Sunday, February 09, 2020

Clinical Characteristics of 138 Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus–Infected

CORONAVIRUS: US citizen in China dies of coronavirus in first known American death.


China’s virus death toll surpasses SARS but new cases fall.

Coronavirus Live Updates: More Than 800 Have Died in China, Surpassing Toll From SARS The SARS epidemic of 2002-3, which also began in China, killed 774 people worldwide.

THIS ISN’T GOOD:  New Report on 138 Coronavirus Cases Reveals Disturbing Details: A highly contagious patient, virus transmission inside a hospital and unexpected turns for the worse have emerged as part of the epidemic in China. “The incident was a chilling reminder of the ‘super-spreaders’ in outbreaks of other coronavirus diseases, SARS and MERS — patients who infected huge numbers of other people, sometimes dozens. The phenomenon is poorly understood and unpredictable, an epidemiologist’s nightmare. Super-spreaders led to considerable transmission of MERS and SARS inside hospitals.”
Plus: “Another cause for concern was that some patients who at first appeared mildly or moderately ill then took a turn for the worse several days or even a week into their illness. The median time from their first symptoms to when they became short of breath was five days; to hospitalization, seven days; and to severe breathing trouble, eight days. Experts say that pattern means patients must be carefully monitored, and it is not safe to assume that someone who seems to be doing well early on is out of the woods.”
Also: “For this series of patients, the death rate was 4.3 percent, which is higher than the estimates coming from other parts of China. The reason is not known, and the figures may change as more information is gathered.”
And it’s not just old or sick people: “It can take a young, healthy person and make them sick.”
Here’s the JAMA Article


CORONAVIRUS UPDATE:  Five Britons contract coronavirus in French ski resort. “Five British nationals on a ski trip have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus at a mountain resort in France, after staying in the same chalet with a person who had been in Singapore, French health officials said on Saturday.”


Hundreds of Miles from Hubei, Another 30 Million Chinese Are in Coronavirus Lockdown. “More than 500 miles from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, 30 million people are in lockdown — some quite literally locked in their homes — as Chinese authorities resort to extreme lengths to curb the spread of a respiratory illness that has stubbornly defied containment. Across the coastal province of Zhejiang, the worst-hit area after Hubei province, four big cities have essentially put their populations under a form of house arrest: Only one person from each household is allowed to leave, and only every second day, to buy supplies.”


SHOCKER:  Conflict at home, lack of supervision linked with suicidal thoughts among children.