🦠COVID-19🦠

That's why I never kiss a dog's mouth.:loud:

QUERY : should you kiss your dog's mouth or any of his other mucous membranes ?

FACTS : SCIENTISTS have traced the likely source of the zoonotic outbreak of corona virus in WUHAN to BATS. BATS represent 1/4 of all mammalian species. BATS harbor a tremendous amount of viruses and have been traced as the likelysource of many viruses such as SARS , EBOLA, just to name a few...

HOW BATS CAN HOST A MYRIAD OF VIRUSES and not get sick from them is truly an evolutionary mystery...scientists speculate perhaps with the tremendous demands necessary to achieve flight the bats' immune system has been altered. WHEREAS, most animals upon invasion by a virus have AN INFLAMMATOR Y RESPONSE CAUSING ILLNESS; ...the bat's immune system has been altered so that they may in fact host the myriad viruses without succumbing to illness...

IN FACT, BATS ARE TRULY LONG LIVED FOR A SMALL ANIMAL --often living 20 years...and a bat in SIBERIA LIVED 40 YEARS; ...as opposed to MICE which is long lived upon it's 2nd birthday...


SO SCIENTISTS NEED TO HONE IN AND STUDY THE SOURCE OF THE ZOONOTIC CARRIER , THE BAT --to get a leg up on zoonosis...


IN THE MEANTIME OPEN AIR MARKETS LIKE WUHAN where PUPPIES ( and everything else that moves and can be jammed in the pie hole ) ARE SOLD " PETS OR MEAT " should get the ban hammer.


CONCLUSION: UNTIL this ZOONOTIC MYSTERY is solved wits are advised to refrain from osculation with their canines on their mouths and all other doggy mucosa.

SUGGESTION: LEE please hunt for a DOGGY BLOW-UP DOLL HDHU for any wits experiencing withdrawal from the elimination of canine congress.

FINAL WORD : OK to " love " your dog; but not in the biblical sense. Just leave it at " petting "...even then wear a rubber glove imho.
 
British Airways has suspended all flights to and from mainland China, as the UK's Foreign Office warned against "all but essential travel" there.

Several other airlines have taken similar measures. United Airlines and Cathay Pacific are restricting flights, while Lion Air - one of the region's biggest airlines - is stopping flights to China from Saturday.

Cathay Pacific has also suspended inflight trolley services, changed some aspects of its meal offer, and stopped giving out hot towels, pillows, blankets and magazines in an effort to prevent the virus spreading.

Jan 29, 2020



FedEx taking steps to aid coronavirus relief, protect workers
January 29, 2020 2:00 PM CT

https://dailymemphian.com/article/10...om-coronavirus

Market impact

The outbreak has taken a toll on financial markets and is expected to have an impact on companies doing business in China. The damage to FedEx’s freight volumes out of China is unclear and likely won’t be known until the company reports quarterly earnings on March 17.

The crisis has slowed commerce and travel related to the Chinese New Year celebration, while causing investors to reexamine portfolios that could be affected.

Tuesday, the markets lifted for the first time in nearly a week, a relief to people worried coronavirus had infected the U.S. financial markets.

“Everyone was very focused on the what stock market did Monday,” said Gerald W. Laurain, chief investment officer with First Horizon Advisors, noting that drops in U.S. Treasury bonds underscored the angst.

Monday, the yield at maturity fell to 1.61%, down from 1.77% on Jan. 21.

“That’s quite a drop when you consider those yields don’t change that much at a time,” Laurain said. “We’re at 1.65% today.”

Investors are calling, Laurain said, “trying to figure out who’s doing business in China.

“People are checking their books to see what percentage of sales come from China.”

Of the 500 companies in the S & P 500 Index, Laurain says about 20 have significant sales to China, from 5% to 55%.

“Or conversely, they’re saying, ‘Can you tell me what companies do very little in China?’” he said.



23486_960


https://about.van.fedex.com/newsroom...rus-emergency/

 
QUERY : should you kiss your dog's mouth or any of his other mucous membranes ?

FACTS : SCIENTISTS have traced the likely source of the zoonotic outbreak of corona virus in WUHAN to BATS. BATS represent 1/4 of all mammalian species. BATS harbor a tremendous amount of viruses and have been traced as the likelysource of many viruses such as SARS , EBOLA, just to name a few...

HOW BATS CAN HOST A MYRIAD OF VIRUSES and not get sick from them is truly an evolutionary mystery...scientists speculate perhaps with the tremendous demands necessary to achieve flight the bats' immune system has been altered. WHEREAS, most animals upon invasion by a virus have AN INFLAMMATOR Y RESPONSE CAUSING ILLNESS; ...the bat's immune system has been altered so that they may in fact host the myriad viruses without succumbing to illness...

IN FACT, BATS ARE TRULY LONG LIVED FOR A SMALL ANIMAL --often living 20 years...and a bat in SIBERIA LIVED 40 YEARS; ...as opposed to MICE which is long lived upon it's 2nd birthday...


SO SCIENTISTS NEED TO HONE IN AND STUDY THE SOURCE OF THE ZOONOTIC CARRIER , THE BAT --to get a leg up on zoonosis...


IN THE MEANTIME OPEN AIR MARKETS LIKE WUHAN where PUPPIES ( and everything else that moves and can be jammed in the pie hole ) ARE SOLD " PETS OR MEAT " should get the ban hammer.


CONCLUSION: UNTIL this ZOONOTIC MYSTERY is solved wits are advised to refrain from osculation with their canines on their mouths and all other doggy mucosa.

SUGGESTION: LEE please hunt for a DOGGY BLOW-UP DOLL HDHU for any wits experiencing withdrawal from the elimination of canine congress.

FINAL WORD : OK to " love " your dog; but not in the biblical sense. Just leave it at " petting "...even then wear a rubber glove imho.



it's called " SPILLOVER "...the virus is in the bat...then it passes to another animal i.e. dog, cow,pig,chicken...and then to the human...
 
Doctors in China at 'breaking point' over Coronavirus | ITV News

Jan 30, 2020

ITV News

An evacuation flight to bring British nationals back to the UK from the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak will leave early on Friday, the Foreign Secretary has said.

 
has spread to the subcontinent aka INDIA 1.067 Bil + CHINA 1.319 Bil
 


https://www.supplychainbrain.com/art...lobal-business


For global corporations, Wuhan is an important hub. Of about 2,000 cities in China with factories and other facilities in Bloomberg's supply chain database, the city ranks 13th, with about 500 facilities. The province of Hubei has 1,016, making it seventh of 32 such jurisdictions. U.S.-based companies have 44 facilities there, and European ones about 40, the data show. Many plants are in the auto and transportation industries, and big names include PepsiCo Inc. and Siemens AG.

As the death toll from the pneumonia-like illness rises and cases are found in neighboring Asian countries, including South Korea and Singapore, as well as in the U.S., the economic impact of the novel coronavirous could be widespread.

Here is a rundown of what big companies are saying so far about the impact.

Jan. 26:

Honda Motor Co.
The automaker will evacuate from Wuhan about 30 Japanese staff, family members and employees visiting on business trips, Teruhiko Tatebe, a Tokyo-based spokesman, said by phone. The carmaker has informed the Japanese government that it wishes to utilize the charter jet planned to evacuate Japanese citizens. A handful of staff needed to maintain local operations will remain in the city.

Jan. 25:

Groupe PSA
The French maker of Peugeot cars and other brands said it will evacuate its expatriate staff and their families from the Wuhan area. A total of 38 people will leave, the company said in a statement.

Hennes and Mauritz AB
The clothing retailer better known as H&M has closed a total of 13 stores in the region. Svenska Dagbladet reported. China is the company’s 5th biggest market in terms of revenue, with 524 stores as of Aug. 31.

Ikea closed its warehouse in Wuhan on Thursday, according to the same report.

Jan. 24:

Remy Cointreau SA
The French cognac maker abandoned its forecasts for this year after a slump in Hong Kong dented sales in the Christmas period and as the viral outbreak threatens business in China, the source of 20% of its profit, according to Jefferies estimates. “Clearly we are concerned,” Chief Financial Officer Luca Marotta said of the coronavirus on an earnings conference call. “We do not have any scenarios on a quantified basis. It is evolving hour after hour.’’

McDonald’s Corp.
The fast-food giant, which had about 3,000 stores in China at the end of 2018, temporarily closed locations across five cities of the Hubei province due to the virus, including Wuhan. The Chicago-based company is taking extra preventative measures in the rest of the country, including taking the temperature of workers upon arrival and giving out hand sanitizers to diners.

Walt Disney Co.
The world’s largest theme park operator said it would close its Disneyland resort in Shanghai effective Jan. 25. The company is offering refunds to guests who bought theme park tickets or reserved rooms in its hotels. “We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and be in close contact with the local government, and we will announce the reopening date upon confirmation,” it said in a statement.

Starbucks Corp.
The Seattle-based chain, with about 4,100 cafes in China, also said it’s closing some locations, without providing more details.

Delta Air Lines Inc.
The Atlanta-based carrier issued a travel waiver that allows passengers traveling to, from or through Beijing and Shanghai between Jan. 24 and Jan. 31 to change their itinerary once without having to pay a fee.

Wynn Resorts Ltd.
The Chinese Lunar New Year is peak time for profits at casino operators. Authorities in Macau, the world’s largest gambling market, are requiring casinos to screen guests for high temperatures and make their staff wear respirator masks. Many Chinese tourists are also heading to Las Vegas to celebrate. “Although as of this date there are no reported cases of the coronavirus in Las Vegas that we are aware of, we will be in close contact with the Southern Nevada Health District who is monitoring the situation along with the CDC,” the company said in a statement. “We will implement any health directive they issue.”

Jan. 23:

Avnet Inc.
The Phoenix-based distributor of computer products and semiconductors said it hadn’t seen an impact so far. “But if it gets worse and they start shutting down airplanes, et cetera, then that will have a different effect on shipments out of China,” CEO Bill Amelio said on a conference call. Asked whether the area is a meaningful region from an electronics manufacturing perspective, Amelio answered: “Of course, it is.’’

American Airlines Group Inc.
President Robert Isom said it is too soon to see an impact. “Our network isn’t that extensive in Asia. But we’re on top of it,” he said on a conference call. “We’ve seen viruses in the past that we’ve had to make accommodations for and to be prepared for, we’re doing all those same things right now.”

Keppel Corp.
The Singapore-based owner of the largest oil-rig builder, which has about 170 employees in Wuhan and operations across China, said it hadn’t seen a direct impact either. “We have advised our operations there and our staff there to take the necessary precautions. We are watching this very closely,” CEO Loh Chin Hua said on an earnings call.

Jan. 22

United Airlines Holdings Inc.
The U.S. carrier was among the first global corporations to comment on the coronavirus on an earnings conference call. “We’ve been coordinating closely with the CDC to ensure that we’re taking all the necessary steps to ensure that our customers and employees can travel safely,” CEO Oscar Munoz said. “By working closely together, we have in the past effectively managed situations like this.”

Jan 30, 2020, 05:40am
Coronavirus And China Manufacturing: Why The Risk Is Far Larger Than Just Wuhan’s Factories

https://www.forbes.com/sites/willysh.../#12ccfe4555fb

Apple’s earnings forecast range for the current quarter is “wider than usual,” thanks to the uncertainty around the Wuhan coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. That is because the vast majority of Apple’s assemblers and suppliers are in China, as is the case for many firms. Even if you don’t assemble finished product in China, you might be dependent on a supplier based there for components. Many people have been looking at whether firms have suppliers in Hubei Province where Wuhan is located, because they think these will be the supply chains that are impacted first.

But that’s not the right way to look at this problem. The right question is who has a factory in their supply chain for which there are employees who went home to Wuhan or any of the other cities with significant numbers of infected people for the Lunar New Year? And what will happen when they start to come back, whenever that turns out to be?



For businesses, virus in China fans fear and uncertainty

https://apnews.com/439351dab5d6e9bd5231f4ab660fef78



McDonald’s has shuttered restaurants in five Chinese cities, including the inland port city of Wuhan where the crisis is centered. Shanghai Disneyland has temporarily closed as a precaution. Restrictions on travel and fears of flying to the region are threatening to depress demand for oil and jet fuel just as China’s Lunar New Year is beginning.
In a sign of China’s vast economic reach, even niche companies in America have begun feeling squeezed. In Houston, Rockstar Wigs worries that production delays in China will hold up shipments. Omaha, Nebraska-based Home Instead Health Care has stopped sending caregivers to the homes of elderly clients in Wuhan.

So far, there are 830 confirmed cases of the virus and 26 deaths. Wuhan and 12 other Chinese cities are on lockdown, isolating a combined population of more than 36 million.

“Personally, I now cannot go to Wuhan to negotiate new orders, meet with new vendors, take foreign companies for supplier visits, and visit trade shows,” said Stanley Chao, a consultant in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, who helps foreign companies do business in China. “I may lose three to five trips to China, which is my bread and butter. In turn, my team in China cannot work, and I may have to temporarily lay them off for a while.”

The growing fears over the virus rattled financial markets Friday. The Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index endured its worst day since early October and snapped a two-week winning streak. The S&P index fell 0.9% after having been down as much as 1.3% earlier. Shares in airlines and other companies in the travel and tourism industries, which stand to be among the hardest-hit sectors if the crisis worsens, fell sharply.

So far at least, the virus appears to be less lethal than the SARS outbreak of 2003, which killed hundreds, though it is too soon to say for sure. And Beijing has apparently been more forthcoming about the health risks this time, leaving less room for panic-inducing rumors to take hold.

“The authorities are sharing more information,” said Kent Kedl, partner at the consultancy Control Risks responsible for Greater China. “They’re getting out in front of it.’’

Moreover, because the outbreak coincides with the Lunar New Year holiday, many businesses are closed as tens of millions of migrant workers return from big cities to their hometowns in the countryside.

Still, Wuhan is a central hub for China. Isolating the region could devastate Chinese production in automobiles, aviation, high-tech mechanical and electrical manufacturing, said Ahmed Rahman, an economist at Lehigh University.

“Its central role in facilitating exchange between the Chinese hinterlands and the rest of the planet cannot be overstated,” Rahman said. “Arguably, out of all the regions of China, closing off Wuhan may be the most disruptive to the global economy.”

KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants are also closed in the city of Wuhan until further notice. Parent company Yum China (YUMC) says that it will continue to evaluate the need for "additional actions."
McDonald's (MCD) has shut restaurants in Wuhan and four other cities in Hubei.

Disney (DIS) has closed its parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong, just as the resorts were gearing up to usher in what it called the "Year of the Mouse," a play on China's Year of the Rat. Disney had put up new Chinese New Year-themed decorations throughout the parks, launched new merchandise and introduced several Lunar New Year dining options.

Shares in luxury goods companies have taken a hit on concerns about lower sales during what is usually a busy shopping season. The stocks of LVMH (LVMHF), Kering (PPRUF) and Cartier watch maker Richemont all fell more than 5% last week.

Tourism could be hurt, too, because of the region’s many flights to Bangkok and Tokyo.

Many businesses are scrambling to contain the potential damage.

McDonald’s said it has closed all of its restaurants in five cities in Hubei province — Wuhan, Ezhou, Huanggang, Qianjiang and Xiantao — until further notice. Its operations are running in other cities in Hubei where public transportation is available.

The fast-food giant is also taking the temperature of all employees when they arrive at work and sending anyone with a fever or cold symptoms home. Delivery drivers are required to wear masks. McDonald’s is also disinfecting high-contact surfaces more frequently at its Chinese establishments, including tables, chairs door handles and self-ordering kiosks.

The Shanghai Disney Resort announced Friday that it is temporarily closing Shanghai Disneyland “in response to the prevention and control of the disease outbreak and in order to ensure the health and safety of our guests.″

Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler all have restricted travel to Wuhan and other parts of China affected by the virus. Most auto factories, though, remain closed for the Chinese New Year and haven’t been affected yet. Ford said in a statement that it has a special team monitoring the situation.

Fiat Chrysler has banned corporate travel in areas locked down by the Chinese government due to the virus, while GM has restricted travel to all of China unless it is “business critical and approved in advance,” a company statement said.

Home Instead Senior Care, based in Omaha, Nebraska, which sends caregivers to tend to elderly clients, has suspended service to its six or seven clients in Wuhan — after arranging for their families to take care of them. The company has 70 clients in the southern city of Shenzhen, where the virus has yet to strike. But worried clients there are already telling caregivers to avoid public transportation. “The clients are saying, ‘Take a taxi so you’re not at risk’” of infection, said company spokeman Dan Wieberg.

At family-owned Rockstar Wigs in Houston, the operations manager, Anna Reger, said she worries that “this could really put us behind this year.”

The company’s wigs, which range from platinum drag queen classics to neon Halloween specials, are hand-stitched with custom designs and special fibers in several Chinese factories where work is currently on hold.

Reger said the company typically starts on thousands of wigs right after Chinese New Year, seeking to be well stocked throughout the year and especially in time for Halloween. She said she’s hoping Chinese authorities can resolve the problem soon.

“I’m not going to let it stress me until we know what we’re dealing with.”

The outbreak arrives just after the United States and China reached a truce in an 18-month trade war that involved the two world’s two biggest economies burying each other’s products in tariffs.

Stuart Shulman, president of Synchronis Medical in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said the Wuhan shutdown is “the double whammy.” Already reeling from tariffs that have devoured as much as 30% of his profits, he now may not have any workers at the Chinese factory where medical gowns are cut and sewn.

“The timing is so catastrophic. I don’t think a lot of people understand the situation,” Shulman said. Because workers have left for the new year holiday, they may not be able to get back to work.
 
Jan 31, 2020

ITV News

Coronavirus: Where does it come from and how did it mutate to infect humans? Natalia Jorquera explains

https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zoonotic-diseases.html


Every year, tens of thousands of Americans will get sick from diseases spread between animals and people. These are known as zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic means infectious diseases that are spread between animals and people. Because these diseases can cause sickness or death in people, CDC is always tracking and reporting them.

Animals provide many benefits to people. Many people interact with animals in their daily lives, both at home and away from home. Pets offer companionship and entertainment, with millions of households having one or more pets. We might come into close contact with animals at a county fair or petting zoo, or encounter wildlife while enjoying outdoor activities. Also, animals are an important food source and provide meat, dairy, and eggs.

However, some animals can carry harmful germs that can be shared with people and cause illness – these are known as zoonotic diseases or zoonoses. Zoonotic diseases are caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacterial, parasites, and fungi. These germs can cause many different types of illnesses in people and animals ranging from mild to serious illness and even death. Some animals can appear healthy even when they are carrying germs that can make people sick.

Zoonotic diseases are very common, both in the United States and around the world. Scientists estimate that more than 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases in people are spread from animals, and 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in people are spread from animals. Every year, tens of thousands of Americans will get sick from harmful germs spread between animals and people. Because of this, CDC works 24/7 to protect people from zoonotic diseases.

How do germs spread between animals and people?
Because of the close connection between people and animals, it’s important to be aware of the common ways people can get infected with germs that can cause zoonotic diseases. These can include:

Direct contact: Coming into contact with the saliva, blood, urine, mucous, feces, or other body fluids of an infected animal. Examples include petting or touching animals, and bites or scratches.

Indirect contact: Coming into contact with areas where animals live and roam, or objects or surfaces that have been contaminated with germs. Examples include aquarium tank water, pet habitats, chicken coops, plants, and soil, as well as pet food and water dishes.

Vector-borne: Being bitten by a tick, or an insect like a mosquito or a flea.

Foodborne: Each year, 1 in 6 Americans get sick from eating contaminated food. Eating or drinking something unsafe (such as unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat or eggs, or raw fruits and vegetables that are contaminated with feces from an infected animal).
 
talkin' bout ZOONOS...listen to ROAD WARRIOR and quit kissing your dog on the lips...and seriously " wet markets " need to be eliminated in people's land
 
Feb 2, 2020


China ADMITS it was too slow to react to coronavirus outbreak which has killed at least 213 people - amid claims that officials are hiding a higher death toll by cremating bodies.

Officials today raised the death toll to 213 with nearly 10,000 people infected, but there are fears that the official figures are 'way too low' - sparking claims of a cover-up.

Crematorium workers in the city claim that bodies are being sent from hospitals without being added to the official record.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ronavirus.html

China has today admitted it was too slow to react to the coronavirus outbreak which has sparked a global panic and left at least 213 people dead - amid claims that Beijing could be covering up a higher death toll.

The secretary of the ruling Communist party in Wuhan admitted he felt 'remorse' over the outbreak, saying the virus's impact 'would have been less' if measures had been taken sooner.

The killer virus has spread around the world with the first cases in Britain confirmed today as governments scramble to close their borders and retrieve their worried citizens from Wuhan.

China has since imposed a drastic quarantine on Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have jumped from wild animals at a city market and infected humans.
Officials today raised the death toll to 213 with nearly 10,000 people infected, but there are fears that the official figures are 'way too low' - sparking claims of a cover-up.

Crematorium workers in the city claim that bodies are being sent from hospitals without being added to the official record.

24133856-7951279-image-a-8_1580484989391.jpg


A man wears a protective mask and swimming goggles after getting off a train in Beijing today, as China admitted it had been too slow to respond to the coronavirus crisis

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Funeral workers in protective suits disinfect themselves after handling the body of a coronavirus victim in Wuhan yesterday

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A map showing the number of coronavirus cases worldwide, as of Friday afternoon UK time

Another 102,000 people are under medical observation in China with possible coronavirus symptoms.
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Medics wearing protective clothing carry a patient to a hospital in Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak

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A medic in a hazmat suit attends to the body of a man which was found in a street in Wuhan yesterday, in the city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak

24133852-7951279-image-a-11_1580485217798.jpg


A family with a child - all wearing protective masks - push their luggage through the arrivals area at Beijing Capital Airport in the Chinese capital yesterday

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Officials in protective suits gather close to the scene where an elderly man wearing a face mask was found dead in Wuhan on Thursday

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Doctors look at a CT scan of a patient at a hospital in Wuhan, which is now under quarantine

China has suspended schools nationwide and extended the Lunar New Year holiday in an effort to limit people travelling.

Thousands of foreigners have been trapped in Wuhan since it was sealed off last week, and countries have been scrambling to arrange evacuation flights.

A British charter plane from Wuhan landed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire today carrying 83 UK citizens and 27 others.

The UK also confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus, with two patients being treated at a specialist medical facility in Newcastle.

France today evacuated 180 of its citizens, who will be placed under quarantine back home.

One of the returning French citizens was 'directly transferred to hospital' with possible symptoms of coronavirus infection, officials said.

The remaining passengers were taken to a seaside holiday camp, where they will be kept in quarantine for two weeks.

German cases rose to six with the infection of a child.

In South Korea, 18 evacuees who arrived from Wuhan have been hospitalised after showing symptoms, Seoul's health authorities said today.
24128710-7951279-British_Nationals_arrive_at_RAF_Brize_Norton_in_Oxfordshire_on_a-a-6_1580483631679.jpg


British Nationals arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on a rescue flight from Wuhan where people face two weeks in quarantine

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A woman cycles near the scene where the body of a man was found outside a furniture store

The World Health Organisation last night declared a global emergency and many have warned their citizens against travel to China.

Japan today urged its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China, following similar warnings by Germany, Britain and other nations in recent days.

The United States has gone further, warning against travel to China for any reason.

A series of airlines including British Airways have suspended flights to mainland China because of the outbreak.

Mongolia has halted cross-border traffic with its neighbour China and Russia sealed its remote far-eastern frontier.

Some countries banned entry for travellers from Wuhan, the city in central Hubei province where the virus first surfaced.

Italy and Israel on Thursday barred all flight connections with China, while Papua New Guinea went so far as to bar all visitors from 'Asian ports'.

Vietnam ordered the suspension of new tourist visas for Chinese citizens and foreigners who have been in China over the last two weeks.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong unions have threatened strikes unless the border with mainland China is closed to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Unions say workers on the Hong Kong metro are 'in a panic' because of the risk of being infected while at work.

Hospital workers' union HAEA has also called for the entire border to be closed, saying strike action could begin as early as next week.

The crisis poses a fresh challenge for Hong Kong's embattled leader Carrie Lam, who has so far resisted calls to shut the border.

However, the high-speed rail service to mainland China and all cross-border ferry services have been suspended since midnight last night.
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Workers in China unload a shipment of protective suits from a cargo plane at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport yesterday

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A cyclist wears a protective mask in Beijing on Wednesday, with China imposing a quarantine on Wuhan and the surrounding area

Governments around the world have sent mixed messages about whether people should wear masks to fend off the virus.

In China, top medics say that people need to wear masks when taking public transport.

The masks are widely worn in Taiwan's capital Taipei where the government has imposed purchase limits and an export ban on masks.

The Taiwan Railway Administration said on Friday that if the virus continues to spread it will refuse to carry passengers not wearing masks.

Australia says that healthy people do not need masks, but has nonetheless released a million masks from the national medical stockpile.

Mask supplies have also been running low in Singapore, where authorities have announced plans to give four of them to every household.

The country's main newspaper plastered a warning - 'Do not wear a mask if you are well' - across its front page today.

However, the warning was met with scepticism by some in Singapore who compared the advice to abolishing the army in peacetime.

'Wearing a mask only when you feel unwell? Then why do you need soldiers when there isn't war? It's better to be safe than sorry', said Kenny Chan Wai Kong.
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Foreign tourists walk in the arrivals area at Beijing Capital Airport yesterday wearing protective masks

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Commuters with protective facemasks wait to board a canal boat at Pratunam Pier in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday

In parts of Asia, wearing face masks is common when people are sick or to counter urban pollution.

Official guidance from the World Health Organisation and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention makes no mention of wearing a face mask, but does not advise against it.

Coronavirus can be transmitted from person to person, although it is not clear how easily.

Most cases have been in people who have been in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the centre of the outbreak, family members of those infected, or medical workers.

Transmission is likely through contact with an infected person via particles in the air from coughing or sneezing, or by someone touching an infected person or object with the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.

Previous research has shown that coronavirus becomes inactive more quickly at higher temperatures, but not immediately.

'Situations that require a mask are when you are in a crowd...or if you are caring for a sick person,' said virologist Angela Rasmussen of Columbia University.

'If it makes you feel better, wear a surgical mask,' she said on the Reuters Global Markets Forum.
 
Death toll from China virus sets a grim new record

FEBRUARY 3, 2020 / 8:33 PM / UPDATED 17 MINUTES AGO

Hong Kong records first virus death, Macau shuts casinos

Farah Master, Ryan Woo

6 MIN READ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-c...-idUSKBN1ZY05A

HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - Hong Kong reported its first death from the newly identified coronavirus on Tuesday, the second outside mainland China from an outbreak that has killed more than 420 people, spread around the world and raised fears for global economic growth.

r

A resident wearing mask and raincoat volunteers to take temperature of passenger following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong, China February 4, 2020. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

China’s markets steadied after anxiety erased some $400 billion in market value from Shanghai’s benchmark index the previous day, and global markets also staged a comeback after a sell-off last week, but the bad news kept coming.

Macau, the world’s biggest gambling hub, said it had asked all casino operators to suspend operations for two weeks to help curb the spread of the virus.

In another announcement that will compound worries about the economic impact, Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) said it would gradually suspend production at its South Korean factories because of supply chain disruptions from the outbreak.

The Hong Kong death took to 427 the toll from the virus, including a man who died in the Philippines last week after visiting Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the outbreak.

BEIJING, Feb 4 (Reuters) - China said it would welcome assistance from the United States to fight a coronavirus outbreak, a day after it accused Washington of scaremongering, and as the death toll rose on Tuesday by a new daily record to more than 420.

The toll in China rose to 425 as of the end of Monday, up by a record 64 from the previous day, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday. All of the new deaths were in central Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the flu-like virus a global emergency, although experts say much is still unknown about the pathogen including its lethality.

"We expect to see more cases of person-to-person spread," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-H...39P/index.html

For a full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak click, here

Chinese authorities said the toll in mainland China rose by a record 64 from the previous day to 425, mostly in Hubei, the virtually locked-down province whose capital is Wuhan.

New cases were reported in the United States, including a patient in California infected through close contact with someone in the same household who had been infected in China.

It was the second instance of person-to-person spread in the United States after a case reported last week in Illinois.

“We expect to see more cases of person-to-person spread,” said Dr Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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The total number of infections in mainland China rose by 3,235 to 20,438, and there were nearly 200 cases elsewhere across 24 countries and China’s special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the flu-like virus a global emergency and experts say much is still unknown about the pathogen, including its mortality rate and transmission routes.

GRAPHIC: Tracking the novel coronavirus - here

Such uncertainties have spurred extreme measures by some countries to stem the spread.

Australia sent hundreds of evacuees from Wuhan to a remote island in the Indian Ocean, while Japan ordered the quarantine of a cruise ship with more than 3,000 aboard after a Hong Kong man who sailed on it last month tested positive for the virus.
ON STRIKE


In Hong Kong, hospital staff said the 39-year-old male victim had a pre-existing chronic illness and had visited Wuhan in January before falling ill.

Thousands of medical workers in the former British colony held a second day of strikes to press for the complete closure of its borders with mainland China, a day after embattled leader Carrie Lam left open three remaining checkpoints.

“We’re not threatening the government, we just want to prevent the outbreak,” said Cheng, a 26-year-old nurse among the strikers.

The Asian financial center has confirmed 17 cases of the virus and its public hospital network is struggling to cope with a deluge of patients and measures to contain the epidemic.

Hong Kong was badly hit by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), another coronavirus that emerged from China in 2002 to kill almost 800 people worldwide. WHO figures show SARS killed 299 people in Hong Kong then.

Chinese data suggest that the new virus, while much more contagious than SARS, is significantly less lethal, although such numbers can evolve rapidly.

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In Wuhan, authorities started converting a gymnasium, exhibition center and cultural complex into makeshift hospitals with more than 3,400 beds for patients with mild infections, the official Changjiang Daily said.

The United States said on Friday it would block nearly all foreign visitors who have been to China within the past 14 days, joining Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Vietnam and others with similar restrictions.

China accused the United States on Monday of scaremongering and said on Tuesday it would welcome its help to fight the outbreak.

The White House said China had accepted its offer of U.S. experts among a WHO mission to study and help combat the virus.

With Wuhan and some other cities in virtual lockdown, travel severely restricted and China facing increasing international isolation, fears of wider economic disruption are growing.

Sources from the OPEC oil cartel said producers were considering cutting output by almost a third to support prices.

Many airlines have stopped flights to parts of China, with Japan’s biggest carrier, ANA Holdings (9202.T), the latest to announce cuts, saying it would slash the number of flights to Beijing by two-thirds for at least seven weeks.

Organizers of the Singapore Airshow said a meeting of about 300 international aviation officials had been canceled although the show itself would go ahead this month.

Some economists predict world economic output will shrink by 0.2 to 0.3 percentage points due to China’s lockdown.

For a graphic comparing coronavirus outbreaks, see here

Reporting by Lusha Zhang and Ryan Woo in Beijing and Farah Master in Hong Kong; Additional reporting by Cheng Leng and Winni Zhou in Shanghai, Roxanne Liu, Muyu Xu and Se Young Lee in Beijing, Tom Westbrook in Singapore, Byron Kaye in Sydney, and Linda Sieg, Sakura Murakami and Ami Miyazaki in Tokyo; Writing by Robert Birsel; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Clarence Fernandez

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


Time-lapse Video of Construction of China's New Coronavirus Hospital

China is set to open Wuhan's Huoshenshan Hospital on Monday. The 1,000-bed facility was built in 10 days to cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

 
talking zoonosis...prior lesson bats 1/3 all total mammalian life host myriad virus' no adverse affects evo adaptation to flight ......passes to the rat mouse beaver chicken pigeon dog...

short story long credible theory MASTADON big swinging dick of the north american and south american plains for 2 million years on earth...vanished...fast...maybe it was a virus from man's best friend...around 11,000 years ago...poof...talking zoonosis here
 

Eerie drone footage shows the deserted streets of Wuhan, the city at the center of the coronavirus outbreak.
 
Doctor who sounded alarm in China dies from coronavirus

Feb 7, 2020

ABC News

11 Americans were quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan after testing positive and Dr. Li Wenliang who warned his colleagues of the symptoms died of the novel virus.


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'Floating Prison': Cruise Passengers in Limbo Due to Coronavirus Fears; 61 Infected on Ship in Japan

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Passengers Leave Cruise Ship in New Jersey

Passengers disembark from the cruise ship Anthem of the Seas at the Cape Liberty Cruise Port on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, in Bayonne, N.J. Passengers were screened, as a precaution, for coronavirus. Four were taken to the hospital.
  • Four passengers from a ship docked in New Jersey were transported to a hospital.
  • Another cruise ship is in limbo after being denied entry at several ports.
  • A Princess Cruises ship remains in quarantine in Japan after 61 passengers tested positive.
https://weather.com/health/cold-flu/...-test-positive



BAYONNE, N.J. — Concern over possible coronavirus infection has prompted officials to quarantine 12 passengers aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship arriving Friday morning in Bayonne, New Jersey.

The 12 passengers will be tested by officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) after the Anthem of the Seas docks at 6 a.m. The passengers, all Chinese nationals, started exhibiting symptoms aboard the ship, which is returning from the Bahamas.

‘A contaminated prison’

Scared, angry passengers are trapped on three cruise ships amid coronavirus outbreak

https://fox61.com/2020/02/07/royal-c...irus-patients/


1 MINUTE READ BY ARIANNE COHEN https://www.fastcompany.com/90461716...ersey-to-japan

Count your blessings if you are not currently on a cruise ship. All hell is breaking loose on major vessels from New Jersey to Japan:
  • Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas just docked in Bayonne, New Jersey, met by ambulances that took four ill patients into hospital isolation for evaluation (none currently confirmed for coronavirus). Twenty-three passengers were screened and released.
  • Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess, anchored off of Yokohama, Japan, has now confirmed 61 coronavirus cases, at least 11 of them Americans. Over 2,600 passengers have been quarantined in their rooms for days. Some of the over 400 American passengers on board are talking to reporters and trying to arrange evacuation with the U.S. authorities.
  • Dream Cruises’ World Dream ship has been quarantined for days near Hong Kong, following confirmed coronavirus cases of former passengers who exited the ship nearly two weeks ago, and reports of respiratory illness among some crew members.
  • Holland America’s Westerdam has been denied docking by the Philippines, Taiwan, Guam, and Japan, despite none of the 2,000-plus people on board being currently suspected of coronavirus.
  • The Twittersphere is flustered: @RoyalCaribbean’s slogan, “We cruise and we tweet,” can add “and respond to totally panicked customers” to its tagline.
Of all the unfortunate cruise ship scenarios, Diamond Princess may be in the worst situation: It is now the second biggest coronavirus nexus outside of China, with more passengers sure to test positive in the coming days.

If the issue drags on, it does not bode well for the cruise industry. Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Corp. were all down about 3-4% in early trading on Friday.

This story is developing and details may change.
 
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