Coronavirus COVID-19 *Global Health Emergency* #10

[Lilibet]

I'd like to say yes....to make you feel better. Don't know for sure though, honestly.

And, it works both ways, as many universities are recalling their students studying abroad from Italy and South Korea. Villanova and Temple in Philly are in the process now. Students still in Rome are being shown on tv preparing to return to the Philly campuses. I suppose it's possible they bring home more than their luggage.

Thanks for trying. Yes, I had read about universities recalling students. The university website here is quiet, so I will hope for the best.

 

[What if...]

Regarding the postal worker in WA who is infected...

"There is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures," according to the CDC website. "Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets. Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods and there have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods."

Nonetheless, I will be giving my Amazon order the side eye tomorrow.

Just don’t pop the bubble wrap to reduce tension!! You don’t know where the air in those little bubbles came from!! lol

 

[otto]

Ontario is reporting 3 more coronavirus cases, all in the Toronto area. There are now 23 cases in Canada -- 14 in Ontario, eight in British Columbia and one in Quebec.
https://t.co/opuovpjm9B
CBC News Alerts on Twitter

NEW: Canada reports 4 new cases of coronavirus in Ontario, where officials say they're preparing for the potential of local spread Tracking coronavirus: Map, data and timeline
BNO Newsroom on Twitter

Canada should restrict travel from severely infected countries, but that won't happen.

 

[Henry2326]

Nextstrain

Less than 20 minutes after our last update, we now have another new Italian #SARSCoV2 sequence. Italy/SPL1/2020 (Rome, 2020-01-29) is identical to a genome sampled in Lazio the same day, indicative of an in-country transmission chain separate to the Lombardy outbreak. Nextstrain on Twitter

 

[Lilibet]

Just don’t pop the bubble wrap to reduce tension!! You don’t know where the air in those little bubbles came from!! lol

Ha! One more thing to avoid.

 

[What if...]

N95 Virus mask wearing advice - If you poke a small hole in just the right place on your N95 mask, you can smoke a cigarette......Carry on........moo

lol - Awesome advise Cody!

On a side note, that little hole is also the perfect size for a straw! But let your coffee cool a bit before you use it!!

 

[Tbone144]

News out of Houston TX
'Wash Ur Hands': Houston's famous 'Be Someone' sign painted over as coronavirus concerns grow


'Wash Ur Hands': Houston's famous 'Be Someone' sign painted over as coronavirus concerns grow

no confirmed cases but I wonder how many have been tested?
No confirmed cases of coronavirus in Harris County, mayor says


No confirmed cases of coronavirus in Harris County, mayor says

 

[Lilibet]

Canada should restrict travel from severely infected countries, but that won't happen.

I wonder what standards countries use to decide who is restricted. Only China and Iran are restricted from coming to the U.S. Why not Italy and South Korea? Or?

 

[justbeachy]

I've just read a thread on my FB newsfeed in which someone asked the question:

"So heading to Disney on March 20th with my best friend - we are doing a girls weekend with just our daughter.s. What are people’s thoughts with the whole Coronivirus...." (the fact that they can't spell it should have told me not to read the thread LOL)

The responses were all pretty much the same (go, it's no big deal), but 2 in particular stood out:

"You have a better chance of getting the flu or food poisoning."

"Taking my 5 year old twins on a cruise in 31 days. It’s crossed my mind as a minor concern, but haven’t considered canceling even a little bit."

 

[What if...]

Nextstrain

We just updated Nextstrain with new #SARSCoV2 sequences from Mexico City, Mexico and the first genome from Lombardy, Italy. Data is consistent with travel associated cases from a single source outbreak in Lombardy. auspice Nextstrain on Twitter

Nextstrain on Twitter

Thank you Henry - this is great information to have for watching possible mutations! Very appreciated!!

 

[Henry2326]

Thank you Henry - this is great information to have for watching possible mutations! Very appreciated!!

You`re welcome.....

 

[zecats]

Canada should restrict travel from severely infected countries, but that won't happen.

When the Ukraine airline was shot down in Iran there were many Canadians on board. Due to their travels home to see family I believe. So Canada has many Iranians who are also Canadian citizens correct? How to prevent citizens from coming back to their home?...Though I do believe there should at least be some testing and perhaps a period of quarantine at first. JMO

 

[jjenny]

The protection of the masks are shortlived, at hospitals they are single-use, for short periods of time (perhaps 5 - 10 minutes) and are changed between each patient. How many ordinary people walking around with masks all day will change their masks every 10 minutes, or as soon as they get moist by the breath? I would guess very few, and virus likes moisture and warmth, like under a moist mask.

Surgical masks won't work, you need N95 to protect from corona virus.
"A more specialized mask, known as an N95 respirator, can protect against the new coronavirus, also called 2019-nCoV. The respirator is thicker than a surgical mask, but Schaffner doesn't recommend it for public use, at least not at this point."
Can wearing a face mask protect you from the new coronavirus? | Live Science

 

[Boytwnmom]

Exactly. The real problem is the supply chain. I am no kind of expert on it but have been doing some reading. Here's an article from HBR that I found informative and fairly basic: How Coronavirus Could Impact the Global Supply Chain by Mid-March

My biggest concern is about the American public panicking. Not because the virus is so deadly but because of things like certain items disappearing from stores and transportation and business being disrupted because of employee absence or people being laid off because of lack of merchandise or other necessities at a particular business. I honestly am uncertain as to whether people can deal rationally with that. If they can't, panic will ensue. I already see people online talking about stockpiling beyond their personal needs, basically overbuying and hoarding. To much of that causes even less availability and thus more panic. In reality we can all live without some of our favorite whatever for a while. This is not an apocalyptic event but if the "pandemic" declaration comes I fear people will react as if it is.

I always have enough in my "larder" for at least a month of meals (at least when my twin boys are away at college). And that's pretty easy to do. We live in a rural area with lots of dairy and other farms and I always buy certain things there like meat, milk, cheese. You can identify local sources and support them. Amazon & Walmart type places will be harder hit.

I grew up with stories of the depression and WWII. The American people still had it pretty good-no war on our streets but plenty of deprivation and uncertainty-beating Hitler was not a given. Many Americans today have basically known nothing but abundance and "shop" as a hobby. You can order any food or groceries and have it delivered at your command. I worry that we're so "spoiled" people will not be able to react calmly to any deprivation. I so hope I'm wrong.

CVS and Walgreens warn there could be a shortage of hand sanitizer

U.S. drug stores, retailers and suppliers are racing to keep up with surging interest for cleaning products as fears over coronavirus intensify. CVS and Walgreens warn there could be a shortage of hand sanitizer
WCBD on Twitter

U.S. drug stores, retailers and suppliers are racing to keep up with surging interest for cleaning products as fears over coronavirus intensify.

Demand for products like hand sanitizers, face masks and cleaning wipes has spiked, according to CVS, Walgreens and others. CVS warned it may cause supply shortages.

“This demand may cause temporary shortages at some store locations and we re-supply those stores as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson for CVS said.

Bath & Body Works, owned by L Brands, said Thursday that its hand sanitizer business was growing in the wake of coronavirus.

“The hand sanitizer business is about 5% of the total business. It is presently growing at a very high rate for reasons we would all understand,” L Brands chief financial officer Stuart Burgdoerfer said on a call with analysts.

Meanwhile, cleaning goods companies are stepping up production to meet demand.

“We are taking up inventory levels [to] be prepared for the potential increase in demand for some of our bleach products,” Clorox chief financial officer Kevin Jacobsen said on a call with analysts earlier this month. Clorox is one of four S&P 500 stocks to rise this week as the rest of the market has plunged.

On Thursday, Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of Dettol and Lysol said it was investing in its supply chain to be able to prevent shortages.

“We’re continuing to make capacity investments to ensure that we don’t run out at the peak for some of these products that we have that, frankly, consumers demand and we can’t fulfill,” said CEO Laxman Narasimhan.

I think it’s more that the suppliers are probably the same. So if more people buy at Walmart, Walmart will order more so there could be less available for health care workers.

 

[otto]

I'd like to say yes....to make you feel better. Don't know for sure though, honestly.

And, it works both ways, as many universities are recalling their students studying abroad from Italy and South Korea. Villanova and Temple in Philly are in the process now. Students still in Rome are being shown on tv preparing to return to the Philly campuses. I suppose it's possible they bring home more than their luggage.

Last week, one Canadian university suspended all travel to the following areas, and is recalling students who are currently in these areas: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Singapore.

The university is "strongly suggesting" that anyone who is currently in those areas should return immediately with university support and assistance. That means financial and travel arrangement assistance. I'm guessing that more countries will be added to the list next week, and that the window for assistance will close in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Chelly]

You say plan well in advance - how much time do we have to get this preparation done?

I began stocking up three weeks ago, made several trips each week to Walmart, Dollar store, grocery stores and placed Amazon orders. And....stocked up on prescription meds. Once a week, I made a very quick, very early morning trip to grocery to purchase produce.

 

[Lilibet]

When the Ukraine airline was shot down in Iran there were many Canadians on board. Due to their travels home to see family I believe. So Canada has many Iranians who are also Canadian citizens correct? How to prevent citizens from coming back to their home?...Though I do believe there should at least be some testing and perhaps a period of quarantine at first. JMO

I think countries are obligated to let their citizens return, but I agree about testing and quarantine. What’s difficult is when one half of a couple is a citizen and one isn’t. That’s happened with China...the father and daughter sneezing on TV in the U.S. while Mom is still in China.

 

[Trino]

Genetic clues hint at hidden virus cases in Washington state

The coronavirus may have been circulating for weeks undetected in Washington state, a preliminary finding that could mean hundreds of undiagnosed cases.

 

[otto]

I've just read a thread on my FB newsfeed in which someone asked the question:

"So heading to Disney on March 20th with my best friend - we are doing a girls weekend with just our daughter.s. What are people’s thoughts with the whole Coronivirus...." (the fact that they can't spell it should have told me not to read the thread LOL)

The responses were all pretty much the same (go, it's no big deal), but 2 in particular stood out:

"You have a better chance of getting the flu or food poisoning."

"Taking my 5 year old twins on a cruise in 31 days. It’s crossed my mind as a minor concern, but haven’t considered canceling even a little bit."

I think the problem is that many people under some age, maybe 35, don't read the news. Even Trump spelled it "caronavirus." Most people will probably be very relaxed about the virus until there's an over-night local outbreak.

 

[Chelly]

I know. I'm due for a cleaning in 2 weeks............

If for routine cleaning, would you consider rescheduling for a few months? I did.