Coronavirus Global Health Emergency, 2019-nCoV

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[margarita25]

Coronavirus outbreak: Latest news and live updates - CNN

China restricts travel of 30 million people as coronavirus death toll rises

What we know so far

• The virus: Dozens of people are dead in China and more than 900 infected as the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread throughout Asia and across the world.
• Tens of millions under lockdown: At least 11 cities in China's central Hubei province are facing travel restrictions, including Wuhan itself.
• Cities cancel Lunar New Year celebrations: Authorities in Beijing and other cities have canceled some or all large-scale Lunar New Year celebrations, a rare, drastic step to reign in spread of the virus.
• Tourist attractions, Disneyland and McDonalds to shut: Among other public venues, a section of the Great Wall of China in Beijing, Shanghai Disney Resort and McDonalds outlets in five cities will close.

—-

JUST IN: Second US case confirmed by CDC
CDC confirms second US case of coronavirus and is monitoring 63 other possible infections

 

[margarita25]

Dr. Robert Siegel: Coronavirus outbreak – What you need to know about health threat

“The current outbreak in China of Wuhan coronavirus (Wuhan CoV) represents a significant public health challenge.


The outbreak is rapidly evolving. The number of cases and deaths are increasing. As of Thursday, there were 650 documented cases and 25 deaths.

Our understanding of the virus is also increasing at an unprecedented pace. The genetic sequence of the virus is already known as well as its evolutionary relationship to other coronaviruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS CoV).”
-more at link

 

[sloane7777]

I'm in Dallas, they don't take anything seriously , they've opted NOT to screen at DFW International Airport and having just gotten over a horrible flu (which I'm not 100%) I'm terrified .

 

[dotr]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/china-coronavirus-wuhan-public-health-1.5438737
"To address the insufficiency of existing medical resources," Wuhan authorities said in a Friday notice, the city is constructing a hospital modelled after the Xiaotangshan SARS hospital in Beijing. The facility will be a prefabricated structure, slated for completion Feb. 3.

(CBC News)
The SARS hospital was built from scratch in 2003 in just six days to treat an outbreak of a similar respiratory virus that had spread from China to more than a dozen countries and killed about 800 people. The hospital featured individual isolation units that looked like rows of tiny cabins.

In Wuhan, normally bustling streets, malls and other public spaces were eerily quiet on the second day of its lockdown. Masks were mandatory in public, and images from the city showed empty shelves as people stocked up for what could be an extended isolation.

Train stations, the airport and subways were closed; police checked incoming vehicles but did not entirely close off roads.''

With files from Reuters

 

[dixiegirl1035]

I'm in Dallas, they don't take anything seriously , they've opted NOT to screen at DFW International Airport and having just gotten over a horrible flu (which I'm not 100%) I'm terrified .

I'm so sorry you are terrified, do you have a family member that has recently returned from the hot area?

Flights Into the U.S. Are Not Yet Being Rerouted for Coronavirus Screening, CDC Says

On a Jan. 21 call with reporters, Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s division of global migration and quarantine, said all U.S.-bound passengers from Wuhan would be funneled through one of five domestic airports—New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport—equipped to screen for the coronavirus, which is spreading around Asia and was this week confirmed in the U.S.. Cetron called the system a “full-on, 100% coverage strategy” that “involves reissuing tickets and rerouting passengers from all over the globe through connecting and direct flights.”

Officials at the five U.S. airports set up for advanced screening will escort travelers who have been in Wuhan to an area where they will fill out a form that details their travel, health status and contact information, according to a CDC spokesperson. From there, CDC staff will look for signs of illness and take each person’s temperature. Symptom-free travelers will be released and given an information card they can give to health providers if symptoms develop later, while people who have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing will be further examined by a CDC officer. Those at high risk of having contracted coronavirus will be transported to a nearby hospital for further assessment, including blood testing.
Can Airport Screening Help Stop The Spread Of Wuhan Coronavirus?

On Jan. 17, public health officials began conducting health screenings for passengers flying to the U.S. from Wuhan at three U.S. airports: San Francisco International, Los Angeles International and New York City's John F. Kennedy International. On Tuesday, U.S. authorities announced the first domestic case, in Washington state. On Wednesday, airport screening began at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The World Health Organization recommends against testing travelers. "It is generally considered that entry screening offers little benefit, while requiring considerable resources," WHO officials said in a Jan. 10 release.

Josh Michaud, associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, compares airport screening to seeking a needle in a haystack.

"If the goal is to identify new cases of an emerging disease like the novel coronavirus, then airport screenings have been historically poor methods to identify new cases based off of studies," Michaud says.
Tong says Chinese health officials checked her temperature before she boarded the plane in Wuhan. When she landed, U.S. health officials checked her temperature again and scanned a health questionnaire that asked whether she had coughed, felt feverish or experienced other signs of illness. If a passenger's temperature is above 100 F, screeners will pull that person aside for extra tests like a chest X-ray beyond the airport. As of Wednesday evening, public health screeners at SFO had not flagged any passengers for more testing.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Just an aside which is perhaps on topic or off topic as to avoidance of infected folks with transmissible stuff.

I had an allergic topical response (dang wool sweater!) 3 days ago that created hives and welts and swollen eyes etc. I called my insurance company for info as this has happened before and knew I needed steroid pronto, and was told that I could call in to an internet site and video chat with a Dr. for such, and that this was a part of my insurance company to do. I never knew such, and have never done before

Anyway, I did it for a $10 charge, and was done in 10 minutes vs. going to a doc in the box ($75 and waiting) or much more $$ and taking days to get into my GP. I didn't want to go into either of those due to so much flu in my area. That was my driving concern, but now, I'm going to use it much more often!

Just a heads up for folks as I had no idea this could be done. New to me and I downloaded the app, did the video conference with the doc who sent in my script. Got a coupon for 90% off from the internet which was much cheaper that my insurance and prepaid and did the drive through.(I can't share who I went with as to coupon, as I think against TOS)

Technology is amazing to avoid infected folks.

HTH just one person reading here to pass along.

 

[Taskforce88]

Not the best news site to pick up on it but interesting point...

China built a lab to study SARS and Ebola in Wuhan - and US biosafety experts warned in 2017 that a virus could 'escape' the facility that's become key in fighting the outbreak

China's lab for studying SARS and Ebola is in Wuhan, the outbreak's center | Daily Mail Online

 

[sloane7777]

Just an aside which is perhaps on topic or off topic as to avoidance of infected folks with transmissible stuff.

I had an allergic topical response (dang wool sweater!) 3 days ago that created hives and welts and swollen eyes etc. I called my insurance company for info as this has happened before and knew I needed steroid pronto, and was told that I could call in to an internet site and video chat with a Dr. for such, and that this was a part of my insurance company to do. I never knew such, and have never done before

Anyway, I did it for a $10 charge, and was done in 10 minutes vs. going to a doc in the box ($75 and waiting) or much more $$ and taking days to get into my GP. I didn't want to go into either of those due to so much flu in my area. That was my driving concern, but now, I'm going to use it much more often!

Just a heads up for folks as I had no idea this could be done. New to me and I downloaded the app, did the video conference with the doc who sent in my script. Got a coupon for 90% off from the internet which was much cheaper that my insurance and prepaid and did the drive through.(I can't share who I went with as to coupon, as I think against TOS)

Technology is amazing to avoid infected folks.

HTH just one person reading here to pass along.

THANK YOU , I'm terrified of going to the Dr too!

 

[sloane7777]

Not the best news site to pick up on it but interesting point...

China built a lab to study SARS and Ebola in Wuhan - and US biosafety experts warned in 2017 that a virus could 'escape' the facility that's become key in fighting the outbreak

China's lab for studying SARS and Ebola is in Wuhan, the outbreak's center | Daily Mail Online

I was already worried about this , its not like they would admit it ! and Dixiegirl no, no one has been to Asia lately but I was down the street from the Ebola scare and I am generally paranoid about germs bad combo as I get accused by hubby for being a little "high strung" LOL

 

[Taskforce88]

I was already worried about this , its not like they would admit it ! and Dixiegirl no, no one has been to Asia lately but I was down the street from the Ebola scare and I am generally paranoid about germs bad combo as I get accused by hubby for being a little "high strung" LOL

SARS was accidentally leaked from a Chinese bio lab back in 2004 so it had happened before.

 

[Barbieshell]

I'm thinking this is going to be a case of "trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted" - I've got a feeling this has been spreading for at least a month.

 

[sloane7777]

SARS was accidentally leaked from a Chinese bio lab back in 2004 so it had happened before.

Exactly , and as a animal advocate, frankly I know they eat some weird **** that you shouldn't be eating but that's been going on for centuries and just NOW we have an outbreak , not real sure I'm buying the Bat ingestion , but bats ugh!!! just yuk and sad.

 

[Taskforce88]

The death toll has gone up by 15 in Hubei province

 

[sloane7777]

I'm thinking this is going to be a case of "trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted" - I've got a feeling this has been spreading for at least a month.

This will be my last weekend of eating anything out for a while !

 

[Amonet]

I'm thinking this is going to be a case of "trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted" - I've got a feeling this has been spreading for at least a month.

I was surprised/impressed that they managed to stop the SARS outbreak going any further than it did.

I guess the precautions currently being taken could repress the spread, but I don't have high hopes of that.

ETA. With Ebola, as I understand it, the longer the virus has been replicating in someone, and the more severe their symptoms are, the more contagious they are.

But then there are viruses/bacterial infections that can spread before someone has the worst symptoms. That's what I think might turn out to be the key difference that could enable this to go around the globe.

In a lot of ways, though, it's easier to limit the spread in more developed nations outside China, because you can keep an eye on the passengers arriving, and if they get a high temperature and flu-like symptoms they should be asked if they've recently traveled from Wuhan/China, and then they can be separated from other people, barrier nursing methods can be used, and their contacts traced and they can be kept an eye on under home quarantine, if necessary, where they report their temperature and any symptoms once or twice a day.

The type of barrier nursing being done for this Coronavirus in the UK and USA seems more suited to something like Ebola than a case of the flu or pneumonia, but with the very small number of affected incoming passengers at the moment, it can be done due to an abundance of caution. And the barrier nursing and the 'ring' method of separating out contactees of confirmed cases worked very well for Ebola. It it doesn't work for this virus, I don't think it will be because this virus is deadlier, but more the opposite....that a virus that doesn't leave the average patient in such a debilitating state tends to be easier to spread.

 

[Taskforce88]

Virus-hit Wuhan has two laboratories linked to Chinese bio-warfare program

The deadly animal virus epidemic spreading globally may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory linked to China’s covert biological weapons program, according to an Israeli biological warfare expert.

Virus-hit Wuhan has two laboratories linked to Chinese bio-warfare program

 

[MistyWaters]

“Several people who’ve died from a new virus in China didn’t display symptoms of fever, potentially complicating global efforts to check for infected travelers by temperature screening at airports and other travel hubs.

The Hubei Health Commission said Friday seven more people had died in the central Chinese province from the coronavirus infection. Six died in Wuhan and the other death was in Yichang, which is about 200 miles away from the provincial capital and epicenter of the outbreak. Of the 24 people who’ve died in total in Hubei, seven had symptoms other than fever, such as breathing difficulty, chest tightness and coughing......”
The Age, Sex and Symptoms of China’s Coronavirus Victims

 

[gregjrichards]

Full scale of coronavirus panic laid bare in shock footage inside Wuhan hospital

EXCLUSIVE: A dramatic video shows chaotic scenes as crowds of people wearing face masks while waiting to be tested fill jam-packed corridors of a hospital in Wuhan, China

Full scale of coronavirus panic laid bare in shock footage inside Wuhan hospital

“Thomas Yau, a journalist with the South China Morning Post, shared the footage the allegedly shows dead bodies on the floor at the Red Cross hospital in Wuhan.

He tweeted: "A weibo video posted by a person claiming to be a nurse in #Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. She said medical workers and patients were stuck with three deceased in a packed hospital corridor. No one is here to take care of the bodies."

'Dead bodies filmed piled up on floor' at hospital overrun by coronavirus



It seems like there is a real crisis in how this terrible situation is being handled and it is allegedly being censored by the Chinese government who are believed to be removing social media posts.

 

[gregjrichards]

Wuhan hospital doctor, 62, dies after contracting coronavirus and medics collapse on wards amid chaotic scenes as US evacuates its citizens from crisis-hit Chinese city after death toll jumps to 41 with 1,281 cases and 56m on lockdown

Wuhan doctor dies nine days after contracting deadly coronavirus as he battled to save patients | Daily Mail Online

It must be a tremendous worry for the hospital that they too will catch the virus. What a nightmare situation.