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Scotland registers three more cases; Germany labels outbreak a pandemic; and cases spread across Europe Italian doctors say German man may have been first European with virus and Scotland registers three more cases as infection spread across Europe
People who are elderly or have pre-existing conditions could be advised to stay away from crowds as the outbreak progresses, Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty has told MPs. Starbucks has said it will serve drinks only in disposable cups at its North American outlets.
He added that Parliament was no more risky than any other environment, following reports the Palace of Westminster could be closed down as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The company also said in a statement that it was “pausing the use of personal cups and ‘for here’ ware” in its stores. Translation: there won’t be any more drinks in washable mugs or customer-owned cups.
Other measures includes its move as a corporate body to restrict all business-related air travel.
“Although the situation remains fluid, our US and international markets have gleaned learnings from our leadership team and partners in China who were first faced with this epidemic,” the company said.
Dubai has asked sports events organisers to postpone all sports related activities until the end of the month, according to a government circular seen by Reuters.
The circular, issued by Dubai Sports Council, said the request was a precautionary measure to ensure public health.
A 33-year-old German man may be the first European to have contracted Covid-19 and to have transmitted it, Italian daily newspaper il Corriere della Sera has reported, citing a letter of German experts published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
According to the German doctors, “a 33-year-old otherwise healthy German businessman (Patient 1) became ill with a sore throat, chills, and myalgias on 24 January 2020. The following day, a fever of 39.1°C (102.4°F) developed, along with a productive cough. By the evening of the next day, he started feeling better and went back to work on 27 January.”
On 20 and 21 January, before the onset of symptoms, the man had attended a series of meetings with a Chinese business partner at his company near Munich. The business partner, a Shanghai resident, had visited Germany between 19 and 22 January.
“During her stay, she had been well with no signs or symptoms of infection but had become ill on her flight back to China, where she tested positive for 2019-nCoV on 26 January,” write the doctors.
The woman had immediately informed the company about her illness. Contact tracing was started and the 33-year-old German man was sent to the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine in Munich for further assessment.
On 28 January, three additional employees at the company tested positive for 2019-nCoV and so far, none of the four confirmed patients show signs of severe clinical illness.
“This case of 2019-nCoV infection was diagnosed in Germany and transmitted outside Asia,” write the experts.
“However, it is notable that the infection appears to have been transmitted during the incubation period of the index patient, in whom the illness was brief and nonspecific.”
People who are elderly or have pre-existing conditions could be advised to stay away from crowds as the outbreak progresses, the chief medical officer Chris Whitty has told MPs.
He added that parliament was no more risky than any other environment, following reports the Palace of Westminster could be closed down as a result of the outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is encouraging countries who want to know how much of their population is sick with the virus to start testing people with symptoms.The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is encouraging countries who want to know how much of their population is sick with the virus to start testing people with symptoms.
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme technical lead, made the comments in a briefing earlier.Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme technical lead, made the comments in a briefing earlier.
The Federation of German industries, the BDI, has warned this morning that the effects of the Corona virus on businesses is likely to send Europe’s biggest economy into recession.Germany’s Robert Koch Institute said by The Federation of German industries, the BDI, has warned this morning that the effects of the coronavirus on businesses is likely to send Europe’s biggest economy into recession.
Wednesday afternoon there were 262 confirmed cases of the virus in Germany, with all but one of Germany’s 16 states affected by it. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute said that by Wednesday afternoon there were 262 confirmed cases in Germany, with all but one of the country’s 16 states affected.
The BDI said that economic growth was likely to “fall prey” to the Corona virus. “Economic growth threatens to come to a halt,” the federation said in its first quarter report for 2020. The BDI said economic growth was likely to “fall prey” to the coronavirus. “Economic growth threatens to come to a halt,” the federation said in its first quarter report for 2020.
It added that if the Corona virus was not brought under control in countries affected by it, by the second economic quarter it expected a much bigger impact. Germany’s economic growth had already been slower than expected before the virus hit, due largely to a slow down in China. It added that if the coronavirus was not brought under control in countries affected by it, by the second economic quarter it expected a much bigger impact. Germany’s economic growth had already been slower than expected before the virus hit, due largely to the slowdown in China.
While we reported earlier that North Korea’s leader has sent a letter to the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, offering his condolences for South Korean victims of the coronavirus, observers have expressed fears that the north could be suppressing information about infections.While we reported earlier that North Korea’s leader has sent a letter to the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, offering his condolences for South Korean victims of the coronavirus, observers have expressed fears that the north could be suppressing information about infections.
Given that countries with advanced health services are struggling to contain the outbreak, a significant number of infections in North Korea would place intolerable strain on its weak medical infrastructure.Given that countries with advanced health services are struggling to contain the outbreak, a significant number of infections in North Korea would place intolerable strain on its weak medical infrastructure.
“Unfortunately, the international community has no idea if the coronavirus is spreading inside North Korea,” said a recent report by Jessica Lee, an East Asia expert at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a thinktank in Washington.“Unfortunately, the international community has no idea if the coronavirus is spreading inside North Korea,” said a recent report by Jessica Lee, an East Asia expert at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a thinktank in Washington.
“The fact that we know nothing about the level of infection or deaths within North Korea is extremely problematic and, left unchanged, could have serious public health implications.”While continuing to declare itself virus-free, North Korea has banned foreign tourists, placed people who have traveled abroad in quarantine and closed its 900-mile border with China - a move that overseas monitors with contacts inside the country say has caused shortages of food, cooking oil and gasoline.“The fact that we know nothing about the level of infection or deaths within North Korea is extremely problematic and, left unchanged, could have serious public health implications.”While continuing to declare itself virus-free, North Korea has banned foreign tourists, placed people who have traveled abroad in quarantine and closed its 900-mile border with China - a move that overseas monitors with contacts inside the country say has caused shortages of food, cooking oil and gasoline.
As the number of cases south of the border dividing the Korean peninsula continues to grow, pressure is mounting on the North to allow international experts to assess the situation there.As the number of cases south of the border dividing the Korean peninsula continues to grow, pressure is mounting on the North to allow international experts to assess the situation there.
The UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, Tomas Ojea Quintana, has urged North Korea to “allow full and unimpeded access to medical experts and humanitarian actors, and relax restrictions on access to information. Further isolation of the country is not the answer”.In addition, the US state department has said it would “support and encourage” international efforts to help North Korea fight the disease, despite stringent sanctions imposed on the country over its nuclear weapons programme.The UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, Tomas Ojea Quintana, has urged North Korea to “allow full and unimpeded access to medical experts and humanitarian actors, and relax restrictions on access to information. Further isolation of the country is not the answer”.In addition, the US state department has said it would “support and encourage” international efforts to help North Korea fight the disease, despite stringent sanctions imposed on the country over its nuclear weapons programme.
A 74-year-old woman in western Switzerland has died after contracting the coronavirus, the country’s first death from the rapidly spreading disease, Reuters reports.A 74-year-old woman in western Switzerland has died after contracting the coronavirus, the country’s first death from the rapidly spreading disease, Reuters reports.
The woman had been hospitalised at Lausanne’s University hospital in the canton of Vaud since Tuesday, police said. She was a high-risk patient suffering from chronic disease, authorities added.The woman had been hospitalised at Lausanne’s University hospital in the canton of Vaud since Tuesday, police said. She was a high-risk patient suffering from chronic disease, authorities added.
England’s Six Nations game against Italy on 14 March in Rome has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Press Associatino news agency has reported.England’s Six Nations game against Italy on 14 March in Rome has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Press Associatino news agency has reported.
Tournament organisers faced the option of playing the game behind closed doors at the Stadio Olimpico or delaying it until later in the year and have chosen the latter option.Official confirmation of the decision is expected from Six Nations later today.Tournament organisers faced the option of playing the game behind closed doors at the Stadio Olimpico or delaying it until later in the year and have chosen the latter option.Official confirmation of the decision is expected from Six Nations later today.
The UK response to coronavirus was already moving into its second “delay” phase, rather than seeking to simply “contain” the disease, Prof Whitty told British MPs.The UK response to coronavirus was already moving into its second “delay” phase, rather than seeking to simply “contain” the disease, Prof Whitty told British MPs.
“We have moved from a situation where we are mainly in contain, with some delay built in, to we are now mainly delay,” said Britain’s chief medical officer, although elements of the contain process would remain in place.“We have moved from a situation where we are mainly in contain, with some delay built in, to we are now mainly delay,” said Britain’s chief medical officer, although elements of the contain process would remain in place.
British health authorities “may have had a communications fumble” when they announced on Wednesday that they would not be providing daily updates on new coronavirus cases, the UK government’s chief medical officer has told MPs.British health authorities “may have had a communications fumble” when they announced on Wednesday that they would not be providing daily updates on new coronavirus cases, the UK government’s chief medical officer has told MPs.
They are intending in the medium term to provide more detailed updates with what Chris Whitty described as “a proper dashboard” but they would be having a delay of 24 hours to make sure details were correct.They are intending in the medium term to provide more detailed updates with what Chris Whitty described as “a proper dashboard” but they would be having a delay of 24 hours to make sure details were correct.
Three more cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Scotland among people who have had contact with the previous patients, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to six.Three more cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Scotland among people who have had contact with the previous patients, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to six.
Catherine Calderwood, Scotland’s chief medical officer, said the new cases were found in the Forth Valley, Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Grampian NHS areas, and were all linked to the three previous cases.Catherine Calderwood, Scotland’s chief medical officer, said the new cases were found in the Forth Valley, Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Grampian NHS areas, and were all linked to the three previous cases.
“With all these cases, our thoughts are with those diagnosed and their families. Scotland is well equipped to deal with this kind of infection and we are doing everything we can to contain the virus at this stage and minimise the risk to the public,” she said.“With all these cases, our thoughts are with those diagnosed and their families. Scotland is well equipped to deal with this kind of infection and we are doing everything we can to contain the virus at this stage and minimise the risk to the public,” she said.
“Clinicians are now conducting contact tracing, the process of gathering details of the places those who have tested positive visited and the people they have been in contact with.”“Clinicians are now conducting contact tracing, the process of gathering details of the places those who have tested positive visited and the people they have been in contact with.”
Calderwood has echoed warnings from elsewhere in the UK that there is likely to be a significant surge in coronavirus cases, peaking in two to three months time. Following Scotland’s first case at the weekend, two further cases were announced yesterday, after more than 850 negative tests for the virus.Calderwood has echoed warnings from elsewhere in the UK that there is likely to be a significant surge in coronavirus cases, peaking in two to three months time. Following Scotland’s first case at the weekend, two further cases were announced yesterday, after more than 850 negative tests for the virus.
She said earlier this week that in a worst-case scenario between 50% and 80% of the population could be infected during the course of the epidemic, with 4% of those needing hospitalisation.She said earlier this week that in a worst-case scenario between 50% and 80% of the population could be infected during the course of the epidemic, with 4% of those needing hospitalisation.
There are now several cases in the UK where healthcare officials cannot see where coronavirus infection has come from clearly, whether it is from having been abroad or having been in contact with someone who has, Whitty adds.
“That makes it highly likely that there is some level of community transmission in the UK,” he says.
“I think we should work on the assumption that it is here at very low levels and we should work on that assumption going forward.”
Although the total number of coronavirus cases in the world are still dominated by China, its numbers are coming down quickly, British MPs have been told by Professor Chris Whitty, the UK’s chief medical adviser.
He adds, however, that it won’t be known if there will be a rebound until restrictions are lifted.
Whitty is appearing along with Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, in front of parliament’s health committee.
Chances of containing the outbreak globally are “slim to zero”, he said.
British hospitals may currently not have enough respiratory resources to deal with absolutely everyone who would need to be treated in hospital, according to a senior executive.
The health service was coping well at the moment, said Neil Dixon, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, whose members provide services to the National Health Service.
“Of course there may come a point where the level of infection becomes so great that the NHS and doctors and so on will have to make quite difficult choices about who to treat and when to treat them.
“If you take something like intensive care, people make those choices at the moment. The answer is that there will be more of those kinds of choices going forward. Things like intensive care, we have got 4,000 beds, but we will be able to flex that, there will be more, and it’s mostly about giving respiratory support to people.
“We can put in many more beds like that, which are sort of intensive care beds, to treat larger and larger numbers of people, but there may come a point where you say: ‘well I am not going to move somebody because, a, the movement itself might be more difficult, we may not have enough respiratory stuff to deal with absolutely everybody, but none of us know.”
It was, Dixon added, about getting a balance right in terms of reassuring people, and Britain “probably” had one of the best health systems in the world.
The British government has hinted it may reverse a controversial decision to withhold information about the geographical spread of the coronavirus.
Heath minister Edward Argar acknowledged public concerns about the news that the government would not be releasing information about the location of new cases until a weekly round-up each Friday.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast he admitted the government was “learning every day” and was looking at a “tech solution” to allow it to keep the public informed about the spread of disease.
On Wednesday, Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer said the government would stop providing daily updates on the location of patients who had tested positive “due to the number cases”.
The decision prompted accusations of secrecy and concerns that it would led to the spread of fake news.
Argar said: “It’s absolutely right, that we give out as much information as we can.”
He added: “What we’re looking at is whether we can find a tech solution that will enable us to do that to keep people informed [which] is hugely important. But to do it in an efficient way that it’s easy to administer and easy to get the information out.”
His remarks suggest the government is considering the example of South Korea where phone alerts are available to signify when users come within 100 metres of a confirmed case, based on government data.
Argar said: “My boss, the health secretary, is clear that we will report on geographical spread and geographical locations, but there’s a little bit of a lag time because of that big increase.”
He added: “We’re going to continue with that geographical information because I think in anything of this sort, and it’s a new disease, we’re learning every day, how it works. Understandably, people will have concerns and questions. It’s important that we share as much information as we can with the public to reassure and to keep people informed. So I think there is a positive from this in terms of public engagement.”
Fresh figures are expected in an hour on the state of the virus in Iran, which has reported 92 deaths among its more than 2,900 cases.
In the meantime, the Guardian’s Patrick Wintour tweets this graphic of how the Iranian ministry of health think the virus has spread across the country:
Some 322 new coronavirus cases have been reported in South Korea, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), an official body.
South Korea has been carrying out a mass testing initiative of tens of thousands of people since the end of January.
Earlier, the total number of cases stood at 5,766, with 35 deaths.
The US death toll from coronavirus has climbed to 11 as California reported its first fatality and declared a state of emergency over the virus.
The death in California was of an elderly man with underlying health issues, who tested positive for the virus on Tuesday and was probably exposed while traveling on a Princess cruise ship that departed from San Francisco to Mexico in February, public health officials said.
It was the first death from the outbreak in the US outside of Washington state.
The man lived in Placer county, an area north-east of Sacramento, near Tahoe national forest, and was kept in isolation at Kaiser Permanente Roseville. It was the second confirmed case of coronavirus in the county.
California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the virus on Wednesday. In a statement, Newsom said he extended “deepest condolences” to those affected by the death in Placer county and that “California is working around the clock to keep our communities safe, healthy and informed”.
As concern about coronavirus leads to Australian shoppers emptying shelves of toilet paper, one newspaper has decided to....er... do its bit to help alleviate shortages
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said he hopes that neighbouring South Korea will overcome a coronavirus outbreak, President Moon Jae-in’s office said on Thursday.
In a letter to Moon delivered on Wednesday, Kim also voiced concern over Moon’s health, and discussed his view of the situation on the Korean peninsula, Yoon Do-han, Moon’s senior press secretary, told a briefing.
South Korea is battling the biggest epidemic outside China and reported 438 new infections on Thursday for a total of 5,766.
North Korea has meanwhile quarantined hundreds of foreigners in an attempt to stop the virus from breaking out, although other states have expressed concerns about that secrecy and the authoritarian nature of the country mean that it’s unclear how the situation is developing there.
Greece has reported its 10th case of coronavirus, a person related to an individual who recently travelled to Israel and Egypt, health authorities have said.
On Wednesday the government ordered the closure of schools and banned public gatherings in three districts in the west of the country as a precaution after a person from the region tested positive for coronavirus, authorities said.
That person had recently returned from a religious pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt. The ban was in effect for 48 hours and subject to review, authorities said.
The cases come as Greek authorities react to a developing crisis as thousands of people arrive at the country’s border with Turkey.
About 12,500 people are estimated to be waiting on the Turkish side of the Greek border after the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said on Saturday he would open his country’s borders for refugees fleeing the nine-year war in Syria to cross into Europe.