At the highest level, it may not be a fair game if different players have different quality network connections to the gaming servers and other players. On-site, they can make sure that each player has an equal quality network connection to the gaming servers and other players.
Florida reports 2 coronavirus deaths, bringing US toll to 17 
CNN
Two patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus have died, the Florida Department of Health announced Friday night.
Both of the deceased – one of whom was in their 70s – had recently returned from international trips to undisclosed locations. One was in Santa Rosa County while the other in Lee County.
**In addition to the two deaths, Florida’s Department of Health announced two new presumptive positive cases of the coronavirus in Broward County.
This brings the US death toll to 17. These are the first US deaths outside the states of California and Washington.
Coronavirus confirmed in two attendees at US pro-Israel summit
"Influential US pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC said Friday that two people who attended its annual Washington conference alongside dozens of lawmakers had tested positive for coronavirus.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said in an email to attendees, speakers and congressional offices that the pair had traveled from New York to go to the March 1-3 event.
“We have confirmed that at least two Policy Conference attendees from New York have tested positive for the Coronavirus,” AIPAC said in the message, posted to its Twitter account.
The event attracted high-profile attendees including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Democratic former White House hopeful Mike Bloomberg.
About 18,000 people had been expected to travel from across the US to attend the conference, which typically attracts around two-thirds of the members of Congress.
Attendees swamped Capitol Hill in their hundreds during the event, as is the custom.
“If you test positive for Coronavirus, we urge you to inform your local health authorities so they can properly coordinate the response to this situation with the appropriate health authorities,” AIPAC said." (Guardian)
Bethlehem under lockdown after virus cases confirmed
"The city of Bethlehem is under lockdown after the first Palestinian cases of the deadly coronavirus were discovered there and authorities announced a state of emergency.
Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said a total of 16 cases of coronavirus had been detected in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after nine new cases were discovered in Bethlehem, official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported Friday evening.
The Palestinian government announced a month-long state of emergency late Thursday after the first seven cases were identified, while the Israeli defence ministry said it had imposed emergency measures on Bethlehem, with everybody “forbidden from entering or leaving the city”.
It added that the lockdown had been imposed “in coordination with the Palestinian Authority”.
The Church of the Nativity, built on the site Christians believe was the birthplace of Jesus, was closed on Thursday and along with other sites is expected to be shuttered for a month.
Israel controls all entrances to the West Bank from the Jewish state but the Palestinian government has limited autonomy in cities.
The Palestinian health ministry said the cases had first been detected at a hotel in the Bethlehem area." (Guardian)
Last I read, there were 14 Americans in the hotel.
Hong Kong asks residents to defer non-urgent travel
"The Hong Kong government has warned the city’s residents to consider deferring all non-essential travel outside of the territory.
It had already placed a red alert - the second-highest warning in Hong Kong - on travelling to South Korea and the Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto regions of Italy, Reuters reports.
However, the government said all travelers out of Hong Kong should now contemplate putting their plans on hold.
Hong Kong has reported 106 cases of coronavirus and two deaths in the past six weeks, according to the city’s health officials.
“As the transmission of COVID-19 virus has been increasing around the world, they are advised to consider delaying all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong,” the CHP said in a statement published on a government website on Friday." (Guardian)
Utah announces its first case of the novel coronavirus
CNN
The Utah Department of Health said in a news release that the resident had contracted the coronavirus while onboard the Grand Princess cruise ship, which is anchored off the coast of California under quarantine.
The patient – described as a Davis County resident over the age of 60 – sought medical attention after returning home and developing symptoms. The patient is now at home in isolation.
Considered spring storms and a slow restoration of power but not those on wells. We thought about putting a well in but ended up running 2" back to municipal water. It’s kind of worked out.
If I was on well water, I’d consider looking for a decent sized portable generator and figuring out the hook-up. Unless there are springs around and you’ve squirreled away a couple gallons of bleach.
If all on board the ship need to be quarantined, the best way to do that is to keep the ship at sea, bringing in supplies as needed.
But the political optics of that may not be good.
Fwiw, I have trouble believing all these people have high lead levels in their faucet water. https://www.yahoo.com/news/pandemonium-virus-panic-buying-hits-los-angeles-012143778.html
(Doubt they’re all drinking from wells, too.)
However, limiting social contact may increase loneliness, which has other adverse health impacts: https://time.com/5541166/loneliness-old-age/
We have a well and a generator at our house.
We also have a cabin that’s totally off grid, but it has a pressurized water system (that can be operated on a generator OR a hand pump), as well as a propane refrigerator and oven, plus lanterns that run off of gasoline. Oh yeah, I forgot about the rainwater that runs off the roof, is filtered, and then collects in a 1000-gallon cistern. We put a very small amount of bleach in the cistern and then have a micro filter at the sink so it’s drinkable. We test it periodically.
Thank goodness I have a husband who needs projects to stay happy! He figured out all this stuff.
Caltech canceled all public events on campus until April 6.
Stanford canceling in-person classes for remaining two weeks of winter quarter. Classes to be conducted on-line, “to the extent feasible.”
https://slate.com/technology/2020/03/micronesia-drastic-coronavirus-travel-ban.html indicates that some Pacific island nations have drastic travel bans, sometimes refusing their own citizens entry (e.g. http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=read&o=9130341115e5c7799126e4ea6461a1 ).
What if a citizen is denied entry to his/her own country, but has no ability to return to or enter another country? Will s/he be stuck in the arrival hall of an airport (outside of immigration and customs) like some people once were (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_have_lived_in_airports )?
The idea with community-based interventions like closing schools, working from home and cancelling events is to slow the virus down.
In our area, hospitals regularly run at 98% capacity. Ventilators are already in use. If you suddenly have a surge of patients struggling to breathe, what do you do? Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (common way to die with pneumonia) need ventilators to breathe for them until their immune system can fight off the virus. We don’t know how many people this will be, but we do know that it would be far better for them to be spread out over time.
For those who are hoping Covid-19 will be similar in severity to the seasonal flu, that would be better than some estimates, but still a burden on our health system because we have Covid-19 in addition to the flu, not instead of the flu.
For young people who are highly unlikely to be hospitalized with Covid-19, it’s still a problem if there is an accident, anaphylactic reaction, overdose, infection etc., but the ICU’s are full, and too many HCW are out sick.
As far as anxiety, I find reading this thread much less alarming than watching the news, which I actually never do. I do have to guard my optimism and monitor my cynicism when it comes to big, complex problems. If I start leaning towards fatalism, it’s time to take an information break.
So, on an optimistic note:
- I am so relieved every day that this does not seem to be hitting kids.
- It really looks like SARS-CoV-2 is not airborne and does not float around or hang in the air. (Unless aerosolized during intubation or nebulizers.) That makes a huge difference especially as our hospitals have so few negative pressure rooms or even isolation rooms.
- I’m hopeful that after Covid-19 is no longer an imminent threat, the world will hold on to a new awareness of the importance of pandemic prevention and preparedness.
- It is really cool to see the WHO at work and researchers from all over the world sharing and collaborating. It’s a little like an alien invasion. The more we can unite, the better chance we have against it.
- The soap is mightier than the sword. As the Appalachian folk tale goes, “Soap, soap, soap.”
Well, I’m age 66 and I’m getting on a plane tomorrow. It is what it is.
(I’m willing to take reasonable precautions – I’m not willing to put my life on hold. It certainly does not appear that I will be the only person on the plane.)
Mr. is over 60, and he is a beast mode. If he succumbs to this virus… then god save the Queen (and the whole humanity).
My brother, an ER physician in Northern California, tells me they’re an epicenter of the outbreak yet have no test kits and very little protective gear. His message is
Keys now are :
Hand washing
Vitamin D
Sleep
Avoidance of crowds
From *The Economist/i:
https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/03/05/what-the-world-has-learned-about-facing-covid-19
I’m not super happy my daughter’s roommate is going on a Caribbean cruise over spring break. She is not fastidious about cleanliness to begin with (even as a nursing student) so with my luck she will come back and infect everyone.
The school has already canceled school-sponsored spring break trips.
I’m kidding. Kind of. But it’s in the back of my mind, given the issues my daughter has had with her this year.