SEE MAP: https://www.msn.com/en-
us/news/coronavirus?ocid=msedgntp
Wim Hof’s take on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zgzLdZg31w
The name Corona is of Latin origin. The meaning of Corona is “crown of laurels”.
It is also of Spanish origin, where its meaning is “halo”.
Studies suggest the differences between the flu and coronavirus are far starker than some people suggest…. It’s going to get worse before it gets better — a lot worse. Why Covid-19 is worse than the flu, in one chart It’s more contagious, more deadly (particularly for older people), and it has a greater potential to overwhelm our health care system.
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The first U.S. case of a new coronavirus illness that originated
in central China has been identified in a patient in Washington State, federal health officials announced on Tuesday. In a news briefing, officials said that the male patient was hospitalized with pneumonia last week and had recently traveled to Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in China where the outbreak is thought to have begun. The man is being quarantined at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, “out of an abundance of precaution and for short-term monitoring, not because there is severe illness,” stressed
Dr. Chris Spitters, interim health officer for the Snohomish Health District.
“We believe the risk to the public is low,” added Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman.
The quarantined patient is in his 30’s and resides in Snohomish County, state epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist explained at the briefing.The patient is currently in good condition and clinically not ill, officials said.The man flew home into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Jan. 15 via an indirect flight, officials said. Airport screening for the new virus didn’t start until Jan. 17.
According to officials, the man had been keeping up with the news, and when he developed symptoms on
Jan. 19, he reached out to his doctor. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that he had the coronavirus by the next day. The news comes a day after the leader of a Chinese government team of experts announced Monday that human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus had been confirmed in that country. .Also on Tuesday, Chinese health officials confirmed that more than 300 cases of infection have now been identified, including six deaths,
According to the CDC, coronaviruses comprise a large family of viruses. Some of these pathogens only circulate among animals such as camels, cats and bats, the agency said, but some can be transmitted from an animal and infect people and cause respiratory symptoms. In rare cases — such as occurred in the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreaks over the past decade — coronaviruses can spread person-to-person.One U.S. emergency medicine physician said it’s still far too early to be alarmed by the outbreak. “It’s important to put this in perspective — it’s more likely that you would encounter the flu compared to the coronavirus at this time,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He noted that coronavirus infection develops differently than the flu, so people should be on the lookout.
“Because this coronavirus is occurring during the flu season, many people may be more concerned, and rightfully so,” Glatter said. “The onset of the flu is quite different than a typical coronavirus infection. The flu is more severe in onset, with high fever, dry cough, back pain, muscle aches and fatigue, compared with a coronavirus, which generally develops more gradually with fever, malaise, loss of smell or taste and less severe symptoms. It resembles more of a cold-like virus initially, but later can become more severe over a few days,”
he explained.
What is The Coronavirus?
A coronavirus is a kind of common virus that causes an infection in your nose, sinuses, or upper throat.
Most coronaviruses are not dangerous. Over the past decade there have been outbreaks of a variant of the coronavirus. It first appeared in Saudi Arabia, then other countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. However, in early January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified a new type: 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China. This is the virus that is associated with China; specifically the city of Wuhan, in Hubei province.
How Did The Coronavirus Start?
Evidence shows the coronavirus is not lab-made?
The disease can be transmitted by both animals and people making it much easier to spread. The Wuhan coronavirus case was identified in Wuhan in mid-December 2019. It has been traced back to a market in Wuhan which sold live animals and seafood.
Since the coronavirus outbreak started, 21,297 people have died and more than 472,030 confirmed cases have been reported across the globe. So far, most of the deaths have involved elderly people with other conditions. This has even spread internationally as there have been at least 69,219 confirmed cases reported in the United States and now a total of more than 198 other countries outside China have reported incidents of the virus.
For current statistics, you can check out this live map produced by John Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE)
How Is the Coronavirus Spread?
The virus can be spread by both animals and people. That’s why the market in Wuhan offered
a prime opportunity for the coronavirus to spread since live seafood as well as animals were being sold. Selling live wildlife at a market is described by experts as a perfect incubator for novel pathogens. Disease scientists believe the coronavirus may have jumped from the host species, bats, to snakes, and then to humans at the beginning of this coronavirus outbreak. However, this hasn’t been fully confirmed.
Treatment of Coronavirus.
If a person does contract the virus, there are no specific treatments for coronavirus infections. Most people will recover on their own, according to the CDC. Treatment involves rest and medication to relieve symptoms. A humidifier or hot shower can help to relieve a sore throat and cough. The most susceptible to the virus are those with a weakened or compromised immune system. That is why children and the elderly are at greatest risk.
“The bottom line is: that we need to stay calm, and not panic, as we learn more about this novel coronavirus,” Glatter said. “At the same time, however, we still need to be vigilant of this new and potentially emerging threat.”
Florida man with coronavirus says drug touted by Trump saved his life.
A Florida man diagnosed with coronavirus claims he was saved from certain death by an
anti-malaria drug touted as a possible treatment by President Trump. Rio Giardinieri, 52,
told Los Angeles’ Fox 11 that he struggled with horrendous back pain, headaches, cough and fatigue for five days after catching COVID-19, possibly at a conference in New York. Doctors at the Memorial Regional Hospital in South Florida diagnosed him with the coronavirus and pneumonia and put him on oxygen in the ICU, he told the outlet. After more than a week, doctors told him there was nothing more they could do and, on Friday evening, Giardinieri
said goodbye to his wife and three children. “I was at the point where I was barely able to speak and breathing was very challenging,” Giardinieri said. “I really thought my end was there.”
Then a friend sent him a recent article about hydroxychloroquine, a prescription drug that’s been used to treat malaria for decades and auto-immune diseases like lupus. Overseas studies have found it to be promising as a treatment for COVID-19, though it hasn’t been approved by health officials. Trump last week said he was instructing the FDA to fast-track testing of hydroxychloroquine and a related drug, chloroquine, as treatment for COVID-19. Giardinieri said that he contacted an infectious disease doctor about the drug. “He gave me all the reasons ‘why,’ I would probably not want to try it because there are no trials, there’s no testing, it was not something that was approved,” said Giardinieri. “And I said, ‘Look, I don’t know if I’m going to make it until the morning,’ because at that point I really thought I was coming to the end because I couldn’t breathe anymore,” Giardinieri continued.
“He agreed and authorized the use of it and 30 minutes later the nurse gave it to me.”
After about an hour after taking the pills, Giardinieri said, it felt like his heart was beating
out of his chest and, about two hours later, he had another episode where he couldn’t breathe. He says, he was given Benadryl and some other drugs and that when he woke up around 4:45 a.m., it was “like nothing ever happened.” He’s since had no fever or pain and can breathe again. Giardinieri said doctors believe the episodes he experienced were not a reaction to the medicine but his body fighting off the virus. Giardinieri, the vice president of a company that manufactures cooking equipment for high-end restaurants in Los Angeles, said he had three doses of the medicine Saturday and is hoping to be discharged from the hospital in five days. “To me, there was no doubt in mind that I wouldn’t make it until morning,” said Giardinieri.
“So to me, the drug saved my life.”
Foot Note; I have seen on the internet that people have overdose on hydroxychloroquine.
So don’t self-administer it to yourself.
The country of Italy is on lock-down as the number of cases of COVID-19, the official name for the novel coronavirus, soars. With more than 74,386 cases and counting, Italy has the second-highest reported death toll and number of confirmed infected cases, behind China. With 7503 deaths, Italy’s death toll is doubled the next highest.
So what has put Italy and its people at higher risk for severe disease?
The answer is multifaceted.To start, part of the answer may lie in the age distribution of Italy’s population.
Italy has an older population with a greater percentage of adults over the age of
65 than the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control cautions that older adults may be at risk for more serious COVID-19 illness.
Data from China, where the majority of COVID-19 deaths have occurred, shows that about 80% of adults that have died were over the age of 60. “We do know that the mortality rate associated with coronavirus infection is increased in those aged 60 years and older, and increased each decade thereafter,” said Dr. Sarah Banks, an infectious disease physician at The Hospital of Central Connecticut. “We also know that underlying medical conditions also play a role in morbidity and mortality — however to what degree is still being looked at.” Another risk factor may relate to smoking. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure and, in the worst cases, death. Smoking is known to impair lung function and the immune system, contributing to more severe respiratory illnesses. A recent study suggests that more than 21% of Italians are smokers, compared to less than 14% in the U.S.
MORE: Coronavirus outbreak in Europe has many asking, ‘Why Italy?‘: Reporter’s Notebook
An additional risk factor could be related to local customs. The CDC has urged the use of social distancing as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 — but prior to this outbreak,
the common custom in Italy was to greet friends and loved ones with a kiss on both cheeks.
“We do know that the virus is transmitted from person to person through droplets and possibly through contaminated surfaces,” said Banks.
“Social isolation is certainly being advocated by many experts around the globe in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.” Dr. Banks said that a final reason the mortality rate in Italy appears to be so high could be statistical. “If asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic patients are not being tested, this will also skew the numbers we are seeing and increase the rates of adverse outcomes,” she said.
What is ‘social distancing’? What’s the difference between an ‘epidemic’ and a ‘pandemic’?
A glossary of COVID-19 terms.
Experts say it’s difficult to predict if the U.S. will fare better than Italy
as the virus runs its course.
March 25 2020 – 13 Deaths in a Day: An ‘Apocalyptic’ Coronavirus
Surge at an N.Y.C. Hospital!!!
Coronavirus deaths in the United States could reach peak in three weeks, epidemiologist says. One doctor at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens said the facility had faced “the first wave of this tsunami” of coronavirus patients. As the coronavirus death toll rises, so is the number of recovery stories. David Begnaud speaks to people who say they experienced debilitating symptoms but, thanks to their support systems, the care of medical staff and in some cases, faith, they pulled through. News to stay informed. Advice to stay safe.
Your coronavirus questions answered
Click here for complete coronavirus coverage from Microsoft News
Modeling is not precise, and uses known data to project trends in disease spread, and there were dissenting opinions expressed to CNN about Longini’s analysis. Yet two other disease experts broadly agreed with the estimate. Longini’s suggestion that US deaths could peak in less than a month will have two possible impacts. First, a sudden surge in deaths risks overwhelming health care systems that are currently struggling to prepare for cases needing intensive care. Secondly and conversely, it could support calls — echoed by President Trump — to reduce restrictions on movement in the coming weeks. Longini said: “I would guess the
U.S. will hit a peak in deaths in the next two-three weeks, as the doubling time seems to be about two-three days.” He added: “Maybe a partial lifting of the shelter-in-place for those less vulnerable may make some sense, in about three weeks. By then, much of the damage will have been done.” Asked if there could be a risk of a relapse when the virus circulated again in the following weeks, he said: “If it were limited, and we continued to protect the most vulnerable, that may be acceptable for now. Also, let’s see what happens in the next two-three weeks. We can also keep an eye on China as they begin to relax restrictions there.” The two other experts who broadly agreed with Longini offered slight variations on his projection, and both noted that the outbreaks are hitting each US community in a different way. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, said the peak might take three more weeks. “My notions are harmonious in that I also anticipate … (the next) three to six weeks will be critical here in the United States,” he said. He added it might take six weeks as the U.S. is a “very diverse country with a hot spot in New York right now and warm spots.
The rest of the country is warming up. In the next three to six weeks, all those areas will start to surge or will have their curve depressed or blunted by the social distancing that’s going on. The virus will tell us.” He said he was more skeptical about the United States being able to lift restrictions on only part of the population.
“Asking a subset to remain sheltered in place, to remain in home, that’s more difficult to do,” he said. A second expert agreed broadly. Dr. Arnold Monto, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said by email: “I agree that by 3 weeks, we will have a better idea of what is going to happen going forward. The outbreaks seem to be hitting different communities at different times and at different intensities, so it is hard to generalize However, I agree in general. And that is why action now in terms of social distancing is so important.” Epidemiology has informed United State, UK and other government policy as it provides informed guesses as to where and how fast infections are spreading. A recent sharpening of US and UK restrictions was, for example, based on modeling from the UK’s Imperial College, which significantly worsened its prediction of how many people would require intensive care in hospital, using data from Italy.
Peak is ‘impossible to predict,’ another expert says, One disease modeler said it was “impossible to predict” when the peak would hit.
Dr. Stefan Flasche, a disease modeler at The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, told CNN by email the peak was influenced by the efficiency of lock down measures, and “may be anywhere between some time very soon and not for another few months.” “One scenario is we can indeed reverse the spread as done in China and South Korea, then reach a point to lift the distancing measures,” Flasche said. “But (we may) have to repeat this cycle for a few times because of an inevitable resurgence of cases in the absence of population immunity. In that scenario, we would see multiple peaks in the upcoming 12 months.” President Donald Trump has said his desire to lift measures as quickly as possible is motivated by a desire to get the American economy moving again. He has expressed a belief that the economy could experience a “v” shaped, ultra-fast recovery. Yet one economist expressed doubt recovery could be that fast-paced and warned snapping back in and out of restrictions could cause greater damage. Erin Strumpf, a professor of economics at McGill University, told CNN: “Nothing suggests that we could just ‘snap back’ to life as it was before. We’re taking concrete actions to lower the probability of an uncertain outcome.” She cautioned that it’s hard to put a price on the uncertainty — and deaths — that might occur were the government to begin loosening restrictions. “Markets, investors, and economies don’t do well in the context of panic and uncertainty,” she said. “The people that are going to be dying from coronavirus are going to be very visible. We are going to know exactly who those people are. That changes the discussion a lot.”