While personal or ingrained fears might keep us from psychically seeing the magnitude of this virus the fact that the word Corona is part of its title seems very significant to me. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corona
I love words, symbols and metaphors as many here do. Probably why I majored in Literature and Writing and forced myself to take some weird grammar classes about word usage that I still flagrantly disobey to this day. ? But then I "knew" the rules would someday be changed and our technology has definitely changed all of that especially spelling ?
But Bluebelle and other gifted "pre-sentients/pre-cogs" (and Zoron if you are somehow reading this) have there already been visions of pandemics and the destruction of global markets, trade and everything connected?
Today's stats for the virus are:
The death toll rose to 81, according to Chinese officials, with more than 2,860 people now infected.
A fifth case in the U.S. has now been confirmed and the virus has been detected in Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam.
The flight from risk comes amid concerns about a possible economic fallout from the virus, with experts recalling the impact of the SARS crisis in 2003.
Europe's Stoxx 600 fell by more than 2%, while in the U.S., the Dow dropped 500 points at the open on Wall Street.
Thoughts, impressions, previous visions now hits?
All I can think of is how quickly this can go from a Chinese problem to a global one. China is the lead manufacturer and source for most of the goods in the world; have cargo shipments been stopped? Will distributions centers for places like Amazon and Walmart be the next ground zero for spread? I read the virus can possible live on currency, and Chinese people are being urged to use digital currency, or use hand sanitizer after touching money; doesn't that mean that goods made and packaged in China can spread the virus? And in the past two weeks, how many Chinese students returned for second semester to schools around the world? Or international students who were in China for study abroad and will soon head home? I just texted my son to see if there's been any information on his campus about the virus and precautions, and he relied that there hasn't been anything. And I would argue that any news out of China regarding the number of affected and dead should be taken with a grain of salt; China is a Communist country that controls the media and narrative obsessively to protect information and image.
Wow, what an excellent list of connected concerns. It boggles the mind.
So anyone getting a bit of paranoia here? I definitely would if this was lab made or controlled and China already had a cure in progress.
Certainly could end up in a very large number of disaster movies. Or let's say insure Chinese global domination.
Far greater than snakes on a plane. No laughing matter but my overly imaginative mind just took the next big "leap of anything but faith".
On the flip side the end of an era and emergence of a new anti-social media censorship rebellion into eventual Chinese democracy. A tea party rebellion to end all tea parties.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/technology/china-coronavirus-censorship-social-media.html
All I can think of is how quickly this can go from a Chinese problem to a global one. China is the lead manufacturer and source for most of the goods in the world; have cargo shipments been stopped? Will distributions centers for places like Amazon and Walmart be the next ground zero for spread? I read the virus can possible live on currency, and Chinese people are being urged to use digital currency, or use hand sanitizer after touching money; doesn't that mean that goods made and packaged in China can spread the virus? And in the past two weeks, how many Chinese students returned for second semester to schools around the world? Or international students who were in China for study abroad and will soon head home? I just texted my son to see if there's been any information on his campus about the virus and precautions, and he relied that there hasn't been anything. And I would argue that any news out of China regarding the number of affected and dead should be taken with a grain of salt; China is a Communist country that controls the media and narrative obsessively to protect information and image.
I absolutely positively loved this. Elbow length leather gloves! Were they made for rose bush pruning or the th-e-uh-ter?
But they are also used in snake handling if thick enough besides the hook that is most often used in nature shows. So the thoughtfulness is just awesome really!
(((Blessings to your son as he journeys!)))
I also gave my son a big bag of individually wrapped anti-bacterial wipes to take with him. But my daughter did me one better - in addition to the masks, she bought a pair of elbow length leather gloves for my son to take too.
If you don't mind, I would like to continue to post updates on how the virus is being handled here in AZ with its first reported case of an ASU student confirmed and the fallout for ASU in general.
What I know so far.
I originally found out about an ASU student having the virus yesterday from the media, not ASU. ASU did not update their website regarding the virus and the confirmed case until well into the evening. They have not sent out an email to me or my ASU student child ( they know how to get in touch with all of us). The only way information has gone out to the public is via twitter and their website.
The following is on their website.
Dear ASU Students, Faculty, Staff and Families:
Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) has identified and confirmed one case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the ASU community. This individual resides in Tempe. This individual does not live in university housing, is not severely ill and is currently in isolation to keep the illness from spreading.
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, is a new respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China that is known to cause mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Public health officials are advising residents that flu and other respiratory diseases are circulating in the community, and are recommending everyone get a flu shot and follow basic prevention guidelines.
The best ways to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses are to:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
ASU is working closely with MCDPH to investigate any contacts that this individual may have exposed while infectious. Those who have been exposed will be notified directly by either ASU or Public Health and given specific instructions on monitoring for symptoms. If you have not been notified, you have not been identified to be at risk of developing symptoms. Currently, no commercial testing is available and there is no vaccine. MCDPH is working with those exposed to get testing by CDC.
We will continue to communicate with the ASU community as we learn more about 2019-nCoV and our current exposures. If you have recently traveled to Wuhan, China and have developed fever with cough or shortness of breath within 14 days of your travel, or have had contact with someone who is suspected to have 2019 Novel Coronavirus, stay home and contact ASU Health Services at 480-965-3349.
More information and regular updates can be found here or at the Maricopa County site
Anyone with concerns about their health or symptoms they are experiencing can call ASU Health Services at 480-965-3349. For general concerns or inquiries, please call 844-864-8327.
Sincerely,
Mark Searle
Executive Vice President and University Provost
Morgan Olsen
Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
*Posted: 6:30pm., Jan. 26, 2020
It is interesting to note that the original letter I read said people HAD been contacted, not would be contacted.
My concern regarding ASU is that there needs to be a good action plan in place and good information flowing.
How do 10's of thousands of students clean the desk tops they are working on? Will the University provide wipes? They aren't provided yet. How do that many students wash their hands between classes? There are not sanitizing gel stations either. Bathrooms are not plentiful in many areas to wash up.. Just how do they avoid contact in a classroom with a sick person? If they feel sick, can they stay home without grade consequences? Usually my daughter is allowed one missed day for every day she has class. So if she has a Monday class only, she gets one day she can miss. If it is a T/th class she can miss 2. So, is the University allowing students to miss more days if they are ill? That has not been addressed and students are upset on social media for not having answers.
The CDC "plan" doesn't work well for a university.
There is a bigger issue that is a problem from the CDC's end and I am going to address that in a second post .
LOL! And, yes, what she bought were leather gardening gloves, the type you might use to prune rosebushes. I'm not quite sure what my daughter is envisioning her brother doing with such gloves in India, but I'm tickled that she wanted to send her baby brother off fully armed! She is, after all, her mother's daughter. ?
Thank you for sending blessings his way.
Here is the second part of my post regarding the AZ confirmed case.
A respected AZ news journalist was contacted by a concerned medical professional who had direct information regarding the confirmed case of the ASU student. The student arrived to the hospital on Saturday with flu-like -symptoms. They had recently returned from a trip to the Wuhan area of China. The CDC took swabs to test the student for the Novel Coronavirus. ONLY the CDC tests for this virus. The student was sent home with masks and told to wait for the CDC to contact them. The student was in contact with may others at the hospital.
The day before, a different ASU student came to the same hospital with the same flu-like-symptoms. They had also returned recently from a trip to China. They had not been to Wuhan however. Instead student had spent winter break-in the Provence NEXT to Wuhan. After a back and forth with the CDC, the CDC REFUSED to test the individual because they had not visited Wuhan. That student was discharged and sent home, free to come in contact with others and never tested.
The Maricopa Co. Health department told the journalist that the patient MUST meet the following criteria to be swabbed and tested for the Novel Coronavirus:
1. -fever
2-cough
3-travelled to Wuhan within 14 days
4-in contact w/person who tested positive for CV.
Only IF ALL 4 boxes are checked , they will test.
Unbelievable!!!!!
The providence next to Wuhan has had plenty of confirmed cases. This person, if infected, is now potentially passing the disease to everyone they have contact with. Also, are we not going to then test classmates of the infected person if the classmate now shows symptoms?
We have no good plan folks. The plan we have is stupid.
It is unbelievable but the number of available test kits and the inability to get more might be the cause of this crazy thinking and obviously they have not reached a recognized level of awareness of danger yet and by the time it does its already multiplied more and more.
Lack of awareness, education, realization of potential contamination danger and the huge growing ratio of contact spreading exponentially in China-- all in the news with all outbreaks-- yet somehow no one is ever prepared!
Scary sad and very, very disheartening. I am so sorry. Stay strong do what you can with and for your daughter and others and spread the word, letters to editors of news outlets, phone calls whatever.
In this sad new era we a need to be squeaky wheels and just do whatever we can to educate others and pass on information and other wake up calls.
Meanwhile know that I hear you and feel and know your heart and your concerns as will everyone reading here.
Another update.
I have a good friend who is an Associate Professor at a major University who does research on viruses. Mostly research on the HPV virus.
He is be VERY concerned about this 2019 Novel Coronavirus . Especially since the US doesn't understand much about it and it is fast moving through quarantined areas in China. He just told me that there are likely 63 current cases in the US and that the mortality rate appears to be 3%.
Now, I am thinking, what about all the people who are showing symptoms of illness in the US but did not travel to Wuhan, but traveled to nearby areas next to Wuhan? The CDC is not testing those people. Only those who traveled to Wuhan. Our Maricopa County Health Department is saying saying Wuhan is the concern.
We are kidding ourselves if we only want to focus on travers who are sick after visiting Wuhan .
Here is the link to the CDC and their current advisory, just updated.
They have changed a few things. They now recommend NO travel to all of China.
They have also changed the advisory to include if you have been to China in the past 14 days, not just Wuhan. That was way too slow in coming. CDC.
Tick Tick Tick
From the CDC:
If you were in China in the last 14 days and feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, you should:
- Seek medical care right away. Before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
- Avoid contact with others.
- Not travel while sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/novel-coronavirus-china
Tick, tick, tick is right. I learned years back from their antiquated directives to doctors and the public on Lymes Disease that the CDC can be woefully slow on issues. They are too big and too political. Even this latest directive is not going to stop the spread of this epidemic by people who are asymptomatic.
For over ten years, I have always used antibacterial wipes to clean plane seats, trays, seatbelts and basically every place around my seat that I would touch. My husband used to be embarrassed, but now I just pass the cleaning wipe to him and off we go. Now we keep hand sanitizer in our cars and use that when we are out and about.
When visiting family in Sydney years ago, we adopted their practice of going straight to the sink to wash our hands as soon as we came home. We still do that today. It sounds germaphobic and a tad neurotic, but who cares? We very seldom get sick
Thank you for your back-up. Lifted my inclination towards a bit of self deprecation.
We keep the wipes and pump hand sanitizers in our cars too. But when we all dig out our bottles or wipes in public people have stared more than a bit. And on an airplane I'm quite entertaining as well, as I try to inconspicuously sanitize my tray and arm rests.
I carry gloves and a simple face mask just in case and if anyone were to start coughing around me I'd probably put the mask on and my husband would just have to pretend he didnt know me.
I just have no words for the situation or our current administration.
The Dangerfield family of five from Arizona traveled to Wuhan for Chinese New Year celebrations and had planned on staying for a month. Then everything went south and they got stuck in Wuhan when the borders closed. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department ordered a chartered flight for a limited number of private citizens to get back to the United States. While the Dangerfield family was chosen by our government to be on that flight, , the only people allowed to board were Dangerfield and his three children ages 7 months-age 5 . Dangerfield's wife, who is a permanent US resident but not a naturalized citizen, was denied permission to board the flight.
With minutes to decide, the Dangerfields decided to stay in Wuhan together as a family. His wife is from Wuhan and they are staying with her family.
This is a very possible life and death decision this family had to make. Unbelievable.
The number of confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus has overtaken the 2003 SARS outbreak inside of mainland China, as the virus was confirmed to have spread to every province and region in the country.
Also worth noting:
-Australia has unveiled plans to evacuate some of its nationals from Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province, flying the most “isolated and vulnerable” of 600 citizens to quarantine on Christmas Island for up to 14 days.
-In a joint operation with New Zealand, which has about 50 citizens in the city at the epicentre of the global coronavirus outbreak, Australians will be evacuated from the locked-down city on a “last-in first-out” basis.
-The US evacuation flight has been diverted to March Air Force Airbase instead of landing in Ontario, CA. .
-A photo of a pilot for an evacuation aircraft is in what looks like a white fabric hazmat suit and mask and sitting in the cockpit.
-Papua New Guinea has banned all travellers from entering the country from “Asian ports”, according to Agence France-Presse. In a note to airlines and boat operators, the ministry of immigration said “all citizens originating from the Asian ports will be refused entry to the country effective today”.The ministry also announced that Papua New Guinea’s only official land border – with Indonesian-controlled Papua province – would be shut from Thursday.
I am going to keep updating information here because his is a situation that keeps evolving and quickly. I think we can learn a lot about how serious things are or aren't by observing how countries are reacting and what scientists are learning about the virus.
-British Airways has suspended bookings on its website for direct flights from London to Beijing and Shanghai until March, after warnings over travel to China due to the coronavirus outbreak. Finnair has also suspended flights.
-As things continue to worsen over there, what impact will be felt economically?
-As of the writing of this post, the last time the CDC updated US Novel -Coronavirus numbers was 1-27-20. There were 73 cases pending. There was no update on Tuesday 28th of January.