wuhan - coronavirus

[RootAnn]

43 minutes ago, lovelearnandlive said:

“He said the state had only 200 testing kits and had appealed for more from the federal government.”

200 testing kits? For a state with a population of 40 million? 

From https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0206-coronavirus-diagnostic-test-kits.html

"Each test kit can test approximately 700 to 800 patient specimens."

200×700=140,000 specimens

Assuming they run the same person twice, that's still 70,000 people those kits will test. Not great, but a good amount to start with.

Edited February 28, 2020 by RootAnn
Added link

[The Governess]

Just now, RootAnn said:

From https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0206-coronavirus-diagnostic-test-kits.html

"Each test kit can test approximately 700 to 800 patient specimens."

200×700=140,000 specimens

Assuming they run the same person twice, that's still 70,000 people those kits will test. Not great, but a good amount to start with.

 

Thanks so much for that clarification!! That makes me feel a lot better.

[Ausmumof3]

Not coronavirus related but this tweet from global times

The arrest of #HongKong anti-mainland figures including Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai and other pan-democratic legislators shows that their political activities are illegal and will eventually face legal trials. There is no justification for violating the law: analyst

 

um sorry what?  The fact that they were arrested proves that their political activities were illegal?  Isn’t that kind of circular logic 

[Arcadia]

6 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

um sorry what?  The fact that they were arrested proves that their political activities were illegal?  Isn’t that kind of circular logic 

Hong Kong is used as a political pawn by certain people. It’s very complicated. Taiwan is another complicated pawn, less messy maybe. People who can afford it has more than one citizenship.

[Ausmumof3]

https://www.9news.com.au/world/coronavirus-in-dogs-pomeranian-tests-positive-covid-19/f43e9c0b-d7bd-4677-9412-a10448ae9fc4
 

Pet dog tests weak positive

they are retesting to see if it can carry the virus or the result was due to environmental contamination 

[Ausmumof3]

https://7news.com.au/travel/coronavirus/omd-sydney-employees-work-from-home-after-colleague-develops-flu-like-symptoms-c-720924
 

A company in Sydney have asked employees to work from home after one of them gets flu like symptoms after a work trip to Singapore.  
 

[TravelingChris]

2 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

Can you say which ones they are? Selfishly wondering for myself. I'm on Enbrel (etanercept). I assume you mean they help prevent a cytokine storm, not the virus itself?? I  need to stay functional to care for DH, who has cancer and will be starting a new type of treatment in the next week or so.

Yes. Enbrel is one of them.  I am on Cimzia, which is another one.  So is Humira.   Those are all anti- tnp and will help us not get the cytokine storm.  Also I am on Plaquinel too which is hyroxyquilene  and I have sseen that some cases are being treated with quilene so I figure my version works too.  I know that it was originally an anti-malarial that they found worked realoly well for RA by accident.  Hydroxyquinile is a modified version that results in less eye damage (I don't have any after 23 years).  

[TravelingChris]

1 hour ago, Pen said:

 

They are valid. But I read  that the decision was based  on 95% still being within 14 days.  So most get caught . Probably.  Or at least it gets slowed down. And doesn’t put many people in extended quarantine for the outliers.

There could be outliers of beyond 30 days—we really don’t know.

 

Or that it hit an older population? 

Or hit as a surprise?

or turned more virulent?

I think it has turned more virulent.  Not that scores of people are dying in Iran and apparently they are reporting lots of myocarditis, ih other words, inflamation of the hearr.

[Ausmumof3]

Disneyland are shutting their parks in Tokyo till 15th March

[Pen]

11 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

I think it has turned more virulent.  Not that scores of people are dying in Iran and apparently they are reporting lots of myocarditis, ih other words, inflamation of the hearr.

 

Unfortunately, I agree with you.  I think probably all the suggestions I and others came up with including more virulent are true, are part of what’s happening.

[Terabith]

Thinking about the dog with the weak positive result...  I hadn't even considered a quarantine where my CAT would be kept inside.  That would be horrible.  

[Pen]

Worldometer says:

Number of tests and positivity rate for Covid-19 as of Feb. 26 

•  
• UK: 7,132 concluded tests, of which 13 positive (0.2% positivity rate). [source] 
• Italy: 9,462 tests, of which 470 positive (5.0% positivity rate), awaiting results: unknown. [source]
• France: 762 tests, of which 17 positive (2.2% positivity rate), 179 awaiting results. [source]
• Austria: 321 tests, of which 2 positive (0.6% positivity rate), awaiting results: unknown. [source] 
• South Korea: 
• United States: 445 concluded tests, of which 14 positive (3.1% positivity rate). [source] 

 

 

How does this match case totals by country? USA has more than 14 cases. 

Edited February 28, 2020 by Pen

[Pen]

I don’t use much cash anyway, but I think I am switching to no cash at all for foreseeable future. I think I can more easily clean a debit or credit card.  

[Arcadia]

9 minutes ago, Pen said:

I don’t use much cash anyway, but I think I am switching to no cash at all for foreseeable future. I think I can more easily clean a debit or credit card.  

I use Starbucks iPhone app to buy frappes. I am thinking of using the Panda Express app to order and pay on my phone as we go there often.

[TravelingChris]

Around here, we have to keep cash on hand.  Which reminds me to take out some more tomorrow.  THat is because we will have another round of severe storms early next week which probably means tornados.  Now, since I have lived here, we haven't had any prolonged power outages- about 2 hours max.  But right before I moved here in 2011, the super tornado swarm that happened in late April nknowcked out power here for somethiing like 10 days.  You need cash in tornado or flood or hurricane prone areas.

[YaelAldrich]

So the DH's university (Northeastern U)  had an emergency meeting for each department.  The general gist is that they are preparing for people to scatter during Spring Break this coming week and the possibility that at least the foreign students (and there are many) will not be able to come back.  So every class/professor is to be prepared to teach online the rest of the semester.  They will give help to those not used to the technology, but there will be no exceptions.  

NU does summer sessions abroad both summer school sessions (Mid May-Mid June, July).  They've made no decisions about those sessions yet probably because each one has been in planning for the whole academic year, already have invested most of the money (18-20K per student per session!) into tickets, lodging, and the like, and students will be counting on these classes to make graduation requirements.  My husband will be doing a second session class (July) in Japan and he thinks they are going to go ahead with it.  He said the first session trip to Tokyo, Japan was strongly encouraged to change locations but Tokyo is literally the focus of the class, so it was a no-go.

Edited February 28, 2020 by YaelAldrich

[Pen]

20 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

Around here, we have to keep cash on hand.  Which reminds me to take out some more tomorrow.  THat is because we will have another round of severe storms early next week which probably means tornados.  Now, since I have lived here, we haven't had any prolonged power outages- about 2 hours max.  But right before I moved here in 2011, the super tornado swarm that happened in late April nknowcked out power here for somethiing like 10 days.  You need cash in tornado or flood or hurricane prone areas.

 

I wonder if there’s a good way to clean it if need be.

 

oh yeah.  I know.  

 put it in a kid pocket and it will go through the washing machine and dryer and probably emerge intact and cleaner

Edited February 28, 2020 by Pen

[Pen]

6 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

So the DH's university (Northeastern U)  had an emergency meeting for each department.  The general gist is that they are preparing for people to scatter during Spring Break this coming week and the possibility that at least the foreign students (and there are many) will not be able to come back.  So every class/professor is to be prepared to teach online the rest of the semester.  They will give help to those not used to the technology, but there will be no exceptions.  

NU does summer sessions abroad both summer school sessions (Mid May-Mid June, July).  They've made no decisions about those sessions yet probably because each one has been in planning for the whole academic year, already have invested most of the money (18-20K per session!) into tickets, lodging, and the like, and students will be counting on these classes to make graduation requirements.  My husband will be doing a second session class (July) in Japan and he thinks they are going to go ahead with it.  He said the first session trip to Tokyo, Japan was strongly encouraged to change locations but Tokyo is literally the focus of the class, so it was a no-go.

 

It is probably early to decide what the situation will be like in July.

But if it cannot happen there do they have options? Notwithstanding focus of class?

Edited February 28, 2020 by Pen

[YaelAldrich]

24 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

It is probably early to decide what the situation will be like in July.

But if it cannot happen there do they have options? Notwithstanding focus of class?

They have asked people in "safe" countries to take the students who would have gone to China (this was asked this week so why didn't they include N Italy, Korea, etc??) .  I know my husband can't take any more students into his group as costs are insane usually but even moreso with the Olympics.  But they asked him anyways.

[Pen]

1 hour ago, YaelAldrich said:

They have asked people in "safe" countries to take the students who would have gone to China (this was asked this week so why didn't they include N Italy, Korea, etc??) .  I know my husband can't take any more students into his group as costs are insane usually but even moreso with the Olympics.  But they asked him anyways.

 

Hmmm.  I think the university decision may not be a good one.  

Does the university have the means to pull people out if necessary? Or is it counting on government to evacuate people as for Wuhan ? Diamond Princess?  

It doesn’t seem sustainable for government to keep setting up special evacuation for people who choose to travel internationally whether for a cruise or a sports event like Olympics or a study program abroad etc etc, when it is pretty clear in advance that that is risky.  

It’s One thing to be caught unawares.  IMO, quite Another to deliberately travel during a global health emergency especially with a bunch of young adults to whom the university and your husband are sort of in loco parentis—even if the students are technically adults. 

eTa: I do hope the university will change its mind.  I guess universities whether in USA or Australia have a big financial incentive to keep international travel going. 

Sorry to be negative about your husband’s special program.  But, my 2 cents.  In your place I think I would be very worried. 

Edited February 28, 2020 by Pen

[Renai]

Coursera.org already has a class on COVID19 up. It usually takes weeks to get these courses approved. https://www.coursera.org/learn/covid-19/home/welcome

[Ausmumof3]

Global Times: The first confirmed #COVID19 case in #Jiangsu's #Xuzhou again tested positive after his discharge from hospital two weeks prior. His young daughter also tested positive after recovery. The two have again been hospitalized. (File Photo)

[Pen]

6 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Global Times: The first confirmed #COVID19 case in #Jiangsu's #Xuzhou again tested positive after his discharge from hospital two weeks prior. His young daughter also tested positive after recovery. The two have again been hospitalized. (File Photo)

 

That’s happening a lot!

could be reinfection, but seems like it’s probably a feature of this virus

 🦠 

(has a virus emoji always been available or did it just arrive?)

this is quite an amazing virus 

wonder what else it has up its sleeve or crown

where are upcoming special major events?

Seems like Covid-19 is good at arriving in China in time for Lunar New Year, head to Italy for Carnival and Iran for celebration of overthrow of Shah... 

Holi in India? 

[Carol in Cal.]

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/preparing-for-coronavirus-to-strike-the-u-s/?fbclid=IwAR3ptWL0pfHkK4odaSC402CnEBFp5GVgmJH7wtXo4_wzFycTvDweMwfemNQ

[Ausmumof3]

1st case for Belarus and NZ

1 positive test in Mexico - need a 2nd test to confirm though.

[Pen]

8 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/preparing-for-coronavirus-to-strike-the-u-s/?fbclid=IwAR3ptWL0pfHkK4odaSC402CnEBFp5GVgmJH7wtXo4_wzFycTvDweMwfemNQ

 

I ran out of likes.  

Quoting to bring attention. I  Think it’s a good blog

[Ausmumof3]

1 new diamond princess related case in Western Australia.

No Friday prayers for Iran for the first time in 40 years.

[Ausmumof3]

2 more cases in a town in France linked to a man who returned from Italy.  His wife and friend and friends wife had also got the virus.  Now there are two more cases.  The friend and his wife had been at a dinner with 120 people on the 15th of Feb.

It is quite possible that there are many more cases in our town," said the mayor.

[Ausmumof3]

1 more death in Japan of a man in his 70s

[Chris in VA]

Israel urging citizens to not travel internationally. Great. I leave the 6th for USA. Hope I can get back. 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-unprecedented-move-israelis-advised-to-avoid-all-travel-over-virus-fears/

 

[Ausmumof3]

I was reading the jpost article on the vaccine and found this “the MIGAL researchers examined it and found that the poultry coronavirus has high genetic similarity to the human one, and that it uses the same infection mechanism, which increases the likelihood of achieving an effective human vaccine in a very short period of time, Katz said.”

It’s talking about the infectious bronchitis virus in poultry.   Apparently that is a coronavirus.  It is a gamma type virus, whereas the human one is beta type.

but it got me wondering - I know bits of Junk DNA randomly seem to get absorbed into other things sometimes.  It is possible that the intermediate host between bat and human was poultry and the virus has somehow picked up a bit of DNA from the poultry virus.  And that’s how it’s developed the more effective infection mechanism.  Or is that impossible? About now is when I start wishing I’d studied biology on school.  

[Ausmumof3]

315 new cases on South Korea (total today 571, total total 2,337)

[Ausmumof3]

Also I have to say that bit about the infection method being similar to IBV is scary!  That is horrible to deal with.

[Ausmumof3]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3899428/
 

this study indicates that in early stages elderberry may be effective against IBV.  I realise some elderberry studies have coming into question but this is worth a read.  Particularly if the infection method is similar.  Might be worth getting some sambucol in.

“Interestingly, while vaccination is the main method for inhibiting IBV in poultry populations [77], its effectiveness on new strains is often minimal, leading to outbreaks in even vaccinated populations [78-80]. Perhaps vaccination in conjunction with administering the active polyphenol could have a synergistic effect, similar to that seen when the polyphenol isoquercetin was administered with the influenza medicine amantadine in vitro[24]. Finally, these results have the potential to translate into treatments for other coronaviruses, including those that affect humans. These human coronaviruses (HCoV) include ones that may cause up to 20% of the common cold (HCoV 229E, HCoV OC43); HCoV NL63 and HCoV HKU1, which cause mild to severe respiratory diseases; the SARS CoV, which emerged in 2003 with a 10% mortality rate; and the recently emerged MERS CoV, which currently has a 57% case fatality rate [81,82]. Some evidence supports this idea, in that glycyrrhizin, the active chemical from G. radix extracts, inhibited not only IBV, but also the SARS CoV [25,83”

Edited February 28, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Ausmumof3]

From BNO:

Coronavirus updates: - 2 new cases in Croatia - 2 new cases in France - 2 new cases in Malaysia - 2 new cases in Taiwan

[Ausmumof3]

- 12 new cases in Hokkaido, Japan - 2 new cases in Kuwait - 1 new case in Greece

[Ausmumof3]

State of emergency in Hokkaido

edit to add more info

Hokkaido declares state of emergency; residents urged to stay home over weekend

The governor of Hokkaido Prefecture is declaring a state of emergency amid the coronavirus outbreak, asking residents to stay indoors this weekend, after the number of those infected in Japan's northernmost prefecture rose to at least 66 cases as of 5:45 p.m.

Edited February 28, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Ausmumof3]

A 70 year old lady from diamond princess died.  She is the 5th fatality from the ship

[Ausmumof3]

1 new case in France (1st in Nice) total 41

[Ausmumof3]

Bbc:

First coronavirus case confirmed in Wales, in a patient who had returned from Italy - taking total UK cases to 17

[Ausmumof3]

Switzerland bans all events with more than 1,000 people to prevent the spread of coronavirus

[Ausmumof3]

2nd case in Israel

1st case of local transmission (wife of returned passenger from Italy)

[Carrie12345]

11 hours ago, Pen said:

 

Sort of thing that can be self fulfilling prophecy as a news report like that can cause panic buying. 

 

11 hours ago, Pen said:

I think News should be telling people to just get a little extra each shopping trip, not helping to cause run on supplies.  

Stores can handle buying a little extra like they do for Christmas, Thanksgiving etc. 

I’m behind in this thread, but popping in anyway, lol.

A friend of ours used to work nights at WM. He just told us that most of their stock is planned for a 3 month “normal” supply, so predictions don’t seem too far off to me.

The thing about “extra” is that orders generally have to be put in those +/- 3 months in advance. Holiday merchandise is planned far in advance.  And the supply/manufacturing has to be there, which it may not be in many cases now. 

[Ausmumof3]

1 new case Amsterdam 

[Carrie12345]

It’s still okay to make selfish jokes, right?

Over a year ago, I was toying with the idea of getting back into blogging. One of the things I had considered was a blog about emergency preparedness; prepping for “normal” people, ya know? But I came to the conclusion that hardcore preppers would rip it apart and normal people wouldn’t care to read it.

I could have been TOTALLY dominating right now!!! 😆 

[Ausmumof3]

Reuters:  Hyundai Motor shut one of its factories in South Korea’s Ulsan where one worker has tested positive for the coronavirus

[Ausmumof3]

Iran: 143 new cases, 8 new deaths, total of 388 and 34 deaths

 

[Carrie12345]

I just checked my school district’s website for any info. They have a PDF of the state health department’s info from 2/3/20.  Feeling so confident! @@ 

As far as other people spreading germs, my homeschool community is VERY casual about it. Well, in general. Some of us care.  Honestly, I’m not normally one to get a flu shot, but all of this virus stuff had me researching more and changed my mind. But there are people in my community who think flu shot people should have to wear a sign indicating that they’re a danger to everyone else.  We may not be participating in the community much longer.  Even in 12-18 months, I doubt 25% will get vaccinated if it becomes possible.

[Chris in VA]

CNN just reported that 10 new countries in the last 24 hours have cases of the virus. 10. That is...a lot. 

[Ausmumof3]

1st case in Azerbaijan