COVID-19: Are We on the Verge of a Global Pandemic?
By CNBC. Japan could be a key indicator when it comes to predicting a pandemic-level spread of the deadly coronavirus, former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Tuesday.
Japan appears to be “on the cusp of a large outbreak and maybe epidemic growth in Japan. We need to watch that very closely. They’ve had a doubling of cases just in the last four days” with a total of 59 confirmed cases and one death so far, Gottlieb said on “Squawk Box.”
If other countries report sharp rises in COVID-19 cases, Gottlieb said it could be a sign that the new virus can’t be controlled on a global scale. The CNBC contributor said earlier in February it’s likely the flu-like virus will grow into a pandemic but avoid becoming an epidemic in the United States.
A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease, according to the World Health Organization. An epidemic is an often sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in a population in an area, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Syra Madad, an expert in public health and special pathogen response, said that while it’s still early in the outbreak, a pandemic could be near. (Read more from “COVID-19: Are We on the Verge of a Global Pandemic?” HERE)
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Russia to Ban Entry of Chinese Nationals to Halt Virus
By Associated Press. Russia will temporarily ban Chinese nationals from entering the country due to the virus outbreak centered in China that has infected more than 73,000 people worldwide, Russian authorities said Tuesday.
The entry ban goes into effect Thursday at midnight Moscow time (2100 GMT) for an indefinite period, according to a decree signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The government said it took the move due to the “worsening epidemiological situation” in China.
Russia already had cut off most Chinese visitors by closing the long land border with China and Mongolia and imposing other travel restrictions. The new entry ban won’t affect travelers who need to transfer flights at Russian airports, authorities said. (Read more from “Russia to Ban Entry of Chinese Nationals to Halt Virus” HERE)
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Bare-Faced Robbery: Thieves Steal 6,000 Hygiene Masks in Japan
By Yahoo. Thieves in Japan have made off with some 6,000 surgical masks from a hospital, with the country facing a mass shortage and a huge price hike online due to the coronavirus.
Four boxes containing the face masks disappeared from a locked storage facility at the Japanese Red Cross hospital in the western port city of Kobe, a hospital official said on Tuesday.
“We still have a large number of masks — enough to continue our daily operations at the hospital, but this is so deplorable,” the official told AFP.
Police have launched an investigation as they suspect the thieves intend to resell the masks.
Masks have sold out at many drug and discount stores across the nation as the number of infections have increased in Japan — one of the most affected countries after China where the death toll from the virus has hit 1,800. (Read more from “Bare-Faced Robbery: Thieves Steal 6,000 Hygiene Masks in Japan” HERE)
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Mask Shortages Threaten U.S. Hospitals After Warnings Ignored
By Asian Review. The U.S. is facing a potentially severe shortage of surgical masks due to the coronavirus outbreak in China, despite repeated warnings that American hospitals are overly dependent on Chinese-made medical supplies.
While the coronavirus has caused just 12 confirmed cases in the U.S., the country sources the bulk of its surgical masks, respirators and other “personal protective equipment” from China, where the disease has killed 1,770 and infected tens of thousands.
The epidemic has not only disrupted mask production in the country, it has also sent China’s own demand for medical supplies soaring.
Now hospitals in the U.S. are having to ration their inventory amid one of the worst flu seasons in decades.
Last week, staff at Mt. Sinai Health Systems received an email informing them that, among other measures, surgical masks will only be available in departments such as intensive care units, divisions involved in infection prevention and emergency departments, according to a person familiar with the matter. (Read more from “Mask Shortages Threaten U.S. Hospitals After Warnings Ignored” HERE)
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