The new coronavirus does not take a Sunday off. Today is busy with a record number of cases in the UK, South Korea, Spain, France, Iran, Italy, and Japan. The Dominican Republic, Czech Republic, Scotland, Rhode Island, and Armenia reported their first documented cases.
Thailand and Australia mark their first death. Factories remaining shut and travel advisories may signal that the markets will continue to decline in the coming week. Pope Francis is still sick and postponed his public appearances.
New cases without any known sick contacts and travel mean that asymptomatic carriers are out there and still spreading the virus.
The list will be updating the whole day. Check often.
Scroll over the headlines to see the link. Titles in blue are original articles by me.
Covid-19 Headlines
7 pm EST update. An increase of 103 cases and 7 deaths since12:30 pm today.
SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) — More than 80 countries are imposing entry restrictions and tougher quarantine procedures for travelers from South Korea over new coronavirus concerns, despite Seoul’s continued efforts to persuade countries to refrain from taking excessive measures.
South Korea has reported 3,730 cases and 21 deaths, the biggest outbreak outside mainland China. More than half of the patients are members of Lee’s Shincheonji Church. It’s believed that church members infected one another after leaders urged members not to report symptoms.
S. Korea’s virus cases expected to keep rising in early March, infection tally tops 3,700 – YNA
SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) — South Korea on Sunday said the country’s novel coronavirus cases are likely to keep rising through early March as local health authorities vowed to beef up the anti-virus fight, focusing on a minor religious sect that has been at the center of the outbreak here.
South Korea reported another daily spike of COVID-19 infections, with 586 additional cases bringing the total here to 3,736 as of 4 p.m., according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
US ramps up mask production after death – Daily Telegraph
The US will start screening travellers for coronavirus and ramp up production of masks and test kits as the disease spreads and world stock markets tumble.
The US has 75,000 test kits for coronavirus and will expand that number “radically” in coming weeks, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told ABC’s This Week on Sunday.
Vice President Mike Pence said the government had ordered the production of an extra 35 million respiratory masks a month.
Update (March 1): Increasing fear of a Covid-19 outbreak has forced many Americans out of their homes and millennials from their parents’ basements to panic buy food at Costco stores across the country this weekend:
At our local Costco-like store, it is not this bad but isopropyl alcohol have run out.
Panic buying will get worse once more cases are revealed by the new Covid-19 test. The test will be done by at least 40 public health laboratories this week. A potential of 400,000 tests can be done a day. Read further below for more.
SEATTLE (AP) — The coronavirus may have been circulating for weeks undetected in Washington state, a preliminary finding that could mean hundreds of undiagnosed cases, researchers said Sunday after analyzing genetic samples from two people. Washington state, home of the nation’s first confirmed infection, saw the nation’s first death from the virus this weekend.
All these undiagnosed cases can be tested with the new test for coronavirus available to public health laboratories from the CDC starting this week. Read further below.
US confirms cases in Chicago and Rhode Island – The Guardian
US health secretary Alex Azar has confirmed a new case of coronavirus in Chicago, as the respiratory illness spreads in the US.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today recommended a dramatic shift in how it implements regulations that control whether laboratories can use diagnostic kits created in-house to test for infections of coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19). “We issued a policy this morning that allows us to have a lot of flexibility around the development of diagnostic tests,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn at a White House briefing with President Donald Trump this afternoon. “We expect this policy to have a significant impact.” The change could greatly expand the number of laboratories able to do coronavirus testing.
The U.S. government has come under severe criticism for not providing nearly enough tests needed to understand the extent of spread in the population. A test kit produced and distributed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was shelved after state and local lab trying it out discovered that it contained a faulty reagent. As a result, many labs that have the capability to test themselves have not been allowed to do so.
Scott Becker, the CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories said “these steps will jumpstart testing and surveillance capabilities and greatly enhance our efforts to protect the health of individuals and communities across the country.” He anticipates that public health labs will be able to run 10,000 tests a day by the end of next week.
Feds to allow state public health labs to test for COVID-19 – CIDRAP
As many as 40 state public health labs could begin testing for the COVID-19 virus using parts of the test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as early as this week, according to the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL).
“As of now: @CDCgov & @US_FDA developed a new protocol using 2 of 3 components of original test kit. Many public health labs are able to use the original kit w/out problem component to begin testing as soon as this week,” APHL said on its Twitter feed.
With this improved testing capability, the asymptomatic carriers and cases can be identified, isolated, and help stop the spread of the virus.
It is very possible that there will be a sharp rise in the number of US cases in the coming days. That does not necessarily mean a more rapid spread but only identifying what is already there. Plus the new cases.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said Sunday that “community spread” cases of the virus, which cannot be directly traced to anyone, are becoming more prevalent in the United States.
The term “community spread” is used when a person becomes infected with no known original source or index case, in contrast to earlier travel-related cases which were clearer in how and where the infections originated, Fauci told “Fox & Friends Weekend” in a Sunday morning interview.
4 new COVID-19 cases linked to Science Park cluster, including Filipino maid – CNA
The new cases, which include a domestic worker from the Philippines, bring the total number of infections in Singapore past the 100 mark to 102.
1st COVID-19 case confirmed in Rhode Island – AP
The Rhode Island Department of Health said the unnamed male is in his 40s and had traveled to Italy in mid-February. State public health officials are working with the hospital where the unnamed person is currently being treated to ensure all infection control protocols are being followed.
Germany’s COVID-19 cases almost double – DW
The number of coronavirus cases in Germany has risen sharply; official data shows infections have reached 129, compared with 66 on Saturday. More than half are in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Thirteen new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK – including the first one in Scotland.
It is the biggest jump in COVID-19 cases the UK has seen in one day – and means all four home nations have now been affected.
Just how deadly is this thing and what are the odds you will get it?
Are we looking at citywide lock-downs such as those that have been instituted in other countries?
Is it expected to return time and time again and how long before we know?
If I or someone I know appears to start showing symptoms, what is the best course forward?
What are the long and short term economic consequences of this outbreak?
Whether it’s a matter of faulty detection, climatic factors or simple fluke, the remarkably low rate of coronavirus infection in African countries, with their fragile health systems, continues to puzzle – and worry – experts.
To date, only three cases of infection have been officially recorded in Africa, one in Egypt, one in Algeria and one in Nigeria, with no deaths.
How many tests for Covid-19 have African countries done? No test. No cases.
Japan escapes tougher travel measures as U.S. bans entry of travelers from Iran and raises South Korea alert level – Japan Times
WASHINGTON – The U.S. government said Saturday it will ban the entry of travelers from Iran amid concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus there, while issuing an alert to U.S. citizens not to travel to some virus-hit areas of South Korea and Italy.
PARIS (Reuters) – Tourists and art lovers were unable to visit the Louvre in Paris on Sunday as workers staged a walkout at the world’s most-visited museum after a staff meeting about the coronavirus outbreak.
Moving towards a global pandemic – The Guardian
Prof Andrew Tatem, Professor within Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, said:
“The fact that China is now detecting and reporting imported cases that are coming from Iran and the UK is an indication of how the geographical balance of this outbreak is shifting as we seemingly move towards a global pandemic.”
1 pm EST update. An increase of 1,039 cases and 18 deaths since 5 am. Serious cases 8.6% Deaths 3.39%
A new way to greet to prevent contact. From Walter Cotte
Health officials said at a news conference the three patients showed mild symptoms and had travelled from places in northern Italy.
Cases on the rise in Germany – DW
Coronavirus cases in Germany rise to 79, with 16 having recovered
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian automakers Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (M&M) and Tata Motors said on Sunday their supply of parts from China had been hit, as fallout from the coronavirus outbreak mounts.
“Going into March, we anticipate the challenge on parts-supply to continue for another few weeks, before we get back to normalcy,” Veejay Ram Nakra, Chief of Sales and Marketing at M&M’s automotive division said in a press release.
A massive 70 per cent of Britons could catch the killer bug and 15 per cent of those may be hospitalized, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Health Minister Helen Whately said it was ‘likely’ more people in the UK would contract coronavirus and that plans were in place should it become a pandemic.
Not enough U.S. hospital beds once Covid-19 epidemic is full-blown
UK could shut down cities – The Guardian
Isolating UK cities, as the Chinese authorities did to Wuhan where coronavirus was first detected, may be necessary to stop the the spread of the outbreak, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, has conceded.
The weekslong COVID-19 saga has ignited an outpouring of criticism both at home and abroad over the containment measures — or lack thereof — that Japan has been taking to curb the spread of the potentially deadly pathogen.
What some critics slam as Japan’s lax and tardy initial response has highlighted the more draconian steps countries other than China are taking to contain the crisis.
How far does the existing legal system allow Japan to go?
UK fears of undetected cases grow as 12 more test positive – The Guardian
A patient in Essex has become the second person in the UK to test positive for coronavirus without having recently travelled abroad, the Department of Health has said.
The case will fuel concerns that the virus is circulating undetected in parts of Britain, making it harder for authorities to contain the spread of the infection throughout the country.
US advisory warns Americans not travel to 2 Italian regions – AP
MILAN (AP) — A new U.S. government advisory on Sunday urged Americans not to travel to two Italian regions hardest hit by a new virus, raising the level of warning for the Lombard and Veneto regions to the highest level.
The advisory cited quarantines set up in 10 Lombard towns and one in Veneto, with a combined population of 50,000 people, as well as the ’’the level of community transmission of the virus.″
Preventing a Covid-19 epidemic in the UK is looking increasingly unlikely – The Guardian
Preventing a Covid-19 epidemic in the UK is looking increasingly unlikely, according to Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine, University of East Anglia.
Today’s sharp increase in confirmed cases in the UK shows the country is entering the “next stage of the epidemic” he said.
DUBAI – (Reuters) – Qatar’s health ministry announced on Sunday two more cases of coronavirus in the country, according to the ministry’s Twitter account.
Armenia has reported its first coronavirus infection, in a citizen returning from neighbouring Iran, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a post on Facebook.
The Countries Best And Worst Prepared For An Epidemic – Statista
The United States was named as the country with the strongest measures in place and it came first with 83.5 out of 100. The United Kingdom came second with 77.9 followed by the Netherlands with 75.6. China, which has initiated a series of lockdowns in response to the outbreak, comes 51st with a score of 48.2. This map shows levels of preparation across the world and Africa’s vulnerability is immediately noticeable.
SEOUL (Reuters) – Churches were closed in South Korea on Sunday, with many holding online services instead, as authorities fought to rein in public gatherings as 586 new coronavirus infections took the tally to 3,736 cases.
Shenzhen man who tested positive had worked in Bristol – The Guardian
The man who tested positive for coronavirus in Shenzhen after flying from London last Thursday had been working in Bristol, the Chinese authorities have confirmed.
Coughing pope cancels participating in Lenten retreat – AP
VATICAN CITY (AP) — A coughing Pope Francis told pilgrims gathered for the traditional Sunday blessing that he is canceling his participation at a week-long spiritual retreat in the Roman countryside because of a cold.
It is the first time in his seven-year papacy that he has missed the spiritual exercises that he initiated early in his pontificate to mark the start of each Lenten season. Such retreats are typical Jesuits, an order to which he belongs.
The distance from the Vatican to Rome is 4 kilometers.
Rome’s Church of San Luigi dei Francesi Closed – The Guardian
The move to shut Rome’s Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, which hosts Caravaggio’s “The Calling of St Matthew” masterpiece, came after a priest in Paris tested positive for the virus after returning from Italy.
Silver Linings Playbook: 119 People Quarantined In A Brothel In Spain – ZeroHedge
Of all the places to be quarantined, a brothel in Valencia, Spain, might not be the worst. You’ve got booze, you’ve likely got a small buffet of fried foods and you’ve got entertainment.
But in all seriousness, that was exactly the case a day ago when authorities found that a woman working at the “La Selva Negra” brothel had tested positive for coronavirus. The findings forced authorities to quarantine the premises and the 86 customers that were inside.
Italian hospitals facing ‘tsunami’ of cases – The Guardian
A top Italian health official has warned of a “tsunami” effect on the hospital system as confirmed coronavirus cases in Italy rose to 1,128.
“The situation is, frankly, an emergency from the point of view of health system organisation,” Massimo Galli, a professor and director of infectious diseases at Milan’s Sacco hospital, told Corriere della Sera on Sunday.
Not enough U.S. hospital beds once Covid-19 epidemic is full-blown
A Hokkaido man in his 70s has died after being infected with COVID-19, the local government said Sunday, bringing the domestic death toll to 12.
The Japanese national, who had no record of overseas travel, died Saturday after developing a fever and pneumonia on Feb. 23 while hospitalized, the regional government said. He had tested positive for the virus two days after developing pneumonia.
Pope, blaming a cold, skips Lent retreat for first time in his papacy – Reuters
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis announced on Sunday that a cold he is suffering from has forced him to skip a Lenten spiritual retreat with senior Vatican officials near Rome for the first time in his papacy.
“There is no evidence that would lead to diagnosing anything but a mild indisposition,” he said.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s health ministry raised on Sunday the nationwide death toll from the new coronavirus to 54 as the number of confirmed infected cases jumped overnight by more than half to 978 people.
The man was in his 50s and had underlying health issues, officials said during a press conference on Saturday afternoon. They also said there are two other “presumptive positive” cases in Kings County.
Both of the cases are associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland, a long-term care nursing facility in Kirkland, Washington.
“What made this case so much worse was that this person spent a considerable amount of time in a very crowded area,” said Seoul National University professor of health policy, Kim Chang-yup. “There’s growing fear and resentment among the people right now.”
What is known is that the church held religious gatherings in the Chinese city of Wuhan – the epicenter of the current outbreak.
Virus quarantine has serious side effects – Japan Times
The bad news is that quarantine and isolation are usually accompanied by unwelcome side effects, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.
The medical professionals treating patients and managing quarantines often face mental health burdens of their own. More at the link.
Pope makes first public appearance following illness – Reuters
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis on Sunday made his first public appearance in four days following what the Vatican has called a “slight indisposition” that forced him to cancel some audiences and activities.
The former chair of the Global Health Council talks about the mentality that left the world vulnerable to the Covid-19 epidemic and what can be done to minimise its effects.
The worst case is that the outbreak goes global and the disease eventually becomes endemic, meaning it circulates permanently in the human population.
New York gets green light to test for COVID-19 virus – AP
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York received approval Saturday to conduct its own tests for the COVID-19 virus, a move officials said will significantly speed up turnaround times for results as the outbreak spreads.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the New York test has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and that testing will begin immediately at Wadsworth Lab near the state Capitol in Albany.
The new cases were concentrated in the central city of Wuhan, where the virus emerged late last year, with 565 infections, or nearly 99% of Saturday’s total.
The death toll of 35 was February’s second lowest daily total and was down from 47 the previous day. The tally of deaths in mainland China is now 2,870, the National Health Commission said.
Virus apparently reactivated in S. Korea’s 1st reinfection case: experts – YNA
SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s first case of reinfection by the novel coronavirus appears to be one in which the virus revived after not being fully eradicated from the patient, infectious disease experts here said Sunday.
South Korea on Saturday reported that a 73-year-old woman tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time even after she had been released from quarantine on Feb. 22. According to local health authorities, she started showed symptoms again Thursday and was found to be infected with the new coronavirus the following day.
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Wuhan Coronavirus has been detected in the tears of an infected patient, according to a study by China’s Zhejiang University.
Scientists from the university’s First Affiliated Hospital discovered that an infected individual’s tears and conjunctival secretions tested positive for the virus. The study was first published in the Journal of Medical Virology on Feb. 26.
PARIS (AP) — France is banning all indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people to slow its snowballing spread of coronavirus cases and recommending that people no longer greet each other with kisses.
The number of French cases almost doubled, to 100, on Saturday. Of those 86 are hospitalized, two have died and 12 have recovered, said the head of France’s national health service, Jerome Salomon.
S. Korea’s virus cases expected to keep rising in early March, infection tally tops 3,700 – YNA
South Korea on Sunday said the country’s novel coronavirus cases are likely to keep rising through early March as local health authorities vowed to beef up the anti-virus fight, focusing on a minor religious sect that has been at the center of the outbreak here.
South Korea reported another daily spike of new coronavirus infections, with 586 additional cases bringing the total here to 3,736 as of 4 p.m.
Virus forces sumo tournament behind closed doors – AFP
Sumo’s spring tournament will be held behind closed doors, the sport’s governing body said Sunday, the latest big event in Japan to be hit by the coronavirus less than five months before the Tokyo Olympics.
The Japan Sumo Association said spectators would be barred the tournament in Osaka scheduled for March 8-22.
S. Korea to take masks from schools for general public – YNA
SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) — The government will take millions of face masks from schools and redistribute them to the general public in order to address a supply shortage amid the surge of coronavirus cases.
The education ministry announced Sunday that 5.8 million out of 12.7 million masks purchased by elementary, middle and high schools will soon be available at post offices and stores of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, better known as Nonghyup here.
NHS plans to deploy ‘Dad’s Army’ of retired doctors if Covid-19 spreads – The Guardian
Former health professionals could be brought out of retirement under emergency plans being considered by the government to combat the spread of coronavirus.
News of the potential “Dad’s army” deployment comes as NHS bosses warn that the service will struggle if Covid-19 takes hold in Britain.
Illinois county confirms new patient with COVID-19 – NBC
The second largest county in the U.S. is reporting its third case of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.
Officials in Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago, said on Saturday that the patient has been hospitalized and is in isolation.
South Korea wages ‘all-out responses’ to biggest outbreak outside China – SCMP
South Korea has the largest national total in the world outside China, after it saw a rapid surge in the number of coronavirus cases in recent days.
Scores of events have been cancelled or postponed over the virus, while more than 70 countries raised their travel restrictions against South Korea.
Washington state firefighters quarantined ‘out of an abundance of caution’ – NBC
Washington state firefighters who came into contact with coronavirus patients have been quarantined “out of an abundance of caution,” a local official said Saturday. They will remain isolated for two weeks.
Tens of thousands of us are working to save the articles and accounts of COVID-19 before Chinese censors can delete them forever.
US, Australia and Thailand report first deaths – The Guardian
The US, Australia and Thailand have reported their first deaths from coronavirus as two frontline doctors in China died and more countries put in place bans on large gatherings and travel restrictions.
On Saturday, US officials said a man in his 50s in Washington state had died, after being tested for the disease on Thursday. Authorities said they did not know how he had contracted the virus because he did not have any history of travel to affected areas or contact with known Covid-19 cases.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s health ministry said on Sunday the country has four new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 29.
First install 4:55 am Mar 1, 2020.
An increase of 1,184 cases and 40 deaths from yesterday. Serious cases 8.6%. Deaths 3.4%
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Operators of a British cruise ship that was turned away from its destination due to fears of the new coronavirus said Saturday they have chartered planes to ferry passengers home — but don’t yet have permission to dock anywhere.
Hong Kong expert claims outbreak is now a pandemic and US death could be ‘tip of the iceberg’ – SCMP
A top medical expert in Hong Kong believes the coronavirus epidemic can now be labelled a global pandemic, as it has spread quickly across several countries.
University of Hong Kong’s medical faculty dean Gabriel Leung says only reason WHO has not used word is ‘public fear’
In 2017, the World Bank designed a new way to raise money: Pandemic Emergency Financing bonds. Over $425 million worth of such bonds, which bet against a global outbreak of infectious diseases and will default if WHO declares the coronavirus a pandemic, were sold by the World Bank in its first-ever issuance of catastrophe bonds. In the event of no pandemic, investors would be paid a healthy annualized return. Meanwhile, the World Bank could use the bonds to insure itself against the risk of a global outbreak.
World Bank’s $500m pandemic scheme accused of ‘waiting for people to die’ – The Guardian
But critics say the “insanely complicated” terms of the high-interest bonds are heavily skewed towards investors, while for the victims any payouts may come too late, if at all.
One economist described the bonds, payouts from which depend on how deadly the outbreak is, as “obscene”.
Olga Jonas, a senior fellow at Harvard Global Health Institute, who has analysed the bonds’ terms, said they were “so convoluted, it is not at all clear whether they will pay out at all. It is too little, too late – and in this case, maybe never.
“What’s obscene is that the World Bank set it up this way. It waits for people to die.”
Is the Covid-19 epidemic Fake News?
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that the federal government is prepared to assist the states if the coronavirus spreads significantly across the country — an eventuality he called unlikely.
KUWAIT (Reuters) – Kuwait has confirmed a new case of coronavirus infection, bringing the total number of people diagnosed with the disease in the country to 46, a health ministry official told a media conference on Sunday.
An Australian family has revealed how they have “never been as sick” after contracting the lethal coronavirus, claiming night time and a cough are the worst parts of the illness.
There’s growing evidence of the vast cost and economic turmoil of the disease that emerged in central China in December. A new report shows a sharp decline in Chinese manufacturing in February after efforts to contain the virus shut down much of the world’s second-largest economy.
SEOUL (Reuters) – Churches were closed in South Korea on Sunday with many holding online services instead, as authorities fought to rein in public gatherings, with 376 new coronavirus infections taking the tally to 3,526 cases.
US law requires that people who are truly sick get the care they need, regardless of ability to pay.
Abigail Hansmeyer, a Minnesota resident who along with her husband is uninsured, said that if she did fall ill, “we may seek out the emergency room for treatment”.
But being treated doesn’t mean the visit was free and the uninsured can be lumped with huge bills after.
Pence says some COVID-19 patients in US are in intensive care units, but says overall infection risk to Americans is low – AP
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan says plans are already being activated to respond to the first Australian death from the coronavirus, now known as COVID-19.
Authorities have not named the individual, but have confirmed he is a 78-year-old Perth man, who was a passenger along with his wife on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
South Korea said its total number of infections stood at 3,526 as of Sunday morning, and reported its youngest patient so far, a 45-day-old boy whose father is a follower of the Shincheonji religious sect.
Study: Pregnant Moms Do Not Transmit Covid-19 to their Babies
The updated numbers added to the 376 recorded earlier in the day. KCDC also reported an 18th death linked to the virus.
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Don’t Get Sick!
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