International COVID-19 Megathread

[Tender Branson]

It is here ! We are all going to die !

https://mobile.twitter.com/ORFBreakingNews/status/1221216410338254849

„Chinese flight attendant with suspected Coronavirus in Vienna Hospital.“

[Tender Branson]

The Vienna Chinawoman is doing extremely fine today and is almost symptom-free, according to a press statement from the KFJ hospital in Vienna.

A test result can be expected late at night or tomorrow. The hotel where the Chinawoman has stayed has been notified, as well as the flight crew and passengers on her flight from China to Vienna.

[Tender Branson]

5 million residents left Wuhan before lockdown, mayor reveals, as 1,000 new confirmed cases expected in city

About 5 million residents left Wuhan before the lockdown because of the deadly coronavirus epidemic and the Spring Festival holiday, mayor Zhou Xianwang revealed on Sunday, as health officials ­warned the virus’ ­ability to spread was ­getting ­stronger.

There were about 9 million people remaining in the city after the lockdown, Zhou told a press conference.

...

Ma Xiaowei, the minister in charge of China’s National Health Commission (NHC), told a press conference that battling the outbreak was complicated, particularly as it had been discovered that the new virus could be transmitted even during incubation period, which did not happen with Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

“From observations, the virus is capable of transmission even during incubation period,” Ma said, adding that the incubation period lasted from one to 14 days.

“Some patients have normal temperatures and there are many milder cases. There are hidden carriers,” he said.

If 5 million people left Wuhan, then it is pretty hard to see how the cat isn't out of the bag, especially given that it apparently is transmissible even during the incubation period, and given that the incubation period is pretty long, and given that at least some people who carry the virus have had no symptoms.

So how does this not spread basically everywhere, eventually, in that case?

LOL @ the mayor of Wuhan.

He doesn't even know how many people are in his city.

Wuhan has 11 million people, not 14 million.

[Tender Branson]

LOL @ the mayor of Wuhan.

He doesn't even know how many people are in his city.

Wuhan has 11 million people, not 14 million.

This presumably depends on what outlying areas/suburbs one counts or doesn't count. According to wikipedia, the broader metro area has up to 19 million people:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuhan

He's not the mayor of the metro area though.

Besides, the city has an area of 9.000km², which is larger than most states in Austria and larger than Delaware.

[Tender Branson]

4 suspected cases in Austria so far, all 4 tested negative.

Meanwhile 1 confirmed case in Finland, 4 in Bavaria and 4 in France.

[Tender Branson]

In popular culture, Steven Soderbergh's (somewhat average) pandemic thriller Contagion from 2011 has a late resurgence on iTunes:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jan/30/what-can-we-learn-about-coronavirus-from-watching-contagion

The 1995 movie "Outbreak" is also pretty good - but it's more like an Ebola-style virus hitting the USA:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outbreak_(film)

[Tender Branson]

3 new suspected cases here in Salzburg (an elderly woman who visited Beijing and 2 younger Chinese tourists).

1 suspected case in Carinthia.

[Tender Branson]

Good.

Hopefully it also leads to civil unrest and the destruction of the dictatorial regime.

[Tender Branson]

According to the Green Health Ministry, there are already 30 suspected cases in Austria - of which all were tested negative so far.

Currently, 5 additional cases are awaiting test results.

https://kurier.at/chronik/oesterreich/coronavirus-erster-verdachtsfall-in-vorarlberg/400742868

[Tender Branson]

All 35 suspected cases in Austria have been tested negative.

No more suspected cases left.

But the Austrian military has returned 7 people from Wuhan yesterday, who are now in quarantine and awaiting tests.

https://www.kleinezeitung.at/international/5762504/Coronavirus_Die-aktuellen-Entwicklungen-zur-Ausbreitung-des-Virus

[Tender Branson]

We now had over 100 suspected cases, but all have been tested negative.

4 cases in Tyrol and 2 in Carinthia are remaining ...

[Tender Branson]

Silly hysteria IMO.

The lethal rate is only 2% of those infected and the vast majority is old people above 80 ...

[Tender Branson]

Stupid hysteria.

Let the virus run its course.

[Tender Branson]

Still don't get the hysteria ...

They are even cancelling major sports events because of it.

This is not the plague like during the Middle-Ages. It's just a random flu virus that can be treated by staying home in bed for a week with Aspirin C.

Old people are dying yes, but they are still much more likely to die by a stroke or heart attack or cancer.

Europeans are now running around in the streets with face masks (!) on.

I sometimes wonder if this virus was a plot by the Chinese to promote the wearing of face masks in Europe ...

[Tender Branson]

A first case of Coronavirus has been confirmed here in Salzburg, in my district.

In the town of Fusch.

2 miles away from where I live.

[Tender Branson]

A first case of Coronavirus has been confirmed here in Salzburg, in my district.

In the town of Fusch.

2 miles away from where I live.

So, the young woman from Vienna visited Italy before and then visited her boyfriend who is living next to me. Both now have the virus, but are quarantined for 3 weeks in his home.

No other cases reported here.

In total, there are now some 20 cases here, most in Vienna and most coming from people who are either Italians or who visited Northern Italy recently.

[Tender Branson]

29 cases here, with half of them in Vienna.

3 cases here in Salzburg (the isolated young couple not far away from me) and 1 German tourist from Cologne at a hotel in Untertauern.

[Tender Branson]

We now have 42 cases, but there's the good news that some of the first cases have already recovered again and can go back to work.

Turns out that the Austrian military hoarded 2 million masks from the bird flu hysteria back then, which nobody ever used - so they were tested and found ok to wear and will now be distributed to hospitals etc. ...

https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000115362107/coronavirus-kalifornien-erklaert-ausnahmezustand

[Tender Branson]

My wisdom teeth are aching.

I’m more concerned about this right now than about Coronavirus ...

[Tender Branson]

My stock market fund has turned negative today.

[Tender Branson]

About 200 cases now reported here, most are still tourists from Italy or elsewhere or people on skiing holidays.

2 of the 200 or so are in serious condition (and over 70) and in Vienna hospitals, while most are just isolated for 2-3 weeks at home with mild symptoms.

Tyrol and Carinthia will start testing drivers starting tomorrow on highways from Italy.

[Tender Branson]

Age breakdown of Italy deaths:

  1% - aged 0 to 60
99% - aged 60+

[Tender Branson]

The number of cases in Austria is rising very slowly, from 157 yesterday to 182 today.

Vienna and Lower Austria have about 50 cases each, followed by Tyrol with about 40.

All other states have less than 15 (but my district has 12 - Norwegian and UK tourists and a Vienna woman who brought the virus with them somehow and are quarantined in their hotel rooms).

The border with Italy will be „closed“ (which in effect is impossible, as we have seen during the immigration influx of 2015/16). They are doing stichprobenartige (random) fever checks on drivers coming from Italy, but the border crossings will certainly not be closed.

[Tender Branson]

The Austrian state of Vorarlberg will have municipal elections on Sunday (just like Bavaria) and the state of Styria the week after.

People are advised to bring their own pens with them (but the ones used at the precincts will get disinfected after every vote too ... )

[Tender Branson]

With ca. 250 cases as of today, Chancellor Kurz has just announced at a press statement that Austria will close all schools starting on Monday.

Universities are already closed and schools will also switch to e-learning.

There are exemptions for small children in kindergartens and elementary/middle schools who don't have parents at home taking care of them (because of work): they can still attend their schools.

The goal is to limit social interactions by 75%. Kurz also said that small children should not be taken care of by their grandparents, because they are the ones most at risk and should be protected the most.

This comes on top of a full border "closure" to Italy (already implemented).