wuhan - coronavirus

[Arcadia]

From

https://fox40.com/news/coronavirus/california-tells-7k-people-to-stay-home-because-of-coronavirus/

https://www.kron4.com/health/coronavirus/california-tells-7k-people-to-stay-home-because-of-new-virus/

“SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California health officials said Friday that 7,600 people who returned to the state after visiting China during the outbreak of the new virus have been asked to quarantine themselves at home this month as health officials try to stop the spread of the virus.

The people returned to the U.S. on or after Feb. 2 and are being asked to monitor their health, stay home and limit interactions with others, the California Department of Public Health said in a statement.

The department said that number excludes those who visited China’s Hubei province, where the disease known as COVID-19 originated. Americans who spent time there and in Hubei’s provincial capital of Wuhan have been flown home on U.S.-chartered flights and quarantined on military bases.

The U.S. is funneling travelers from China to 11 airports, including San Francisco International Airport, to ensure they get medical screening and medical care. At least 34 people in the U.S. have tested positive for the virus, including 18 who returned home from a quarantined cruise ship in Japan, the Centers for Disease Control said during a conference call with reporters Friday.

Federal authorities at the San Francisco airport are informing the travelers who return from China that they should isolate themselves at home.

The CDC said it is not tracking how many people from each U.S. state who have returned from China have been asked to isolate themselves.

Federal officials share passenger details with states, who pass that information on to local health agencies. All those returning are advised to follow CDC recommendations to prevent possible transmission, the state agency said.

There are 10 people in California who have tested positive for the virus in lab tests performed by the CDC, the California Department of Public Health said.

California’s Humboldt and Sacramento counties reported their first cases of the virus Friday, both from people who had recently traveled to China.”

[Arcadia]

From NBC news https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/u-s-takes-steps-prepare-pandemic-global-coronavirus-cases-rise-n1140371

“Feb. 21, 2020, 2:56 PM PST / Updated Feb. 21, 2020, 7:02 PM PST

As global concerns over the coronavirus outbreak grow, the U.S. is taking steps to prepare for the possibility of a pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

Health authorities are closely monitoring the spread of the virus — not only in China, where the outbreak began and where the vast majority of the nearly 77,000 cases have been diagnosed — but also in the growing number of cases in other countries. By definition, a pandemic is an epidemic on more than one continent.

In South Korea, officials said cities were facing an "unprecedented crisis" as the number of cases doubled in a single day, rising to more than 200. Many of the infections diagnosed in Korea are linked to a single church service, said officials who urged residents to stay indoors as much as possible.

On Friday, Lebanon diagnosed its first case. And the Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 18 cases of the illness, including four deaths.

In the U.S., the number of confirmed cases rose to at least 34, as a number of evacuated individuals from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive.

Several other Americans who were on board the ship have been diagnosed and hospitalized in Japan, according to the CDC. As of Friday afternoon, there were no plans to evacuate those patients. The U.S. Department of State said it will not rescue other Americans who choose to go on cruises in Asia.

"Such repatriation flights do not reflect our standard practice, and should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens," Ian Brownlee, an executive within the Department of State, said during a media briefing Friday.

On its website, the department has warned Americans to reconsider any planned cruises to or within Asia, saying such trips "may be impacted by travel restrictions affecting their itineraries or ability to disembark, or may be subject to quarantine procedures implemented by the local authorities."

The number of U.S. coronavirus cases is almost certain to grow, as thousands of people who've traveled recently to China are quarantining themselves voluntarily in their homes for 14 days and monitoring for symptoms.

The system appears to be working. A traveler in Sacramento County, California, who was under a self-quarantine was confirmed Friday to have the coronavirus. The patient, who has not yet been included in the CDC's tally of 34, had mild symptoms, according to Sacramento County Public Health.

Still, the CDC is preparing in the event the outbreak gets worse.

"We are reviewing all of our pandemic preparedness materials and adapting them to COVID-19," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said Friday during a media briefing, using the name of the disease caused by the coronavirus. "The materials will serve as a blueprint for the community interventions that we will use here in the U.S."

That means reinforcing infection control procedures, making sure health care workers have enough supplies, and planning for a possible influx of patients.

There may be a time when more aggressive measures, such as temporarily closing schools or businesses in the U.S., are necessary, she added.”

[Pen]

25 minutes ago, Renai said:

The numbers hit up and down again for the US, like I saw the other day. This time, there was a note about removing DP cases, which is why the number dropped (when I checked this morning()

 

I wish they would use some bracket system to indicate cases from DP, but now located in other places. 

25 minutes ago, Renai said:

 

When did he test positive, and they knew about it? Thursday is 18 days from Feb. 2, longer than the suggested 14-day quarantine.

 

There have been several cases I’ve read about that appear to be showing up

as positive at more like 3 weeks rather than inside of 14 days. 

 

[Ausmumof3]

WHO-led experts are set to visit #COVID19 epicenter #Wuhan on Saturday. Experts may visit makeshift hospitals and collect wild animal samples to track the origin of the virus, analysts believe. Stay tuned for further information.

@DrTedros

http://bit.ly/32fOp5L

from global times

Edited February 22, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Pen]

 

12 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

In South Korea, officials said cities were facing an "unprecedented crisis" as the number of cases doubled in a single day, rising to more than 200. Many of the infections diagnosed in Korea are linked to a single church service, said officials who urged residents to stay indoors as much as possible.

On Friday, Lebanon diagnosed its first case. And the Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 18 cases of the illness, including four deaths.

In the U.S., the number of confirmed cases rose to at least 34, as a number of evacuated individuals from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive.

Several other Americans who were on board the ship have been diagnosed and hospitalized in Japan, according to the CDC. As of Friday afternoon, there were no plans to evacuate those patients. The U.S. Department of State said it will not rescue other Americans who choose to go on cruises in Asia.

"Such repatriation flights do not reflect our standard practice, and should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens," Ian Brownlee, an executive within the Department of State, said during a media briefing Friday.

On its website, the department has warned Americans to reconsider any planned cruises to or within Asia, saying such trips "may be impacted by travel restrictions affecting their itineraries or ability to disembark, or may be subject to quarantine procedures implemented by the local authorities."

The number of U.S. coronavirus cases is almost certain to grow, as thousands of people

 

I think a major issue is that there’s a general

belief that the fatality rate in Hubei Province, China is much higher than disclosed.

If there are relatively few cases so that the serious ones can be given huge hospital help then the death rate can be relatively low as it is now in most countries.  But if the number of critically sick patients , or even moderately sick , overwhelm beds available (which won’t take much for that to happen) then death rate will go up to around equal to or higher than the number who become serious or critical. Which seems to be around 14%, but could be higher. 

 

[Pen]

1 minute ago, Ausmumof3 said:

WHO-led experts are set to visit #COVID19 epicenter #Wuhan on Saturday. Experts may visit makeshift hospitals and collect wild animal samples to track the origin of the virus, analysts believe. Stay tuned for further information.

@DrTedros

http://bit.ly/32fOp5L

from global times

 

Hmmm.  I hope they are capable of doing that safely. I have low confidence level in them collecting wild animals in such a way as to be helpful.  

[Ausmumof3]

Top epidemiologist #ZhongNanshan's team detected traces of novel #coronavirus in a patient's urine, shedding light on the transmission and prevention of the epidemic. #COVID19
 

also from global times. 
 

[Ausmumof3]

Westerdam passenger may have been a false positive 

https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/4834124002

this makes sense to be honest or we would have seen more cases by now.

[Pen]

7 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Top epidemiologist #ZhongNanshan's team detected traces of novel #coronavirus in a patient's urine, shedding light on the transmission and prevention of the epidemic. #COVID19
 

also from global times. 
 

 

I think there’s a lot of Public Relations posturing there like in the North Korea broadcast.  

Good sewer system -> prevent illness.  All over by April.  

Call me skeptical!

[Renai]

18 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Top epidemiologist #ZhongNanshan's team detected traces of novel #coronavirus in a patient's urine, shedding light on the transmission and prevention of the epidemic. #COVID19
 

also from global times. 
 

Do viruses shed in blood? I've been wondering but didn't ask because maybe it's a #stupidquestion. I was thinking, for example, a woman on her cycle.

[Renai]

And one more thing, what's with rounding up every suspected person in Wuhan, going door to door? If there is no where to put the people they already have infected, where the heck are they going to corral a bunch of folks they gather door to door???

And the one article someone posted above showing the makeshift hospital with rows upon rows of beds looks like a virus epicenter disaster waiting to happen. 

[Arcadia]

From Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-asymptomatic-transmission-chinese-woman-relatives-2020-2

“Chinese researchers have confirmed a case of asymptomatic transmission of the new coronavirus: A 20-year-old woman from Wuhan passed it to five of her family members but never got physically sick herself.

The case study is the first concrete evidence that a person showing no symptoms can pass the coronavirus to others — a fact that could make curbing the outbreak even more challenging. 

The researchers behind the finding said the 20-year-old woman was isolated and closely observed at the Fifth People's Hospital of Anyang. She never become physically ill, even after her family members developed fevers. Two of them got severe pneumonia. 

For now, the woman's asymptomatic transmission appears to be an anomaly, but health experts have documented other instances in which people tested positive for the virus without showing symptoms.

A report from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed records of all of China's reported cases of the virus from December 8 to February 11 and found that 1.2% of patients confirmed to be infected showed no symptoms. A far higher portion of asymptomatic cases was found on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where 322 of 621 people tested positive but showed no symptoms.

"It's very clear that the people who are getting caught in that umbrella of reporting are the people that present themselves to a hospital," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a briefing on February 6. "There's another whole cohort that is either asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic."

...

Doctors concluded that the woman's incubation period — the time during which she was infectious — was 19 days. Chinese health officials previously estimated that the incubation period for the virus ranged from one to 14 days, but recent research suggests it could be as long as 24 days.

The US and many other countries have established quarantine rules for travelers from Wuhan based on that 14-day window.”

[Pen]

40 minutes ago, Renai said:

Do viruses shed in blood? I've been wondering but didn't ask because maybe it's a #stupidquestion. I was thinking, for example, a woman on her cycle.

 

Often, yes.  And this one has been found in blood, though not consistently apparently. Nose and throat swabs have been more consistently positive.  

  Blood seems  not as bad an area for transmission of Covid-19 as with a typically hemorrhagic illness like Ebola where there tends to be lots of infected blood.  Or something like AIDS where transmission via blood transfusions is major.  

[Renai]

Apparently I'm full of questions tonight. About the 7k folks in California that was asked to self-quarantine: They got back from China Feb. 2; it seems that the self-quarantine was just recently put into place. Where have those 7k people been in the last 19 days?

[Pen]

3 minutes ago, Renai said:

Apparently I'm full of questions tonight. About the 7k folks in California that was asked to self-quarantine: They got back from China Feb. 2; it seems that the self-quarantine was just recently put into place. Where have those 7k people been in the last 19 days?

 

I wonder that too!   Did they all arrive Feb 2?   I thought it might be any time from

yesterday on back

Edited February 22, 2020 by Pen

[Ausmumof3]

The last case in Japan was a school teacher who became ill while teaching.

6 Diamond Princess people are infected in Australia.

meanwhile twitter guy posted a pic of Tokyo tower.  I hope he’s looking at it from his hotel room and stirring.

[Renai]

1 minute ago, Pen said:

 

I wonder that too!   Did they all arrive Feb 2?   I thought it might be any time from

yesterday on back

The US started calling for quarantines on the 3rd of February, if I remember correctly. They've been holing up small batches of people since then. Did no one think of the 7k that came from there? (You're right, its Feb. 2 and after)

Why just now are they calling for quarantining these people? Didn't the federal advice saying that only citizens and residents and their families would be allowed also stipulate they should quarantine? I mean, I realize California thinks it's an entity on par with Texas, but there seems to be a big gap between federal and actual implementation if CA is just getting around to telling people to stay inside.

7.6k is a huge number of people that has not been mentioned before.

[Shoeless]

8 hours ago, Pen said:

We really can’t have our military getting knocked out by this.  That won’t help. 

It isn’t just expense that’s a problem in isolation protocol, it’s also that error is very very easy. 

 

In agreement that keeping the military healthy is important. Then again, maybe housing quarantine patients on a military base is a poor idea.  As you say, it's very easy to make errors in isolation protocol. 

But the risk of errors is also why moving quarantined people is risky. The more you move them, the more opportunities for error. You potentially leave a contaminated trail behind you. 

[Ausmumof3]

More from global times

“#Wuhan has expropriated five #cruise ships which can offer 1,469 beds to serve as temporary hotels for medical staff amid the #COVID19 outbreak. As more medical groups from other regions come to support the virus epicenter, the city's hotel occupancy rate is almost at its peak”

really? This seems like a bad idea

[Arcadia]

15 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

More from global times

“#Wuhan has expropriated five #cruise ships which can offer 1,469 beds to serve as temporary hotels for medical staff amid the #COVID19 outbreak. As more medical groups from other regions come to support the virus epicenter, the city's hotel occupancy rate is almost at its peak”

really? This seems like a bad idea

From CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/22/7-cruise-ships-to-house-wuhan-medical-workers-state-media-reports.html

“China is bringing in seven cruise ships to house medical workers in Wuhan, state media said on Saturday, at a time when such ships are under scrutiny after hundreds of passengers on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan contracted the coronavirus.

The first of these ships, the Blue Whale, arrived in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, on Friday from Yichang, a nearby city down the Yangtze River.

The seven ships will provide 1,469 beds in total.

Tens of thousands of medical workers have been brought into central Hubei province and its capital, Wuhan, from across China to help contain the coronavirus outbreak.

A senior Chinese health official said last week as of Feb. 11, 1,716 health workers had been infected by the coronavirus, including several who died.

The ships are normally used for river cruises in the Three Gorges scenic area, Xinhua added.

The ships are expected to provide safe dining and living conditions for medics to keep them refreshed as they fight the epidemic, state media said.”

[Arcadia]

3 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

 

i suspect more likely they are at a time when students need to return or fees need to be refunded and the cost hit is too high. Still if they handle it carefully and quarantine properly for 14 days it may be ok.

From Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-china-health-australia/australia-reopens-the-door-to-some-chinese-students-after-coronavirus-ban-idUSKCN20G07M

“MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The Australian government said on Saturday it will allow the return of some Chinese high school students who have been blocked from entering the country due coronavirus restrictions, reopening the door to a market that is key for the economy. 

Thousands of Chinese students were prevented from heading to Australia after the long summer break for the start of school and university terms this month when the government imposed a travel ban for most people travelling from China. 

Australian officials said the targeted easing of the ban would allow about 760 Chinese high school students - none from Hubei province, which is the epicentre of the outbreak - to apply to return.

...

Chinese students made up almost 40% of the international higher education population in Australia in 2018, according to the most recent official data. That broader population has grown by more than 10% over each of the past three years, contributing more than A$30 billion (£15 billion) to the domestic economy.”

From Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-australia/australian-university-offers-chinese-students-1000-to-return-via-third-country-idUSKBN20F08A

“SYDNEY (Reuters) - One of Australia’s leading universities said on Friday it is offering Chinese students A$1,500 ($992) if they travel through a third country as higher education providers seek to minimize the impact of a ban on foreigners arriving from mainland China.

...

With the Australian academic year already underway, universities fear thousands of students will withdraw and look at international alternatives if they are unable to get to their classes within weeks. 

Australia’s government has said that as long as the students are outside China for 14 days, they would be permitted to enter the country. 

Western Sydney University said it will offer Chinese students a one-off payment if they fulfill those requirements. 

“Our students are keen to travel to Australia and start the new academic year as soon as possible,” said a Western Sydney University spokeswoman in an emailed statement. 

“In recognition of the additional costs incurred in traveling via another country, the University has offered to assist students with a one-off A$1,500 subsidy payment.” 

Foreign students are worth about A$35 billion a year to the Australian economy, with Chinese students accounting for about a third of that figure. 

Australia’s largest eight universities, which have 105,000 Chinese students between them, said last week the coronavirus travel ban would cost the economy more than A$1 billion, and put at risk 7,500 jobs for each 10% fall in Chinese students. 

Qantas Airways chief executive Alan Joyce said on Thursday it has been approached by Australian universities to ensure it can provide enough flights for returning Chinese students once restrictions are lifted. 

With the restrictions weighing on the Australian economy, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is under pressure to ease the restrictions.”

[Ausmumof3]

8 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

From Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-china-health-australia/australia-reopens-the-door-to-some-chinese-students-after-coronavirus-ban-idUSKCN20G07M

“MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The Australian government said on Saturday it will allow the return of some Chinese high school students who have been blocked from entering the country due coronavirus restrictions, reopening the door to a market that is key for the economy. 

Thousands of Chinese students were prevented from heading to Australia after the long summer break for the start of school and university terms this month when the government imposed a travel ban for most people travelling from China. 

Australian officials said the targeted easing of the ban would allow about 760 Chinese high school students - none from Hubei province, which is the epicentre of the outbreak - to apply to return.

...

Chinese students made up almost 40% of the international higher education population in Australia in 2018, according to the most recent official data. That broader population has grown by more than 10% over each of the past three years, contributing more than A$30 billion (£15 billion) to the domestic economy.”

From Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-australia/australian-university-offers-chinese-students-1000-to-return-via-third-country-idUSKBN20F08A

“SYDNEY (Reuters) - One of Australia’s leading universities said on Friday it is offering Chinese students A$1,500 ($992) if they travel through a third country as higher education providers seek to minimize the impact of a ban on foreigners arriving from mainland China.

...

With the Australian academic year already underway, universities fear thousands of students will withdraw and look at international alternatives if they are unable to get to their classes within weeks. 

Australia’s government has said that as long as the students are outside China for 14 days, they would be permitted to enter the country. 

Western Sydney University said it will offer Chinese students a one-off payment if they fulfill those requirements. 

“Our students are keen to travel to Australia and start the new academic year as soon as possible,” said a Western Sydney University spokeswoman in an emailed statement. 

“In recognition of the additional costs incurred in traveling via another country, the University has offered to assist students with a one-off A$1,500 subsidy payment.” 

Foreign students are worth about A$35 billion a year to the Australian economy, with Chinese students accounting for about a third of that figure. 

Australia’s largest eight universities, which have 105,000 Chinese students between them, said last week the coronavirus travel ban would cost the economy more than A$1 billion, and put at risk 7,500 jobs for each 10% fall in Chinese students. 

Qantas Airways chief executive Alan Joyce said on Thursday it has been approached by Australian universities to ensure it can provide enough flights for returning Chinese students once restrictions are lifted. 

With the restrictions weighing on the Australian economy, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is under pressure to ease the restrictions.”

My concerns with this are - as far as I know schools are still closed in China.  Does anyone know if that’s still true?  Seems irresponsible not to wait till the country with the epidemic opens schools.

sending uni students through an second country seems so irresponsible.  Like - we don’t think you’re safe to come here but we can’t afford to quarantine you so see is you can use another country for your “quarantine” and then come.  

I do feel really sorry for the kids especially those doing year 12 as it would be very stressful.  However it’s not going to make it less stressful if it’s not handled correctly and we end up with schools here closed.

 

[Ausmumof3]

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUKKCN20G072?__twitter_impression=true
 

another case with longer incubation - 27 days.  Although I always wonder if the person could have been In contact with virus somewhere else in the interim.

[Arcadia]

12 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

My concerns with this are - as far as I know schools are still closed in China.  Does anyone know if that’s still true?  Seems irresponsible not to wait till the country with the epidemic opens schools.

Schools closed. Kids learning online.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-02/17/c_138792006.htm

“BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Millions of Chinese students are restricted to their homes due to a nationwide epidemic control mechanism started on Monday to provide online learning, as the new school semester originally scheduled for Feb. 17 is currently postponed without a specific date.

Primary and middle schools in China are required to open online curriculums by using official educational websites to ensure that 180 million students "are occupied with the guided study at home."

...

While primary and middle schools are testing the waters of online teaching, higher-learning institutes such as Beijing's prestigious Peking and Tsinghua universities officially set off the teaching work in the spring semester on Monday through various online tech means.

Song Xin, with the Teaching Development Center of the Peking University, said the center provides technical support and services to ensure teachers and students rely on online platforms to start teaching, peer discussions and teacher-student exchanges.

On Monday, the university offered 563 undergraduate classes with 290 of them in form of live streaming. There are 101 classes using recorded online video courses via the university's website, and 96 discussion classes held via online group chats.

The university adopts the software of the "ClassIn" system and Canvas Network to support the online teaching.

"The epidemic situation poses a challenge to us, but it is also an opportunity to comprehensively promote the digitalization and informatization of teaching," said Qiu Yong, principal of Tsinghua.

Zhang Bingyin, a teacher of the Water Conservancy Department of Tsinghua, has equipped his laptop with a Logitech HD webcast camera and a Wacom e-writing tablet that the school has purchased for teachers for online teaching.

"New tech has given me tricks to interact with students during online courses. For example, the 'Rain Classroom' app, a new smart big-data teaching solution, helps me test students' mastery of my course content and randomly calls the roll to pick students to speak via Tencent's office meeting software," said the teacher.

Fan Jingtao, a teacher in the automation department of Tsinghua, set up a teaching platform at his home. Via a laptop, he gave the course of "C + + Programming and Training" to 330 students. The course was "heavily interactive," he said, as it was integrated with in-depth interactive discussions and repeated tests.”

[Ausmumof3]

from Global Times

#Prices of 49 #food categories are stable in #Hubei, but some products such as fresh #pork are still short in supply. Actions to pressure the market will face severe punishment: Hubei official.
 

[Melissa in Australia]

4 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Up to 6 cases related to cruise ship here now.  All symptomatic.  All being transferred to their home states for medical treatment.

apparently Australia is going to allow some year 11 and 12 students in from mainland China.  I’m confused because I thought citizens were already allowed to return and I would have assumed to be a high school student you would be a resident or citizen but maybe not

https://7news.com.au/politics/coronavirus-update-australias-travel-ban-lifted-for-year-11-and-12-students-c-710967

many non citizen and  non permanent residents come over to AU for year 11 and 12 to improve their English. Plus most private boarding  high schools in Australia have quite a percent of international students. 

[Ausmumof3]

59 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

many non citizen and  non permanent residents come over to AU for year 11 and 12 to improve their English. Plus most private boarding  high schools in Australia have quite a percent of international students. 

Yeah I guess that makes sense.  Especially if you plan to do higher ed here as well.  I knew University was a big thing I just didn’t realise high school was.

[Carrie12345]

5 hours ago, Arcadia said:

"We are reviewing all of our pandemic preparedness materials and adapting them to COVID-19," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said Friday during a media briefing, using the name of the disease caused by the coronavirus. "The materials will serve as a blueprint for the community interventions that we will use here in the U.S."

That means reinforcing infection control procedures, making sure health care workers have enough supplies, and planning for a possible influx of patients.

There may be a time when more aggressive measures, such as temporarily closing schools or businesses in the U.S., are necessary, she added.”

That last bit is not something I expected to hear from the CDC yet. I actually paused and replayed in case I had missed context. To me, that acknowledgement is significant.  While I hope it doesn’t become needed, it’s more than a subtle warning that people should make sure they’re prepared to stay home. If I’m surprised by how early they’re saying it, I could easily be surprised by how early they do it.

[Ausmumof3]

2nd death in Italy - a woman from the Lombardy region and now 30 cases

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-italy-idUSKCN20G0CQ?taid=5e50f964ee23af000132330b&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

Edited February 22, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Ausmumof3]

433 cases in South Korea

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-southkorea-cases-idUSKCN20G0BK?taid=5e50fbc0ee23af0001323316&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

1 of the South Korean cases was at a Samsung factory causing a temporary shutdown.  Floor will be shutdown till 24th of Feb 

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN20G0CG?__twitter_impression=true

Edited February 22, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Melissa in Australia]

possible animal testing of a vaccine days away. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-22/coronavirus-vaccine-animal-testing-days-away-uq-researchers/11991456

[Ausmumof3]

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202002/22/WS5e5087cfa310128217279739.html

more on the disinfection might explain the drones spraying buildings

and a very sad side effect of the spraying 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202002/19/WS5e4cfb14a310128217278bfb.html

That got me wondering though.  I was remembering there was a large die off of migratory birds in Iran recently (turns out it was caused by botulism I think)  Could migratory birds potentially be a carrier for coronavirus?  I found a study that indicates  they do have the potential to be a host

https://www.deakin.edu.au/research/research-news/articles/virus-discovery-in-australian-wild-birds

Anyway was just another thing to think about.

in this case the study mentioned delta and gamma type whereas novel coronavirus is a beta type.  So not likely but interesting and encouraging to know that study has already taken place trying to identify these risks

 

 

Edited February 22, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Pen]

5 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

from Global Times

#Prices of 49 #food categories are stable in #Hubei, but some products such as fresh #pork are still short in supply. Actions to pressure the market will face severe punishment: Hubei official.
 

 

Isnt there also a swine fever epidemic?

[Pen]

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202002/22/WS5e5087cfa310128217279739.html

more on the disinfection might explain the drones spraying buildings

and a very sad side effect of the spraying 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202002/19/WS5e4cfb14a310128217278bfb.html

That got me wondering though.  I was remembering there was a large die off of migratory birds in Iran recently (turns out it was caused by botulism I think)  Could migratory birds potentially be a carrier for coronavirus?  I found a study that indicates  they do have the potential to be a host

https://www.deakin.edu.au/research/research-news/articles/virus-discovery-in-australian-wild-birds

Anyway was just another thing to think about.

in this case the study mentioned delta and gamma type whereas novel coronavirus is a beta type.  So not likely but interesting and encouraging to know that study has already taken place trying to identify these risks

 

 

 

I would think birds or flying insects could be carriers as flying surfaces, even if not infected.  As could vehicles and airplanes carry virus on their surfaces.  And if transfer from some other animal to humans happened it is possible it could happen from human to other animal as well. 

[Pen]

6 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

My concerns with this are - as far as I know schools are still closed in China.  Does anyone know if that’s still true?  Seems irresponsible not to wait till the country with the epidemic opens schools.

sending uni students through an second country seems so irresponsible.  Like - we don’t think you’re safe to come here but we can’t afford to quarantine you so see is you can use another country for your “quarantine” and then come.  

I do feel really sorry for the kids especially those doing year 12 as it would be very stressful.  However it’s not going to make it less stressful if it’s not handled correctly and we end up with schools here closed.

 

 

IMO A random jerk comedian or twitter dude now seems to pale in comparison with supposed “teaching” institutes offering incentives to get around quarantine precautions.   

Maybe the message is they think it’s too late to stop Covid-19 from becoming epidemic in Australia, so might as well make money. 

If foreign students are sick in Australia, are they eligible for Australian health system? 

 

 

[8filltheheart]

Reading this thread has me so conflicted. We never make huge trips/special vacations with our kids. Well, months ago we planned a trip across the country to fly to CA, visit ds at Berkeley, and see SanFran, and travel around area. 

6 of us are supposed to fly out in under 2 weeks. Part of me thinks worrying about it is pointless. We live on the other side of the country, but we live in a highly global business community and everyone travels constantly. I think it is naive to believe that as interconnected as we all are that where we are even matters. Just as likely to encounter someone in church or the grocery store who has been in 10 different places in the last week.

Sigh. First big trip planned with our kids in 30 yrs of parenting. Bleh. 

[Pen]

3 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

possible animal testing of a vaccine days away. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-22/coronavirus-vaccine-animal-testing-days-away-uq-researchers/11991456

 

Good. A bit of promising news! 

[Pen]

1 hour ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Reading this thread has me so conflicted. We never make huge trips/special vacations with our kids. Well, months ago we planned a trip across the country to fly to CA, visit ds at Berkeley, and see SanFran, and travel around area. 

6 of us are supposed to fly out in under 2 weeks. Part of me thinks worrying about it is pointless. We live on the other side of the country, but we live in a highly global business community and everyone travels constantly. I think it is naive to believe that as interconnected as we all are that where we are even matters. Just as likely to encounter someone in church or the grocery store who has been in 10 different places in the last week.

Sigh. First big trip planned with our kids in 30 yrs of parenting. Bleh. 

 

It’s a special planned trip, and your risk on a domestic trip is probably still fairly (very) low.

However, afaik you are still probably more likely to encounter the virus and become infected on a plane, or in an international hub airport than at your local grocery store. 

Eta: and quite possible  that the virus has already made it into local community of international hub city like San Francisco or Seattle ...     It could of course also pop up in some small city / town as it did in Italy. 

 

Eta: also your risk as to Covid-19 in a few weeks traveling domestically  is probably still very very very low compared to what it may be if you were to put trip off till next year .    You probably have much more risk of serious harm from driving to the airport right now, than of getting this sickness. 

Edited February 22, 2020 by Pen

[Pen]

6 hours ago, Arcadia said:

From Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-china-health-australia/australia-reopens-the-door-to-some-chinese-students-after-coronavirus-ban-idUSKCN20G07M

“MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The Australian government said on Saturday it will allow the return of some Chinese high school students who have been blocked from entering the country due coronavirus restrictions, reopening the door to a market that is key for the economy. 

Thousands of Chinese students were prevented from heading to Australia after the long summer break for the start of school and university terms this month when the government imposed a travel ban for most people travelling from China. 

Australian officials said the targeted easing of the ban would allow about 760 Chinese high school students - none from Hubei province, which is the epicentre of the outbreak - to apply to return.

...

Chinese students made up almost 40% of the international higher education population in Australia in 2018, according to the most recent official data. That broader population has grown by more than 10% over each of the past three years, contributing more than A$30 billion (£15 billion) to the domestic economy.”

From Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-australia/australian-university-offers-chinese-students-1000-to-return-via-third-country-idUSKBN20F08A

“SYDNEY (Reuters) - One of Australia’s leading universities said on Friday it is offering Chinese students A$1,500 ($992) if they travel through a third country as higher education providers seek to minimize the impact of a ban on foreigners arriving from mainland China.

...

With the Australian academic year already underway, universities fear thousands of students will withdraw and look at international alternatives if they are unable to get to their classes within weeks. 

Australia’s government has said that as long as the students are outside China for 14 days, they would be permitted to enter the country. 

Western Sydney University said it will offer Chinese students a one-off payment if they fulfill those requirements. 

“Our students are keen to travel to Australia and start the new academic year as soon as possible,” said a Western Sydney University spokeswoman in an emailed statement. 

“In recognition of the additional costs incurred in traveling via another country, the University has offered to assist students with a one-off A$1,500 subsidy payment.” 

Foreign students are worth about A$35 billion a year to the Australian economy, with Chinese students accounting for about a third of that figure. 

Australia’s largest eight universities, which have 105,000 Chinese students between them, said last week the coronavirus travel ban would cost the economy more than A$1 billion, and put at risk 7,500 jobs for each 10% fall in Chinese students. 

Qantas Airways chief executive Alan Joyce said on Thursday it has been approached by Australian universities to ensure it can provide enough flights for returning Chinese students once restrictions are lifted. 

With the restrictions weighing on the Australian economy, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is under pressure to ease the restrictions.”

 

I wonder what other country travel routes they’d use for the 14 day interim?  Europe? South Korea? Singapore?

[Arcadia]

16 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

I wonder what other country travel routes they’d use for the 14 day interim?  Europe? South Korea? Singapore?

My guess is Indonesia, probably Bali. They don’t have cases yet and there are direct flights to Australia from Denpasar.

[Pen]

Also worrisome about the students circumventing Australian quarantining is that young people seem like they may be asymptomatic carriers or people with long incubation periods frequently or at least in what I have read.

It seems like it might be better to figure out more online distance learning for the foreign Australian students this coming session and leave the cultural immersion part till perhaps after there’s a vaccine. 

[Arcadia]

57 minutes ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Reading this thread has me so conflicted. We never make huge trips/special vacations with our kids. Well, months ago we planned a trip across the country to fly to CA, visit ds at Berkeley, and see SanFran, and travel around area. 

6 of us are supposed to fly out in under 2 weeks.

SFO is one of the 11 designated screening airports. Oakland International and San Jose International are not.

Flowers are blooming now everywhere. It’s a lovely time to visit. Flu and allergy season is on.

Enjoy your trip.

From California Department of Public Health https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx

“Is California able to test for the novel coronavirus?

Currently, the CDC is the only laboratory that is doing testing for the novel coronavirus in the United States. Starting as soon as next week, California will have the ability to test for novel coronavirus in-state at the Public Health Department’s Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory in Richmond and 15 other labs using the same test the CDC uses. Until now, only the CDC could test for novel coronavirus. This means California public health officials will get test results sooner, so that any patients will get the best care.

What is the state doing to protect our health?  

The California Department of Public Health is working closely with CDC to respond to the outbreak of this novel coronavirus. Screening of incoming passengers at two California airports is ongoing: Los Angeles International (LAX) and San Francisco International (SFO). This is to identify people who have symptoms that could be due to the coronavirus infection so that they can receive appropriate assessment and care. The state Public Health Department is providing information to local health departments and health care providers across California on how to safely and effectively evaluate ill people who have been to China. The state will continue to monitor the situation, work with partners to identify any possible cases, provide information and consultation to ensure that possible cases are managed safely, support laboratory testing, and implement recommendations from the CDC. 

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updated information to the public.”

ETA:

The flower photo is just a “cheer me up”. No connection to coronavirus but to allergies.

Edited February 22, 2020 by Arcadia

[Arcadia]

From CNN https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-02-22-20-intl-hnk/index.html

“10:32 a.m. ET, February 22, 2020

A joint mission working on the novel coronavirus arrived in Wuhan -- the city at the epicenter of the outbreak -- on Saturday, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris told CNN. 

The WHO-led team has previously worked in Beijing, Sichuan and Guangdong, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a Friday press briefing. 

Ghebreyesus said the team on the ground in China includes experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US National Institutes of Health, as well as experts from Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Nigeria, Germany and Russia. 

The team includes experts in epidemiology, virology, clinical management, outbreak control and public health.”

[8filltheheart]

Thanks @Arcadia. We are looking forward to it. 

For some ew, yuck..... someone on CC posted concern about the large homeless population in CA and the defecation factor and how if it hits the homeless how it will be a huge crisis bc of concern of it being spread through feces.

[Arcadia]

18 minutes ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

For some ew, yuck..... someone on CC posted concern about the large homeless population in CA and the defecation factor and how if it hits the homeless how it will be a huge crisis bc of concern of it being spread through feces.

 

It’s definitely been a concern for a long time regarding spread of diseases, before COVID-19 even started. The BART trains usually smells bad. 

The view from UCB’s Lawrence Hall of Science is one of the nicest on the East Bay side. Quark’s son is at UCB. 

[Pen]

32 minutes ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Thanks @Arcadia. We are looking forward to it. 

For some ew, yuck..... someone on CC posted concern about the large homeless population in CA and the defecation factor and how if it hits the homeless how it will be a huge crisis bc of concern of it being spread through feces.

 

That has a huge ick factor and concern for many illnesses spread.  And now also I guess urine has been found to have virus too.  

For Covid-19, breathing is itself a problem. 

Someone pointed out that the plume from someone smoking or vaping can give a good idea of distance an aerosol virus spread can go. Or if one thinks of someone walking along a street, or sitting in a restaurant and imagine breath as a colored plume.  

[mumto2]

2 hours ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Reading this thread has me so conflicted. We never make huge trips/special vacations with our kids. Well, months ago we planned a trip across the country to fly to CA, visit ds at Berkeley, and see SanFran, and travel around area. 

6 of us are supposed to fly out in under 2 weeks. Part of me thinks worrying about it is pointless. We live on the other side of the country, but we live in a highly global business community and everyone travels constantly. I think it is naive to believe that as interconnected as we all are that where we are even matters. Just as likely to encounter someone in church or the grocery store who has been in 10 different places in the last week.

Sigh. First big trip planned with our kids in 30 yrs of parenting. Bleh. 

I spent Thursday morning chatting with a new friend at a Bible Study and discovered her Dh recently returned from Hong Kong after like a half hour.....she mentioned he was now out of the quarantine window.  I said that was great and resisted asking 14 or 21 days........  I think this is the world we now  live in and it is scary.  Most here have never really had to worry about things like Polio because the herd immunity protects us........ 
 

That said go and have a great time! 

[Pen]

17 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I spent Thursday morning chatting with a new friend at a Bible Study and discovered her Dh recently returned from Hong Kong after like a half hour.....she mentioned he was now out of the quarantine window.  I said that was great and resisted asking 14 or 21 days........  I think this is the world we now  live in and it is scary.  Most here have never really had to worry about things like Polio because the herd immunity protects us........ 
 

 

maybe 28 days would be better....  or a 14 day isolation followed by 3 weeks high caution level

 

Quote

That said go and have a great time! 

 

I agree!!!!

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2020 by Pen

[Pen]

New word for me: 

“distantiated”

 

from worldometer:

 

• "People must be distantiated right now, because this is a virus that is transmitted very effectively at close range" said the director of the infectious diseases department of the Higher Institute of Health, Gianni Rezza.

 

 

I wonder if new greeting rituals for the west like a small bow or hello wave (or bringing back old ones like tipping hat) would be a good idea in place of hand shaking, and social hugs and kisses

[Pen]

Iran is having something like 30% death rate?