7 Things You Need to Know About the Coronavirus - March 1, 2020
GoLocalProv News Team
7 Things You Need to Know About the Coronavirus - March 1, 2020
On Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health officials in the state of Washington reported three hospitalized patients who have tested presumptive-positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, including one patient who died.
According to the CDC, two of the patients are from a long-term care facility (LTCF) where one is a health care worker. Additional residents and staff of the LTCF who have not yet been tested for COVID-19 are reportedly either ill with respiratory symptoms or hospitalized with pneumonia of unknown cause.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe patient who died was a male in his 50s and was being treated at the same hospital.
He was not a resident of the LTCF. CDC erroneously identified the patient as female in a briefing earlier today with the President and Vice President.
Read the 7 Things You Need to Know About the Coronavirus Below
While there is an ongoing investigation, the source of these infections is currently unknown. Circumstances suggest person-to-person spread in the community, including in the LTCF.
CDC spokesperson Dr. Nancy Messonnier said, "Our hearts go out to the family of the patient who died as well as the families of the people who are caught up in this outbreak. The health of the residents, staff and community of this skilled nursing facility are a top priority. We will work with Public Health - Seattle and King County to support the care of the patients, the safety of the health care workers, and the well-being of the people in the surrounding community.”
CDC has sent a team of experts to support the investigation in Washington. Dr. Messonnier said, "We recognize that this is a difficult time; we are facing a historic public health challenge. We will continue to respond to COVID-19 in an aggressive way to contain and blunt the threat of this virus. While we still hope for the best, we continue to prepare for this virus to become widespread in the United States."
7 Things You Need to Know About the Coronavirus - March 1, 2020
How Contagious is the Virus?
According to the NYTimes, "The new coronavirus seems to spread very easily, especially in homes, hospitals, churches, cruise ships and other confined spaces. It is much more contagious than SARS, another coronavirus that circulated in China in 2003 and sickened about 8,000 people."
It is transferred when a sick person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes.
If 5 people with new coronavirus each infected 2.6 others ...
... there could be 368 people sick after 5 cycles.
That is much faster than the flu.
If 5 people with seasonal flu each infected 1.3 others ...
... there could be 45 people sick after 5 cycles.
No Fans
National College Players Association's Statement on Coronavirus and College Athlete Health:
"In the wake of the emerging coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA and its colleges should take precautions to protect college athletes. They should also make public which actions will be taken and when. Precautions should include canceling all auxiliary events that put players in contact with crowds such as meet and greets and press events. Athletic programs should also take every possible measure to sanitize buses and airplanes used to transport players.
In regard to the NCAA's March Madness Tournament and other athletic events, there should be a serious discussion about holding competitions without an audience present.
Google just cancelled a summit in California and Amazon is encouraging its employees to avoid all nonessential travel because of coronavirus concerns. The NCAA and its colleges must act now, there is no time to waste."
The Numbers (as of March 1, 2020):
86,000 cases globally - the majority in China
Nearly 3,000 deaths
71 cases in the United States
1st death in the U.S. State reported Saturday by the CDC
How Deadly Is the Coronavirus?
Two months into the epidemic, the coronavirus has proven to be more deadly than the SARS virus, but the fatality rate of the coronavirus is still less than one-quarter that of SARS.
SARS, which appeared first in China in 2002, killed about 10 percent of people who were infected.
For coronavirus, the mortality rate appears to be about 2 percent of the reported cases.
United States Travel Restrictions
The United States government is issuing its highest-level warning, a “do not travel” warning, to areas of Italy and South Korea most affected by the virus.
The United States is also banning all travel to Iran and is barring entry of any foreign citizen who has visited Iran in the past 14 days.
There will also be screenings of travelers coming from Italy and South Korea.
Impact on Business
The Wall Street Journal is reporting, "Companies have endured financial meltdowns, civil wars and natural disasters. But nothing in modern memory has dented both demand and supply so quickly for so many industries as the coronavirus.
The widespread nature of the epidemic and related uncertainty will put a hold on large corporate investments, mergers and hiring, said Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom, who has researched the impact of uncertainty on business cycles.
“A lot of the damage is already being inflicted purely from major decisions being delayed,” Mr. Bloom said. 'I can’t see many firms green-lighting any projects until they can figure out what is going on.'"
Events Cancelled
Some of the biggest conferences in the world are being canceled.
"Conferences are getting canceled, from the Geneva International Motor Show to Facebook Inc.’s F8 developer gathering in California. Disneyland Tokyo is closed. Auto suppliers are warning of parts shortages. Generic drug manufacturers are paying 50% more for some raw materials," reports the WSJ.
