Covid–19 Headlines Mar 13, 2020 – Jesse Santiano M.D.

Covid-19 is the disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2.

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US hospitals brace for ‘tremendous strain’ from new virus

U.S. hospitals are setting up circus-like triage tents, calling doctors out of retirement, guarding their supplies of face masks and making plans to cancel elective surgery as they brace for an expected onslaught of coronavirus patients.

Depending on how bad the crisis gets, the sick could find themselves waiting on stretchers in emergency room hallways for hospital beds to open up, or could be required to share rooms with others infected. Some doctors fear hospitals could become so overwhelmed that they could be forced to ration medical care.

Not enough U.S. hospital beds once Covid-19 epidemic is full-blown

UK plans to ban mass gatherings next week to curb Covid-19: Sky News

(Reuters) – British government is planning to introduce emergency laws next week to ban mass gatherings in an attempt to curb the coronavirus outbreak, Sky News reported here late Friday, citing a Whitehall source.

U.N. headquarters in New York to slash staff presence for four weeks over coronavirus

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United Nations said it will slash its staff presence at its New York headquarters for four weeks, starting Monday, after a Filipino diplomat became the first person at the 193-member world body known to have tested positive for the coronavirus.

‘Worry about 4 weeks from now,’ epidemiologist warns

Lipsitch said that as U.S. cases mount, the public health strategy is shifting from one of containment — where each individual case is investigated and contacts traced to prevent additional infections — to mitigation, where emphasis shifts to large-scale social distancing.

I agree with Mr. Lipsitch. The golden window to test and identify carriers is over. I think by now, the infected are all over and they spread the virus faster than any testing. I assume that the majority is infected. The best way to avoid Covid-19 is to stay away from others. That is social distancing.

Covid-19 is spreading rapidly in America. The country does not look ready

America, by contrast, had the luxury of several weeks’ notice. Yet the crucial early weeks when it could have prepared for the spread of the disease were squandered, in a country with some of the world’s best epidemiologists and physicians.

‘Over-reacting is better than non-reacting’ – academics around the world share thoughts on coronavirus

As countries from Itay to Iran, from Sweden to South Africa, struggle to contain the virus, it is more important than ever to turn to expert advice from institutions such as the World Health Organization. Regular hand-washing with soap is one of the key steps we can take to protect ourselves.

The World Economic Forum has collected insights from academics within leading universities for a global take on how Covid-19 is spreading, and what measures should be taken to fight the pandemic. More on the link

7 pm EST update. An increase of 6,316 cases and 297 deaths. Critical 3.6%. Death rate 3.7%

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Two-thirds of Americans concerned about contracting coronavirus, as country grapples with growing crisis: POLL

Two-thirds of Americans are concerned that they or someone they know will be infected with the novel coronavirus, but in a country with a growing partisan divide, political tribalism is having a large impact when it comes to anxiety over the disease, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday.

Although unease over the coronavirus is high, it also strongly breaks along partisan lines. Among Democrats, 83% are concerned about getting coronavirus, including 47% who are very concerned, and among Republicans, 56% are concerned, including only 15% who are very concerned. Only 17% of Democrats are not concerned while a larger 44% of Republicans are not concerned.

From disaster bunkers to dried food, survival supply sales are spiking

The survival and disaster prep industry is seeing a massive sales surge from customers concerned about health risks related to the coronavirus outbreak and the possibility of quarantines temporarily cutting off access to supplies.

Sellers of long-term food supply, water and air filters, tactical gear, and even bunkers report a several-fold increase in year-over-year sales.

How many will die of coronavirus in the UK? A closer look at the numbers

According to the chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, the worst-case scenario is that about 80% of the UK population becomes infected. But that does not necessarily mean there will be 500,000 deaths – as would be expected from a 1% mortality rate.

One reason is because the 80% figure is an estimate. “That is an entirely speculative number,” Whitty told the press conference, adding that it was not known how many people would ultimately become infected.

PM is firmly against closures now, but pressure builds to follow other countries’ coronavirus response

Spain declares emergency as coronavirus shuts down parades, schools, shops

MADRID (Reuters) – Spain said it would declare a 15-day state of emergency from Saturday, signaling a sharp escalation in its fight against the coronavirus, as some regions shut shops, car plants ground to a halt and church authorities canceled some Easter parades.

Denmark shuts its borders for one month to curb spread of coronavirus

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Denmark announced on Friday it would shut its borders to most foreign visitors for a month from Saturday, in a move unprecedented in peacetime as part of efforts to halt the spread of coronavirus.

Stocks surge on new virus measures; Dow up 1,985 points

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street roared back from its worst day in 30 years Friday with a broad rally that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average nearly 2,000 points higher — its biggest point gain ever — after President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency.

3 new virus cases in Arkansas; canceling some events advised

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The number of novel coronavirus cases in Arkansas has risen to nine, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and state health officials announced Friday.

Hutchinson announced the state had identified three new cases in the central Arkansas area and recommended that events with more than 200 people in four counties affected by cases be canceled. Those counties are Grant, Jefferson, Pulaski and Saline. COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has infected more than 1,500 people and killed at least 40 in the United States.

Australian gov’t: Two people with travel history to Philippines caught new coronavirus

MANILA, Philippines — Two people with history of travel to the Philippines tested positive for the coronavirus disease in Australia, the New South Wales government said Friday.

The 34-year-old male and his companion, also a 34-year-old female went to the Philippines. Both were “not infectious on flight.”

MANILA, Philippines (Update 1, 9:50 p.m.) — Twelve new coronavirus disease infections were confirmed in the Philippines on Friday, raising the country’s total to 64, a day after the government announced a new set of measures in a bid to contain the contagion.

In role reversal, Asia seeks to stop virus from coming in

BEIJING (AP) — From quarantining travelers from overseas to nabbing those sneaking in with fevers, China and other parts of Asia are scrambling to prevent the new coronavirus from coming back to where it first broke out.

Trump says he may take UK off banned entry list

Egypt reports 13 new cases of coronavirus, bringing total to 93

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt reported on Friday 13 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total of cases detected in the country to 93, the health ministry said in a statement.

Homes across UK taking action despite government not yet advising them to close doors

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Trump declares national emergency over coronavirus, says ‘we will overcome the threat of the virus’

President Trump on Friday declared a national emergency over the coronavirus crisis amid extensive disruptions to the economy and American life.

“We will overcome the threat of the virus,” Trump said during a press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House on Friday.

The president’s declaration of a national emergency means that he will enact the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which allows the White House to mobilize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and direct federal aid to states hit by disasters and health crises.

Should I travel within the US? More at the link

BOSTON (AP) — Colleges across the U.S. have begun canceling and curtailing graduation amid fears that the coronavirus pandemic will stretch into spring. Some are exploring “virtual” alternatives, while others are considering inviting seniors back for commencement at a later date or just mailing out diplomas.

The testing czar is Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health, and head of the government’s uniformed Public Health Service. He will be responsible for coordinating between CDC and FDA, as well as private labs and state and local governments.

Big city, big worry: Pressure mounting to close NYC schools

NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus sapped New York City of its famous hustle and bustle Friday, with no Broadway, no basketball games, no big gatherings, a populace unnerved by an ever-worsening crisis and mounting pressure to close down public schools.

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SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday urged people not to gather in groups of more than 500 from Monday, but said he would still go to a weekend rugby game, as officials warned millions of residents would contract coronavirus within months.

Italy’s coronavirus ground zero sets virtuous example

CODOGNO, Italy (AP) — For three weeks, children’s play has not echoed in the main piazza of the town of Codogno, overlooked by a statue of the town’s patron St. Blaise, a 4th-Century physician. But over that period, too, the silence has been pierced increasingly less often by ambulance sirens, which in the early days roared through every couple of hours.

Nations employ drastic tactics to fight microscopic foe

MADRID, Spain (AP) — Tens of millions of students stayed home on three continents, security forces went on standby to guard against large gatherings of people, and bars, restaurants and offices closed Friday to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Philippines confirms 12 new coronavirus cases

MANILA, March 13 — The Philippines today reported 12 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus to take the total in the country to 64 a day after President Rodrigo Duterte raised the health emergency status to the highest level and issued quarantine measures in the capital.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A cardinal on Friday modified his order to close Rome’s churches to help contain the spread of coronavirus after Pope Francis cautioned against “drastic measures” and Catholics took to social media to complain.

US FDA works to speed coronavirus tests with Roche, New York approvals

NEW YORK, March 13 — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency authorisation for a faster coronavirus test made by Swiss diagnostics maker Roche and allowed New York state to authorise certain labs to test for the virus, moves aimed at boosting screening capacity to help contain the growing epidemic.

Spain declares state of emergency after 1,063 coronavirus cases in one day-tourist warning

How do I self-quarantine? Can I walk my dog? Be warned, there can be legal consequences if you violate it

There’s a lot of confusion about preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus. Here’s what health experts recommend. Helpful info at the headline link

New coronavirus cases rise further in Japan

NCAA cancels March Madness tournaments, all other winter and spring championships

The NCAA on Thursday canceled its men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments, known as March Madness, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The cancellation extends to all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships.

LONDON (Reuters) – The World Health Organization is considering changing the way it classifies and describes international epidemics, amid a protracted public debate over whether to call the outbreak of the new coronavirus a pandemic.

Spain to declare state of emergency over coronavirus, says source

PM: Mass gatherings, including religious events, to be cancelled or postponed until April 30

KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 — Following rising cases of locally-transmitted novel coronavirus infection (Covid-19), all international conferences, mass gatherings and sporting events should either be cancelled or postponed, Prime Minister Tan Seri Muhyiddin Yassin announced tonight.

CDC Tested Just 77 People For Coronavirus This Week

WASHINGTON — Despite insistent promises from the Trump administration, coronavirus testing in the United States appears to be proceeding with a marked lack of urgency. An examination of state and federal records by Yahoo News finds that American states are, on average, testing fewer than 100 people per day — while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had tested fewer than 100 people total in the first two days of this week.

Virus testing is a ‘failing,’ leaving cases uncounted

NEW YORK (AP) — Seven weeks have passed since the first U.S. case of coronavirus was announced, and the government is failing to account for what could be thousands of additional infections because of ongoing problems with testing.

“The system is not really geared to what we need right now,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert at the National Institutes of Health. “That is a failing. It is a failing, let’s admit it.”

US coronavirus cases could hit ‘many millions’, a top health official tells Congress

Anthony Fauci of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says US must limit infections from abroad and ‘contain and mitigate within our own country’

Hearing devolves into partisan crossfire over ‘politicising’ missteps in the government’s response to the outbreak

Bulgaria declares state of emergency over coronavirus

Italian doctors on coronavirus frontline face tough calls on whom to save

MILAN — In Lombardy, the wealthy region at the heart of Italy’s coronavirus outbreak, a shortage of beds and medical supplies is forcing doctors to make increasingly difficult choices.

Asian stocks fell sharply on Friday, continuing a global market decline tied to the novel coronavirus. Global stock market losses climbed past $16 trillion since a high on February 19 on fears that the outbreak could lead to a worldwide recession.
The biggest dive in Asian markets on Friday was in Japan. That country’s Nikkei average was down as much as 9.5%, echoing a brutal 10% collapse in U.S. markets on Thursday, which was the largest single day decline since 1987’s Black Monday.

‘Mammoth task’: Malaysia conducts mass COVID-19 screenings for participants of KL mosque gathering

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s health officials have been working round the clock to conduct mass COVID-19 screenings at Masjid Jamek Sri Petaling, as the health ministry confirmed on Friday (Mar 13) that a tabligh (religious) rally held at the venue was earlier attended by about 16,000 people.

Second patient diagnosed with coronavirus in Turkey – minister

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A second patient has been diagnosed with coronavirus in Turkey, the country’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Friday after Ankara announced a series of measures to curb the spread of the virus.

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In ‘People’s War’ on coronavirus, Chinese propaganda faces pushback

BEIJING (Reuters) – As Xi Jinping toured the coronavirus-stricken city of Wuhan this week, setting the tone for an official narrative that China will win a “People’s War”, numerous social media users went to extraordinary lengths to make an alternative voice heard.

Singapore imposes entry ban on new visitors from Italy, France, Spain, Germany as it advises citizens to be cautious when travelling to Malaysia

“Dearest family and friends: A few hours ago, my beautiful mother, Nida, was cremated. She died alone without her loving family and friends around her. She was cremated, alone, without ceremony or tribute,” the post opens.

South Korea plans to limit the amount of information it releases about coronavirus patients amid criticism that the details currently shared reveal too much personal information and exacerbate panic.

Johns Hopkins develops its own coronavirus test

Doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore have created their own coronavirus test, which they hope will help address the need for more testing for COVID-19.

A new study in The Lancet medical journal published Wednesday found that the novel coronavirus lived in the respiratory tracts of some patients for more than five weeks. Some of the patients received antiviral medications but the drugs did not appear to shorten the virus’s lifespan.

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Disney World and Disneyland are closing amid coronavirus pandemic

(CBS) Disney is closing its parks in California, Florida and Paris, and is suspending its cruise line due to the coronavirus pandemic. While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at these parks or on the ships, officials announced on Thursday that the parks and cruises will be close close this weekend until the end of the month.

Africa has so far escaped the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. Across the continent, only Algeria, Egypt and South Africa have reported more than a handful of cases. And many of the sick in Egypt are foreign tourists on a Nile River cruise.
But public health experts predict the continent’s luck will not last, given the virus’ highly contagious nature, Africa’s plentiful connections with other parts of the world, and sharp cuts in US aid to improve African public health systems. Some nations are likely to face terrible outbreaks of a disease that will further overwhelm health systems struggling with regular epidemics of measles, hepatitis, malaria, HIV and other plagues.

5:30 am EST. An increase of 3,051 cases and 34 deaths since 7 pm last night. Death rate 3.7%

White House orders secrecy for coronavirus meetings

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3074974/white-house-orders-secrecy-coronavirus-meetings

Dow’s worst day since 1987 as Fed’s US$1.5 trillion injection plan fails to counter sour reaction to Donald Trump’s coronavirus strategy

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped nearly 10 per cent – its worst percentage drop since 1987 – as Federal Reserve’s US$1.5 trillion injection plan failed to counter the sour reaction to US President Donald Trump’s lack of coronavirus strategy.

Japan approves emergency powers for PM to tackle coronavirus outbreak

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s parliament on Friday approved a bill giving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emergency powers that will let him close schools, halt large gatherings and requisition medical supplies as Japan tries to slow the coronavirus outbreak.

South Korea reports more recoveries than coronavirus cases for the first time

Prominent figures join list of coronavirus cases as fears shred markets

SINGAPORE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, Australia’s minister for home affairs and a Chelsea soccer player are among new cases of the coronavirus that has infected almost 135,000 people and killed more than 4,900 worldwide.

Canada’s Trudeau to be in isolation after wife tests positive for coronavirus

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in isolation for two weeks after his wife, Sophie, tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, and the outbreak prompted the province of Ontario to shutter schools to limit the spread.

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