Tag: NEW ZEALAND

Coronavirus ‘worst case scenario’ could see 80% of UK population infected – England’s chief medical officer

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England’s chief medical officer has warned that coronavirus has the potential to infect 80 percent of the UK population and kill one percent of those who contract the disease, as the government unveils its Covid-19 battle plan.

During a joint-Downing Street press conference on Tuesday where UK PM Boris Johnson announced the publication of the government’s 28-page ‘Coronavirus: action plan’, Professor Chris Whitty told reporters about the “worst case scenario.” 

Vote of no confidence: Almost no UK doctors think NHS can handle coronavirus outbreak, survey finds

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Whitty claimed that up to 530,000 British citizens could die from contracting the virus, but stressed the number “is likely to be lower than that and probably a lot lower than that.”

The UK government’s action plan says that if there is an escalating outbreak, up to a fifth of the British workforce could be forced to stay at home, schools may close and elderly people advised to not attend social gatherings.

The document warns that there could be an increase in deaths from coronavirus – particularly among vulnerable and elderly groups – and so local authorities will have to deal with that challenge, which suggests morgue capacity could become an issue in such an event.

It also proposes that businesses could face “short term cash flow issues” as a result of low demand from customers.

Johnson’s administration has warned that police and fire services will only respond to the most serious call-outs if their staff fall ill through coronavirus.

It comes after a survey conducted by the Doctors’ Association UK showed that more than 99 percent of 1,618 NHS medical staff, contrary to the prime minister’s assurances, say that the British healthcare system is not prepared to handle a major outbreak of Covid-19. To date 51 people in the UK have contracted the virus.

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NEW YORK EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR: THERE WILL BE “THOUSANDS” OF CONFIRMED CASES IN THE U.S. “BY NEXT WEEK”

New York Emergency Room Doctor: There Will Be “Thousands” Of Confirmed Cases In The U.S. “By Next Week”

This is an extremely insidious virus

Michael Snyder | End of The American Dream – MARCH 3, 2020

Dr. Matt McCarthy, a staff physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, just went on national television and warned that there will be “thousands” of confirmed coronavirus cases inside the United States “by next week”. 

I certainly hope that he is completely wrong, but obviously he has a better vantage point for observing the progression of this outbreak than any of us do.

As an emergency room doctor in New York, he is dealing with potential COVID-19 cases every single day.

And as you will see below, he says that he has had to “plead to test people” and that it is a “national scandal” that more people have not been tested.

As I discussed in a previous article, up until just a few days ago the CDC has had extremely restrictive guidelines for who should be tested for the virus.  Only those that have visited China recently and those that have had close contact with a known victim were supposed to be tested.  Obviously this allowed a lot of potential victims to fall through the cracks, and now we have a major outbreak in the Seattle area.

Owen is joined by Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai to dive deeper into how viruses affect our bodies and how different vitamins protect us.

Why couldn’t we have been able to test anyone that wanted to be tested from the very beginning?  In South Korea, they have already “built drive-thru coronavirus screening locations”…

Health officials in South Korea tested 10,000 people for the coronavirus on Friday alone. This week, they built drive-thru coronavirus screening locations, giving hundreds of patients an assessment of their health in just 10 minutes.

The US announced its first coronavirus case on the same day South Korea did. But six weeks later, less than 500 potentially infected Americans have gotten tests, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency’s official test count — which had previously been updated daily — was stripped from the CDC site on Sunday, though US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar told ABC the same day that the US had tested 3,600 people.

There is absolutely no reason why we can’t do at least as well as South Korea.

And without a doubt, a lot of doctors around the country are quite upset about the current state of affairs.  During his appearance on CNBC, Dr. McCarthy explained that he literally has had to “plead to test people”…

“I’m here to tell you, right now, at one of the busiest hospitals in the country, I don’t have it at my fingertips,” he said. “I still have to make my case, plead to test people. This is not good. We know that there are 88 cases in the United States. There are going to be hundreds by the middle of the week. There’s going to be thousands by next week. And this is a testing issue.”

You can watch video of Dr. McCarthy making these comments right here.  The fact that he believes that there will be “thousands” of confirmed cases by next week should be making headlines all over the nation.  But so far it isn’t.

Ultimately, the CDC should be held accountable for dropping the ball so dramatically.  Not only have they not been testing enough people up until now, it also turns out that the test kits they initially sent out were “problematic and potentially inaccurate”.  The following comes from CNBC…

The CDC sent test kits earlier in the outbreak to public health labs around the country, but those kits were problematic and potentially inaccurate, CDC officials have since said. Because local clinicians can’t depend on the test kits, some have had to ship samples to a laboratory with the ability to run the tests, delaying the process of diagnosis and treatment.

This virus could become the biggest public health crisis of our lifetimes, and the CDC response has been a complete and total disaster.

At this point, coronavirus tests are still “not available yet in New York City”…

“Testing for coronavirus is not available yet in New York City,” city Department of Health spokeswoman Stephanie Buhle said in an email late Thursday. “The kits that were sent to us have demonstrated performance issues and cannot be relied upon to provide an accurate result.”

There is no excuse.

For weeks, hospitals all over the nation have had to send samples to the CDC for testing, and that has greatly limited the number of Americans that have been able to be tested.

If you can believe it, only 32 people in the entire state of New York have been tested so far, and Dr. McCarthy is calling that “a national scandal”…

The team at New York-Presbyterian Hospital is isolating suspected coronavirus patients and taking proper precautions to prevent the spread, McCarthy said, but “they’re hamstrung.”

“In New York state, the person who tested positive is only the 32nd test we’ve done in this state,” he said. “That is a national scandal.”

Of course he is right.

The mainstream media should be hammering this story like there is no tomorrow, but other than CNBC they have mostly been ignoring it.

Did officials at the CDC think that if they just neglected this crisis that it would go away?

A lot of people have been comparing COVID-19 to the flu, but that is not true at all.

This is an extremely insidious virus.  Once it gets into the lungs, it starts killing cells as it moves along.  And once enough cells are killed off, it becomes increasingly difficult to breathe…

It does this by attaching to and reproducing in tissue inside the lungs, where it kills cells in the process of spreading.

As the cells are killed they drop off the lungs’ linings and build up in clumps inside the organs, making it hard to breathe and triggering further infections.

The virus can also send the immune system into overdrive as it tries to fight off infection, triggering swelling which can lead to more breathing difficulties.

Does that sound like something that you want to catch?

Unfortunately, this virus is now out of control inside the United States.  Newly confirmed cases are constantly popping up all over the country, and this crisis threatens to greatly accelerate our existing problems.

I truly hope that what we are facing is not nearly as dire as Dr. McCarthy is making it out to be.  But nobody can deny that he is on the front lines of this battle every day, and right now he is warning that we have a complete and utter nightmare on our hands.

By the way, people who know what’s coming are taking advantage of our healthy & delicious storable food!

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Suspected coronavirus case being treated at University of Chicago Medical Center as four other cases reported in Illinois

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Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas
By 
3/3/2020

A person suspected of being infected with the coronavirus is being treated at the University of Chicago Medical Center, the fifth case to be reported in Illinois.

The hospital said it was waiting for lab test results to back up its suspicions. No details were released about the patient.

“We are awaiting lab tests to see whether this patient has COVID-19. Not sure how soon we will get back results,” hospital spokeswoman Lorna Wong wrote in an email Tuesday morning.

 

On Monday, the third and fourth cases in Illinois were reported: A husband and wife in their 70s both tested positive for coronavirus, but the results still need to be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The man was being treated at Northwest Community Hospital and his wife was under quarantine at home, officials said. Two other cases in Illinois have been confirmed by the CDC.

Wong said the hospital has been “preparing for this eventuality” since coronavirus first became a global public health threat in January.

 

“Senior hospital leadership and leaders from our infectious diseases and infection prevention teams, along with other expert clinicians, are working closely with local, state and federal health officials and continue to apply up to date recommended guidelines,” she said in an emailed statement.

“We have the utmost confidence in the dedicated and highly trained team composed of nurses, physicians and other health care professionals who are providing care for this patient,” it said.

 

Wong said the hospital wanted to release information as early as was possible, while awaiting official confirmation of the diagnosis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We will continue to update you as this situation develops, but wanted to immediately inform you,” she said.

 

On Monday, Arlington Heights School District 25 said two staffers and two students would be staying home as a result of possible exposure to a person who is related to a hospital worker who encountered a patient with coronavirus.

 

[Most read] At least 19 people dead after tornadoes shred Nashville overnight 

At least 15 states have reported confirmed cases of coronavirus. At least six people have died from the disease in Washington state.

 

Field Museum, Art Institute enact COVID-19 travel bans for staff »

The disease has hit at least 70 countries, with 90,000 cases and 3,100 deaths. The vast majority of cases and deaths have been in China. While the number of new cases recorded daily in that epicenter country has declined for weeks, the virus continues to spread fast in South Korea, Iran and Italy, prompting increased travel warnings and restrictions.

 

In Illinois as of Monday, 102 people are being or have already been tested for the virus, including the four people whose tests have come back positive and 79 people who tests have come back negative, with 19 tests still outstanding, according to state officials. A total of 286 people were being monitored by health officials as of Monday and state health officials are working to create guidelines for those who work with the most vulnerable patients, state officials have said. Several of the cases, and deaths, in Washington state have been among patients at a nursing facility.

The state has a hotline people can call with questions or to report suspected cases, 800-889-3931. They can call the Office of Consumer Health Insurance at 877-527-9431 about their insurance coverage.

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COVID-19 3rd March Tuesday

By Dr. John Campbell

I am a nurse from the US and yes they are being reactive instead of proactive and they really aren’t doing much. Not shutting down anything in WA state where a lot is happening.

 

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FEMA preparing for possible coronavirus emergency declaration

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By Laura Strickler and Suzy Khimm

WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is planning for the possibility that President Donald Trump could make an emergency declaration to bring in extra funds and personnel to assist the administration’s coronavirus response, according to internal documents obtained by NBC News.

FEMA officials are preparing for an “infectious disease emergency declaration” by the president that would allow the agency to provide disaster relief funding to state and local governments, as well as federal assistance to support the coronavirus response, according to agency planning documents reviewed by NBC News.

The Trump administration would have to use the 1988 Stafford Act to enable FEMA to provide such disaster assistance. Emergency declarations are most often used in the event of natural disasters but can be used to help manage disease outbreaks.

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

“To me this is another indication that the president and the White House are finally aware of the gravity of the situation,” said Michael Coen, who was FEMA chief of staff during the Obama administration. “They need to consider all tools available to them and have contingencies for action.”

“I actually find this reassuring,” said Tim Manning, who was a FEMA deputy administrator under President Barack Obama. “I hope this discussion has been happening continuously over the last couple of months.”

An emergency declaration would allow FEMA to provide disaster medical assistance teams, mobile hospitals and military transport, among other kinds of federal support, Manning said.

FEMA’s disaster relief fund has a current balance of $34 billion, according to the latest agency update. “It’s money that’s sitting there and ready,” said another former FEMA official, who declined to be identified.

FEMA spokesperson Lizzie Litzow said the agency is currently focused on supporting the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which separately declared a “public health emergency” on Jan. 31, allowing HHS to access funds and other resources to aid the government’s virus response. “At this time, there isn’t anything additional to the HHS public health emergency,” Litzow said.

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It would not be the first time the federal government has used FEMA’s resources to assist in a medical event.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton used a Stafford Act emergency declaration for outbreaks of the West Nile virus in New York and New Jersey, ordering up to $5 million in federal aid to supplement state efforts to combat the mosquito-borne virus.

Emergency declarations are distinct from “major disaster” declarations, which are more far-reaching and are typically used for hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters.

 

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PANIC BUYING HITS GERMAN STORES AS CORONAVIRUS CASES DOUBLE

Panic Buying Hits German Stores as Coronavirus Cases Double

Grocery chains report rising demand for canned goods, other long-term provisions

Deutsche Welle – MARCH 2, 2020

Germans are slowly coming to realize that they, just like 50 other nations in the world today, could soon be facing a coronavirus epidemic.

Indeed, the pathogen has become a major topic of discussion in the country – so much so, in fact, that some residents are now stockpiling food out of fear they could be placed under quarantine.

Bulk-buying supplies

On Friday, a spokeswoman for one of the country’s largest supermarket groups, REWE, told DW that while they didn’t register any panic at the start of the week, the situation quickly changed.

“We have noticed rising foodstuff and canned goods purchases across the entire country to which we are adapting accordingly,” said Kristina Schütz from REWE Group, which is headquartered in Cologne and runs the Penny, REWE and Nahkauf grocery chains.

Discount chain Lidl has recorded a similar spike in purchases, with a spokesperson confirming that “we are noticing a rise in sales in certain regions and stores.”

According to the chains, Germans are stockpiling long-lasting and canned food, pasta as well as toilet paper and disinfectants.

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What do authorities recommend?

Four years ago, the Bonn-based Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) published a checklist of long-lasting foods it recommends stockpiling for emergencies.

The BBK, which is staffed by some 300 civil servants, educates the general population on how to prepare for crises. It advises Germans to stockpile food and drink for about ten days.

Specifically, the checklist states that one person needs 14 liters of liquid a week, and recommends stocking mineral water and fruit juice in particular. Even so, the BBK warns against panic buying, advising Germans to stockpile only foods and drinks “that you and your family would consume anyway.”

The BKK also suggests stocking food that keeps for a long time without needing refrigeration, to pay attention to sell-by dates, and mark when items were purchased, in case they don’t have dates printed on them. It also advises Germans to “store newly bought food items at the back of the cupboard so that you consume older items first.”

Sound advice

This comprehensive emergency checklist hasn’t gone unnoticed abroad. Bulgarian daily 24 Tschassa, for example, praised the advice provided by German authorities, saying that in most cases “consumers just hoard all kinds of products – without a proper idea how long they will come in useful or whether they might need them at all.”

The paper said sticking to the German checklist is a good idea “as it makes no sense to buy excessive amounts of supplies.”

Warning against stoking fear

While many pundits in Germany agree the list is useful, they simultaneously warn against stirring hysteria. So far, Germany has confirmed 129 cases of coronavirus, with 16 having already recovered, and no deaths reported. More than half of the cases are in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most populous state.

The German Journalists Association (DJV) therefore emphasizes that media outlets should avoid stoking fear.

Accordingly, DJV head Frank Überall stated that “people need clear information as well as advice” to make sense of the situation.

He has called on journalists to heed the German press code which calls on them to “avoid an inappropriately sensationalist tone when reporting on medical issues, as this may give rise to unfounded fears or hopes.”

The press code also states that “stoking fear and hysteria is incompatible with responsible journalism.”

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