I have to admit I jammed a few things into the schedule in advance of an anticipated shut-down. We had dinners with a couple of friends and visits to my immunocompromised parents, and we bought seriously expensive tickets to a sports event happening last weekend for hubby, me, and two of our kids. I figured we’d do these things while the possibility was still there and none of us (AFAWK) had been exposed. In a few weeks none of this may be do-able and our social life may be limited to FaceTime and Netflix.
I keep a box of disposable gloves in my car and have been wearing them for grocery shopping, pumping gas, and in the airport over the weekend. Other than a few masks at the airport, I did not see a single person wearing gloves.
Shouldn’t wait staff and those who serve food be required to wear gloves? Grocery checkout clerks, and anyone handling money? Changing them often and washing hands frequently?
We should also ban buffets and food/salad bars for a while. Reading the article about Biogen - pretty strong evidence that the breakfast buffet is to blame.
I would be worried sick too. I hope there is a way for both your son and his gf to go to the US soon, assuming that’s their plan?
New York State has confirmed “about 20” additional cases of the coronavirus, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Wednesday in an interview on CNN. Most of the new cases were in New Rochelle, he said.
Ten of those new cases were in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday in a separate interview on WPIX.
On Tuesday, officials at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan announced that a student there had tested positive for the virus. It was unclear if she was among the new cases.
With the new test results, 46 people in the city have tested positive for the virus, Mr. de Blasio said. With the new cases, New York State would have more than 190 cases of the coronavirus so far. Most of the ones in New York have been linked to a cluster in Westchester County.
Thanks for the video. The graphic and discussion of 2 cities during the 1918 flu were especially interesting.
Here is a wrinkle I don’t think discussed. My H and I just got into a tiff because he is going nonstop to Flyers and 76’s games and now is going to stay overnight with his HS buddies in a couple of hotel rooms tonight after the game to avoid driving home after a few drinks. They are coming in from out of town. Flyers game last night, Sixers game tonight, Flyers game Saturday. Woke up this morning…cough. Tried to get a kiss… More likely to get my a$$ than my any part of face. Sorry! Our family is not even eating out really. We have 8 cases in our county right now, and there is a case now in Philly, and cases in NJ. The reasoning was “If it isn’t safe they won’t let us in…”
If your not safe…I might not let you in either. I’m sort of pissed off right now in case you can’t tell.
@Gourmetmom. I have seen some cashiers at some markets with plastic gloves. But to be effective one would have to know how to put on and take off without touching your skin. Then would most likely have to clean your hands in between and before reapplying the next set of gloves and so on. Like the idea for pumping gas but would still Purell afterwards. Plus the stock of gloves will deplete and not all companies have the resources to stock the gloves. Washing hands using Purell or the like might be as effective. If cuts on your hands gloves can help.
Coronavirus is “almost a perfect killing machine” for elderly patients, US nursing home association head says
From CNN
Relatives and friends should not visit patients in nursing and assisted living centers as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, the head of the United States’ largest association of long-term and post-acute care providers told CNN.
“We are encouraging all people, including family members and loved ones, to not visit nursing homes and assisted living facilities,” American Health Care Association President Mark Parkinson said Tuesday.
“Until we get this under control, our new guidance, as of today, is to family members, to loved ones: Don’t visit the facilities; instead, come up with an alternate way to communicate,” he said, including phone, text, FaceTime or Snapchat.
“The grim reality is that, for the elderly, COVID-19 is almost a perfect killing machine,” Parkinson said.
Coronavirus case reported at Toronto mining conference that Justin Trudeau attended
From CNNn
Ontario has confirmed a case of the novel coronavirus likely from community spread at a mining conference that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended.
A man in his 50s tested positive for the virus after returning from the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s conference in Toronto, Public Health Sudbury and Districts in Northern Ontario said in a statement.
The conference ran from March 1 to 4 and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke at the conference on March 2. The event is one of the largest mining conferences in the world with thousands of attendees from dozens of countries.
New York governor: “Like it or not, we’re going to have to make some tough decisions”
From CNN
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he will ask the state’s business leaders to reduce workplace density during the coronavirus outbreak.
Possible tactics include running two shifts of workers and letting workers who can work from home to do so.
He said in a city like New York City, “there’s no such thing as social distancing, you’re always within six feet of a person.”
“We really need to take more aggressive actions. This is not going away on its own," he added. “Like it or not, we’re going to have to make some tough decisions, and we’re going to have to start to act united to reduce the density, more testing more testing more testing that’s the only way to reduce the spread.” “We don’t want to overreact but we understand we have to take aggressive actions and we’re looking at all those large gatherings today and I will have an announcement either later today or tomorrow.”
Cuomo said the state cases as of this morning are at 193 — but added, “we’re going to get another tranche of numbers in the next couple of hours.”
“We test around-the-clock now so the number constantly adjusts, but it is constantly going up and that shouldn’t give people alarm," he said.
Cuomo said he anticipates the number of cases will keep going up for weeks, and warned that the virus is “much more advanced than we are seeing in any of these numbers.”
US lawmakers will ask Trump to declare a national emergency
From CNN
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is preparing to ask President Trump to issue a national emergency declaration for the coronavirus.
Democratic Sens. Patty Murray and Gary Peters will join Schumer in writing the letter.
What this could mean: A declaration would allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to use the more than $40 billion available in the Disaster Relief Fund to assist state and local governments in their efforts to mitigate spread of COVID-19 and protect public health.
FEMA is providing support to state partners like first responders, providing them supplies, like gloves, hand sanitizers and masks, and working closely with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Ukraine shuts schools and cancels events after just one case recorded
From CNN
Ukraine has approved measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus including a three-week quarantine for all schools and a ban on gatherings of more than 200 people.
Gatherings of “state importance” may be exempt and sporting events may take place without spectators, according to a statement on the government’s website.
The statement did not specify when the measures would come into force.
Ukraine’s capital Kiev will introduce “anti-epidemic measures” from Thursday until the end of March, the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said Wednesday.
The measures listed by Klitschko include:
Shutting down kindergartens, schools, and universities.
Restricting mass gatherings and events, including conferences and concerts.
Closing movie theaters.
Installing “high security and doctor patrols” at shopping malls.
“Friends, don’t panic,” said the mayor in his statement. “We have to be responsible and keep the hygiene protocol. If you’re not feeling well, see the doctor at once.
“Considering the global environment, and the dynamics of the spread coronavirus, there is potential for the state of emergency in the capital."
Ukraine has one case of the virus reported earlier this month, and Kiev has none.
Quarantine measures imposed in Spain will affect more than 1.5 million students and their families
From CNN
New measures to stop the spread of coronavirus in Spain’s “significant transmission areas” take effect today, with more than 1.5 million students affected in Madrid alone.
All schools, nurseries, universities will remain closed for 15 days in the regions of Madrid (where 3,650 institutions will close) and La Rioja, and the Basque cities of Vitoria and Labastida. Four schools in the region of Asturias will close, too.
The Spanish government asked companies to allow employees to work from home where possible and be flexible with hours. It said it will help families financially so they can cover the cost of childcare while these measures are in place.
Patricia Avila, finance director for a logistics company in Madrid and a mother of one, told CNN: “I am lucky, my company allows me to work remotely from home. But I am sure this will last more than 15 days, probably until after Easter at least. I will have to rely on my family and will have to work remotely to deal with this situation, but I can’t be as efficient, there are meetings you have to do in person, it is going to be difficult even for me.”
Regarding the government’s promise of financial aid for families, she said: “I don’t trust them, they won’t be able to help everyone, we don’t even know how long this will last.
“And again, I am lucky, my colleague is having to use her holidays to look after her children while the schools are closed, another colleague has asked for unpaid leave.”
Avila said she was heading to the grocery store after finding the shelves empty the day before.
The Health Ministry’s emergencies coordinator, Fernando Simon, said 2,002 people had tested positive for coronavirus and 47 had died, with half of the cases appearing in Madrid.
He said some hospitals in Madrid were “saturated” and “under stress,” but the authorities were solving the uncertainty around a lack of medication.
Bahrain evacuates 165 citizens from Iran and 77 test positive for coronavirus
From CNN
Seventy-seven Bahraini nationals evacuated from Iran have tested positive for coronavirus, according to Bahrain’s Ministry of Health.
The 77 were part of a group of 165 Bahraini nationals who were evacuated on a plane from coronavirus-hit Iran on Wednesday.
That flight was the first of several repatriation services that will be evacuating Bahrainis from Iran, the ministry said.
Iran has more than 8,000 coronavirus cases and 291 deaths, its ministry of health said on Tuesday.
The positive cases in Bahrain will be moved to a hospital for quarantine, state news agency BHA said.
Bahrain now has a total of 187 cases.
Poland to close all schools from Monday after 25 cases confirmed
From CNN
Poland is to shut all schools from Monday in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus, after 25 cases were confirmed in the country.
A spokesperson for the Ministry for National Education confirmed to CNN that all schools in Poland will close until March 25. Schools will remain open this week to assist parents unable to sort out last-minute childcare arrangements but no lessons will take place.
Parents of children aged eight or younger who stay at home with their children will be entitled to a care allowance for up to 14 days from the Polish Social Insurance Institution.
Merkel believes 60-70% of Germany’s population will be infected
From CNN
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that authorities believed 60-70% of the population would eventually get infected by the novel coronavirus.
Speaking at a Berlin coronavirus news conference along with Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn, Merkel said it was important not to overburden the health system.
She noted that every European country was affected, sending special thoughts to Italy in its fight against the virus.
Merkel said countries should focus on and support research, adding that Germany would deal with the crisis in a de-centralized manner.
German lawmakers will hold a meeting Thursday to coordinate regarding the crisis.
“We are in a situation where we don’t know many things, and what we don’t know, we have to take seriously,” Merkel said. This is about protecting vulnerable people, she added.
At least 10 long-term care facilities in Washington state report coronavirus cases
From CNN
Health officials in Washington state have announced that at least 10 long-term care facilities have reported positive COVID-19 cases.
King County Public Health Department said officials were working with the care facilities where residents and/or employees had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The health department said it was working to prevent further transmission and due to the volume of cases, was unable to provide additional detail beyond the names of the facilities.
Washington has 273 cases of coronavirus, more than any other US state, and 24 deaths.
Are schools insured against a pandemic and how do schools deal with the loss revenue due to the losses and potential loss of students from China etc
Belgium announces first coronavirus death as cases top 260
From CNN
Belgium announced the country’s first death from the novel coronavirus Wednesday morning.
The Belgian Public Health Federal Service’s communications department told CNN the victim was a 90-year-old, who was treated in a Brussels clinic.
Last Friday, the number of cases more than doubled in Belgium over 24 hours.
There have been 267 cases detected in the country as of this Wednesday.
Austria cancels all passenger rail travel to and from Italy
From CNN
The national Austrian rail system ÖBB has stopped passenger rail traffic between Austria and Italy as of Wednesday morning, ÖBB press officer Bernhard Rieder told CNN.
There have been 131 coronavirus cases in Austria, but no deaths, while there have been 10,149 cases in Italy and 631 deaths.
A coronavirus patient in Indonesia has died. It’s the first fatality reported in the country
From CNN
Indonesia has recorded its first coronavirus-related fatality, according to the country’s state-run news agency Antara.
The patient was a 53-year-old foreign national who was suffering from pre-existing conditions, including diabetes, lung disease, hypertension and a respiratory obstruction, according to a government spokesman dealing with the virus outbreak, Achmad Yurianto. “This patient was admitted to the hospital in a serious condition,” Yurianto said, according to Antara.
Indonesia has identified at least 27 coronavirus patients.
Washington state will restrict gatherings of over 250 people in 3 counties, The Seattle Times reports
From CNN
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to announce today that gatherings of more than 250 people in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties will be banned to help public health authorities stop the coronavirus from spreading further, according to The Seattle Times.
The measure will affect sporting events, concerts and cultural gatherings, but not retail stores, the newspaper reported.
Washington is currently dealing with the most severe coronavirus outbreak in the United States. At least 273 patients have been identified and 24 people have died.
Researchers in Seattle repurposed a flu test and found community spread of coronavirus
From CNN
A doctor in Seattle studying influenza hypothesized that the coronavirus had been spreading in Washington for days before anyone realized it, according to a New York Times report yesterday.
For weeks, states have raised concerns that there are not enough tests available, as international agencies like the World Health Organization warned that early testing and contact testing is paramount to halting the virus’ spread.
According to the Times, Dr. Helen Y. Chu and her team, without government approval, re-purposed tests for influenza to instead look for coronavirus. The study found a positive test from a teen with no travel history to any area where there had been an outbreak, showing the coronavirus was spreading in the community earlier than officials thought.
Early this morning, the Seattle Flu Study tweeted a statement by Lead Principal Investigator Dr. Jay Shendure:
“Our researchers are deeply dedicated to keeping our community safe. In the face of this unprecedented health threat, there are times when we have all felt the need to move fast in an effort to save lives. We are actively working and have had good cooperation with local, state, and national health authorities on the response to COVID-19.
Our team is productively collaborating with state regulators and has identified a path forward that will allow us to continue testing. This collaboration will be crucial to helping us overcome the current challenge and putting in place a strong foundation for the future.”
Add Georgetown to the list
Another university closes campus classrooms during the coronavirus outbreak
From CNN
Georgetown University in Washington, DC, will move classes online starting on Monday due to concerns over the novel coronavirus outbreak, they announced in a statement on their website.
The university is currently on spring break.
“We are suspending all in-person, on-campus classroom instruction. This will continue until further notice,” the statement said.
All undergraduate students are advised to return home, but the campus will remain open. No guests will be allowed into any residential facilities starting this Sunday, according to the school’s website.
Washington, DC, is currently reporting four cases of coronavirus.
Of course I was referring to participating in online lectures, I wouldn’t say that writing a paper is using a learning platform.
When will the coronavirus epidemic end?
Your questions, answered
No one knows for sure. President Trump suggested this coronavirus could subside by the warmer summer months — but scientists say it’s too early to tell.
“The short answer is that while we may expect modest declines in the contagiousness of (novel coronavirus) in warmer, wetter weather and perhaps with the closing of schools … it is not reasonable to expect these declines alone to slow transmission enough to make a big dent,” wrote Dr. Marc Lipsitch, director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar responded to Trump’s suggestion that coronavirus could weaken in warmer weather.
“What the President is saying is, we hope it will respond the way regular coronaviruses do and be heat responsive,” Azar said.
“But it also could just as equally respond the way SARS — a coronavirus adaptation — responds and continue in the warm season.” (CNN)
Dr. Fauci is testifying right now before the House.