Coronavirus Special Coverage

A collection of news posted throughout the week for those that want signal, not noise.

  • Previous coverage - all of our posts in this ongoing series.
  • Coronavirus status page - learn how to prepare for possible spread to your area. Scenarios, shopping lists, background info and everything else you need, all in one place.

COVID-19: key developments for Tuesday, March 10, 2020

A collection of key developments in the fight against COVID-19 (the actual virus is SARS-COV-2), posted throughout the week for those who just want the signal and not the noise. If there’s something you think we should include, sound off in the comments thread attached to the post.

Visit our Wuhan coronavirus status page and learn how to prepare for possible spread to your area. Scenarios, shopping lists, background info, and everything else you need, all in one place.

Previously: The previous day’s key developments post is here.


There are 118,892 cases across the globe, 4,511 new today, with 244 deaths. A staggering number of deaths in Italy today—leading the pack with 168.

60 million people in Italy are in semi-lockdown: schools, universities, and cinemas are closed. People may leave the home for important work but may not leave their region without permission. Religious and sporting events are cancelled.

The growth of cases in the US is going to look very much like Italy soon:

 

And this is why we think the modelling is correct–look at how well the growth of cases in various countries fits the curve:

Scores of universities have cancelled in-person classes, opting for online curriculum. Some, like Harvard,  are asking their students to move out.

People in the UK have been asked to volunteer to get infected with 2 strains of coronavirus similar to SARS-CoV-2 to help researchers progress on vaccine production. Subjects will be financially compensated, placed in isolation, given a steady diet, and given a PS3 to use for entertainment.

Silicon Valley County bans gatherings over 1,000 people.

South Boston cancelled the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The Trump Administration is stalling the release of an Intelligence report that speaks to the US’ lack of preparedness for the current pandemic. The report remains classified. It has been the custom for more than a decade for the report to be released to the public annually.

The National Guard have been deployed to Rochelle County, NY, to assist in containing an outbreak of COVID-19. 80,000 residents live inside the radius of the area of containment. Schools, churches, and facilities where large crowds gather are ordered to be closed. Movement of individuals is not controlled.

Cuomo speaks on it here:

Helpful CDC recommendations for the cleaning and disinfection of the environment where suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients are residing. Instructions for preparing diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions, and various CDC-approved household disinfectant solutions are listed.

A study out of Germany shows that COVID-19 patients shed large amounts of virus before symptoms become apparent. Conversely, patients shed much less virus once they begin recovering. These findings strongly suggest that social distancing is of utmost importance because people may spread the illness widely before they know they are sick.

Flatten the curve if you want to preserve your hospitals’ ability to fight SARS-CoV-2:

Social distancing must start now. People in positions of power and influence must stop downplaying the risks of the pandemic if we want to bolster public health during this crisis.

Incidentally, I can’t find toilet paper anywhere. Times are interesting, indeed.


  • 2 Comments

    • Bad Karma

      “Movement of individuals is not controlled.”

      Narrator: “For now . . .”

       

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    • Mar Tam

      Presumably you guys have already seen this, but a study out today from the NIH, Princeton, and UCLA suggests that covid 19 can stay viable for up to 3 hours in the air and longer on surfaces (up to 2-3 days on plastic or stainless steel). It’s obviously not peer reviewed yet but I think it indicates the need for much stricter measures in terms of avoiding public spaces, disinfecting, etc. Maybe worth wearing gloves when you need to be out of the home. Masks too, if you’ve got actual N95 respirators. My understanding is the surgical masks won’t be helpful here, though if you have one you might as well wear it, especially if it keeps you from touching your face/eyes.

      Link to the paper: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1.full.pdf

      Link to a TIME writeup: https://time.com/5801278/coronavirus-stays-on-surfaces-days-tests/

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