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Alaska Confirms First Case of Coronavirus

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Alaska has confirmed its first presumptive case of the the novel coronavirus, Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) announced Thursday.

The case is presumptive, meaning the patient has tested positive in state-administered tests but has yet to be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The patient is a foreign national who was traveling through the state, Dunleavy said. He is not known to have had significant contact with others in the state.

The patient is currently in quarantine in Anchorage after being discharged from the hospital. (Read more from “Alaska Confirms First Case of Coronavirus” HERE)

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Iran’s Mass Graves for Coronavirus Victims Are Large Enough to Be Seen From Space

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Satellite images of Iran show mass graves for coronavirus victims in the city with the first and most significant outbreak in the country, the Washington Post reported.

Qom, located 80 miles south of Iran’s capital Tehran, is where Iranian officials traced the origins of the country’s coronavirus outbreak that has infected over 9,000 people and killed more than 350, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. . .

Qom is a pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims, attracting millions of pilgrims every year. It is also where morgue directors are having trouble handling burials for those who died of the virus, with bodies piling up because testing them for the virus takes time and the cases are rapidly rising in the country, creating a backlog, according to CNN. . .

The size of the trenches and the speed with which they were excavated together mark a clear departure from past burial practices involving individual and family plots, a senior imagery analyst at Maxar Technologies in Colorado told the Washington Post. The analyst also pointed to an image showing what appears to be a large white pile of lime, which can be used to manage decay and odor in mass graves. (Read more from “Iran’s Mass Graves for Coronavirus Victims Are Large Enough to Be Seen From Space” HERE)

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Biden’s Coronavirus Proposal Cribs Heavily From Trump Administration

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Former Vice President Joe Biden’s proposal for combatting the coronavirus cribs heavily from actions the Trump administration has already taken against the pandemic.

Biden, whom many believe has locked up the Democrat nomination, unveiled his plan in a televised address on Thursday. The speech, which was billed beforehand by supporters as commander-in-chief-worthy, heavily criticized President Donald Trump’s efforts to contain the pandemic.

“Our government’s ability to respond effectively has been undermined by the hollowing out of agencies and the disparagement of science,” Biden said. Adding that “our ability to derive a global response” was also “dramatically undercut by the damage Trump has done to our credibility and our relationships around the world.”

Instead of urging unity and calm, Biden spent a large portion of the speech leveling political attacks on the president. Biden, in particular, argued that Trump’s policies and demeanor in the White House only exacerbated tensions in the public health and safety sectors.

“Unfortunately, this virus laid bare the severe shortcomings of the current administration,” the former vice president said. “Public fears are being compounded by [a] pervasive lack of trust in this president, fueled by an adversarial relationship with the truth.” (Read more from “Biden’s Coronavirus Proposal Cribs Heavily From Trump Administration” HERE)

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Teenager Suspended From School for Selling Squirts of Hand Sanitizer

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Hand sanitizer is now the hottest item on the market because of coronavirus. Even in the United States, where the outbreak is relatively new, you might have trouble finding any on the shelves of most major stores.

In the United Kingdom, one teenager decided to try to capitalize on that demand by selling squirts of hand sanitizer to his classmates — and he got suspended for it.

The teenager was sent home after selling hand sanitizer for about $0.64 per squirt, and he made around $11 before his business was shut down. His mother posted about the incident on Facebook.

“Well the little turd has just been expelled from school for the day after been caught charging students 50p a squirt for hand sanitiser to protect themselfs from the bloody corona virus!!” Jenny Tompkins posted. “Very hard to discipline this behaviour when his dad phones him from work to call him a f***ing legend.” . . .

Tompkins said her son used the money to buy a multipack of Doritos and was going to buy a kebab later. (Read more from “Teenager Suspended From School for Selling Squirts of Hand Sanitizer” HERE)

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CDC Developing Serologic Tests That Could Reveal Full Scope of U.S. Coronavirus Outbreak

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing tests that could provide public health officials crucial information about how broadly the coronavirus has spread in the United States, even among mild cases or people without symptoms, the agency’s director said Wednesday.

The serologic tests, which are different from the ones used to diagnose active infection, would allow researchers to test the blood of people who were not confirmed cases of Covid-19 in communities where the virus spread. They would be designed to look for signs that people have mounted an immune response after being exposed to the virus.

CDC Director Robert Redfield told Congress that the agency is working on two of these types of tests. “CDC has developed two serological tests that we’re evaluating right now so we can get an idea through surveillance what’s the extent of this outbreak, how many people really are infected,” he told a House panel. “That is being moved out now to do these extensive surveillance programs.”

Understanding the full scope of an outbreak would allow authorities to learn more about how the virus spreads. It would also provide a more accurate picture of the so-called infection fatality ratio, or, in layman’s terms, the percentage of cases that are fatal. The figure is arrived at by taking the number of deaths and dividing that by the number of cases, so if many thousands of cases are not accounted for, it can make a disease appear more lethal than it actually is.

Researchers in China and Singapore have also developed serologic tests and have initiated these types of studies, according to the World Health Organization. The agency has called on all countries with cases to conduct this kind of epidemiological work. (Read more from “CDC Developing Serologic Tests That Could Reveal Full Scope of U.S. Coronavirus Outbreak” HERE)

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Coronavirus Was Just Labeled a ‘Pandemic,’ but Don’t Panic. Here’s Why.; 40 Deaths in U.S., Disney Parks to Close

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By PJ Media. The World Health Organization just announced that there are enough cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) to declare a global pandemic. . .

This is what Science News describes as a pandemic:

According to the World Health Organization, a pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease. It’s most often used in reference to influenza, and generally connotes that an epidemic has spread to two or more continents with sustained, person-to-person transmission.

The severity of illness doesn’t fall under the WHO’s strict definition of a pandemic — just the disease’s spread — though the WHO may take the overall burden of the disease into account before declaring a pandemic. As the top global health agency, the WHO is relied upon to be the first to make the pandemic declaration.

(Read more from “Coronavirus Was Just Labeled a ‘Pandemic,’ but Don’t Panic. Here’s Why.” HERE)

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40 Deaths in U.S., Disney Parks to Close

By ABC News. At least 1,663 cases of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, have been confirmed in the United States Thursday as more events are canceled across the country.

Forty people have died in the U.S. At least 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., have confirmed cases.

Globally, there have been over 127,000 confirmed cases with over 4,700 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. . .

The Walt Disney Company announced that it would close Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland Paris would shut down on Sunday. . .

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Thursday a 70-year-old man was the first coronavirus fatality in the state. (Read more from “40 Deaths in U.S., Disney Parks to Close” HERE)

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A Helpful Timeline on U.S. #Coronavirus Response

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Maybe this list will help Marxists, progressives and other anti-American Democrats understand what President Trump was doing while the entire Democrat Congressional body was focused on… impeachment.

Democrats are a party focused on putting ideology above country. Every. single. time. (For more from the author of “A Helpful Timeline on U.S. #Coronavirus Response” please click HERE)

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Gun Sales Surge for Asian Americans Fearing Attacks Over Coronavirus; How to Prepare and Stock up for the Coronavirus Pandemic

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By Breitbart. California gun sales are surging as Asian Americans arm up to defend themselves, should they be targeted by people angry over the existence of the Corona virus.

CBS LA reports that gun stores in San Gabriel Valley are seeing gun sales skyrocket. Stores such as Arcadia Firearm & Safety are seeing “10 times” as many customers as usual, and store owner David Liu says it is because of fears caused by the Corona virus.

He said, “Because of Corona virus, a lot of people start to worry.” But he added, “If you’re prepared, you’re not afraid.”

The area is home to a large population of Asian Americans, many of whom are now seeking a firearm in order to be able to defend themselves in the event of an attack. (Read more from “Gun Sales Surge for Asian Americans Fearing Attacks Over Coronavirus” HERE)

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How to Prepare and Stock up for the Coronavirus Pandemic

By New York Post. Stocking up on pain and fever relievers, prescription drugs, electrolytes and food are the most prudent ways to prepare for the coronavirus pandemic, health officials say.

People should not panic, but if the potentially deadly illness — which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) Wednesday — lands you in quarantine, it is well-advised to have a sensible supply of food, water and essentials.

“Store a two-week supply of water and food,” the US Department of Homeland Security’s emergencies and disaster prep site, ready.gov advises, and “check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.”

The site also recommends topping up nonprescription drugs such as pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins.

In addition, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging people to identify household members who may be at greater risk for serious complications — such as the elderly or those with underlying health conditions — and pay particular care in monitoring them for symptoms of the infection. (Read more from “How to Prepare and Stock up for the Coronavirus Pandemic” HERE)

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Israeli-Made Oral Vaccine for Coronavirus on Track, but Testing Will Take Months

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An effective Israeli-developed vaccine for coronavirus is on track to be ready for testing within “a few weeks,” though it won’t be available for months because of the lengthy and sometimes bureaucratic testing and approval process, a member of the development team said Tuesday.

Chen Katz told The Times of Israel that the new oral vaccine for adults and children could “turn this disease into a very mild cold.” He said that for many people who are inoculated and then infected by COVID-19, “potentially it will not affect them at all.”

The rapid potential progress by the state-funded Migal Galilee Research Institute stems from the fact that the institute has been working for four years toward a vaccine that could be customized for various viruses, and has now adapted that work to focus on the coronavirus, he said.

Nonetheless, while Israel’s science ministry made headlines last week by touting the institute’s work and saying that its vaccine could be three months away, Dr. Asher Shalmon, the Health Ministry’s director of international relations, has warned against placing “false hopes” in it.

The vaccine will consist of a specially produced protein, and Katz said he expects to be clutching a bottle of it within “a few weeks.” But then comes clinical testing, which will take place in conjunction with a partner, and the paperwork, both of which will take time. (Read more from “Israeli-Made Oral Vaccine for Coronavirus on Track, but Testing Will Take Months” HERE)

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Study Reveals How Long Coronavirus Can Live in the Air and on Surfaces

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Coronavirus, which has caused more than 4,500 deaths across the globe, can remain viable in the air for up to three hours, and on plastic and stainless steel for up to three days, according to a study conducted by a team of U.S. government researchers released Wednesday.

The lead author of the study cautioned that the findings do not prove that coronavirus can be transmitted through the air, only that it is “theoretically possible.”

“We’re not by any way saying there is aerosolized transmission of the virus,” Neeltje van Doremalen, a scientist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, told The Associated Press.

The virus, referred to as both COVID-19 and HCoV-19, is being transmitted rapidly in some way, either through person-to-person contact, or through particles in the air or on surfaces. U.S. health experts have urged the public to take precautions to avoid becoming infected and transmitting coronavirus. Frequent hand-washing, avoiding handshakes, and large crowds in certain areas is recommended.

As of Wednesday, more than 120,000 people across the globe — as well as 1,100 Americans — tested positive for the virus. Thirty-three people have died in the U.S., and more than 4,500 in all. The number of cases in the U.S. has more than tripled since March 6. (Read more from “Study Reveals How Long Coronavirus Can Live in the Air and on Surfaces” HERE)

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