Update on COVID-19: Feb. 23, 2020 @ 8:30 pm ET
So. Korea, Italy, and Iran continue to get pounded by COVID-19. China counts still rising although the rate appear to be declining (if you believe China's numbers).
Here are the latest numbers as of as of 2/23/2020 8:30 pm ET:
Worldwide: Total infected cases - 79,163, Deaths - 2,471, Recovered - 23,596
China: Infected cases - 76,944, Deaths - 2,346
SOUTH KOREA: Infected cases - 763 (+327 new cases) Deaths - 7 (+5 new deaths)
ITALY: Infected cases - 157 (+78 new cases), Deaths - 3 (+1 new death)
Japan: Infected cases - 146 (12 new cases), Deaths - 1
Singapore: Infected cases - 89 (0 new case), Deaths - 0
Hong Kong: Infected cases - 74 (+4 new cases), Deaths - 2
IRAN: Infected cases - 43 (+14 new cases), Deaths - 8 (+2 new deaths)
US: Infected cases - 35 (0 new case), Deaths - 0 (although 1 American woman died in Wuhan)
There are supposed to be 35 infected cases in the US and yet, the government is trying to place "30-70" patients infected with the virus in Costa Mesa, CA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdkNVTFGbVg and in Alabama -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSCVBYQe3ds U.S. CORONAVIRUS CASES:
As of February 23, 2020 at 17:25 GMT, there have been 35 confirmed cases of patients infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the United States:
• 18 former passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.
• 10 in California
• 2 in Illinois
• 1 in Wisconsin
• 1 in Arizona
• 1 in Washington state
• 1 in Massachusetts
• 1 in Texas
For more details:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ ITALY OUTBREAK:
• 11 towns, 50,000 people, placed in lockdown. People are banned from entering or leaving.
• At least 26 patients are in critical condition.
• Armed forces and police forces have been mobilized to form an insurmountable "health belt" around contagion areas. Roadblock violators risk up to a 3 months prison sentence.
- Schools closed in Lombardy, Veneto, and in Trentino Alto Adige regions.
- Universities closed in Piedmont and Emilia Romagna regions.
- Carnival in Venice and all sport and public events in Veneto cancelled.
- All public and private events, including sport, cultural, and religious events in Lombardy cancelled. Movie theaters closed.
Possible “super spreader” (someone is transmitting the disease and was negative or was negative when checked and now positive).
Some consequences of Italy's outbreak:
1) "Austria stops train from Italy due to suspected infections"
2) "Local authorities to close Venice Carnival early"
3) "Giorgio Armani shows collection behind closed doors"
SOUTH KOREA OUTBREAK:
• President Moon Jae-in raised the alert level to maximum (Level 4: Serious) thus empowering the government to lock down cities and restrict travel. Government can also forcibly prevent public activities and order the temporary closure of schools, though the government gave no immediate details on what steps could be taken.“The coming few days will be a critical time for us” he said in an emergency meeting.
• Last few days progression of total cases in South Korea:
o Feb. 23: 602 cases (day still in progress)
o Feb. 22: 436 cases
o Feb. 21: 209 cases
o Feb. 20: 111 cases
o Feb. 19: 58 cases
o Feb. 18: 31 cases
Some consequences of So. Korea's increasing # of infected cases:
1) "Coronavirus outbreak: Israel blocks arrivals from Seoul"
2) "200 Israeli students quarantined after contact with coronavirus-infected South Koreans"
IRAN OUTBREAK:
The WHO is very concerned about Iran. Official cases 43 (8 deaths) but unofficially, many cases and deaths. (Concern: Gross under-reporting of cases)
Unofficial report of very high proportion of more serious cases. ? A strain of the virus has mutated to become more virulent leading to high fatality rate
Northern Iran: Some unofficial reports of some people getting respiratory failure and viral myocarditis, both quite frightening.
One doctor died last week (worked for a full week in a hospital without any quarantine) infection caught in a small town.
In Tehran 13th District – the Mayor is infected but attended Friday Prayers with 10,000 people; sitting close together and observed the cultural kissing on the face and shaking hands (huge risk of cross infection).
Town of Qom is shut down but rest of the country open to travel.
Some consequences of the IRAN OUTBREAK:
1) "Iraq extends ban on Iran arrivals amid coronavirus fears"
2) "Afghanistan bans travel to and from Iran"
3) "Turkey to 'temporarily' close border with Iran"
4) "Jordan bars entry to citizens from China, Iran, South Korea"
5) "Turkey, Pakistan and Armenia have closed their borders with Iran"
Quote:
"The director general of the WHO has recently spoken of a narrowing of the window of opportunity to control the current epidemic. The tipping point - after which our ability to prevent a global pandemic ends - seems a lot closer after the past 24 hours."
Prof. Paul Hunter
Professor of Health Protection
University of East Anglia
Feb. 23, 2020
My own humble opinion, the window of opportunity been closed quite sometime ago. In fact, all windows have been shut closed and boarded up. The WHO is slow to react.
Take care.