What is the usual method of … disposal (I’m sorry that’s the only word I can think of right now) of bodies in China? Usually buried, cremated, or something else?
If there’s an influx of bodies and a lack of places to keep them - ie they’re overrunning morgues - then this isn’t surprising.
But I caution that it mostly seems to be rumors so you know how that goes.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-44603990
https://supchina.com/2017/03/30/too-many-corpses-bury-china/
First page of a google search. All articles over a year old talking about a push by the government for cremation over burial.
@doschicos to be honest, I was kind of afraid to google search. I still have a bit of a weak stomach and was dreading what would come up as images.
Thank you!
And this…
“China says Wuhan coronavirus victims who die should be quickly cremated without funerals as death toll rises”
*note the word trial.
There’s a link to the NHC announcement but it’s in Mandarin.
DS in Seattle came down with the flu last Friday. He finally went to the doctor yesterday at a UW medical office. Pretty sure they didn’t ask about contact with anyone recently in China. But they do give all patients presenting with flu symptoms a mask.
As he and I discussed last weekend, the likelihood that the Coronavirus escaped from the one (now better) patient and was roaming around Seattle and only infected him and no one else was infinitesimally small. (He’s always been a high anxiety guy.)
He just has plain ordinary flu, poor baby. The doctor commended him for staying home from work this week.
Dr. Li confirmed dead from the virus. May he RIP. (NY Times, WaPo)
Marylin, if it makes him feel better, the patient was not in Seattle but in Everett, at least 30 miles north.
3rd confirmed case in UK exposed in Singapore. UK government is encouraging self-quarantining for any individual returning from visiting 9 asian countries/areas - mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau. (Guardian)
Another article about food chain, this time lobster from CA.
"The coronavirus is taking a toll on an unlikely group of people: spiny lobster fishermen along the Central Coast.
Roughly 95% of commercially caught lobster in California is shipped to China, where customers are willing to pay premium prices.
“Traditionally, Chinese New Year is when we get the biggest price,” says lobster fisherman James Voss. “This year, that happened to coincide with the coronavirus and China stopping all wild animal imports into the country. So our price went from the highest it’s been all year to the lowest.”"
https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/kcrw-features/coronavirus-threatens-california-lobster-industry
Lobster that was worth $15 per pound is now going for $8-9/lb. The article states that the rate was $25/lb before the trade war and tariffs between China and USA.
I’m sure the geoduck farmers will feel the pain. Reports are that shrimp farmers and Russian crab producers are feeling the pain.
To the extent Chinese honor their dead the way we do among HI Chinese families—it is normally a big deal. There’s an all day ceremony with huge attendance of all extended family members, acquaintances, workers, etc. The body is laid out in open casket and and people view body and offer condolences to family.
At the end of hours long ceremony, body is buried in coffin. The entire group attending is invited to a multi course lunch or dinner to visit and reminisce.
I can see why the authorities would not want this with the quarantine but how that would upset family & friends of deceased.
Washington Examiner and Al jezeera have reported cremation stories. Not MY go to sources for news but given where this is going, I think it’s interesting to see how the Chinese government reacts and responds. I wouldn’t fault them if that was the best course of action given all options.
Let’s hope that actual news gets reported and not just what is beneficial to people who want to control the narrative. Shouldn’t be more than a week until thousands are better or more data is available.
BB, we knew where the patient lived but he traveled from the airport scattering germs everywhere LOL. I only wish I could have made DS some chicken soup.
We do recognize that it’s more dangerous to walk down certain Seattle streets than worry about catching a virus. But DS is very good at worrying.
“BB, we knew where the patient lived but he traveled from the airport scattering germs everywhere LOL.”
Not really. First, he was feeling fine after getting back. There is no confirmation that people who do not display symptoms are contagious. Second, he probably hopped into the car and drove to Everett using the 405 - bypassing Seattle. Every smart person knows that it is insane to drive through the city. Or maybe even flew to Payne Field in Everett (no direct flights from Wuhan to SEA, so a plane change was needed). Third, it rains like heck here… not much chance for airborne particles to fly great distances.
Bunsen, clearly you didn’t get that I was joking about the potential infection. Obviously we don’t know where the guy traveled. And obviously we do know that there are no viruses floating around the city. No more lectures needed please.
Also I am not Marylin, but Marilyn.
Sorry about the typo! The smiley face did not make it into the last post as it was supposed to. 
I know you were joking… but some posters here could take it as “the sky is falling.” Hence, my response. Was not meant to lecture you.
Yes, hugs - it hurts when the kiddos are unwell.
By the way, here is a detailed account of what happened with that WA patient:
(Just eating late lunch, reading the paper, sharing the news… no intent to lecture anyone 
)
“Authorities in Wuhan have been ordered to immediately round up all coronavirus infected for mass quarantine camps…Sun Chunlan, a vice premier in charge of the government response to the outbreak, gave the order to round up the infected and place them in isolation, quarantine or designated hospitals, The New York Times reports. Authorities…scrambled to meet those instructions by setting up makeshift mass quarantine shelters this week, including in a sports stadium, exhibition centre and a building complex. Ms Sun said investigators should go to every home and check temperatures of every resident and interview the close contacts of infected patients. “Set up a 24-hour duty system. During these wartime conditions, there must be no deserters, or they will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame forever,” she said.”
The article also contains info and photos on overworked and exhausted medical staff.
“China’s Hubei province reported 69 new deaths from the coronavirus epidemic on Thursday, one less fatality from the day before.
The total death toll in Hubei, the epicentre of the outbreak, rose to 618, the province’s health commission said. The health authority also reported 2,447 newly confirmed cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 22,112.” (SCMP)
These are just daily tallies from Hubei province, not all of China.
Oh boy, its is passing the total fatalities from SARS for over nine months, in about two months. Is anyone going to claim the number is high because of the better technique developed for detection? I think we don’t need new technique to detect death.
And the accusation about spreading rumors, so far many of the rumors seem to turn into truth.
Yikes—scary to be rounded up to be isolated and receive who knows what care (or none) with other feverish people so folks will cross infect one another! Really tough and scary times.
I can understand why it’s being done but yikes for folks it’s being done to snd their loved ones.