available. Princess Cruises did not immediately respond to an after-hours email from Fox News.

The passengers have been confined on the ship for six days with limited outdoor activities. The New York Times reported that the ship is "host to the highest concentration of the coronavirus cases outside China." The report said 2,600 passengers have been holed up in their cabins, and some have spoken about their anxiety.

"My whole thing is just to stay calm, because no matter what, I’m here. But every day it’s anxiety-provoking when we see the ambulances line up on the side of the ship," one passenger told the paper.

On Monday, China’s health ministry said another 3,062 cases had been reported over the previous 24 hours, raising the Chinese mainland’s total to 40,171. The number of deaths grew by 97 to 908.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Vandana Rambaran | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/4UdfkKyl.jpg

China's National Health Commission (NHC) reported 97 new deaths on Sunday in mainland China as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the largest death toll in a single day.

Since the virus was first reported, 908 people have died in the country.

Most of the new deaths were in Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus, which was first reported at an animal and seafood market.

There were also 3,062 new confirmed cases of the virus as of Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to 40,171.

At this point, the death count from coronavirus has far surpassed that of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, where 774 people died and 8,000 were infected.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1226267582740811777

[DemonGeminiX]

:-s

They're burning infected bodies now?

[Muddy]

:-s

They're burning infected bodies now?

Isn't that how 'Day of the Dead" started?

[PorkChopSandwiches]

:hills:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:-s

They're burning infected bodies now?

What else are you supposed to do with them? :dunno:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Ryan Saavedra - The Daily Wire


https://i.imgur.com/TBEyhvul.jpg

The coronavirus epidemic hit new highs on Monday after communist China said that an additional 108 people died from the virus over the previous 24 hours, bringing the death total to 1,016.

Communist China also claimed that 2,467 more people were infected with the virus over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of people infected to 42,638.

Newsweek reported last week that “a study published in the medical journal The Lancet estimated that the number of coronavirus infections could be more than four times higher than the number given by Chinese authorities.”

“It said its ‘baseline scenario’ put the figure in the city of Wuhan at 75,815 as of January 25,” Newsweek continued. “The Lancet report also projected the “epidemics are already growing exponentially in multiple major cities of China with a lag time behind the Wuhan outbreak of about 1–2 weeks.”

The New York Times reported last week that Chinese residents said that the epidemic was significantly worse than what China’s communist government claimed.

“The situation that we’ve seen is much worse than what has been officially reported,” Long Jian, 32, told The New York Times. “Those who can get diagnosed and treated are the lucky ones. In our neighborhood, many who weren’t able to get diagnosed ended up dying at home.”

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who goes by his first name, is the director-general of the World Health Organization and warned on Monday that the numbers currently being reported may not accurately reflect how bad the situation is.

“As I told media yesterday, #2019nCoV spread outside #China appears to be slow now, but could accelerate. Containment remains our objective, but all countries must use the window of opportunity created by the containment strategy to prepare for the virus’s possible arrival,” Tedros said. “There’ve been some concerning instances of onward #2019nCoV spread from people with no travel history to 🇨🇳. The detection of a small number of cases may indicate more widespread transmission in other countries; in short, we may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg.”
1226629008302931971
The biggest impact from the coronavirus could be felt in the global economy since China has become the world’s second most powerful economy and the outbreak has halted production in the communist nation.

“More than two weeks after China locked down a major city to stop a dangerous viral outbreak, one of the world’s largest economies remains largely idle,” The Times reported. “Much of the country was supposed to have reopened by now, but its empty streets, quiet factories and legions of inactive workers suggest that weeks or months could pass before this vital motor of global growth is humming again.”

“The global economy could suffer the longer China stays in low gear,” The Times added. “It has been hampered by both the outbreak and its own containment efforts, a process that has cut off workers from their jobs and factories from their raw materials. The result is a slowdown that is already slashing traffic along the world’s shipping lines and leading to forecasts of a sharp fall in production of everything from cars to smartphones.”

Jörg Wuttke, the president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, said, “It’s like Europe in medieval times.”

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/qUYltLCl.jpg

[DemonGeminiX]

Alright, that's it. Fuck China. Let them deal with it on their own. No more help. No more offers. Let them burn.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/jd9eSvx.png

Georgia health officials announced on Tuesday that roughly 200 residents were self-monitoring for the coronavirus after recently returning from China.

None of the residents have shown symptoms of the virus or visited Hubei province -- the epicenter of the outbreak.

Health officials reportedly didn't use the word quarantine, instead, phrasing it that people are being isolated in their homes for 14 days, which is considered the virus's incubation period, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A new paper by Chinese scientists says the period could be as long as 24 days.

Officials have reportedly been calling each traveler, letting them know of the potential symptoms of the virus and the importance of staying at home during the timeframe. Residents under quarantine were given an online tool that notifies them when their isolation time is up, according to the AJC.

There are no reported coronavirus infections in Georgia as of Wednesday and commercial flights have been suspended between Atlanta and China.

Local experts say Georgia’s processes to handle emerging diseases are better than ever, the paper reported.

There are 13 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in six states throughout the U.S.

About 393 people in 24 countries around the globe have been infected with the virus since it was first reported back in December and 99 percent of cases still remain in China. China reported 97 more deaths on Wednesday, increasing the total to 1,113 in mainland China as the country remains closed off from the rest of the world and some 60 million people remain under virtual quarantine.

The new infection cases declined for a second straight day with 2,015 reported in the last 24 hours.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) said on Tuesday it was "experiencing significant difficulties" on sending letters and express mail to China after airlines suspended flights to the country. They said they can no longer accept items to China "until sufficient transport capacity becomes available."

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially named the disease caused by the virus as COVID-19 to show the disease comes from a new coronavirus discovered in 2019 and to avoid geographic or animal designation.

The Associated Press contributed to the report

[DemonGeminiX]

14 confirmed cases in the United States.

[Godfather]

This quarantined cruise ship just keeps having more confirmed cases. I honestly can't imagine the hell of being on that fucking thing - imagine if you saved a few bucks and went for an interior room with no window too? :lol: Fuck that.

I guess it's not viable, these quarantine folks are certainly smarter than me, but if the cases just keep growing why don't they create separate quarantines?! If I was healthy on that cesspool of a ship, I'd be flipping out.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Amanda Woods - New York Post


https://i.imgur.com/izZdfK7.jpg

The coronavirus epidemic could grip about two-thirds of the world’s population if the deadly bug is not controlled, a top public health official said — as another expert predicted that cases in China could peak this month and fade away by April.

Professor Gabriel Leung, chair of public health medicine at Hong Kong University, told the Guardian he was examining the implications of the World Health Organization’s Monday warning that cases of coronavirus spreading outside China are the “tip of the iceberg.”

Most experts believe that each person infected can go on to transmit coronavirus to about 2.5 other people — creating an “attack rate” of 60 to 80 percent, Leung told the paper.

“Sixty percent of the world’s population is an awfully big number,” he said.

Even with a general fatality rate as low as 1 percent — a possibility once milder cases are taken into account — there could still be a massive global death toll, he added.

Meanwhile, experts are attempting to map out the likely course of the illness, Leung told the Guardian.

“Is 60 to 80 percent of the world’s population going to get infected?” he said. “Maybe not. Maybe this will come in waves. Maybe the virus is going to attenuate its lethality because it certainly doesn’t help it if it kills everybody in its path, because it will get killed as well.”

Health officials are also attempting to determine whether restrictions put in place in Wuhan — the epicenter of the outbreak — as well as other cities, have made a positive impact.

“Have these massive public health interventions, social distancing, and mobility restrictions worked in China?” Leung asked. “If so, how can we roll them out, or is it not possible?”

Meanwhile, Zhong Nashan, 83, China’s foremost medical adviser on the outbreak, told Reuters that the numbers of new cases are dipping in some parts of the country. The epidemic may peak this month and then plateau, he said.

“I hope this outbreak or this event may be over in something like April,” said Zhong, an epidemiologist best known for his role in combating a surge of severe acute respiratory syndrome cases in 2003.

But World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the epidemic is far from over.

“With 99 percent of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world,” Tedros told researchers gathered in Geneva on Tuesday.

A total of 1,017 people have died of coronavirus in China, where a total of 42,708 cases have been reported, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.

Only 319 cases have been confirmed in 24 other countries and territories outside mainland China, the WHO and Chinese health officials said. One person has died in Hong Kong and another in the Philippines.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Ben Feuerherd - New York Post


https://i.imgur.com/DKvhGFV.jpg

Nearly 15,000 cases of the deadly coronavirus were reported in one Chinese province on Thursday — a jump officials in the country said was linked to how they’re diagnosing new cases, a report said.

The 14,840 new cases in the Hubei Province were recorded because officials stopped using kits to diagnose patients and instead began counting patients who have been screened and identified by doctors, The New York Times reported.

In addition to the new cases, 242 new deaths were also reported in the province on Thursday local time, according to the report.

In the United States on Wednesday, the CDC confirmed a 14th person — who is now under quarantine in California — has been infected by the virus.

The patient, who was not identified, was among a group of people who returned from China on a State Department chartered flight, the agency said.

“At this time there is no indication of person-to-person spread of this virus at the quarantine facility, but CDC will carry out a thorough contact investigation as part of its current response strategy to detect and contain any cases of infection with this virus,” the agency said in a statement.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

B8b2WNpF09b

[PorkChopSandwiches]

You know China is lying about the numbers

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/ddZDOg5l.jpg

The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in China continued to surge Friday after the country reported 5,000 more people diagnosed with the virus while the government reportedly enforced "wartime" measures in additional cities in Hubei province.

The National Health Commission announced 121 more people had died from the virus. The report comes after 14,840 new cases were reported a day earlier thanks to a new approach to testing. The Washington Post reported that the "wartime" approach means citizens in some areas are barred from leaving their homes.

Roughly 60 percent of Friday's cases were determined by the new method, which takes into account a physician's diagnosis before the infected are confirmed in a lab test.

Despite an increase in cases in Hubei province, the World Health Organization (WHO) says they are not rising dramatically outside of China.

"This does not represent a significant change in the trajectory of the outbreak," said Dr. Mike Ryan, the executive director of WHO's health emergency programme.

Paul Hunter, a professor of health protection at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom suspects the trend is still downwards.

“It almost certainly does not mean that there has been a resurgence of the epidemic overnight," Hunter said.

China has suffered the most thus far from the virus with 99 percent of the cases. The U.S. has 15 patients including, eight in California, one in Texas, one in Wisconsin, one in Arizona, one in Washington state, one in Massachusetts and two in Illinois. No deaths have been reported in the U.S.

A new case was discovered in Texas from an evacuee who arrived in a State Department chartered flight from Wuhan, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday.

CDC officials added there will “likely be additional cases in the coming days and weeks, including among other people recently returned from Wuhan.”

The U.S. had announced that Americans who traveled to China within the last 14 days would be sent to designated airports for enhanced screenings. Foreign nationals who recently went to China would be denied entry in the U.S., except for the immediate family of American citizens and permanent residents.

China's Foreign Ministry had said the U.S. hasn't given the country any substantive help in its fight against the coronavirus outbreak. They added the U.S. was contributing to the international panic surrounding the illness, according to a report by Reuters.

The WHO declared the outbreak a global emergency as it spreads to countries outside of China and the number of infected patients continues to grow.

Countries around the globe have increased travel restrictions to the infected mainland China and Hubei province — with the U.S. State Department increasing its advisory to level 4: "Do Not Travel."

The CDC has advised travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to the country.

Coronavirus has now killed almost twice the amount of people in China than were sickened during the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s. The SARS outbreak had killed 349 people in mainland China back in 2002 and 2003 -- with 744 deaths and 8,096 infections globally, according to the CDC.

Here are the latest figures.

How many have been infected or have died?

The virus has claimed the lives of 1,383 people and infected 64,366 around the globe. Only three people have died outside of China.

Japan announced its first coronavirus death on Thursday. The 80-year-old woman had been in the hospital near Toyko since Feb. 1 after being diagnosed with pneumonia. The news occurred hours after Japan confirmed 44 more infected on the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined outside Toyko.

The other deaths were in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

The WHO said the number of cases will keep growing as tests are pending on thousands of suspected cases.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1228019269234872320

[lost in melb.]

I don't see sound and video correlating in that clip. However, I'm sure horrible things are happening

[RBP]

I don't see sound and video correlating in that clip. However, I'm sure horrible things are happening

It went viral. But the Chinese government is blocking the information. So riddle me this... am I talking about the video or Coronavirus?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I don't see sound and video correlating in that clip. However, I'm sure horrible things are happening


It went viral. But the Chinese government is blocking the information. So riddle me this... am I talking about the video or Coronavirus?

That James Wood tweet had the video in it, linked from another Twitter account. Now the video is gone and the Twitter account has been deleted. :confused:

:fbd:

[DemonGeminiX]

I don't see sound and video correlating in that clip. However, I'm sure horrible things are happening

It was a first person video of a somebody walking around an empty street, presumably in a quarantine zone, and there was a dead body lying on the sidewalk.

[Griffin]

There was a bit more that. It started with someone in protective gear racking the slide of a handgun with others standing by a van. Then there where 3 of them walking down the street with AKs (all in quarantine suits).
The video cut to a mostly empty street with some bodies lying around and possible being helped by the few still standing. You could hear sporatic small arms fire in the background then some bursts from full autos.

[DemonGeminiX]

I wasn't listening to it. :lol:

[Griffin]

Apparently someone didn't want it on the web though, as Lance said it has been taken down.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/8ZZs8zKl.jpg

Both State Department-chartered flights carrying Americans from the coronavirus-infected Diamond Princess cruise ship arrived in the U.S overnight. The first plane touched down at Travis Air Force Base in California just before 11:30 p.m. local time. The second flight landed at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas roughly 2 1/2 hours later.

Hundreds of American passengers who had been quarantined on the cruise ship left Japan Monday on two planes en route to the United States -- with 14 of the passengers infected and isolated in a "specialized containment area." It's not clear which flight the infected were on.

"During the evacuation process, after passengers had disembarked the ship and initiated transport to the airport, U.S. officials received notice that 14 passengers, who had been tested 2-3 days earlier, had tested positive for COVID-19. These individuals were moved in the most expeditious and safe manner to a specialized containment area on the evacuation aircraft to isolate them in accordance with standard protocols," the U.S. Department of State said in a release.

"After consultation with [Health and Human Services] HHS officials, including experts from the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the State Department made the decision to allow the 14 individuals, who were in isolation, separated from other passengers, and continued to be asymptomatic, to remain on the aircraft to complete the evacuation process," it added.

The 46 Americans who tested positive on the cruise ship were told to remain in Japan to be treated for the virus that has killed an estimated 1,765 people and infected more than 70,000 globally, according to Princess Cruise media relations. Buses had transported U.S passengers -- with the assistance of Japanese troops -- from the ship to Haneda Airport in Tokyo.

https://i.imgur.com/uH2jsjm.png

Health officials said they screened all passengers prior to boarding the flights and no symptomatic or infected travelers were allowed onboard.

So far, 355 people have tested positive for the virus on the Diamond Princess after doctors found 67 new cases Saturday.

https://i.imgur.com/3SzKVuB.png

About 380 Americans and family members were on the ship when it was quarantined on Feb. 5. It's unclear exactly how many U.S. citizens have tested positive for the virus other than the 46 reportedly infected.

"All travelers on these flights were screened for symptoms prior to departure and will be subject to [the] Centers for Disease Control (CDC) screening, health observation, and monitoring requirements. Only those who were asymptomatic were allowed to board the flights," a State Department spokesperson said.

https://i.imgur.com/qew4Sl4.png

Passengers were quarantined for 14 days on the ship, which is considered the virus's incubation period. They are expected to be quarantined for 14 additional days upon arrival at either base.

The bases in California and Texas were selected to ensure facilities were available immediately to treat their medical needs, according to the U.S. Embassy in Toyko.

https://i.imgur.com/PkYEoOP.png

The chartered flights were the only opportunities for passengers to fly to the U.S until March 4, embassy officials said. The remaining passengers are expected to depart the ship this coming Wednesday.

[lost in melb.]

A fatality rate of 1 in 40 by those numbers

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/okY4ey4.png

The head of a major hospital in China died from the coronavirus on Tuesday morning, as 1,886 new cases were reported in the country, according to multiple reports.

Liu Zhiming was the director of Wuhan Wuchang Hospital located in the epicenter of the virus outbreak, according to Reuters. Zhiming, who had been on life support, was initially reported to have died earlier in the week before that claim was retracted.

China has suffered the most from the virus, which is now known as COVID-19, with the country having 99 percent of the cases. The U.S. has 15 patients including eight in California, one in Texas, one in Wisconsin, one in Arizona, one in Washington state, one in Massachusetts and two in Illinois. No deaths have been reported in the U.S.

In addition, 14 Americans tested positive for the virus and were transported on Monday from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan to military bases in California and Texas.

https://i.imgur.com/8zActsN.png

They were originally not allowed to board, but that changed when they tested positive.

The last case found in the U.S. was discovered in Texas from an evacuee who arrived in a State Department chartered flight from Wuhan, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last Thursday.

CDC officials added there will “likely be additional cases in the coming days and weeks, including among other people recently returned from Wuhan.”

The U.S. had announced that Americans who traveled to China within the last 14 days would be sent to designated airports for enhanced screenings. Foreign nationals who recently went to China would be denied entry in the U.S., except for the immediate family of American citizens and permanent residents.

China's Foreign Ministry had said the U.S. hasn't given the country any substantive help in its fight against the coronavirus outbreak. They added the U.S. was contributing to the international panic surrounding the illness, according to a report by the news organization.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency as it spreads to countries outside of China and the number of infected patients continues to grow.

Countries around the globe have increased travel restrictions to the infected mainland China and Hubei province — with the U.S. State Department increasing its advisory to level 4: "Do Not Travel."

The CDC has advised travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to the country.

Coronavirus has now killed nearly three times the amount of people in China than were sickened during the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s. The SARS outbreak had killed 349 people in mainland China back in 2002 and 2003 -- with 744 deaths and 8,096 infections globally, according to the CDC.

Here are the latest figures.

How many have been infected or have died?

The virus has claimed the lives of 1,868 people and infected 73,250 around the globe. Only five people have died outside of China, including Hong Kong.

France announced its first death on Saturday in a Chinese tourist who died in the country. It was the first fatality outside of Asia.

Japan announced its first coronavirus death last Thursday. The 80-year-old woman had been in the hospital near Toyko since Feb. 1 after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

The other deaths were in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

The WHO said the number of cases will keep growing as tests are pending on thousands of suspected cases.

Where is the virus?

Roughly 99 percent of new cases have appeared in China with the vast majority of the cases in Hubei province and its provincial capital, Wuhan -- the epicenter of the virus.

Over 814 cases have been reported in at least 25 countries globally. Europe's total is at 46.

The United Kingdom has nine cases in the country.

Singapore -- 77

Thailand -- 35

Japan -- 519 (454 passengers on Diamond Princess cruise ship outside Yokohama) (1 death)

South Korea -- 31

Taiwan -- 22 (1 death)

Malaysia -- 22

Germany -- 16

Vietnam -- 16

United States -- 15 (14 on military bases in California and Texas)

Australia -- 14

France -- 12 (1 death)

United Arab Emirates -- 9

Canada -- 8

India -- 3

Italy -- 3

Philippines -- 3 (1 death)

Russia -- 2

Spain -- 2

Sweden -- 1

Belgium -- 1

Nepal -- 1

Finland --1

Sri Lanka -- 1

Cambodia -- 1

Hong Kong -- 58 (1 death)

Macao -- 10

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/4sLB0I9l.jpg

:shock:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By John Hayward - Breitbart


https://i.imgur.com/Y8FvPBTl.png

The Epoch Times on Tuesday reported that China has “engaged over 1,600 censors to scrub the internet of ‘sensitive’ information relating to the coronavirus outbreak.”

The information control effort apparently accelerated after Chinese communist leader Xi Jinping emerged from relative seclusion and asserted himself as being in control of the coronavirus response.

The Epoch Times claimed to obtain an internal report drafted on February 15 by officials in Hubei province, epicenter of the virus outbreak. These officials were alarmed by criticism of the government and persistent speculation that the number of people sickened and killed by the virus was much higher than the government was willing to admit.

China’s infamous “50 Cent Army” of online trolls was accordingly deployed to wipe out troublesome social media posts and divert the Chinese public’s attention to inspiring stories about government officials and those fighting on the front lines against the coronavirus:


The trolls, through technological and manual screening, had identified as many as 606,800 posts online with “sensitive or harmful information,” it said.

Their approach, it said, was to “timely dispel the online rumors” and “strike powerful blows offline.”

As of Feb. 14, the online censors had deleted as many as 54,000 such “rumors,” and had social media influencers write nearly 400 commentary articles to shape the narrative.

The regime’s propaganda efforts, the report said, should be directed toward promoting the effects of officials’ outbreak control measures and the “moving deeds” of volunteers, community workers, and the police.

Some professional “internet commentators” had also made 400,000 comments to “counter the negative public opinions,” according to the document.

The censors were particularly effective at erasing public expressions of anger over the death of Dr. Li Wenliang, the whistleblower who was himself persecuted for “spreading rumors” when he warned about the danger posed by the coronavirus in the early days of the outbreak, long before the government was willing to admit those dangers. Grief and anger over Li’s death from the virus was erased almost as quickly as it could be posted online, replaced by government-approved celebrations of Li as a hero and martyr of the Chinese Communist Party.

Securing a monopoly on coronavirus information required chasing foreign media out of Hubei, a project viewed as highly successful in the report. As of this week, only five media organizations from beyond China still had reporters on the ground in Hubei.

Chinese citizens, meanwhile, have been terrorized into silence with threats of prosecution for “spreading rumors” or “spreading fake information,” nebulously-defined crimes that can carry sentences of up to seven years in prison. Hundreds of arrests have been made for “spreading rumors” according to human rights groups, many of them involving online posts that were demonstrably accurate.

The document viewed by the Epoch Times allegedly specified that Hubei propaganda groups are working closely with the central government in Beijing to “coordinate public opinion,” both “inside the country and overseas.”

Information control is particularly important now that the regime in Beijing is attempting to portray the coronavirus epidemic as completely under control and likely to end within a few weeks, and the official new Party narrative is that Xi and other top officials responded quickly to the threat but were frustrated by poor compliance with their orders from inept Hubei officials.

The death toll is now over 2,000, but Chinese officials claimed the rate of new infections began slowing this week, eager to persuade the rest of the world to begin lifting travel bans that have inflicted tremendous costs on the Chinese economy.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which has been very careful to avoid antagonizing China, sounded a rare note of disagreement and said the optimistic Chinese reports “must be interpreted very cautiously.”

On Wednesday, the Chinese government expelled three journalists from the Wall Street Journal over an op-ed piece published by the paper – but not written by any of the three journalists – that Beijing considered “racist.”

The article in question, written by foreign affairs and humanities professor Walter Russell Mead of Bard College, referred to China as the “real sick man of Asia” – a phrase coined by Russia’s Tsar Nicholas I to describe the fading Ottoman Empire as the “sick man of Europe” in the 19th Century. The phrase has been used by numerous authors and historians to describe other troubled powers around the world since then.

The thesis of the article that so enraged Beijing was that local officials responded to the virus in a “secretive and self-serving” manner, shaking confidence in the Chinese Communist Party “at home and abroad” badly enough to threaten the Chinese economy.

[DemonGeminiX]

Ok, well, I guess they want everyone in their country to die then. :dunno:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Nick Givas | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/JPOSB1hl.jpg

Researchers at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the University of Texas at Austin claimed to have made a breakthrough in their coronavirus research on Wednesday and said their data could help develop a vaccine.

Scientists were able to create a 3D atomic-scale map of the part of the virus that attaches itself to human cells and causes infection, according to UT News. Mapping what researchers call the "spike protein" is a vital step toward developing vaccines and antiviral drugs.

Jason McLellan, an associate professor at UT Austin, spoke with Fox News on Thursday about the virus and said researchers hope to study the 3D map, in an effort to develop antibodies that can help fight the disease.

"What we've been able to do is produce the molecule that's on the surface of the coronavirus in our lab. So the surface of the virus contains these spike molecules that sort of resemble mushrooms and they use these molecules to bind to our cells and then cause the virus to enter the cells," he said.

"So we really want to target these spikes to prevent their function and prevent the virus from getting into our cell," McLellan continued. "We were able to produce large quantities of these spikes in our lab and then using cryo-electron microscopy, determined a three-dimensional map of these spike molecules. With that information, we and others around the world will begin to apply rational engineering approaches to create small molecules, antibodies in vaccines that target the spike and hopefully prevent the function of this molecule"

He echoed the NIH's hope to have a vaccine developed within 18 months but said it could end up taking over two years to crack the code.

"Optimistically a vaccine could be created in 18 to 24 months," McLellan said. "But this would still be extremely rapid compared to the one to two decades it normally takes, to make most vaccines. It's possible that the small molecules might be able to move quicker. There are some small molecules that have efficacy against other coronaviruses that may also work against this new coronavirus.

"So it's really a multi-pronged approach," he explained. "Vaccines could be ideal because you can treat [people]. You can vaccinate everybody before they're infected and then hopefully provide immunity to the virus. One of the advantages we have is that we've been working on coronaviruses in general for the last five to six years."

McLellan also called for increased government funding to prep for possible outbreaks in the future, so that researchers are not caught flat-footed when the next threat appears.

"That's where we need government funding to fund basic science ... on these viruses before they emerge," he added. "It's much better to have things ready than to try and rapidly respond to them.

"Something my lab is very interested in is developing a universal coronavirus, vaccines and countermeasures that would work against all coronaviruses, including those that have yet to emerge. And that way we can already have vaccines in stock ready to go before the next coronavirus outbreak occurs."

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference last week that vaccines are not the only tool that can be brought to bear against the outbreak and described it as just one piece of the puzzle.

"The development of vaccines and therapeutics is one important part of the research agenda. But it's not only one part," he explained. "They will take time to develop -- but in the meantime, we are not defenseless. The first vaccine could be ready in 18 months, so we have to do everything today using the available weapons to fight this virus."

According to Thursday estimates, more than 75,000 people worldwide have been infected with the novel coronavirus, now known as COVIS-19, while some 2,130 people have died.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Haven Orecchio-Egresitz - Insider


https://i.imgur.com/sEkhUoxl.jpg

Chinese healthcare providers are on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak, and several have lost their lives trying to save others.

The government is sympathetic to the families of those medics who sacrificed their lives at work to the tune of $716 (or 5,000 yuan), according to the English news outlet Shanghaiist.

On Monday the Wuhan Municipal Committee's Organization Department announced the new "sympathy" measures that it was taking to aid families of medical workers who have been infected or killed by the virus.

Workers who have been infected — but haven't succumbed to the virus — will also be compensated under the new efforts. They'll receive $429 (or 3,000 yuan), according to the Chinese-language People's Daily Client.

The death toll of a coronavirus outbreak sweeping China has reached 2,130, with more than 75,000 people infected worldwide. Eight people have died outside of mainland China.

Among the healthcare providers who have died is Li Wenliang, a 34-year-old doctor at the Central Wuhan Hospital. He was one of the first people to sound the alarm about the new outbreak in December, but he was silenced by the police in Wuhan and forced to sign a letter saying he was "making false comments."

Li caught the coronavirus after treating patients and died on February 7.

On Weibo, a Chinese social media site, users were shocked by the amount being paid to the families of affected healthcare workers, Shanghaiist reported.

"Is this missing a few zeros?" one asked.

"So the life of a doctor is only worth 5,000 yuan now?" another wrote, according to Shanghaiist.

According to Business Insider's Aria Bendix, China has less than two physicians for every 10,000 residents.

When the outbreak first began, it was unknown that the virus could spread from human to human and some medical workers went without protective gear.

In Wuhan, which has been in quarantine since Jan. 24, doctors are overwhelmed with patients. Some hospital workers have been wearing adult diapers because there is no time to use the bathroom.

"The hospitals have been flooding with patients, there are thousands, I haven't seen so many before," one doctor told BBC News early in the quarantine. "I am scared because this is a new virus and the figures are alarming."

[Muddy]

VERY generous.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/omPlHXol.jpg

Fears of a global pandemic continue to grow as coronavirus cases spike in several countries, including Italy, South Korea, and Iran.

A staggering 50 people have died in the Iranian city of Qom from the new coronavirus this month, Iran's semiofficial ILNA news agency reported on Monday. The new death toll is significantly higher than the latest number of confirmed cases of infections that Iranian officials had reported just a few hours earlier by and which stood at just 12 deaths out of 47 cases, according to state TV.

The 50 deaths date back as far as Feb. 13, according to an Iranian official. Iran officially reported its cases and deaths from the virus on Feb. 19.

Authorities are struggling to contain and understand the outbreak in those countries, where infected cases have skyrocketed -- increasing over 2,000 percent in the past couple weeks.

Italy is considered Europe's first major outbreak and the largest outside of Asia. The number of infected cases jumped to 152, compared to just three 10 days ago.

The country is currently scrambling to disrupt the spread of the virus which has seen 110 cases in Milan, its financial district and Venice, known as a famous hub for tourists throughout the world. Events and soccer matches were canceled in the country, while some of its movie theatres were reportedly shuttered, including Milan's legendary La Scala.

“We are worried about the situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and in Italy,” World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference in Stockholm via a video link.

https://i.imgur.com/XEsgST7l.jpg

Cases in South Korea increased to 763 on Monday, with 161 more people infected within the last 24 hours. The country had just 28 infected cases on Feb. 14.

President Moon Jae-in called for "unprecedented, powerful" steps on Sunday to fight the virus which is spreading rapidly throughout the country -- including the capital Seoul.

“The coming few days will be a critical time for us,” Jae-in said. “The central government, local governments, health officials and medical personnel and the entire people must wage an all-out, concerted response to the problem.”

He raised the threat level to "red alert," its highest national threat level for the first time in a decade.

https://i.imgur.com/6Vn6bqNl.jpg

More than 140 of South Korea's new cases were from Daegu, a city of 2.5 million people. Five of the countries seven deaths occurred at a hospital near the city.

The country has the third-highest infected total behind China and Japan -- where most of the countries infected were from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

“In Daegu [South Korea], the number of new cases that are being confirmed by tests is quite large, and if we fail to effectively stem community transmissions in this area, there would be a large possibility (that the illness) spreads nationwide,” South Korean Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said in a briefing.

https://i.imgur.com/tW0Eetpl.jpg

Gang-lip said health officials will test all of Daegu's residents that have cold-like symptoms, which could be 28,000 people. Investigators were looking into the Shincheonji Church of Jesus -- where 129 of the new 161 cases were connected to. A woman in her 60s reported attended a couple of church services before testing positive.

Iran reported its first person infected with the coronavirus on Wednesday and now its health ministry has confirmed there are 43 cases. Countries have closed their borders with Iran, taking similar steps most of the world took with China roughly a month ago.

Two cases in Israel were also reported from passengers who returned to the country from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Bahrain also reported cases of the coronavirus.

China reported 409 new cases of the virus on Monday, increasing its total number of infected to 77,150. 150 new deaths were also recorded in the mainland, with the country's total now at 2,592.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

[DemonGeminiX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaqoQr-aCtQ

[Teh One Who Knocks]

If the death toll is climbing like this in places like Iran, methinks the Chinese are WAAAAAAAAAAAAY under reporting all their numbers.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Jackie Salo - New York Post


https://i.imgur.com/2EUuYrW.jpg

The deadly coronavirus is looking a lot like the theoretical “Disease X” that officials have long warned could spark a dangerous pandemic, a World Health Organization expert said.

Marion Koopmans, a member of WHO’s emergency committee, said the virus is the first to meet the criteria of the so-called “Disease X” — defined as a quick-spreading and unpredictable illness caused by a previously unknown pathogen, Daily Express reported.

The new virus, now identified as COVID-19, has spread beyond China to more than 79,000 people in almost three dozen countries and territories — since December.

“Whether it will be contained or not, this outbreak is rapidly becoming the first true pandemic challenge that fits the disease X category,” Koopmans, head of viroscience at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, wrote in the journal “Cell.”

WHO gave the name “Disease X” in 2017 to “a serious international epidemic caused by a pathogen currently unknown.” The not-yet-identified illness was added to a list of nine diseases with the capability to cause a global health crisis.

The new coronavirus has now proved difficult to control since it appears capable of spreading from those who show no symptoms.

The death toll has risen across the world to more than 2,600 people, including health professionals working to fight the illness.

Within 24 hours, two Chinese doctors were killed by the new virus in the Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, Metro UK reported. Dr. Huang Wenjun, 42, and Dr. Xia Sisi, 29, both died from the virus over the weekend after treating infected patients.

[lost in melb.]

https://media1.giphy.com/media/yDsImXgxxc7jW/source.gif

[Godfather]

I'd be lying if I said the outbreak in Italy and run on the grocery stores doesn't make me nervous.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Local Italy


https://i.imgur.com/Op0zYU1.png

At the edge of the northern Italian town of Casalpusterlungo, residents are slowly getting used to the isolation measures descending around towns like theirs, the centres of Italy's outbreak of the new coronavirus.
Here the frontline of the fight against the virus is an unassuming roundabout in the middle of the Lombard plain.

Two of the roads leading up to it are blocked by police cars. An officer -- not wearing a mask -- automatically covers his face with a scarf as he approaches drivers.

Beyond this point is the "red zone", where the centres of infection have been identified.

Italy has become the first European country to take drastic isolation measures as it grapples to get its COVID-19 outbreak under control.

Since Sunday more than 50,000 residents in 11 towns in northern Italy have been put under quarantine.

In theory, virtually all traffic is banned from entering the "red zone", with exemptions for those such as police, medical personnel and lorries carrying essential supplies.

https://i.imgur.com/4LsNOPl.png

The same goes for those leaving, although AFP saw certain vehicles and cyclists being allowed through the cordon.

"They're not residents in the area, they're just passing through," explains a soldier, while admitting that there is a still a margin of flexibility while the quarantine measures are being put in place.

However, many motorists and lorry drivers were turned away, prompting the odd heated reaction. "Where am I meant to go, what do I do?" asked one, adding: "Country of idiots!" as he turned away.

Nevertheless the soldier insists: "The residents have generally been very cooperative."

https://i.imgur.com/QOZXbQb.png
A sign in the lockdown area reads "Coronavirus, the ordinance with the requirements of the Ministry of Health is available on the municipal website".

Italy has recorded five deaths since Friday, with more than 200 cases of infection.

In the Lombardy region, the capital of which is Milan, authorities have closed schools for a week and cancelled all cultural and sporting events.

But at the edges of the red zone, for the moment any fears are being kept in check.

"If we started being scared, what would happen?" asks a smiling Gianluca Bragalini, who works for a drinking water distribution company and was preparing to go into the red zone with around ten other colleagues.

"We have to guarantee that public services keep running," he says. "Can you imagine what would happen if drinking water started to run out?"

https://i.imgur.com/ioQQlO7.png
Cafes and bars have shut down in the towns affected.

Meanwhile, others are looking out for four-legged residents under lockdown. Angela Grechi, from a local cat protection association, has arrived on foot at the roundabout in an attempt to deliver food for 80 cats in Somaglia, one of the towns in the red zone.

She admits it might seem "silly" to be worrying about cats, but says their food supply is about to run out. "I was hoping to deliver the food here but you need an authorisation from the local prefecture," she sighs.

A few kilometres on from Casalpusterlengo, another roundabout, another checkpoint.

Again the atmosphere is calm but presents some unsettling scenes, like the ambulance speeding into the red zone with a driver wearing a full-body protection suit and a mask over his face.

https://i.imgur.com/E9lT3gu.png

Stefano Medaglia, a 32-year-old carpenter, arrives at the roundabout on foot, along with his wife and their baby in a pram.

"We're keeping our distance from other people, we're taking precautions," says Medaglia, from Bertonico, one of the towns under quarantine.

"It's calm there, there's no panic. But it's a strange, absurd situation," he says, adding that he fears for his family business in Somaglia. "I came to ask the police if it's possible to move within the red zone from one town to another," he explains.

He has to make to do with a vague answer. Here again the rules governing which vehicles are allowed in don't appear entirely clear.

"As long as they stay on the main roads, it's fine, they just need to avoid going into the villages on the small roads," explains a policeman.

But how can they check who's going where?

He answers with a shrug.

[DemonGeminiX]

Ciao!

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Probably some great travel deals right now

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Scripps National


https://i.imgur.com/lrbSeJfl.jpg

ATLANTA, Ga. – The Centers for Disease Control said Tuesday that it appears inevitable that COVID-19 will spread in United States communities. Officials said it’s no longer a matter of if, but when.

Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a conference call that the spread of the new coronavirus in countries other than China has officials concerned about outbreaks in the U.S.

"Ultimately we expect we will see community spread in this country," said Messonier. "It’s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness."

The CDC says the agency is preparing to address the potential spread of the virus in the U.S. and it's encouraging Americans to begin planning as well.

"We will maintain, for as long as practical, a dual approach where we continue measures to contain this disease, but also employ strategies to minimize the impact on our communities," said Messonier.

Messonier said that officials don't know whether the spread of the disease in the U.S. would be mild or severe, but Americans should be ready for "significant disruptions" to their daily lives.

“We are asking the American public to prepare for the expectation that this might be bad,” Messonnier said.

If the virus begins to spread amongst Americans, the CDC says it will becomes increasingly important to implement basic precautions to prevent more infections. That includes staying home when ill and practicing respiratory and hand hygiene.

Additionally, the CDC says community level intervention might include school dismissals and social distancing in other settings, like postponing or canceling large gatherings. Officials said it may become necessary for students and the workforce to meet over the internet, instead of in person.

“For adults, businesses can replace in-person meetings with video or telephone conferences and increase teleworking options,” said Messonier.

The virus is believed to have originated from Wuhan, China, where early patients had some link to a large seafood and live animal markets.

The CDC says more than 2,400 people have died from COVID-19 worldwide, with a majority of the deaths in mainland China. However, other countries are now battling sizable outbreaks as well.

Europe’s biggest outbreak is in Italy, where more than 280 people have reportedly been infected. Iran has reported at least 95 cases. And, South Korea has more than 970 cases.

As of Tuesday, the CDC had confirmed 14 cases in the U.S., 12 being travel-related and two from person-to-person spread. A total of 43 cases have been confirmed in the group of people repatriated to the U.S. from either Wuhan or the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan, the CDC says. That's a total of 57 cases.

At this time, there’s no vaccine or medicine to help stop the spread of the virus.

“In the absence of a vaccine or therapy, community mitigation measures are the primary method to respond to widespread transmission and supportive care is the current medical treatment,” wrote the CDC.

Symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to those of influenza (fever, cough, and shortness of breath) and the current outbreak is occurring during a time of year when respiratory illness are highly prevalent. The CDC is hoping COVID-19 is a seasonal disease like the flu, but officials are preparing in case it’s not.

[lost in melb.]

Finally some good news...



The virus is so globally widespread that it’s unlikely we’ll ever see it eradicated. The SARS virus in 2002-04 was different; it spread and shed differently and so good public health measures contained it. But SARS-CoV-2 may be with us for good – a new addition to the rogue's gallery of four human coronaviruses we live with all the time. At some point you and I will likely be infected by SARS-CoV-2.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/wY5JiLBl.jpg

A woman in Japan tested positive for the coronavirus for the second time on Wednesday, as the country grips with 190 cases separate from the Diamond Princess cruise ship outbreak, according to multiple reports.

The tour bus guide in her 40s first tested positive in late January and was released from the hospital after recovering. She was readmitted after having a sore throat and chest pains, according to the local government.

It's a first known case of a second positive test in Japan, which prompted Health Minister Katsunobu Kato to inform Japan's central government of the need to review previous patient lists and monitor the condition of those previously discharged, according to Reuters.

“Once you have the infection, it could remain dormant and with minimal symptoms, and then you can get an exacerbation if it finds its way into the lungs,” said Philip Tierno Jr., professor of microbiology and pathology at NYU School of Medicine, according to the news organization.

The virus can reportedly spread without symptoms showing up, which forces officials to play catch up and makes it far more difficult to manage.

Health officials analyzed the implications of a patient testing positive after having an initial recovery. Second positive tests have been reported in China.

“I’m not certain that this is not bi-phasic, like anthrax,” Tierno Jr. said in regards to the disease being able to go away before reappearing.

With the 2020 Summer Olympic games scheduled in July, Toyko has urged large gatherings of people to be stopped or limited over the next two weeks to contain the virus, according to Reuters.

“The Olympics should be postponed if this continues ... There are many people who don’t understand how easy it is to spread this infection from one person to another," Tierno Jr. said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on Thursday the government would close all schools for a month to help contain the virus.

Another death was also reported in northern Hokkaido, which brings the total killed by the virus in Japan to eight. Four have died from the cruise ship, which has roughly 704 cases.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Louis Casiano | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/6UCwq5Ll.jpg

The nation's first coronavirus case of unknown origin has been confirmed in Northern California, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday.

“It is a confirmed case. There is one in Northern California,” CDC spokesman Scott Pauley told the Sacramento Bee.

The new case brings the number of infected in the United States to 60, which includes people who've been repatriated to the U.S. The CDC said the person contracted the virus without traveling outside the U.S. or coming into close contact with another infected patient, The Washington Post reported.

The CDC had previously said there are 12 travel-related U.S. cases and two cases "person-to-person spread," according to its website. The latest case brings the total number of those detected in the U.S. to 15.

The news comes as fear over the virus continues to spread worldwide, prompting governments to take extreme measures. President Trump said a vaccine was being developed and "coming along very well" during a Wednesday evening news conference at the White House.

He announced that he was putting Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the coronavirus task force.

"Because of all we've done, the risk to the American people remains very low," Trump told reporters. "We're ready to adapt, and we're ready to do whatever we have to."

Earlier this week, San Francisco and Orange counties both declared states of emergency in efforts to prevent further infections. Orange County leaders also publically supported a bid by Costa Mesa leaders to block infected patients from being housed in their city.

Globally, nearly 2,800 people have died from the outbreak and more than 80,000 have been sickened.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1230224794991419397

[RBP]

1230224794991419397

Oh My God. That's disgusting.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Oh My God. That's disgusting.

"You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."

~Rahm Emanuel

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/SiAmOcHl.jpg

[lost in melb.]

Trump's got this under control. :hand:


He's even picked up that everyone is spelling it incorrectly [-(

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Low Ratings Fake News MSDNC (Comcast) &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a> are doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible. Likewise their incompetent Do Nothing Democrat comrades are all talk, no action. USA in great shape! <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCgov</a>.....</p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1232652371832004608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/wpXHVm7l.jpg

Spy agencies in the U.S. are observing the global spread of the coronavirus and are concerned about how countries -- specifically India and Iran -- could respond to a major outbreak, according to a report on Thursday.

Worries in Iran stem from the country's lack of response to the outbreak, which has already infected at least 254 people and killed 26 -- the most deaths outside China. The country reported its first infected case just nine days ago.

“In the last 24 hours, we have had 106 (new) confirmed cases...The death toll has reached 26,” a Health Ministry spokesman told state TV on Thursday, according to Reuters. He encouraged Iranians to avoid “unnecessary trips inside the country."

COVID-19 has infected Iran's vice president and deputy health minister. Iran's mortality rate from the virus is roughly 11 percent, compared to an overall fatality rate between 2 to 3 percent in China.

The Middle Eastern country's response to the virus has been deemed ineffective because its government has limited capabilities to respond, U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced earlier this week the U.S. was concerned Iran may have covered up details on the spread of the virus.

Intelligence agencies are also worried about India's lack of countermeasures to the virus. While the country only has three cases so far, they believe its dense population could fuel a widespread outbreak, the news organization said.

The role of intelligence agencies in fighting the virus up to this point has been monitoring its global spread and assessing the responses of governments. They have also provided necessary information to the Centers for Disease Control and other health agencies.

“Addressing the threat has both national security and economic dimensions, requiring a concerted government-wide effort and the IC is playing an important role in monitoring the spread of the outbreak, and the worldwide response,” a U.S. House Intelligence Committee official told Reuters.

Agencies would track COVID-19's impact through a range of methods -- from eavesdropping devices to undercover informants, according to the news organization.

[DemonGeminiX]

Trump's got this under control. :hand:


He's even picked up that everyone is spelling it incorrectly [-(

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Low Ratings Fake News MSDNC (Comcast) & <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a> are doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible. Likewise their incompetent Do Nothing Democrat comrades are all talk, no action. USA in great shape! <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCgov</a>.....</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1232652371832004608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What are you bitchin' about? Everybody spells shit wrong on twitter.

[lost in melb.]

What are you bitchin' about? Everybody spells shit wrong on twitter.

Ok :ok:

[DemonGeminiX]

Ok :ok:

You would fit right in with the Democrats in this country.

[lost in melb.]

You would fit right in with the Democrats in this country.

Do they spell correctly? :ok:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Associated Press


https://i.imgur.com/9w2wq9p.jpg

A viral outbreak that began in China has infected more than 83,000 people globally. The World Health Organization has named the illness COVID-19, referring to its origin late last year and the coronavirus that causes it.

The latest figures reported by each government's health authority as of Friday in Beijing:

— Mainland China: 2,788 deaths among 78,824 cases, mostly in the central province of Hubei

— Hong Kong: 94 cases, 2 deaths

— Macao: 10 cases

— South Korea: 2,337 cases, 16 deaths

— Japan: 931 cases, including 705 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, 10 deaths

— Italy: 650 cases, 15 deaths

— Iran: 388 cases, 34 deaths

— Singapore: 98

— United States: 60

— Germany: 53

— Kuwait: 45

— Thailand: 41

— France: 38 cases, 2 deaths

— Bahrain: 36

— Taiwan: 34 cases, 1 death

— Spain: 32

— Malaysia: 25

— Australia: 23

— United Arab Emirates: 19

— Vietnam: 16

— United Kingdom: 15

— Canada: 14

— Sweden: 7

— Iraq: 6

— Oman: 6

— Russia: 5

— Croatia: 5

— Switzerland: 5

— Greece: 4

— Philippines: 3 cases, 1 death

— India: 3

— Israel: 3

— Lebanon: 3

— Romania: 3

— Pakistan: 2

— Finland: 2

— Austria: 2

— Netherlands: 2

— Georgia: 2

— Egypt: 1

— Algeria: 1

— Afghanistan: 1

— North Macedonia: 1

— Estonia: 1

— Lithuania: 1

— Belgium: 1

— Belarus: 1

— Nepal: 1

— Sri Lanka: 1

— Cambodia: 1

— Norway: 1

— Denmark: 1

— Brazil: 1

— New Zealand: 1

— Nigeria: 1

— Azerbaijan: 1

[lost in melb.]

I wonder if the right to bear arms constitution of the US would allow one of those blasters :-k

[Griffin]

Don't cross the streams... it would be bad.

[perrhaps]

Trump's got this under control. :hand:


He's even picked up that everyone is spelling it incorrectly [-(

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Low Ratings Fake News MSDNC (Comcast) & <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a> are doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible. Likewise their incompetent Do Nothing Democrat comrades are all talk, no action. USA in great shape! <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCgov</a>.....</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1232652371832004608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yessiree! Quit watching television, folks and we'll all be fine.

[perrhaps]

It wasn't until I caught up in this thread that I realized most of the posters here are undercover MSM, Deep State operatives. Turn in your MAGA hats and T-shirts.

[lost in melb.]

It wasn't until I caught up in this thread that I realized most of the posters here are undercover MSM, Deep State operatives. Turn in your MAGA hats and T-shirts.

You sure know how to hit a nerve. You're not an undercover ninja warrior are you? ;)

[DemonGeminiX]

What the hell do you people want Trump to do? He doesn't have a magic fucking wand that he can wave and make this shit disappear. Neither is it his fault that this shit happened to begin with. BLAME THE CHINESE. THEY DID THIS. IT'S THEIR FAULT.

We're doing the best we can with the cases we have to deal with here in our own borders.

[RBP]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY

[Godfather]

People are going a little nutty... Costco was a zoo like I've never seen before, they're out of flour, rice and TP, saw lysol wipes get put out and snatched up within 90 seconds.

[lost in melb.]

What the hell do you people want Trump to do? He doesn't have a magic fucking wand that he can wave and make this shit disappear. Neither is it his fault that this shit happened to begin with. BLAME THE CHINESE. THEY DID THIS. IT'S THEIR FAULT.

We're doing the best we can with the cases we have to deal with here in our own borders.


Not politicise the issue. Start making sensible preparations for a pandemic :obama:

[DemonGeminiX]

Not politicise the issue. Start making sensible preparations for a pandemic :obama:

He's not the one politicizing it. The Democrats are. They're all saying "if it wasn't for Trump" or "it's because of Trump". He's just hitting back at them like he always does. They hit first, he hits back. I can understand how you can miss that if you've not really been paying attention, but that's exactly the way it's always been for the past 3 years. And medical facilities and staff here in the US are on full alert for this thing. There's nothing else we can do but wait and see what happens, advise the public about best health practices, and treat the cases that pop up to the best of our abilities. And that's what we are doing. Labs are working on a vaccine, but it won't be ready for months and it won't account for mutations that might occur between now and then.... just like the flu vaccine. There's nothing more that can be done.

STOP BLAMING TRUMP. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT.

[DemonGeminiX]

People are going a little nutty... Costco was a zoo like I've never seen before, they're out of flour, rice and TP, saw lysol wipes get put out and snatched up within 90 seconds.

You're not kidding. It's difficult to find n95 respirators here at a reasonable price, and now the Surgeon General has come out and asked the public to stop buying them because medical professionals need them to treat patients with all kinds of communicable diseases. And further, all of a sudden, everybody and their mother has become a doomsday prepper over night, buying up all kinds of shit. Shelves are empty all over the place. It's ridiculous.

[lost in melb.]

STOP BLAMING TRUMP. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT.


Is that what I was doing? I am so sorry :empathy:

[DemonGeminiX]

:slap:

[Godfather]

You're not kidding. It's difficult to find n95 respirators here at a reasonable price, and now the Surgeon General has come out and asked the public to stop buying them because medical professionals need them to treat patients with all kinds of communicable diseases. And further, all of a sudden, everybody and their mother has become a doomsday prepper over night, buying up all kinds of shit. Shelves are empty all over the place. It's ridiculous.

Agreed, it's ridiculous.

You know what's funny though is some local earthquake preparedness government spokesperson here made a point that people are just doing what they've been begging the public to do for years, which is have 72+ hours of supplies on hand for disasters. I guess that's the optimistic way of looking at things :lol:

[Hikari Kisugi]

“Well, I don’t think it’s inevitable,” Trump said, contradicting Messonnier and the health officials who spoke after him Wednesday. “It probably will, it possibly will. It could be at a very small level or it could be at a larger level. Whatever happens, we’re totally prepared.”

When you know nothing about something, shut your mouth, or the world will see you are a fool.
This has been raging since January, it is now March.
Sometime during the past week the internationally insular community of the US economy seems to catch drift this might actually be an issue.
Obviously it isn't Trumps fault, it is nothing to do with him, but a blathering response like that above does little to reassure or calm nerves.
Overreaction by the public is inevitable.

[perrhaps]

He's not the one politicizing it. The Democrats are. They're all saying "if it wasn't for Trump" or "it's because of Trump". He's just hitting back at them like he always does. They hit first, he hits back. I can understand how you can miss that if you've not really been paying attention, but that's exactly the way it's always been for the past 3 years. And medical facilities and staff here in the US are on full alert for this thing. There's nothing else we can do but wait and see what happens, advise the public about best health practices, and treat the cases that pop up to the best of our abilities. And that's what we are doing. Labs are working on a vaccine, but it won't be ready for months and it won't account for mutations that might occur between now and then.... just like the flu vaccine. There's nothing more that can be done.

STOP BLAMING TRUMP. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT.

Nobody here said it's his fault. We criticize him for acting like a five year old and blaming the opposition for creating this potential pandemic as a "hoax". We're just a tad critical for his appointing someone who believes in Creative design, as opposed to evolution, to head a scientific task force. Our noses are a little out-of-joint because he won't even mildly correct Saint Rush, who compares this virus to the common cold. We're mildly perturbed because he's obviously more concerned that Wall Street's reaction to this might jeopardize his reelection (buying on the dip tomorrow Loyal Trumpers? He says to), We think it seems maybe just a trifle unreasonable for his Task Force to forbid the head of the CDC to give any more interviews without the express permission of the Task Force in advance.

And the Democrats aren't blaming Trump any more than the GOP criticized Obama in 2014 for his reaction to the Ebola crisis.

[Muddy]

I don't think this virus is the pandemic, I think people's knee jerk reactions are the pandemic.

[KevinD]

Even my wife, who is normally level headed, has bought into the stocking up idea. Smdh. I told her, "That's fine, at least this way we'll have a jumpstart on hurricane season."

[lost in melb.]

I agree with the last two posts, but actually I think the stocking up would work if you're not allowed out of your house ( the knee-jerk bit)

Let's not go too light though, it's 10 times more deadly than the seasonal flu. what if everyone gets it at once and you can't access the hospital?

You want to avoid this if you can.

[DemonGeminiX]

I agree with the last two posts, but actually I think the stocking up would work if you're not allowed out of your house ( the knee-jerk bit)

Let's not go too light though, it's 10 times more deadly than the seasonal flu. what if everyone gets it at once and you can't access the hospital?

You want to avoid this if you can.

It's better if you stock up year round for all kinds of shit. Hurricanes, pandemics, general shit-hit-the-fan or without-rule-of-law scenarios. It's just a habit you get into. It can be expensive, but if you do get into it, then the worst you have to worry about is rotating supplies out as they expire.

I've read it can be deadlier than the worst case of pneumonia, causing respiratory failure, or it can be as insignificant as the common cold. It depends on the person and how it affects them. But that's true for just about everything, now isn't it? What affects one person doesn't necessarily affect another person in the same way. The thing to do is keep aware of what's going on in your area. If you start feeling bad, then go see your doctor or go to the hospital or a walk-in clinic if you can't get to your doctor. The funny thing about this is that coronaviruses aren't new, it's just that this one particular strain has evolved. Coronaviruses in general are one of the many types of viruses that can cause the common cold in humans. But the standard rules for avoiding this thing applies: Hand washing, not touching your face with dirty hands, keeping your distance from people that appear to be infected with any kind of illness that resembles even a minor respiratory illness (coughing and sneezing), etc. You could wear a mask in public but there's some talking heads that say that it wouldn't have an effect in preventing the transmission of the disease to the wearer.

[DemonGeminiX]

Oh yeah, don't cough or sneeze on people when you're out and about. Not even in jest. Cover your mouth and nose with your arm if you have to cough and/or sneeze. You don't want to cause a panic. People are acutely irritable at times like these. You don't want to cause a problem.

[Godfather]

It's better if you stock up year round for all kinds of shit. Hurricanes, pandemics, general shit-hit-the-fan or without-rule-of-law scenarios. It's just a habit you get into. It can be expensive, but if you do get into it, then the worst you have to worry about is rotating supplies out as they expire.



I really want to be better at this. I'd say I easily have a week's worth of food for 2 people including some MRE's, but mostly canned food and dry goods. I'm decent at buying enough for a smaller emergency, but really terrible at eating it 'first-in-first-out', so I throw a bunch away when I go through my pantry and realize I have beans and rice that was expired in 2014 at the back of the cupboard. I told my wife we should have a meal a week where we try and not buy anything new for it during our weekly shopping trip, and just eat older stuff from the pantry.

It's hard though! Stockpiling is easier than actually managing a stockpile so it's not just going in the trash instead of cycling it properly so that it's economic.

[Godfather]

So this is sort of interesting. This is a Harvard study on why denial is worse than panic, and why having an early moment of panic allows for better decision making over the longterm.

It has me thinking because my friends and I in our group chat (more so my buddies than myself) are really on the 'denial' side of things. Not like flat earth denial, just denial in terms of saying "what a joke this isn't even as bad as seasonal flu." Interesting little psychology tidbit to keep in mind.

https://nieman.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/pod-assets/microsites/NiemanGuideToCoveringPandemicFlu/CrisisCommunication/HowDoPeopleReactInAPandemic.aspx.html

[DemonGeminiX]

Just don't stock up on bat soup and gutter oil.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Just don't stock up on bat soup and gutter oil.

Sewer fat > Gutter oil :hand:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/sUa0BPVl.jpg

An advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died from the new coronavirus, as other top officials in the country are confirmed to be infected, according to multiple reports on Monday.

The Iranian Health Ministry recorded 523 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the country's known total to 1,501. Its first case was reported less than two weeks ago.

Mohammad Mirmohammadi, 71, was an Expediency Council member who advised Khamenei and settled disputes between him and parliament. COVID-19 has already infected Iran's vice president and deputy health minister.

His death comes after the country rejected help from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday -- who announced last week the U.S. was concerned Iran may have covered up details on the spread of the virus.

https://i.imgur.com/BD9LbMNl.jpg

"We neither count on such help nor are we ready to accept verbal help," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said during a briefing on Monday. He added the country has always been "suspicious" over American intentions, and that the U.S. government was trying to weaken Iranians' spirits over the outbreak.

Iran's mortality rate from the virus is roughly 5.5 percent, compared to an overall fatality rate of about 2 percent in China. The difference in rates has led people to suggest the number of infections in Iran is higher than what the country has officially reported.

The virus has killed at least 66 people, the highest death toll outside of China. The majority of 1,150 cases throughout the Middle East are linked back to the country.

Iran was preparing the possibility of testing "tens of thousands" of people following a spike of cases on Saturday.

The country has closed schools and universities due to COVID-19, but religious Shiite shrines have remained open. Last week, Iranians were captured licking some of the shrines in defiance of the coronavirus.

Most countries in the Middle East have limited or ceased travel to the country. It has the 4th highest infected total outside of China, South Korea, and Italy.

India on Monday announced two positive cases of COVID-19, according to the country's Ministry of Health. One person was found to be infected in New Delhi and had a travel history from Italy. The other was from the southern state of Telangana and had a travel history from Dubai.

Both patients are being closely monitored, the department said.

"Depending on the global evolving scenario, travel restrictions could be imposed as a precautionary measure," said Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

Intelligence agencies had concerns over India's lack of countermeasures to the virus and said its dense population could fuel a widespread outbreak, according to Reuters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

[DemonGeminiX]

Sewer fat = Gutter oil :hand:

:ftfy:

[DemonGeminiX]

6 people have died due to Covid-19 in Washington state and there are now more than 90 US cases according to reports.

[DemonGeminiX]

What coronavirus does to the body and how it can become severe

As cases of coronavirus spread around the world, doctors are learning more about what it does to the human body. Most cases are mild, but the illness — officially known as COVID-19 — can become severe if a person's immune system cannot repair damage to the lungs caused by the virus, CBS News medical contributor Dr. Tara Narula said. The disease has infected almost 89,000 people worldwide and killed more than 3,000 people, including two in the United States (actually 6 now -- DGX).

"The issue with COVID-19 is that this virus can affect the lower tract of your airways," Narula, a cardiologist at Northwell Health, said on "CBS This Morning" Monday. The virus can damage the cells that line the respiratory tract in the lungs, she explained. When that happens, "your immune system launches a response to try to clean up and repair."

But for some people, the immune system response "is so overwhelming, it's not in check," Narula said. If that's the case, the lungs can be flooded with fluid and cellular debris.

"Essentially the lungs start to drown, and that's a situation that can become a severe pneumonia. The pneumonia can then progress to what we call sepsis, where you can have a drop of blood pressure and multi-organ failure, and that's how it really causes death," she said.

In China, where the virus originated, 80% of cases have been mild, Narula said.

"Only about 14% were severe and even less were critical," she said.

Some research has estimated the death rate at about 2%, Narula said, but added that it's probably lower because there are likely more mild cases than what have been detected.

"In the grand scheme of things, for most people if they get it, it will end up being a mild disorder," she said.

Narula said the virus is transmitted through person-to-person contact by droplets.

"So if I cough or sneeze, those droplets can travel up to six feet and enter your mouth, or your nose or your lungs," she said. "Another way is if I cough or sneeze and it lands on a surface or an object and then you touch that same object or surface and touch your face."

Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. People could also have a headache, diarrhea, muscle aches, sore throat, runny nose and congestion, Narula said.

An infected person can pass on the virus to others even if they are not showing any symptoms.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/what-coronavirus-does-to-the-body-and-how-it-can-become-severe/ar-BB10E2rf?li=BBnb7Kz

[lost in melb.]

Wonder if smoking makes it worse? The Chinese are chimneys.

[DemonGeminiX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWY0oZV51VY

[DemonGeminiX]

^^^^
That's about a week or two old, by the way.

5000 people in the US have died from the flu in the past 2 weeks at the date of that video?!?

[DemonGeminiX]

From several days ago. If you have the time, watch/listen to this. Covid-19 is not nearly as bad as the flu and pneumonia.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-fyDs_mrK8

[lost in melb.]

From several days ago. If you have the time, watch/listen to this. Covid-19 is not nearly as bad as the flu and pneumonia.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-fyDs_mrK8

Don't have time to watch it. Surely the mortality rate is surely the best indicator? Though we do need to know the true infection rate to determine this.

[DemonGeminiX]

Don't have time to watch it. Surely the mortality rate is surely the best indicator? Though we do need to know the true infection rate to determine this.

Why would mortality rate be a bad indicator of how deadly something is? That's not a very smart assertion.

If you knew how many people have died from different communicable diseases in the past 2 months in the US alone, you would be absolutely stunned, like I am right now after having researched it at the CDC. Covid-19, while dangerous, is not nearly as deadly as what's already been killing people for decades and flying under the media's radar. It's just that we're used to these things being part of our lives that we just shrug it off, because we know how to avoid the majority of it. Covid-19 is not nearly as deadly as the media is portraying. We can avoid it in the same way that we avoid the common cold, because the virus is in the same family of viruses that cause the common cold. The only reason the media is hyping it up is because it's exotic, it's novel, and that will get them viewers. When they get viewers, they get money. They are not arbiters of truth. The CDC is telling people to be aware but not worried about this. I posted how to protect yourself against this above. Be aware of cleanliness, and be aware of the general observable health of the people around you. Stop being chicken little. The sky is not falling. Accept it. We're not all going to die.

[Godfather]

I'm sure not everyone is a Dr. Drew fan but I love him, have since I was a young teen staying up late listening to Love Line secretly on my Sony Walkman under the sheets so my parents wouldn't know I was up listening to Carola and Drew talk smut and stuff. Still listen to his podcasts.

[DemonGeminiX]

I'm sure not everyone is a Dr. Drew fan but I love him, have since I was a young teen staying up late listening to Love Line secretly on my Sony Walkman under the sheets so my parents wouldn't know I was up listening to Carola and Drew talk smut and stuff. Still listen to his podcasts.

He's on point on this thing.

[Godfather]

https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/iran-coronavirus-positive-parliament-members-lawmakers-infected-1652133-2020-03-03

TL: DR: 23 member (8%) of Iran parliament members test positive for coronavirus

A lot of new cases in Canada are stemming back to Iran now too... they're not handling this well at all it seems, and their culture involves a lot of mingling in crowded public spaces, eating together, etc.

[DemonGeminiX]

9 Coronavirus Myths You Should Stop Believing

The coronavirus and the infection it causes, COVID-19, have rapidly spread to countries and territories all over the world. This family of viruses is not new. Other types, or strains, of coronavirus are common in animals and have been known to cause common-cold-like symptoms in people. However, this particular strain of coronavirus is new.

When the first cases were reported in 2019 in Wuhan, China, it had not been seen previously, making it a novel virus. Thus far, the coronavirus has infected approximately 90,000 people, killing more than 3,000, according to Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering map.

These numbers are likely to rise, according to Alexea Gaffney-Adams, MD, board-certified internist with additional subspecialty training in infectious diseases at Stony Brook on Long Island, New York. "There is no population immunity, which means everyone is susceptible," she says. "Also, little is known about how long patients without symptoms are contagious, which makes the infection difficult to contain." As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern.

But how worried should you actually be—and what are your chances of getting the coronavirus? There's a lot of mixed messages and plenty of fallacies surrounding the hows, whys, and whats of the coronavirus. We asked medical experts to set the record straight by helping debunk these popular coronavirus myths.

Myth: Coronavirus is the most dangerous and deadly virus

Many other viruses have a higher mortality rate than the coronavirus, according to Ashish Sharma, MD, a hospital medicine specialist at Yuma Regional Medical Center in Arizona. Even the flu is thought to be more dangerous because so many more people get it each year. "According to the CDC, this flu season from October 2019 to February 2020 alone has seen 26 to 36 million people affected, with a quarter to half a million people getting hospitalized and fourteen thousand to thirty-six thousand deaths from influenza infection," says Dr. Sharma. "Similarly, the Ebola virus has a much higher fatality rate compared to coronavirus, which so far seems to have a 1-2 percent fatality rate with severe infection."

The flu mortality rate is thought to be lower than coronavirus, at about 0.1%, While the mortality rate for coronavirus is not yet clear (estimates range from 0.7 to 4% with about 2.3% the most frequently cited), the WHO and other health organizations says it's still worth trying to contain the virus so that fewer people get it. That said, the majority of people—80%, according to CDC—who get it are thought to have mild symptoms, although it's dangerous for some.

Myth: Coronavirus originated from 'bat soup' consumption

There is no evidence to support this rumor, according to experts. It's true that coronavirus can be found in bats. However, Dr. Sharma explains, this came from animal-to-person spread in the wet market (seafood- and meat-selling market) in Wuhan with other animal species. "There are different speculations, but the virus spreading from bat soup person has not been confirmed." The rumor got its start from a 2016 video of a vlogger eating "bat soup," which was recirculated after the coronavirus outbreak, prompting outrage. The video was not filmed in Wuhan, as some people reported erroneously, but actually the South Pacific island, Palau, she told News Corp Australia.

Myth: Wearing a surgical mask will protect you from the coronavirus

Certain models of professional, tight-fitting respirators (such as the N95) can protect health care workers as they care for infected patients, but lightweight, disposable surgical masks don't go far when it comes to protecting the general public, says Nikhil Bhayani, MD, infectious diseases specialist at Texas Health Resources in Bedford, Texas. "They may provide some protection from large drops, sprays or splashes, but because they don't fit tightly, they may allow tiny infected droplets to get into the nose, mouth or eyes," he says. "Also, people with the virus on their hands who touch their faces under a mask might become infected." The current recommendations for protecting yourself include washing your hands, avoiding touching your face.

Myth: There is medicine that can treat coronavirus

All viruses, including the flu, cannot be treated with antibiotics—and the coronavirus is no different. Additionally, none of the antivirals that are for treating other viral illnesses work for the coronavirus. What does work for common cold symptoms and mild viruses, explains Sharon Nachman, MD, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, is getting plenty of fluids, resting and staying home so that your friends and neighbors don't get sick from you.

Myth: Spraying yourself with alcohol or sanitizing products can prevent infections from coronavirus

Some people believe spraying themselves with sanitizing products can help protect them from the coronavirus. This is untrue, according to Frederick Davis, DO, associate chair, emergency medicine at Northwell Health, Long Island Jewish Medical Center. "The coronavirus enters the body through mucous membranes like the mouth and nares, so spraying your body with alcohol, chlorine, or other surface disinfectants will not prevent infections," he says. "While these substances can be effective means to disinfect surfaces and prevent transmission of viruses, the same chemicals on the skin can be harmful to a person and should not be applied in that manner."

Myth: Eating at Chinese restaurants is likely to spread the virus

Chinese restaurants are seeing their businesses plummet. But, experts say there is absolutely no reason to stop going to your favorite food spots. "The virus is not racist and you shouldn't be either," says Caesar Djavaherian, MD, San Francisco-based emergency room doctor and co-founder of Carbon Health. "Coronavirus infects people of all ethnicities, not just the Asian community."

Myth: Ordering or buying products shipped from other countries can make you sick

Researchers are studying the new coronavirus to learn more about how it infects people. Most viruses, like this one, do not stay alive on surfaces for a prolonged time period, explains Dr. Bhayani. "It is not likely that you would get COVID-19 from a package that was in transit for days or weeks," he says. "The illness is most likely transmitted by droplets from an infected person's sneeze or cough, but more information is emerging daily."

Myth: You can get a coronavirus test at your physician or emergency department

So far, testing has been limited to individuals who traveled recently to countries with many COVID-19 cases or those who had been in close contact with someone who had the infection, but health experts are working hard to expand testing capabilities. The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it is aggressively expanding testing capabilities, and granted emergency authorization to some public health laboratories so they could conduct more testing. At the moment, efforts to expand the availability of tests are underway but they may not be readily available at local hospitals.

Myth: You should not travel at all while there is a coronavirus outbreak

While the CDC has issued guidelines for travelers going to China, as well as other areas that are seeing cases such as South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy, there is no travel ban of sorts for locations that are relatively unaffected by the coronavirus. (Cases have been reported on every continent except Antarctica.) In fact, the WHO advises against travel bans, noting that they tend to be ineffective when it comes to controlling outbreaks.

However, you should pay attention to travel advisories. "It is prudent for travelers who are sick to delay or avoid travel to affected areas, in particular for elderly travelers and people with chronic diseases or underlying health conditions," says the WHO.

It's important to remain vigilant of hygiene. Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing and wash your hands frequently to prevent the spread of infection to others. However, there's no reason to cancel your travel plans at this time, depending on your level of comfort with the possible risk, your personal health, and the part of the world you are traveling to.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/9-coronavirus-myths-you-should-stop-believing/ar-BB10Evei?li=BBnbfcL

[lost in melb.]

I hear it's nice in Wuhan this time of year :whistle:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/pGbGCs5l.jpg

World health officials confirmed on Tuesday the fatality rate for the new coronavirus is at 3.4 percent globally, as Japan's Olympics minister said there's a possibility the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo could be delayed.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, announced the increase during a media briefing, which differed from the previously estimated global mortality rate of around 2 percent. In comparison, the death rate for the seasonal flu is "far fewer than one percent," he said.

"While many people globally have built up immunity to seasonal flu strains, COVID-19 is a new virus to which no one has immunity; that means more people are susceptible to infection, and some will suffer severe disease," Tedros said. "Globally, about 3.4 percent of reported COVID-19 cases have died; by comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1 percent of those infected."

There are over 90,000 cases of the new coronavirus in at least 70 countries. Over 3,100 deaths have been reported around the world, including nine in the U.S. -- all in Washington State.

Tedros added the COVID-19 is a unique virus that is deadlier, but it doesn't spread as easily when compared to influenza.

"This virus is not SARS, it's not MERS, and it's not influenza; It is a unique virus with unique characteristics," he said. "With influenza, people who are infected but not yet sick are major drivers of transmission, which does not appear to be the case for COVID-19."

The number of coronavirus infections in Japan reached the 1,000 mark on Wednesday, with 706 of them being on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. It's health ministry reported 12 people have died from the virus so far.

Minister Seiko Hashimoto implied the Olympics could be held later in the year and wouldn't have to start on their planned July 24 date.

“The IOC has the right to cancel the games only if they are not held during 2020,” Hashimoto told parliament, according to the Japan Times. “This can be interpreted to mean the games can be postponed as long as they are held during the calendar year.”

The minister's suggestion was quelled by International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams during a meeting of its executive board in Switzerland.

"We are going to have the games on the 24th of July," he said, according to the paper.

New cases dropped again in China on Wednesday, with only 119 reported. The country had 99 percent of the world's infections as of last month, but now that number is at 95 percent.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Jacob Dirnhuber - The Daily Star


https://i.imgur.com/0eJPdSL.jpg

Smokers are more likely to be killed by the deadly coronavirus , a top medic has warned.

Studies have shown that pre-existing lung problems are linked to a higher mortality rate – with adults more at risk than kids.

Professor Raina MacIntyre, the head of Biosecurity at the University of New South Wales's Kirby Institute, said: “People who had exacerbations of lung disease during the bushfires and are still not recovered from that may be worse affected.

“Those who did not have lung disease and are recovered from smoke effects should not be at greater risk, but we have no research or data to be certain of this.”

Australian National University Associate Professor of Medicine Sanjaya Senanayake said smoking cigarettes also make the issue worse.

He said: “Smoking is associated with other illnesses such as chronic lung and chronic heart diseases which are associated with more severe disease and worse outcomes from coronavirus.

https://i.imgur.com/wTwM6w1.jpg

“Just because no direct link hadn't yet been established, that doesn’t mean there wouldn't be one in future.

“It's always a good time to quit smoking.”

The warning comes as England and Wales' Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said the UK will see a significant number of COVID-19 cases and "some deaths”.

https://i.imgur.com/ka2Y9QE.jpg

He added that it is "sensible" to plan for up to 20% of Brits to be sick at one time.

NHS England has mandated hospitals to test all patients in intensive care who are showing signs of a lung infection for coronavirus.

Bosses have been told to draft up plans to segregate wards such as A&E department, critical care and diagnostic areas amid fears of a “significant escalation” in cases.

https://i.imgur.com/qMxjuJ2.jpg

Professor Whitty earlier warned that up to 80% of Britons would catch the bug in the government's worst case scenario, and 1% of those infected may die.

The army could be deployed to tackle the coronavirus as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to fight the disease.

Soldiers could be deployed to guard vital sites so the police are free to deal with potential public disorder, according to new government plans.

[lost in melb.]

:freakout:

https://i.ibb.co/7nprrXL/Screenshot-20200305-184035-Chrome-Beta.jpg (https://ibb.co/pfK44x5)
https://i.ibb.co/s2QhRgT/Screenshot-20200305-184043-Chrome-Beta.jpg (https://ibb.co/yX5DPNz)
https://i.ibb.co/CVgyHk2/Screenshot-20200305-184050-Chrome-Beta.jpg (https://ibb.co/HG6yHWd)
[url=https://ibb.co/rfzJPTf]https://i.ibb.co/WpM19qp/Screenshot-20200305-184058-Chrome-Beta.jpg[url]

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Zoe Drewett for Metro.co.uk


https://i.imgur.com/BDhDkTE.jpg

Empty shelves have emerged in supermarkets across the UK as shoppers begin to stockpile, despite warnings against ‘panic buying’.

Stocks of hand sanitisers, face masks and tissues have already reportedly been running low as people attempt to protect themselves from catching coronavirus, which has infected 85 people in Britain.

Boots has imposed a two-bottle limit on sanitiser gel to its customers, while toilet paper shortages have also been reported with some in Australia selling loo roll online at increased prices, including one chancer who tried to sell a single sheet ‘as new’ for £514 on Facebook Marketplace.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has urged people to continue as they normally would, with most essentials still widely available in shops. Stores often have empty shelves as they restock items, and experts believe shoppers may simply be more sensitive to seeing them as the coronavirus spreads in the UK.

https://i.imgur.com/OZUabWb.jpg
Empty shelves in Asda, Govan, last night where there should be hand sanitizer and soap

https://i.imgur.com/wrVjq5n.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jIAjPuq.jpg
Even fresh food is running low at a Sainsbury’s in East Dulwich, London

Yesterday the government announced its battle plan for dealing with coronavirus and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, advised people to remain calm and said: ‘I think the advice is that there is absolutely no reason to be doing any panic buying of any sort or going out and keeping large supplies of things.’

But the message isn’t getting through. Rice, pasta, couscous, Pot Noodles, tins of beans, bottled water and pet food – as well as chilled items including milk, butter and yoghurt – are all reportedly selling out fast.

Pharmacy shelves are also emptying of paracetamol, ibuprofen and immune-system boosting tablets such as Berocca as people prepare to fight off the flu-like illness that has claimed hundreds of lives worldwide.

Facebook and Twitter is packed with photographs of empty shelves from major supermarkets across the UK. But retailers are moving to reassure shoppers.

Andrew Opie, Director of Food & Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: ‘Disruption to supply chains has been limited, and the availability of products remains good. Retailers are working closely with their suppliers and monitoring consumer behaviour to anticipate changes in future demand.

‘Retailers are also taking necessary steps to meet the rise in demand for certain hygiene products.’

https://i.imgur.com/GjVvCmB.jpg
More empty shelves in Sainsbury’s pharmacy isle

https://i.imgur.com/RptSyVK.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/H3PegMj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lKSjl29.jpg
One shopper said he was shocked by the empty shelves at Glasgow’s Govan store

A Boots spokesperson said the company has seen in increase in sales of hand sanitisers but new stock is arriving in stores daily, with current stock available in their warehouses and to buy online.

They said in a statement: ‘The best way to help prevent catching a virus is by making sure that you regularly wash your hands with soap, and avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth to prevent transmission from surfaces, especially after blowing your nose, sneezing and coughing. Antiviral hand foams and gel can also be useful when you are out and about.’

If food supplies do dwindle due to mass panic buying, food retail expert Bruno Monteyne, a former supply chain director at Tesco, revealed that big food stores would be making plans to transition to something known as ‘feed-the-nation’ status.

This would sees supermarkets work with suppliers to ensure shelves are well stocked with staple products, rather than the huge varieties currently available.

https://i.imgur.com/SRXJgbq.jpg
Shoppers have been hitting the cleaning aisles hard

https://i.imgur.com/fPFS7RJ.jpg
Nappies are running low at this Tesco in Raynes Park, London

The advice for the general public remains the same, wash hands, check in on relatives and neighbours and accept that, in most cases, they will be told to stay at home if they have coronavirus.

In a worst case scenario, up to 80% of the population could become infected, with people in hospital with pneumonia and a relatively high death rate among the elderly and frail, chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said.

Officials hope to delay the peak of the virus until the warmer months when health services are less busy coping with seasonal flu.

Legislation allowing the Government to use extra powers to help control Covid-19 is expected to go through Parliament by the end of the month. Globally, more than 90,000 cases have been confirmed, with more than 3,000 deaths.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yahoo News Australia


https://i.imgur.com/i60yCScl.jpg

As scientists around the world work to better understand the COVID-19 disease, scientists in China believe they have discovered a mutation in coronavirus that is fuelling the global outbreak.

The deadly coronavirus has mutated into two strains, one of which appears to be far more aggressive.

That’s the preliminary findings from researchers at Peking University's School of Life Sciences and the Institute Pasteur of Shanghai in China, in a paper examining the “origin and continuing evolution” of what’s been officially dubbed SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2).

“Population genetic analyses of 103 SARS-CoV-2 genomes indicated that these viruses evolved into two major types,” researchers wrote in the paper published in the National Science Review.

According to the study, scientists discovered the virus evolved into two major lineages, dubbed the ‘S’ and ‘L’ types.

The S type is older, and thus considered the “ancestral version”, but accounted for about 30 per cent of cases. The L type, however, is more prevalent and accounts for about of 70 per cent of cases, researchers said.

“The L type was more prevalent in the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan, the frequency of the L type decreased after early January 2020,” researchers noted.

“Human intervention may have placed more severe selective pressure on the L type, which might be more aggressive and spread more quickly.”

The study sheds some light on how COVID-19 is evolving and suggests that more mutations could be possible in the future – a situation that could hinder efforts to find a vaccine.

According to the UK’s The Telegraph, genetic analysis of a man in the US who tested positive on January 21 showed it was possible to be infected with both types.

However the researchers were quick to note that more research is needed to understand the significance of the study’s findings and how SARS-CoV-2 differs from other coronaviruses.

“These findings strongly support an urgent need for further immediate, comprehensive studies that combine genomic data, epidemiological data, and chart records of the clinical symptoms of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),” they wrote.

COVID-19 ‘so effective at transmitting’

The discovery of what appears to be a mutation in the virus comes as cases continue to spread across the world, including Australia with new cases announced in NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia on Thursday.

Professor Ian Mackay, virologist and associate professor at The University of Queensland, says it’s clear the COVID-19 disease isn’t going away any time soon.

“We’ll just see this virus bounce around, looking for new hosts,” he told Yahoo News Australia.

“I think what happens is the virus keeps spreading in countries, there are more and more hotspots outside of China,” he said.

“We’re seeing exponential growth in a few countries around Europe, so it does look like it’s taking off.

“This virus, I think, will stay with us because it’s so effective at transmitting – like the other four human coronaviruses we live with right now,” he said.

“Those cause relatively mild disease at the moment because we’ve lived with them for so long... this virus may settle down to be more like them, or it may not.”

[lost in melb.]

Hm :wha:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Tiffany Lo - The Daily Star


https://i.imgur.com/bqQ8YSY.jpg

A man who filmed the horrifying footage of body bags found in an Iranian hospital has been arrested.

The video, shared on Twitter by Mohamad Ahwaze, showed lines of body bags filled with people allegedly killed by coronavirus on the floor.

It is understood that the man has been identified as a suspected hospital worker but not other details have been disclosed yet.

The footage, which has been viewed over 920,000 times, was taken from inside a hospital in the city of Qom.

Qom is where the killer COVID-19 was first detected and is the region with the highest amount of deaths alongside Iran's capital, Tehran.

The man recording walks through several rooms of the facility as more and more body bags appear on gurneys.

Local media reported the deceased were victims of COVID-19, but this has not been officially confirmed.

A journalist in the region has claimed the body bags have been placed in the hospital because there is no space for them.

Iran has experienced 2,922 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with at least 92 people killed, according to local media.

The Iranian government has announced new measures to combat the virus, saying that it would temporarily release 54,000 people from prison and deploy thousands of health workers.

Last week, a dozen Iranian government officials were reportedly infected by COVID-19, including the country's Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi and the Vice President for Women’s and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Mirmohammadi, a member of the Expediency Council which advises Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died of the virus on Monday.

[Godfather]

Wife and I are going to LA and Palm Springs for a little vacay (comedy shows, dinners, LA kings game, etc.) in two weeks. Hope our trip doesn't get fucked up by Cali declaring a state of emergency. I think we'll be okay but I'm a touch worried our travel plans may get messed with.


EDIT: Fuck, one of my wife's colleagues was just quarantined for covid-19 contact, she just got an email about it right now. Now I'm even more nervous. I wish I'd bought trip cancellation insurance but I've never purchased it before so I'm not even sure if it'd cover quarantine.

[DemonGeminiX]

:empathy:

[DemonGeminiX]

I'm wondering if the rest of the world is ready to nuke the Chinese over this yet.

[perrhaps]

Lance: Please quit posting all this FAKE NEWS!

[lost in melb.]

By Jacob Dirnhuber - The Daily Star


https://i.imgur.com/0eJPdSL.jpg

Smokers are more likely to be killed by the deadly coronavirus , a top medic has warned.

Studies have shown that pre-existing lung problems are linked to a higher mortality rate – with adults more at risk than kids.

Professor Raina MacIntyre, the head of Biosecurity at the University of New South Wales's Kirby Institute, said: “People who had exacerbations of lung disease during the bushfires and are still not recovered from that may be worse affected.

“Those who did not have lung disease and are recovered from smoke effects should not be at greater risk, but we have no research or data to be certain of this.”

Australian National University Associate Professor of Medicine Sanjaya Senanayake said smoking cigarettes also make the issue worse.

He said: “Smoking is associated with other illnesses such as chronic lung and chronic heart diseases which are associated with more severe disease and worse outcomes from coronavirus.

https://i.imgur.com/wTwM6w1.jpg

“Just because no direct link hadn't yet been established, that doesn’t mean there wouldn't be one in future.

“It's always a good time to quit smoking.”

The warning comes as England and Wales' Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said the UK will see a significant number of COVID-19 cases and "some deaths”.

https://i.imgur.com/ka2Y9QE.jpg

He added that it is "sensible" to plan for up to 20% of Brits to be sick at one time.

NHS England has mandated hospitals to test all patients in intensive care who are showing signs of a lung infection for coronavirus.

Bosses have been told to draft up plans to segregate wards such as A&E department, critical care and diagnostic areas amid fears of a “significant escalation” in cases.

https://i.imgur.com/qMxjuJ2.jpg

Professor Whitty earlier warned that up to 80% of Britons would catch the bug in the government's worst case scenario, and 1% of those infected may die.

The army could be deployed to tackle the coronavirus as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to fight the disease.

Soldiers could be deployed to guard vital sites so the police are free to deal with potential public disorder, according to new government plans.

Ha, Just saw this one. I think this will account for a lot in china and inflate that mortality rate

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/99nauMnl.jpg

A part-time employee who worked at CenturyLink Field during a February XFL game in Seattle has tested positive for the coronavirus, as the state announced 31 new cases on Thursday.

The employee has yet to be identified and worked as a concession worker at the stadium, according to the Seattle Times.

State officials said the infection risk is low for the 22,060 people that attended the game between the Seattle Dragons and the Dallas Renegades on Feb. 22.

"County officials advise that no extra precautions are required for those who attended the Feb. 22 game or who will attend upcoming events, but all King County residents should know that the risk for infection with COVID-19 is increasing in our community, should be aware of their symptoms, and call their health care provider if they develop a cough, fever, or other respiratory problems," King County officials said in a statement.

Seattle's professional sports organizations will continue to house their scheduled events, as health officials recommend those at higher risk for the illness [over 60, chronic health condition, weakened immune system, pregnant] stay home and "away form larger groups of people as much as possible."

The other teams that play in the area include the Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Mariners, and the Seattle Seahawks -- whose first preseason game is at the stadium in August.

"The teams are in touch with local health officials and their respective leagues on a regular basis, as this public health issue continues to evolve," the statement said.

Dave Pearson, a First and Goal spokesman, told the paper on Thursday that the worker "did not show symptoms at the time and has not been at the stadium since."

The XFL said it established a coronavirus task force and is closely monitoring the issue.

“The health and safety of the extended XFL family -- especially our fans in Seattle -- is of the utmost importance," said Jeffrey Pollack, XFL President. "We share everyone’s concern about this public health issue and understand it is evolving on a daily basis.”

Health officials are reportedly working closely at the stadium to "provide a safe matchday experience."

"Stadium efforts include expanded sanitation procedures – encompassing enhanced cleaning treatments to disinfect all areas of the stadium before and after every event – in addition to increased hand sanitizer stations throughout the venue and continued staff education and training," health officials said.

The next scheduled event at CenturyLink Field is a soccer match between the Sounders FC and Columbus Crew SC on Saturday.

"We are in continuous dialogue with regional health authorities and Major League Soccer, in addition to our network of medical experts. Because of this, we are proceeding with Saturday's match," the team said in a statement.

Washington state is considered the epicenter for the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. It now has 70 confirmed cases, up from 39 on Wednesday, while 11 people have died from the virus.

Vice President Mike Pence visited the hard-hit state on Thursday after Trump appointed him to oversee the U.S. efforts in containing the virus.

Pence called it "the front line" of the outbreak.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

BY GEE AND URSULA SHOW - MYNorthwest.com


https://i.imgur.com/0AmgeG6.jpg

Epidemiologist Dr. Eric Ding spoke with KIRO Radio’s Gee and Ursula Show, stressing the need for massively increased safety measures in Washington state.

“I think the Seattle area in Washington state is potentially on the cusp off being a Wuhan 2.0,” cautioned Dr. Ding, epidemiologist, health economist, and nutrition scientist at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. Ding worries that the state is following a similar pattern to how coronavirus was first handled in Wuhan, China, where the country was slow to ramp up testing and containment.

He went on to note that the possibility of shutting down large events like Emerald City Comic Con in downtown Seattle should be something under “urgent consideration.” The yearly convention brought in 98,000 people in 2019, and plans to go forward as scheduled this year. However, tickets are refundable.

“This is where the difference between us becoming a runaway epidemic and a contained epidemic is social distancing,” he noted.

In terms of tracking the virus, UW Medicine is increasing its capacity to handle 1,000 tests a day. But even that, Ding warns, may not be sufficient.

“One-thousand tests per day is a good start, but it’s nothing like what they’re doing in South Korea,” Dr. Ding described. “The key to stopping an epidemic is contact tracing, and finding those infected as soon as possible, not three or four weeks after the fact, like the first few cases [in Washington].”

Washington state health officials announced Thursday that the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington has ballooned to 70 people. That includes 51 in King County, 18 in Snohomish County, and the first case in Grant County.

[lost in melb.]

Australia is prepared


https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/8e6a8caafcfc590a7ed54788c83564c4

[lost in melb.]

:homer:


https://youtu.be/XL3-rlcWCu0

[DemonGeminiX]

It'll probably get worse before it gets better.

[Godfather]

Wow this is fucked, these people are having a bad month.



China hotel collapse: 70 people trapped in building used for coronavirus quarantine

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-hotel-collapse-coronavirus-quarantine-fujian-province-death-latest-a9384546.html

[RBP]

Wow this is fucked, these people are having a bad month.

Yeek. I'd be questioning God's plan at that point. :shock:

[Hikari Kisugi]

hehe

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Trump has a “hunch” that coronavirus isn’t as bad as every expert says it is. <a href="https://t.co/KID3XLYerf">pic.twitter.com/KID3XLYerf</a></p>&mdash; The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1235943477579522050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1235943477579522050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[RBP]

He is a master at keeping the press focused on him. And right wrong or indifferent, it works.

[lost in melb.]

https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/78/590x/secondary/Coronavirus-2350765.webp?r=1583611337577

[lost in melb.]

hehe

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Trump has a “hunch” that coronavirus isn’t as bad as every expert says it is. <a href="https://t.co/KID3XLYerf">pic.twitter.com/KID3XLYerf</a></p>— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1235943477579522050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1235943477579522050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Actually, he's probably correct. But don't quote me having said that...

[Hikari Kisugi]

Actually, he's probably correct. But don't quote me having said that...

mmmm, I've a parent over 80. 20% death rate in that bracket.
I'd rather pres trump caught it, rather than either parent.
Him saying he could have been a scientist.. if he had not been a president.... the man's a fuckwit.
A very successful fuckwit.
Last week he expect the 15 to be down to zero soon.
Now they've 11 dead. Now they realised their testing reagent doesn't work.

Some versions of the handling of this mess deserve a punch in the face, in many nations.

[lost in melb.]

mmmm, I've a parent over 80. 20% death rate in that bracket.
I'd rather pres trump caught it, rather than either parent.
Him saying he could have been a scientist.. if he had not been a president.... the man's a fuckwit.
A very successful fuckwit.
Last week he expect the 15 to be down to zero soon.
Now they've 11 dead. Now they realised their testing reagent doesn't work.

Some versions of the handling of this mess deserve a punch in the face, in many nations.

It's true, much higher rate of death in the elderly...

[lost in melb.]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This how the world ends as we know it but atleast we have a clean ass. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/toiletpaper?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#toiletpaper</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Corona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Corona</a> <a href="https://t.co/a7o93aAyUo">pic.twitter.com/a7o93aAyUo</a></p>&mdash; Lycis (@JustLycis) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustLycis/status/1236345791318568960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[lost in melb.]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The women behind me at the Aldi check out <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/toiletpaper?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#toiletpaper</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirusaustralia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirusaustralia</a> <a href="https://t.co/XnenmvnQaR">pic.twitter.com/XnenmvnQaR</a></p>&mdash; Sonia Giusto (@SoniaCrestpac) <a href="https://twitter.com/SoniaCrestpac/status/1234772991700979712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Hikari Kisugi]

The cunt also said he'd rather US cits stay in danger on a ship as he doesn't want the number to look worse by bringing them home.

He fucking said it out loud.

YSkui6Z7gkY

[DemonGeminiX]

Actually, he's probably correct. But don't quote me having said that...

LOOK GUYS!!! LOOK AT WHAT LOST JUST SAID!!!


:nana:

[lost in melb.]

:disapproval:

[DemonGeminiX]

:haha:

[perrhaps]

Let's do one of those group participation tests. Trump says anybody who wants to be tested can get tested. I'm going to call my doctor's office today and try to schedule one for later this week. Anyone else game?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Dan Greenwald - CBS KMOV4


https://i.imgur.com/QeP9HsFh.jpg

FRONTENAC, Mo. (KMOV.com) – The family of the St. Louis County woman who tested positive for COVID-19 disobeyed quarantine and attended a father-daughter school dance Saturday evening at Villa Duchesne, County Executive Sam Page said.

Page said the family was asked to self-quarantine on Thursday, March 5, after the young woman called the county's health hotline and told them her symptoms. However, Page said the father took his other daughter to a father-daughter dinner dance with Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School (VDOH) at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton on Saturday.

In a letter to parents, VDOH officials said the father and daughter didn't learn of the diagnosis until after they were already at the dance. They left the dance immediately after.

[READ: Coronavirus in Missouri: Woman in St. Louis County tests positive for COVID-19]

Sunday afternoon, Page said the coronavirus patient has been acting responsibly and maturely but her father “did not act consistently with the health department’s instructions and instead ... he decided to take his daughter to a school function."

Page said the county learned about the father-daughter dance on Sunday and officials told the man "to stay home or they will issue a formal quarantine that will require him and the rest of his family to stay home by the force of law."

Early Sunday evening, John Burroughs School officials sent a letter to parents saying the father and sister of the infected woman attended an event at the home of a Burroughs family on Saturday before going to the dance. Several other people went to the same home that same night. The school said all those people have been contacted.

[READ: Following the timeline for St. Louis County's first coronavirus patient]

"Based on the conversations that I have had with medical experts today, the likelihood of any of the Burroughs students contracting the virus is extraordinarily low," the statement read. "Still, under an abundance of caution, we have asked them to stay home from school until we have more information."

John Burroughs School plans to hold classes as usual this week.

The coronavirus patient returned from Italy to Chicago on Monday. She then took an Amtrak to St. Louis on Wednesday. She called the hotline on Thursday and went to Mercy Hospital on Friday. Doctor Randall Williams, the director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said he received a phone call about the positive coronavirus diagnosis at 1 p.m. Saturday.

[WATCH: Dr. Williams speaks about the first coronavirus case in St. Louis County and Missouri]

The dance was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. and Page said the family was informed after the diagnosis between 6 and 6:30 p.m.

Classes at VDOH have been called off for Monday since the COVID-19 patient is the older sister of a Villa student.

Download the KMOV News app to get the latest updates.

Several people called and emailed News 4 with concerns. Some said the father shouldn't have put several people in danger and should've stayed home. Others said the school should call off classes from more than just one day.

Officials from VDOH are urging people who attended the dance to seek appropriate medical treatment if they notice any symptoms and to notify the school.

Chaminade College Preparatory School said students who have family members who attended the dance will participate in classes remotely starting Monday. The school said students who aren't showing any symptoms, can return to school March 23 following spring break.

The Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School released a statement Sunday asking its students who have siblings attending VDOH and may have had contact with the patient's family to self-quarantine in their home for the coming school week.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis asked all students, faculty and staff who attended Saturday night's class to stay home. In a statement, Archdiocese officials said students who fall under this category should call the school Monday morning.

News 4 reached out to Ritz-Carlton for a statement. We are waiting to hear back.

Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School released the following statement:


Head of School Michael F. Baber announced to school families that Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School will close for tomorrow as School officials work with local health officials. The school learned this morning that a St. Louis County woman who has received a positive test for COVID-19 is the older sister of a Villa Duchesne student. School officials immediately began gathering information and planning for the safety of our students and families.

“We are communicating with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health and sharing everything that we know with them. We will work with officials to ensure we are doing everything possible to mitigate risk and to maintain our safe environment,” says Alice Dickherber, Director of Communications and Marketing. “We are committed to the health and safety of our community and we will follow the guidance of public health officials as we plan for the coming days.”

A Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School spokesperson later added:


We are always focused on prevention of the spread of germs on campus and will be cleaning tomorrow. Our full-time cleaning and maintenance staff are on campus each day, cleaning and sanitizing throughout the school day. We are cleaning continuously to prevent the spread of germs and we will make sure we are taking direction from public health officials as to any additional measures we should take. Our Spring break begins on Monday, March 16.

[lost in melb.]

Let's do one of those group participation tests. Trump says anybody who wants to be tested can get tested. I'm going to call my doctor's office today and try to schedule one for later this week. Anyone else game?

They only do the test if you have the disease :nono:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Andy Gregory - The Independent


A man has gone bar-hopping in order to spread the coronavirus after discovering he was infected, reports suggest.

Despite being asymptomatic, he tested positive at a hospital in the Japanese city of Gamagori on Wednesday after both of his parents contracted the virus, and was told to wait at home until space at a suitable medical facility could be found for him the following day.

Instead, Fuji News Network (FNN) reports he decided to visit two bars in the small coastal city after telling a family member: “I am going to spread the virus.”

The man, in his 50s, allegedly took a took a taxi to an izakaya bar – informal establishments akin to pubs – before walking on foot to a Filipino bar, according to the Tokyo Reporter.

After eating and finishing several drinks, the man reportedly told fellow customers he had tested positive for coronavirus, at which point a concerned member of staff called local health authorities.

Police clad in protective suits appeared at the second bar, however the man had already taken a taxi home.

He was reportedly sent to a treatment facility the next day.

The two bars were being disinfected and sterilised, a city official told FNN, while staff members and customers were reportedly being tested for the virus.

“I can’t get this straight in my head. I cannot express it in words since I only have anger,” local media reported a staff member as saying.

Officials held a press conference and apologised for the incident, with the city’s mayor, Toshiaki Suzuki, saying: “It is highly regrettable that he did not remain home as instructed.”

Japan has seen more than 1,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, although the majority of these were passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise liner, which for some time was home to the largest outbreak outside of mainland China and was moored off the coast near Yokohama.

[lost in melb.]

What a resounding fucking asshole. I hope they find a special place in hell for this prick

[DemonGeminiX]

With more people like this in the world than we'd like to imagine, I give the human race about a 5% chance of surviving.

[perrhaps]

They only do the test if you have the disease :nono:

That's not what Trump said over the weekend. Anyway, my doctor's office says you're right and he's a fibbin' rapscallion. You guys with the MAGA/KAGA caps have any better luck?

[lost in melb.]

It's getting serious now. They're talking about quarantining parts of Sydney.

[lost in melb.]

Does anyone else want to slap these China peasants back to the Middle Ages?

https://i.ibb.co/nbC2hLb/Capture-virus.png (https://ibb.co/47dyBV7)
how to send pictures privately (https://imgbb.com/)

[Godfather]

All of Italy is now under quarantine. Just think about that, absolutely wild.

[lost in melb.]

High Mortality

Comparing Covid-19 to the flu...



Last year the flu had a .10% (1/10th of 1%) mortality rate with over 34,200 deaths in the US alone. This year is no exception with the flu mortality rate quite high.



“CDC estimates that the burden of illness during the 2018–2019 season included an estimated 35.5 million people getting sick with influenza, 16.5 million people going to a health care provider for their illness, 490,600 hospitalizations, and 34,200 deaths from influenza.”


In China, where the numbers are being closely watched, Covid-19 now has a 3.5% mortality rate, anywhere from a 35 to 70 times higher mortality rate than the flu, depending on the flu year analyzed.



If we use the US 2018/2019 flu numbers of over 35 million and apply this to Covid-19, in the US alone, over 1.2 million people could lose their lives. This is why we are seeing governments quite concerned with stemming the spread of this virus.



Additionally, the number of individuals that develop serious symptoms is quite high, with many developing some form of pneumonia and, in the most severe cases, respiratory failure. With some of the most severe cases, individuals develop an immune reaction known as a cytokine storm, whereby their immune system becomes overzealous and a flood of immune cells and biochemicals destroy lung tissue and other organs. Also, it has been observed that permanent or long-term lung tissue damage can take place in a high percentage of those with the virus, regardless of severity or symptoms.



The highest mortality rate is found in those over the age of 60 and those with already compromised immune systems, but no one is immune from this serious illness, and younger adults and children have also fallen seriously ill from Covid-19. As mentioned earlier, regardless of age or symptoms, long-term lung damage is being noted in a high percentage of cases.

I'm now going to take this more seriously. Getting reliable information is of course, important here.

[lost in melb.]

All of Italy is now under quarantine. Just think about that, absolutely wild.

I cant help wondering if it's the habit that Italians have of kissing lips and face of everyone they greet :-k

[lost in melb.]

As countries around the world take increasingly drastic measures to slow the coronavirus outbreak, a new study has found the disease can travel twice as far as the official “safe distance” on public transport.

The research, completed by a team of Chinese government epidemiologists, found that a passenger – unaware that they had coronavirus – infected up to 13 other people travelling on the same bus in a matter of hours.

The virus that causes COVID-19 can linger in the air for at least 30 minutes and travel up to 4.5m – further than the distance people have been advised to keep from each other by health authorities around the world.

“It can be confirmed that in a closed environment with airconditioning, the transmission distance of the new coronavirus will exceed the commonly recognised safe distance,” the researchers wrote in a paper published in Practical Preventive Medicine last Friday.


https://multitools.newscdn.com.au/multitools/slider/content/1583796910992/NED-1359-Coronavirus-Bus-Graphic_AadH46P7.jpg

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/how-coronavirus-spreads-twice-as-far-on-trains-buses-public-transport/news-story/938b067e72449cd536c1b2d2d0f53070

[perrhaps]

I'm now going to take this more seriously. Getting reliable information is of course, important here.

Oh, fiddle-de-dee Scarlett. Us Americans have a better plan. So far, it works like this:
1. Proclaim this whole thing to be a "hoax", perpetuated by the usual suspects, i.e., MSM; The Deep State, apparently Lance, and Democrats.
2. Pronounce official hunches that this will all go away when the weather gets warmer.
3. Have your President brag that if he hadn't wanted to be President, he would have been a really good scientist, so we should trust him on this.
4. Mislead the public about the availability of instantaneous testing.
5. Keep the statistics down by leaving sick people on cruise ships in international waters.
6. Float the idea of a payroll tax cut, which will surely make infected folk happy, right?

[lost in melb.]

Oh, fiddle-de-dee Scarlett. Us Americans have a better plan. So far, it works like this:
1. Proclaim this whole thing to be a "hoax", perpetuated by the usual suspects, i.e., MSM; The Deep State, apparently Lance, and Democrats.
2. Pronounce official hunches that this will all go away when the weather gets warmer.
3. Have your President brag that if he hadn't wanted to be President, he would have been a really good scientist, so we should trust him on this.
4. Mislead the public about the availability of instantaneous testing.
5. Keep the statistics down by leaving sick people on cruise ships in international waters.
6. Float the idea of a payroll tax cut, which will surely make infected folk happy, right?

;)

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life &amp; the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!</p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1237027356314869761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[DemonGeminiX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ctxLX_FZZc

[Godfather]

I cant help wondering if it's the habit that Italians have of kissing lips and face of everyone they greet :-k

Perhaps, but the risk there is also higher there, their population is 4th oldest by median age in the world, which is who is obviously most at risk for this strain! The average age is 45 (by comparison some of the poorest countries have median ages of as low as 15!).

[lost in melb.]

Perhaps, but the risk there is also higher there, their population is 4th oldest by median age in the world, which is who is obviously most at risk for this strain! The average age is 45 (by comparison some of the poorest countries have median ages of as low as 15!).

I think you're absolutely right. I heard this as well between that post and now

[lost in melb.]

They seriously need to change the law to come down hard on these f****** with coronavirus that are told to stay in the house and then they're found to be roaming about the community at markets and crowded places. :roll:

[Godfather]

Rogan had Michael Osterholm, Director of Center for Infectious Disease and Policy on his podcast today. It's 95 minutes so not as long as some of his other ones. I'll give it a listen and summarize if there's anything juicy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=E3URhJx0NSw&feature=emb_title

EDIT: This is worth a listen.

[Godfather]

Ok, nobody laugh, but Coronavirus conference cancelled due to coronavirus. (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-10/coronavirus-conference-gets-canceled-because-of-coronavirus)

:lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/z6popMTl.jpg

The total amount of coronavirus cases in the U.S. surpassed 1,000 on Tuesday night, with the virus officially being reported in all but 12 states.

Various events have been canceled throughout the country as health officials warn about attending large-scale gatherings. At least 28 deaths have been reported.

"We would like the country to realize that as a nation, we can't be doing the kinds of things we were doing a few months ago," Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said during a White House press briefing.

He referenced guidelines by the White House advising people to clean their hands regularly and avoid handshakes. You should also start making habits like covering coughs and sneezes and refraining from touching your face. The CDC is advising those over 60 with underlying health conditions to avoid crowded places, unnecessary travel, and to stock up on supplies.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., announced the state's first cases on Tuesday night and declared a state of emergency "to harness our resources across state government to slow the spread of the virus."

One case is an adult female from Oakland County with recent international travel and the other is an adult male from Wayne County with recent domestic travel.

"It's crucial that all Michiganders continue to take preventative measures to lower their risk, and to share this information with their friends, family, and co-workers," she added.

https://i.imgur.com/pvWVYS2l.jpg

The patient from Wayne county is currently under isolation and officials recommend residents continue to practice prevention measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Local health departments are working to identify anyone who had come into close contact with those cases.

The spread of COVID-19 has quickened in the U.S. in recent days. Over 100 new cases have been announced on average per day since Saturday. More than 100 people have tested positive New York, California and Washington State

“Although we keep coming in and saying -- appropriately -- that as a nation the risk is relatively low, there are parts of the country right now that are having community spread in which the risk there is clearly a bit more than that,” Fauci added, referring to those three states.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., sent the National Guard and announced a one-mile "containment zone" for the city of New Rochelle on Tuesday in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.

“New Rochelle at this point is probably the largest cluster in the U.S. of these cases,” he said. “It’s a significant issue for us.”

Symptoms of the coronavirus -- fever, cough, and shortness of breath -- may appear between two to 14 days due to its reported incubation period.