Coronavirus in the US

Parent Cafe
1121

French health officials have confirmed that new cases of coronavirus detected in the UK and Mallorca are linked to a cluster in a ski resort.

Chinese state media is reporting that the government pumped $129bn into the financial system today via reverse repos.

“Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, who is in Beijing, said the government had released data showing a sharp drop in passenger numbers across trains, planes and buses since the outbreak began. Beijing’s metro was running at just 10 percent capacity, while airport traffic was down 63 percent and railway use was down 73 percent.” (Aljazeera)

“At least three Chinese cities…stop the sale of medicines for fever and cough…so that people will go to hospitals for treatment instead of self-medicating and staying home. Hangzhou, an eastern city of almost 10 million, all pharmacies in the city would stop selling fever and cough medications effective the next day. …Ningbo and Sanya, … combined population of nearly 8.6 million, also announced…halt the sale of the two medicines… Southern Guangdong province… asked residents to register with their real names at medicine stores when they purchase the two drugs, so officials can follow up with them.”

“Is this policy reasonable? People could originally resolve the illnesses with drugs instead of going to hospitals to grab already stretched medical resources and being infected by others who have the virus,” said a user on the social platform Weibo" (Quartz)
https://qz.com/1799725/chinese-cities-try-to-flush-out-coronavirus-patients-by-stopping-medicine-sales/

1122

Reports are now stating it is up to 66, not 60, additional cruise ship passengers testing positive, that I mentioned upthread, bringing the total to 136 - reportedly that is out of only 280 passengers that have been tested!

"The Japanese government is considering testing all passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship…regardless of whether they are symptomatic…So far, authorities have been prioritizing testing passengers and crew members who feel unwell. The ship was placed under quarantine on February 4 after a former passenger tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus. " (CNN)

This ship is carrying 3,711 passengers and crew.

Taiwan expands ban to include Hong Kong and Macau in addition to mainland China

“Except for those who must come to Taiwan to honour their business contracts, transnational personnel transfers and spouses and minors of Taiwanese who have obtained residential status in Taiwan, all others from Hong Kong and Macau will be temporarily stopped from travelling to Taiwan"

"China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that as of Monday morning, a total of 27 foreigners in the country are confirmed to have been infected with the Wuhan coronavirus virus.

Two of those have died – one a US citizen, the other a Japanese man in his 60s.

Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that three foreigners have been discharged following treatment, while 22 remain in hospital." (CNN)

Virus symptoms ’ can take nearly a month to show
"Reports in China suggest the virus’ incubation period might actually be 24 days - 10 days longer than previously thought.

Research by leading expert Zhong Nanshan in China suggests symptoms show on average after three days, but can take as long as 24 days." (Telegraph UK)

“Health officials in Britain are under pressure to release details of the movements of a British coronavirus “super spreader”. The unnamed businessman, who contracted the virus in Singapore, is now known to have infected at least seven fellow Britons in a French ski resort, before returning home to Brighton, falling ill some some five days later. Those he infected include the fourth person to have contracted the disease in the UK and patients in Spain and France, all of whom were believed to have been with the ‘super spreader’ in France.” (Telegraph UK)

1123

Wow- this is game changer. Then is a two week quarantine ineffective ?

[quote]
Virus symptoms ’ can take nearly a month to show
"Reports in China suggest the virus’ incubation period might actually be 24 days - 10 days longer than previously thought.

Research by leading expert Zhong Nanshan in China suggests symptoms show on average after three days, but can take as long as 24 days." (Telegraph UK)[/ quote]

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^The research indicates it only happened in rare cases. However, the same research also shows more than half of the infected don’t have a fever when they first went to the hospitals, so IR temperature measurement at airports, etc. is definitely ineffective.

1125

They have stopped travels from China, haven’t they? Are they still checking temperature?

Do people still think Chinese will suspend import because of the virus? They need food now more than ever. The main thing Chinese buy from the US is farm products.

Every time risk comes up, somebody always bring up risk of driving and claims whatever risk we are discussing at the moment is less than that of driving. I don’t understand that. It may be so if one compares with the national abvaerage including teen drivers and drunk driving. But individually, the driving risk is not high for most people. Have you ever been in an accident driving across the town in a normal weather? The only accident I had was minor, knock open wood. I was one of five cars rear ended. No one got hurt. That is one in over 30-40 years of driving every day.

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BBC is reporting a “staff member” at a medical center in Brighton has tested positive for virus. The practice has been temporarily closed.

I think this is the 1st case of a medical professional outside of China.

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24 days instead of 14 would be a game-changer.

I don’t really understand why anyone would go to a hospital in China short of having to be put in intensive care. One would know their chances increase dramatically to get the disease. Maybe that is the reason for the reports of people going door to door to test temps. Sadly, it seems that most of the production of masks, gowns and medical materials is made in China. How ironic. Perhaps the US can step up production to help?

I sure do wish there was on the ground unbiased reporting. I don’t think the Chinese would have gone to this extent unless it was pretty bad.
Unfortunately, it looks as though the cruise ship will give us more data about transmission in close quarters. That’s good as it will be accurate data. I do have a lot of compassion for the folks onboard. I think they should test everyone. Would be expensive and take time, especially if temperature might no longer be the leading indicator of positive/negative exposure.
Yikes.

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Many of the cruise lines (owned by Royal Caribbean and Norwegian corporations) are not allowing passport holder of Chinese, Macau, and Hong Kong to board their ships. This is regardless of the passengers place of residency.

To this is wrong. For example- A small town midwestern Chinese national with no other risk factors cannot board their Caribbean islands cruise from Miami. Just because of their place of birth. Am I the only one that considers this discriminatory?

Singapore is not on the banned list but as discussed above, despite them having cases of the illness and the British person who is spreading it had traveled from there.

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How would you propose the cruise limit their risk of exposure? The Princess line is stuck with the catastrophe of the Diamond, and no one wants to repeat that. Those in possession of Chinese passports are statistically more likely to have visited China than those not in such possession.

1130

I have seen kids put their mouths around the spouts if water fountains and faucets. Or touch the that part of the spouts/fountain with their hands which could have touched their noses,mouths and flowing mucus. It is alway risky to take water from public places in your water bottle. You don’t know what has touched that opening.

Most of the time, clearly, you and everyone else who used public water survive the experience. But, when you have a super contagious resilient bug going around and you are unlucky enough to fill you bottle at a faucet where someone just touched where the water flows out, it is possible you get contamination.

I was in a number of California airports. Not long ago and heading out there again in a couple of months. There are fluids one can purchase in some kind of container at the little stores inside the terminals. Expensive, but, yes, available. Carrying chlorine wipes and then washing and flushing faucets thoroughly, letting water run, is a good idea. Hopefully, things don’t hit here so that such measures become mandated as well as necessary . Right now, I’ve seen little change in hygiene procedures in domestic airports and in general where I have been. But I’ve been in the Ststes and in areas where all of this is just in the news and not hitting personally.

Friend of ours who were working in China, and came back to the US late January (all long preplanned last year before all of this mess) have to work remotely as they are not permitted on company property for 24 days—and then only after a doctor’s exam. So Companies with connections to China are taking this very seriously here.

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I just read about two deaths in Tesla’s because EMT’s couldn’t open the car door to get the people out.

The accidents were both in Florida and I only know about it because I’m here visiting my mom and she brought it up and googled an article about it.

Here is one article.

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/man-burned-alive-fiery-tesla-crash-door-open/story?id=66498159

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@cptofthehouse Have you seen a water filling station? I have no idea how anyone can stick their mouth into the spout. It is kinda hidden and it is located about 4’ high. To touch it with your mouth, you would have to bend down then turn your neck 180 degree to reach up. That may get your forehead to the spout. from there somehow you’d have too crush your head to bring your mouth to the spout…

1133

Count me among those more concerned about the germs on the handle of the refrigerator the bottled water is stored in than the water fountain.

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Coronavirus: UK warns of ‘serious and imminent threat’ as infections double to 8

"Government has announced new measures to deal with the coronavirus, including the power to forcibly quarantine people infected

Britain has declared the new coronavirus that emerged from China a “serious and imminent threat to public health” and announced new measures… UK Department of Health and Social Care said people with the virus can now be forcibly quarantined and will not be free to leave. It named two British specialist hospitals in London as isolation facilities for those affected: Guy’s and St. Thomas’ and The Royal Free in London. It said the number of virus cases in Britain has doubled to eight, with the four new cases reported Monday all known contacts of an earlier UK case, a person who was infected in France. Experts at Public Health England were working hard to trace people who have come into contact with confirmed cases." (SCMP)

“Singapore on Monday confirmed two new cases of the novel coronavirus, including a two-year-old girl evacuated from Wuhan and a 37-year-old man who served quarantine orders to evacuees, taking the city state’s total number of infections to 45.” (SCMP)

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Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that China’s fight against the coronavirus outbreak…remained “grim” … Xi visited a district-level disease control office in Beijing – his first public appearance in two weeks. “…a major test of the national disease control and prevention centres of all levels in the country,” state television quoted him as saying. “It has shown both the strengths and many shortcomings of the system.” …“It’s a harsh time, so I won’t shake your hands now,” he said to a group of onlookers…

Xi called on state media to do a better job of publicising Beijing’s concern for the affected people and frontline medics fighting the virus. He also called for a more timely response to questions raised by the public."

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3049913/back-public-eye-masked-xi-jinping-warns-grim-fight-coronavirus

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It is interesting how casual the UK has been up to this point, I didn’t think they had restricted air travel or entry etc. I assumed they were taking a pragmatic approach. In no way would they be able to deal with a crisis requiring many ICU beds. I bet most ICU’S run at >100% occupancy most of the time. Normal acute beds have over 95% occupancy in any winter. Sophisticated infection control beds with isolation AND ICU? Good luck with that.

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Beijing and Shanghai impose new controls on residents as China battles to contain coronavirus…with combined population of over 44 million, join dozens of other cities in partial lockdown in bid to curtail spread of virus
Mask-wearing in public made compulsory and curbs on movement of people and vehicles introduced in Beijing…announced fresh restrictions on residential communities to prevent the spread of the deadly new coronavirus… include stricter controls on the movement of residents and vehicles, compulsory mask-wearing and shutting down leisure and other non-essential community services. The lockdown-style measures appear to be aimed at controlling possible community transmission of the virus as the country returns to work at the end of an extended Lunar New Year holiday

Beijing has reported 337 confirmed cases and two deaths so far, including 11 new cases as of Sunday. Shanghai reported seven new confirmed cases also by Sunday, with the total number of confirmed cases standing at 299."

More details
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3049891/beijing-and-shanghai-impose-new-controls-residents-china-battles

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Does UK have oversized trade relationship with China? I wonder why they were slow to control. Compared to UK, the US case hasn’t increased much after the initial cases.

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Is this an extreme reaction or is there still a lot we don’t know about transmission with this virus? Or just coincidence? I hope WHO can help get to the bottom of how the virus is transmitted.

"Hong Kong health authorities ordered an evacuation of residents from a high-rise building in Tsing Yi on Monday night after two people were confirmed to have contracted the deadly new coronavirus…sparked by the case of a 62-year-old woman in Room 7 on the third floor of Hong Mei House at Cheung Hong Estate…lived below a man on the 13th floor confirmed to be infected earlier. The two flats share the same drainage system, which is being investigated as a possible route of transmission. Residents living in 35 flats linked to the drainage system were evacuated overnight and put on medical surveillance, as building inspectors moved in…Her son and daughter-in-law who lived with her also showed symptoms and were sent to hospital. Her husband and grandson, who are asymptomatic, will be quarantined.

Residents from the Tsing Yi block will be sent to one of four quarantine centres operated by the government. "

more details
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3049921/tsing-yi-residents-evacuated-hong-kong-health

Also in Hong Kong…

Hong Kong police on the hunt for two people who abscond from coronavirus quarantine
Force searching for the duo as health chiefs confirm two new confirmed infections

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3049837/hong-kong-police-hunt-duo-who-escaped-coronavirus

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Some might not be easily accessible by mouth but kids put their fingers on everything and those fingers could easily have just been in nose or mouth. I see many runny nosed kids with coughs touching nose and mouth and then handling all sorts of things as they make their way through the area. Those watering stations are not that safe. Kids love to play with water, and they do. Yes, I’ve seen them doing it.