Coronavirus COVID-19 *Global Health Pandemic* #19

[Trino]

World Health Organization says it's seeing "alarming levels of inaction"

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing today that the agency is "deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction” when he said the novel coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic.

He added: “We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: All countries can still change the course of this pandemic."

Live updates: Coronavirus cases pass 115,000 worldwide - CNN

And guess where the alarming level of national government inaction is highest. Right here in the USA.

 

[Sundog]

wouldn't surprise me if they're already planning for quick, mandatory cremation.
think about it, dead bodies can overwhelm the
funeral industry. How do you store all the dead bodies, and where do you store them?
this is something that has to be in the works, planning wise. We just haven't heard the news , YET.[/QUOTE

DBM

 

[Henry2326]

I FEEL THE SAME WAY......

I have been feeling the same anguish. It is like watching a forest fire race closer and closer, engulfing town after town, while everyone around you continues to maintain that the risk is low and it won't happen here.

Jeremy FLATTEN THE CURVE Konyndyk on Twitter

 

[Richmond]

This didn't quote for some reason, but posted by @JerseyGirl:

'Lack of resolve' in some countries, says WHO

Tedros says it is a “crisis that affects every sector”.

The WHO director-general says:

This is everybody’s business.

He says looking at the number of cases reported and number of countries affected “doesn’t tell the full story”.

All countries can still change the course of this pandemic.

Swift action can prevent larger clusters and community transmission and even if they fail to do so “they can turn the tide”.

The challenge is not whether countries can change the course of the virus but whether they will, Tedros says.

He says come countries are struggling with a lack of capacity but says some are struggling with a lack of resolve.

Coronavirus live updates: WHO says Covid-19 is pandemic

I can't like this enough. I need a bolded LIKE button. Please, please, please, governors of every state: take action! make decisions! Don't wait for instructions from our fed. gov., some of whom still think it's "just the flu" while sticking their heads up their arses.

edited to add quote

 

[dotr]

Very upsetting to learn of medical personnel becoming sick. rbbm.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/covid19-first-case-doctor-hamilton-health-sciences-1.5493530

''A Hamilton Health Sciences radiation oncologist is the city's first confirmed positive case of COVID-19, a hospital spokesperson has confirmed.

On Wednesday, CBC learned that a staff member in her 30s tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a personal trip to Hawaii. Since the doctor's return to the hospital's Juravinski Cancer Centre, she was in contact with both cancer patients and staff members.

The doctor was at work on the afternoon of March 9 and was tested that same day. She received confirmation of a positive test on March 10 and has been in self-isolation since.''

 

[What if...]

LIVE: Houston Rodeo canceled amid growing concerns over coronavirus
LIVE: Houston Rodeo canceled amid growing concerns over coronavirus

You know it’s bad if Texas cancels a rodeo!!!

 

[Henry2326]

Clearly WHO was speaking to US and UK concerning inaction....IMO

 

[JerseyGirl]

Experts react to pandemic declaration

Prof Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, said:

The statement ...says that this does not change their advice on how to respond and that “urgent and aggressive” action is required by countries with significant outbreaks. An important word missing from that statement is “sustainable”. It is now clear that Covid-19 is going to be with us for a considerable length of time and the actions that we take must be actions that we can live with for a prolonged period.

Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health, University of Southampton, said:

The World Health Organization stated that some countries are struggling with a lack of resources, but also ‘a lack of resolve’. This is clearly a direct indication that they consider many countries have been slow to scale up their responses. The declaration of a pandemic may mean that we see countries feel incentivised to implement further larger interventions, such as banning of public gatherings, sooner than would they were otherwise planning to.

Dr Nathalie MacDermott, NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) academic clinical lecturer, King’s College London, said:

This decision will likely have been made on the basis of the majority of the world’s continents now seeing significant and ongoing person to person spread of Sars-Cov2. The change of term does not alter anything practically as the world has been advised for the last few weeks to prepare for a potential pandemic, which has hopefully been taken seriously by all countries. The use of this term however highlights the importance of countries throughout the world working cooperatively and openly with one another and coming together as a united front in our efforts to bring this situation under control.

Coronavirus live updates: WHO declares Covid-19 a pandemic while Italy death toll jumps by 196

 

[JerseyGirl]

Clearly WHO was speaking to US and UK concerning inaction....IMO

Yup, "lack of resolve".

 

[Bravo]

Wow I just got in from a meeting re:virus. They have declared a Pandemic. That's huge but not surprising. 3 folks who presented with symptoms and were immediately put in negative pressure rooms have tested negative. The sickest man had returned from a cruise. Gas prices have really gone down but toilet paper is available but price is up a bit.

 

[Hatfield]

You know it’s bad if Texas cancels a rodeo!!!

Yes, the bans and cancellations have started in earnest here in the US.

San Francisco has some news if this has not been shared yet.

"San Francisco have made the decision to ban gatherings of 1,000 people or more citywide Wednesday.

Mayor London Breed announced the ban is effective immediately and will be in place for two weeks. Sporting events, including Golden State Warriors basketball games, would be impacted."

Coronavirus Update: Golden State Warriors Set To Play In Empty Chase Center; San Francisco Bans Large Gatherings

 

[beatrixpotter]

This is a great article with lots of info detailing the difference between your average flu and COVID-19 for those of you who haven't been following it as closely.

How does the new coronavirus compare with the flu? | Live Science

 

[zecats]

Mayor DiBlasio on MSNBC currently discussing CV and answering questions.

Brief transcript of what his answer were. You can probably deduce the questions:

Saint Patrick's Day - outside event, less suceptibility to spread of infection, so not cancelling yet. All outdoor events "safer."

Don't want to shut down the lives of healthy population, but want to place barriers to protect less healthy and older population.

Transmissibilty (new word he recently learned) = person to person close contact spread, not from people way across the room.

Transparency - test significant people, travelers, people who have been in contact with others or in locations where present.

If have initials symptoms, start with self isolation.

Trying to avoid degradation of every day life and financial life, and promote survivability for citizens.

He hopes to not have to use powers (that he does have) to shut down everything.

 

[sloane7777]

It will be too late.

unless they do it now, yes! it will be too late , and you and I both know they wont.

 

[JerseyGirl]

San Francisco leases RVs to provide coronavirus self-isolation facilities

 

[drama_farmer]

Yup, "lack of resolve".

I also think that so many of our leaders are more afraid of "getting it wrong" and "over-reacting" to what could be as bad as it seems it will be. I also detect a major strain of "it can't happen here-itis" which, I must admit, I have suffered from as well. IMO

 

[x_files]

I also wonder when all hell will erupt and someone that sneezes or coughs in public will be brutally attacked.

Not condoning violence, but I do advise everyone to cover their sneeze and cough!

 

[gitana1]

I finally feel vindicated about self isolating. This is insane and it will get worse.

I just wish I had gotten masks sooner.

 

[sloane7777]

Clearly WHO was speaking to US and UK concerning inaction....IMO

CLEARLY!!!

 

[Trudie]

CDC director says some coronavirus-related deaths have been found posthumously

Rep. Harley Rouda asked CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield if it’s possible that some flu patients may have been misdiagnosed and actually had coronavirus.

"The standard practice is the first thing you do is test for influenza, so if they had influenza they would be positive," Redfield said.

Rouda then asked Redfield if they are doing posthumous testing.

Redfield said there has been "a surveillance system of deaths from pneumonia, that the CDC has; it’s not in every city, ever state, every hospital.”

Rouda followed up and asked, “So we could have some people in the United States dying for what appears to be influenza when in fact it could be the coronavirus?”

The doctor replied that “some cases have actually been diagnosed that way in the United States today.”

Live updates: Coronavirus cases pass 115,000 worldwide - CNN

bbm

interesting, I posted about this yesterday! Again, no one knows when Novel Corona first presented in US!