Coronavirus - Global Health Emergency, 2019-nCoV #3

[margarita25]

What we know about the three cruise ships that had their travels disrupted by coronavirus

• 
  
  
  • The one docked in Japan: The Diamond Princess is anchored off the coast of Yokohama, near Tokyo, with 1,045 crew and 2,666 passengers — including 428 Americans — on board. At least 61 people on board have been infected. The vessel has been quarantined since Tuesday, and passengers are expected to remain under quarantine for at least 14 days — so roughly 11 more days.

• 
  
  
  • The one docked in Hong Kong: The World Dream, is docked at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Cruise Terminal with more than 3,600 passengers and crew members on board. A Hong Kong Department of Health official said 33 crew members had shown symptoms of illness at varying degrees, although most had tested negative for the coronavirus. All passengers will have to remain on board until "we complete the quarantine work," the official said — but it's unclear how long that could take.

• 
  
  
  • The one without a port: In the middle of the East China Sea, the Westerdam is struggling to find a port to dock at after being turned away from both Taiwan and Japan over fears of passenger contamination. The company that operates the line said it has no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board. The cruise is in the middle of a 30-day voyage (it initially left Singapore on January 16), and it's not clear when or where it could dock.

Coronavirus live updates: Outrage in China over death of whistleblower doctor - CNN

(I can’t remember if the British couple is off Hong Kong of Yokohama, so I edited my above post to reflect that ftr.)

Hong Kong healthcare workers end five-day strike over coronavirus handling

Thousands of workers have been on strike for five days, demanding that the Hong Kong government close all borders with mainland China and take further emergency measures against the virus.

In a press statement released on Friday, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority Employees Alliance said that more than 7,000 members voted in a poll to decide whether to continue the strike and 4,000 members voted against it.

Coronavirus live updates: Outrage in China over death of whistleblower doctor - CNN

We really need to bring forward Dr. Tedros full reply yesterday in the conference to this question about his thoughts on the workers striking. His few words speak mountains, imo. Marking for later as I catch up in case yesterday's conference is transcribed upstream. I was glad to see all the very intelligent questions asked by reporters, and the responses. We don’t always get intelligent reporter questions lol.

 

[Tadpole12]

Better safe than sorry? wrt goggles

https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/coronavirus-and-your-eyes/

Coronavirus: How eyes may play a role in its spread

***

Wrt to restaurants and takeout, it would be the number of people that
come in contact with your food that should be a consideration?

***
Yep. Ben's a charmer.

 

[margarita25]

Link to today’s PC:
Watch: World Health Organization holds press conference on coronavirus outbreak

• World Health Organization officials are holding a news briefing Friday to update the public on the new coronavirus outbreak.

 

[Inthedetails]

Wondering if there will be a baby boom, considering that many are living in a close and quarantined environment? speculation, imo.

Doubtful - isn't there still a restriction on the number of babies that a couple can have in China?

jmo

 

[Henry2326]

The issue is twofold.
Dr. Sending identified the first in his interview. His patient had no symptoms, but had the virus. Thats how he got it.

The second is that the virus is possibly mutating. We will be chasing it for awhile.........

 

[JerseyGirl]

VP Pence praises China’s ‘unprecedented level of transparency’ in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak

Vice President Mike Pence said Beijing has demonstrated “an unprecedented level of transparency” with world health officials amid the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak.

“It’s heartbreaking but we stand ready with China to provide them any and all support,” he said. Pence referenced Thursday’s phone call between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, after which Trump tweeted that China will “be successful” in getting control over the deadly coronavirus.

Coronavirus live updates: White House sees little impact on economy, WHO says new cases in China are slowing

 

[MJPeony]

I am definitely not avoiding Chinese food, we went to Panda Express the other night for dinner.

I am not worried about this virus here in the United States. For one thing, medical experts are already on top of this situation here. I don't see it becoming an epidemic here.

On one hand I’m not worried about it here in the US.... on the other, I have been quite concerned about the response from our local public health officials here.

Currently, 4 of the 12 US cases are within an hour of each other here. YET- It has come out that the first one diagnosed was sent back home after presenting with symptoms and knowing he had just arrived from Wuhan. This was on JANUARY 28th. The US was well aware of Coronavirus and the quarantined in Wuhan, etc. Now, they have quarantined 5 of the health workers due to exposure. They were not prepared.

Also, our local public health official has repeatedly said that there is low risk to our public, and that this is less concerning than the flu. I even just last night received a NextDoor posting from her that was sent out to the community saying we shouldn’t be concerned.

Also, the government is quite literally encouraging/pleading for people to attend the Chinese New Year parade in San Francisco tomorrow. Approximately 1 million people annually attend.

I want to remain unconcerned for the US, but I can’t. I think the response here locally has been very poor. I’m hoping in a few days we’ll have confirmation that the disease has been contained and I will feel more confident.

MOO.

 

[Medstudies]

Sick passengers on board New Jersey bound cruise ship will be tested for coronavirus | Daily Mail Online


...The Anthem Of The Seas docked in Bayonne, New Jersey around 6am on Friday morning, after steaming from the Bahamas with 27 Chinese nationals held in 'isolation' in one of the ship's restaurants.

Four of the Chinese passengers, who had traveled to the cruise directly from China, were rushed off the ship for testing for coronavirus. At least one was carried on a stretcher by medics who were not wearing masks or other protective garments, aside from gloves.

Whiskey. Tango...?! Okay...

 

[JerseyGirl]

Sick passengers on board New Jersey bound cruise ship will be tested for coronavirus | Daily Mail Online


...The Anthem Of The Seas docked in Bayonne, New Jersey around 6am on Friday morning, after steaming from the Bahamas with 27 Chinese nationals held in 'isolation' in one of the ship's restaurants.

Four of the Chinese passengers, who had traveled to the cruise directly from China, were rushed off the ship for testing for coronavirus. At least one was carried on a stretcher by medics who were not wearing masks or other protective garments, aside from gloves.

Whiskey. Tango...?! Okay...

Wonderful. The hospital they took these patients to is in the same city that I work.

 

[MJPeony]

Sick passengers on board New Jersey bound cruise ship will be tested for coronavirus | Daily Mail Online


...The Anthem Of The Seas docked in Bayonne, New Jersey around 6am on Friday morning, after steaming from the Bahamas with 27 Chinese nationals held in 'isolation' in one of the ship's restaurants.

Four of the Chinese passengers, who had traveled to the cruise directly from China, were rushed off the ship for testing for coronavirus. At least one was carried on a stretcher by medics who were not wearing masks or other protective garments, aside from gloves.

Whiskey. Tango...?! Okay...

This is what I don’t get- hazmat suits and a sci-fi apocalypse scenario with bleach sprays in the streets in China, but this here in US?

Why is there not a more unified approach given we have the WHO?

 

[MJPeony]

What will happen to the people in Wuhan/Hubei province who have reached the end of their 14 day quarantine??

Will they be sent back outside/ back to their homes in the streets being bleach-sprayed? The virus is not contained in the city.

 

[Tadpole12]

I went out to dinner Wednesday night at a local Asian/Chinese restaurant near me with a neighbor and I usually go once or twice a month. The virus is not in my city/state, yet I had a neighbor couple who returned from China on the 20th of January and underwent self isolation. (14 days is over, all is well)

I didn't even think about or consider the outbreak when we were at dinner although I seem to live and breathe it all day here, even though we were sitting in the Chinese restaurant. I will make a point to go next week to give them business as I would hate to see their profits lack due to folks avoiding them due to the outbreak. MOO

@margarita25 , are you still binge watching/gone down the rabbit hole and cannot get back out?

Glad all is well, with your neighbours.
Been thinking about them, thanks for the update.

***
Down the rabbit hole
I go
Down
solo

 

[dotr]

Doubtful - isn't there still a restriction on the number of babies that a couple can have in China?

jmo

Not anymore, coincidentally just prior to the CV outbreak there were some articles about the aging population there and how despite incentives to get women to have more babies, they just do not want to due to the high cost of raising them. imo.
China’s Birthrate Hits Historic Low, in Looming Crisis for Beijing
Jan 17 2020
''China’s Birthrate Hits Historic Low, in Looming Crisis for Beijing
In a country where most older adults rely heavily on their families, the continuing drop in births could have a seismic effect in the decades to come.''
China's birthrate falls to lowest level despite push for more babies
17 Jan 2020
''China’s birthrate has fallen to the lowest level since the Communist country was founded in 1949, in a sign that efforts to head off a demographic crisis have so far failed.

There were 14.6 million births in China in 2019, a drop of about 500,000 from the year before and the third year in a row that the number of births fallen, according to a report from the National Bureau of Statistics published on Friday. It was the lowest number in seven decades, with the exception of 1961, the last year of a famine that left tens of millions dead.

The birthrate for last year, at 10.48 live births per 1,000 people, was the lowest since 1949''

Mothers, your country needs you!
China birth rate: Mothers, your country needs you!
25 December 2018
China’s Birth Rate Falls to New Low, Threatening Economy
''BEIJING—China’s birth rate fell to its lowest level in the country’s modern history, hastening the aging of the population and the shrinking of the workforce, despite the government’s efforts to reverse the trend.

Already, nearly a fifth of China’s population is age 60 or older. A shrinking working-age population can dent the economy through lower productivity and higher labor costs, while an increasing number of elderly pushes up health-care costs. South Korea and Japan are facing similar problems but on a much smaller scale.''

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Better safe than sorry? wrt goggles

https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/coronavirus-and-your-eyes/

Coronavirus: How eyes may play a role in its spread

***

Wrt to restaurants and takeout, it would be the number of people that
come in contact with your food that should be a consideration?

***
Yep. Ben's a charmer.

That's an interesting comment re restaurants that I had not even thought of since you said this. (I'm not a good observer/sleuther in RL.. I go about life with blinders on unless here at WS lol).

When I went to my normal Asian local place Wednesday night with neighbor (FYI all that work there appear Asian, it's not like a chain with teenagers) the owner of the restaurant was the ONLY person that we interacted with. Didn't even think about it until now as he always visits/comes by table before so I am familiar with him. He seated us, he took our order, he brought our food and drinks, he brought us the check. That has never happened before and you just jogged my memory. There was no person interacting with us other than him.

Perhaps he is doing this for optics as we have seen here there are folks that are apprehensive to go to a place with Asian/Chinese association?

Doubtful - isn't there still a restriction on the number of babies that a couple can have in China?

jmo

Yes, I researched that after a post yesterday mentioned that. Two births now.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

This is what I don’t get- hazmat suits and a sci-fi apocalypse scenario with bleach sprays in the streets in China, but this here in US?

Why is there not a more unified approach given we have the WHO?

They addressed that (WHO) yesterday. To each country, has their own resources and cultural mores (ha, another google save as I thought it was spelled morays) to cope with and it's adaptable for each MOO

 

[JerseyGirl]

The Fed flags coronavirus as potential threat to US growth

The Federal Reserve on Friday announced that it’s now monitoring the coronavirus as a potential threat to U.S. growth. The central bank wrote that “possible spillovers from the effects of the coronavirus in China have presented a new risk to the outlook.

“Though recent reports have suggested steadier economic growth in Europe and China, the Fed warned the disease could “lead to disruptions in China that spill over to the rest of the global economy.”

 

[dixiegirl1035]

What will happen to the people in Wuhan/Hubei province who have reached the end of their 14 day quarantine??

Will they be sent back outside/ back to their homes in the streets being bleach-sprayed? The virus is not contained in the city.

The protocol is they have to have 2 back to back negative tests, withing 12-24 hours of each other, and then they are indeed released.

Makes me think of the Ebola Dr. guy and others who came back to Atlanta US, and their serum IIRC was used to help future patients. I wonder where that guy and his female coworker are today and what they are doing.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Cruise ship in Japan has the most coronavirus cases outside China

At least 61 passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan have been infected with the coronavirus, making it the single highest concentration of coronavirus cases outside of mainland China in the whole world.

The number of cases on the ship tripled overnight from 20 to 61.

It is anchored off the coast of Yokohama, near Tokyo, with 1,045 crew and 2,666 passengers — including 428 Americans — on board.

Coronavirus live updates: Outrage in China over death of whistleblower doctor - CNN

 

[MJPeony]

The protocol is they have to have 2 back to back negative tests, withing 12-24 hours of each other, and then they are indeed released.

Makes me think of the Ebola Dr. guy and others who came back to Atlanta US, and their serum IIRC was used to help future patients. I wonder where that guy and his female coworker are today and what they are doing.

But would they not risk re-infection if sent back into the streets in Wuhan? I read a few things that said the possible virus mutations could make people susceptible to re-infection.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

The Fed flags coronavirus as potential threat to US growth

The Federal Reserve on Friday announced that it’s now monitoring the coronavirus as a potential threat to U.S. growth. The central bank wrote that “possible spillovers from the effects of the coronavirus in China have presented a new risk to the outlook.

“Though recent reports have suggested steadier economic growth in Europe and China, the Fed warned the disease could “lead to disruptions in China that spill over to the rest of the global economy.”

I was reading yesterday how much the governments have plowed into their markets to stabilize them just for this. Don't have time right now to reference as RL calls. Anyway, I was floored. And on top of that, China has delayed release of their trade figures today and will release with February numbers.

The WHO cannot control such, but the financials are something that must be propped up now... but we will not see any transparency on that stuff unless required by law... e.g. non-release of trade figures today by China.

All above MOO