Wuhan Coronavirus Death Toll Rises, As City Imposes Transport Lockdown

[appalachiablue]

Source: CNN

Hong Kong (CNN) — The death toll from the Wuhan coronavirus has risen to 17, as dozens more cases were reported across China and as far afield as the western United States, sparking fears of a possible pandemic.

On Wednesday, the Chinese city of Wuhan -- where the virus was first identified -- said it would "temporarily" close its airport and railway stations for departing passengers. All public transport services will also be suspended, as authorities attempt to contain the virus.

The city lockdown begins at 10 am local time Thursday (9 pm ET Wednesday), according to an announcement from the city's coronavirus command center.

Chinese health authorities said that at least 547 cases had been confirmed in the mainland by Wednesday, with eight new deaths linked to the virus in Hubei, the central Chinese province of which Wuhan is the capital. Cases were also confirmed in the Chinese territory of Macao and the self-governing island of Taiwan...


Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/22/asia/china-wuhan-coronavirus-deadly-intl-hnk/index.html

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In the U.S., Washington state confirmed the first case on Tuesday. Cases have also been reported in South Korea, Thailand and Japan, and suspected cases detected in Australia.

Globally, a total of 555 cases have been confirmed since the outbreak was detected in mid-December.

[saidsimplesimon]

1. I hope the CDC has not been gutted.

[appalachiablue]

2. For real and amen. They couldn't be that stoopid

[saidsimplesimon]

4. Have you forgotten

the Surgeon General (Dr. Feel Good) first appointed by our clown in residence?

[appalachiablue]

5. Oh gawd, that man yes

[LonePirate]

3. The current death rate of those infected is 3% which is very scary despite how small it seems.

To put that number in perspective, if everyone in the US became infected, almost 10 million people would die. That’s roughly the number of people who live in Michigan. This is scary!

[Warpy]

7. Yes, it seems to be climbing

and these are people with the wherewithal to get medical care. You have to wonder about how many people are just quietly dying at home. This one bears watching, although there is little we can do about it.

The Chinese are acting swiftly and appropriately and will most likely continue to do so. They have stopped other disease outbreaks and listen to their scientists and public health people. Good thing this isn't starting in the US.

And yes, Dumdum has tried to gut the CDC, they said mean things about guns, you know. It's my understanding that Congress quietly restored their funding.

[Liberalhammer]

13. Correct

Exponential growth is what is happening. That 500 plus is probably 100,00. In Oregan it's in the 100s, by tomorrow it will be in the 1000s.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

6. News from Washington State on their case here.....

Snohomish County man has the United States’ first known case of Wuhan coronavirus
Jan. 21, 2020 at 10:58 am

Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/case-of-wuhan-coronavirus-detected-in-washington-state-first-in-united-states/

(snips)

A Snohomish County resident is infected with the Wuhan coronavirus, the first confirmed case in the United States of a mysterious respiratory infection that has killed at least nine people and sickened hundreds more in Asia.

The patient is a man in his 30s who lives alone. He had been traveling solo since November in Wuhan, China, a city of 11 million where the outbreak appears to have originated, health officials said. He had no symptoms on his flight or when he arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Jan. 15, but he contacted doctors Jan. 19 when he developed a fever and cough, officials said. It’s unknown which clinic he visited that day. The man was hospitalized for pneumonia and, on Monday, tested positive for coronavirus.
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The Snohomish County man had no known underlying medical issues. He was in satisfactory condition Tuesday and will be monitored for at least 48 hours in an isolation unit at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, said Dr. Chris Spitters, interim health officer for the Snohomish Health District.

The patient isn’t considered a threat to medical staff or the public. A small number of health care workers and patients who may have been exposed to the virus through the man have been notified to watch for symptoms and are being monitored, according to the hospital, which said it will also work to identify and screen patients at risk for the infection.
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Airports in the U.S. and other countries have stepped up monitoring, checking passengers from China for signs of illness, in hopes of containing the virus during the busy Lunar New Year travel season.

Late last week, U.S. health officials began screening passengers from Wuhan at three U.S. airports — New York City’s John F. Kennedy airport and the Los Angeles and San Francisco airports. It was the first such effort since the 2014 Ebola outbreak. More than 1,200 travelers have been screened since Friday.

On Tuesday, the CDC announced it will add Chicago’s O’Hare airport and Atlanta’s airport to the mix later this week, and anyone flying from Wuhan to the U.S. must go through one of those five airports.

In announcing the airport screenings last week, CDC officials said it had developed a test to detect the new coronavirus and plans to share the tool with domestic and international partners.

KY..............

[appalachiablue]

8. Thanks for the update on the WA man and US airports screenings.

Am I the only person this week who's thought of the scary, dystopia movie "Contagion" with Matt Damon?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contagion_(2011_film)

[KY_EnviroGuy]

9. It is good to hear the CDC is on top of this but.....

with international implications, it could get out of hand in other nations. I think the canary in the coal mine would be in places like Indonesia and India where China does a lot of trade.

It's hell waiting for these things to play out......

[3Hotdogs]

10. Thing is, the Washington State patient was on a plane. There was at least one person sitting next.

We don't know the incubation period or contagion period. How many other planes left China for the U.S.? And its not just Wuhan.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

11. News and reactions from across Asia.....

Read about it here: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/topics/wuhan-virus?cid=cna-asia_wuhan_virus_outbreak_desktop_22012020_cna

Channel News Asia home page: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia

Some article headlines:

* China halts flights and trains out of Wuhan as WHO extends talks

* Wuhan virus deaths rise to 17, heightening global alarm

* China warns Wuhan virus could mutate and spread as death toll rises

* On the menu at Wuhan virus market: Rats and live wolf pups

* Masks, disinfectants in low supply as China virus spreads

* Singapore forms Wuhan virus ministerial task force, imported case 'inevitable': Gan Kim Yong

* Man quarantined after Hong Kong's first preliminary positive test for Wuhan virus

* Tsai urges WHO to include Taiwan after Wuhan virus case confirmed

* Wuhan virus: 2 more cases confirmed in Thailand

KY.........

[paleotn]

12. Too little, too late.

And most of those surgical masks? Don't work. The majority aren't designed to filter out tiny droplets. And screening by temp? Isn't going to slow the spread that much. Incubation period defeats temp screening as an effective tool. Say, 4 to 6 days average asymptomatic....so the virus is probably already circulating in the global population IF it's easily transferred between humans. Best defense is what we're supposed to do every Winter. Don't cough in the open, use the inside of your elbow. Wash your hands frequently and correctly. If you feel sick, stay the home.

[lapfog_1]

14. well, we can all play along

http://ndemiccreations.com/en/22-plague-inc

[rictofen]

16. Damn Madagascar!!

[lapfog_1]

17. The last humans are always on Greenland

generally speaking.

[JesterCS]

15. And "Pandemic" debuts on Netflix. Lol