The SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 coronavirus

[madd0ct0r]

UK hits 40 cases with unconnected cases implying it is in the wild.

BBC having a special program for advice and questions. 111.nhs.uk for internet information. 111 is the helpline but it's pretty over whelmed. Use the website unless you need to arrange testing.

Edit. We decided to go ahead with my fil visit after the cases in Vietnam died out. It may be that he is put in quarantine on his return instead!

[FireNexus]

6 dead in Washington state so far. So it’s in the wild and has been for over a week, easily. Awesome.

[Gandalf]

Australia has had its first death, and (from what I recall) is now considered to be "in the wild."

Given Australia's existing xenophobia, this is already harming lots of people, especially in the hospitality sector. Chinese restaurants are having trouble, and a few are closing down.

[MKSheppard]

6 dead in Washington state so far. So it’s in the wild and has been for over a week, easily. Awesome.

No actually. DNA typing of the virii shows that it's been reproducing in the wild in Washington State for the last six weeks (since about 20-29 January).

[MKSheppard]

It's racist stereotyping to even have a “Corona-Chan” anthropomorphized Moe anime figure of an east asian virus. If it started in Portugal, no one would be calling it Corona-chan.

The African Ebola outbreaks back in 2014 gave us Ebola-Chan, another anthropomorphized Möe anime figure.

When we DO meet aliens for the first time, they are going to be mighty confused.

[FireNexus]

6 dead in Washington state so far. So it’s in the wild and has been for over a week, easily. Awesome.

No actually. DNA typing of the virii shows that it's been reproducing in the wild in Washington State for the last six weeks (since about 20-29 January).

Gonna need to see a citation on that one. Also, it’s viruses.

[MKSheppard]

Gonna need to see a citation on that one.

https://nypost.com/2020/03/01/coronavir ... s-experts/

Washington state’s coronavirus outbreak that claimed a life over the weekend suggests that the bug has been spreading there for nearly six weeks, according to experts.

Trevor Bedford, an associate professor at the University of Washington, said that one of the state’s recent cases appears to be linked to a Snohomish County man who was identified Jan. 19 as the country’s first coronavirus patient, the New York Times reported.

Bedford and a research team found similarities while comparing the genetic sequence of the two samples that indicated the recent case had been descended from the other, suggesting that there has been community spread throughout the region, the outlet reported.

“I believe we’re facing an already substantial outbreak in Washington State that was not detected until now due to narrow case definition requiring direct travel to China,” Bedford tweeted.

[MKSheppard]

From 7 February 2020:

link

The US coronavirus travel ban could backfire. Here's how
Catherine Shoichet-Profile-Image
By Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN
Updated 7:37 AM ET, Fri February 7, 2020

(CNN)Experts say travel restrictions the Trump administration put in place to stop the novel coronavirus from spreading could have unintended consequences that undermine that effort.

It's been days since the US restrictions went into effect, blocking foreign nationals who've visited China in the past two weeks from coming to the US.

Details about the US travel ban's impact are still emerging. But some are already urging the US to reconsider......

At around 10 AM Eastern, this broke on Twitter:

Michael M. Grynbaum
@grynbaum

CNN is severely restricting all employee travel, including domestic, due to coronavirus, per memo that just went out. Intercontinental trips must be personally approved by Jeff Zucker, per memo.

Then later on Deadline:

https://deadline.com/2020/03/cnn-employ ... 202872144/

CNN Restricts Employee Travel In Wake Of Coronavirus
By Ted Johnson
March 2, 2020 8:22am

CNN is placing restrictions on employee travel in the wake of the coronavirus.

Jeff Zucker, chairman of WarnerMedia News and Sports, wrote to employees on Monday that they would ensure that staffing needs are met for coverage of major upcoming political events, debates, NBA and NCAA coverage, but will “limit any participants that are not absolutely critical to getting our content out or meeting basic revenue-generating needs.”

His note signaled the increasing concern among major corporations, including news organizations covering the spread of the coronavirus.

Zucker’s memo followed a wider announcement from WarnerMedia on travel restrictions. Zucker wrote that travel between continents will be limited to “only the most necessary, business-critical need, and must be approved in every instance by me.” He said that domestic travel in the U.S. should be done “only if absolutely necessary,” and that internal meetings “should be conducted by phone or via teleconference.” He said that meetings or gatherings that can be put on hold “for the time being or canceled altogether, should be.”

Zucker wrote that CNN’s ongoing news coverage will continue as normal, as well as sports coverage.

He also noted that CNN’s international newsgathering operations that are covering the virus “have their own set of protocols and restrictions in terms of both travel approval and staying safe.”

Zucker wrote that “while some of these protocols may seem inconvenient, they are being taken out of an abundance of caution to keep all of you safe. It is unclear how long these restrictions will remain in place, but we will continue to communicate regularly as the situation both domestically and globally changes.”

[MKSheppard]

The African Ebola outbreaks back in 2014 gave us Ebola-Chan, another anthropomorphized Möe anime figure.

It was even remarked upon on SDN at the time:

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... n#p3864739

[mr friendly guy]

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/healt ... c9dde801b3

After doom and gloom about covid 19 in China published in Australian media with very selective stats (notice how this article's graphic does not show the number of recoveries), they have decided to focus on Australia now. Especially since we had our first death in my state of Western Australia. Haven't read in details yet, but apparently we were pumping him full of antivirals.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has revealed that authorities are bracing for the worst, as the number of countries battling the virus passes 60 and the death toll hits 3000.

“The modelling indicates that potentially, in late April or May, there may be greater spread of the illness here in Australia, and at that point in time obviously we would need to ramp up some of our activities,” Mr McGowan told reporters.

“The peak would then hit us in potentially August, which is obviously not a great month because our coldest months with the highest level of flu.”

The emergency response to the virus entered a worrying new phase yesterday, with confirmation of the first human-to-human infection.

People have been asking me, why are you going to Europe when there is an outbreak of covid 19. Aside from I organised a trip before the outbreak, it might not make much difference to stay in Australia, especially since I will be more exposed to it since I work as a General practitioner these days. Only continent that doesn't have it is Antarctica. Anyone up for a trip there?

[MKSheppard]

Not going to lie, if America ends up getting hit harder than China I'm going to feel pretty smug.

Like, good luck and all, but.

Currently, US death rate is 6% in Washington state -- 6 dead, 100 infected.

[mr friendly guy]

Anyone interested in live updates on covid 19 in US and Canada

https://coronavirus.1point3acres.com/en

Just click on the translate to English button

[Jub]

I expect cases to start popping up in Vancouver any day now and I'm still not that worried about it. I'm not in an at-risk group and the company I work for has been emailing employees updates about the virus for weeks now so it seems like upper management has a plan in place for if things get nasty.

[MKSheppard]

High level infection potentials:

Congress
Congress might be infected directly as a result of low key meetings back around 14 February 2020; between:

Senator Murphy
Senator Menendez
Senator Van Hollen

and the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif in Munich, Germany; given how Coronavirus is ripping through the higher levels of Iranian government.

VP Pence
In Sarasota Florida, a Sarasota Military Academy student in their JROTC program has tested positive for coronavirus.

Mike Pence visited Sarasota last week and guess who greeted Pence and spent quality time out on Longboat Key?



POPE
Francis has cancelled retreats due to a "cold".

Given the demographics of a lot of politicans -- they're well into the age brackets disproportionately affected by Coronavirus, this outbreak has potential to dramatically alter the political landscape; all the more so it's campaign 2020 season, and you gotta press that flesh to get elected.

[MKSheppard]

NIH in Bethesda MD has had the entire 5th floor of their research hospital emptied and prepared for Corona patients when they eventually arrive.

[MKSheppard]

https://twitter.com/cucumbermarg/status ... 2615665666

BREAKING: San Antonio & its mayor just sued the CDC & other agencies over the release of a Wuhan evacuee into San Antonio after a third test found her positive with coronavirus. They ask for three tests & “at least 28 days” of quarantine before patients may be released.

[mr friendly guy]

https://twitter.com/cucumbermarg/status ... 2615665666

BREAKING: San Antonio & its mayor just sued the CDC & other agencies over the release of a Wuhan evacuee into San Antonio after a third test found her positive with coronavirus. They ask for three tests & “at least 28 days” of quarantine before patients may be released.

Any reason why the first two test missed it? Is it related to the defective kits the CDC churned out.

[Ralin]

People have been asking me, why are you going to Europe when there is an outbreak of covid 19. Aside from I organised a trip before the outbreak, it might not make much difference to stay in Australia, especially since I will be more exposed to it since I work as a General practitioner these days. Only continent that doesn't have it is Antarctica. Anyone up for a trip there?

Realistically speaking, aren't most people not living in Wuhan more likely to catch the virus while travelling than in any specific place?

[MKSheppard]

Any reason why the first two test missed it? Is it related to the defective kits the CDC churned out.

Nobody's tests are 99% accurate. A lot of the world is working on 60-70% or so accurate tests, and there's...

SPECULATION that Corona might move into cells of the body to "hide", causing people to appear clean , and then it emerges later SPECULATION.

Meanwhile in China via another board:

I heard a story from an NPR reporter in Shanghai today.

They're still getting "back to normal." In Shanghai that means everyone is still required to wear a mask if they go outside. Temperature checks are done any time anyone walks into an office building or a business. Restaurants are starting to open but they're not sitting tables anywhere near each other, operating at maybe 25% capacity. Most food is still taken to go. The streets are empty by 8 pm. The government sends multiple text messages daily urging people to stay home and to report any symptoms immediately. Anyone who travels between any province is required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Factories are still struggling to reopen.

This is a nine-hour drive from Wuhan.

That's what it's taking for China to stomp this out.

[Ralin]

I went out for dinner last night (First time since I got back a little under two weeks ago). Street and the subway weren't empty, but they were definitely less crowded than usual. Was reading the other day that there's a four tiered system for how much each restaurant is allowed to be open ranging from 'not' to various forms of restriction like only delivery or seating people well apart and requiring them to wear masks when they weren't eating. Not sure if it was a province specific thing. I can try to find the article later.

[mr friendly guy]

Any reason why the first two test missed it? Is it related to the defective kits the CDC churned out.

Nobody's tests are 99% accurate. A lot of the world is working on 60-70% or so accurate tests, and there's...

SPECULATION that Corona might move into cells of the body to "hide", causing people to appear clean , and then it emerges later SPECULATION.

If Covid 19 can hide like that, the way to detect it early might be to do blood tests looking for antibodies, rather than the more convenient and faster way of swabbing and using PCR. Damn.

Meanwhile in China via another board:

I heard a story from an NPR reporter in Shanghai today.

<snip>
That's what it's taking for China to stomp this out.

Yep. That's what Chinese news has been reporting on their international editions for like, weeks.

--------------------------
https://www.news.com.au/national/new-au ... c779f1702d

An international student living in Brisbane has been confirmed as the tenth person to be infected by the coronavirus in Queensland and the 34th in Australia.

The 20-year-old man from China is currently in a stable condition in isolation in the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

The man had travelled to Dubai for at least 14 days before entering Australia, via Brisbane on February 23. He became unwell on February 25.

Dr Jeannette Young, Queensland Chief Health Officer, said authorities are looking into where the man may have contracted the disease.

So previously we adopted a 14 day rule, where if the person from China has been in another country for 14 days, and asymptomatic we let them in. So this means either the incubation period is longer, or more worrying he contracted it from elsewhere. Also hearing down the grapevine some Chinese cities have instituted screening from people outside of China (the example was Qingdao) and China are reporting citizens being reinfected coming home from Europe, so we presume they got it somewhere along their flight/stops.

[mr friendly guy]

People have been asking me, why are you going to Europe when there is an outbreak of covid 19. Aside from I organised a trip before the outbreak, it might not make much difference to stay in Australia, especially since I will be more exposed to it since I work as a General practitioner these days. Only continent that doesn't have it is Antarctica. Anyone up for a trip there?

Realistically speaking, aren't most people not living in Wuhan more likely to catch the virus while travelling than in any specific place?

I guess that would depend how prevalent it is in your city. Australia so far hasn't had many reported cases, IIRC most of them are in the Eastern States, although we do have a death here in Western Australia. The countries I am going to haven't reported high number of cases.

[Broomstick]

6 dead in Washington state so far. So it’s in the wild and has been for over a week, easily. Awesome.

AND loose in a nursing home....!

Yesterday two cases in the Chicago area, today it's three - it's coming to my neighborhood, I'm guessing in a week, two at most. Going to do grocery shopping and transfer some money to my checking account to get some bills paid sooner rather than later.

Want to wear a t-shirt to work that says PEOPLE CALM THE FUCK DOWN! but I'm not allowed to deviate form the corporate uniform.

[The Romulan Republic]

6 dead in Washington state so far. So it’s in the wild and has been for over a week, easily. Awesome.

AND loose in a nursing home....!

Yesterday two cases in the Chicago area, today it's three - it's coming to my neighborhood, I'm guessing in a week, two at most. Going to do grocery shopping and transfer some money to my checking account to get some bills paid sooner rather than later.

Want to wear a t-shirt to work that says PEOPLE CALM THE FUCK DOWN! but I'm not allowed to deviate form the corporate uniform.

Widespread and undetected in Washington means its probably crossed jumped the border to BC, so I expect my home town will see its first deaths within the next week or two.

I work in retail. I meet dozens of customers wiping their noses with their hands every day. Can't help but feel that my odds of not giving it and passing it to everyone I know (if I haven't already) are virtually nil.

[Ralin]

I work in retail. I meet dozens of customers wiping their noses with their hands every day. Can't help but feel that my odds of not giving it and passing it to everyone I know (if I haven't already) are virtually nil.

Do you work as a cashier or something else? Get hand sanitizer, keep it nearby and use regularly. Wear a mask if your employer will let you and maybe wear glasses if you don't already. Neither of those things will stop it, but from what I've read they do help reduce the risk by a non-negligible amount. And they discourage you from touching your mouth and eyes.