Coronavirus Update: I am no Longer Updating this Story as of March 1.
Johns-Hopkins has the best real-time dashboard.
California has 33 cases and is monitoring 8,400 possible infections Community spread has occurred.
Italian case growth increased 28% to 655 cases suggesting Italy case growth is slowing. Churches have been asked to stop holding communion. The Pope is presently ill with a respiratory infection. (Ed: The Pope could do much to reduce spread with the stroke of a pen by asking churches worldwide to pause services for a month.)
Iran cases grew 31% to 338. The vice president has tested positive. Neighboring Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain & Kuwait also have cases. War-torn Syria is vulnerable but has not yet reported a case.
The #2 Korean outbreak has grown 30% overnight to 2,337 people suggesting it is not yet in control. Korea has banned public gatherings to reduce spread. Airlines have waived cancellation & change fees to Korea.
Japan has announced closure of all schools for a month. Domestic cases accelerated 16% overnight to 228. Japan remains the #4 source of cases due to the Diamond Princess Cruise ship (634 cases including 3 deaths), all in the past.
Africa & South America have one case each.
The WHO has issued a comprehensive set of recommendations for nations to put into effect. The US CDC has done similarly. President Trump requested $2.5B from Congress to help manage coronavirus costs. San Francisco declared a state of emergency in order to release funds to prepare for COVID-19.
Stock markets fell significantly for the eigth straight day .Economists warned that the risk of an economic downturn is high as car and oil markets slow.
Concerns remain that Indonesia and Cambodia are under-reporting cases. North Korea reports it is quarantining people but has thus-far refused U.S. and WHO assistance.
Companies are adopting a “no handshake” policy as an easy way to reduce transmission. (See below for print-yourself door sign.)
Face masks & hand sanitizer remain in short supply worldwide.
The chart below shows the total number of cases.
The chart below shows the rate of growth which gives us the trend.
The origin was a wild animal virus in a wet market coupled with China’s disastrous failure in reprimanding Dr. Li-Wenliang, the doctor who reported the disease, thereby allowing it to spread. Tragically Dr. Li died of coronavirus on Feb. 7 resulting in unprecedented citizen anger on Sina-Weibo.
The World Health Organization (WHO) found that COVID-19 is easier to transmit than SARS, but is less lethal with mortality rates around 9%. (Only three deaths have occurred outside China.) Most deaths appear to be elderly or compromised by other illnesses. Challengingly, the incubation period is approximately two weeks, during which time the carrier is infectious.
Print yourself door sign:
#COVID-19 World Health Organization #Coronavirus #CDC
