All Rail and Air Traffic Out of Wuhan Halted

[niman]

JUST IN: Officials in Wuhan, China have suspended outbound flights and rail services, according to CCTV, as cases of the viral respiratory illness rise sharply throughout the country

 

 

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JUST IN: Officials in Wuhan, China have suspended outbound flights and rail services, according to CCTV, as cases of the viral respiratory illness rise sharply throughout the country

Edited January 22, 2020 by niman

[niman]

China Halts Travel From Chinese City at Center of Virus Outbreak

The Chinese city at the center of a widening respiratory-virus outbreak suspended outbound flights and rail service, as China ramps up efforts to contain an illness that’s killed at least 17 people and infected more than 500.

The travel halt by the city of Wuhan was reported by state broadcaster CCTV. The city also suspended travel by bus, subway and ferry. Citizens shouldn’t leave the city without special reasons, the report said.

CCTV reported earlier that the death toll has nearly doubled from a previous total of nine. There were two “preliminary positive” reports of the pneumonia-causing virus in Hong Kong, with one diagnosis in the U.S. and patients under examination in Mexico and Russia.

Health officials around the world are racing to control the SARS-like virus that first appeared last month. The World Health Organization will decide Wednesday whether to declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, a designation used for complex epidemics that can cross borders.

After volatility Tuesday, Asian markets calmed Wednesday as China’s National Health Commission detailed actions to contain the disease. The number of cases has climbed to at least 550, according to the People’s Daily.

One 39-year-old Hong Kong patient was found by temperature screening after traveling from Wuhan to Shenzhen, and then to Hong Kong via rail, according to Sophia Chan, Hong Kong’s secretary for food and health.

While final test results are still forthcoming, the man’s case is “highly suspicious,” according to Constance Chan, head of Hong Kong’s Department of Health. Four family members who didn’t have symptoms stayed overnight at a hotel in a popular tourist area and then departed for Manila.

In a briefing in Beijing Wednesday, health officials said China has stepped up monitoring of transportation links and ordered a near-complete shutdown of Wuhan, where the virus originated. Officials acknowledged that they’re still grappling to understand the pathogen, which has infected multiple medical workers.

“We are still on a learning curve,” said Gao Fu, head of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “The disease will continue to develop.” It has already changed from the early stages of detection, he said in the briefing.

China said it had seen no evidence yet of “super spreaders,” infected people who pass on the disease rapidly to many other people, but could not rule out that some would emerge. Super spreaders played a key role in the SARS pandemic 17 years ago, which killed almost 800 people and hurt economies across the region.

The 17 deaths from the new virus have been in Hubei province, whose capital is Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, CCTV said.

About 4,000 people in Wuhan may be currently infected, based on the number of known cases and the estimated mean time between infection and detection, according to a study by Neil Ferguson, a researcher at Imperial College London.

While Ferguson’s group released an estimate of 1,700 infections over the weekend, the new total doesn’t mean that the outbreak has doubled in size, according to the study. Factors such as delays in reporting and confirming cases make it difficult to estimate the epidemic’s growth rate, the researchers said.

Symptoms include fever, cough or chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. Both the Wuhan virus, known as 2019-nCoV, and SARS belong to the family of coronaviruses, so called because of their crown-like shape. Many such viruses cross the barrier between animals and humans.

Gao said in the Beijing briefing that the source of 2019-nCoV was wild animals sold in so-called wet markets. Some of the first group of patients in Wuhan worked or shopped at a seafood market where live animals and wildlife parts were reportedly sold.

A WHO declaration of a public health emergency can help mobilize an international response and focus government attention. The body most recently declared such an emergency last year, as an Ebola outbreak worsened in Congo.

An emergency declaration for the Wuhan virus case could include recommendations to restrict travel or trade. Such a move would come as concern grows that the virus could spread rapidly during China’s Lunar New Year break, which starts at the end of this week. Hundreds of millions of people are poised to travel for the holidays in the biggest annual migration of humans on the planet.

The WHO has formed teams at its Geneva headquarters to study the virus, its spread and its symptoms and is sending experts to China to help gather information, according to David Heymann, an infectious disease researcher in the U.K. who advises the agency.

As they did during the SARS and Ebola outbreaks, health officials and scientists globally are tracking patients and testing samples of saliva and other fluids to determine the exact cause and severity of their ailments. They’re identifying and monitoring people with whom the patients were in contact to see if the virus is spreading easily from person to person. And they are placing restrictions on travel to try to limit the exposure to scores of new people.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, expanded its inspection of airline passengers who had spent time in China to airports in Atlanta and Chicago on Tuesday, building on the 1,200 people who had been screened in California and New York over the weekend. No new cases were uncovered.

The U.S. case is a man in his 30s who was traveling in Wuhan and arrived back in the U.S. on Jan. 15, Washington state health officials said on a call with the CDC Tuesday. The resident of Snohomish, Washington, said he hadn’t spent any time at the live-animal market where the virus is believed to have originated and didn’t have contact with anyone who was sick.
The man sought care quickly after monitoring news about the virus and is in good condition, though he has been hospitalized out of an abundance of caution, the officials said.

President Donald Trump told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the U.S. has a plan to deal with the virus.

“The CDC has been terrific,” he said. “We’re in very good shape and I think China is in very good shape also.”

U.K. health officials raised the risk level of the virus to low from very low and issued guidance to airports. The focus of concern is about three flights a week that arrive from Wuhan at London Heathrow, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Social Care.

A message will be broadcast during those flights to encourage reporting of illness, and the planes will be received in an isolated area of the airport. Passengers will be met by health officials who will check for symptoms.

The European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said there’s a “moderate likelihood of imported cases being detected” in Europe.

The U.S., South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and the Chinese territory of Macau have already reported cases.

“This is an evolving situation,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of the U.S. CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “We do expect additional cases in the United States and globally.”

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/wuhan-china-travel-halt/2020/01/22/id/950855/

[niman]

China's Wuhan blocks all travel as virus deaths hit 17

Ground zero city closes airports and suspends public transit

SHUNSUKE TABETA and ALEX FANG, Nikkei staff writersJANUARY 23, 2020 03:41 JST  UPDATED ON JANUARY 23, 2020 04:15 JST

Passengers crowd a railway station in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei Province. All of the city's public transportation will be suspended starting Thursday.     © Reuters

 

BEIJING/NEW YORK -- The Chinese city of Wuhan is shutting down transit out of and within its borders, as the death toll from a new respiratory virus originating there climbed to 17 people as of Wednesday, up from the nine fatalities previously reported.

The travel restriction, announced hours before it goes into effect at 10 a.m. Thursday, involves an indefinite suspension of Wuhan's airports, train stations and intercity buses, as well as public transit within the city of 11 million people. 

Residents should remain in Wuhan "except under extraordinary circumstances," the announcement said.

 

The coronavirus has infected 543 patients in China, an increase from earlier reports of 440. China's National Health Commission confirmed cases in 13 provinces and provincial-level cities. Cases have been reported in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the U.S. as well.

The sharp rise in reported infections in China is credited partly to improved diagnostic techniques. Authorities reject accusations that the government is hiding the real numbers.

"We're singularly focused on disclosing information," said a senior National Health Commission official.

Travelers wear face masks as they line up at turnstiles at a Nantong train station in Jiangsu Province on Jan. 22.   © AP

Wednesday marked the first time the commission held a news conference attended by a high-ranking official. Deputy Director Li Bin raised the concern that the virus could evolve into a more serious threat.

"The virus might mutate, and there is risk for further spreading," he said.

 

Li and the experts in attendance cited the likelihood of the coronavirus originating from wild animals sold at a seafood market in Wuhan. Many of the patients visited that particular market.

Wuhan will strictly monitor and control markets in the city, as well as impose tougher restrictions on trade in wild animals, Li said.

Health officials have classified the new coronavirus as a Class B infectious disease, a grade below Class A infections such as cholera. Authorities have avoided comparing the virulence with that of severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome, two illnesses also caused by coronaviruses.

China observes the one-week Lunar New Year holiday starting Friday. Travelers are expected to make roughly 3 billion trips over the 40 days surrounding the period.

Sichuan Province officials sent a notice to bus companies saying that trips to Wuhan should generally be suspended, according to local media. An Olympic boxing qualifier for Asia and Oceania, scheduled to be held in Wuhan in February, also was canceled.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Virus-outbreak/China-s-Wuhan-blocks-all-travel-as-virus-deaths-hit-17

 

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[niman]

Chinese authorities admitted the country was now at the "most critical stage" of prevention and control. 

"Basically, do not go to Wuhan. And those in Wuhan please do not leave the city," said National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin in one of the first public briefings since the beginning of the outbreak

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51202000

[niman]

Coronavirus: China advises against travel to Wuhan as deaths surge

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Chinese authorities have urged people to stop travelling in and out of Wuhan, the city at the centre of a new virus outbreak that has killed 17 people.

Those living in the city of 8.9 million people have also been told to avoid crowds and minimise public gatherings.

The new virus has spread from Wuhan to several Chinese provinces, as well as the US, Thailand and South Korea.

There are 440 confirmed cases, with the origin a seafood market that "conducted illegal transactions of wild animals".

Late on Wednesday the Chinese authorities confirmed the number of dead had almost doubled - from nine - in the space of a day. All fatalities so far have been in Hubei, the province around Wuhan.

Officials in Hong Kong also reported the territory's first two cases.

Meanwhile, in Geneva, the World Health Organization's emergency committee is meeting to assess the global risks posed by the virus and decide if it should be declared an international public health emergency - as happened with swine flu and Ebola.

Such a declaration, if made, could see advice issued on travel or trade restrictions.

• China drug makers soar on virus contagion fears
• Chinese virus: How worried should we be?
• Chinese social media users worry over virus

Chinese authorities admitted the country was now at the "most critical stage" of prevention and control.

"Basically, do not go to Wuhan. And those in Wuhan please do not leave the city," said National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin in one of the first public briefings since the beginning of the outbreak.

Earlier this week, China confirmed that human-to-human transmission of the virus had taken place.

The virus, known also as 2019-nCoV, is understood to be a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified in humans. The Sars virus that killed nearly 800 people globally in the early 2000s was also a coronavirus.

Signs of infection with the new virus include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

The first US case was confirmed on Tuesday. President Donald Trump said the situation was "totally under control" and that he trusted the information being provided by Chinese authorities.

What is the latest on the outbreak?

 

Media captionChina health officials: "Don't go to Wuhan, don't leave Wuhan"

Mr Li said there was evidence that the disease was "mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract". In general, coughs and sneezes are a highly effective way for viruses to spread.

But China has still not been able to confirm the exact source of the virus.

"Though the transmission route of the virus is yet to be fully understood, there is a possibility of virus mutation and a risk of further spread of the epidemic," said Mr Li.

He added that there were 2,197 people who were known to have come into contact with infected patients.

No "super spreader" - a patient who has transmitted the virus to more than 10 people - has been discovered so far.

At least 15 medical workers in Wuhan, who presumably came into contact with patients, are known to be infected.

Wuhan: Heart of the outbreak

Image copyrightWANG ZHAO

It's not a Chinese mega-city as well known as Beijing or Shanghai, but Wuhan has connections with every part of the globe. Only slightly smaller than London, the city is home to an international airport that handles tens of millions of passengers each year.

These global links explain why the cases of the virus abroad have all involved people either from Wuhan or who had recently visited it.

The city has economic clout too - nearly half of the world's 500 biggest companies have invested there.

• Read more about Wuhan

How fast is the virus spreading?

There's no way to know but it's likely to be exacerbated by the millions of people across China who are travelling within the country for the Lunar New Year week-long holiday. Thousands are also travelling abroad.

Image copyrightKEVIN FRAYER

Image captionAuthorities confirmed that human-to-human transmission of the virus had taken place

Mr Li added that the festival would "increase the risk of the disease spreading and the difficulty of prevention and control".

He said strict measures to control the disease would be put in place, calling for those in Wuhan to "avoid crowds and minimise public gatherings".

These measures include temperature screening for all those leaving Wuhan, and improved sterilisation and ventilation at major transport hubs.

• New China virus: Your questions answered

A ban on the trade of live poultry and wild animals has also been implemented in the city. State media reports said police were conducting spot checks to make sure this was enforced.

The disease may have originally been passed from an animal to a human, said Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionThe outbreak is believed to have come from a market trading illegal wildlife in Wuhan

Where else have cases been reported?

There have been a handful of global cases: three cases in Thailand, one in Korea, one in Japan, one in Taiwan and one in the US.

On Wednesday, the city of Macau also reported its first confirmed case of the virus. The patient is said to be a businesswoman who arrived from Wuhan over the weekend.

Authorities in many places, including Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the US, Russia and Japan have stepped up screening of air passengers from Wuhan.

The UK is expected to begin screening passengers arriving at London's Heathrow airport from Wuhan.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionAirports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers

In Australia, a man who had travelled to Wuhan has been placed in isolation and is undergoing tests.

Are the numbers accurate?

Experts say there could be many cases going undetected and they expect the official numbers to rapidly increase.

Researchers from the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London now estimate that there have probably been about 4,000 cases in Wuhan.

The centre's director, Prof Neil Ferguson, however said that the Chinese authorities had been "remarkably open" amid an "enormously demanding situation".

How the virus has spread

• 31 December: China alerts the WHO about a spate of pneumonia-like cases in Wuhan
• 1 January: The seafood/animal market believed to be at the centre of the outbreak is closed
• 9 January: WHO says the infection is caused by a new type of coronavirus
• 11 January: First death confirmed
• 13 January: Virus spreads abroad, with a suspected case in Thailand
• 16 January: A case in Japan is confirmed
• 17 January: Second death - a 69-year-old in Wuhan
• 20 January: Number of cases triples to more than 200, and outbreak spreads to Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai; third death confirmed; Chinese officials confirm human-to-human transmission
• 21 January: US authorities announce the first case in North America - a man who had visited Wuhan
• 22 January: Death toll climbs to 17, with more than 400 cases confirmed

Edited January 22, 2020 by niman

[niman]

1 hr interview tonight

11 PM ET

Dr. Henry Niman PhD

Nightly SARS 2.0 nCoV Special Report

Top Chinese Virologists
Says This Could Easily Be
10 Times Worse Than SARS

The Numbers Soar,
Cases Spread,
Over 23 Million Quarantined
But The WHO Still
Refuses To Call A PHEIC

[niman]

7 minutes ago, niman said:

1 hr interview tonight

11 PM ET

Dr. Henry Niman PhD

Nightly SARS 2.0 nCoV Special Report

Top Chinese Virologists
Says This Could Easily Be
10 Times Worse Than SARS

The Numbers Soar,
Cases Spread,
Over 23 Million Quarantined
But The WHO Still
Refuses To Call A PHEIC

https://www.renseradio.com/listenlive.php