wuhan - coronavirus

[Ausmumof3]

5 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Thanks for finding that. I had been worried about them. They were so adorable and then just disappeared.

I think he was worried because they said no phone or wifi.  I understand not having wifi but not why they couldn’t have a phone.  I’m pretty sure it must be a miscommunication 

[Pen]

4 hours ago, Laurie said:

There have been a few university students tested for the virus so I've been nervous about my son possibly being exposed to it on campus.  Fortunately the students' symptoms weren't severe so they were isolated but didn't have to be hospitalized while waiting for the test results...and thankfully they tested negative.  

Then last night I saw this news story...the man was a comedian on the cruise ship that ended up in Cambodia.    He cheated the hotel quarantine before his test results came back in order to fly  to Seattle and drive to his home in Eugene OR.  He doesn't think he's a risk to anyone because he doesn't have symptoms!    I hope his test comes back negative so that he hasn't exposed all the people he came into contact with as he made his escape.  And I hope there's no outbreak in Eugene because my son is supposed to go there in a few weeks.  

He's quite proud of himself:   https://komonews.com/news/local/man-stranded-on-coronavirus-infected-cruise-ship-arrives-at-sea-tac-airport

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Carrie12345 said:

He may well be an extra big jerk, but there are *so* many people who just don’t care or don’t believe science and math or just think that bad things can’t happen in 1st world countries.

Which is a big part of why it could.

 

It doesn’t seem to even be about suicide.  It’s a heart conference thing.  I do hope he’s not Covid-19 positive and going to spread Covid-19 to cardiac patients. 

http://goeldorado.chambermaster.com/events/details/healthy-heart-healthy-you-10463

 

(reminds me of the people who @Ausmumof3 told us about going to real estate auction when they were supposed to be isolating, except that in this case it’s very clear that this guy is quite deliberate in knowing what he was supposed to be doing and deliberately potentially exposing others)

Edited February 18, 2020 by Pen

[maize]

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

My auntie who has a disability that significantly limits her movement is finally being able to travel and see parts of the world she’d never normally be able to manage thanks to cruise ships.  It has been lovely to hear her stories and how much pleasure she gets from all her adventures.

I get the feeling from talking to her that there are cruises and cruises.  Some really have the party boat atmosphere but a couple she’s been on just have a lot of older people that want a nice holiday without a lot of getting in and out of cars and walking and the usual difficulties with travel.  I think that’s why the thought of this on a cruise ship worries me a lot because the demographic is often older.

My in-laws took a round-the-world cruise after my MiL was on dialysis--she did peritoneal dialysis, where she had a machine at home she plugged into every night. They were able to take the dialysis machine and supplies on board the ship; it's the only way she could have traveled at that point.

She was still relatively young and she and FiL knew they wouldn't have much more time together and wanted to do some of the things they had always dreamed of doing.

[Laurie]

2 hours ago, Pen said:

 

On his way to Arkansas, not Arizona, I guess.  

I wonder if it will increase his audience if people think he’s hot stuff for sneaking out of Cambodia and into SeaTac or decrease audience if people think he’s a jerk (or even possibly a Covid asymptomatic carrier).  

I can't stop thinking about how the ship was turned away from other places and then Cambodia let them in.  And this is the thanks they get...a guy who can't wait to tell the media all about how he put one over on them.  

On his Facebook page he shows his 5 star hotel room for quarantine courtesy of Holland America. ( Now I'm beginning to understand the wisdom of parking rental RVs in a lot surrounded by chain link fencing and 24 hour police security...that's exactly what this guy deserved!!!)

[Ausmumof3]

Total cases at 75,136.  Fatalities at 2007.

the number of new cases from Hubei decreased again but fatalities jumped to 132.

15 new cases in South Korea pushed the number over 1000 for outside mainland China.

 

[Carrie12345]

I needed a little break from thinking about actual sickness, so I started thinking about what random items I might need for the next few months...
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/coronavirus-could-drive-up-out-of-stocks-at-stores-by-april-wells-fargo-2020-02-11

[Pen]

18 minutes ago, Laurie said:

I can't stop thinking about how the ship was turned away from other places and then Cambodia let them in.  And this is the thanks they get...a guy who can't wait to tell the media all about how he put one over on them.  

On his Facebook page he shows his 5 star hotel room for quarantine courtesy of Holland America. ( Now I'm beginning to understand the wisdom of parking rental RVs in a lot surrounded by chain link fencing and 24 hour police security...that's exactly what this guy deserved!!!)

 

or offshore islands

I guess they didn’t consider what he did to rise to arrest level, but if I were supposed to be going to his shows I’d be boycotting, or protesting to the conference organizers.  

I wonder if Holland America will welcome him back as a cruise entertainer. 

 

 

[mathnerd]

2 hours ago, maize said:

My in-laws took a round-the-world cruise after my MiL was on dialysis--she did peritoneal dialysis, where she had a machine at home she plugged into every night. They were able to take the dialysis machine and supplies on board the ship; it's the only way she could have traveled at that point.

She was still relatively young and she and FiL knew they wouldn't have much more time together and wanted to do some of the things they had always dreamed of doing.

Cruises are perfect for the elderly when they have the money to spend and the time and motivation to see the world (or what little they can through offshore expeditions from the cruises). My uncle and aunt went on a cruise and had the time of their lives (working class, not well off and old, so they did not get out much) with their son and grandkids. They both died soon after that, but, they got to do something exciting in their old age.

[Ausmumof3]

1 hour ago, Laurie said:

I can't stop thinking about how the ship was turned away from other places and then Cambodia let them in.  And this is the thanks they get...a guy who can't wait to tell the media all about how he put one over on them.  

On his Facebook page he shows his 5 star hotel room for quarantine courtesy of Holland America. ( Now I'm beginning to understand the wisdom of parking rental RVs in a lot surrounded by chain link fencing and 24 hour police security...that's exactly what this guy deserved!!!)

I think these kind of incidents are so troubling.  Same as the ones here that were supposedly in self quarantine and went to an auction and other places.  I do not think welding doors shut and arrests is a good solution.  But there’s some subset of people who seem to want to do what they want to do regardless - whether because they don’t believe in the risks or the science or whatever or out of pure selfishness.  It’s a big balancing thing between rights of the individual versus rights of the community. 

[Ausmumof3]

4 hours ago, Pen said:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/17/asia/coronavirus-covid-19-update-intl-hnk/index.html

a head doctor in Wuhan dies

Also was reported dead then alive then dead again!  Twice now this has happened.  

[Arcadia]

4 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Also was reported dead then alive then dead again!  Twice now this has happened.  

The first one was cardiac arrest. Was this one cardiac related too? If it’s cardiac arrest, then it’s possible to be revived and then collapsed again. My late uncle died that way and I have seen people at A&E (ER) revived from cardiac arrest. So kind of touch and go with cardiac arrest cases.

[Arcadia]

From KBS South Korea http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=151426

“Multiple new cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported from Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province a day after the southeastern city confirmed its first-ever COVID-19 patient. 

The Kyungpook National University Hospital located in Daegu said it has closed its emergency room since 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Patients staying in the ER have been put in isolation in other areas in the hospital.  

An official said the hospital’s head ordered the closure after some patients hospitalized within its negative pressure isolation room tested positive for the coronavirus. The official said the exact number of confirmed patients will be announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC). Around 10 people were known to have been newly infected in the region. 

On Tuesday, a 61-year-old woman living in the city was diagnosed as the nation’s 31st novel coronavirus patient, marking the first time a case was reported in the Gyeongsang Provinces. 

The patient, who had no record of traveling abroad in the past month or coming into contact with a confirmed patient, reportedly visited a substantial number of areas, including around Daegu and Seoul, raising concerns she may have spread the virus to others.”

[Ausmumof3]

5 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

From KBS South Korea http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=151426

“Multiple new cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported from Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province a day after the southeastern city confirmed its first-ever COVID-19 patient. 

The Kyungpook National University Hospital located in Daegu said it has closed its emergency room since 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Patients staying in the ER have been put in isolation in other areas in the hospital.  

An official said the hospital’s head ordered the closure after some patients hospitalized within its negative pressure isolation room tested positive for the coronavirus. The official said the exact number of confirmed patients will be announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC). Around 10 people were known to have been newly infected in the region. 

On Tuesday, a 61-year-old woman living in the city was diagnosed as the nation’s 31st novel coronavirus patient, marking the first time a case was reported in the Gyeongsang Provinces. 

The patient, who had no record of traveling abroad in the past month or coming into contact with a confirmed patient, reportedly visited a substantial number of areas, including around Daegu and Seoul, raising concerns she may have spread the virus to others.”

Hopefully they are able to operate emergency from elsewhere.

[Ausmumof3]

32 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

The first one was cardiac arrest. Was this one cardiac related too? If it’s cardiac arrest, then it’s possible to be revived and then collapsed again. My late uncle died that way and I have seen people at A&E (ER) revived from cardiac arrest. So kind of touch and go with cardiac arrest cases.

I thought the first one there was some weird last ditch technique they were trying.  I don’t know why though.

[Ausmumof3]

Hubei province are supposedly check records of anyone who purchased cough or cold medicine recently to try to find and quarantine anyone who hasn’t presented.

[Pen]

8 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I thought the first one there was some weird last ditch technique they were trying.  I don’t know why though.

 

There was in the reports, but I cannot recall details.

[Ausmumof3]

Some guy claiming to be an infectious disease specialist has posted a YouTube video saying he gained access to the ship and the infection protocols were a mess basically.  I would love to know if anyone knows of there is any truth to this or if it’s just another stupid person looking for five minutes of fame.  They are letting passengers who tested negative off today without any further shore-based quarantine.  This seems crazy to me unless they’re 100pc certain that there was no further spread in the ship (unlikely given that even the quarantine and medical officers were coming out infected).

[Pen]

2 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Some guy claiming to be an infectious disease specialist has posted a YouTube video saying he gained access to the ship and the infection protocols were a mess basically.  I would love to know if anyone knows of there is any truth to this or if it’s just another stupid person looking for five minutes of fame.  They are letting passengers who tested negative off today without any further shore-based quarantine.  This seems crazy to me unless they’re 100pc certain that there was no further spread in the ship (unlikely given that even the quarantine and medical officers were coming out infected).

 

Which ship? Diamond Princess?  

[Ausmumof3]

1 hour ago, Pen said:

 

Which ship? Diamond Princess?  

Yes 

[prairiewindmomma]

Legit video. Speaker is a professor of infectious disease control at a university in Kobe, Japan and had previously worked on cholera, Ebola, and SARS epidemics.

[prairiewindmomma]

Iwata Kentaro, you can see his publications on researchgate, etc.

[prairiewindmomma]

IMO, I thought the reason the other countries were doing evacuations off the ship was to save their citizens and allow Japan to save face by relieving them of the burden of caring for so many people in an impossible situation.

They had at various points brought infectious disease specialists on board but all of them quit at some point and were not replaced.

Video is worth watching, imo.

[prairiewindmomma]

Honestly, the things that keep me up at night are:

1. The supply line lead time from China is about over. 4-8 weeks is the average transit time. There are likely going to be shortages of things. Even if companies have flexible sourcing, switching that takes time. China doesn’t want to have that further hit to its economy which is why it is trying so hard to get up and going on. But, really, China’s drop in production is a global problem.

2. What’s up with the odd bits of possible local transmission in Hawaii, Taiwan, Singapore, etc.? The Singapore leaked meeting video about managing mask supply is scary. 

3. Local health authorities, as mentioned above, are saying very little. That means either they are naive or trying to avoid panic. 

I am not a “doomer” or a “prepper” but the amount of things not being said right now combined is concerning. I shouldn’t be having to read SCMP or Singaporean news to find out what is going on.

[Ausmumof3]

17 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

IMO, I thought the reason the other countries were doing evacuations off the ship was to save their citizens and allow Japan to save face by relieving them of the burden of caring for so many people in an impossible situation.

They had at various points brought infectious disease specialists on board but all of them quit at some point and were not replaced.

Video is worth watching, imo.

Yes I finally had time to watch it in full and it seemed legit.  Before that I had only seen transcripts etc

adding to my concern level is that 500 people were released from the ship to day as far as I can tell with no further quarantine.  

Edited February 19, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Ausmumof3]

video link

[Ausmumof3]

2 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Honestly, the things that keep me up at night are:

1. The supply line lead time from China is about over. 4-8 weeks is the average transit time. There are likely going to be shortages of things. Even if companies have flexible sourcing, switching that takes time. China doesn’t want to have that further hit to its economy which is why it is trying so hard to get up and going on. But, really, China’s drop in production is a global problem.

2. What’s up with the odd bits of possible local transmission in Hawaii, Taiwan, Singapore, etc.? The Singapore leaked meeting video about managing mask supply is scary. 

3. Local health authorities, as mentioned above, are saying very little. That means either they are naive or trying to avoid panic. 

I am not a “doomer” or a “prepper” but the amount of things not being said right now combined is concerning. I shouldn’t be having to read SCMP or Singaporean news to find out what is going on.

Nanjing is going back into full production mode today because they had two days without cases.

dh company has 70pc production in Shanghai.  
 

large quantity of masks were stolen from a hospital in Japan

the lack of transportation in China is impacting on food supplies.  Videos out of Wuhan are indicating people may be running out of food now.  Will they lift the restrictions to resolve the issues in time?  There seems to be problems with food supplies for livestock etc.  I believe this is likely true given China are approving increases in food imports.  
 

Edited February 19, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Arcadia]

@Pen https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/japan-cruise-ship-diamond-princess-covid19-coronavirus-passenger-12448140

“Kentaro Iwata, a professor at the infectious diseases division of Kobe University, blasted the on-ship quarantine as a "major failure, a mistake".

"It is highly likely secondary infections occurred," Iwata told AFP, saying scepticism from abroad of the quarantine was "only natural".

He later said in a video published online that he was self-quarantining after a brief visit to the ship where he raised major concerns about the procedures on board.

"It was completely chaotic," he said.

Several countries appear to have lost patience with the on-board quarantine and have prepared chartered planes to bring back their citizens.

In the first such evacuation Monday, more than 300 Americans flew home even though 14 of the passengers had tested positive.

Britain, Hong Kong and Australia are among other countries that have vowed to repatriate people from the ship but will insist on a further 14-day quarantine on home soil.

Nathalie MacDermott, a medical expert at King's College London, recommended a further 14-day self-quarantine for those disembarking.

"Given the circumstances on board the Diamond Princess, those passengers leaving the boat should be managed in a similar manner to those individuals departing a highly affected city or region," said MacDermott.

Disembarkation is expected to take around three days as more test results become available. Anyone who has had contact with an infected passenger will have to undergo 14 more days in quarantine.

In addition, the crew will begin a new quarantine when the last passenger has disembarked.

But people in Yokohama appeared supportive of the decision to allow the passengers out despite the virus fears.

"I am sure those people on board must be really worried. I hope they can go back to their normal life soon," said 51-year-old Isamu Habiro.

"As a Yokohama resident, I don't want them to be treated unfairly. I want to cheer for them," Habiro told AFP.”

[Arcadia]

From https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3869320

“2020/02/02 14:09

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s armed forces will be mobilized to help increase the supply of surgical masks as the country sees a soaring demand for protective gear amid the coronavirus outbreak that has inflicted over 14,000 globally.

Soldiers will be dispatched to the production line at local mask factories per request of the Central Epidemic Command Center, reported CNA. Relevant work will be arranged in a meeting participated in by officials from the defense and economic ministries as well as manufacturer representatives, said military spokesman Shih Shun-wen (史順文) on Sunday (Feb. 2).

According to the Cabinet, an additional 62 surgical mask production lines have been put in place, 10 percent of which will be dedicated to manufacturing those intended for children. This is expected to boost the capacity of local mask supply from 4 million to 10 million units a day, wrote UDN.

There has been growing public resentment about the shortage of surgical masks on the market after the government moved to centralize their distribution to avoid hoarding. Queues have become a normal sight at retailers and convenience stores across the island, with customers restricted to buying no more than three at a price of NT$6 each.

Taiwan has temporarily banned the export of a range of masks, including N95 respirators. Those attempting to smuggle masks overseas through mail or international delivery will be subject to penalties in compliance with the Customs Anti-smuggling Act.”

[Ausmumof3]

from Global times.  Indicates significant incidence before January.  

UPDATES: Chinese CDC's latest research detects that there were over 100 #COVID19 infections + 15 deaths before December 31, 2019, based on a retrospective investigation of 44,672 confirmed patients.

[Ausmumof3]

27 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

@Pen https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/japan-cruise-ship-diamond-princess-covid19-coronavirus-passenger-12448140

“Kentaro Iwata, a professor at the infectious diseases division of Kobe University, blasted the on-ship quarantine as a "major failure, a mistake".

"It is highly likely secondary infections occurred," Iwata told AFP, saying scepticism from abroad of the quarantine was "only natural".

He later said in a video published online that he was self-quarantining after a brief visit to the ship where he raised major concerns about the procedures on board.

"It was completely chaotic," he said.

Several countries appear to have lost patience with the on-board quarantine and have prepared chartered planes to bring back their citizens.

In the first such evacuation Monday, more than 300 Americans flew home even though 14 of the passengers had tested positive.

Britain, Hong Kong and Australia are among other countries that have vowed to repatriate people from the ship but will insist on a further 14-day quarantine on home soil.

Nathalie MacDermott, a medical expert at King's College London, recommended a further 14-day self-quarantine for those disembarking.

"Given the circumstances on board the Diamond Princess, those passengers leaving the boat should be managed in a similar manner to those individuals departing a highly affected city or region," said MacDermott.

Disembarkation is expected to take around three days as more test results become available. Anyone who has had contact with an infected passenger will have to undergo 14 more days in quarantine.

In addition, the crew will begin a new quarantine when the last passenger has disembarked.

But people in Yokohama appeared supportive of the decision to allow the passengers out despite the virus fears.

"I am sure those people on board must be really worried. I hope they can go back to their normal life soon," said 51-year-old Isamu Habiro.

"As a Yokohama resident, I don't want them to be treated unfairly. I want to cheer for them," Habiro told AFP.”

I think one thing that’s important to clarify here and that is some Japanese people seem to think it’s a distrust of Japan that led to the evacuation by other countries.  I personally don’t feel that at all just that it was unfair that Japan got landed with the whole situation when the tourists were from all over.  It seemed right for other governments to take responsibility.

[Arcadia]

8 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I think one thing that’s important to clarify here and that is some Japanese people seem to think it’s a distrust of Japan that led to the evacuation by other countries.  

From USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/02/17/coronavirus-official-explains-diamond-princess-cruise-quarantine-fail/4785290002/

”Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, said the original idea to keep people safely quarantined on the ship wasn't unreasonable. But even with the quarantine process on the ship, virus transmission still occurred.

...

"As it turned out, that was very ineffective in preventing spread on the ship," Fauci told the USA TODAY Editorial Board and reporters Monday. Every hour, another four or five people were being infected.

...

"The quarantine process failed," Fauci said. "I'd like to sugarcoat it and try to be diplomatic about it, but it failed. People were getting infected on that ship. Something went awry in the process of the quarantining on that ship. I don't know what it was, but a lot of people got infected on that ship."”

[Shoeless]

Who was in charge of the quarantine protocols on the ship? Were they implemented under the direction of Japan's health ministry? The World Health Organization? Was the ship captain/cruise line left to figure it out themselves? 

It seems like no one was really supervising the process.  The ship's crew would not necessarily be trained on how to manage a quarantined ship.  That seems like an unreasonable expectation.  It doesn't surprise me at all that it failed.  

[gaillardia]

49 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Kentaro Iwata, a professor at the infectious diseases division of Kobe University

Basically he was saying that the sick and not sick were not clearly separated, it was chaotic and he was getting a lot of run around while on board, he was eventually asked to leave. He also said that the possibility for contamination was frequent and those on board were doing nothing to stop contamination. 

I read somewhere that even a doctor was not wearing anything to keep her safe, no mask, no gloves. She said she probably had it already anyway. And now they are losing the medical professionals in hospitals in China. 

I'm alarmed and have been for weeks. But I don't know anyone personally who is concerned about it, yet, I know several health care professionals. 

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, MissLemon said:

Who was in charge of the quarantine protocols on the ship? Were they implemented under the direction of Japan's health ministry? The World Health Organization? Was the ship captain/cruise line left to figure it out themselves? 

 

Seems to be Japan’s health ministry 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/02/19/national/science-health/quarantine-cruise-ship-yokohama-comes-question-hit-virus-incubator/#.XkzcNiWIaEc

“The Japanese government has repeatedly defended the effectiveness of the quarantine, but some scientists suggest that it may have been less than rigorous.

In a possible sign of lax quarantine protocols, three Japanese health officials who helped in perform checks on the ship also became infected.

...
Health officials in Japan say a 14-day quarantine on the ship is adequate, citing results that all but one of more than 500 Japanese returnees from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus in China, who initially tested negative were also found to be virus-free at the end of their 14-day quarantine.

Those officials have also defended the precautions taken on the ship. About 1,000 crew members were told to wear surgical masks, wash their hands, use disinfectant sprays and stop operating restaurants, bars and other entertainment areas after Feb. 5, when the first group of 10 infected people were reported and the official start of the 14-day quarantine was announced.

Passengers were instructed to stay in their cabins and not walk around or contact other passengers. Those in windowless cabins could go out on the deck to take a walk or exercise for about an hour each day.

The quarantine was largely for the passengers, because crew members shared double rooms with colleagues and continued to serve the guests by delivering food, letters, towels and amenities, and entering passenger cabins for cleaning. Crew members also cooked their own food and ate in groups in a crew mess hall.

“Unlike passengers, crew members share their rooms, they share food, and that’s why some of them are infected even after the quarantine started,” Shigeru Omi, a former regional director for the World Health Organization, said at a recent news conference.”

[Shoeless]

7 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

The quarantine was largely for the passengers, because crew members shared double rooms with colleagues and continued to serve the guests by delivering food, letters, towels and amenities, and entering passenger cabins for cleaning. Crew members also cooked their own food and ate in groups in a crew mess hall.

 

That's crazy. Quarantining the passengers but then allowing the crew to interact with the passengers and return to the crew quarters and mess hall means the illness will spread around the ship, (which it did). 

My training with quarantine protocols is only in veterinary medicine and on a much, much smaller scale, but if this is nuts. 

[Ausmumof3]

The thing that in hindsight seems obvious but up front is that if the ship is in quarantine everyone should have been on quarantine including the crew 

If they were under quarantine they should no longer have been working as employees and serving meals.  If they were working as employees and get sick there’s grounds for some pretty serious workers compensation claims.  
 

when you think about it only a limited number of passengers had any direct contact with the original patient on the bus tour.  Meaning the most likely way this got spread around initially was via a crew member who served his food, washed his dishes and cleaned his cabin.

the owners of the cruise ship seem to have been happy to delegate responsibility and control to the Japanese authorities when it would seem they should have been working proactively to protect the health of their clients and crew.  It may be that they did but it didn’t make it to the media.

[Shoeless]

It's got me gobsmacked. I didn't know the crew was still working and interacting with the passengers. I had assumed the virus was traveling through the ventilation system.  Maybe it did or maybe it didn't.  Doesn't matter if there are people schlepping in and out of the cabins to drop off towels!

It seems more like the plan was "Just keep them on the boat, and maybe we can keep this virus out of Japan and everywhere else".     

[Ausmumof3]

41 minutes ago, MissLemon said:

It's got me gobsmacked. I didn't know the crew was still working and interacting with the passengers. I had assumed the virus was traveling through the ventilation system.  Maybe it did or maybe it didn't.  Doesn't matter if there are people schlepping in and out of the cabins to drop off towels!

It seems more like the plan was "Just keep them on the boat, and maybe we can keep this virus out of Japan and everywhere else".     

I thought it was more along the lines of food prep and drop the trays but maybe not.  I mean who was going to volunteer to get on and get food to people?

Edited February 19, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Shoeless]

2 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I thought it was more along the lines of food prep and drop the trays but maybe not.  I mean who was going to volunteer to get on and get food to people?

 

According to the Japan Times article Arcadia posted, the crew were entering to clean the cabins, which is so crazy. 

[Ausmumof3]

NEW: Taxi driver who drove Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers tests positive for coronavirus, Japan's 5th case so far today; the man is seriously ill
from BNO

 

[Ausmumof3]

Is this the point where countries should be looking at their ability to produce protective gear locally.  China has factories that can be repurposed but how many do other countries have?  I know some plastic packaging products exist here so they might have capacity?  Or is that sort of thing all addressed in pandemic preparedness planning anyway.

[Ausmumof3]

Another 79 for diamond princess for a total of 621 

South Korea had 4 more cases meaning 20 today.  They had only been testing those with travel history to China but after finding a woman with no travel history today expanded the testing.  
 

80 for Japan and 81 for Singapore right now.

[Ausmumof3]

Iran’s health ministry reported 2 positives in preliminary testing whatever that means.

[Lanny]

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Is this the point where countries should be looking at their ability to produce protective gear locally.  China has factories that can be repurposed but how many do other countries have?  I know some plastic packaging products exist here so they might have capacity?  Or is that sort of thing all addressed in pandemic preparedness planning anyway.

 

And to be able to produce the Vaccines when there is a Pandemic. I read an article about Israel. They had been studying, for some years, after a previous Pandemic, whether it would be better for them to have a "guaranteed" agreement to pay a producer to reserve part of their production for Israel (guarantees like that seem to have a lot of possible issues IMO) or to build a factory.  Several days ago, they decided to go ahead with the factory. In the end, it will be less expensive, and, IMO, will guarantee them that they will have the Vaccine they produce and not need to depend on a company in another country. Look at what has happened to the "Supply Chain" for things produced in China, during the past 4 to 6 weeks.  The Face Masks  probably don't offer much protections, more of a sense that one is doing something to try to lower their risk.

[Ausmumof3]

Some good news

the guy in Egypt who was initially thought to have the virus has now tested negative.

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSL8N2AJ2IE?__twitter_impression=true

[Pen]

In situations where one person was positive and one negative despite close contact, for example the husband on DP who was negative thoughwife was positive (only mild symptoms). I think it would be helpful if they could start figuring out why one seemed to have immunity—especially if it is anything that can be done by others rather than a genetic difference.  If it is a genetic difference though that might help to figure out who can most safely be helping in the epidemic. 

[Aura]

Thank you to everyone who is following this and posting updates! but especially Ausmumof3 🏆

I've been following it, too, but have been too busy to really post much. But I wanted to chime in w/ a few things:

The guy that left the hotel quarantine is EXACTLY why we need decent, accurate information instead of pandering to this let's-not-start-a-panic phobia! If you've followed the news only, then this is no worse than the flu and there's no real reason for anyone to worry.  If he was allowed outside the hotel already, what's the purpose in the quarantine?! If I believed the news (and didn't do any further reading on my own), I'd probably think it was all a PR stunt with no real risk to anyone and the problems in China will stay in China...else, why wouldn't the experts insist on an actual quarantine instead of just giving lip service?! (Updated info says that everyone's tests from that ship came back negative.)

The CDC and WHO have no credibility because of stunts like this. Either we should be taking this seriously or not. Either we quarantine people, or we don't. Either this is something that should not be allowed to spread and proper precautions should be taken...or it's not! I know that it's an evolving situation, but half-hearted efforts and contradictory measures do not instill confidence. People dismiss the "experts" when the experts are obviously not telling the whole truth.

I found this 5 minute video from North Korea which does a better job of explaining things than anything the CDC or WHO have put out. From N. Korea!!! Regardless of whether you agree that the virus is a deadly as they seem to think, they quickly go over how it affects you, how it spreads, how to protect yourself--with a heavy emphasis on proper hand washing!--and what they are doing as a government to deal with it. 5 minutes of decent, actionable information that doesn't (IMO) incite panic but encourages people to be proactive and might actually do some good. From North Korea 🤯

(Of course, in N. Korea, they also shot dead a guy when he left quarantine w/o a mask, so I'm not supporting that kind of regime. I'm just flabbergasted that they would do a better job of giving out information to their country than our health officials do to ours.)

 

[Carrie12345]

9 minutes ago, Aura said:

The CDC and WHO have no credibility because of stunts like this. Either we should be taking this seriously or not. Either we quarantine people, or we don't. Either this is something that should not be allowed to spread and proper precautions should be taken...or it's not! I know that it's an evolving situation, but half-hearted efforts and contradictory measures do not instill confidence. People dismiss the "experts" when the experts are obviously not telling the whole truth

I agree with several of your points, but I do want to reiterate that they have been clear for a while now that they’re plan is to *slow* the virus’s spread, at least in the US, not stop it. I don’t envision them taking across the board drastic measures at any point.

[mumto2]

12 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

I needed a little break from thinking about actual sickness, so I started thinking about what random items I might need for the next few months...
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/coronavirus-could-drive-up-out-of-stocks-at-stores-by-april-wells-fargo-2020-02-11

I have been doing the same.  So many of our common items come from China now.  Supply shortages and huge price increases are a possibility.  Then there is the fact that we may not want to enter a drugstore fore things like Tylenol!  I keep thinking that being prepared is smart and then I think about ending up with a huge stack of stuff we won’t be happy about needing to use up .  I also know I am looking at this from a position of privilege........I have an opportunity to prepare. 
 

I tend to. buy my cleaning supplies at big box stores and am currently one box ahead on things like bleach etc.  The paranoid part of me thinks two boxes might be better.

I have also taken a quick inventory of wardrobes especially the athletic shoes which we buy ahead on sale so can easily switch out when worn out.  Everyone has at least two pairs ahead which normally takes us into the fall.  I picked up new socks for all.......

 Dh has gone over the otc meds.  Well stocked for colds, allergies etc for the next few months.

Not sure what to do about food at this point.  I have a freezer full and may just leave it there.

[Pen]

https://youtu.be/Wq33oZdQ-R4

A Mayo and other doctor on things they think should be done.  Posting here in hopes it gets more traction.