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Coronavirus

COVID-19 Update 2020-03-19

Coronavirus

There are currently 241,931 of COVID-19 confirmed globally, up from 142,783 last Friday, with 8,969 deaths and 86,690 recoveries.

Global confirmed cases outside of China topped 100,000 on March 15th with 137,894 total cases reported as of yesterday. Outside of China, the number of cases ruffly doubled over the last 4 days, with 75,809 total cases reported March 14th. There were 8,555 confirmed cases outside China on March 1st.

Italy, Iran, Spain, Germany, The USA and France all have total confirmed cases in the 10’s of thousands, with at least a thousand new cased reported today.

Italy now reports more fatalities than China.

A Japanese flu drug called “favipiravir” has won praise after a clinical trial in Wuhan and Shenzhen China. “It has a high degree of safety and is clearly effective in treatment” a Chinese official said. The drug shows promise with more moderate cases, but “doesn’t seem to work that well when the virus has already multiplied”.

Researchers at Australia’s University of Queensland Center for Clinical Research have “seen two drugs used to treat other conditions wipe out the virus in test tubes”. “One of the medications, given to some of the first people to test positive for COVID-19 in Australia, had already resulted in “disappearance of the virus” and complete recovery from the infection.” The researchers are pushing for a “large clinical trial across Australia”.

The disease is truly global at this point, with over 140 countries having confirmed cases out of 195 countries in the world. South Africa reports +34 new cases for the day, bringing their total to 150.

According to a new study from National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists in The New England Journal of Medicine, the so called Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is present in aerosols (droplets in air) for up to 3 hours, with a half life of about an hour, survives on metals and plastics for up to three days, with a half life of about 6 hours and remains viable on cardboard up to 24 hours.

China reported a case of transmission where an infected individual transmitted the Coronavirus to someone who stood next to them at a bus stop for 15 sec. China’s ability to track all smartphone users GPS co-ordinates greatly assisted their contact tracing and provided specific data on the contagion. Likewise, Chinese scientists published a report on an infected person on a bus infecting several others as far as 4.5 meters away.

There are +2,440 new confirmed cases in the US so far today, bringing the total to 11,699.

The US had +106 new cases on March 8th and +461 new cases on March 12th.

Total US cases more than doubled in the past 4 days again, while Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan have all controlled their local disease spread to a manageable rate.

The US Treasury is working on plans which would, among other provisions, make direct payments to citizens based on family size and income. Payments would start April 6th.

The National Guard has begun activating. Under the authority of various states, the Guard will work with Governors and Municipalities to provide various support as needed.

The Senate approved the Coronavirus Relief Bill yesterday, with President Trump signing it into law shortly after. This particular bill would bring around $100 billion worth of COVID-19 related aid to Americans, which expands paid leave, unemployment benefits, and mandates free testing for patients suspected of being infected. A larger economic relief package is expected soon.

Local Mayors closed some of Florida’s most popular beaches after governor DeSantis refused to do so on Tuesday. In spite of reports of an increased number of 20 and 30 year olds, with no underlying conditions, in critical condition, requiring ICU treatment in Italy and parts of the US, videos of Spring Break partiers making blase’ comments about the seriousness of the Coronavirus have gone viral.

California is offering support for workers losing wages due to COVID-19. It is possible to file for partial wage replacement benefits with the state, if you have lost your job or had your hours reduced.

Bay Area hospitals are preparing for a surge in cases, patients with respiratory illnesses are being treated in drive through clinics.

Like most of the Bay area, Santa Cruz is under a Shelter In Place order, continuing until Tuesday, April 7, 2020.

All public Santa Cruz County schools remain closed.

Governor Newsom is warning parents to be prepared for schools to remain closed until after the summer break.

There are 538 confirmed cases in the Bay Area today, up from 210 last Friday.

The total cases confirmed in Santa Cruz county is 14.

Many local department stores have had shortages of certain items. Several stores limited the number of certain items per customer to prevent hoarding. Some stores are offering pick up or delivery services.

Amazon announced that some customers will see shipping delays, due to a dramatic increase in orders and new preventative measures taken at their facilities.

There is no reason to expect food shortages. During the worst of China’s lockdown, family members were allowed to purchase food or food was delivered.

Montage Health in Monterey is offering free eVisits for locals who think they may have COVID-19.

Visit the Coronavirus Daily Update Page on KSCO.com for more info.

You can find out more from the County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, by going to santacruzhealth.org.

If you experience Fever, Cough or Shortness of Breath, please call your Health Care Professional.

Regardless of how healthy you are, to protect the most vulnerable, don’t be a disease vector. Take action by staying home as much as possible.

As is always true to prevent any communicable disease, stay home if you are sick, wash your hands frequently, cough or sneeze into your elbow, avoid touching your face, and remember, don’t pick your nose!!

– The COVID-19 Update from KSCO’s Director of Digital Media, Jonty McCollyer

Sources And Further Info

Dr. John Campbell’s Daily Report

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coronavirus-comes-spring-break-locals-close-florida-beaches-after-governor-n1163741

Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1

https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2004973

New Coronavirus Stable for Hours on Surfaces

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/new-coronavirus-stable-hours-surfaces

Japanese flu drug ‘clearly effective’ in treating coronavirus, says China

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/japanese-flu-drug-clearly-effective-in-treating-coronavirus-says-china

National Guard head: ‘Tens of thousands’ of Guardsmen could be used to help with coronavirus

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/488460-national-guard-head-tens-of-thousands-of-guardsmen-could-be-used-to-help-with

Coronavirus can travel twice as far as official ‘safe distance’ and stay in air for 30 minutes, Chinese study finds

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3074351/coronavirus-can-travel-twice-far-official-safe-distance-and-stay

Coronavirus comes for spring break: Locals close Florida beaches after governor refuses to.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coronavirus-comes-spring-break-locals-close-florida-beaches-after-governor-n1163741

California Gov. Gavin Newsom warns parents to be prepared for schools to not open until after summer break


https://abc30.com/california-governor-gavin-newsom-warns-parents-to-be-prepared-for-schools-to-not-open-until-after-summer-break/6022808/

Coronavirus Australia: Queensland researchers find ‘cure’, want drug trial

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/health/coronavirus-australia-queensland-researchers-find-cure-want-drug-trial/news-story/93e7656da0cff4fc4d2c5e51706accb5

Senate coronavirus vote delayed after Rand Paul pushes doomed amendment

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-coronavirus-bill-vote-delayed-after-rand-paul-pushes-doomed-n1162356

Treasury Proposal: Deliver $500B to Americans Starting April

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/coronavirus/trumps-economic-rescue-package-could-approach-1-trillion/2245253/

Local hospital provides free COVID-19 eVisits

https://www.ksbw.com/article/local-hospital-provides-free-covid-19-evisits/31673723

As coronavirus spreads, 6 Bay Area counties will be ordered to ‘shelter in place’

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-16/nine-san-francisco-bay-area-counties-ordered-to-shelter-in-place

EU To Shut Borders As France, Germany Tighten Restrictions To Control Coronavirus

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/17/816994811/eu-to-shut-borders-as-france-germany-tighten-restrictions-to-control-coronavirus

Iran warns virus could kill ‘millions’ in Islamic Republic

https://news.yahoo.com/hard-line-shiites-storm-iran-075259798.html

Locations with Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, by WHO Region

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/world-map.html

Mnuchin pitches Senate Republicans to approve $850 billion economic package

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/politics/congress-coronavirus-package-senate/index.html

Paid sick leave: Who gets it during the coronavirus outbreak

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/16/paid-sick-leave-coronavirus-house-bill/

Worldometer Coronavirus Cases

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus

Map: Coronavirus cases in the Bay Area, Northern California

https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/04/map-coronavirus-cases-in-the-bay-area-northern-california/

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