The Diamond Princess sounds absolutely horrifying. I am not a cruise person (although we are planning to do one of those Viking river cruises), but there is no way I’d ever book an interior room with no windows. That is prison to me. Why would anyone pay to go to jail?
I’m going to have nightmares about the poor people stuck in those rooms for two weeks. If they don’t get sick from coronavirus, they might possibly go mad from claustrophobia.
Hubei province reports 4,823 new cases and 116 more deaths. 2/3rds of these numbers were clinically diagnosed under the new reporting protocols.
Wuhan reported more than 3,900 new cases and 88 more deaths.
Haven’t seen official numbers for all of China yet.
White House official: US ‘disappointed’
“The United States feels let down by a lack of transparency from China over the crisis, a senior White House official said on Thursday, contradicting President Donald Trump’s confidence in Beijing.“We are a little disappointed that we haven’t been invited in and we’re a little disappointed in the lack of transparency coming from the Chinese,” Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, told reporters.
“We’re more than willing to work with the UN (and) WHO on this and they won’t let us. I don’t know what their motives are. I do know that apparently more and more people are suffering over there.” “Is the Politburo really being honest with us?” he asked, referring to communist China’s top leadership body.” (SCMP)
My note: Well, statements like this aren’t going to encourage China to let the CDC or other Americans in. I think the diplomacy the WHO is showing is smart. Getting on top of this virus is job 1. The blame game and analysis can be done later. Besides, the US sure screwed up in San Diego sending an infected person back to quarantine with other people without even testing her. Mistakes were made with only a couple hundred people not the thousands and thousands that China is dealing with.
IIRC the case in San Diego involved a case where the test was messed up and the patient was initially in the clear.
I really wouldn’t put much credence in how China is dealing with the situation. TBH Xi Jingping is the least transparent leader in Chinese history besides Mao.
There have been a few reasons why the woman was released but this is the most recent report today per CDC:
"Wilson shared the petition a day after a woman who tested positive for the coronavirus was mistakenly released from UC San Diego Medical Center.
Soon after the woman was discharged, the CDC notified her that her test results were mislabeled due to pseudonyms used for privacy reasons, and she, in fact, tested positive for the virus, according to a local health official with knowledge of the case."
Source: CNBC
Obviously, from the petition from the evacuees in quarantine, which I posted earlier but here’s an additional source, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of confidence there right now. Sure, China is secretive. That’s why you don’t poke the bear right now in an instance like this. Play nice to get your experts in there.
Regarding the aforementioned lack of transparency in China and china’s resistance to US help, it is human nature not to share dirty laundry to outsiders, especially to a rival when US-China relationship has not been on great terms recently. Face culture is common among Asian countries, even more so in China.
That what was done to the passengers of the Diamond Princess wasn’t quarantine, so much as proof of what will result from confining a very large number of people into a confined space, with at least some infected people. That the progressive rate of infection didn’t jive with the best guess as to incubation period made that clear.
Until some kind of protocol is established, I would no more disembark on a cruise ship than I’d invite a full face sneeze in Wuhan.
Daily tallies
New Deaths, all of China: 121 for a total of 1,380 for all of China and 1,383 worldwide.
Newly confirmed cases, all of China: 5,090 for a total of 63,581 for all of China and 64,434 +/- worldwide.
Hubei Province only is 4,823 new cases and 116 new deaths.
Plasma from recovered patients used in virus fight
China National Biotec Group announced on Thursday evening that virus-neutralising antibodies had been detected in the plasma of patients who have recovered from Covid-19, and experiments have proven they can effectively kill the virus, according to a Beijing News report on Friday.The company said it had successfully prepared the plasma for clinical treatment after strict blood biological safety testing, virus inactivation and antiviral activity testing. The plasma had been used to treat 11 patients in critical condition, with significant results, it said. The first phase of the treatment was carried out on three critically ill patients in Wuhan on February 8 and the plasma is currently being used to treat more than 10 critically ill patients.
Clinical tests showed that, after 12 to 24 hours of treatment, the main inflammatory indicators in the laboratory decreased significantly, the proportion of lymphocytes increased, key indicators such as blood oxygen saturation and viral load improved, and clinical signs and symptoms improved significantly. (SCMP)
It does sound like princess is trying to properly compensate its passengers for the quarantine, but it still sounds tough for everyone and might make some reluctant to rebook.
The quarantine wasn't for the passengers, it was to protect Japan (substitute wherever, it isn't the location that matters) FROM the passengers. Really, it is beyond the control of the operators by now.
Would the US health care system be ready for a surge in coronavirus cases?
The article contains commentary from experts on this question. One item I’ve culled out:
“Rapid and accurate disease testing is another area of concern for preparedness. Last week, the CDC released a diagnostic test for the new coronavirus that it’s distributing to 115 labs around the U.S., to expand capacity to test for the virus without sending samples to the CDC. Some problems with the testing emerged Wednesday. Some labs were getting inconclusive results during quality control testing, so the CDC is working to fix the tests. In the meantime, labs must still send tests to the CDC in Atlanta.”
Jeez, not good! This speaks to the contagiousness of Covid-19 and certainly strains an already overburdened health care system.
Coronavirus infects 1,716 medical staff as China reports 5,090 new cases
“The National Health Commission for the first time revealed that 1,716 medical workers are infected with the coronavirus. Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the commission, said in a press conference on Friday that the number of medical workers infected as of Tuesday was 3.8 per cent of the total infections on mainland China. Of those, 1,502 are from Hubei province, and 1,102 from Wuhan. Six medical workers had died from the coronavirus as of Tuesday, Zeng said.” (SCMP)
Similar articles to this one can be found around the country. This is ridiculous. Do your favorite Chinese joint a solid and go get some Chinese takeout this week!
Apparently Singapore, although hot, has so many very cold air conditioned indoor areas that it can support the virus.
As for letting US experts into China, what good could they do? China’s health system is massive, and hardly needs a dozen Americans with a language barrier handing out advice. They would need lengthy instruction on the situation on the ground, and there would be issues of assuring their safety. As for China as a ‘face’ culture, sure, but isn’t every country, not least the US?
At minimum, it would force them more transparent. That should help greatly fighting the virus.
Why have two reporters in Wuhan disappeared?
We are past that point. When the dirty laundry stinks up entire world, it becomes everyone’s business and saving your face gets pushed aside. We have a disaster on hand.
How many did WHO get to send to China with that diplomacy? 2? 3? When is the next group scheduled to arrive? At some unknown future? And it is all possible that China let WHO in to fend off the US pressure. Without it, they may still be dragging their feet spreading the virus all over the world.
Quarantine was introduced by the Venetian town of Ragusa (today’s Dubrovnik) during the Black Death in 1347 in order to protect the town from ships carrying the plague. „Una quarantina“ is a period of 40 days, after which it was clear that either everyone on that ship was healthy or dead. They really couldn’t care less whether it was the former or the latter.
Good article in today’s NYT.
We do also.