Coronavirus Global Health Emergency, 2019-nCoV

[KALI]

Reporting now 159 dead, 7186 cases.


Major fast-food chains and retailers in China are shutting their doors as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread. Here's a list of closures.- Major fast-food chains and retailers in China are shutting their doors as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread. Here's a list of closures.

 

[Medstudies]

You guys all rock. Thanks for the links. Thank you @Bravo for grabbing that SARS link. This is a good group in here. I feel like most of us have known for each other for years. Wait, we have known each other for years lol.

Like @Medstudies said, I don’t want to be a drama queen but this is just SO BAD. I’m trying to wrap my head around all this academically and scientifically, as well as emotionally, and I’m just SICK.

Ok I’ll stop saying that now and try to post something productive.

You know, I mentioned something casually to a friend yesterday just to gauge his reaction, oh I know what it was, it was this article about the standoff:

Coronavirus outbreak: Passengers refuse to board flight with Wuhan travelers in 5-hour standoff
January 28, 2020
https://nypost.com/2020/01/28/coron...ight-with-wuhan-travelers-in-5-hour-standoff/

Anyway, he says, “oh, there’s always something, swine flu, bird flu, I’m not too worried about it.”

Which is TRUE, and fine if he doesn’t want to get wrapped up in it, I totally get that - my point is that there are many people who probably feel the same way he does, but not surprisingly, some of us here are following this closely.

Anyway, don’t mean to ramble, just saying it’s good to be with some like minds to actually discuss this. This is serious business. If it was media hype or something, that would be different, but it’s not...sure people get sick every day and die, cancer, etc...this is different because of the virus’ explosively transmittable nature and it’s infinite ripple effects...

Thanks for listening, sorry having trouble expressing myself, like @Tadpole12 said, that video was brutal. I’m still reeling from that.

—-

ETA: AND what’s also bothering me is the dividing nature of some of this, almost war-like. Just bad energy on so many levels. Yes people do come together in times of trouble. We will need a lot of those articles to balance off the others if we can find them.

Hey I get you. All you said.

For instance, know that Ebola is really nasty, but I honestly didn’t worry about it. You know because it was in such a remote (mostly) part of the world. Areas that weren’t as heavily populated. And that population were not (for the most part) globe trotting. There was no concern of 5 million plus people exiting from the epicenter of the Ebola virus. And with the other viruses they don’t have the symptom free but contagious aspect.-and well because the response of the Chinese government tells me that I should be worried...

(sorry for this rush post. Busy day - and trying to get dinner ready)

 

[gregjrichards]

Panicked student trapped in locked-down Wuhan during the coronavirus outbreak says she is fearful of STARVING to death

'Right now most students over here don't have enough food because we didn't stockpile food in advance due to the sudden shutdown,' she posted to social media.

Student trapped in Wuhan doesn't know if she'll 'starve to death or die of the virus first' | Daily Mail Online

 

[Bravo]

I cant begin to imagine what it's like for those stuck in the hot spots. I know I would panic.

 

[Inthedetails]

To date, where deaths have taken place (if numbers released so far are accurate):

China: 169 (with 162 of the 169 in Hubei)
Elsewhere in the world: 0 deaths to date

Tracking coronavirus: Map, data and timeline

 

[Inthedetails]

Panicked student trapped in locked-down Wuhan during the coronavirus outbreak says she is fearful of STARVING to death

'Right now most students over here don't have enough food because we didn't stockpile food in advance due to the sudden shutdown,' she posted to social media.

Student trapped in Wuhan doesn't know if she'll 'starve to death or die of the virus first' | Daily Mail Online

Yes, she seems like a panicked student, far from home. She is from Thailand.

jmo

 

[margarita25]

Coronavirus may be spread by touching contaminated surfaces, WHO warns as global cases surge past 6,000 and the death toll hits 133

There is evidence that the coronavirus 'can also be spread via fomites - when the virus survives on inanimate surfaces for a short period of time,' said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, a member of the WHO's emergency committee on the outbreak.

If the possibility becomes a certainty, it's a worrying revelation for hospital settings, where patients coming to be diagnosed and treated for coronavirus may touch chairs, tables, beds, railings and much more

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7943865/Coronavirus-spread-touching-contaminated-surfaces.html

@Bravo Thank you. I’m sorry your brother has Crohns. It was the lifetime pneumonia vaccine I was given.

So ftr this confirms that the poor sick guy who got in the car in that awful video, even though he was wearing a mask, he probably still spread germs all over that car, via his clothes, etc. Poor guy, just trying to get to a hospital, and poor people in the car, now both potentially exposed imo.

 

[MistyWaters]

An interesting opinion piece on the topic of fear -

Opinion: What should we fear more: Coronavirus or fear itself?
“To date, there have been about 4,500 recorded cases of Wuhan coronavirus and 106 deaths. By comparison, three to five million people contract serious flu cases requiring hospitalization annually and somewhere between 290,000 and 650,000 die. Yet, both are respiratory illnesses spread in a similar fashion.

When it comes to being fearful, better the devil we know than the one we don’t, apparently.......

......The way public-health officials and the media communicate information is key to shaping perceptions. Increasingly, there is a wild card in this equation – social media.

The mainstream media fearmongers, however inadvertently, by using exaggerated language like “killer virus” and by fixating on body counts. When you constantly update the number of cases and deaths, you wildly amplify incremental change. Of course people will be scared. Imagine if we sent out push alerts for every tuberculosis death (1.5 million a year) and every measles death (140,000 annually).

Finding the balance between providing up-to-date information on a new threat and putting that threat into context is not easy.

On social media, there is too often little attempt to do so. From WeChat to Twitter, wild rumours and outright falsehoods fly routinely, as do unhinged demands such as shutting down all air traffic from China, quarantining all travellers and so on, with many of these purported measures driven by thinly veiled racism and xenophobia rather than science. (For the record, there is little evidence that massive quarantines or thermal screening of passengers has any benefit in stemming transmission of diseases like coronavirus.).....

.......As Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, “The only thing we have to fear is ... fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.””

 

[MimosaMornings]

So the university shut down classes, canteen, cafeteria, everything. How are the students supposed to get food if everything is closed? How scary!

 

[dixiegirl1035]

I don't know if there are medical/nurse type persons on this thread, or others that may find of interest, but CDC is having a call in on Friday for folks in the US and internationally.

Webinar January 31, 2020 | Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA)

Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)—Interim Guidance for Clinicians
Date: Friday, January 31, 2020

Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm (Eastern Time)

Overview
During this COCA Call, clinicians will learn about the current epidemiology, infection control and prevention recommendations, specimen collection and testing, and clinical management for patients with 2019-nCoV infection.
..........
Or join by Telephone (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
Dial US: +1 646 876 9923 or +1 669 900 6833

Webinar ID: 915 683 484

International numbers are available

more at link

 

[Inthedetails]

So the university shut down classes, canteen, cafeteria, everything. How are the students supposed to get food if everything is closed? How scary!

Do we know that for sure....or just a DM article featuring a panicked and attractive young woman far from home? To me, she just wants to go home and took to social media and selfies to make that happen. I don't blame her for wanting to leave, but I'm also not taking her word as necessarily accurate. I haven't heard of food shortages from other reports I've read/watched.

From the DM article:

"Ms Krutdamrongchai said she is stressed the Thai government is not doing enough to get its citizens out of China, Coconuts Bangkok reported.

Her friends and classmates from the United States, Japan and Indonesia have all been contacted by their country's embassies.

Japan rescued its citizens on Tuesday, while South Korea will charter a plane into Wuhan on Thursday.

'I'm still waiting for help from Thai government. If I continue living here, I don't know if I'll starve to death or die of the virus first. I really want to go. I'm waiting with hope,' she said. "

There is no confirmation in the article that there is no food available for students, except her statement.

Student trapped in Wuhan doesn't know if she'll 'starve to death or die of the virus first' | Daily Mail Online

jmo

 

[Bravo]

It was stated at the presser today in Canada that they are working out logistics as far as getting a plane to/from China. Really what is to work out? Maybe I am reading too much into it or missing something but maybe China is still mad at us. I don't trust their Government. IMO

 

[dixiegirl1035]

ETA. Appears that there was a media call in at 5 pm, about 2 hours ago that happened. Perhaps it will be posted tomorrow to relisten to CDC Telebriefing: Update on 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC

What
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide an update on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus response.

Who
Nancy Messonnier, M.D., Director,

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

When
5:00 p.m. ET Wednesday, January 29, 2020

TRANSCRIPT
A transcript will be available following the briefing at CDC’s web site: www.cdc.gov/media

 

[Bravo]

I think those who are stuck at this point should be worried. It took approx. 6 months to contain SARS. How long will this take? Speaking to the hot spots where transportation and shops are shut down. I hope there is a plan to get any aid for these poor folk.

 

[Tadpole12]

To date, where deaths have taken place (if numbers released so far are accurate):

China: 169 (with 162 of the 169 in Hubei)
Elsewhere in the world: 0 deaths to date

Tracking coronavirus: Map, data and timeline

Extraordinary death ratio for Hubei?

 

[Inthedetails]

It was stated at the presser today in Canada that they are working out logistics as far as getting a plane to/from China. Really what is to work out? Maybe I am reading too much into it or missing something but maybe China is still mad at us. I don't trust their Government. IMO

Yeah, I don't get that either. If a country wants to evacuate it's own citizens, let them.

I don't understand the delay.

jmo

 

[Inthedetails]

Extraordinary death ratio for Hubei?

That is where the virus originated and that is the area with the greatest number of cases, far more than anywhere else.

 

[Inthedetails]

I don't think lack of food is a big issue in the quarantined cities in China. Groceries are considered essential and deliveries to stores are still happening. BBM:

"But so far, residents say, food remains relatively well stocked — if more expensive than usual — in supermarkets, and order prevails on the eerily abandoned streets."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...83fe94-41bd-11ea-99c7-1dfd4241a2fe_story.html

 

[dixiegirl1035]

It was stated at the presser today in Canada that they are working out logistics as far as getting a plane to/from China. Really what is to work out? Maybe I am reading too much into it or missing something but maybe China is still mad at us. I don't trust their Government. IMO

I don't think they are mad at Canada. I am listing, but much more info in article that I'm culling from.

These countries have evacuated citizens from Wuhan because of the coronavirus - CNN

Australia
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Wednesday the evacuation will be aided by the country's flag carrier Qantas Airways.
There are more than 600 Australian citizens in Hubei, according to CNN affiliate Nine News, and Morrison said there will be a focus on repatriating "the young, especially infants, and the elderly."
European Union
Two planes will be sent to Wuhan to help evacuate European Union citizens, Janez Lenarcic, the EU commissioner for crisis management, said in a statement Tuesday. The first plane left France on Wednesday morning, "while the second one will leave later this week," the statement added. Other flights may follow in the coming days.
Germany
German evacuations are planned to start in the next few days, the Germany Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
France
A plane will be sent Thursday to repatriate French citizens, according to France's health ministry. It is expected to take passengers without symptoms of the virus. "A second flight carrying French nationals who may be carrying the virus is also being planned,"
Italy
Italy said it would begin repatriating its citizens from Wuhan this week.
The flight, set to depart Italy on Thursday, will come with medical personnel.
Spain
Spain's government is working with China and the European Union to repatriate Spanish nationals from the Wuhan area
India
The Indian government has begun the process of "preparing to evacuate" Indian nationals
New Zealand
New Zealand will evacuate its citizens in joint cooperation with Australia, its government said Wednesday.
Japan
A flight carrying 206 Japanese nationals arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday morning on a chartered flight operated by ANA. Around 440 more Japanese citizens wish to return, and the government is arranging a schedule. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government is preparing to send a second and third chartered flight to Wuhan. The passengers who return to Tokyo will be quarantined on board and those with any pneumonia-like symptoms will be taken to a special medical center for treatment. Passengers without symptoms will be taken to separate hospitals for further screening. Japanese citizens who live close to the Huanan Seafood Market -- pinpointed by Chinese authorities as the likely source of the virus -- and highly-populated areas in Wuhan were given priority on the first flight.
South Korea
Four charter flights were sent to Wuhan on Wednesday, where almost 700 South Korean citizens have applied to fly out. Citizens will bear the cost of the flight, and those who wish to fly will be inspected by a medical team from Seoul before being allowed to board the plane. Returnees will be quarantined in a government facility.
Turkey
More than two dozen Turkish citizens in Wuhan will be evacuated in the next couple of days
United Kingdom
Britain had planned to bring British citizens in Wuhan back to the United Kingdom on Thursday but had to delay the flight, a UK Foreign Office spokeswoman said Wednesday. Around 200 people were due to be on the flight, Britain's Press Association reported. It was understood the flight was delayed due to Chinese permissions that did not come through.
United States
A chartered plane carrying approximately 201 US citizens -- mostly diplomats and their families -- arrived at March Air Reserve Base in southern California on Wednesday, where health officials were screening passengers.
More Americans remain in Wuhan, hoping to be evacuated at a later date. The State Department said it was unable to accommodate everyone on the flight because of space limitations but is working to identify alternative routes for US citizens to depart Wuhan by land. "The way this plane was put together, the upper level with the crew was completely separated from the lower passengers," Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska's chief medical officer, said in a news conference.

 

[margarita25]

Some snippets / thanks again @Bravo:

SARS: how a global epidemic was stopped
Publisher: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific Region, Manila, Philippines, 2006
ISBN: 92 9061 213 4; softcover, 317 pages

“First: “transparency is the best policy”. Although nothing was known about the SARS coronavirus at the time when the disease first struck, we soon realized that, as Doberstyn points out, “some of the affected countries did not acknowledge openly and squarely the presence of SARS, downplayed its extent, and attempted to prove that it was something else.” Perhaps, if there had been prompt and accurate reporting of the full facts so that others could have been forewarned and taken preventive measures, history may have taken a different course. Infectious diseases such as SARS do not respect international borders. In one of the chapters in part II of the book, Mangai Balasegaram & Alan Schnur caution that “one nation’s weak response could endanger the world’s public health security.”

Second: “twenty-first century science played a relatively small role in controlling SARS; nineteenth-century techniques continued to prove their value”. We can not deny the general truth that we still continue to battle twenty-first century scourges with a nineteenth century toolbox supplemented by a few modern scientific advances. While the identification of the coronavirus may not have contributed substantially to control efforts, what was gratifying was that during the SARS outbreak in 2003 there was unprecedented collaboration among scientists and laboratories around the world to work together to identify the causative agent, map its genome and develop reliable diagnostic tests. There was openness and willingness to share critical scientific information promptly. As a result, the virus responsible was identified and its genome mapped within weeks of the outbreak. The scientific world was shown at its best. It should continue in this vein, with greater and closer cooperation in the face of threats from new and emerging microbes.

Third: “animal husbandry and marketing practices seriously affect human health”. Since its discovery in 2003, the SARS coronavirus has been thought to have originated in animals. One of the chapters of the book attempts to elucidate the evidence for this. In particular, it reports that the palm civet in southern China may have played a crucial role in this respect and that the close relationship between animals and humans seems to have been a likely precondition for the virus to jump the species barrier. Avian influenza is the single biggest public health threat the world faces right now. Fortunately, for the time being, human cases of avian influenza have arisen from direct infection from birds to humans, with only rare instances of probable human-to-human transmission. The SARS episode has underscored the importance of changing animal husbandry practices or “more viruses are likely to emerge from the animal world”. Old and unhygienic veterinary practices must be discarded or the public health risk from zoonotic diseases will always be with us.

The world lost Dr Carlo Urbani to SARS, as he fought to protect others from the infection in Viet Nam. As we remember and salute all those who tackled SARS, despite the dangers involved, we need to recall that nature has its way of reminding us how unpredictable and devastating it can be. Doberstyn concludes with the remark that “it would be tragic if we did not learn from the experience of 2003 and make the most of it”. Indeed, SARS has shown us that if we work together and better prepare ourselves, we can confront and conquer new emerging and re-emerging infectious disease threats with calm and confidence. No man is an island and no country can fight a global public health threat alone. “

SARS: how a global epidemic was stopped