WaPo: Coronavirus live updates: China's leader warns of 'accelerating spread' of virus

[Dennis Donovan]

Last edited Sat Jan 25, 2020, 12:00 PM - Edit history (1)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-china-live-updates/2020/01/25/0ca57a5e-3ed7-11ea-afe2-090eb37b60b1_story.html

By Simon Denyer, Shibani Mahtani and Brian Murphy

Jan. 25, 2020 at 10:15 a.m. EST

TOKYO — China's leader Xi Jinping warned Saturday of an "accelerating spread" of the coronavirus, adding to worries about the scope of a health crisis that has claimed at least 42 lives and triggered emergency health measures in cities across China.

Xi's remarks of a "grave" situation came as China kicked off its traditional New Year celebrations amid a backdrop of caution and stark measures seeking to contain the virus.

At least 48 million people were ordered on lockdown in central China with a travel ban covering 15 cities in the central Hubei province, where the virus was first encountered. Here's what we know:

●Hong Kong announced that its schools would be closed until Feb. 17 to try to limit the possibility of transmission.

●The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a second person in the United States has been diagnosed with coronavirus.

●Infections have been confirmed in France, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, Australia and the United States. We’re mapping the spread here.

●Travel bans were extended in central China to put tens of millions of people effectively on local lockdowns. In Wuhan, where the virus was first detected, workers are racing to build a 1,000-bed hospital.

●Authorities around China, including in the capital, Beijing, have canceled the temple fairs and festivals that accompany the Spring Festival to avoid having large public gatherings where the airborne virus could spread.

</snip>

Um... China's pretty well-known for downplaying its internal emergencies. Not taking this as a good sign. *gulp*

[Moostache]

1. Well, at least we have a stable jenius in charge here...we're safe as kittehs!!!

[NickB79]

2. I'm expecting 100 dead by the end of the month

It went from 17 to 42 in 3 days.

[dweller]

3. and the US is sending a jumbo airliner

to pick up 100 americans there ?
will they be quarantined?

not a smart move, imo

✌🏼

[Dennis Donovan]

5. Here's a Reuters article about the evacuation

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-usa/u-s-to-evacuate-its-citizens-from-wuhan-china-wsj-idUSKBN1ZO0FM

U.S. to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan, China - WSJ
JANUARY 25, 2020 / 7:02 AM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO

(Reuters) - The United States is arranging a charter flight on Sunday to bring its citizens and diplomats back from the Chinese city of Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak of a new coronavirus, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

The plane, with around 230 people, will carry diplomats from the U.S. consulate as well as U.S. citizens and their families, the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the operation.

Washington was given approval for the operation from China’s Foreign Ministry and other government agencies following negotiations in recent days, the newspaper said.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said that on Thursday, the State Department had ordered the departure of family members and all U.S. government employees at its Wuhan consulate, but declined to comment on the report that other U.S. citizens would be evacuated from the city.

</snip>

Sounds prudent to do. I would imagine a quarantine would also be prudent.

[secondwind]

9. The pilot and stewardesses should be quarantined also....

[Dennis Donovan]

10. Jeez... I hadn't thought of that.

I hope they stay away from the fish, as well.



I know, not funny.

[dalton99a]

7. Passengers will be asked to sign an IOU

The plane seats around 230 people, and will include diplomats from the U.S. consulate as well as Americans and their families. Those evacuated will be responsible for the cost.

In addition to U.S. diplomatic officers based in Wuhan, any available seats may be offered to non-U.S. citizens, including diplomats of other nations, this person said, adding that plans are still being formulated and could change.

It couldn’t be learned exactly when the flight, to be flown by a private charter company, would take place or where in the U.S. the plane would go.

Wuhan hosts business operations of a number of major U.S. corporations, including auto maker General Motors Co. It is also home to Chinese state-owned Dongfeng Motor Corp., which is joint venture partners with Japan’s Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co., as well as France’s Renault SA and PSA Group’s Peugeot. Many foreign employees from these companies as well as their suppliers are based in Wuhan.

The multinational Anheuser-Busch InBev SA brews beer in the city, and We Co.’s WeWork operates co-working spaces there.

Passengers will be asked to sign a promissory note for the cost of the flight, which is expected to be many times the price of a commercial flight from China to the U.S., this person said.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-plans-to-evacuate-citizens-from-epidemic-stricken-chinese-city-11579951256

[dalton99a]

4. Wash your hands religiously and don't touch any door handles with bare hands

Use paper towels

[mucifer]

6. What might be a bit confusing is that other strains of the coronavirus have been

around for a while.

I have had patients hospitalized with the coronavirus and know that with kids who are frail the common strain can be really bad.

But, this is a different strain of the coronavirus.

[secondwind]

8. We live in San Francisco, our cleaning lady is Chinese, speaks very little English... Her daughter

called this week to say she was sick. She is a sweet, middle-aged woman, she goes to the "food shops" where the whatever-it-is-they-eat is sold, etc.

We are thinking of asking her to stay put for a while... Can anyone blame us

[MFM008]

11. I know this is shocking

But China is probably not telling us how serious this
Actually is, perhaps because they dont know yet.