That’s really concerning. Which college or state?
I know it’s difficult to control people’s behavior and the spread of this disease, but proper testing is one of the things that could and should have been under full control a month ago.
You are correct. The timing of the German exposure is provocative - would be interesting to get sequences of these viruses and compare to early cases in Italy.
What I’m seeing in the US (and we saw in China) is widespread and fast sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 patient isolates. This will be an important tool to understand spread of the virus in countries and between countries.
@romanigypsyeyes https://www.rcog.org.uk/coronavirus-pregnancy
Coronavirus can travel twice as far as official ‘safe distance’ and stay in air for 30 minutes, Chinese study finds
Authorities advise people to stay 1-2 metres apart, but researchers found that a bus passenger infected fellow travellers sitting 4.5 metres away
The scientists behind the research said their investigation also highlighted the importance of wearing face masks because of the length of time it can linger
"The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 can linger in the air for at least 30 minutes and travel up to 4.5 metres – further than the “safe distance” advised by health authorities around the world, according to a study by a team of Chinese government epidemiologists.
The researchers also found that it can last for days on surfaces where respiratory droplets land, raising the risk of transmission if an unsuspecting person touches it and then rubs their face and hands. The length of time it lasts on the surface depends on factors such as temperature and the type of surface, for example at around 37C (98F), it can survive for two to three days on glass, fabric, metal, plastic or paper.
These findings, from a group of official researchers from Hunan province investigating a cluster case, challenge the advice from health authorities around the world that people should remain apart at a “safe distance” of one to two metres (three to six and a half feet). “It can be confirmed that in a closed environment with air-conditioning, the transmission distance of the new coronavirus will exceed the commonly recognised safe distance,” the researchers wrote in a paper published in peer-review journal Practical Preventive Medicine last Friday.
The paper also highlighted the risk that the virus could remain afloat even after the carrier had left the bus. The scientists warned that the coronavirus could survive more than five days in human faeces or bodily fluids.
They said the study proves the importance of washing hands and wearing face masks in public places because the virus can linger in the air attached to fine droplet particles.
[More in the article including details on a few cases. I still believe there is a lot we don’t know]
A doctor in Beijing involved in the diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19 patients said the study had left some questions unanswered. For instance, the passengers sitting immediately next to the carriers were not infected, though they were suffering the highest exposure to the disease-bearing aerosols. “Our knowledge about this virus’s transmission is still limited,” he said."
A very large college in VA.
Could have even been a traveler from WA as it is now apparent the virus was present there for longer than the past few weeks. People were traveling freely between countries just two weeks ago outside the Asian countries.
In a briefing this afternoon, Nancy Messonnie, the director of the National Center of Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, gave this advice for caring for the elderly and vulnerable:
If you do end up in the role of helping to care for a family member or friend who is at greater risk, we recommend you familiarize yourself with your loved one’s medications to help them get extra to have on hand. Help them also get food medical supplies and other necessities, so they can minimize trips to the store. And create a plan for if they do get sick, and if you get sick. You may need to identify backups, who can take care of them if you can’t.
New Rochelle, New York is a coronavirus ‘hot spot,’ Gov. Cuomo says
“New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo identified New Rochelle, a city in Westchester County where the first coronavirus patient in the state was found, as a “significant hot spot” in the state, which now has at least 106 confirmed cases. Cuomo said he’s been in talks with officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the outbreak in New York, particularly in New Rochelle. Schools might be closed “for a number of weeks” in the area and Cuomo said if a student tests positive going forward, that school will be closed “for an initial 24-hour period” while officials investigate.” (CNBC)
FDA and FTC warn televangelist Jim Bakker and six others to stop selling fraudulent products
"The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission issued warning letters to televangelist Jim Bakker and six other companies for reportedly selling unapproved coronavirus drugs and treatment products. “The FDA considers the sale and promotion of fraudulent COVID-19 products to be a threat to the public health,” FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn said in the statement. The products include teas, essential oils, tinctures and colloidal silver, which had been previously cited as not safe or effective for treating any disease, according to a press release. " (CNBC)
SPAIN - 399 new cases totaling 1,073. 11 new deaths totaling 28.
“All education activities are suspended in the city of Vitoria for two weeks…from kindergarten to universities,” a spokesman for the education department of the Basque Country told Reuters. With nearly 150 confirmed cases, the Basque Country, of which Vitoria is the regional capital, is among the worst-hit areas in Spain, which has registered 999 cases and more than 20 deaths from the outbreak.
EU parliament shortens its week because of coronavirus concerns
From CNN
The European Parliament has shortened its plenary session this week because of coronavirus fears. Parliament will sit in Brussels only today and tomorrow and will not hold any votes this week, the spokesperson for the European Parliament said.
“Under the rules of the Parliament it is not possible to have a remote vote online or anything like that. For the time being it is not provided for unless of course in the medium term we will have to move towards that situation. For the time being there are no technical or regulatory possibilities to use it. In any case, this week there will be no votes, only debates. There are no votes or resolutions,” Jaume Duch told reporters.
The opening session of the European Parliament on Monday lasted just over eight minutes. Normally, it is a few hours long.
Italy suspends all sporting events until April 3
Italy is halting all sporting activities “at all levels” until April 3, the country’s National Olympic Committee said in a statement on Monday.
The decision was made following a meeting with committee president Giovanni Malago and team representatives.
In a statement, the committee noted that international competitions, both for clubs and national teams, do not fall within its jurisdiction and therefore cannot be regulated by Monday’s decision.
8:27 am
Seeking trial delay, Alabama sheriff makes false COVID-19 claim
Lawyers for a longtime Alabama sheriff seeking a delay in his Monday theft trial falsely claimed the officer was being tested for the illness caused by a new coronavirus.
With Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely set to go on trial on felony charges, his attorneys told a judge in a court document filed Friday he was hospitalized and being tested for COVID-19.
But testimony during a rare Saturday hearing showed the 69-year-old Blakely wasn’t being tested for the illness, and Circuit Court Judge Pride Tompkins criticized the defense for making claims that could cause a public panic, The News Courier of Athens reported.
“I don’t know what your tactic is, but it’s condemned by the court,” Tompkins said. “And the court won’t tolerate it.”
—The Associated Press
Not sure its been reported here, but Stanford has canceled classes for 3 weeks.
***ITALY - 1,797 new case for a total of 9,172 and 97 new deaths for a total of 463. 
724 have recovered from the illness.
I fear the expanded quarantine won’t work as well as in China. For one, it is more lax and also given the leak, so many people snuck out before it was put into place meaning the virus will possibly spread more throughout the country.
Actually, the Stanford announcement happened with only one week of instruction left in the quarter, plus a week of final exams. Some instructors may do on-line instruction.
https://news.stanford.edu/2020/03/06/letter-provost-drell-covid-19-updates-online-classes-admit-weekend/
https://registrar.stanford.edu/academic-calendar
My son just sent me a message that Berklee sent out. Any students who have traveled to or from countries at levels 2 or 3, or states where a state of emergency has been declared, are required to self-isolate for two weeks before returning to campus. We live in NJ, but in order to get home for break my son has to go through NYC…and I assume that NJ will be declaring its own state of emergency soon.
And here I am wondering about whether he’ll be able to participate in a music festival in Vienna in June!
The current oil price battle is fueling the stock market decline. Is that in any way related to COVID-19 or is it just bad timing?
Jim Cramer says the coronavirus has brought the end of the Fed’s effectiveness
CNBC’s Jim Cramer said financial turmoil from the coronavirus shows that monetary policy is no longer an appropriate solution. “This is just the need for fiscal policy,” Cramer said on “Squawk on the Street.” “Monetary policy is over.” Last week, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a half percentage point in response to the growing economic threat from COVID-19. Cramer has been critical of that decision, arguing the government should actually be stepping up to provide financial help to small and medium-sized businesses who may see significant challenges from the disease’s spread. Those businesses should have an opportunity to access zero-interest loans, for example, Cramer said Monday. (CNBC)
“Amazon and Microsoft each donate $1 million to aid with COVID-19 response in Seattle
Seattle-based Amazon and Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said they were each contributing $1 million to the Seattle Foundation fund. The money will be used toward “resources to organizations in the Puget Sound region working with communities who are disproportionally impacted by coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak,” the company said. The fund currently has over $2.5 million, according to a statement from the nonprofit foundation.” (CNBC)
Slovakia bans public events, quarantines people returning from affected countries
“The Slovak government has ordered a 14-day ban on all cultural, sporting and other events organized by public authorities to avoid the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said. The European Union U member country, which has reported seven cases of the infection so far, will also require citizens returning from Italy, China, South Korea and Iran — all with severe outbreaks of coronavirus — to observe a 14-day quarantine at home, Pellegrini said”. —Reuters
Iraq has banned all public gatherings and called on citizens to avoid visiting sacred cities and sites to stop the spread of the coronavirus, an official statement said on Monday.
"Israel will force anyone arriving in the country, from any part of the world, to self-isolate for at least 14 days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced. The government has already imposed some of the most stringent rules globally to block the spread of the virus.
The move has also been interpreted domestically as a measure to avoid irking the country’s close ally and benefactor in Washington, Donald Trump. Israel already requires travellers arriving from more than a dozen countries to spend two weeks in home isolation, effectively killing off incoming tourism.
Following outbreaks in the US, pressure has been building to add the country to the list. But rather than extending the rules specifically on US travellers, and risk an angry backlash from the White House, Israel might broaden its policy out to the entire planet.
Netanyahu spoke with US Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday, after Israeli media reported the country was considering barring visitors from parts of the US, such as New York and California.
Health authorities have said that the number of coronavirus cases in Israel jumped from 25 to 39 over the weekend. Around 80,000 Israelis are already in self-isolation." (Guardian)
No - the opposite. The German guy didn’t travel to Italy, there were multiple people who encountered him in Germany and brought it back to their home in Italy. So goes the theory anyway.
Totally related. Oil started dropping when the Wuhan situation took off. Oil demand from China is a big part of the market. Overall slowdown in growth/output as a result of Covid-19 is what is driving oil prices down. Covid-19 is causing both oil prices and stock prices to drop. It’s the driving factor here.
NETHERLANDS - Number of Dutch coronavirus infections rises by 56 to 321.
SWITZERLAND - Up 42 to 374.
SWEDEN - up 45 to 248.
BELGIUM - up 39 to 239. Community spread has started, with people who have returned from Italy living almost everywhere in Belgium, local circulation is ongoing in different places of the territory.
NORWAY - up 29 to 205
AUSTRIA - up 27 to 131
*DENMARK - up 55 to 90
SAN MARINO - up 14 to 51. 1 new death for a total of 2.
Somewhat related. The demand for oil dropped significantly with Chinese lockdowns, which triggered the disagreement between the Saudis and the Russians on curtailing the supply.
I see they weren’t tested for Covid-19. Were they perhaps tested for the flu? I know there were some schools in NY (state, not NYC) where folks were worried, but it ended up being “just” the flu. This was a couple of weeks ago, but could happen anytime in flu season.
If it is the flu, then I really wouldn’t worry (as much) about Covid-19, but if it was tested and turned out not to be the flu, one has to wonder. If no testing at all was done, I sure hope at least some are being tested now. They are of the age to likely recover, but their contacts might not be. (Even if “just” the flu, they should consider staying away from people, because as we know, that one is dangerous and nasty too.)
**Louisiana reports first presumptive positive case of coronavirus
The Louisiana Department of Health has reported the state’s first presumptive positive case of coronavirus, according to a statement from Gov. John Bel Edwards’ office. The Jefferson Parish resident has been hospitalized in Orleans Parish.
**New Jersey has 5 new presumptive positive cases of coronavirus
From CNN
New Jersey has 5 new presumptive positive cases of coronavirus, Lt. Gov. Shelia Oliver said Monday afternoon. The state now has a total of 11 positive cases.
One person was in contact with friends from Milan who did not have the virus, but he did test positive, Department of Health Commissioner Juditih Persichilli said during the same press conference.
At least 24 people are under investigation to be tested, Persichilli said.