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Funeral Homes in China’s Wuhan ‘Working 24/7 to Cremate Bodies’; US Testing Missing Cases; How the New Coronavirus Kills; Vaccine Discovered?

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By RFA. Funeral homes in central China are working round the clock to cremate bodies during the coronavirus epidemic, while advertising to recruit manual workers to collect dead bodies from people’s homes by night, RFA has learned. . .

But there are indications that the true number of deaths in a city under quarantine may be far higher than the reported numbers indicate.

Social media users said there are 84 incinerators located at seven funeral homes across Wuhan, with a capacity to perform 2,016 cremations in any 24-hour period.

All of those funeral homes have been working around the clock in recent weeks, with dead bodies lying in rows waiting for cremation, social media reports said.

Wuhan voluntary worker Zhong Qiang, who recently carried out an unofficial survey of funeral homes and crematoria in Wuhan, said what he saw backed up the claims of 24-7 cremation in the city. (Read more from “Funeral Homes in China’s Wuhan ‘Working 24/7 to Cremate Bodies’” HERE)

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CDC: US Test Kits “Flawed”

By Denise Grady. Some of the coronavirus testing kits sent to state laboratories around the country have flaws and do not work properly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.

The kits were meant to enable states to conduct their own testing and have results faster than they would by shipping samples to the C.D.C. in Atlanta. But the failure of the kits means that states that encountered problems with the test should not use it, and would still have to depend on the C.D.C.’s central lab, which could cause several days’ delay in getting results.

“Obviously, a state wouldn’t want to be doing this test and using it to make clinical decisions if it isn’t working as well, as perfectly, at the state as it is at C.D.C.,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said at a news conference on Wednesday. (Read more HERE about how flawed US testing may result in more business for funeral homes)

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Vaccine Discovered in U.S.?

By Evie Fordham. An American biotech company says it created a coronavirus vaccine three hours after getting access to the virus’ genetic sequence in mid-January, and now scientists are racing to get the vaccine on the market in record time.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals is based in Pennsylvania, but scientists in its laboratory in San Diego made the discovery.

“We were able to rapidly construct our vaccine in a matter of about three hours once we had the DNA sequence from the virus available because of the power of our DNA medicine platform,” Dr. J. Joseph Kim, Inovio’s president and CEO, told FOX Business. “Our goal is to start phase one human testing in the U.S. early this summer.” (Read more HERE how this vaccine may stop the run on funeral homes).

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The New Coronavirus Disease Can Take a Deadly Turn

By NPR. More than 1,300 people, almost all in China, have now died from COVID-19 — the newly minted name for the coronavirus disease first identified in Wuhan, China, that has infected more than 55,000 people. . .

The first symptoms of COVID-19 are pretty common with respiratory illnesses — fever, a dry cough and shortness of breath, says Dr. Carlos del Rio, a professor of medicine and global health at Emory University who has consulted with colleagues treating coronavirus patients in China and Germany. “Some people also get a headache, sore throat,” he says. Fatigue has also been reported — and less commonly, diarrhea. It may feel as if you have a cold. Or you may feel that flu-like feeling of being hit by a train. . .

But Furuya says that this immune system response to this invader can also destroy lung tissue and cause inflammation. The end result can be pneumonia. That means the air sacs in the lungs become inflamed and filled with fluid, making it harder to breathe.

Del Rio says that these symptoms can also make it harder for the lungs to get oxygen to your blood, potentially triggering a cascade of problems. “The lack of oxygen leads to more inflammation, more problems in the body. Organs need oxygen to function, right? So when you don’t have oxygen there, then your liver dies and your kidney dies,” he says.

That’s what seems to be happening in the most severe cases. About 3% to 5% of patients end up in intensive care, according to the WHO. And many hospitalized patients require supplemental oxygen. In extreme cases, they need mechanical ventilation — including the use of a sophisticated technology known as ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), which basically acts as the patient’s lungs, adding oxygen to their blood and removing carbon dioxide. The technology “allows us to save more severe patients,” Dr. Sylvie Briand, director of the WHO’s pandemic and epidemic diseases department, said at a press conference Monday. (Read more from “The New Coronavirus Disease Can Take a Deadly Turn” HERE)

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CDC Says Prep for Pandemic; Coronavirus Outbreak Exposes China’s Medical Supply Monopoly; North Korea ‘Executes Official for Visiting Public Bath While Quarantined’; ‘It’s Spreading Through the Eyes’

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Coronavirus Outbreak Leads CDC to Warn Hospitals to Prep Pandemic Plans

By Terry Sater. Coronavirus has now surpassed the number of people infected with Ebola, SARS and MERS combined.

As those numbers continue to climb, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now urging local hospitals to get out their pandemic plans and start preparing.

Doctors across the United States are using a novel coronavirus tracker created by Johns Hopkins University to prepare for a possible pandemic or outbreak. (Read more about the coronavirus outbreak HERE)

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CDC: Get Used to Coronavirus, it’s Not Going Away for Years

By Jacqueline Howard. “Right now we’re in an aggressive containment mode,” CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in an interview on Thursday.

“We don’t know a lot about this virus,” he said. “This virus is probably with us beyond this season, beyond this year, and I think eventually the virus will find a foothold and we will get community-based transmission” . . .

“The containment phase is really to give us more time. This virus will become a community virus at some point in time, this year or next year,” Redfield said. “We don’t have any evidence that this coronavirus is really embedded in the community at this time, but with that said, we want to intensify our surveillance so that we’re basing those conclusions based on data.” (Read more about the coronavirus outbreak HERE)

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Coronavirus Outbreak Reveals China’s Monopoly on Medical Supplies That United States is Dependent On

By Breitbart. The coronavirus outbreak has exposed the United States’ dangerous dependence on China for pharmaceutical and medical supplies, including an estimated 97 percent of all antibiotics and 80 percent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients needed to produce drugs in the United States.

The economic repercussions of the coronavirus reveal the dangers of allowing one country to have a near monopoly on global manufacturing, David Dayen explains in an article at the American Prospect:

China is a source of not only finished goods, but also of input parts and raw materials. A substantial number of the materials needed for defense and electronic systems come from China, and that nation is “the single or sole supplier for a number of specialty chemicals,” according to a recent Defense Department report. Rare earth minerals, which are critical to electronics, are largely mined in China. As a result, Chinese disruptions don’t just hit Chinese manufacturing, they hit everyone’s. Automakers have already had to slow or shut down factories globally due to supply shortages.

Perhaps the biggest concern is over medical supplies. China produces and exports a large amount of pharmaceuticals to the U.S., including 97 percent of all antibiotics and 80 percent of the active ingredients used to make drugs here. Penicillin, ibuprofen, and aspirin largely come from China. Last month, the medical supply firm Cardinal Health recalled 2.9 million surgical gowns “cross contaminated” at a plant in China; the blood pressure drug valsartan also saw shortages recently, thanks to tainted active ingredients at one Chinese plant. The combination of supply chain disruptions and increased demand at hospitals if coronavirus spreads to the U.S. could prove devastating.

In a dark irony, most of the world’s face masks—now ubiquitous in China as a precaution—are made in China and Taiwan, and even for those made elsewhere, some component parts are Chinese-sourced. Shortages have led China to declare the masks a “strategic resource,” reserving them for medical workers. U.S. hospitals are “critically low” on respiratory masks, according to medical-supply middlemen. Lack of protective gear could increase vulnerability to the virus, and the one place on earth suffering from production shutdowns is the one place where most of the protective gear originates [emphasis added].

(Read more from “Coronavirus Outbreak Exposes China’s Monopoly on U.S. Drug, Medical Supplies” HERE)

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North Korea ‘Executes Trade Official for Visiting a Public Bath While He Was in Quarantine Over Coronavirus Fears After Returning From China’

By Daily Mail. A North Korean official has been executed for going to a public bath while he was meant to be in quarantine, a report in the South has claimed.

The trade official was arrested and immediately shot after risking the spread of coronavirus by visiting the public bath, the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported.

The official had been placed in isolation after travelling to China, with Kim Jong-un imposing military law to enforce the lockdown, sources said.

North Korea has not yet confirmed any cases of the virus, but has taken drastic measures to stop it spreading over its border with China.

The trade official was reportedly quarantined under a policy of isolating anyone who had been to China or had contact with Chinese people. (Read more from “North Korea ‘Executes Trade Official for Visiting a Public Bath While He Was in Quarantine Over Coronavirus Fears After Returning From China'” HERE)
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Chinese Doc Says it Spreads Through the Eyes

By Vanessa Chalmers and Stephen Matthews. The killer coronavirus rapidly sweeping the world could be caught through the eyes, scientists have today warned.

Chinese doctor Wang Guangfa fears he may have contracted the SARS-like infection because he wasn’t wearing protective goggles.

Leading experts confirmed it is ‘absolutely possible’, saying the virus can enter the eyes by touching them – if it is on a patient’s hands.

And they even warned the virus – thought to be spread through sneezes and coughs – can roam through the body to reach the eye. (Read more about the coronavirus outbreak HERE)

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2 Russians Escape Coronavirus Quarantine

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Two women being quarantined in Russian hospitals amid the coronavirus outbreak escaped after complaining of dire conditions upon their return from China, where the virus originated and has killed more than 1,100 people and sickened more than 45,000 others.

One patient jumped out of a hospital window and another disabled an electronic lock in order to flee their isolation. Both had complained of uncooperative doctors, lax protocol and poor conditions, and feared they would become infected.

Russia has only two confirmed cases of the virus, but authorities have taken measures to prevent its spread by hospitalizing people returning from China as a precaution. Both women were quarantined after returning from Hainan, a tropical region in China.

One of the women published a lengthy Instagram post describing her ordeal. She said her son came down with a cough and fever days after returning to their home in Samara. The boy was diagnosed with a respiratory infection and tested at a hospital for the coronavirus.

The boy responded to treatment but his test results had been delayed for several days, she said. She accused doctors of obstructing her when she pressed for information about her son. On her fifth day in the hospital, she took a home pregnancy test, which came out positive. (Read more from “2 Russians Escape Coronavirus Quarantine” HERE)

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Did China Unleash the “End of Days” Pandemic? Chinese Whistle Blower Says at Least 50,000 Dead, Government Lying

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By The Extinction Protocol. Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000. The official coronavirus death toll is some 800 people in China. The current official death toll worldwide (as of February 11, 2020) is 1,110. But a Chinese billionaire with a history of blowing the whistle on his former government says the real figure is much higher. Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000. Wengui made the bombshell allegations in an interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

(Read more from “Did China Unleash the “End of Days” Pandemic? Chinese Whistle Blower Says at Least 50,000 Dead, Government Lying” HERE)

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Coronavirus Could Spread Through Pipes in Buildings, Officials Fear

By Newsweek. Over 100 residents have been evacuated from an apartment building in Hong Kong after two people fell ill with the deadly new coronavirus, stoking fears 2019-nCoV could be spread through pipes.

Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection said the two sick people lived on separate floors at Hong Mei House on the Cheung Hong Estate in the New Territories area of Hong Kong, The New York Times reported.

Residents were removed from the building after an unsealed pipe was found in the bathroom of one of the patients. The unnamed 62-year-old woman lives 10 floors below an occupant who fell ill before her.

Sophia Chan, Hong Kong’s health secretary, said four additional tenants living in three separate units had developed coronavirus symptoms. The symptoms of 2019-nCoV include a fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, and trouble breathing. Residents were removed from a total of 23 units. (Read more from “Coronavirus Could Spread Through Pipes in Buildings, Officials Fear” HERE)
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Disease X: Coronavirus ‘Could Infect’ 60% of the Global Population If Unchecked

By The Extinction Protocol. Going Global: The coronavirus epidemic could spread to about two-thirds of the world’s population if it cannot be controlled, according to Hong Kong’s leading public health epidemiologist. His warning came after the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said recent cases of coronavirus patients who had never visited China could be the “tip of the iceberg.” Prof Gabriel Leung, the chair of public health medicine at Hong Kong University, said the overriding question was to figure out the size and shape of the iceberg. Most experts thought that each person infected would go on to transmit the virus to about 2.5 other people. That gave an “attack rate” of 60-80%.

(Read more from “Disease X: Coronavirus ‘Could Infect’ 60% of the Global Population If Unchecked” HERE)

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Medical Crisis: At Least 500 Wuhan Medical Staff Are Infected With the Coronavirus

By The Extinction Protocol. How many medical bodies can China throw at this crisis? At least 500 hospital staff in Wuhan had been infected with the deadly new strain of coronavirus by mid-January, multiple medical sources have confirmed, leaving hospitals short-staffed and causing deep concern among health care workers. While the government has reported individual cases of health care workers becoming infected, it has not provided the full picture, and the sources said doctors and nurses had been told not to make the total public. The reason for this edict was not explained, but the authorities have been trying to boost morale among front-line medical staff, especially following the death of Li Wenliang, who was killed by the disease weeks after being reprimanded by police for warning colleagues about the new virus. A slide circulating online, however, reveals the scale of infections among medical workers in Wuhan.

It said that by mid-January there had been about 500 confirmed cases among hospital staff with a further 600 suspected ones. A source from a major hospital in Wuhan with knowledge of the situation confirmed that the slide was authentic. The figures shown on the slide were also in line with the figures given by two other doctors from major hospitals in Wuhan. (Read more from “Medical Crisis: At Least 500 Wuhan Medical Staff Are Infected With the Coronavirus” HERE)

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WATCH: Chinese Ambassador Asked If Coronavirus Came From Biological Warfare Program; Coronavirus Has Killed More People Than SARS

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By Daily Wire. The Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, appeared to not deny that the coronavirus came from China’s biological warfare program on Sunday and instead suggested that the deadly virus could have come from a military lab in the U.S.

Tiankai made the remarks on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” in response to China’s struggle to stop the coronavirus from continuing to spread. It has now infected at least 37,198 and killed at least 811 in China.

“This week, Senator Tom Cotton, who sits on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committee, suggested that the virus may have come from China’s biological warfare program,” CBS News’ Margaret Brennan said. “That’s an extraordinary charge. How do you respond to that?”

“I think it’s true that a lot is still unknown and our scientists, Chinese scientists, American scientists, scientists of other countries are doing their best to learn more about the virus, but it’s very harmful,” Cui responded. “It’s very dangerous to stir up suspicion, rumors and spread them among the people. For one thing, this will create panic. Another thing that it will fend up racial discrimination, xenophobia, all these things, that will really harm our joint efforts to combat the virus.”

“Of course, there are all kinds of speculation and rumors,” Cui continued. “There are people who are saying that these virus are coming from some — some military lab, not of China, maybe in the United States. How — how can we believe all these crazy things?”

(Read more from “WATCH: Chinese Ambassador Asked If Coronavirus Came From Biological Warfare Program” HERE)

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Coronavirus Has Killed More People Than SARS

By Market Watch. Two months into the epidemic, the coronavirus has proven to be more deadly than the SARS virus, but the fatality rate of the coronavirus is still less than one-quarter that of SARS. That, however, may also help explain why it’s spreading so quickly.

There are now 37,198 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide and at least 811 people have died, according to the latest figures from China’s National Health Commission released Sunday; 89 deaths and 2,656 new cases were reported over the previous 24-hour period.

The majority of illnesses and deaths are in Hubei Province where Wuhan — believed to be the epicenter of the outbreak — is located. The illness has now spread to 25 countries. (The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency.)

There are 12 confirmed cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An additional 14 Americans were confirmed to have contracted the virus; they are passengers on the quarantined cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, which arrived at a port in Yokohama, Japan on Sunday morning, Japan’s health ministry said. One of the 14 is a woman in her 70s who has joint Hong Kong residency and U.S. citizenship. Several cruise lines have issued quarantines for ships currently at sea, and have tested passengers for coronavirus. (Read more from “Coronavirus Has Killed More People Than SARS” HERE)

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China’s Daily Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 100 for 1st Time; Total Deaths Top 1,000

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By Fox News. The death toll from coronavirus topped 1,000 and the daily death toll reached a record high of 100 on Monday, according to China’s National Health Commission (NHC).

The World Health Organization said in a daily briefing that there are at least 40,235 confirmed cases of the virus in mainland China, where 99 percent of the infected people reside. There are also 319 cases in 24 other countries outside of China, including 12 in the U.S.

The epidemic has killed more people than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in China in 2003, when 774 people died and 8,000 were infected. (Read more from “China’s Daily Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 100 for 1st Time; Total Deaths Top 1,000” HERE)

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AI Predicts Coronavirus Could Infect 2.5 Billion And Kill 53 Million

By Forbes. An AI-powered simulation run by a technology executive says that Coronavirus could infect as many as 2.5 billion people within 45 days and kill as many as 52.9 million of them. Fortunately, however, conditions of infection and detection are changing, which in turn changes incredibly important factors that the AI isn’t aware of. . .

From 50,000 infections and 1,000 deaths after a week to 208,000 infections and almost 4,400 deaths after two weeks, the numbers keep growing as each infected person infects others in turn.

In 30 days, the model says, two million could die. And in just 15 more days, the death toll skyrockets. . .

One important change: the mortality rate.

“If a high proportion of infected persons are asymptomatic, or develop only mild symptoms, these patients may not be reported and the actual number of persons infected in China may be much higher than reported,” says Professor Eyal Leshem at Sheba Medical Center in Israel. “This may also mean that the mortality rate (currently estimated at 2% of infected persons) may be much lower.” (Read more from “AI Predicts Coronavirus Could Infect 2.5 Billion And Kill 53 Million” HERE)

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US Doc Claims “Close to 100,000” Coronavirus Cases Now in China; China Reports, Deletes, Then Again Reports Death of Wuhan Virus Whistleblower Doc

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By Breitbart. Several Chinese state media outlets reported the death of Dr. Li Wenliang on Thursday, only to delete their reports a few hours later and publish new bulletins indicating he remains in critical condition at Wuhan Central Hospital.

No explanation was offered for why the death of Li, who was arrested for “spreading rumors” after providing one of the earliest warnings about the true danger of the coronavirus epidemic, was incorrectly reported by state-controlled media.

Li was one of eight people notoriously arrested in December for “rumor-mongering” by warning colleagues about the highly contagious nature of the Wuhan virus. He went on to contract the virus in January from one of his patients and has been hospitalized for several weeks.

His death was widely reported on Thursday morning, to the great dismay of the Chinese public, which expressed anger that a heroic whistleblower died from the coronavirus after suffering mistreatment by the authorities, and fear that a 34-year-old man in seemingly good health could die from the disease. According to official Chinese government reports, most of the roughly 560 people who have died from the Wuhan virus to date were elderly or had serious medical conditions before they contracted the disease.

The first indication of Li’s death was a Twitter post from China’s state-run Global Times, which would have been intended for an international audience since Twitter is banned in China. The tweet has since been deleted, along with various stories in Chinese media about his death including a post by the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, the People’s Daily.

(Read more from “China Reports, Deletes, Then Again Reports Death of Wuhan Virus Whistleblower Doctor” HERE)

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Doctor Claims There Are ‘Probably Close to 100,000’ Coronavirus Cases in China

By Fox News. Fox News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel joined “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Thursday to give an update on the coronavirus outbreak following the death of a Chinese doctor who first brought public attention to the virus.

Wuhan Central Hospital ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, 34, reportedly shared his concerns about the illness via private chat with medical school graduates in December after several patients exhibited symptoms similar to SARS before he was visited and warned by authorities. He was then summoned to the local Public Security Bureau where he was forced to sign a letter stating that he made false comments about the virus, the BBC reported. Authorities later apologized. . .

The novel coronavirus has sickened more than 31,000 people worldwide and resulted in at least 638 deaths. About 99 percent of cases have occurred in mainland China, although one death has been reported in the Philippines and a second has been reported in Hong Kong.

Siegel told Carlson that he believed the death toll to be much higher than the number Chinese authorities have reported, offering a number close to “100,000” cases. (Read more from “Doctor Claims There Are ‘Probably Close to 100,000’ Coronavirus Cases in China” HERE)

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Coronavirus Patient Gives Birth to Healthy Baby; Princess Cruises Quarantines 3,700 for Two Weeks After Coronavirus Outbreak

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By Fox News. A medical team equipped with hazmat suits celebrated the healthy birth of a baby girl whose mother was diagnosed with the coronavirus late last week. The woman, who was not named in the AsiaWire report, went into labor on Jan. 30 shortly after being diagnosed with the virus, which has sickened over 20,000 and been linked to at least 425 deaths.

The woman had been in contact with relatives who were reportedly diagnosed with coronavirus after returning from Wuhan, which is considered the virus epicenter. She was taken to Harbin Sixth People’s Hospital in Heilongjiang, and doctors decided to deliver the baby via caesarian section.

“The patient was anxious as we brought her to the operating theater,” said Dr. Yu Dan, an obstetrician from Harbin Red Cross Central Hospital, according to AsiaWire. “She had only just been told of her confirmed diagnosis, so she was concerned for her child. In addition to that, she was accompanied by no family members, as all had been placed in quarantine as either confirmed or suspected cases.”

The baby was born healthy and placed in isolation, and both she and the mother are in stable condition, according to AsiaWire. The infant has twice tested negative for the virus but will remain under observation for 14 days. (Read more from “Coronavirus Patient Gives Birth to Healthy Baby” HERE)

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Princess Cruises Quarantines 3,700 for Two Weeks on Ship After 10 Passengers Test Positive for New Coronavirus

By CNBC. Princess Cruises said it has placed 3,700 passengers and crew under mandatory quarantine for two weeks after ten passengers aboard a cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan tested positive for the new coronavirus.

The company said Monday that a previous guest, who didn’t have any symptoms while aboard the ship, tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday — six days after leaving the ship. The ship was being held in Japan for 24 hours while Japanese health authorities assessed the 3,700 passengers and crew on board.

“These 10 persons, who have been notified, will be taken ashore by Japanese Coast Guard watercraft and transported to local hospitals for care by shoreside Japanese medical professionals,” the company said.

The ship will be quarantined for at least 14 days, the company said, as is required by the Japanese Ministry of Health.

“The first phase of health screening of all guests and crew onboard Diamond Princess, by the Japanese Ministry of Health, has been completed,” the company said in a statement. “We were notified that amongst the samples that have completed testing, 10 people have tested positive for coronavirus.” (Read more from “Princess Cruises Quarantines 3,700 for Two Weeks on Ship After 10 Passengers Test Positive for New Coronavirus” HERE)

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North Korea Stops Reclaiming Escaped Citizens From China Due to Coronavirus Fears

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By Breitbart. North Korea on Friday temporarily suspended “all air and train routes” to China due to the coronavirus outbreak, in addition to closing off its land border.

Pyongyang has also taken steps to close its border with South Korea, fearing the virus could spread there from China. According to South Koreans who work with North Korean defectors, the North is also temporarily halting the repatriation of defectors due to infection concerns.

Voice of America News reported that North Korea asked South Korea to close the liaison office in the border town of Kaesong and postpone operations to dismantle resort facilities on Mount Kumgang until the Wuhan coronavirus has been “completely erased.”

South Korea is planning to demolish the Mount Kumgang tourist complex on orders from North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, who declared the long-unused resort an “eyesore” with “no national character at all” in October. The resort fell into disuse due to international sanctions and the shooting of a South Korean tourist who wandered off the grounds by a North Korean soldier in 2008.

The movement of people and goods across the North-South Korean border has reportedly halted. South Korean pastor Kim Sung-eun, noted for his work with North Korean refugees, said North Korea has asked China to stop repatriating defectors until the coronavirus epidemic has passed. Chinese sources said they expected even black-market shipping into North Korea would be sharply curtailed, despite serving as a major component of the North Korean economy. (Read more from “North Korea Stops Reclaiming Escaped Citizens From China Due to Coronavirus Fears” HERE)

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Washington State Businesses Brace for Impact of the Coronavirus

By The Seattle Times. As worries over the spread of the new coronavirus intensify, many businesses in Washington state said they’re monitoring the situation closely, taking precautions to protect their employees’ health and adjusting other plans.

Some major employers are halting travel or postponing opening new offices in Asia. Real estate brokers say they’re seeing fewer Chinese home shoppers.

And local industries already hard-hit by the U.S.-China trade war, like agriculture and tourism, are forecasting continued strain on profits. Nearly 18 months of retaliatory tariffs have cut exports through Washington state to China, its biggest trading partner, by nearly 40% since 2018.

The coronavirus outbreak — which public health experts predict could soon be a global pandemic — may send trade volumes plummeting further, said J. Norwell Coquillard, executive director of the nonprofit Washington State China Relations Council.

The new coronavirus, which seems to be less lethal than SARS but spreads more easily, has infected more than 17,000 people in at least 23 countries, leaving more than 400 dead, as of Monday. Nearly all the deaths are in China, where the new virus originated. (Read more from “Washington State Businesses Brace for Impact of the Coronavirus” HERE)

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U.S. Troops Who Recently Traveled to China Quarantined in South Korea; China Reports Bird Flu Outbreak Near Epicenter of Coronavirus

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By Washington Examiner. U.S. troops who traveled to China in the last two weeks were ordered to self-quarantine amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to American military officials in South Korea.

“The 14-day quarantine applies to any service members returning to South Korea from mainland China since Jan. 19, regardless of whether they show any symptoms,” officials said Sunday. There are not any known cases of American military personnel being infected with the deadly virus.

U.S. Forces Korea also encouraged family members, Pentagon civilians, contractors, South Korean employees, and United Nations military personnel to quarantine themselves “in the interest of public health safety.” (Read more from “U.S. Troops Who Recently Traveled to China Quarantined in South Korea” HERE)

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China Reports Bird Flu Outbreak Near Epicenter of Coronavirus

By New York Post. China has detected an outbreak of the bird flu near the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus, according to a report.

The bird flu outbreak was reported Saturday in Hunan, which borders the province of Hubei where the coronavirus broke out last month, according to the South China Morning Post.

“The outbreak occurred in a farm in the Shuangqing district of Shaoyang city,” officials said. “The farm has 7,850 chickens, and 4,500 of the chickens have died from the contagion.” (Read more from “China Reports Bird Flu Outbreak Near Epicenter of Coronavirus” HERE)

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