Corona Virus (Covid19) Update
Today in the news I think things got a lot better in China. This gives hope that Corona Virus can be contained.
Reuters. Reported
BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese city of Wuhan, ground zero of the coronavirus outbreak, reported just five new cases on Friday, the second day in a row the tally has been less than 10, while no locally transmitted infections were reported in the rest of the country.
Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province, registered the five new cases on Thursday, the National Health Commission said, down from eight cases the previous day. The commission routinely reports new cases the day after the data is collected.
Excluding Wuhan, Hubei had reported no new infections for eight consecutive days.
The province also lowered the epidemic risk ratings of several cities and regions, leaving only Wuhan classified as “high risk” as of the end of March 12, according to the Hubei Daily, a state-owned newspaper.
The commission said on Thursday China’s coronavirus epidemic had passed its peak, even as alarm over the virus intensified elsewhere with global markets suffering record falls and governments unveiling measures to try to slow the spread of a disease that has infected more than 127,000 people worldwide.
The financial hub of Shanghai reported two new cases, while Beijing saw one, all imported by people traveling to China from affected areas abroad, the health authority said.
Those cases brought the total number of new infections in mainland China to eight on Thursday, down from 15 the previous day, and the lowest since the healthy authority started publishing nationwide figures in January.
To date, the total accumulated number of cases in mainland China is 80,813.
The coronavirus has killed more than 3,000 people in mainland China.
It had also stalled the world’s second-largest economy as, beginning in January, authorities ordered work stoppages, travel restrictions and home quarantines.
As the measures start to pay off, local governments have been ordered to revive their economies, especially those in areas that have not had to deal with extensive outbreaks.
Hubei province has started to loosen the strict controls that kept up to 60 million people under a virtual lockdown for weeks.
Wuhan has seen some restrictions relaxed this week and the nearby city of Huanggang, which also had numerous coronavirus cases, on Friday begun relaxing its lockdown, saying that residents could start traveling within the city.
Outside Hubei, about 60% of small- and medium-sized firms and 95% of large ones have gone back to work, vice industry minister Xin Guobin said on Friday.
The death toll in mainland China reached 3,176 as of the end of Thursday, up by seven from the previous day.
In Hubei, there were six new deaths, with Wuhan accounting for all of them.
As the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival approaches, when millions of Chinese families traditionally pay respects to ancestors, clean their graves, offer flowers and burn incense, authorities in Beijing have urged the public to stay away.
“We will arrange free services at cemeteries, the staff will offer free tomb cleaning and free flowers,” said Li Quanxi, an official at Beijing’s civil affairs bureau.
“We want to encourage people to transform social traditions amid the coronavirus outbreak.”
The festival is on April 4.
Reporting by Ryan Woo, Huizhong Wu, Cheng Leng, Lusha Zhang, Se Young Lee, Muyu Xu, Roxanne Liu and Brenda Goh; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Nick Macfie
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china/chinas-coronavirus-epicenter-reports-just-five-cases-beijing-tomb-sweepers-urged-to-stay-back-idUSKBN2100BP
Cases drop in South Korea as well. I personally think South Korea handed it very well.
Carlie PorterfieldForbes Staff
Business
Topline: South Korea reported more recoveries from coronavirus on Friday than new infections for the first time since the outbreak began in January and without any lockdowns—but through almost 250,000 virus tests, compared to reportedly fewer than 14,000 in the United States.
According to Reuters, The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) recorded 110 new coronavirus cases on Friday and said that 177 patients had been released, the first time the daily number of recovered people rose above the number of new cases.
Jeong Eun-kyeong, KCDC chief, said he expects the trend to continue as numbers indicate a downward trend, a hopeful sign that South Korea may be past the worst of the coronavirus outbreak without implementing lockdowns like in China and Italy.
In a letter to the editor in The New York Times, Seo Eun-young, the director of foreign press relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said aggressive testing has been the key to containing the coronavirus.
Unlike other countries—like the United States, where only people showing symptoms are recommended to be tested—South Korea tests anyone who had been in contact with a confirmed case, and tracks down by credit card activity, surveillance camera footage and mobile phone tracking those who are potentially exposed, a measure that has proved effective but has raised questions about privacy.
UPI reported that South Korea had conducted almost 250,000 tests as of Friday according to the KCDC; Eun-young wrote that aggressive testing is also why the country’s mortality rate of 0.77% is so far below the 3.4% global average—and to encourage testing, the roughly $134 fee is waived for anyone who is already a suspected patient or who tests positive, AFP reported.
However, the South Korean government is still monitoring potential flares of coronavirus: new clusters are reported to have emerged at a Seoul call center, a church in the southeastern city of Daegu and a government office in Sejong, about 75 miles from Seoul.
Key background: The U.S. has reportedly tested fewer than 14,000 people, a statistic Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci told congress was “a failing” on Thursday. In contrast, South Korea has reported they have the capacity to test 15,000 patients per day. Last week, the Trump administration failed to follow through on their promise of having 1 million coronavirus tests ready for public use. On Tuesday, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the situation in the U.S. is “likely to get worse before it gets better.”
Italy, home to the largest outbreak outside of China, is in the midst of a country-wide lockdown and at least 1,000 people there have died from the virus, according to The New York Times. Cases are also rapidly increasing in Iran and the U.S.
Iran didn't report new cases in a few hours as well. But it can be good or bad news cause as it seems like Iran is lying big time about the cases as well as death.
Ap news reported before on Feburary 24.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s government said Monday that 12 people had died nationwide from the new coronavirus, rejecting claims of a much higher death toll by a lawmaker from the city of Qom that has been at the epicenter of the virus in the country.
The conflicting reports raised questions about the Iranian government’s transparency concerning the scale of the outbreak.
Five neighboring countries reported their first cases of the virus, with those infected all having links to Iran, including direct travel from a city where authorities have not even reported a confirmed case.
Iran’s Health Ministry said the total number of infections have risen to 61 while deaths stood at 12. But a lawmaker from Qom, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, was quoted by the semi-official ILNA news agency as saying that the death toll was 50.
Even with the lower toll of 12, the number of deaths compared to the number of confirmed infections from the virus is higher in Iran than in any other country, including China and South Korea, where the outbreak is far more widespread.
The World Health Organization said last week that in 2% of infected cases, the virus has been fatal. In Iran, according to the Health Ministry’s figures, the death toll represents nearly 20% of total infections.
There are concerns that clusters of the new coronavirus in Iran, as well as in Italy and South Korea, could signal a serious new stage in its global spread.
Authorities in Iraq and Afghanistan, which closed their borders with Iran, announced their first confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday. Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman also announced their first cases. In all five countries, the infected patients had links with Iran.
Farahani, the lawmaker, said the 50 deaths in Qom date back to Feb. 13. Iran first officially reported cases of the virus and its first deaths on Feb. 19.
He did not provide supporting evidence but said more than 250 people are quarantined in Qom, which is known for its Shiite seminaries that attract students from across Iran and other countries. Schools there have been closed.
“I think the performance of the administration in controlling the virus has not been successful,” Farahani said, referring to the government of President Hassan Rouhani. His comments represent the most public criticism levied yet against the government for its handling of the virus, which originated in China in December.
“None of the nurses have access to proper protective gear,” Farahani said, adding that some health care specialists had left the city. “So far, I have not seen any particular action to confront corona by the administration.”
CNN reported
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/05/middleeast/iran-coronavirus-morgues-intl/index.html
By Sam Kiley, Artemis Moshtaghian and Sheena McKenzie, CNN
Dozens of bodies sheathed in black bags line the floor of an Iranian morgue, while workers in protective suits and masks busily walk among them.
It's unclear which, if any, of the people whose bodies lie in the morgue were infected with the coronavirus gripping the country, in this footage from inside Qom's Behesht-e Masoumeh morgue.
And here lies a huge problem for Iran, which is one of the worst-hit countries outside China, with more than 3,500 people infected and at least 107 dead from the virus, according to officials.
Under Islamic tradition in Iran, corpses are typically washed with soap and water before burial. But two medical workers in Qom told CNN that in some cases precautions related to the outbreak are preventing staff from observing traditional Islamic guidelines for burial.
Social media footage shows bodies in a morgue in Qom, Iran.
Instead, they said the bodies of those confirmed to have coronavirus at the time of death are being treated with calcium oxide, to prevent them from contaminating the soil once buried in cemeteries.
The sources spoke to CNN anonymously, for fear of reprisals from Iran's security apparatus.
Testing for the virus takes time, delaying burials and creating a "pile up" of bodies at the morgue, said Behesht-e Masoumeh morgue director, Ali Ramezani, in a report on Iranian state TV, IRIB.
"What we are dealing with is how to handle the bodies of coronavirus victims versus non-coronavirus victims as the instructions for burial are different," said Ramezani.
He added: "Some families prefer that we keep their deceased, for a day or two, until their test results are completed.
"And if the results come back negative, then there is no need to treat the deceased according to guidelines outlined for coronavirus victims, and the family can bury the deceased wherever they have planned to bury them."
One person has been arrested for allegedly circulating video from inside the morgue, which state broadcaster IRIB confirmed was filmed inside Qom's Behesht-e Masoumeh.
Their case has been referred to the Judiciary, according to a report from Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA.
This is extremly Sad
https://www.aa.com reported two days ago
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/health/number-of-coronavirus-cases-in-iraq-rises-to-79/1762980
Number of coronavirus cases in Iraq rises to 79
Health Ministry confirms eighth death from outbreak
Ali Semerci |
12.03.2020
Number of coronavirus cases in Iraq rises to 79
Coronavirus: Europe now epicentre of the pandemic, says WHO
Europe is now the "epicentre" of the global coronavirus pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization says.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilisation and social distancing to save lives.
"Do not just let this fire burn," he said.
His comments came as several European countries reported steep rises in infections and deaths. Italy has recorded its highest daily toll yet.
There were 250 deaths recorded over the past 24 hours, taking the total to 1,266, with 17,660 infections overall.
Spain, the worst-affected European country after Italy, reported a 50% jump in fatalities to 120 on Friday. Infections increased to 4,231.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says a state of alert will come into effect there on Saturday for two weeks.
US President Donald Trump declares national emergency over COVID-19 as WHO chief calls Europe new epicentre of pandemic.
by Ted Regencia , Tamila Varshalomidze & Saba Aziz
13 Mar 2020 20:58 GMT
United States President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, opening the door to providing what he said was about $50bn in federal aid to fight the disease.
On Friday, the World Health Organization warned that Europe has now become the "epicentre" for the pandemic, called COVID-19, reporting more daily cases than China did at the height of its outbreak.
Reuters. Reported
BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese city of Wuhan, ground zero of the coronavirus outbreak, reported just five new cases on Friday, the second day in a row the tally has been less than 10, while no locally transmitted infections were reported in the rest of the country.
Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province, registered the five new cases on Thursday, the National Health Commission said, down from eight cases the previous day. The commission routinely reports new cases the day after the data is collected.
Excluding Wuhan, Hubei had reported no new infections for eight consecutive days.
The province also lowered the epidemic risk ratings of several cities and regions, leaving only Wuhan classified as “high risk” as of the end of March 12, according to the Hubei Daily, a state-owned newspaper.
The commission said on Thursday China’s coronavirus epidemic had passed its peak, even as alarm over the virus intensified elsewhere with global markets suffering record falls and governments unveiling measures to try to slow the spread of a disease that has infected more than 127,000 people worldwide.
The financial hub of Shanghai reported two new cases, while Beijing saw one, all imported by people traveling to China from affected areas abroad, the health authority said.
Those cases brought the total number of new infections in mainland China to eight on Thursday, down from 15 the previous day, and the lowest since the healthy authority started publishing nationwide figures in January.
To date, the total accumulated number of cases in mainland China is 80,813.
The coronavirus has killed more than 3,000 people in mainland China.
It had also stalled the world’s second-largest economy as, beginning in January, authorities ordered work stoppages, travel restrictions and home quarantines.
As the measures start to pay off, local governments have been ordered to revive their economies, especially those in areas that have not had to deal with extensive outbreaks.
Hubei province has started to loosen the strict controls that kept up to 60 million people under a virtual lockdown for weeks.
Wuhan has seen some restrictions relaxed this week and the nearby city of Huanggang, which also had numerous coronavirus cases, on Friday begun relaxing its lockdown, saying that residents could start traveling within the city.
Outside Hubei, about 60% of small- and medium-sized firms and 95% of large ones have gone back to work, vice industry minister Xin Guobin said on Friday.
The death toll in mainland China reached 3,176 as of the end of Thursday, up by seven from the previous day.
In Hubei, there were six new deaths, with Wuhan accounting for all of them.
As the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival approaches, when millions of Chinese families traditionally pay respects to ancestors, clean their graves, offer flowers and burn incense, authorities in Beijing have urged the public to stay away.
“We will arrange free services at cemeteries, the staff will offer free tomb cleaning and free flowers,” said Li Quanxi, an official at Beijing’s civil affairs bureau.
“We want to encourage people to transform social traditions amid the coronavirus outbreak.”
The festival is on April 4.
Reporting by Ryan Woo, Huizhong Wu, Cheng Leng, Lusha Zhang, Se Young Lee, Muyu Xu, Roxanne Liu and Brenda Goh; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Nick Macfie
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china/chinas-coronavirus-epicenter-reports-just-five-cases-beijing-tomb-sweepers-urged-to-stay-back-idUSKBN2100BP
Cases drop in South Korea as well. I personally think South Korea handed it very well.
Forbes reported
South Korea Sees Coronavirus Slowdown—Without A Lockdown, But With Nearly 250,000 Tests
Carlie PorterfieldCarlie PorterfieldForbes Staff
Business
Topline: South Korea reported more recoveries from coronavirus on Friday than new infections for the first time since the outbreak began in January and without any lockdowns—but through almost 250,000 virus tests, compared to reportedly fewer than 14,000 in the United States.
According to Reuters, The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) recorded 110 new coronavirus cases on Friday and said that 177 patients had been released, the first time the daily number of recovered people rose above the number of new cases.
Jeong Eun-kyeong, KCDC chief, said he expects the trend to continue as numbers indicate a downward trend, a hopeful sign that South Korea may be past the worst of the coronavirus outbreak without implementing lockdowns like in China and Italy.
In a letter to the editor in The New York Times, Seo Eun-young, the director of foreign press relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said aggressive testing has been the key to containing the coronavirus.
Unlike other countries—like the United States, where only people showing symptoms are recommended to be tested—South Korea tests anyone who had been in contact with a confirmed case, and tracks down by credit card activity, surveillance camera footage and mobile phone tracking those who are potentially exposed, a measure that has proved effective but has raised questions about privacy.
UPI reported that South Korea had conducted almost 250,000 tests as of Friday according to the KCDC; Eun-young wrote that aggressive testing is also why the country’s mortality rate of 0.77% is so far below the 3.4% global average—and to encourage testing, the roughly $134 fee is waived for anyone who is already a suspected patient or who tests positive, AFP reported.
However, the South Korean government is still monitoring potential flares of coronavirus: new clusters are reported to have emerged at a Seoul call center, a church in the southeastern city of Daegu and a government office in Sejong, about 75 miles from Seoul.
Key background: The U.S. has reportedly tested fewer than 14,000 people, a statistic Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci told congress was “a failing” on Thursday. In contrast, South Korea has reported they have the capacity to test 15,000 patients per day. Last week, the Trump administration failed to follow through on their promise of having 1 million coronavirus tests ready for public use. On Tuesday, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the situation in the U.S. is “likely to get worse before it gets better.”
Italy, home to the largest outbreak outside of China, is in the midst of a country-wide lockdown and at least 1,000 people there have died from the virus, according to The New York Times. Cases are also rapidly increasing in Iran and the U.S.
Iran didn't report new cases in a few hours as well. But it can be good or bad news cause as it seems like Iran is lying big time about the cases as well as death.
Ap news reported before on Feburary 24.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s government said Monday that 12 people had died nationwide from the new coronavirus, rejecting claims of a much higher death toll by a lawmaker from the city of Qom that has been at the epicenter of the virus in the country.
The conflicting reports raised questions about the Iranian government’s transparency concerning the scale of the outbreak.
Five neighboring countries reported their first cases of the virus, with those infected all having links to Iran, including direct travel from a city where authorities have not even reported a confirmed case.
Iran’s Health Ministry said the total number of infections have risen to 61 while deaths stood at 12. But a lawmaker from Qom, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, was quoted by the semi-official ILNA news agency as saying that the death toll was 50.
Even with the lower toll of 12, the number of deaths compared to the number of confirmed infections from the virus is higher in Iran than in any other country, including China and South Korea, where the outbreak is far more widespread.
The World Health Organization said last week that in 2% of infected cases, the virus has been fatal. In Iran, according to the Health Ministry’s figures, the death toll represents nearly 20% of total infections.
There are concerns that clusters of the new coronavirus in Iran, as well as in Italy and South Korea, could signal a serious new stage in its global spread.
Authorities in Iraq and Afghanistan, which closed their borders with Iran, announced their first confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday. Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman also announced their first cases. In all five countries, the infected patients had links with Iran.
Farahani, the lawmaker, said the 50 deaths in Qom date back to Feb. 13. Iran first officially reported cases of the virus and its first deaths on Feb. 19.
He did not provide supporting evidence but said more than 250 people are quarantined in Qom, which is known for its Shiite seminaries that attract students from across Iran and other countries. Schools there have been closed.
“I think the performance of the administration in controlling the virus has not been successful,” Farahani said, referring to the government of President Hassan Rouhani. His comments represent the most public criticism levied yet against the government for its handling of the virus, which originated in China in December.
“None of the nurses have access to proper protective gear,” Farahani said, adding that some health care specialists had left the city. “So far, I have not seen any particular action to confront corona by the administration.”
CNN reported
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/05/middleeast/iran-coronavirus-morgues-intl/index.html
By Sam Kiley, Artemis Moshtaghian and Sheena McKenzie, CNN
Dozens of bodies sheathed in black bags line the floor of an Iranian morgue, while workers in protective suits and masks busily walk among them.
It's unclear which, if any, of the people whose bodies lie in the morgue were infected with the coronavirus gripping the country, in this footage from inside Qom's Behesht-e Masoumeh morgue.
And here lies a huge problem for Iran, which is one of the worst-hit countries outside China, with more than 3,500 people infected and at least 107 dead from the virus, according to officials.
Under Islamic tradition in Iran, corpses are typically washed with soap and water before burial. But two medical workers in Qom told CNN that in some cases precautions related to the outbreak are preventing staff from observing traditional Islamic guidelines for burial.
Social media footage shows bodies in a morgue in Qom, Iran.
Instead, they said the bodies of those confirmed to have coronavirus at the time of death are being treated with calcium oxide, to prevent them from contaminating the soil once buried in cemeteries.
The sources spoke to CNN anonymously, for fear of reprisals from Iran's security apparatus.
Testing for the virus takes time, delaying burials and creating a "pile up" of bodies at the morgue, said Behesht-e Masoumeh morgue director, Ali Ramezani, in a report on Iranian state TV, IRIB.
"What we are dealing with is how to handle the bodies of coronavirus victims versus non-coronavirus victims as the instructions for burial are different," said Ramezani.
He added: "Some families prefer that we keep their deceased, for a day or two, until their test results are completed.
"And if the results come back negative, then there is no need to treat the deceased according to guidelines outlined for coronavirus victims, and the family can bury the deceased wherever they have planned to bury them."
One person has been arrested for allegedly circulating video from inside the morgue, which state broadcaster IRIB confirmed was filmed inside Qom's Behesht-e Masoumeh.
Their case has been referred to the Judiciary, according to a report from Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA.
This is extremly Sad
https://www.aa.com reported two days ago
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/health/number-of-coronavirus-cases-in-iraq-rises-to-79/1762980
Number of coronavirus cases in Iraq rises to 79
Health Ministry confirms eighth death from outbreak
Ali Semerci |
12.03.2020
Number of coronavirus cases in Iraq rises to 79
BAGHDAD
The number of confirmed cases in Iraq of the novel coronavirus has risen to 79, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.
In a statement, the ministry said the death toll from the virus had risen to eight.
Last week, Baghdad shut down schools and universities for 10 days and banned travel to virus-hit states as part of its fight against the disease.
In a related development, the government announced a decision to close all land borders with Iran and Kuwait as of March 16 to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Iraq also banned travel to and from China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Italy, Bahrain, France and Spain apart from official and diplomatic delegations.
The coronavirus was first detected last December in Wuhan, China but has since spread to more than 105 countries.
The global death toll from the virus, officially known as COVID-19, is nearly 4,300 with more than 118,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization.
While iraq try to contain the disease by guarding their border
A link to Newyork times report.
Europe become the new epicenter of the Disease. Please stay safe everyone.
BBC reported
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51876784
Coronavirus: Europe now epicentre of the pandemic, says WHO
Europe is now the "epicentre" of the global coronavirus pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization says.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilisation and social distancing to save lives.
"Do not just let this fire burn," he said.
His comments came as several European countries reported steep rises in infections and deaths. Italy has recorded its highest daily toll yet.
There were 250 deaths recorded over the past 24 hours, taking the total to 1,266, with 17,660 infections overall.
Spain, the worst-affected European country after Italy, reported a 50% jump in fatalities to 120 on Friday. Infections increased to 4,231.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says a state of alert will come into effect there on Saturday for two weeks.
US President Donald Trump declares national emergency over COVID-19 as WHO chief calls Europe new epicentre of pandemic.
by Ted Regencia , Tamila Varshalomidze & Saba Aziz
13 Mar 2020 20:58 GMT
United States President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, opening the door to providing what he said was about $50bn in federal aid to fight the disease.
On Friday, the World Health Organization warned that Europe has now become the "epicentre" for the pandemic, called COVID-19, reporting more daily cases than China did at the height of its outbreak.
The pandemic's global death toll has reached almost 5,000, while the global number of cases has surpassed 132,000, according to the WHO, which is the health agency of the United Nations. About 68,000 victims have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the virus.
The WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic as Italy tightened its strict quarantine and the US imposed a ban on flights to Europe.
Meanwhile, the virus has spread to at least 18 countries on the African continent, with Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Guinea all confirming their first cases on Friday.
19:48 GMT - Qatar confirms 58 new cases
Qatar's health ministry has confirmed 58 new cases of coronavirus, taking the Gulf state's total number of infections to 320, state news agency QNA reported.
Fifty-four of the new cases are related to the cases identified earlier among expatriate workers, and most of these cases have already been in quarantine, it said. The other four cases are related to travel contacts.
19:32 GMT - Trump declares national emergency over coronavirus
US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency in an attempt to thwart the spread of the new coronavirus in the country.
Announcing the decision at the White House, Trump said this will allow him to "unleash the full power of the federal government," including freeing up to $50bn to assist state and local efforts.
Trump said he was also giving Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar emergency authority to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals "flexibility" in treating patients.
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