If China Had Acted 3 Weeks Earlier Than They Did, Cases Would’ve Been Reduced 95%

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By Axios. Axios has compiled a timeline of the earliest weeks of the coronavirus outbreak in China, highlighting when the cover-up started and ended — and showing how, during that time, the virus already started spreading around the world, including to the United States.

Why it matters: A study published in March indicated that if Chinese authorities had acted three weeks earlier than they did, the number of coronavirus cases could have been reduced by 95% and its geographic spread limited.

This timeline, compiled from information reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the South China Morning Post and other sources, shows that China’s cover-up and the delay in serious measures to contain the virus lasted about three weeks. (Read more from “If China Had Acted 3 Weeks Earlier Than They Did, Cases Would’ve Been Reduced 95%” HERE)

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Early and Combined Interventions Crucial in Tackling COVID-19 Spread in China

By University of South Hampton. A study by the University of Southampton examining non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in response to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in China shows that a range of early, coordinated and targeted measures are needed to help significantly reduce its spread.

Researchers in the population mapping group WorldPop ran complex modelling, using anonymised data on both human movement and illness onset, to help simulate different outbreak scenarios for cities in mainland China. This allowed them to understand how variations in the timing, level and combinations of interventions affect speed and transmission of the disease. . .

The study estimates that by the end of February 2020 there was a total of 114, 325 COVID-19 cases in China. It shows that without non-pharmaceutical interventions – such as early detection, isolation of cases, travel restrictions and cordon sanitaire – the number of infected people would have been 67 times larger than that which actually occurred.

The research also found that if interventions in the country could have been conducted one week, two weeks, or three weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by 66 percent, 86 percent and 95 percent respectively – significantly limiting the geographical spread of the disease. However, if NPIs were conducted one week, two weeks, or three weeks later than they were, the number of cases may have shown a 3-fold, 7-fold, or 18-fold increase, respectively.

Study author Dr Shengjie Lai, of the University of Southampton, comments: “Our study demonstrates how important it is for countries which are facing an imminent outbreak to proactively plan a coordinated response which swiftly tackles the spread of the disease on a number of fronts. We also show that China’s comprehensive response, in a relatively short period, greatly reduced the potential health impact of the outbreak.” (Read more from “Early and Combined Interventions Crucial in Tackling COVID-19 Spread in China” HERE)

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Helpful Reminder: CNN Was Calling Wuhan Virus the China Virus Months Ago

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CNN, of course, referring to China News Network, which is the name they prefer, I hear.

People everywere, please stop eating Pangolins and Bats. I don’t think that’s part of the natural order. Thank you in advance for your consideration. (For more from the author of “Helpful Reminder: CNN Was Calling Wuhan Virus the China Virus Months Ago” please click HERE)

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China Lied and People Died: Chinese Scientists Destroyed Coronavirus Evidence in December; GOP Senator Says China ‘to Blame’ for Spread Because of Culture; Woman Who Flew From U.S. to China Faces Criminal Charges After Lying About Symptoms; Trump Doubles Down on ‘China Virus’

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By Townhall. The Chinese are to blame for this Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. Their containment methods were laughable, their officials refused to inform the public, and people died. They allowed Wuhan to celebrate Chinese New Year, exposing potentially tens of thousands to the disease. Some five million left the city before they enacted a quarantine. And now we’re hearing that they knew about human transmissions. The Wall Street Journal’s piece on how this whole international fiasco began all but places the blame where it should rightfully be directed: China . . .

And now, there are reports that Chinese scientists destroyed evidence about the virus back in December (via The Times UK):

Chinese laboratories identified a mystery virus as a highly infectious new pathogen by late December last year, but they were ordered to stop tests, destroy samples and suppress the news, a Chinese media outlet has revealed.

A regional health official in Wuhan, centre of the outbreak, demanded the destruction of the lab samples that established the cause of unexplained viral pneumonia on January 1. China did not acknowledge there was human-to-human transmission until more than three weeks later.

The detailed revelations by Caixin Global, a respected independent publication, provide the clearest evidence yet of the scale of the cover-up in the crucial early weeks when the opportunity was lost to control the outbreak. Censors have been rapidly deleting the report from the Chinese internet.

(Read more from “China Lied and People Died: Chinese Scientists Destroyed Coronavirus Evidence in December” HERE)

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GOP Senator Says China ‘to Blame’ for Coronavirus Spread Because of ‘Culture Where People Eat Bats and Snakes and Dogs’

By USA Today. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, drew a backlash on social media and from Asian American advocates on Wednesday for claiming China was “to blame” for the spread of the coronavirus because of a “culture where people eat bats and snakes and dogs and things like that.”

‘These viruses are transmitted from the animal to the people and that’s why China has been the source of a lot of these viruses like SARS, like MERS, the Swine flu, and now the coronavirus, so I think they have a fundamental problem, the Texas Republican said to reporters, saying he did not object to a geographic name for the virus.

Asked about Asian Americans’ concerns about racism, Cornyn said, “I disagree. We’re not talking about Asians. We’re talking about China, where these viruses emanate from and created this pandemic.” . . .

The CDC says the coronavirus has its origins in bats and might have jumped to humans through a “wet market,” or a live animal market in Wuhan, China.

Swine flu was first detected in the United States in 2009, and MERS was first identified in Jordan in 2012, according to the CDC. The CDC says the first cases of SARS were reported in China’s Guangdong province in 2002. (Read more from “GOP Senator Says China ‘to Blame’ for Coronavirus Spread Because of ‘Culture Where People Eat Bats and Snakes and Dogs'” HERE)

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Woman Who Flew From U.S. to China for Coronavirus Test Faces Criminal Charges

By Los Angeles Times. A woman who flew last week from Massachusetts to Los Angeles — then to Beijing, where she tested positive for coronavirus — is under investigation on allegations of concealing her symptoms and putting fellow travelers at risk of infection.

The woman took fever-reducing medication before boarding a plane and lied to flight attendants, according to Beijing’s disease control center and an Air China representative, who held a news conference on Monday.

The woman, who was hospitalized and is receiving treatment, is under investigation for the crime of “impeding prevention of infectious diseases.” According to Chinese law, she could face up to three years of imprisonment or detention with possible forced labor, or up to seven years of prison if there are “serious consequences.”

As the pandemic worsens around the world but slows in China, authorities in Beijing are tightening controls. All passengers arriving in Beijing from abroad, including Chinese nationals, are required to quarantine in government centers for 14 days. (Read more from “Woman Who Flew From U.S. to China for Coronavirus Test Faces Criminal Charges” HERE)

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Trump Doubles Down on ‘China Virus,’ Demands to Know Who in White House Used Phrase ‘Kung Flu’

By Fox News. President Trump on Wednesday continued to call COVID-19, the “China virus,” and said he doesn’t think labeling the novel coronavirus is racist or puts Asian-Americans at risk.

“No, not at all,” Trump said during the noon press conference. “I think they probably would agree with it, 100 percent. It comes from China.”

Trump has been under pressure from China as well as some Democrats to stop using the term “China virus” or “Wuhan virus.” They believe the term stigmatizes China and borders on being racist. But instead if stopping, Trump has upped his use. . .

In the bizarre exchange, Trump asked Alcindor to repeat the phrase “Kung-Flu” and asked her directly which White House official had used the term. She said she did not get a name.

Earlier in the day, White House advisor Kellyanne Conway took a more combative tone with reporters and though she said using the phrase “Kung-Flu” was wrong, she refused to engage in a “hypothetical” and demanded to know who in the White House had the exchange with Jiang. (Read more from “Trump Doubles Down on ‘China Virus,’ Demands to Know Who in White House Used Phrase ‘Kung Flu'” HERE)

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Trump Closing Southern Border to Asylum Seekers (and Illegals); Canadian Border Closing to Non-Essential Traffic; Very Disturbing Video from Italy

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By Daily Caller. President Donald Trump confirmed reports that his administration will turn away illegal aliens and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump confirmed speculation that the southern border will be closed off to asylum seekers and anyone else who attempts to enter the United States illegally during a White House press briefing Wednesday regarding the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic.

“On asylum seekers and people who cross the southern border illegally, are you planning to invoke [42 U.S. Code § 265] which would allow you to prohibit entry of certain people across the board,” a reporter asked Trump on Wednesday.

“The answer is yes,” he answered.

When asked when this order will take place, Trump said it would be executed “very soon, probably today.” (Read more from “Trump Confirms He Is Shutting off Southern Border to Illegal Aliens and Asylum Seekers” HERE)

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Coronavirus Response: U.S. and Canada Closing World’s Longest Border to Non-Essential Traffic, Trump and Trudeau Say

By CNBC. The United States border with Canada will temporarily close to “non-essential traffic” due to the coronavirus pandemic, the leaders of both countries said Wednesday morning.

The U.S.-Canada is the world’s longest border between two countries. The closing will affect tourism, but not trade, or workers involved in so-called essential work.

“We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic,” President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter.

“Trade will not be affected.”

Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau, at a press conference in Ottawa, said “I just spoke to President Trump again this morning, and we have agreed that both Canada and the United States will temporarily restrict all non-essential travel across the Canada-U.S. border.” (Read more from “Coronavirus Response: U.S. and Canada Closing World’s Longest Border to Non-Essential Traffic, Trump and Trudeau Say” HERE)

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Italian Hospitals Overwhelmed as this Disturbing Video from Yesterday Shows

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Trump Backers Prepare to Attack Biden for Playing the ‘Catholic Card’

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Trump backers are preparing to push back against Joe Biden’s outreach to Catholics as the former vice president emerges as the near-certain Democratic presidential nominee.

Biden has long faced criticism from Republicans for touting his Catholic faith, the teachings of which often conflict with his political positions, particularly on abortion.

“Catholic voters in particular are not simply voting for the name, a person who claims to be Catholic, but whether their record and vision for the country coincides with their values,” said Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote.org, pointing out that, while Biden polls well with nonpracticing Catholics, abortion is often an uncrossable line for those who consider themselves active members of the church.

Catholic bishops and priests have also criticized Biden on abortion. During Biden’s 2008 presidential bid, Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino denounced Biden’s position on abortion and said that he would deny the then-senator communion. In 2019, Robert Morey, a priest in South Carolina, did refuse Biden communion and later said that he did so because “any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching.” . . .

But, as the campaign for the general election begins, affiliates of the Trump campaign coalition Catholics for Trump, which, if not for the coronavirus would have launched this week, said that the accusations that Biden is unfit to receive communion because of his positions on abortion will likely only increase. (Read more from “Trump Backers Prepare to Attack Biden for Playing the ‘Catholic Card'” HERE)

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Hillary Clinton Calls For More Vote Fraud, Wants to ‘Make Voting by Mail the Norm’ in 2020; Biden Widens Lead Against Bernie

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By Breitbart. Former Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton called on Congress to “make voting by mail the norm” with “free postage” as a result of public health concerns due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

President Donald Trump said earlier this week that he expects the current national emergency to last through July or August. The White House has not yet said what, if any, preparations might be needed for the November election.

Clinton’s call echoed a similar demand by Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D), who asked legislators to allow all-mail voting this year. Republicans are skeptical, recalling the infamous words of President-elect Barack Obama’s incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, in 2008: “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”

(Read more from “Hillary Clinton Calls to ‘Make Voting by Mail the Norm’ in 2020” HERE)

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Democratic Primaries Highlights: Sanders to Assess His Campaign; Primary Schedule in Flux Amid Pandemic

By Washington Post. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will spend coming days talking to supporters to “assess his campaign,” his campaign manager said Wednesday following decisive victories Tuesday by former vice president Joe Biden in Florida, Illinois and Arizona that gave him firm control of the Democratic nominating contest.

In an email to supporters, Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said there was “no sugarcoating” the results and that Sanders planned to head back to his home state of Vermont after a Senate vote Wednesday. The email did not include a solicitation for campaign donations.

With Biden widening his delegate lead, Sanders is facing growing calls to suspend his campaign. And with more states postponing their primaries due to health concerns, the candidates are facing a hiatus in voting for at least a few weeks — and possibly much longer. The final primaries now could come only weeks before the Democratic National Convention is scheduled to convene in July in Milwaukee — if it is held as planned. (Read more from “Democratic Primaries Highlights: Sanders to Assess His Campaign; Primary Schedule in Flux Amid Pandemic” HERE)

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Stocks Hammered, Dow Drops to Lowest Since February 2017

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By Breitbart. Nearly all of the Trump stock market boom has now fallen victim to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,338.46 points, around 6.3 percent, to 19,898.92. That is the first close below 20,000 since February 2017. The Dow was even lower earlier in the day, at one point falling to levels unseen since December 2016.

The S&P 500 fell 5.2 percent. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 4.7 percent. The small cap Russell 2000 was smashed with a 10.42 percent decline, highlighting just how devastating investors think the coronavirus and social distancing will be to smaller businesses. (Read more from “Stocks Hammered, Dow Drops to Lowest Since February 2017” HERE)

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White House Expresses Support for Immediate Cash Payments to Americans as Part of Coronavirus Stimulus Package

By Washington Post. The Trump administration wants to send direct cash payments to Americans in the coming weeks to help them cope with the economic ravages of the coronavirus, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday, part of a massive economic stimulus package taking shape between the White House and Capitol Hill.

The overall price tag of the package could be around $1 trillion, Mnuchin told reporters on Capitol Hill after meeting with GOP senators, making it one of the largest federal emergency fiscal packages ever assembled.

He also gave lawmakers a dire warning if they failed to act, saying the unemployment rate could spike to nearly 20 percent from the roughly 3.5 percent level it notched in February, according to three people familiar with his comments, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal internal deliberations. (Read more from “White House Expresses Support for Immediate Cash Payments to Americans as Part of Coronavirus Stimulus Package” HERE)

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Study: 86% of People With Coronavirus Are Walking Around Undetected; Coronavirus Ravages 7 Members of a Single Family, Killing 3; First Members of Congress to Test Positive for Coronavirus

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By New York Post. . .Six of every seven cases – 86% — were not reported in China before travel restrictions were implemented, driving the spread of the virus, according to a study Monday in the journal Science.

“It’s the undocumented infections which are driving the spread of the outbreak,” said co-author Jeffrey Shaman of Columbia University Mailman School, according to GeekWire.

Using computer modeling, researchers tracked infections before and after the Chinese city of Wuhan’s travel ban.

The findings indicated that these undocumented infections with no or mild symptoms — known as “stealth” cases — were behind two-thirds of the reported patients.

“The majority of these infections are mild, with few symptoms at all,” Shaman said, Mercury News reported. “People may not recognize it. Or they think they have a cold.” (Read more from “Study: 86% of People With Coronavirus Are Walking Around Undetected” HERE)

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Coronavirus Ravages 7 Members of a Single Family, Killing 3

By New York Times. Grace Fusco — mother of 11, grandmother of 27 — would sit in the same pew at church each Sunday, surrounded by nearly a dozen members of her sprawling Italian-American family. Sunday dinners drew an even larger crowd to her home in central New Jersey.

Now, her close-knit clan is united anew by unspeakable grief: Mrs. Fusco, 73, died on Wednesday night after contracting the coronavirus — hours after her son died from the virus and five days after her daughter’s death, a relative said. . .

Mrs. Fusco’s eldest child, Rita Fusco-Jackson, 55, of Freehold, N.J., died Friday; after her death, the family learned she had contracted the virus. Her eldest son, Carmine Fusco, of Bath, Pa., died on Wednesday, said Ms. Paradiso Fodera, the family’s lawyer who is Mrs. Fusco’s cousin and is serving as a spokeswoman. (Read more from “Coronavirus Ravages 7 Members of a Single Family, Killing 3” HERE)

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First Members of Congress to Test Positive for Coronavirus

By CNN. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Ben McAdams have become the first members of Congress to test positive for coronavirus, a grim new indicator of the virus’ aggressive spread.

“On Saturday evening, Congressman Diaz-Balart developed symptoms including a fever and headache. Just a short while ago, he was notified that he has tested positive for COVID-19,” his office said in a news release Wednesday night.

The Florida Republican said in a statement that he is “feeling much better” but urged the public to take the virus “extremely seriously.” (Read more from “First Members of Congress to Test Positive for Coronavirus” HERE)

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Trump Administration Hits Back After China Kicks out U.S. Journalists Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

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China on Tuesday escalated its tit-for-tat propaganda war with the United States over who’s to blame for the spread of the coronavirus by placing restrictive measures on several top media companies including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, prompting strong opposition from the Trump administration.

It’s just the latest move by Beijing to punish the U.S. for its reporting on the global pandemic, the origin of which has been traced back to Wuhan, China.

“The Chinese Communist Party’s decision to expel journalists from China and Hong Kong is yet another step toward depriving the Chinese people and the world of access to true information about China,” the National Security Council tweeted. “The United States calls on China’s leaders to refocus their efforts from expelling journalists and spreading disinformation to joining all nations in stopping the Wuhan coronavirus.”

In a statement, China claimed the new restrictions on U.S. reporters were a retaliation against the Trump administration for putting caps on the number of journalists from five Chinese state-run media outlets working in the United States last month.

A spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the U.S. of “purposely making things difficult” for Chinese reporters and subjecting them to “growing discrimination and politically-motivated oppression.” (Read more from “Trump Administration Hits Back After China Kicks out U.S. Journalists Amid Coronavirus Pandemic” HERE)

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NYC Added 279 Coronavirus Cases in One Day; Younger Adults Make up Big Portion of Coronavirus Hospitalizations in U.S.

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By Washington Examiner. Mayor Bill de Blasio painted a terrifying picture of New York City’s battle against the spread of the coronavirus.

The city has faced one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 in the United States. During an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday night, de Blasio seemed surprised by the illness’s effect on the city.

“I’m really sorry to tell you this cause the number has gone up literally over 100 cases in the course of the day. We’re at 923 cases at this hour tonight with 10 people who have passed away,” de Blasio reported. “In the city alone.”

He continued, “It’s unbelievable how rapidly this crisis is growing right now.”

On Tuesday morning, the city had 644 cases, showing a daylong jump of 279 cases. This rapid increase may also be affected by the increased availability of coronavirus tests in the city. (Read more from “NYC Added 279 Coronavirus Cases in One Day” HERE)

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Younger Adults Make Up Big Portion of Coronavirus Hospitalizations in U.S.

By New York Times. American adults of all ages — not just those in their 70s, 80s and 90s — are being seriously sickened by the coronavirus, according to a report on nearly 2,500 of the first recorded cases in the United States.

The report, issued Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that — as in other countries — the oldest patients had the greatest likelihood of dying and of being hospitalized. But of the 508 patients known to have been hospitalized, 38 percent were notably younger — between 20 and 54. And nearly half of the 121 patients who were admitted to intensive care units were adults under 65, the C.D.C. reported.

“I think everyone should be paying attention to this,” said Stephen S. Morse, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. “It’s not just going to be the elderly. There will be people age 20 and up. They do have to be careful, even if they think that they’re young and healthy.” (Read more from “Younger Adults Make up Big Portion of Coronavirus Hospitalizations in U.S.” HERE)

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