Stocks plummeted on Monday as worries about the COVID-19 outbreak and an oil price war weighed on global financial markets. The Dow opened 1,800 points—or 7 percent—lower, the S&P 500 dropped 6.9 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 7.1 percent. The New York Stock Exchange then halted stock trading for 15 minutes after tripping a circuit breaker.

The Atlantic revealed on Friday that only 1,895 people in the United States had been tested for CoViD-19 thus far based on interviews and surveys of local data from across the country.

At least 21 people in the U.S. have died but lack of testing and conflicting reports of recent deaths are causing many people to question those numbers.

MU is continuing to stay on top of the latest coronavirus headlines and developments, summarizing the most important points for you.

CPAC, AIPAC and Biogen Conferences Exposed to COVID-19

Important Update: Coronavirus

As emailed to Policy Conference attendees, participants, speakers, administration and Hill offices.https://t.co/0mkWeuRErA pic.twitter.com/EHl694pkgJ

— AIPAC (@AIPAC) March 6, 2020

A Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) attendee has also tested positive. U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence were in attendance at CPAC but reportedly had no contact with the infected person.

Important Health Notification for CPAC 2020 participants and attendees. pic.twitter.com/NtahNO8st3

— ACU (@ACUConservative) March 7, 2020

Texas Senator Ted Cruz confirmed on Sunday that he recently interacted with someone at CPAC who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, so he’s decided to self-quarantine.

Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar also announced that he, along with three of his senior staff, are officially under self-quarantine after sustained contact with someone at CPAC who tested positive for CoViD-19.

“I am announcing that I, along with 3 of my senior staff, are officially under self-quarantine after sustained contact at CPAC with a person who has since been hospitalized with the Wuhan Virus. My office will be closed for the week.”

1. I am announcing that I, along with 3 of my senior staff, are officially under self-quarantine after sustained contact at CPAC with a person who has since been hospitalized with the Wuhan Virus. My office will be closed for the week.

— Paul Gosar (@DrPaulGosar) March 9, 2020

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced 15 new presumptive positive CoViD-19 cases in the state, all of which had a direct connection to the Biogen employee conference in Boston late February.

The total number of CoViD-19 cases in Massachusetts is now 28.

State of Emergency in US as COVID-19 Cases Explode

As we suggested last week, the New York Times is now also reporting that CoViD-19 may have spread in the U.S. for weeks already. Two cases in Washington state detected weeks apart had genetic links, suggesting that many more people are likely infected.

On Friday, the NBA told teams to prepare for the possibility of playing games without fans in attendance in the event “it were to become necessary to play a game with only essential staff present” due to the effects of the novel coronavirus.

The entire state of New York declared a state of emergency has cases jumped 72 percent in only 24 hours. At the same time New York City has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for more CoViD-19 test kits. One city official said, “Slow federal action on this matter has impeded our ability to beat back this epidemic,” according to the New York Times.

New York City Mayor Bill de Dlasio said on Sunday, “If you are a smoker or a vaper that does make you more vulnerable.” He told New Yorkers, “If you are a smoker or a vaper this is a very good time to stop that habit and we will help you.”

Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a 60-day state of emergency during a Sunday press conference. 

The recorded U.S. death toll has risen to twenty-one as two deaths in Florida were announced on Friday and two more deaths in Washington state were announced on Sunday.

In Missouri, a father took his daughter to the school dance, disobeying a COVID-19 quarantine and prompting her school to close. The man’s family was asked to self-quarantine on Thursday, March 5, after his other daughter called the county’s health hotline and told them her symptoms.

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Washington DC’s first positive case in a tweet on Saturday.

Late this afternoon, testing at the Public Health Lab at the DC Department of Forensic Sciences yielded its first presumptive positive coronavirus (COVID-19) case. Join me live at 7:30 p.m. for a briefing at the John A. Wilson Building.

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) March 7, 2020

Community spread is suspected in Arizona after the third case was discovered. The newest case is a healthcare worker with no known confirmed contacts and no travel history to areas where CoViD-19 is present.

Community spread is likewise suspected in Chicago in what is the seventh confirmed case in the state of Illinois.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said, “Though this may be the first case of community transmission in Chicago, it does not mean that widespread transmission of COVID-19 is happening here.”

Total U.S. cases have increased in multiple U.S. cities states over the last few days including Georgia (5 cases), Massachusetts (13 cases), San Francisco (8 cases), California (114 cases), and Iowa (3 cases).

Dr. Grant Colfax, director of health, said of San Francisco’s new cases:

“These newly confirmed cases are an indication of the increasing circulation of coronavirus in the community, as expected, given the patterns in our state, region and our own city.”

Iowa Department of Health (IDPH) Medical Director and State Epidemiologist, Dr. Caitlin Pedati said:

“All three individuals were part of a cruise in Egypt. IDPH is working with local public health to assess potential exposures to others. These cases are an important reminder that all Iowans need to help prevent the spread of illness by washing hands frequently, staying home when ill, and covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue.”

On Sunday, health officials in Contra Costa County, California announced five new cases, four of which “did not travel or have known contact with a coronavirus case.”

In North Carolina, a hazmat decontamination tent has been put up at a hospital in Port Charlotte amid the outbreak. A supervisor at the hospital refused to confirm or deny if there is a CoViD-19 patient at the facility.

NASA staff has been ordered home “until further notice” at one of its biggest facilities after an employee tested positive for CoViD-19. The space agency’s Ames Research Center went lockdown and staff have been informed that it has gone into “MANDATORY telework status effective immediately and until further notice.”

A new report suggests that the US Congress could be suspended overs fears that CoViD-19 could move in on Capitol Hill. “Members are very nervous,” a senior Democratic leadership aide told NBC. ”There’s a lot of concern that members could bring it home.”

Canada continues to confirm more cases while Colombia and Costa Rica both confirmed first confirmed cases of CoViD-19. Costa Rica’s confirmed case is that of a woman from the United States who is visiting the country with her husband.

Latest Developments and Announcements

In a rare bit of good news, the largest study to date coming out of Wuhan has revealed that children aged 0-10 years have 67 percent lower odds of a severe infection than adults aged 20-40. And women appear to have 11 percent lower odds of severe infection than men.

CHILDREN’ RISK vs ADULTS: Children 0-10 years old have 67% lower odds of severe infection compared to Adults (age 20-40), Odds Ratio=0.33 (95%CI: 0.14-0.82) according to the largest study to date in Wuhan of 25,961 lab 🧪 positive #COVID19 cases. This is very good news. https://t.co/US0RD6Rtbc pic.twitter.com/inFd8hk4r0

— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) March 9, 2020

But compared to adults age 20-40, adults age 40-60 have 44 percent higher odds of a severe infection and the odds only get worse from there.

Doctors in Italy are warning Europe of the devastating impact CoViD-19 will have on hospitals. Doctors have warned medics to “get ready” in a letter that states up to 10 percent of those infected need intensive care, resulting in overwhelmed hospitals. As of Saturday, 5,883 patients in Italy were confirmed to be infected while 233 people had died.

The Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care said in a document titled Recommendations of clinical ethics for admission to intensive treatments and for their suspension, in exceptional conditions of imbalance between needs and available resources:

“It may be necessary to place an age limit on entry into intensive care. It is not a question of making merely valuable choices, but of reserving resources that could be very scarce for those in the community primis more probability of survival and secondly to those who can have more years of life saved, with a view to maximizing the benefits for the greatest number of people.“

The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to urge countries to follow China’s drastic containment measures.

“Allowing uncontrolled spread should not be a choice of any government, as it will harm not only the citizens of that country but affect other countries as well.“

A grim analysis suggests that all hospital beds in the United States will be filled by May 8 in what is expected to be a complete overwhelming of the U.S healthcare system. 

Officials in Iran are expecting CoViD-19 to infect 40 percent of the capital city’s population in the next two weeks while yet another Iranian official has fallen ill and died due to the virus.

National Nurses United (NNU) recently released survey results indicating the U.S. is “wildly unprepared” for the coronavirus. Only 44 percent of those polled (out of 6,500) reported having been provided information on “how to recognize and respond to possible cases” of the coronavirus by their employer. 

An unnamed nurse explained: 

“As a nurse, I’m very concerned that not enough is being done to stop the spread of the coronavirus. I know because I am currently sick and in quarantine after caring for a patient who tested positive. I’m awaiting permission from the federal government to allow for my testing, even after my physician and county health professional ordered it.” 

TMU has been in contact with a nurse in Michigan who claims patients with clear signs of CoViD-19 are being refused testing and simply sent home. The nurse has since been alerted that they had been exposed to the virus, despite there being no confirmed cases in the state. The nurse is being denied a test as well.

A leaked presentation reveals that U.S. hospitals are preparing for millions of hospitalizations due to the outbreak. The February 26 presentation titled What healthcare leaders need to know: Preparing for the COVID-19 included representatives from National Ebola Training and Education Center and suggested there may be up to 96 million cases in the United States, 4.8 million hospitalizations, and 480,000 deaths.

72 Million People Quarantined in Italy and China

On Thursday, a residential street in Rocklin, California was placed under quarantine after a resident with CoViD-19 died. “Law enforcement partners are currently responding to enforce a health officer’s order. We cannot share any additional information to protect patient confidentiality,” Katie Pritchard, Placer County Health Spokesperson, said.

According to WIBW:

“The orders were given under sections of California Health and Safety Code that allows Placer Health to ‘enforce regulations requiring strict isolation, or quarantine if the action is necessary for the protection of the public health.’”

Rocklin Police were unable to answer questions from TMU or provide an update. Instead they are referring all inquiries to Placer County.

Italy has announced a massive quarantine of the entire region of Lombardy until April 3. Also in Italy, one of the most powerful politicians in the country, Democratic Party leader Nicola Zingarelli, tested positive for the virus. The massive quarantine provoked panic and triggered stock markets to plunge 11 percent.  

Italians who attempt to flee the quarantine may face three months’ in prison, Italy’s interior minister has warned.

The Italian military airlifted a coronavirus patient between hospitals in Lombardy on Saturday, using a special bio-containment unit to reduce the risk of infecting other people.

In France, the government has banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people nationwide. “The priority is to do all we can to slow the transmission of the virus,” health minister Olivier Veran said.

The British government announced on Monday it had set up a team to tackle “interference and disinformation” around the COVID-19 outbreak. The counter-disinformation team will try to establish the impact of false information aimed at misleading people “either for the purposes of causing harm, or for political, personal or financial gain.” The team will then aim to identify and respond to the disinformation.

“Defending the country from misinformation and digital interference is a top priority,” Digital and Culture Minister Oliver Dowden said in a statement. “This work includes regular engagement with the social media companies, which are well placed to monitor interference and limit the spread of disinformation, and will make sure we are on the front foot to act if required.”

The Philippines declared a health emergency on Monday amid growing anxiety that CoViD-19 is already spreading undetected.

In Saudi Arabia, images security forces have quarantined the Qatif province and restricted traffic in it.

The office of Portugal’s 71-year-old president announced on Sunday that President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has canceled all public activities and will self-quarantine at home amid the CoViD-19 outbreak. His office said that the president had no symptoms.

Japan is set to alter a law this week allowing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare a state of emergency over the COVID-19 outbreak if needed. Critics of Abe have called out his initial lack of leadership.

And in China, a hotel being used to house people in quarantine collapsed in the city of Quanzhou. At least ten people were killed and others remain missing.

Pandemic Expert: “Most Frightening Disease I’ve Ever Encountered”

An infectious diseases expert at the forefront of the search for a coronavirus vaccine said on Friday that it was the most “frightening disease” he’s ever encountered, and that “war is an appropriate analogy” for what the U.S. is facing, as “50-70% of the global population” may become infected.

Dr. Richard Hatchett sat on the White House Homeland Security Council in 2005-2006 and was a principal author of the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan. He currently leads the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

Dr. Hatchett told the UK’s Channel 4:

“This is the most frightening disease I’ve ever encountered in my career, and that includes Ebola, it includes MERS, it includes SARS. And it’s frightening because of the combination of infectiousness and a lethality that appears to be manyfold higher than flu.”

He feels this way “because of the combination of infectiousness, and a lethality that appears to be many-fold higher than the flu.”

By Emma Fiala | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com

A sobering analysis of how coronavirus is likely to impact the US health care system suggests that hospitals will be quickly overwhelmed with patients, and that all available beds will be filled by around May 8th if the virus tracks with Italy’s figures and 10% of patients require an ICU.

Of note, the Straits Times reported last week that thousands of people were waiting for hospital beds in South Korea as the disease surges.

Liz Specht, a PhD in biology and the associate director of Science and Technology for the Good Food Institute laid out her concerns in a lengthy Twitter thread on Friday, which you can see here on Twitter, or continue reading below.

I think most people aren’t aware of the risk of systemic healthcare failure due to #COVID19 because they simply haven’t run the numbers yet. Let’s talk math. 1/n

— Liz Specht (@LizSpecht) March 7, 2020

Continued: 

• We can expect that we’ll continue to see a doubling of cases every 6 days (this is a typical doubling time across several epidemiological studies). Here I mean *actual* cases. Confirmed cases may appear to rise faster in the short term due to new test kit rollouts.
• We’re looking at about 1M US cases by the end of April, 2M by ~May 5, 4M by ~May 11, and so on. Exponentials are hard to grasp, but this is how they go.
• As the healthcare system begins to saturate under this case load, it will become increasingly hard to detect, track, and contain new transmission chains. In absence of extreme interventions, this likely won’t slow significantly until hitting >>1% of susceptible population.
• What does a case load of this size mean for healthcare system? We’ll examine just two factors — hospital beds and masks — among many, many other things that will be impacted.
• The US has about 2.8 hospital beds per 1000 people. With a population of 330M, this is ~1M beds. At any given time, 65% of those beds are already occupied. That leaves about 330k beds available nationwide (perhaps a bit fewer this time of year with regular flu season, etc).
• Let’s trust Italy’s numbers and assume that about 10% of cases are serious enough to require hospitalization. (Keep in mind that for many patients, hospitalization lasts for *weeks* — in other words, turnover will be *very* slow as beds fill with COVID19 patients).
• By this estimate, by about May 8th, all open hospital beds in the US will be filled. (This says nothing, of course, about whether these beds are suitable for isolation of patients with a highly infectious virus.)
• If we’re wrong by a factor of two regarding the fraction of severe cases, that only changes the timeline of bed saturation by 6 days in either direction. If 20% of cases require hospitalization, we run out of beds by ~May 2nd.
• If only 5% of cases require it, we can make it until ~May 14th. 2.5% gets us to May 20th. This, of course, assumes that there is no uptick in demand for beds from *other* (non-COVID19) causes, which seems like a dubious assumption.
• As healthcare system becomes increasingly burdened, Rx shortages, etc, people w/ chronic conditions that are normally well-managed may find themselves slipping into severe states of medical distress requiring intensive care & hospitalization. But let’s ignore that for now.
• Alright, so that’s beds. Now masks. Feds say we have a national stockpile of 12M N95 masks and 30M surgical masks (which are not ideal, but better than nothing).
• There are about 18M healthcare workers in the US. Let’s assume only 6M HCW are working on any given day. (This is likely an underestimate as most people work most days of the week, but again, I’m playing conservative at every turn.)
• As COVID19 cases saturate virtually every state and county, which seems likely to happen any day now, it will soon be irresponsible for all HCWs to not wear a mask. These HCWs would burn through N95 stockpile in 2 days if each HCW only got ONE mask per day.
• One per day would be neither sanitary nor pragmatic, though this is indeed what we saw in Wuhan, with HCWs collapsing on their shift from dehydration because they were trying to avoid changing their PPE suits as they cannot be reused.
• How quickly could we ramp up production of new masks? Not very fast at all. The vast majority are manufactured overseas, almost all in China. Even when manufactured here in US, the raw materials are predominantly from overseas… again, predominantly from China.
• Keep in mind that all countries globally will be going through the exact same crises and shortages simultaneously. We can’t force trade in our favor.
• Now consider how these 2 factors – bed and mask shortages – compound each other’s severity. Full hospitals + few masks + HCWs running around between beds without proper PPE = very bad mix.
• HCWs are already getting infected even w/ access to full PPE. In the face of PPE limitations this severe, it’s only a matter of time. HCWs will start dropping from the workforce for weeks at a time, leading to a shortage of HCWs that then further compounds both issues above.
• We could go on and on about thousands of factors – # of ventilators, or even simple things like saline drip bags. You see where this is going.
• Importantly, I cannot stress this enough: even if I’m wrong – even VERY wrong – about core assumptions like % of severe cases or current case #, it only changes the timeline by days or weeks. This is how exponential growth in an immunologically naïve population works.
• Undeserved panic does no one any good. But neither does ill-informed complacency. It’s wrong to assuage the public by saying “only 2% will die.” People aren’t adequately grasping the national and global systemic burden wrought by this swift-moving of a disease.
• I’m an engineer. This is what my mind does all day: I run back-of-the-envelope calculations to try to estimate order-of-magnitude impacts. I’ve been on high alarm about this disease since ~Jan 19 after reading clinical indicators in the first papers emerging from Wuhan.
• Nothing in the last 6 weeks has dampened my alarm in the slightest. To the contrary, we’re seeing abject refusal of many countries to adequately respond or prepare. Of course some of these estimates will be wrong, even substantially wrong.
• But I have no reason to think they’ll be orders-of-magnitude wrong. Even if your personal risk of death is very, very low, don’t mock decisions like canceling events or closing workplaces as undue “panic”.
• These measures are the bare minimum we should be doing to try to shift the peak – to slow the rise in cases so that healthcare systems are less overwhelmed. Each day that we can delay an extra case is a big win for the HC system.
• And yes, you really should prepare to buckle down for a bit. All services and supply chains will be impacted. Why risk the stress of being ill-prepared?
• Worst case, I’m massively wrong and you now have a huge bag of rice and black beans to burn through over the next few months and enough Robitussin to trip out.
• One more thought: you’ve probably seen multiple respected epidemiologists have estimated that 20-70% of world will be infected within the next year. If you use 6-day doubling rate I mentioned above, we land at ~2-6 billion infected by sometime in July of this year.
• Obviously I think the doubling time will start to slow once a sizeable fraction of the population has been infected, simply because of herd immunity and a smaller susceptible population.
• But take the scenarios above (full beds, no PPE, etc, at just 1% of the US population infected) and stretch them out over just a couple extra months.
• That timeline roughly fits with consensus end-game numbers from these highly esteemed epidemiologists. Again, we’re talking about discrepancies of mere days or weeks one direction or another, but not disagreements in the overall magnitude of the challenge.
• This is not some hypothetical, fear-mongering, worst-case scenario. This is reality, as far as anyone can tell with the current available data.
• That’s all for now. Standard disclaimers apply: I’m a PhD biologist but *not* an epidemiologist. Thoughts my own. Yadda yadda. Stay safe out there. /end

That’s all for now. Standard disclaimers apply: I’m a PhD biologist but *not* an epidemiologist. Thoughts my own. Yadda yadda. Stay safe out there. /end

— Liz Specht (@LizSpecht) March 7, 2020

By Tyler Durden | ZeroHedge.com | Republished with permission

News of the novel coronavirus and the resulting potentially deadly disease spreading throughout the United States and across the world continues to develop rapidly. According to the map managed by Johns Hopkins, there are now over 101,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nearly 3,500 deaths worldwide.

Because it can be difficult and overwhelming to keep up, we’ve sifted through hundreds of articles and pulled out what we feel are the most important developments of the last 24 hours so you don’t have to.

Here are five huge developments that you need to know about the global outbreak of COVID-19.

The U.S. is Botching COVID-19 Testing

The CDC is reportedly refusing to test a nurse with symptoms that volunteered to assist with CVOID-19 patients at a California hospital.

According to the letter posted two Twitter by Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, the CDC claims that she cannot be tested because she was properly protected during her time volunteering.

Really upsetting 🧪- a nurse at CA hospital VOLUNTEERED to work w/ #COVID19, wore proper PPE, and developed symptoms. But then CDC said because she wore PPE — she could NOT be tested! (letter verified). Testing should be for all, especially HCW on front lines. #TESTVIRUSNOW pic.twitter.com/RG4gw0yCwI

— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) March 6, 2020

Meanwhile, Dr. Feigl-Ding said that 22 million Californians are now eligible for free medically necessary COVID-19 testing. However, the example above indicates there still may be a discrepancy when it comes to deciding which situations warrant testing and which ones don’t.

Good news for California: @CAgovernor Newsom, State Health Officials Announce More than 22 Million Californians Now Eligible for Free Medically Necessary #COVID19 Testing- Ie no copay. Great step. Hope other states follow CA, WA, and NY state lead. https://t.co/GTS3TMtY1t

— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) March 6, 2020

A thread posted to Twitter on Thursday by a man claiming his uncle has tested positive for COVID-19 in California, says that his case is being mismanaged.

My uncle just tested positive for the coronavirus. He lives in Venice, CA.

I’ve not been in direct contact with him, so we are not at risk from him, but I want to relay how the health department has managed his case. #COVID

— Scott Bell (@iheartWallSt) March 5, 2020

He was skiing in the Italian alps with 6 other guys. 4 of them, including my uncle, now have the coronavirus. One is in a coma. two are sick, and my uncle has not presented any symptoms as of yet. He self-quarantined and called the health department. #COVID

— Scott Bell (@iheartWallSt) March 5, 2020

On Thursday, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged that there are not enough COVID-19 tests currently available to meet the demand for them as the outbreak spreads. Pence, who is in charge of national coronavirus response, previously said that “every American can be tested.”

Pence said: “We don’t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward.”

According to the Atlantic, only 1,895 Americans have been tested for the virus and so far roughly 10% tested positive.

Amid the shortage of tests, six U.S. states are not currently testing for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

These states include Alabama, Maine, Ohio, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Wyoming, according to the CDC. The CDC recently relaxed the requirements needed for people to qualify for testing. 

Best Case Scenario? 15 Million Deaths

Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) have looked at seven outbreak scenarios and how those various scenarios may affect the world’s wealth.

The researcher’s best case scenario predicts a global GDP loss of $2.4 trillion and a death toll of 15 million, according to Business Insider.  

In the worst case scenario, the global death toll could reach a staggering 68 million people.

World’s Busiest Places Empty Amid Outbreak

The Guardian has published before and after photos of typically busy locations throughout the world emptied of people due to the viruses’ spread. 

Bethlehem’s streets appeared empty on Friday with the exception of masked Palestinian police patrolling the area. On Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared a 30-day state of emergency after cases were reported in Bethlehem.

While some cities and countries have put a moratorium on large public gatherings with or without a declared state of emergency, others are operating as normal. Unfortunately in those areas, some people are providing perfect examples as to why some feel moratoriums are the safest route.

It was revealed on Friday that a New Zealand man who has been confirmed to be infected with the virus attended a crowded Tool concert in Auckland on February 28. The man, who is in his 30s, attended the concert only days after returning from northern Italy with his partner who also has COVID-19.

At a news conference, Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, ministry of health director-general of health, said:

“He was in the general admission standing area in the front left-hand quadrant. We encourage people who were in the general admission standing area to be aware of symptoms of COVID-19.”

On Thursday, in what had been the country’s high single-day increase, Italy reported 41 new deaths bringing the country’s total to 148. The total dead has since increased to 197. Italy has the second highest death rate behind that of China.

The first COVID-19 death has been reported in the UK as the number of cases doubled over a 48-hour period as Europe experiences a shortage in medicines and face masks due to disruptions in the supply caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak. Yahoo reports that many countries throughout the world rely on China for both drugs and drug ingredients.

World health officials are warning countries to take the risk of COVID-19 more seriously. In addition to the health risk, CNA reports, “The epidemic has wreaked havoc on international business, tourism, sports events, and schools, with almost 300 million students sent home worldwide.”

Singapore minister and co-head of the country’s virus taskforce, Lawrence Wong, says that the coronavirus is “starting to look like a global pandemic.”

What’s Really Happening in China?

According to the Guardian, a Chinese official visiting Wuhan was heckled by local residents who yelled “fake, fake, everything is fake” as she inspected work related to quarantined residents.

Chinese state media surprisingly reported, rather than censored, videos of this nature. According to a government-affiliated WeChat account, the fakes surrounding the incident were “basically true.“

Also in China, the Chinese outlet that had previously reported the story of a recovered COVID-19 patient who later died after testing negative for the virus and being discharged, removed the report. 

COVID-19 Cases Explode Across the US

The U.S. state of Indiana has declared a public heath emergency as the Indiana State Department of Health announced a patient who tested positive for COVID-19 in Marion County. According to reports, the person had recently traveled to Boston. 

Indian Governor Holcomb said:

“With the help of our federal, state and local partners, Indiana is responding to this case as we have planned and prepared for weeks. The Hoosier who has been diagnosed has taken responsible steps to stay isolated.”

Additional U.S. states including Colorado, Maryland, and Nevada have reported their first cases of the novel coronavirus. 

U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled his scheduled visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta headquarters, according to a senior White House official.

Houston has announced the city’s sixth case. May Sylvester Turner said, “There remains no evidence of community spread, no need to alter our normal activity in Houston and certainly no reason to let fear grip our lives.”

The number of people quarantined in New York City continues to increase. According to the New York Times, the city’s Department of Health is monitoring 2,773 people who are currently self-quarantining at home. Most of those being monitored had recently returned from China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, and Japan, according to New York City health commissioner, Dr. Oxiris Barbot.

The Daily Beast reports that New York City has 22 confirmed cases as of Thursday afternoon, as the city prepares for “mayhem.”

Mayor Bill De Blasio said:

“We are going to see more cases like this as community transmission becomes more common. We want New Yorkers to be prepared and vigilant, not alarmed. We are taking the same decisive steps in every case to shut transmission down: isolate and test each suspected case, trace close contacts, and isolate and test them as well.”

Local Seattle outlet KOMO has confirmed that the area’s first quarantine village will utilize an EconoLodge hotel in Kent, WA. KOMO reports that Seattle and King country will establish three quarantine villages total and that no public announcement has been made thus far.

KOMO’s Matt Markovich said on Twitter:

“I find this very interesting. Media gathering for a tour arrange by King Co at the Econolodge in Kent the new location for a quarantine village for COVID-19 patients but motel employees they have no clue motel’s new purpose. Receptionist didn’t know anything.”

I find this very interesting. Media gathering for a tour arrange by King Co at the Econolodge in Kent the new location for a quarantine village for #Covid_19 patients but motel employees they have no clue motel’s new purpose. Receptionist didn’t know anything #komonews pic.twitter.com/jFM8CpXPrm

— Matt Markovich (@mattmarkovich) March 4, 2020

Also in Washington, families of residents at the nursing home at the center of the Seattle-area COVID-19 outbreak are speaking out. During a live press conference, families detailed their varied experiences in receiving contradictory information.

Some families have been told that, despite being quarantined with patients diagnosed with COVID-19, their loved ones would not be tested. Still another was told that their deceased relative died of “natural causes” and would not be tested for COVID-19, despite the outbreak.

Pat Herrick, daughter of a decease resident, said that she was told Thursday morning that her mother had died and was later told that her mother was alive and doing well, before ultimately being told that her mother did in fact die of “natural causes” and was showing no signs of the virus before her death.

Over 20,000 people have signed an online petition demanding that Lake Washington School District (LWSD) cancel classes amid the outbreak in Washington state. LWSD said in a statement, “School closures can be disruptive and costly for families.”

Jeffrey Duchin, health officer for both Seattle and King County, allegedly asked, “Do we really want to close schools or do we want to keep schools open so faculty can continue to come in and serve children?”

The Northshore School District cancelled classes on Thursday.

7,000
Approximate number of absences in the @Northshore_SD on Monday.
The entire district is closed today for #Coronavirus cleaning and training.
There are 23,577 students. 33 schools.
That’s about 1 in 3 students calling in sick. @KING5Seattle pic.twitter.com/budoEpcHUQ

— Jake Whittenberg 🎥 (@jwhittenbergK5) March 3, 2020

Please check out yesterday’s update and video if you missed them, and look for our next article summarizing recent developments.

Be sure to follow @COVID19report on Telegram for updates.

By Emma Fiala | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com