When amusement parks like Tokyo Disney and Universal Studios re-open, visitors will be asked to not scream on roller coasters: https://t.co/PQ0bQ0e2M1 pic.twitter.com/DKw50BKoah
— Spoon & Tamago (@Johnny_suputama) May 27, 2020
it's very real
— Spoon & Tamago (@Johnny_suputama) May 27, 2020
For the latest developments around the coronavirus outbreak, follow @Reuters Liveblog https://t.co/cEBwkoEQ5P pic.twitter.com/Cx2nszIh29
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2020
As the death toll from the coronavirus rose above 100,000 in the United States, there are also record numbers getting sick in India and worrying signs of a resurgence in South Korea. https://t.co/fyhkpTNOv1
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 28, 2020
FACTBOX: Where states stand as U.S. reaches 100,000 coronavirus deaths https://t.co/CMkcEylXrR via @peszeke pic.twitter.com/GWzZ6cmYK3
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2020
So what happens next?
One of the issues with making projections is that no one is quite sure what effect the gradual reopening of the US economy will have on the spread of the virus
Read more about coronavirus in the US: https://t.co/6OBx68uAq5
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 27, 2020
What you need to know about the coronavirus right now https://t.co/zVRrrr6mqN pic.twitter.com/jg90ODLqhN
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2020
One note of grace:
… The world’s largest book fair will take place in Frankfurt as scheduled in mid-October, a sign of some return to normality.
Organisers said they were able to persuade city authorities the fair could go ahead after outlining comprehensive sanitary measures. The event, which dates back to the 15th century when Johannes Gutenberg introduced the mass printing of books in nearby Mainz, usually draws more than 300,000 visitors…
(Of course, bibliophiles are notorious good at social distancing!)
There have also been questions over whether official data from some countries can be trusted
Critics of China in particular have accused it of under-reporting the scale of its outbreak https://t.co/6OBx68uAq5 pic.twitter.com/SKPgvRgeJC
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 27, 2020
Some Countries Have Brought New Cases Down To Nearly Zero. How'd They Do It? https://t.co/5wsEzQrACv
— NPR Goats & Soda (@NPRGoatsandSoda) May 27, 2020
"Testing of samples from a Wuhan food market…failed to show links between animals being sold there & the pathogen. Gao Fu, director of China CDC said 'It now turns out that the market is one of the victims.'" https://t.co/yqDYsxwOq0
— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) May 27, 2020
South Korea coronavirus cases jump to highest since early April as warehouse outbreak widens, raising the spectre of a second wave of disease in a country widely praised for containing the initial outbreak https://t.co/DGhCOwZ2AY pic.twitter.com/vuqHmx9YJ6
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2020
Philippines task force backs easing one of the toughest and longest lockdowns in the world for residents in the capital who have endured nearly 11 weeks of restrictions on activity https://t.co/d1V1ZPsxxm by @karenlema pic.twitter.com/8Rqqx1MsLq
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2020
India coronavirus: Trouble ahead for India's fight against infections https://t.co/hJIS2QZ3uv
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 28, 2020
Coronavirus: Nightmare spreads through Russia's care homes https://t.co/l4fS7nj9Dn
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 27, 2020
AP INVESTIGATION: Spain suspects more than 19,000 died at nursing homes. Dozens of interviews with workers, relatives and residents themselves painted a picture of what some have called a “fast-food” version of elder care. By @aritzparra https://t.co/T8gjFAIqXG
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) May 28, 2020
Cyprus to pay holiday costs of anyone who tests positive for the virus after travelling therehttps://t.co/FecSJkXOmb
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 27, 2020
This Senegalese tourism hot spot is struggling without visitors https://t.co/RzOuiZDStm pic.twitter.com/oJiwld53Qh
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2020
As the coronavirus spreads into indigenous lands in Brazil, killing at least 40 people so far by the government's count, the first two COVID-19 deaths were registered this week in the Xingu area, one of the biggest reserves in the world. https://t.co/3DLoIo5C1Z
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 28, 2020
In Brazil's shadow, laid-back Uruguay curbs the coronavirus. The South American nation of 3.5 million people, known for its beef, laid-back lifestyle and legalized cannabis, has kept rates of COVID-19 at one of the lowest levels in Latin America https://t.co/BABuAlbdUI pic.twitter.com/ZAIfcjFawk
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2020
Cruise ships, again:
Prevalence of 'silent' #COVID19 infection may be much higher than previously thought, according to new research published online in the journal Thorax https://t.co/JxMNjKQJuU via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) May 27, 2020
… The ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, for a planned 21 day cruise of the Antarctic, taking a similar route to that of Ernest Shackleton in 1915-17. It set sail in mid-March after the World Health Organization had declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.
Passengers who, in the previous three weeks, had passed through countries where COVID-19 infection rates were already high, were not allowed to board. And everyone’s temperature was taken before embarkation. Hand sanitising stations were plentiful aboard ship, particularly in the dining room.
The first case of fever was reported on day 8, prompting the immediate adoption of infection control measures. This included confining passengers to their cabins, stopping daily servicing, apart from the delivery of meals, and the wearing of personal protective equipment for any crew member in contact with sick passengers…
On day 20 all the remaining 217 passengers and crew were swab tested for coronavirus. More than half (128; 59%) tested positive.
In 10 instances, two passengers sharing the same cabin didn’t have the same test result, possibly because the current swab test returns a substantial number of false negative results, say the authors.
Of those testing positive, 24 (19%) had symptoms, but 108 (81%) didn’t.
The ship had no contact with other people for 28 days after its departure, so was the equivalent of a hermetically sealed environment…
Google sees resurgence in state-backed hacking and phishing attempts related to the coronavirus outbreak https://t.co/ELyuygdSDO pic.twitter.com/14oMMSdLUz
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2020
Glad to see increased focus on airborne transmission of #COVID19. @HarvardChanSPH's @j_g_allen authored a piece in @PostOpinions offering guidance to limit spread: https://t.co/HE0SxFyCqH
Key takeaways to #StaySMART below: pic.twitter.com/Une1CeXmsh
— Josh Lasky (@JoshLasky) May 27, 2020
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recently alerted its members that #COVID19 might cause conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye. Conjunctivitis, the inflammation of the conjunctiva, can trigger redness & irritation in & around the eyes https://t.co/bQtl8fq54X pic.twitter.com/QKDABnYVnH
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) May 28, 2020
Even if we have an effective Covid-19 vaccine next year, not everyone will be able to get it at once. I wrote about some of the many manufacturing and delivery challenges of getting a vaccine to a huge number of people.https://t.co/p0Gx8mPRET
— Emily Mullin (@emilylmullin) May 27, 2020
We can help save lives and protect our economy with widespread use of face masks, hand-washing, staggered shifts, telework, and prompt contact tracing, writes @DrTomFrieden. https://t.co/wVojz5VS0z
— Vox (@voxdotcom) May 26, 2020
"Thinking about safety as binary isn’t going to cut it anymore. The key to responsibly reopening your life is understanding what makes you and those around you more or less safe at any given moment."
Stay safe out there, friends. https://t.co/GFOw2Kj4Io by @amandamull
— Paul Bisceglio (@PaulBisceglio) May 27, 2020
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s daily numbers: 10 new cases, all from local infection, including five foreign nationals. Total 7,621 cases. The country appears to be back on track toward reducing daily new infections to a single-digit number.
86 more patients recovered, total 6,169 or 80.9% of all cases. Of 1,345 active and contagious cases, eight are in ICU of whom four are on ventilators. No new deaths, total stands at 115. Infection fatality rate 1.51%, case fatality rate 1.83%.
DG of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that the reopening of schools in Malaysia will be considered when the Government reviews the current conditional movement control order, ahead of its expiry/renewal on June 9.
WereBear
It’s becoming clearer and clearer than early universal mask wearing could have gone a tremendously long way to keeping us out of the ditch we are currently stuck in.
Baud
Electing leaders based on competence instead of tribalism?
Amir Khalid
@Baud:
It seems that not having a significant part of the population that lives by the guiding principle of You are not the boss of me! also helps.
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: We can’t have that! This is Amurika! What are you, some kinda commie?
WereBear
@Amir Khalid: Adulthood is not required of white males in much of the US.
montanareddog
@WereBear: I am at the stage where it is a no-brainer. Those countries where it is a cultural norm to wear masks in public; v low incidence. So, if you are outside the house, wear a mask. What harm can it do, and a strong probability it will do good.
Mary G
Orange County CA numbers continue to inch up. We set a new record hospitalizations, but still well below capacity.
Poor Governor Gavin is getting hit from both sides – public health experts say we’re going too fast opening up and Republicans and beach lovers say we’re going too slow.
Politico has the story.
YY_Sima Qian
I am not at all a fan of the large cruise ships that are favored by middle aged middle class of the US and China. However, I am a huge fan of expedition cruising, small ships going to wild places, and small community of passengers, crew and expedition staff, often with common interests and incredible life stories. I guess it is not advisable for a few years. I am glad I have been able to cross a few destinations off my list with past cruises, but there are so many more places to see!
Maybe this is my chance to save up some money for future trips!
debbie
I’m surprised they’re going ahead with Frankfurt. A virtual book fair would seem to be a great solution, if only because the public could be included. All that free advertising!
YY_Sima Qian
No new domestic confirmed cases reported by China in the past 3 days, the Jilin City cluster may actually be under control. Only 111 active confirmed cases, 413 active asymptomatic cases, and 5 suspect cases. The mass screening at Wuhan has found around 200 asymptomatic cases so far, but these seem to be true asymptomatics who do not appear to infect others. It is conceivable that these cases are people who had infections in the past with mild or no symptoms, have since self-healed, and are now just shedding dead viral fragments. In late afternoon and early evening, my residential compound is full of people out playing with kids, though most still wear masks.
It would be interesting to see a detailed study of the Japanese response to COVID-19. For a long time I was very skeptical, with the head in the sands attitude before the Olympics were postponed, the very low testing rate, the aging population, the very densely populated megacities, the work culture that discourages WFH, and the extraordinarily crowded public transportation. Even masking is not nearly as universal as is often believed. The authorities can underreport the cases and the deaths, but cannot hide an exponentially exploding epidemic. The health care system has not been overwhelmed, there has not been mass panic. I suppose excess mortality will tell us. One of the true enigmas of this pandemic.
WereBear
@YY_Sima Qian: I am looking at the large differences in health between the Japanese and Americans as a possible factor. This has been studied for decades.
The US has a very high rate of COVID-19 co-morbidities compared to Japan. Worse, many people endure middle age with these conditions going untreated. Add in the known connections with poverty and minority status resulting in a higher risk of death in the US, and it’s possible that Japan had higher rates of contagion that did not reach hospitals.
This goes along with all kinds of cultural considerations, such as male smoking in China or Italy’s culture of close contact.
YY_Sima Qian
@WereBear: Additional factors could be that it is relative rare in Japan for elders to live in crowded multi-generational dwellings, and nursing homes and retirement communities are even rarer. Would also be interesting to see a seroprevalence survey done at the population centers in Japan.
WereBear
@YY_Sima Qian: Good points! So many factors, but some get repeated and really stand out.
J R in WV
@YY_Sima Qian:
Our only “cruise” was with Lindblad, whale hugging in Baja California. Was a wonderful time for all. A few yacht club members, mostly old hippies, bird watchers, outdoors folks.
We share something in common, hope to go on expedition cruise again, some day. Would love to cruise around Greek isles, Sardinia, etc. Not very interested in South Pole, Falklands, etc. althogh Patagonia looks interesting.
Shame war ongoing in Black Sea. Egypt would also be great w/o heat of war and hate. No interest in giant floating hotel with amusement park pasted on top, none!
agorabum
Belgium – I gotta note that the Belgians have apparently been scrupulous in counting COVID deaths and don’t really have any issues with undercounts – their number is the real number. And since they are being honest with the figures, they look worse per capita than elsewhere.
Bill Arnold
@WereBear:
This. Universal masking, indoors in public places, is the single lowest cost intervention IMO, in monetary costs, social costs and freedom costs. (Outdoors in crowded places would be nice, too.)
The WHO is (from google search results, which is what f-in matters) still a high-influence anti-masker organization, saying that masks are not necessary for the healthy. This can be read as suggesting universal mask wearing (because nobody knows whether they are infected but asymptomatic, excepting rare circumstances like actual physical quarantine in the wilderness for a few weeks) but essentially nobody reads the guidelines that way.
Gary K
Brazil is at #6 but is about to jump to #3. As they say in the record biz, #6 with a bullet.
YY_Sima Qian
@J R in WV: I love the Arctics! I have done a three week cruise around the Falklands, South Georgia, South Orkneys, the Antarctic Peninsula, and the South Shetlands. Definitely a trip of a lifetime. The highlight to me was actually South Georgia, really deserves the nickname “Serengeti of the South Atlantic”. The iceberg filled bays of the Antarctic Peninsula were also extraordinary sights.
I have also done expedition cruises to Spitsbergen and French Polynesia. Interestingly, the one to French Polynesia was on a National Geographic cruise, run by Lindblad. That was the only one where I felt outnumbered by yacht clubbers with conservative views and cheerleading for Trump. This was in 2018, I wonder how they feel about Trump, now…
On the other cruises, the passengers were definitely well represented by ex-hippies, most were into birdwatching and the outdoors.
Still on my list are Greenland, Arctic Canada, the Bering Strait, Galapagos Islands, Indonesian islands, NW Australia, and I can go on a few more Antarctic cruises (if money was no object!).
YY_Sima Qian
Of all the stones thrown at the WHO, their guidance on universal masking is the only one I feel they dropped the ball, and still inexplicably dropping the ball. And to those who accuse the WHO of benign the CCP regime’s packet, China (and other E/SE Asian nations) made masks mandatory in public places from the very beginning.