Medical staff at the dedicated isolation ward of Wuhan's People's Hospital wish everyone a Happy New Year, saying: "We're here, don't worry [and celebrate Spring Festival]" – a hashtag that's now propagated online to ease the #coronavirus panic. #?????????? pic.twitter.com/byWLd8DJ1i
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) January 24, 2020
They look reassuring!
Yeah, I’m pretty much posting these for my own satisfaction. Buried in the dead of night for most BJ readers. Should I quit, regardless?
In between watching the #CCTVGala and staying glued to Weibo, I just joined BBC World News live to comment on the social media environment in China during the #coronavirus outbreak. Segment of interview ?? pic.twitter.com/dzwzI8zYnm
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) January 24, 2020
On Weibo, @HuXijin_GT posted some of the photos that are now being shared of the army coming in to offer (medical) help amidst #coronavirus outbreak. Many people on Weibo address their mixed feelings: happiness over #Chinesenewyear, worry and fear over the Wuhan situation. pic.twitter.com/6YVmA3GHkL
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) January 24, 2020
The incubation period for the new virus is about 2 weeks, the CDC's Dr. Nancy Messonnier says. That's why the 2 US residents who have been infected could travel with no symptoms and be diagnosed later.
— Maggie Fox (@maggiemfox) January 24, 2020
Stress and anger in Wuhan’s overburdened hospitals: “I don’t want do this job any more. Just fire me! Kick me out, send me back home,” a doctor at Wuhan No. 5 Hospital yelled into the phone, frustration and exhaustion exploding out of him. https://t.co/QrT9MswzeP
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) January 24, 2020
China's quarantine of 35 million people, almost certainly the biggest ever in a public health crisis, won't help and could backfire. In the U.S., such a move is just about inconceivable. Story by me and @timcraigpost. https://t.co/Ao1AKNshvN
— Lenny Bernstein (@LennyMBernstein) January 24, 2020
Hong Kong closes schools till Feb. 17, raises response level to “emergency” to stem spread of coronavirus https://t.co/6gmJ72TCEU
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 25, 2020
BUT STILL…
A virus is killing thousands of Americans as we speak. But it's not from Wuhan. https://t.co/MjGEjLMQXT via @khnews
— Liz Szabo (@LizSzabo) January 24, 2020
The news around the #coronavirus is moving fast, and so is our coverage.
We created a landing page with all our stories related to the outbreak in #wuhan about #coronavirus #nCoV2019.
Check it out here: https://t.co/Y3RmBau9pg— STAT (@statnews) January 24, 2020
Baud
You keep this blog active. Post what you like.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Happy New Year.
Betty Cracker
Keep posting updates — you’re definitely not the only one thinking about it. Weird coincidence: I’ve been awake for an hour because I had a nightmare inspired by this outbreak. Won’t bore y’all with the details, but I’m still kinda freaked out by it. I blame Stephen King!
anarchoRex
Please keep posting these updates.
OzarkHillbilly
Anyone complaining about what you post Anne, needs to go someplace else.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly: Or as efg would have said “fuckem”.
OzarkHillbilly
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Amen.
Qball
Please continue to post. I live in Hong Kong; I appreciate any information.
satby
What everyone said. And that article about the flu is a good reminder that in this country we always panic about the wrong things.
Zinsky
Nature has a way of thinning out populations that unduly stress a particular ecosystem. Disease is one way that is accomplished. Having 1.4 billion people in an area smaller than the continental U.S. is going to strain any ecosystem. This is one way that equalization is going to take place. Count on many more strains of new deadly diseases in an overpopulated, overheated world!
Baud
@satby: People panic about unfamiliar things rather than about more serious harms that they are used to.
?BillinGlendaleCA
OT: Guy who reviews cameras and does photo tips on YouTube(Tony Northrup) put up a vid of his choice for Camera of the Decade, turns out I’m familiar with his choice, since I own one. He chose the Samsung Galaxy NX ad the Camera of the Decade, saying it was a camera ahead of it’s time. Of course 3 years later Samsung closed down their camera division.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@satby: I think Republicans only panic if a Democrat is President*.
*Bonus points if he’s a POC.
Cermet
While I tend to down play the danger of this outbreack I don’t know if it is only as serious as the “common” cold. It might be but so far, the death rate does appear to be an order of magitude more deadly (yet that still isn’t SAR’s level by any means); however, China has a vast extremely poor population that is third world level in economic status (near starvation to seriously under nurished) – so, one would expect a far higher death rate compared to the US or Europe occuring for a given illness in their population. If this virus spreads like the common flu can’t see these controls stoping its spread; only slowing it. Oh well – it is what it is and won’t be the last such occurence in any case.
satby
@Baud: especially if they can panic over something foreign in origin.
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Double and triple panic times!
satby
@Cermet: Ozark (I think) linked to an article in the Guardian describing how these viruses seem to start in China because of the “warm meat” market, where animals are freshly killed before purchase. No health inspections of the stock are done worth mentioning. The article described awful conditions for the animals and the storage and display of the resulting meat. Explains why so many of these viruses originate there, and why we can probably look forward to more.
Ksmiami
lurker dean
this virus is scaring the crap out of me considering our incompetent administration. appreciate the info!
Laura Too
I too appreciate the update. Interesting to see the military added to the mix. Not wearing masks yet, though if they are around infected people that won’t be very effective if they aren’t also wearing goggles. I read an interview by a doctor who contracted it, one of the first to realize it was transmitted human to human because he was wearing a mask but not eye protection around sick people. (no animal contact) And it seems like there may be a lot more infected and dying than are being reported. It can be confusing in older populations to tell flu/pneumonia/heart issues if there are so many cases to keep up with. And if it is rural hospitals already overwhelmed it will be under reported.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
I appreciate your posts on this (and everything else you post on) please don’t stop.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@Laura Too: yes that one is interesting and a bit worrisome. He said his first symptom was conjunctivitis.
Laura Too
@EmbraceYourInnerCrone: His was the first account I read of someone saying human to human transmission. Scary to think how it can replicate and change.
TaMara (HFG)
Thanks for posting the Kaiser tweet. Even at its peak, H1N1 and SARS killed fewer people in the states than influenza. Coroavirus (for now) could be tragic for Asia, but the media panic here is…well..predictable.
ETA: I read all your posts, but am usually too late to comment.
Emma
Keep posting about this, it’s refreshing (maybe not the right adjective, but whatevs) to read something that’s not impeachment- or -Russia-related. My dad in Singapore said that people there are starting to wear masks too.
West of the Cascades
Maybe in early 2021, the CDC can rename influenza the “Trump virus” — Democrats and Independents will rush to get flu shots at a 95% rate, while Republicans will refuse to get vaccinated because they want to contract Trump Flu.
The epidemiological and political results could be interesting.
frosty
AL — I read every post every day and most of the comments. Keep ’em coming.
ETA Although I’m getting a little leery of primary posts with over 200 comments.
Procopius
So far there hasn’t been much information available about how easily this virus is transmitted or what the fatality rate is. For at least the last twenty years epidemiologists have been muttering that we’re way overdue for a major pandemic, on the order of the Black Death or the 1917 influenza. Actually, there’s not much use in worrying about it, because until it appears we can’t know what to do about it. First indications are that this one isn’t it, but many thanks to Anne for providing valuable factual information. As other posters said above, I appreciate it.