Re rip the bandaid off now. I would agree if it were just 2 weeks, but I think it would go a lot longer than that, AND you’d need the whole world to agree and effectively enforce or else it would just get reintroduced again.
‘Lack of resolve’ in some countries, says WHO
Tedros says it is a “crisis that affects every sector”. The WHO director-general says:
This is everybody’s business.
He says looking at the number of cases reported and number of countries affected “doesn’t tell the full story”.
All countries can still change the course of this pandemic.
Swift action can prevent larger clusters and community transmission and even if they fail to do so “they can turn the tide”.
The challenge is not whether countries can change the course of the virus but whether they will, Tedros says.
He says come countries are struggling with a lack of capacity but says some are struggling with a lack of resolve. (Guardian)
If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize their people in the response, those with a handful of novel coronavirus cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters, and those clusters becoming community transmission, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday after saying the outbreak can be characterized as a pandemic.
“Several countries have demonstrated that this virus can be suppressed and controlled,” Tedros said. (CNN)
CDC director says some coronavirus-related deaths have been found posthumously
During the House Oversight Committee discussion on the novel coronavirus response, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said some deaths from coronavirus have been discovered posthumously.
Rep. Harley Rouda asked CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield if it’s possible that some flu patients may have been misdiagnosed and actually had coronavirus.
“The standard practice is the first thing you do is test for influenza, so if they had influenza they would be positive,” Redfield said.
Rouda then asked Redfield if they are doing posthumous testing.
Redfield said there has been "a surveillance system of deaths from pneumonia, that the CDC has; it’s not in every city, ever state, every hospital.”
Rouda followed up and asked, “So we could have some people in the United States dying for what appears to be influenza when in fact it could be the coronavirus?”
The doctor replied that “some cases have actually been diagnosed that way in the United States today.” (CNN)
The University of Virginia is suspending on campus classes until further notice. Students who are home on spring break should stay there. Students still on campus should go home.
(CNN) - The remainder of a major military exercise between the US and several European nations will be canceled as a “precautionary measure” amid the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, US European Command announced Wednesday.
The decision to cancel the remainder of “Exercise Cold Response 20” was made by the chief of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters in cooperation with the leadership of the Norwegian Armed Forces.
The movement of US military personnel in Europe, Asia and the Middle East have also been placed under some increased restrictions to help prevent the spread of the virus, and more restrictions are expected.
Last week, the US military announced that 23 US Army soldiers taking part in the exercise in Norway have been placed in isolation as a precautionary measure after one Norwegian service member tested positive for coronavirus, according to a statement from Marine Forces Europe.
@romanigypsyeyes. Et AL… There is a petition to have Michigan go online. I saw it somewhere with like 7,000 signatures on it.
I hope they can hold on longer with real classes but that is selfish thinking here. But kids still need to eat. Still will go to cafeterias and such. Most of my kids class’s are 20 - 50 students and they can spread out, I guess. He does tons of meetings, group stuff online anyway. The do record classes now anyway and always have.
This is just the beginning. The bandaid is all good and it must be done. There is no way around that. But this is getting worse and worse by the hour. All these events are trickling down to the smallest of the smallest businesses unless of course, it specializes in hand sanitizing products that are nowhere to be found in my neck of the woods. The poster above just mentioned UVA canceling classes. I canceled two trips. Everyone knows of someone who has canceled something. The schools currently on spring break are about to see 1000’s of students come back into their campuses. What are the chances that any of these students have come into contact with someone who has been exposed? It is the right decision for these schools to cancel for now. I really do not know what schools such as OSU is thinking in canceling classes or going online but allowing kids to come back to the dorms. But one thing is for certain, the economic impact is going to be like we have never seen before if this prolongs for a long time
This could also have a major impact on college enrollment, especially if funds have been set aside in any type of investment account. Affordability is one of the major factors for many of us. As the deadlines for commitment is fast approaching, many people might be reconsidering many of their choices.
@WayOutWestMom. I have my own office and operating room for elective surgeries that I do. We are down on masks and surgical gowns. We order from the main suppliers. Can’t get surgical masks, gowns in my size (large), and anything remotely like Purell. I put in an order or essentials right when this started to get traction. Surgical centers off hospital sites are starting to feel the pinch.
News Flash… My daughter’s school Beloit is closing next week for 1 week so they can figure out how to do online classes and just because like everyone else is doing it according to my daughter who is on a trip going through out the Midwest with many international students that don’t have places to go to. My daughter is in an off campus apartment and might bring some kids home to Chicago if needed but we can’t take them all.
University of Colorado - Boulder is switching to remote learning starting 3/16 (last week before spring break).
Last day of the quarter at Caltech today. All tests will be submitted electronically and students are strongly encouraged to go home. There is no decision yet on remote learning after the break.
** ITALY - New cases go up 2,313 to 12,462 and new deaths go up by 196 in one day to 827. 
World Health Organization says it’s seeing “alarming levels of inaction”
From CNN
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing today that the agency is "deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction” when he said the novel coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic.
He added: “We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: All countries can still change the course of this pandemic."
Sorry if this is upthread. Haven’t caught up yet.
Preprint of a study examining SARS-CoV-2 persistence as infectious virus. The study hasn’t undergone peer review yet.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1
Bottom line, infectious virus is detected up to 72 hours on plastic, 48 hours on steel, 24 hours on cardboard, 4 hours on copper, and 3 hours as an aerosol. Thus aerosol and fomite transmission are both possible.
Summary taken from Vincent Racaniello (profvrr on Twitter).
Lebanon closes all restaurants and cafes
Lebanon has announced sweeping measures to curtail the spread of the virus, closing all restaurants and cafes until further notice, banning flights from Iran and Italy and citizens from France, Egypt and Spain, and giving Lebanese citizens four days to return home from France, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Germany, Spain and the UK.
The country recorded it’s 61st case of the virus on Wednesday and second death attributed to coronavirus. There are suspicions that the virus may have taken broader hold in the community and fears that the embattled country’s health system may not be able to cope.
Officials have faced criticism for maintaining an airbridge with Iran - a pilgrimage and trade destination for the country’s Shia sect. Iran has experienced the worst corona outbreak in the Middle East and has been the hub for much of it’s regional spread.
The closure of restaurants adds to an already dire economic situation, which has this week seen the country default on debt payments for the first time and seen a total collapse in tourism and significant capital flight offshore in the past four months. (Guardian)
Lehigh University is moving to online classes starting Monday, March 16th for the next two weeks.
Interesting how this study posted in #5293 shows a much shorter life for the virus on cardboard than prior reports of 9 days. If it’s only 24 hours, that is much safer. Surprised it lives 72 hours on plastic vs 24 hours on cardboard.
Just cannot believe how bad our testing capabilities are for even symptomatic people traveling from a known hotspot. I read this story in my google news feed.
A student studying abroad in one of the hotspots, fell ill there (temperature was taken at the origin airport) but was allowed to fly through 2 US airports without any checks.
Student is self-isolating at home. Since the student qualifies for a test under the current guidelines, dad called the state hotline but they’re unable to get one done because there aren’t enough tests to go around. Dad is a medical provider who works in the ER and is also quarantining.
On the precautionary side, our town just cancelled all Senior programs, closed the Senior Center and cancelled town advisory boards and commissions meetings for the near term. They’re looking at conducting town business through WebEx. They’ve also said that they will issue full refunds for tickets for upcoming concerts and such events if we don’t feel comfortable attending.
ETA: Not sure if dad is quarantining. The article doesn’t say so explicitly.
Weeks late imo. Too many political considerations.
There is going to be an address from the Oval Office tonight.
I hope he announces all inbound international flights are banned. Most of our current cases come from Italy, Iran or cruise ships. Travelers who had been in Italy and Iran should have been banned from entering the US long ago or treated like the cruise ship passengers and quarantined.
Some businesses and households will be tipped into bankruptcy because of this. Greater poverty (including having no money and no medical insurance) will make the public health problem worse.
Correct me if this is wrong. The WHO only officially declared it a pandemic today, right? Countries have to be prodded to act at times, even in their best interests. Declaring this a pandemic earlier might have helped with this prodding.
India going total lockdown. (Banning all foreign tourists)