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You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / COVID-19 Coronavirus Update – Wednesday/Thursday, March 25/26

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update – Wednesday/Thursday, March 25/26

by Anne Laurie|  March 26, 20204:57 am| 14 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19, Foreign Affairs

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CORONAVIRUS LATEST: https://t.co/Eu88c4ZEkA

• Pandemic of novel coronavirus has now killed more than 21,000 people around the world, including at least 1,000 in the U.S.
• Number of diagnosed cases worldwide will likely reach half a million in the coming days.

— ABC News (@ABC) March 26, 2020

So useful! @UniofOxford & @BlavatnikSchool have put together a tracker of government responses to #Covid19. Contains info on the response approaches used by 73 govts so far. Bookmark this baby! https://t.co/9Tz9EUzXem

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) March 25, 2020

California doctor offers rapid blood test for coronavirus antibodies that can provide results in 10 minutes with a simple fingerstick. What's the catch? He had to import them from South Korea. https://t.co/CftkCGWsUJ

— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) March 26, 2020

Reports coming out of both Czechia and Spain that COVID-19 test kits obtained from China have reliability issues. https://t.co/UcGWmLI6Dp

— Sense Hofstede (@sehof) March 26, 2020

There are over 470,000 cases of #COVID2019 and more than 21,000 deaths

To me, ~15K cases reported by the U.S. in the 24hrs is not the biggest news – it's the fact that 90+ countries & territories are poised for similar outbreaks in the coming week/s. pic.twitter.com/n1mDfOIRye

— Cate Cadell (@catecadell) March 26, 2020

To be very clear: by February 1, @mandl & I found that multiple studies had come to the same conclusion about #COVID19 – that it had the potential to cause epidemics & that preparation was a must. Don’t let *anyone* (including the President) tell you that we didn't see it coming. https://t.co/lulbMUEynu

— Maia Majumder, PhD (@maiamajumder) March 25, 2020

“The numbers are grossly under-reported. I know for a fact that we’ve had three deaths in one county where only one is listed on the website" https://t.co/IFZmm0behT

— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) March 26, 2020

As much of Latin America locks down, the leaders of Brazil and Mexico continue to dismiss efforts to contain the coronavirus. Experts say their approach could create an ideal breeding ground for the virus, with devastating consequences. https://t.co/PvHj62kirA

— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 26, 2020

How much worse could the US outbreak be than China's?

Outside Wuhan/Hubei, every other Chinese province stayed under 1500 cases.

The US already has 9 states with >1500 cases, and counting.

China had one huge bonfire but prevented its sparks from setting off more. We haven't. pic.twitter.com/dDMx4nyHow

— Jeremy MORE PPE NOW Konyndyk (@JeremyKonyndyk) March 26, 2020

Chinese students fleeing virus-hit U.S. pay $20,000 for seats on private jets https://t.co/TU43CO7GVC

— Jamie Freed (@Jamie_Freed) March 25, 2020

Taiwan is donating 100,000 face masks a week to the US, angering China. Part of a pattern. The Trump administration has been getting on the phone and calling in favours from around the worldhttps://t.co/HuH2VGjkZe https://t.co/Vm7genIUtZ

— Julian Borger (@julianborger) March 25, 2020

under cover of the pandemic crisis, some political crackdowns are rolling along in hong kong https://t.co/avp6adle8Z

— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) March 26, 2020

The New York Times worked with a doctor to film 72 hours at Elmhurst, the hospital that's been hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak in NY. The result is an extraordinary piece of video journalism

Everybody should watch this: https://t.co/AnaBqSwK81 (by @robinnyc7/@rarecanary)

— Brian M. Rosenthal (@brianmrosenthal) March 25, 2020

@MountSinaiNYC is now recruiting recovered #COVID19 patients in #NYC for treatment options.

If you know anyone please share this with them! pic.twitter.com/nUJdH9XC1e

— Rabbi E. Poupko (@RabbiPoupko) March 25, 2020

Hospitals consider universal do-not-resuscitate orders for coronavirus patients https://t.co/gFoB1SpoQl

— Chris Mooney (@chriscmooney) March 25, 2020

Across the state, there are now 491 patients hospitalized who have tested positive for the coronavirus, 220 more than the day before.

About 193 patients require ventilators, twice as many as on on Tuesday.https://t.co/V05x6Kzyx7

— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) March 25, 2020

JUST IN: Italy's growth in virus infections declines after nearly three weeks of lockdown measures https://t.co/GWa0axU7Rn

— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) March 25, 2020


Ireland has just effectively nationalised its health service in response to the pandemic. Private hospitals are being taken over. Everyone is now promised equal access to treatment, regardless of insurance. A massive change. There should be no going back from this.

— Caelainn Hogan (@CaelainnH) March 24, 2020

Ireland has stopped evictions and frozen rents to protect people from becoming homeless during the pandemic. When these measures were called for to help end our housing crisis, the same government said it would be "unconstitutional". It was only a lack of political will.

— Caelainn Hogan (@CaelainnH) March 25, 2020

People in the UK are being encouraged to take part in a national round of applause at 8pm tonight to show their appreciation for all NHS staff and carers for their incredible work every day and in particular, during the #coronavirus crisis.#clapforcarers #ThankYouNHS pic.twitter.com/7yGOeoZUVs

— James Melville (@JamesMelville) March 26, 2020

Remember the puff piece on CNN about how Russians are more effective in combatting #COVID19? Well, nobody could've seen this coming (except for anyone who knows anything about Russia), but turns out their numbers are pretty BS, and even they themselves are admitting this now. https://t.co/TjdqxP8nQQ

— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 24, 2020

How pneumonia patients in Russia turned into COVID positive patients within 2 days https://t.co/RvJtaTHh2uhttps://t.co/vN54yLjvSU

— CAFitzpatrick (@catfitz) March 25, 2020

At least this is one of Putin's tough guy cosplays that might actually help if it makes more Russians take the situation seriously. But I doubt it. https://t.co/uQVWZg4d2W

— Mig Greengard (@chessninja) March 24, 2020

Russia Swore It Whipped the Coronavirus, and Fox and CNN Bought It

“Repeating Russia’s numbers is ridiculous. Trust must be earned, and Putin lies about everything.”
— Gary Kasparov

My latest for ?@thedailybeast? https://t.co/4syYtWLLhW

— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) March 24, 2020

indonesia has a population of about 260 million, and a health system collapse would be devastating. https://t.co/ERG2emjZmC

— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) March 25, 2020

Coronavirus is now taking off in poor countries that join the battle with fewer weapons than developed countries. Their health-care systems and social mechanisms often aren’t just at risk of being overwhelmed, many join the epidemic already overwhelmedhttps://t.co/5CUmdv4enU

— Alfons López Tena (@alfonslopeztena) March 26, 2020

Nations reeling from conflict, poverty and poor health care will be unable to contain the coronavirus without significant international assistance, risking that the disease will ricochet back to recovering populations, the United Nations warned https://t.co/phILU4rvmh

— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 25, 2020

The relief camp for anti-Muslim riot victims of Delhi has been vacated by the govt due to #CoronaVirus fear – More than a thousand poor riot-surviver Muslims have no where to go! https://t.co/RxY4UeuYm6 via @ClarionIndia_

— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) March 26, 2020

Some news about the Grand Princess cruise ship:

-2 passengers who were on the ship died in the last few days after getting the virus

-We now know 100+ people who had been on the ship tested positive for the virus – 5x how many tested positive on boardhttps://t.co/jllh76ScQw https://t.co/pbj8BeWtOj

— Mark Berman (@markberman) March 26, 2020

the military is taking this seriously even if the commander in chief isn't https://t.co/wjtZr9hOaA

— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) March 26, 2020

Howard University has a hospital that has been designated one of DC's covid-19 treatment facilities. It is located 2.1 miles from Rep. Gaetz's workplace. https://t.co/hsu8sTGUc1

— Gillian Brockell is social distancing (@gbrockell) March 26, 2020

Mississippi hospitalizations for COVID-19 have tripled in the last three days. https://t.co/crzp9Jf7dQ https://t.co/q0OGwPl6Bg

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) March 26, 2020

‘Dumbest man on the internet’ defends his title:

Ah yes they’ve clearly planned for the reopening of the district’s many fine bars, clubs and restaurants to accommodate *squints* fasting Muslims. pic.twitter.com/mQU0cKzTUb

— hend amry (@LibyaLiberty) March 26, 2020

also u.s.: instead of acting swiftly, we spent a week listening to arguments that helping suddenly destitute americans would make them greedy freeloaders https://t.co/NcMmoAS54f

— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) March 26, 2020

Today in debunked coronavirus myths: Apparently Russia has so few cases because Putin RELEASED 500 LIONS ONTO THE STREETS OF MOSCOW to enforce quarantines. https://t.co/JtdUlRzrpu

— Dr. Angela Rasmussen (@angie_rasmussen) March 25, 2020

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Reader Interactions

14Comments

  1. 1.

    Mary G

    March 26, 2020 at 6:09 am

    Lions should be set to keep the president away from microphones.

  2. 2.

    p.a.

    March 26, 2020 at 6:11 am

    @Mary G: Hungry lions

     

    I picked a bad administration to stop sniffing glue.

  3. 3.

    rikyrah

    March 26, 2020 at 6:20 am

    Thanks for this post

  4. 4.

    Betty Cracker

    March 26, 2020 at 6:22 am

    Awaiting first light to make a supply run. If there is toilet paper, I will buy ONE package of it, albeit the largest available package. When this is all over, I support using facial recognition software to analyze store surveillance camera images from the pandemic to identify hoarders. Then I want them packed off to gulags and forced to make paper products for 12 hours a day. Trump-voting cock-waffles, the lot of them!

  5. 5.

    tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat)

    March 26, 2020 at 6:31 am

    Thank you AL for doing this every day!

    Here in Tokyo area, amazing how once the Olympics and Paralympics were postponed that the number of cases suddenly grew. Yesterday, Tokyo Governor Koike asked people to stay indoors this weekend. Today, a national task force has been established which will enable PM Abe to declare a national emergency giving him the powers to enforce measures to keep people inside and to close businesses.

    Earlier this week, universities and schools were planning to open in April. The school year runs April to March here. Earlier this week, my university announced opening April 20 with departmental ceremonies, a week of orientation and classes starting May 1st. I checked in with my boss and she sounded flustered. They don’t know anything now and are waiting to hear what government officials from Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa decide to do.

    Meanwhile, panic buying started right after yesterday’s governor’s announcement. My friend messaged me that there was no more rice, meat, canned goods or cup noodles on the shelf last night. Today, lots of shelves were empty, though they should be restocked tomorrow (I hope).

    I think we will be next the wave. I hope I am wrong.

  6. 6.

    WereBear

    March 26, 2020 at 6:39 am

    @Betty Cracker: Trump-voting cock-waffles, the lot of them!

     

    The odds are good, and the goods are odd.

    I can hold out a while yet, last day of work before my furlough kicks in. Delightful to hear the debates over giving me some crumbs to get me through this. I guess the plan for killing grandparents have been tabled for now?

  7. 7.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    March 26, 2020 at 7:00 am

    Other news friends in mine in South Africa and Tanazia are saying the African governments have adopted the “South African solution” to the wet markets in their countries; send the riot police in to kill all the animals and burn the whole thing to the ground. I gather that that they are terrified this Corno-19 with get into one of these markets, jump to an animal and combine with another virus infect humans again.

  8. 8.

    New Deal democrat

    March 26, 2020 at 7:05 am

    As I anticipated, there are now two contiguous regions of the US, that roughly correlate to the 2008 Electoral map, under lockdowns or close thereto.

    What is missing is the quarantining of people trying to enter these two regions (including the establishment of highway checkpoints).

    The lockdowns won’t ultimately be successful until the governors of those states announce that all incoming visitors will be quarantined for 14 days.

    As for those Regions resistant to lockdown orders (viz. Ga and FL) – God help you.

  9. 9.

    debbie

    March 26, 2020 at 7:12 am

    @Mary G:

    Funny, last night I dreamed about a giant crocodile running at me. I was barely able to get out of the way, but I know Trump could never outrun it.

  10. 10.

    Xentik

    March 26, 2020 at 7:14 am

    Amusing anecdote from DC: My SO visited a grocery store in Georgetown (old money) and found all the perishables (meat, eggs, milk, bread) were cleaned out, but non-perishable foods/cans/etc were untouched. When she visited a store in Waterfront (new money/tech) she found the exact opposite. I can only assume that the Georgetown people don’t actually know how to use canned food or dried beans/pasta, or don’t understand the concept of expiration dates.

    Also Maryland has been doing an awful job of testing people. I know quite a few people who all likely have COVID (myself included) and we keep getting told “We can only test you if you have a known connection…” If anyone of us was tested, we could all be tested, but nope… not going to happen. I don’t think I’ve ever been in such an irritatingly catch-22 situation before. When all is said and done, I hope Hogan catches some flack for this. I don’t see why Virginia has been able to test 5000+ people for 400 positive results and Maryland has tested only 500 for 400 positive

    @New Deal democrat: One of my biggest concerns right now is that we’ll still be in lockdown in June-August and a hurricane will hit one of the infectious red states, causing evacuation into other states that have things barely under control.

  11. 11.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    March 26, 2020 at 7:36 am

    @New Deal democrat: As for those Regions resistant to lockdown orders (viz. Ga and FL) – God help you.

    Or Louisiana, were the numbers infected by the virus seem to be doubling every two days.

  12. 12.

    YY_Sima Qian

    March 26, 2020 at 7:57 am

    Don’t the national health authorities do their homework on these rapid serological antibody tests?! Clear guidance from Chinese National Health Commission is that anti-body tests are only to be used to supplement PCR tests, and only at medical facilities. Ample experience in China has shown that antibody tests are not as sensitive as PCRs in most cases, with higher false negative rate, and can only detect antibodies at a later stage during the course of the infection and illness. That applies to rapid test solutions from China, South Korea, Singapore, or anywhere else. Some may be more sensitive and have higher quality than others, but I believe none approach the efficacy or PCR tests. They should not be used for screening.

    At least in China, PCR tests are the only metric for determining COVID-19 confirmation, as well as whether a patient has recovered (two negative PCRs at least 24 hours apart). Antibody test is used as supplement because a small percentage of patients do not produce sufficient amount of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the nasal cavity or the throat to be detected by the typical PCR swab, until very advanced stages of the disease. Hence, stories of patients with three, four, five, seven negative PCRs before finally testing positive.

    Even for antibody tests, Chinese hospitals prefer to draw the blood sample directly from the vein, rather than these rapid tests with a prick of the fingertip; the former is more sensitive and more reliable. I believe the rapid test makers are overselling their products, and customers and commentators who are desperate for quick solutions to their massive testing challenges seize these perceived solutions with hope and credulity.

    If someone invents a rapid PCR test that can produce results within 20 minutes, he or she deserves a Nobel price! Alas, PCR does not appear to be amenable to such a solution.

  13. 13.

    New Deal democrat

    March 26, 2020 at 8:09 am

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: LA is in a world of hurt. But at least they’ve gone to full lockdown. They still need to shut down their borders, and airports.

  14. 14.

    Dan B

    March 26, 2020 at 1:34 pm

    Anne Laurie;

    Thank you for these posts!  The information is disturbing but after my initial shock I feel a sense of calm.  It’s the difference between navigating through a jungle filled with deadly threats in the dark and having friends with flashlights and local knowledge.  Yes there are monsters but we see a route and have people who can help us survive.

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