China released the biggest study to date.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51540981
I would like to see how much smoking played into that. There is a link to the original article in the BBC link, but the PDF is too poor of a quality for my eyes to be readable on my phone.
Liu Zhiming, the director of the leading hospital at the epicenter, Wuhan Wuchang Hospital, died Tuesday morning.
Four of the Americans who tested positive among the Diamond Princess evacuees for the virus were taken to California hospitals. Ten others, along with three spouses, were flown to Omaha, Nebraska, to get care at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, a federally designated facility following their evacuation, officials said.
“Chris Kratochvil, an official at the Nebraska medical center, said 12 are in quarantine with no current symptoms. One man is in a different area getting a higher level of care because he had a cough and other symptoms plus a chronic illness that raises his risk for complications. All will remain at the university hospital for at least 14 days.” (AP)
There’s a reported case in Romania, first in eastern Europe I think
Here is an question…where was the Diamond Princess sailing? Was it a warm weather cruise? Our news is reporting that the passengers from the ship have been taken to a base in…Nebraska.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but if I was cruising to a warm weather place, I would not have clothing with me suitable for…Nebraska.
Hoping there is warm clothing for these folks…and boots.
I am constantly hearing how we should be more concerned with the flu than this coronavirus.
However, I awoke to this headline:
The new virus is deadlier than the one that causes the flu. NYT Feb 18
Can someone put this in perspective?
An analysis of 44,672 coronavirus patients in China whose diagnoses were confirmed by laboratory testing has found that 1,023 had died by Feb. 11. That’s a fatality rate of 2.3 percent. Figures released on a daily basis suggest the rate has further increased in recent days.
That is far higher than the mortality rate of the seasonal flu, with which the new coronavirus has sometimes been compared. In the United States, flu fatality rates hover around 0.1 percent.
The new analysis was posted online by researchers at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“But on Monday, Mr. Hun Sen directed officials in Phnom Penh to treat passengers from the Westerdam to a sightseeing jaunt.
“To tour the city is better than staying in rooms or at the hotel feeling bored or scared,” said a post on Mr. Hun Sen’s Facebook page.
The lack of urgency in Cambodia, where officials milled around the ship on Monday without protection, points to the obstacles in trying to contain a virus that experts warn is spreading faster than SARS or MERS.
“This is influenza-like transmission,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “It’s like trying to stop the wind.”
2 reported in Russia a couple weeks ago.
Just 13 in Nebraska. See post #1482
The fatality rate is higher than the flu by all reports but likely lower than the rate of 2.3% as the rate has been quite a bit lower outside Hubei province where health care systems are less overwhelmed.
“2 reported in Russia a couple weeks ago.”
Yes, the Romanian case is the first in Eastern Europe. Russia spans Europe and Asia. The two Chinese citizens that came down with the virus were quarantined in the Eastern (Asian) part of Russia.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/02/18/coronavirus-in-russia-the-latest-news-feb-18-a69117
"Dozens more countries across Africa and the Americas will be able to test citizens for coronavirus by the end of the week, the World Health Organization said today.
Over the coming days, 40 countries in Africa and 29 in the Americas are expected to have the ability to detect the Covid-19 virus.
Previously, many countries sent samples to other nations for testing in a process which can take days. Now they will be able to generate results in 24-48 hours.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief, said personal protective equipment has been sent to 21 countries and more will be sent to another 106 in the coming weeks." (Guardian)
Another 88 passengers (out of 681 newly tested) on the Diamond Princess have positive test results bringing the total to 542.
Shanghai says students won’t return to school
"The Shanghai government has said that students will not return to schools now and the semester will start via online learning amid China’s coronavirus outbreak.
Online education for primary and secondary school students in Shanghai will begin on March 2, said Lu Jing, head of the Shanghai Education Committee" (Al Jazeera)
Article on how Asian American businesses are suffering with reports of revenue down 40-70%
https://kvoa.com/news/local-news/2020/02/18/asian-american-businesses-hit-with-xenophobia-as-a-result-of-misguided-virus-fears/
" Chinese province of Hubei will adopt more thorough and forceful measures to find patients with fever to further help contain the new coronavirus epidemic, the state media reported on Tuesday.
Hubei will check records of all fever patients who have visited doctors since Jan. 20, and people who have bought over-the-counter cough and fever medications at both brick-and-mortar and online drug stores" (Reuters)
All pharmacies are required to keep records of customers buying cough or fever reducing medicine.
Russia suspends entry of Chinese citizens
"Russia will suspend entry of Chinese citizens to its territory starting from 20 February, Russian authorities in charge of coronavirus prevention have said.
The suspension will be for Chinese citizens entering Russia for employment, private, educational and tourist purposes.
The suspension will be temporary, the statement said" (Guardian)
Rare coronavirus cases can have long incubation period, warns leading Chinese respiratory expert
“Covid-19 illness had an unusually long incubation period in a minority of cases, one of China’s top respiratory specialists said on Tuesday…research suggested the incubation period could be as long as 24 days, but the median figure was three to seven days…Zhong and his team looked at data from 1,099 patients in 522 hospitals across the country. They had discovered only one patient with a 24-day incubation period and 13 cases with an incubation period of more than 14 days. The 14-day mark is the World Health Organisation’s advisory period…The unusually long incubation period has raised alarm that the coronavirus could remain dormant for much longer than was previously thought, making an accurate diagnosis difficult…The World Health Organisation previously estimated that the incubation period of the coronavirus ranges between one to 12.5 days, with five to six days as the median.” (SCMP)
@Artist2233 The correlation to the flu is silly at best. Both are seasonal, spread easily and can be mitigated by washing your hands. Coronavirus is obviously taking down 14% of patients with serious hospital visits and in a few cases death. The flu has a VERY low rate of mortality. We know this to be a fact based on years of flu data.
The Coronavirus has about 2% mortality ( if you believe the Chinese government-which I certainly don’t). It might be higher or lower. And it may live on surfaces for a long time ( based on some recent cases). People often want to group things to make them easier to deal with/ understand. To me, it makes zero sense. Until we understand the full ramifications of this disease and its course/spread, telling people not to worry it’s like the flu is like telling someone not to worry when they have the common cold but they actually have Spanish flu. Not the same. At all.
The flu is not a homogeneous disease. Every year, the mix of strains is different. “The flu has a very low rate of mortality” - because there are immunizations available that stop the spread of at least some flu strains in the community. However, this year’s flu has already killed 92 children in the US alone. Thousands of adults are dead, too. That is something to ponder… it is quite irresponsible to say that the flu is something we need not worry about and that the flu is not deadly.
“Passengers from a cruise ship were turned away at an airport as they tried to leave Cambodia on Tuesday, amid fears that the country had been too lax in containing the new coronavirus.“
Looks like there will need to be another airlift.
A tragic tale for one family. I’m sure this is being repeated throughout Hubei province. I can’t even imagine how harsh the situation is for many.
“Quarantine orders lifted for hundreds of people being housed at 2 California bases
Two groups of people who recently returned from Wuhan, China, have completed their 14-day quarantine at California bases…The CDC said in a statement that 180 people quarantined at Travis Air Force Base and 166 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar have been “medically cleared,” and their quarantine orders were lifted. One person from the Miramar group who was confirmed to have coronavirus remains hospitalized. “It is important to know that people released from quarantine pose no health risk to the surrounding community, or to the communities they will be returning to,” the CDC said in the statement…passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship…are “being kept separate from those individuals who are already at Travis and nearing the end of their quarantine,” the CDC said.” (CNN)
Given recent news about long incubation periods in a small percentage of cases, not sure how the CDC can really guarantee no risk.
Renowned chef José Andrés says his nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen is in Japan to provide hot meals to those still on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Love this guy and all he’s been doing whether in Puerto Rico, during the California wildfires, etc.
WHO head says Covid-19 vaccine will take 12-18 months between development and testing.
More about the University of Nebraska containment facility
"They’re heading to the Omaha-based Nebraska Medicine/University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). The unit is no stranger to treating patients with difficult diseases. The special 10-bed biocontainment unit is a state-of-the-art facility that has been doing this kind of complicated work for nearly 15 years. It is a secured area with its own ventilation system that is isolated from the rest of the hospital and is staffed by people with specialized training in communicable diseases. It had been commissioned by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2005.In 2014, the unit successfully treated three patients with Ebola, including Dr. Rick Sacra, an American physician from Massachusetts who got sick while working with Ebola patients in Africa. " (CNN)
“Given recent news about long incubation periods in a small percentage of cases, not sure how the CDC can really guarantee no risk.”
Risk is all about statistics. Also, what is the benefit/cost of keeping these people beyond 2 weeks? Let’s say keep them 4-5 weeks - the risk that folks will not be coming forward and will be lying about their potential exposure goes up.
Daily Tallies, Hubei Province only.
Well, unfortunately, deaths have increased sharply from 93 yesterday. Newly confirmed cases have fallen again.
New deaths: 132 for 1,821 total fatalities
Newly confirmed cases: 1,693 for 61,682 total fatalities