Containment of virus is world’s “highest priority”, says WHO
"All countries should make containing the outbreak of COVID-19 their top priority, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, Reuters reports.
The U.N. agency stressed that fighting the epidemic requires countries to work together, and praised Iran for “switching on” to the coronavirus outbreak there and taking a fresh “all of government approach”.
“We are now on the verge of reaching 100,000 confirmed cases,” the WHO’s director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a briefing. “It (the epidemic) is geographically expanding and deeply concerning.”
“We are continuing to recommend that all countries make containment their highest priority,” he added.
In fact the tally of cases has already surpassed 100,000 - as the WHO’s figures have generally slightly lagged behind tallies compiled by news organisations including Reuters. As of Friday, more than 100,300 people have been infected globally, according to a Reuters tally based on statements from health ministries and government officials." (CNN)
About wearing gloves;hjow does that protect? If you wear gloves and touch something and then touch your face, isn’t it the same thing as not wearing gloves?
Trump’s top economic adviser says they are considering assistance for people impacted by coronavirus
"National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said Friday that the White House is considering small “timely and targeted micro forms of assistance” for Americans impacted by the novel coronavirus.
“The news I was trying to put out this morning is we’re not looking at these massive, federal, throw money at people plans. We are looking at timely and targeted (efforts) where we can do the most good,” Kudlow said.
Kudlow did not offer many more details, saying he’d give “more details later.” Kudlow also said the administration has been looking into “operations that would provide immediate cash assistance” through a variety of federal agencies.
Talking about the dip in the market due to the coronavirus, Kudlow said the administration was considering those “micro forms of assistance” because “we think we will get out of this, within months.”
Asked for his message to Americans who may have to miss multiple paychecks due to illness or quarantine, Kudlow plainly said, “We will help them.”" (CNN)
@jym626, we were in South Tyrol. They still have very few active cases there, but the positive tests on the tourists returning from there have been mounting into the dozens. So far I have heard only about one particular valley, which is in a quite different part of where we were. I have heard from others from our group, some of whom have also been tested (all negative so far) and who are all more or less cheerfully hunkering down for next week - for the last week, we’ve all been in school or work anyway!
I think they held out on declaring the whole of northern Italy until the last minute, because skiing tourism from my country is a huge source of income for the region, and they simply did not have the testing capacity to cope with all the returning tourists. Now that winter breaks in the various states of my country are over, they couldn’t hold out any longer.
My husband just excused himself from running the annual assembly for tonight of a society he chairs. Both to protect the elderly in the auditorium, and to protect himself.
While he is required to go and teach school, a judge who is on the committee for the society informed him that he wouldn’t have been allowed to attend the assembly knowing that he’d meet my husband, because then he’d have to postpone all his court dates.
I do get it’s all about minimising both spread and disruption, but still…it’s all so haphazard. You can tell they’re flying by the seat of their pants.
More on testing and the status of testing in various states…
“If the true extent of the outbreak were known through testing, the American situation would look worse. But health-care officials and providers would be better positioned to combat the virus. Hard decisions require data. For now, state and local governments don’t have the information they need.”
@Artist2233 A family friend lives in Seattle and he’s like “eh.” And he’s older! Going to ComicCon, even. I mean, okay then. That’s a choice you can make.
In the article I read, they chose paper and plastic as everyday material. On them it was 9 days. It may be safe to assume clothes are like paper and plastic, and 9 days.
Multiple reasons to wear gloves. Most often cited is that you are less likely to touch your face while wearing gloves, they provide a constant reminder to you. Also, your hand is a warm, moist, highly textured surface with many pockets (i.e. under fingernails) for the virus to survive. Although your fingers are coated with protective enzymes that degrade RNA, DNA and proteins, the virus is essentially in an armor plated vehicle that resists these defenses. With gloves you can repeatedly wash your hands in harsh chemicals, such as bleach and alcohol, that immediately kill the virus on the smooth surface of the glove. Gloves also make you less likely to shake hands or touch other people in any way.
At least 33 people in New York state test positive for coronavirus
"At least 33 people have tested positive for coronavirus across the state of New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said moments ago at a press conference.
That number is up from 23 that CNN previously reported.
Five of the 33 people are currently hospitalized and they are improving, Cuomo said.
“This is like a flu on steroids,” he added.
Cuomo said at least 4,000 people are under a “precautionary quarantine.” This means they were in the proximity of someone that may have tested positive, returned back from travel from a level 2 or 3 country and aren’t showing symptoms." (CNN)
From Guardian: all 11 of the new cases are connected to the New Rochelle case. Cuomo says cases will continue to rise with more testing.
Well, it’s reached San Diego County. An Orange County resident who works at an AT&T store in Chula Vista had been in Italy, went to work Monday felling ill, stayed briefly, went home, and tested positive. Coworkers are being quarantined but no indication he interacted with customers. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/story/2020-03-05/coronavirus-att
Have we heard much about the symptoms of those who have the virus but were healthy to start? The ones self quarantined? I wonder how sick they feel. The Vanderbilt kid supposedly tweeted that he just has a runny nose and doesn’t feel all that sick.
