Pandemic threat? Anyone else concerned?

[Arjun]

That last article, absolutely shocked, was it for real or something made up by the BBC?

Sick leave for Corona at pub chain in UK
"One of the UK's biggest employers says staff will be subject to regular statutory sick pay rules if they self-isolate owing to coronavirus.

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon, which has 45,000 employees, said the virus was being treated like any other illness.

Under statutory sick pay rules, an employee is not paid for the first three days of absence, and then only if they earn at least £118 a week.

Strictly speaking, there is no right to sick pay for anyone in self-isolation.

However, arbitration service Acas said it was "good practice" for employers to treat it as sick leave or agree for the time to be taken as holiday."

ref:

Coronavirus: Sick pay rules apply, says JD Wetherspoon pub chain

Under statutory sick pay rules, an employee is not paid for the first three days of absence.

www.bbc.com

Coronavirus: Amazon removes overpriced goods and fake cures
"
Amazon has banned more than one million products which claim to protect against the coronavirus - or even cure it.

The online retailer told Reuters it had also removed "tens of thousands" of overpriced health products from unscrupulous sellers.. "

( and yet they allow unscrupulous sellers of other products like "flat cat7" rated cables which have hair diameter copper wires... )

ref:

Coronavirus: Amazon removes overpriced goods and fake cures

The retail giant is removing fake cures and tackling unreasonable price hikes amid public concern.

www.bbc.com

Must suck when you're locked up in quarantine and you can't play your favorite game

Coronavirus: Plague Inc. game banned in China
"A game which challenges players to spread a deadly virus around the world has been banned in China, its makers have said.

Plague Inc. has been pulled from the Chinese app store for including "illegal content", British-based developer Ndemic Creations said. .."

Coronavirus: Plague Inc. game banned in China

Plague Inc. puts users in control of a disease which they must develop into a global pandemic.

www.bbc.com

 

[mat200]

From the NY Times and other sources:

Unexplained Coronavirus Cases in Three States Raise Specter of Spread
Officials in California, Oregon and Washington State said on Friday that people had tested positive for the coronavirus without a known explanation for how they became ill.

By Mike Baker, Sheri Fink, Thomas Fuller and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs
Published Feb. 28, 2020, Updated Feb. 29, 2020

" SEATTLE — Troubling new signs that the coronavirus is spreading in the United States emerged on Friday, as cases not explained by overseas travel or contact with a person known to be infected were reported in California, Oregon and Washington State.
Officials from the three states announced that their testing had found new cases: a high school student from north of Seattle; an employee of an elementary school in Oregon, near Portland; and a woman in Santa Clara County, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Sixty-five cases of the virus have been reported in the United States, but until this week, all of the cases could be explained by overseas travel or contact with someone who had been ill. The three new cases on Friday, and a case earlier in the week, in California, were the first in the United States where the cause was mysterious and unknown — a sign, experts warned, that the virus, which has killed more than 2,800 people worldwide and sickened tens of thousands of others, might now be spreading in this country.
“If we were worried yesterday, we are even more worried today,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “Now we have to ask: How widely, really widely, is this virus out there?”
As word emerged of the unexplained cases, local officials scrambled to trace everyone who had come in contact with those who were ill. California health officials said they were increasing testing. And in Washington State, officials suggested that people needed to prepare for the possibility of schools closing and businesses keeping workers home.
“We’re going to be increasingly recommending that people try and avoid crowds and close contact with other people,” Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Public Health Seattle & King County, said. “We may get to a point where we want to recommend canceling large public gatherings — social events, sporting events, entertainment — until we get over a hump of what might be a large outbreak.” ... "

ref:

Unexplained Coronavirus Cases in Three States Raise Specter of Spread (Published 2020)

Officials in California, Oregon and Washington State said on Friday that people had tested positive for the coronavirus without a known explanation for how they became ill.

www.nytimes.com

 

[sebastiantombs]

I don't think that the "Unexplained cases" are so worrisome. The one is in the same county where the first case in the US was reported and the second is in a town adjacent to a facility housing quarantined people with the virus. Compared to other viruses. like SARS, Spanish Flu and such, this one doesn't seem to be spreading nearly as fast. What is worrisome, to me, is that an elementary school teacher apparently has it and has been in contact with students in a public school while infected. That's how things like this spread, people go to work sick because they used up all their sick time goofing off or want to save it to goof off.

 

[mat200]

Steps to take regarding COVID-19 as per MedCram 2/28/2020

1) Get a thermometer. If feverish check if temp > 100.4 F / 38.0 C ( this is the standard used by medical providers )
2) Do not go to the hospital unless you absolutely need to - i.e. if a fever / cold attempt home care unless very serious ( most cases are mild )
3) Do not horde masks - surgical mask needed for sick, N95 masks for hospital workers
4) Shortness of Breath, Dyspnea, Sleepy.. you need to go to hospital - but call ahead ( wear a surgical mask so as not to expose others )

DO NOT see grandpa or grandma if you have any symptoms ( especially deadly for older people )

 

[Q™]

Meanwhile, back at the Wuhan camera factory...


.

 

[mat200]

NASA shows impact of sars-cov-2 / covid-19

Satellite images have shown a dramatic decline in pollution levels over China, which is "at least partly" due to an economic slowdown prompted by the coronavirus, US space agency Nasa says.
Nasa maps show how levels of nitrogen dioxide have fallen this year, and compared to the same period in 2019.
It comes amid record declines in China's factory activity as manufacturers stop work in a bid to contain the virus.

Coronavirus: Nasa images show China pollution clear amid slowdown

Nasa says major decreases in nitrogen dioxide levels are "at least partly" linked to the outbreak.

www.bbc.com

 

[Sybertiger]

Meanwhile, back at the Wuhan camera factory...

View attachment 56425
.

It'd be crazy it it turned out that these folks all got AliExpress shipments from China.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Wuhan has been blocked for 39days, no people can come out of this house, so there is no business at all. The virus was taken by travelling people and then spread to the world. Parcels can't transfer the virus.
Today there is only 3 new infection in other cities, wuhan still have 500+, but suspicous infection drop to 64，so next week i think the whole data will drop to a very low level. The victory is coming soon.
Yesterday climbed a mountain, summer is coming in South China There is 0 infection around 10days here.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

NASA shows impact of sars-cov-2 / covid-19

Satellite images have shown a dramatic decline in pollution levels over China, which is "at least partly" due to an economic slowdown prompted by the coronavirus, US space agency Nasa says.
Nasa maps show how levels of nitrogen dioxide have fallen this year, and compared to the same period in 2019.
It comes amid record declines in China's factory activity as manufacturers stop work in a bid to contain the virus.

Coronavirus: Nasa images show China pollution clear amid slowdown

Nasa says major decreases in nitrogen dioxide levels are "at least partly" linked to the outbreak.

www.bbc.com

View attachment 56435

The whole Feb. 90% factories shut down in China. The air is very good across China.

 

[Sybertiger]

NINE DAYS!!!!!

Not trying to create panic or false narratives but Corona Virus can survive 9 days on a surface....maybe longer with ideal temperature and humidity. AliExpress usually takes 14 to 28 days to reach the destination. @EMPIRETECANDY you're shipping service is too fast!

How long can coronaviruses survive on surfaces?

A recent review investigates how long coronaviruses can survive outside the body; it also assesses which chemicals are most effective against the pathogen.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

NINE DAYS!!!!!

Not trying to create panic or false narratives but Corona Virus can survive 9 days on a surface....maybe longer with property temperature and humidity. AliExpress usually takes 14 to 28 days to reach the destination. @EMPIRETECANDY your shipping service is too fast!

How long can coronaviruses survive on surfaces?

A recent review investigates how long coronaviruses can survive outside the body; it also assesses which chemicals are most effective against the pathogen.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

Our guys are healthy, and most stocks we have produced in Jan, so there is no virus. Shipment via dhl,fedex,ups will be sterilizared before shipping to US. Everyday, i think millons of parcels ship from China to US via fast shipping way, We recived lots of parcel in the past weeks, no problem at all, just wash your hands after you open the box no matter where the parcels come from.

 

[Arjun]

Also to mention, Flu Season is coming to an end soon. In-spite of that, I just learned that I will still need to have the flu shot soon, lol
It will be easier now to keep a track of how this virus is spreading. Folks on the West Coast need to stay calm, but vigilant.

 

[Sybertiger]

Also to mention, Flu Season is coming to an end soon. In-spite of that, I just learned that I will still need to have the flu shot soon, lol
It will be easier now to keep a track of how this virus is spreading. Folks on the West Coast need to stay calm, but vigilant.

Flu season hasn't started in Florida yet...we welcome college kids from up north to Spring Break to get flu season going here.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Flu season hasn't started in Florida yet...we welcome college kids from up north to Spring Break to get flu season going here.

Chinese students have a very long holiday, at least 3.5months i think. Though have online classes, i think stay at home to study=holiday

 

[tigerwillow1]

an elementary school teacher apparently has it and has been in contact with students in a public school while infected.

Is this referring to the new Oregon case? If it is, it's fake news. The district superintendent says the worker's job does not involve interaction with the students.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

In China also have too many rumors, a guy posted online said the virus is sent by US gov, many guys talking about this, the policeman arrested that guy due to his rumors within 24hours.

 

[erkme73]

US news sources have stated that there were 50 suspected people in Washington state. Not much detail. Yet, over in the UK news:

Over 50 staff and residents at nursing home have coronavirus symptoms

More than 50 staff and residents of the nursing facility where two new coronavirus cases have been confirmed are now also showing symptoms of the disease, health officials said Saturday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

There is this tid-bit of info regarding the relationship of the fellow that died today, and those 50 people:

"Fears for 50 staff and residents at nursing facility after they are confirmed with coronavirus symptoms - two miles from Washington hospital where man, 50, becomes the first to die from the virus in the US and Donald Trump urges public not to panic" 25 staff and 27 residents of the the Life Care nursing facility in Kirkland, Washington state, are showing symptoms of coronavirus, health officials said Friday Two new confirmed cases in Washington are connected to the long-term care home - with one female staff member in her 40s and one female resident in her 70s both testing positive The CDC and local health officials are sending an emergency response team to the facility to try to control the escalating situation A 'medically high-risk' male in their 50s died of coronavirus overnight Friday in a Kirkland hospital, just two miles from the care home

While it doesn't outright say it, the implication is that the 50 year-old who died may well have been working/living/visiting the nursing home. Imagine what kind of damage this virus would do to nursing home. And by the time he's symptomatic enough to head to the closest hospital (and die), I imagine he's had plenty of time to seed the others at the facility. What a nightmare.

 

[Murphy625]

In China also have too many rumors, a guy posted online said the virus is sent by US gov, many guys talking about this, the policeman arrested that guy due to his rumors within 24hours.

In the USA, we call these types "conspiracy theorists".. and we have a lot of them as well as hundreds (thousands?) of websites supporting their delusions. There's even one in the White House.

 

[tigerwillow1]

There's even one in the White House.

And there's nowhere on the Internet to escape political mudslinging.

 

[mat200]

In China also have too many rumors, a guy posted online said the virus is sent by US gov, many guys talking about this, the policeman arrested that guy due to his rumors within 24hours.

Thanks Andy for the picture! Time to take a lot of pictures, such a beautiful sky and view.

In the USA as Murphy notes - there are many "slants" to stories. Both political parties here and their officials ( including Presidents, current and past ) take advantage of fears / half truths / misinformation. When elections come here they do something we call "Mud Slinging" - Mud is sometimes a polite word for "fecal matter". Perhaps this term came from watching monkey's throw it at each other??? Each party attempts to pull "emotional strings" to get votes. This can be a problem if there is not enough "balance" - thus why those who theorized how to keep Democracies balanced and more fair promote "freedom of speech, press, .. ". In theory with enough information discussed those who are to vote can weigh in the different arguments. The problem now is that there are many who now listen to just one side - something we call the "echo chamber".

This is why you hear such strong pro freedom of press and speech from Western Democracies.

I try to see various sides of arguments to understand better, and try to look at science and facts as much as possible.

We should perhaps get all of those claiming this pandemic is on purpose together and have them discuss how they know the PLA or the CIA or the KGB ( FSK now ) or the MI6 or the Philippine NICA ( * ) did this. It would be entertaining.

* - The Philippine's are a bit upset about the take over of the Sea area on their west, so clearly it must have been them ( i.e. 9 dashed lines, China Sea, Spartly Island and Scarborough )