Covid-19 Headlines Mar 2, 2020 – Jesse Santiano M.D.

Cases tops 89,000. Six US deaths all in the Seattle are, First cases for Malaysia, Tunisia, Senegal, Latvia, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, New Hampshire, New York State, and Indonesia, Total deaths exceeding 3,000. Record days again for South Korea and Italy. Dow Jones bounces back.

The death rate or case fatality rate is the number of deaths divided by the total number of cases. The percentage of serious cases is the number of serious cases divided by the total cases.

As better testing kits come out, expect the numbers of cases to increase. The percentage of serious cases and the case fatality rate (CFR) or death rate here can possibly be much lower if more mild cases will be recorded. The percentages provided here is for trending purposes.

Not all countries will have the same death rates. The ones with a stronger health system can have a smaller CFR while a high CFR in another country can mean less robust health care for taking care of critically ill patients.

This site will be updated regularly. Stay current by checking often.

Covid-19 Headlines for Mar 2, 2020

7:20 pm update. An increase of 434 cases and 15 deaths since 12 noon

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As coronavirus spreads, the CDC urges sick workers to stay home — but what if you don’t get paid sick leave?

Full-time workers are far more likely to have access to paid sick-leave benefits than part-time workers, who are disproportionately women.

Generally speaking, many low-wage workers are in service professions, including ones that deal with food, kids and the elderly, Gould added. “It’s problematic if people who are sick and have a particularly contagious disease feel like they have no choice but to go to work,” she said. “It’s obviously even worse if you’re working in an occupation where you have a lot of contact with the public or with clients.”

‘Total f***ing anarchy!’ Costco shoppers share funny/scary tales of preppers getting ready for a coronavirus outbreak

One look at the Costco group on Reddit — home to more than 60,000 members — and you might get an idea as to why shares of the wholesale giant are up almost 10% in Monday’s bounce-back trading session.

The shared images were mostly comprised of crowds and empty shelves:

“Signs were up that they were out of toilet paper, paper towels and bottles of water. Even with that, inside people were stocking up on food, drinks… darn near everything it seems. Going up and down the aisles, seeing pallets empty and people loading up their carts… it was just surreal all the panic buying that is going on.”

Pentagon sends extra medical personnel, gear to U.S. troops in S. Korea

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Yonhap) — The Pentagon has sent additional medical personnel and equipment to its troops in South Korea to help fight the coronavirus outbreak there, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said Monday.

Milley said the personnel and supplies were sent at Secretary of Defense Mark Esper’s direction and included masks, gloves and gowns.

U.S. Forces Korea has reported four COVID-19 infections, the latest in the spouse of an American soldier.

More testing sheds light on how virus is spreading in US

SEATTLE (AP) — An increase in testing for the coronavirus began shedding light Monday on how the illness has spread in the United States, including among nursing home residents in one Washington state facility.

New diagnoses in several states pushed the tally of COVID-19 cases past 100, and New Hampshire reported its first case, raising the total of affected states to 11. Seattle officials announced four more deaths, bringing the total in the U.S. to six.

In Seattle, King County Executive Dow Constantine declared an emergency and said the county was buying a hotel to be used as a hospital for patients who need to be isolated. He said the facility should be available by the end of the week.

“It’s going to be a disaster,” said Charlene Harrington, who studies nursing homes at the University of California at San Francisco. Infection is already a huge problem in U.S. nursing homes because of a lack of nurses and training.

Edwards expects virus to reach Louisiana, says don’t panic

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards said he expects Louisiana to eventually see its own cases of the new coronavirus and told the state’s residents Monday any confirmation of cases will come from his administration directly.

“We do believe it’s a matter of when, not if,” the Democratic governor said at a Press Club of Baton Rouge luncheon. But he added: “If you have not heard it confirmed by the Department of Health, it is not real, period.”

South Korea To Screen Passengers For Elevated Temperatures For All US Flights

With growing concerns about air travel due to the breakout of Covid-19 in Asia, South Korea’s transport ministry announced that all passengers bound for the US would have to undergo mandatory temperature checks before boarding planes starting March 3, reported Bloomberg.

Korean Air said last Friday that it would start checking the temperatures of passengers boarding planes to the US and would deny anyone with a temperature higher than 99.5 Fahrenheit. Flights from Incheon to Los Angeles on Friday were the first to undergo temperature checks of passengers.

Meet the female major general on China’s coronavirus scientific front line

For Chen Wei, the Chinese military’s top epidemiologist and virologist, the scientific battle against an epidemic must be waged even before the pathogen is born.

“What we need is to build … a powerful ‘lead scientists’ system so that they can spend their life studying and researching certain types of viruses and germs … independent of whether this coronavirus is going away or not.

The 54-year-old major general is China’s best known biochemical expert and is spearheading an effort in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province to understand a previously unknown virus that has sickened tens of thousands of people with a pneumonia-like illness.

According to a military insider, Chen is leading the effort from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a laboratory with the highest biosafety classification.

‘A bit of a worry’: Still unclear if NSW doctor infected others with coronavirus

A doctor who contracted coronavirus in one of the first cases of person-to-person transmission in Australia is in a stable condition and “going quite well”, the NSW government says.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said it still wasn’t clear if the man had infected others after becoming contagious.

Medical staff under pressure amid spiking virus cases in S. Korea

SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) — The surge in the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus here is starting to cause serious fatigue among medical personnel, with manpower shortages becoming an issue in some hard-hit areas.

Fatigue among medical staff has been most acute at hospitals designated to handle coronavirus patients only. The large number of patients in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province — the epicenters of the virus outbreak in South Korea — has exacerbated the problem.

The medical center, in the industrial city of Pohang, 375 kilometers southeast of Seoul, said some nurses have not been able to go home for over 10 days, as clinical staff at specially designated hospitals are required to stay at their posts till the situation improves. It said some nurses who have no one to look after their young children had no choice but to resign.

S. Korea’s virus cases top 4,300, school breaks extended nationwide

SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) — South Korea reported a continued rise in the confirmed cases of the new coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total infections here to more than 4,300.

School breaks were again extended nationwide, until March 23, as the nation provides an “all-out response” to the fast-spreading virus that includes a massive testing program.

The 599 new cases of the novel coronavirus brought the nation’s total number of infections here to 4,335, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

City of San Antonio declares state of emergency

Mayor Ron Nirenberg declared a public health emergency on Monday afternoon local time to keep more than 120 coronavirus evacuees from a cruise ship quarantined at an airforce base at the outskirts of San Antonio until further notice, and banned new evacuees from entering the city.

82 countries, regions restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) — A total of 82 countries and regions are imposing entry bans or quarantine procedures on visitors from South Korea over new coronavirus fears on Monday, despite Seoul’s beefed-up diplomacy to prevent inordinate measures targeting its citizens.

As of 7 p.m., 36 countries and regions plan to ban or are barring the entry of travelers who have visited South Korea in the past two weeks, while 46 countries and regions, including China, are implementing quarantine procedures for them, according to the foreign ministry.

The number of COVID-19 infections in South Korea has risen to 4,335 with 26 deaths, and the country is speeding up the testing process under an all-out campaign to stem the virus’ spread.

Australia might detain people to prevent virus spread, attorney general says

“And it’s very likely that Australians will encounter practices and instructions and circumstances that they have not had to encounter before,” he said.

“I Have To Plead For Tests” – NYC ER Doc Warns “There’s Going To Be 1000s Of US Cases By Next Week”

McCarthy, a staff physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, says he still does not have access to test kits.

“I’m here to tell you, right now, at one of the busiest hospitals in the country, I don’t have it at my finger tips,” he said.

“I still have to make my case, plead to test people. This is not good. We know that there are 88 cases in the United States. There are going to be hundreds by middle of week. There’s going to be thousands by next week. And this is a testing issue.”

Italy coronavirus deaths jump to 52, cases climb above 2,000

ROME (Reuters) – The death toll from coronavirus in Italy jumped to 52 on Monday from 34 the day before and the total number of confirmed cases in Europe’s worst affected country climbed past the 2,000 mark.

Six dead of coronavirus in Seattle area, U.S. officials scramble to prepare for more cases

(Reuters) – Six people in the Seattle area have died of illness caused by the new coronavirus, health officials said on Monday, as authorities across the United States scrambled to prepare for more infections, with the emphasis on ratcheting up the number of available test kits.

WHO says coronavirus has ‘unique’ features and the world is in ‘uncharted territory’

The coronavirus COVID-19 has “unique” features that are very different to influenza and can still be contained, the World Health Organisation says.

“We are in uncharted territory,” WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in a briefing on Monday (local time).

Dr Tedros said the number of cases of the coronavirus in China continued to decline but in the previous 24 hours, there were almost nine times more cases reported outside China than inside China.

“The epidemics in the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan are our greatest concern,” he said.

Korea has now reported more than 4200 cases and 22 deaths, meaning it has more than half of all cases outside China but these cases appear to be from five known clusters rather than the community.

“That’s important because it indicates that surveillance measures are working and Korea’s epidemic can still be contained,” Dr Tedros said.

Interesting articles

Nearly all prefectures in Japan shut schools amid coronavirus outbreak

Almost all prefectures across the nation began shutting schools Monday in a bid to prevent further spread of the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, four days after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a shock request for a total school closure until early April.

As confusion spread among many local authorities, some schools held final classes of the year or left facilities open for children unable to stay home alone while their parents work.

S. Korea reports 123 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 4,335

Virus ravaging Iran kills confidant of its supreme leader

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A member of a council that advises Iran’s supreme leader died Monday from the new coronavirus, becoming the highest-ranking official within the Islamic Republic’s Shiite theocracy to be killed by the illness ravaging the country.

The death of Expediency Council member Mohammad Mirmohammadi came as Iran announced the virus had killed at least 66 people among 1,501 confirmed cases. There are now 1,700 cases of the new coronavirus across the Mideast. Of those outside Iran, most link back to the Islamic Republic, which after China has the highest death toll from the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus.

Testing for coronavirus to be done in Madison, Milwaukee

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Testing for the coronavirus will be done at two locations in Wisconsin rather than be sent out of state to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, state health officials announced Monday.

The testing will be done at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and at the Milwaukee Health Department, health officials said.

Having two labs in Wisconsin that can test for the virus means that patients will receive faster results, hopefully within a day, said Allen Bateman, an assistant director of the communicable disease division at the state lab of hygiene. He said the state has the ability to test hundreds of patients.

Virus has world in ‘uncharted territory’

Coronavirus is now spreading much more rapidly outside China than within, leading the world into uncharted territory – but the outbreak can still be contained, the World Health Organisation says.

Almost nine times as many cases had been reported in the past 24 hours beyond China than inside, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says.

He added that the risk of coronavirus spreading was now very high at a “global level”.

Dow surges 1,300 points and logs best percentage gain in 11 years as investors hope central banks can dull coronavirus pain

U.S. stocks surged into the close Monday, as the Dow and S&P 500 ended a brutal seven-day selloff amid growing hope that global central banks and major developed economies will act, if not jointly, to help counteract the potential harm from COVID-19, the infectious disease that reportedly originated in Wuhan,

Previous headlines:

Coronavirus: critically ill Chinese patient saved by stem cell therapy, study says

Aaccording to a paper published by a team of researchers from Kunming University led by Dr Hu Min, just four days after being given her first shot of umbilical cord stem cells, the woman was back on her feet and able to walk.

“Although only one case was shown here, it could be very important and inspire similar clinical practices in treating critically ill Covid-19 patients,” said the study, which was published on Thursday on Chinaxiv.org, a platform for the release of scientific papers that have yet to be peer-reviewed.

CDC hasn’t revealed information to doctors that would help coronavirus patients

Health officials in three states that have already had coronavirus patients say they shared detailed clinical information about their patients with the CDC, but the CDC has not yet released it.

The CDC is the federal agency that communicates with physicians about how to handle outbreaks. Whether it’s SARS, Ebola or last year’s measles outbreak, the agency uses information from cases around the world — and in particular the United States — to advise doctors on how to diagnose, evaluate and treat diseases.
The federal agency possesses such information about several US coronavirus patients, but has not released it. That means doctors who now unexpectedly find themselves treating new coronavirus patients aren’t able to benefit from the findings of doctors who preceded them.

3 pm update. An increase of 414 cases and 9 deaths since 12 noon

Florida has two confirmed cases of new coronavirus

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida officials tried to reassure residents Monday that the risk posed by a new strain of coronavirus remained low, despite revelations that two people had become the first in the state to test positive for the virus.

Florida officials said Sunday they were declaring a public health emergency after announcing two cases, a woman in her 20s who recently returned from Italy and a man in his 60s who had not traveled to any countries of concern.

Illinois officials announce 4th positive test for virus

The Illinois and Cook County public health departments made the announcement Monday in a joint statement. Officials say the unidentified patient, a woman in her 70s, is quarantined at home and reported to be in good condition along with her husband.

Officials say they’re working to determine who the couple had been in contact with to prevent additional transmission. Officials did not reveal any information about how the couple might have contracted the virus.

Seattle-area officials report new coronavirus deaths, bringing US total to 6

At least four new patients have died from COVID-19 in Washington state, bringing the total number of deaths in the U.S. to at least six as the coronavirus spreads throughout local communities around Seattle, local health officials said Monday.

Public health officials near Seattle reported the nation’s first two deaths in a nearby suburb and several new cases over the weekend.

Even though I mentioned yesterday in, Covid-19 Headlines March 1, 2020, that more cases will show up as better test kits for Covid-19 are used, seeing the number go up is still concerning.

U.S. prepares for more coronavirus cases with focus on testing

(Reuters) – Authorities across the United States on Monday prepared for more cases of illness caused by the new coronavirus after a second fatality over the weekend, with the emphasis on ratcheting up the number of available test kits.

Italy coronavirus deaths jump to 52, cases climb above 2,000

ROME (Reuters) – The death toll from coronavirus in Italy jumped to 52 on Monday from 34 the day before and the total number of confirmed cases in Europe’s worst affected country climbed past the 2,000 mark.

PM Johnson says ‘very significant’ expansion of UK coronavirus cases on the cards

LONDON (Reuters) – A very significant expansion of the number of cases of coronavirus in Britain is “clearly on the cards”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.

The United Kingdom so far has 40 confirmed novel coronavirus cases. Earlier Johnson said Britain was very well prepared and would be making “every possible preparation”.

U.S. death toll climbs to 6 as viral crisis eases in China

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The death toll from the coronavirus in the U.S. climbed to six Monday and the disease spread to ever more countries and world capitals, even as new cases in China dropped to their lowest level in six weeks.

Tunisia confirms first coronavirus case: health minister

Senegal confirms first coronavirus case: health ministry – Reuters

DAKAR (Reuters) – Senegal’s health minister on Monday announced the first case of coronavirus in the country, the second case in sub-Saharan Africa after one was confirmed in Nigeria last week.

Recovering from a cold, Pope Francis skips Lenten retreat with Curia – The Dialog

VATICAN CITY– Continuing his recovery from a mild cold, Pope Francis said that he would be unable to attend his annual Lenten retreat with Roman Curia officials.

“Unfortunately, my cold forces me to not participate,” the pope told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square March 1 for his Sunday Angelus address.

Report says virus outbreak making mark on Midwest economy – AP

“This month’s softer reading plus the mounting negative impacts from the (virus) should concern policymakers regarding the strength of the economy,” said Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey. “Fully 40% of supply managers reported negative impacts from the (virus).”

Canada won’t ban flights from COVID-19 hot spots or shut borders, containment remains strategy – Toronto Sun

A Health Canada spokesperson told The Toronto Sun containment is still Canada’s strategy and that the Canadian government will not shut down its borders or ban direct or connecting flights from China.

The same applies to Italy and Iran, despite Ghebreyesus confirming “24 cases had been exported from Italy to 14 countries and 97 cases had been exported from Iran to 11 countries.”

Latvia reports its first coronavirus case: ministry – Reuters

CDC Accidentally Releases ‘Diamond Princess’ Evacuee Who Tested Positive For The Virus – ZeroHedge

Early Monday, the CDC admitted that it had mistakenly released an infected coronavirus patient from the San Antonio Texas Center for Infectious Disease the day prior after the patient twice tested negative for the virus. At that time the patient had no symptoms and technically met the criteria for release, and so was allowed to leave, ABC 7 reports.

However, the patient was soon returned to isolation after a subsequent lab test came back positive for the novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19. So the CDC decided to bring them back to quarantine “out of an abundance of caution.”

Policeman, fireman test positive for coronavirus in Rome – Reuters

Cases in Rome, Italy’s largest city with 3 million people, had so far been limited to a Chinese couple on holiday and an Italian repatriated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began late last year, on a special flight and hospitalized. All three recovered.

CDC mistakenly released a patient from the Texas Center for Infectious Disease who later returned a positive COVID-19 reading – Mayor Ron Nirenberg

The fact that the CDC allowed the public to be exposed to a patient with a positive COVID-19 reading is unacceptable.

12 noon EST update. An increase of 618 cases and 14 deaths since 5 am

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Alaska top medical officer urges residents to plan for virus – AP

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska’s chief medical officer urged residents to be prepared for disruptions to their daily lives but remain mindful of small actions that can help control the spread of the virus that causes the disease called COVID-19.

Dr. Anne Zink stressed hand washing while addressing a town hall meeting in Chugiak Saturday, The Anchorage Daily News reported.

“Hand washing is incredibly important,” Zink said, while also noting the importance of keeping fingers away from faces to prevent the spread of germs.

Iran finds millions of hoarded gloves as coronavirus deaths hit 66 – Reuters

The hoarded supplies, including 28 million medical gloves, were found in two warehouses in Kahrizak, a town about 25 km south of Tehran, a Revolutionary Guards commander, Hassan Hassanzadeh, told the Fars news agency.

Pharmacies are short of gloves and other supplies.

Anyone found hoarding medical supplies will be dealt with harshly, Iran’s judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday, according to Mizan, the news site of the judiciary.

“Show no mercy to hoarders of medicine and medical supplies,” Raisi said in a message to prosecutors.

Australia warns it can’t stop the spread of coronavirus from overseas – The Straits Times

SYDNEY (REUTERS) – Australia’s chief medical officer said on Monday (March 2) that it was no longer possible to completely prevent people with the coronavirus from entering the country, citing concerns about outbreaks in Japan and South Korea.

South Korea, Iran, Italy and Japan greatest concern: WHO’s Tedros – Reuters

In the past 24 hours there were almost nine times more coronavirus cases reported outside China than inside, but the disease can be contained with the right measures, he said.

Africa boosts preparations for possible spread of new virus – AP

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Across Africa, steps are being taken to prepare for — and to reduce the effects of — the spread of the new coronavirus. Testing laboratories are being supplied, quarantine and hospital treatment facilities are being readied for patients, and public health advisories have been issued.

WHO sends medics to Iran, where virus toll jumps to 66 – CNA

TEHRAN: The UN World Health Organization on Monday (Mar 2) sent its first planeload of assistance to help fight coronavirus in Iran, the second-worst hit country after China, as the death toll rose by 12 to 66 in the Islamic republic.

Iran’s confirmed cases leapt by 523 from the previous day to 1,501, said Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi.

Saudi Arabia announces first case of coronavirus – Reuters

The infected person had come from Iran through Bahrain, the report added.

Risk in EU from outbreak rises to second highest level – Sky News

It is now considered moderate to high. The top level is high.

The EU commission clarified the current assessment risk after its president Ursula von der Leyen said the level had been raised to high from moderate.

Coronavirus: two new deaths in the Oise – Le Parisien

Less than a week after the death of the teacher at Crépy-en-Valois, two other patients who passed through Compiègne hospital lost their lives as a result of Covid-19.

Italy’s health system at limit in virus-struck Lombardy – AP

MILAN (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy has so overwhelmed the public health system that officials are taking extraordinary measures to care for the sick, seeking to bring doctors out of retirement and accelerate graduation dates for nursing students.

Hospitals in hard-hit Lodi and Cremona were so overwhelmed at times last week, with more sick people arriving than could be accepted, that they closed their emergency rooms and new patients were taken elsewhere.

“Effectively some of the hospitals in Lombardy are under a stress that is much heavier than what this area can support and has trained for for years, to face this type of emergency,” Dr. Massimo Galli, head of infectious disease at Milan’s Sacco Hospital, told Sky TG24. “This epidemic is on a scale that is larger than anyone could have thought, imagined or prevented.”

Shincheonji founder apologizes for virus spread, vows full support – YNA

“As the representative of Shincheonji followers, I sincerely apologize to the public,” Lee Man-hee, founder and leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, said in a press conference just outside of Seoul. “It wasn’t our intention, but many people were infected.”

Gov: 2 in Florida test presumptively positive for COVID-19 – AP

But the state Health Department said the Hillsborough patient had a history of travel to Italy, which has been among the countries hardest hit by the spread of the coronavirus outside Asia.

Authorities said the Manatee patient had not been in any of the countries currently identified for restricted travel by federal authorities.

Three Florida Department of Health labs are now able to test for the new coronavirus, cutting wait times significantly for results, state officials had announced Saturday.

The Florida health officials said in an email that labs in Tampa, Jacksonville and Miami can conduct the tests, which previously had to be sent to federal labs. They said that would mean results should be available 24 to 48 hours afterward — instead of within days.

Japan confirms at least 19 new coronavirus infections on Monday: Kyodo – Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan on Monday confirmed at least 19 new coronavirus cases, bringing the number of infections in the country to 980, including passengers who caught the pathogen on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, Kyodo newswire reported.

Health care worker identified as state’s 1st COVID-19 case – AP

The 39-year-old Manhattan woman’s background in health care allowed her to take the appropriate precautions and seek testing.

“She was not on any public transportation. She has been in her home virtually isolated, and she’s isolated once again,” the Democratic governor said on CNN’s “New Day.”

Russian citizen who returned from Italy diagnosed with coronavirus: RIA cites ministry – Reuters

Another three Russian nationals are receiving treatment in Russia after they contracted the virus on a cruise ship in Japan, authorities have said.

Two Patients Die of Coronavirus in Northern France: Le Parisien – U.S. News

TWO patients died of coronavirus in northern France, bringing the death toll in the country to four, Le Parisien newspaper said on Monday, citing the mayor of the city of Compiegne and other sources.

“As of Monday, according to the latest information I have, there were another two deaths in the hospital of Compiegne,” Philippe Marini, the mayor of Compiegne, was reported as saying by Le Parisien.

Four new infections detected in England – The Guardian

Four more patients have tested positive for coronavirus in England, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 40, PA Media quotes the chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, as saying.

Amazon confirms two employees in Italy have contracted coronavirus – Reuters

Amazon.com Inc said late on Sunday that two employees in Milan, Italy, have contracted the coronavirus and are under quarantine.

The world’s biggest online retailer said it was unaware of any U.S. employees who had contracted the virus. On Friday, Amazon told employees to stop non-essential travel, within the United States and beyond.

Indonesia’s COVID-19 patient ill for two weeks before she was tested in hospital – CNA

JAKARTA: One of the two patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in Indonesia had been ill for two weeks before the authorities tested her for the virus, Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto revealed on Monday (Mar 2).

The authorities had immediately placed the patients – a 31-year-old dance teacher and her 64-year-old mother – in quarantine after learning that the former had come into close contact with a Japanese woman who visited Indonesia and later tested positive in Malaysia.

However, authorities did not immediately declare the two as COVID-19 suspects until the Japanese woman called the dance instructor on Feb 28, alerting her that she had tested positive for the contagious disease.

The story above is an example of why testing is very important to trace where the infection came from.

Plans to shut schools and curb travel in UK if coronavirus spreads – Guardian

Schools could close and travel around the UK could be restricted under stepped-up government plans to deal with the coronavirus as its spread accelerates across Europe.

United Airlines boss warns domestic and transatlantic flights will be cut after coronavirus fears leave planes empty of passengers – Daily Mail

In an email to employees on Sunday, Oscar Munoz said the airline had been hit by sagging demand for flights as passengers avoid travel amid coronavirus fears

United already cut flights to Asia, mainland China and Hong Kong
On Friday, it then sharply slashed flights to Japan and South Korea

Short-term demand for its trans-Pacific routes was also down by 75%

This marks the latest blow for the airline industry as industry analysts warned that the impact of coronavirus on the airline industry was ‘worse than 9/11’

Jump in new coronavirus cases in the UK – Daily Telegraph

Coronavirus cases in Britain have jumped as 12 new infections took the total to 35, with health minister Matt Hancock warning the government was preparing for the global epidemic to get worse.

Wuhan closes makeshift hospital as new coronavirus cases in China drop sharply – Reuters

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The Chinese city at the center of the coronavirus epidemic closed its first makeshift hospital, one of 16 hurriedly built to handle the epidemic, after it discharged the last recovered patients, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday.

Coronavirus: critically ill Chinese patient saved by stem cell therapy, study says – SCMP

65-year-old woman in Kunming hospital intensive care unit showed no adverse effects to her first shot and after two was up and walking again, researchers say

‘Drive-through’ testing centers expand across S. Korea – YNA

More “drive-through” facilities to test for the novel coronavirus were set up across South Korea on Monday as the country’s health authorities strive to provide easier and quicker ways to test the virus and contain its further spread.

Coronavirus related articles:

Coronavirus spreads across western Europe as Portugal reports first cases – Sky News

The first two cases in Portugal include a man who travelled to the country from Italy and another man who travelled from Spain.

Australian financial regulators hold emergency call on coronavirus: sources – Reuters

Australia’s financial regulators scheduled an emergency call on Monday to discuss the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as the country looks to avoid a risk of recession.

Coronavirus escalation could cut global economic growth in half – OECD – Guardian

Several countries at risk of recession as Covid-19 spreads around the world

U.S. agency investigating production of faulty coronavirus test kits – Reuters

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed on Sunday that it is investigating a manufacturing defect in some initial coronavirus test kits that prompted some states to seek emergency approval to use their own test kits.

The FDA said on Saturday it would allow some laboratories to immediately use tests they have developed and validated to achieve more rapid testing capacity for the coronavirus.

5 am EST 3/2/2020. The first batch of headlines. An increase of 869 cases and 50 deaths since 7 pm 3/1/2020. Serious cases 8%. The death rate of 3.4%

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Indonesia confirms 2 coronavirus cases: President Widodo – CNA

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Monday (Mar 2) that two Indonesians have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first confirmed cases in the country.

He was quoted as saying by Kompas new site that the two Indonesians had made contact with a Japanese person, who visited the country and later tested positive in Malaysia.

Voting in Israel with staff in full protective suits – The Guardian

People in Israel are voting in a national election today and the government has set up 16 special voting booths for roughly 5,000 people who are in precautionary home isolation, Oliver Holmes, the Guardian’s Jerusalem correspondent, reports.

The polling stations are small tents made of plastic sheeting, with staff in full protective suits.

S. Korea’s virus cases top 4,300, school breaks extended nationwide – Yonhap

School breaks were again extended nationwide, until March 23, as the nation provides an “all-out response” to the fast-spreading virus that includes a massive testing program.

The 599 new cases of the novel coronavirus brought the nation’s total number of infections here to 4,335, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

In UK, Jonathon Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, says he would support shutting down cities to control the spread of coronavirus. – The Guardian

He said Labour would support shutting down cities to prevent the spread of Covid-19 within the UK, “if the medical advice and the scientific advice is to take measures along those lines.”

UK can expect to see widespread coronavirus infection “fairly soon.” – The Guardian

The extent of infection we are seeing in other countries suggests it is likely that we will see more widespread infection in the UK and that is what we have to be prepared for.

Patients fill hospitals in more places as new virus expands – AP

Kim Gang-lip, South Korea’s vice health minister, said hospitals’ capacities from now on will be reserved for patients with serious symptoms or preexisting medical conditions, while mild cases will be isolated in designated facilities outside hospitals.

“Considering our limited medical resources, it will be crucial to make quick assessments of patients’ conditions and provide quick, professional and active treatment to those with serious symptoms and minimize fatalities,” Kim said. “If we continue to hospitalize mild patients amid the continued surge in infections, we would be risking overworking medical professionals and putting them at greater risk of infections.”

Bali prays as COVID-19 hits tourism on Island of the Gods – CNA

Concerns over the rapidly-spreading outbreak prompted Indonesia to shut down all flights to and from China last month, dealing a body blow to scores of Bali businesses including restaurants, hotels, travel agents, wedding planners and Mandarin-speaking interpreters.

Indonesia confirms first cases of coronavirus, link to Japanese visitor – Reuters

Two Indonesians have tested positive for coronavirus after coming into contact with an infected Japanese national, President Joko Widodo said on Monday, marking the first confirmed cases in the world’s fourth-most populous country.

Virus kills member of council advising Iran’s supreme leader – AP

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A member of a council that advises Iran’s supreme leader died Monday after falling sick from the new coronavirus, state radio reported, becoming the first top official to succumb to the illness that is affecting members of the Islamic Republic’s leadership.

Thailand reports one new coronavirus case, total at 43 – health official – Reuters

The new case is a 22-year-old Thai woman who works with another Thai patient, a Thai driver for foreign tourists, Sukhum Kanchanaphimai, the permanent secretary of the health ministry, said in a news conference.

‘This is not a zombie movie’: WA urges calm, reveals plans for coronavirus fever clinics – The Age

The physician who treated Australia’s first person to die of coronavirus, Perth man James Kwan, has said this is “not a zombie movie” and that the West Australian health system will cope with a looming local outbreak.

Her words came as Mr Kwan’s wife remained battling the virus in a Perth hospital and the West Australian government announced it would be putting fever clinics in place for an “inevitable” community spread.

Australia warns it can’t stop the spread of coronavirus from overseas – Reuters

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s chief medical officer said on Monday it was no longer possible to completely prevent people with the coronavirus from entering the country, citing concerns about outbreaks in Japan and South Korea.

South Korea reports 599 new cases and six more casualties, taking death toll to 26 – SCMP

South Korea reported 599 new coronavirus cases on Monday, sending the largest national total in the world outside China past 4,000.
The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) also confirmed the country’s death toll had risen to 26 from 20 the day before.

Coronavirus: Death toll passes 3,000 worldwide as second person dies in US – The Guardian

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Covid-19 Headlines for Mar 2, 2020

“The epidemics in the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan are our greatest concern,” he said.

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