28, 353 confirmed cases.
565 deaths.
Saturday 2-8-20
Confirmed cases 34,800
Deaths 805
28 countries.
New cases at Contamines-Mointjoie ski resort, Chamonix, France.
John Edmunds Professor London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said modeling done showed ten times more cases than is being reported and the number may be higher than that.
There are 40 cases in Singapore from people arriving from China.
Hong Kong, 161 cases from arrivals from China. 148 quarantined at home, 11 at hotels. 2 at quarantine camp. [per thesun.co.uk]
Fears 1.2 billion could be effected if the virus gets to Africa.
In Wuhan, Chen Qiushi, citizens journalist and human rights lawyer raised concerns about supplies shortages in hospitals and has disappeared since Thursday. China does not allow its citizens to criticize the government they consider it a misdemeanor and causes problems with social order.
Extended coverage on the Ski Resort in France.
The effected were 3 British nationals, totalling 4 adults and one child. It is a cluster grouping of several cases around one original case, a British national staying in Haute Savoie returning on Jan 24 from Singapore where he was Jan 20 thru 23.
There were 9 people hospitalized, 3 Brits in Grenoble, 2 others in St.Etienne Hospital. 4 at Croix Rousse Hospital in Lyon - 2 proven cases and 2 other relatives
2 schools CM1 and St. Gervais closed per Mayor of St. Gervais, Jean Marc Peillex.
Full info at
Let Dauphine Libere
Scroll down to find option to read in English.
[Edited on 2/9/2020 by gina]
France24
Has reported 20 people from the cruise ship Diamond Princess off Yokohama, Japan testing positive, 3700 others confined to quarters.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reports 1 confirmed case on the Westerdam cruise ship that is heading to Japan.
Hong Kong. 3600 confirmed cases the World Dream cruise ship.
While in China, there is a shortage of 2250 medical personnel in Hubei per Deputy Provincial Director Yang Yunyan. I hate to say his name, don't want him to disappear and be punished.
BGI group genome sequencing company in south China opened lab in Wuhan to test 10,000 people per day.
Shanghai Dasheng Health Products Manufacture Co. Is running 24 hours a day making 80 000 masks per day. [Per Global Times China].
China makes 50 per cent of the world's masks, so in this huge crisis they have to deal with their needs there plus supply the world. Not easy.
The Drs. are working schedules worse than our interns. Dr. Zhang Quiping who is stepmother to Dr. Chen Bo, Director of Outpatient Department of Wuhan Lung Hospital, worked for more than 10 days seeing more than 300 patients per day. She ate in a hospital office, rested in a duty room, rotated shifts with other Dr.'s taking only a few hours off each day. Had no extra clothes washes and dries what she wears. Not sure if she got any extra clothes. They believe they must do all they can.
Can the US and other nations ask what we can do? Even just send clean, sterile clothes to the Dr.'s and nurses?
Update:
Good news on the supply front.
World Health Organization [WHO] Director Tedros Adhanom-Ghebreyesus announced at their meeting in Geneva today the WHO is sending testing kits masks gloves respirators and gloves to every effected region. Michael Ryan Executive Director for the WHO program said the supply chain is not just made up of producers but also the producers of raw materials wholesalers and retailers.
Update on Medical Personnel
The third group of medical teams headed out from Second Xiangya Hospital of Central Southern University today.
The first group of medical teams headed out from Third Xiangya Hospital of Central Southern University today.
From People's Daily in China.
[Edited on 2/9/2020 by gina]
There is a beautiful video from a 24 year old nurse in Wuhan who was diagnosed with the virus, followed Dr.'s orders, used Oseltamavir and another local drug, self quarantined for 11 days, is well. Beautiful lady, encouraging story, 1,722 people have been cured.
Scroll to her video. Nurse Jia Na is an inspiration.
[Edited on 2/9/2020 by gina]
You know I don't give praise unless it is deserved.
Firstly though
There are some people in our government who want to suppress news coming out of China, yep I got that nasty 404 page when the government wants to deny access to information, on one of the English translated websites of a paper coming out of China. That is what our government does. I don't even want to say did something get out of Ft. Detrick and end up in China and the guilty ones now worry they won't be able to say it began in China? The coincidence of it happening during flu season should make anyone wonder. Why might they do that? Trade deals, particularly 5G and the companies involved, remember the US going after Huwei, it's only the beginning. Toyota has 21 manufacturing plants in China, Kia also has plants, car parts may be delayed because of the situation in China but that is just an unplanned thing. The 5G technology is HUGE financially.
If you think we wouldn't, read some of what our government has done over the years.
Read Rogue State the book by William Blum.
Xi Jinping spoke with Trump Friday. Xi wants people to stay calm.
His approach is assess in a calm manner.
Adapt and adopt response measures in a reasonable way.
China carried out national mobilization, across the board deployment, and swift responses.
They adopted the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures and launched the peoples war against the epidemic.
China deserves praise for how they are handling it.
They built hospitals not FEMA concentration camps for their citizens. They truck in fresh produce and food. People can go every 2 days to get food for their households. You want to know what our government is doing, reportedly making spam yes that awful canned luncheon meat with ramen noodles and an egg like product and warehousing that for when the crops fail and the cattle die in this country due to the climate change.
See how other nations treat their people and respond to this outbreak. Look, learn.
China stay strong amidst our nasty sanctions. Can't we at least stop punishing them in that way?
[Edited on 2/9/2020 by gina]
2- 11-20
40,000 infected.
1,000 dead.
The Daily Mail reported a map was created using all phone tracking data which shows how travelers may have spread the virus fro m Wuhan to 400 cities nationwide unknowingly because symptoms had not occurred yet and Wuhan was not on lockdown. How many thousands, sit down for this one, 60 000 out of 5 million people traveled since the beginning of the outbreak before lockdown.
No I have not forgotten about Dr. Wenliang. He became sick 12-30, dieng 2-6-20. He leaves behind a four year old child AND his wife is pregnant due in September. So the baby was conceived either prior to or when he became infected. There is another case of a woman giving birth to a baby born positive with the virus, whether it was transmitted in utero or before that is not known yet.
Many have railed against the government's treatment of Dr. Wenliang for his criticism of knowledge sharing about the coronavirus but there was more. He was reportedly also interested in the protests at Tianamen Square and the arab spring in Egypt. Advocacy of those things during an epidemic would of course rile up anger from any government. Could you imagine Trump if the US was the country dealing with the epidemic instead of China and people wanted a Pelosi spring? If millions of people protested during an epidemic the results would be catastrophic, tragic resulting in the loss of lives due to not being able to contain the disease.
I will try to have a decent epitaph for Dr. Wenliang forthcoming.
The US government has opened more military sites including Ft. Hamilton and Ft. Dix to send people to if they become sick. There are 11 more sites. The hospitals are full with flu cases, no more room in metro NY. If you get sick here you will be contained at a military facility. Experts have said the proliferation of the disease should stop by May. But that does not mean it is over. Next fall, there may be more, and the virus is already mutating. If you have antibodies against it they will not be strong enough to guarantee safety from being re-infected.
[Edited on 2/11/2020 by gina]
Gina, if you think the US is suppressing info about the coronavirus spread, read what is possibly an exposed cover-up from China.
Images show what could be the actual coronavirus infection figure at 154,203, and the death toll at 24,589 on the "Epidemic Situation Tracker".
Clarification, the confirmed case numbers that most media has been receiving have seemed low to some researchers. The reason is the numbers reported from Wuhan are only from the Hubei province.
The province currently has 48,206 active case, but al Jazeera reports an aggregate total of 60,000 cases nationwide. However Fox news says the 60,000 number is cases across 26 countries. We have seen the map with cases in other countries. There are not 10,000 plus cases in other countries, so the 60,000 number must be for all of China and other countries combined. There are 50 million people in China, 60,000 cases out of 50 million people is credible. North Korea denies any cases, many do not believe that. China is doing a great job in managing and containing the virus as well as curing people. The 769 who receive the generic Remdesivir should begin to start getting well. It just takes time.
[Per Al Jazeera].
There are some amazing innovations being done in Bitan Ditan where President Xi Jinping visited on Monday, including implementing usage of artificially intelligent robots in the hospital doing everything from sanitizing to taking temperatures, communicating with patients, running real time radiologic scans on their lungs. Info is video linked conferences via 5G telecommunications to the Dr.s and scientists in Wuhan and elswhere.
[Edited on 2/13/2020 by gina]
I also want to say during this time of flu and hacking [ here in NY] seems like a lot of people have that hack. The cough that just stays there. I had it bad myself last week. It was like allergies on top of a hacking cough. Still have a little hack. Antibiotics would not do me any good. The cure? God's medicines. Oregano [from Spain must be Meditteranean], ginger, garlic. ALL of those have antiseptic properties. Lemons, vinegar.
If you don't want to cook go to a Chinese or Thai restaurant, get spicy food. Jalopenas, Chile powder or paprika will also help you.
If you have the flu your immunity is down. Antibiotics are for bacteria. Flu is viral, but if you do not clear up the goop in your lungs, you will risk infection and subsequent sepsis.
Green tea, echinacea, grapefruitseed-extract, goldenseal, and that oregano capsules or liquid extract.
And at this time of misery for many please remember to patronize your local Chinese restaurants. They have been feeding you for years and want to continue. There is no correlation between them and the corona virus. It is safe.
2-14-20
Firstly it has been estimated by Dr. Gabriel Leung [guardian.co.uk] that within 3 months time, 60 per cent of the population on the earth can be effected by the corona virus. He managed the SARS epidemic as well as swine flu outbreak of 2009. This was reported on 2-11 by Mia Jankowitz for Business Insider.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/11/coronavirus-expert-warns-infe ction-could-reach-60-of-worlds-population
Now today there is a second wave of flu starting. David Weber, Infectious Disease specialist with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill says we have not even peaked for flu yet. 26 million got sick, 250, 000 were hospitalized and 14,000 died from influenza and the season has not peaked yet.
https://www.mlive.com/news/2020/02/us-flu-deaths-hit-14000-havent-peaked-yet-cdc-says.html
Yesterday, the Military Times reports they are preparing for Corona virus pandemic. Yep, the "p" word. North com received an Executive Order by the Joint Staff approved by Defense Secretary Mark Esper to "implement the Department of Defense Global Campaign Plan for Pandemic Influenza and Infectious Diseases order 3551-13".
They plan for "response, isolation, quarantine, restriction of movement and community based intervention. "
So flu and/or corona pandemic preparations.
[Edited on 2/15/2020 by gina]
I understand the seriousness of what is to come. We need to comprehend that we have an extended FLU season started in December will last until May, and now a secondary threat coming along.
If you are sick, do you have a fever? If so go to a Doctor, tell him all your symptoms, use whatever meds he tells you to use. If you do not have a fever, self quarantine yourself at home until you are better. I took time off from work two weeks ago, I had a hacking cough. My solution was found in spicy foods from Chinese restaurants. If you are wary, you can add herbs and spices to your own food.
With regards to coughs, there are two types, productive and non productive. A productive cough will bring up any mucus you have so you can spit it out. An unproductive cough is a dry cough. If you have a dry cough moisturize the air with a cool mist humidifier, take an expectorant like Guifenesin you have to get rid of the mucus or it can get infected and then you can get pneumonia.
Have warm liquids, soup, broth, tea.
State and federal governments should make it easy for sick people to self quarantine at home, with guaranteed job protections much like the Family Medical Leave act protections. In the competitive world we live in, people are scared to take time off because businesses are cut throat and will fire you. Their main concern is their money and the work has to get done, you are just a peon and they will pee on you and give your job to someone else. They do not care, they have no loyalty. It's all about the money.
We cannot have sick people who are contagious all over the subways, busses, trains, or epidemic and pandemics will follow. The governments have to step up and help out the workers.
[Edited on 2/15/2020 by gina]
There are also students from other countries trapped in Wuhan due to the lockdown. Pakistan has established a means of communication for them to contact their families.
[Edited on 2/15/2020 by gina]
We all have opinions about this. Nobody, not even in the media, mentions the source. It is widely thought that this started in a meat market. China has an appalling record when it comes to animal welfare. There is a high probability that this outbreak was caused buy eating Pangolin's. This is an animal that is being trafficked and slaughtered to the brink of extinction for its scales and meat. Snakes, bats and many other wild animals are being killed. The world should have woken up after the Sars virus. Nothing seems to have been learned. Sadly I doubt it ever will be.
They keep saying they think it is from bats and people want to eat them because it boosts their immunity. They don't eat them because they are poor, it is a delicacy. They eat all kinds of wild animals it is disgusting.
Today's count is 73,000 confirmed cases.
1,873 deaths.
But, as Chun Chang [Market Watch] pointed out they are winning the war on this because this week the number of new cases dropped from 5090 down to 1886
AND recoveries are up from 1081 to 1701.
They know what they are doing. They have contained the virus successfully and are treating people in the best ways possible. Xi Jinping has down an incredible job.
San Francisco has a state of emergency now.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/san-franciscos-mayor-declared-state-225239441.html
Americans should prepare for significant disruptions if the virus hits their areas? Well you can't say they didn't warn you.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-cdc-warns-americans-prepare-204857844.html
Not a question of IF but a question of WHEN per CDC.
"Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on a call with reporters Tuesday. “We expect we will see community spread in this country,” Messonnier said, referring to person-to-person transmission of the virus. “It is not a matter of if, but a question of when, this will exactly happen.”
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/cdc-warns-broad-disruption-virus-201919202.html
In the White House, there has been some discussion about whether to declare a national emergency under the Stafford Act to deal with the coronavirus, two people familiar with the discussions said. It’s one possible tool but hasn’t yet been seriously considered, another person close to the matter said.
The Stafford Act is intended for sudden, urgent emergencies. It would nationalize the response, put the Federal Emergency Management Agency in charge of it and enable access to direct federal assistance and use the disaster relief fund. White House communications staff declined to comment on the possibility.
Comment: Put FEMA in charge? 851 camps available. Oh whippin' post. Why can't they take it as seriously as other countries who close their borders to people from China? The Chins (that's what you call the people from China) are not black, there won't be any black lives matter protesters saying we are persecuting black people not letting more into the country, until/unless the African nations become pandemic and we say, NO people from these countries may not come here. Remember how that went over with Islamic peoples from certain nations when the refugee crisis came about?
This is a very serious time.
This was the prediction from a Harvard epidemiologist.
Harvard University epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch is predicting the coronavirus "will ultimately not be containable" and, within a year, will infect somewhere between 40 and 70 percent of humanity, The Atlantic reports. But don't be too alarmed. Many of those people, Lipsitch clarifies, won't have severe illnesses or even show symptoms at all, which is already the case for many people who have tested positive for the virus.
That's precisely why he doesn't think the virus can be stopped.
https://news.yahoo.com/harvard-scientist-predicts-coronavirus-infect-195800282.htm
The Atlantic reports Lipsitch is definitely not alone in his prediction. There's an emerging consensus that the outbreak will eventually morph into a new seasonal disease, which, per The Atlantic, could one day turn "cold and flu season" into "cold and flu and COVID-19 season." Read more at The Atlantic.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/02/covid-vaccine/607000/
The Harvard epidemiology professor Marc Lipsitch is exacting in his diction, even for an epidemiologist. Twice in our conversation he started to say something, then paused and said, “Actually, let me start again.” So it’s striking when one of the points he wanted to get exactly right was this: “I think the likely outcome is that it will ultimately not be containable.”
On Friday, Chinese scientists reported in the medical journal JAMA an apparent case of asymptomatic spread of the virus, from a patient with a normal chest CT scan. The researchers concluded with stolid understatement that if this finding is not a bizarre abnormality, “the prevention of COVID-19 infection would prove challenging.”
On Saturday, Politico reported that the White House is preparing to ask Congress for $1 billion in emergency funding for a coronavirus response. This request, if it materialized, would come in the same month in which President Donald Trump released a new budget proposal that would cut key elements of pandemic preparedness—funding for the CDC, the NIH, and foreign aid.
COMMENTS: But not everybody will die, like the flu, some will get better, some will not have severe symptoms. The virus can be spread 19 days after someone becomes contagious. The person spreading it may not even be sick or get sick, but others will.
So imagine your subways, busses, trains, planes, boats, any confined space with lots of people some of whom are sick. Two researchers are making masks that will kill the virus. Production is two years away. They found that salt will cut through the molecule so that it cannot remain virulent and infect you. I have their names and contact info. I will stay on top of it.
The virus has been found in Iran. The Deputy Health Minister, Iraj-Harirchio and another person, a member of Parliament, Mahmoud Sadeghi have it.
What would happen here if a congressional member got it or a White House staffer? Would Washington go on lockdown?
First cases reported today in Afghanistan and also Iraq, Kuwait. Bahrain, Oman, Algeria. Croatia, Romania, Spain.
South Korea has 1146 cases, there are reports that the Shin Cheongi Church of Jesus 215,000 members are being tested. They say the church is a cult so they are harassing them singling them out.
Zhong Nanshan who discovered SARS says the incubation period can be up to 24 days for the coronavirus. The bats carry 40 different coronaviruses-
[Edited on 2/26/2020 by gina]
[Edited on 2/26/2020 by gina]
The case in Afghanistan and Pakistan originated in Iran.
12 died 61 infected in Iran. Ground zero there is Qom.
https://tolonews.com/index.php/world/coronavirus-kills-12-iran-61-infected-health-ministry
1 confirmed case in Herat.
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/1-case-coronavirus-14-others-test-negative
3 suspected cases in Farah, Ghor. 15M allocated nationwide to response. Public Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz. “The Ministry of Finance allocated around $15 million to the Ministry of Public Health, while another ten million is in a state of reserve if the unwanted incidents escalate and get out of control,”
Authorities have installed tight monitoring mechanisms at airports, seaports and overland routes for travelers from with neighboring China which hosts around 30,000 Pakistanis, mostly students.
Moreover, some 10,000 Chinese nationals are also based in Pakistan, mostly working on infrastructure development and power plant construction projects that Beijing is funding and building under its global Belt and Road Initiative.
Pakistan confirms two cases.
https://thefrontierpost.com/pakistan-confirms-first-coronavirus-case-in-karachi/
Yayha Jaffri, 22, has a history of travel to Iran where he is believed to have contracted the virus, according to the Sindh Health Department. He travelled from Iran to Karachi along with his family.
"I can confirm first two cases of coronavirus in Pakistan. Both cases are being taken care of according to clinical standard protocols & both of them are stable," said Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza via a tweet on Wednesday evening. One case in Karachi, Sindh, and one in the tribal areas. The 22-year-old male patient travelled to Iran where he acquired COVID-19, Media Coordinator to the Health and Population Welfare Minister Meeran Yousuf said in a statement, days after Pakistan closed its land border with Iran, where 19 people have died from the virus.
The patient travelled from Iran to Karachi by plane on February 20. He and his family have been placed in quarantine and the Health Dept. is in the process of examining all the passengers that he travelled with, the statement added. Speaking to Dawn NewsTV, Yousuf said the man had started showing symptoms while he was in Iran. His tests were carried out today at the Aga Khan University Hospital which turned out positive.
As you may be aware many of our pharmaceuticals come from China. Here is a list of shortages. How worried should you be? If this virus really does become a pandemic, depends on how countries handle it. Try to find natural ways to deal with your problems.
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/default.cfm
Don't want to start a panic but part of being prepared is well being prepared. Those of us along the coastlines know during hurricane season it is a good idea to stock up on some non perishable supplies just in case. Well in an epidemic, pandemic, quarantine situation you may not be able to go out for things you normally do. I suggest getting yourself some freeze dried meals, some call them MRE's (meals ready to eat) they are freeze dried, you just re-hydrate them with water and heat them and you have food. Look at some prepper guidelines as to other things you might need and try to secure them just in case of a quarantine near you. The freeze dried food stays good for 25 years.
If the conspiracy theorists revolution comes, or the grid goes down, there is a hurricane, quarantine event you are ready.
There are things happening planet wide, apocalyptic things. Each one in and of itself doesn't disrupt your life, but once some of them get into full swing, things will change. Example, Bahrain has a locust infestation. The locusts eat all the crops, the livestock have nothing to eat, they die, resulting in meat shortages. Our midwest is slated to go thru significant climate change, big droughts are expected. The crops need water. Even if they have water, if locusts come there, no more crops. Edgar Cayce predicted it years ago, he said the heartland of the US would become like the dustbowl of the 1920's and Saskatchewan would be the place tasked with feeding most of the world. If you have a house, put up a greenhouse, if you have land, farm and freeze dry your own food.
There are other horrible things coming, you cannot bear them now, so just do what you can while living your life and for the future plan to get away from the coastlines for the east that means be west of Interstate 81 or be prepared to drown. I don't care if you can swim, or you are a great surfer, could you handle a 300 foot wave? Nuff said for now. If I get info. that an event like that is imminent, yes I will warn you, but be advised it is not IF it is WHEN.
President Trump just put Mike Pence in charge of handling the coronavirus in the US, and Pence will report back to him on it.
Pence takes control of national health messaging.
The White House on Thursday directed the government’s health officials and scientists to clear all coronavirus statements and public appearance with the office of Vice President Mike Pence, according to several officials familiar with the new approach.
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, one of the country’s leading experts on viruses and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases, told associates that the White House had instructed him not to say anything else without clearance.
President Trump selected Mr. Pence on Wednesday to coordinate the government’s response to the virus. In turn, Mr. Pence said on Thursday that he had selected Dr. Deborah L. Birx, who directs U.S. efforts against H.I.V. and AIDS, to serve as the Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the White House.
In announcing Mr. Pence’s coronavirus responsibilities, Mr. Trump said, “Mike is going to be in charge, and Mike will report back to me.” Mr. Pence says it will be Ms. Birx. Meanwhile, Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, remains the chairman of the government’s coronavirus task force — whose meeting Thursday Mr. Pence is scheduled to lead.
The virus can be deadly, but so far, most often isn’t.
The new coronavirus has sown fear and anxiety, with more than 81,000 cases and nearly 3,000 deaths.
LOS ANGELES
Following San Francisco's delcaration, now Orange County has declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, reports Fox 11 out of Los Angeles: A Korean Air flight attendant tested positive for the virus while at LAX [airport].
CBS News out of Los Angeles is now reporting a Korean Air flight attendant has tested positive for the coronavirus after working the LAX flight route, spanning “several flights” out of LAX.
Before being diagnosed with the coronavirus, she worked:
– A flight from Tel Aviv, Israel to Seoul, South Korea
– Multiple flights from Seoul to LAX
The 24-year-old was diagnosed Tuesday in southern Seoul, according to the Korea Joongang Daily newspaper.
The flight attendant had worked flights between LAX and Seoul–Incheon International Airport on Feb. 19 and 20, according to South Korean media outlets.
The woman also serviced a flight from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Seoul on Feb. 15, South Korea’s Center for Disease Control said. She may have contracted the virus from a South Korean church group who were on a pilgrimage to Israel, the Yonghap News Agency reports.
https://www.foxla.com/news/orange-county-officials-declare-local-health-emergency-over-coronavirus
More than 8,000 people are currently under self-quarantine in California. Apparently, almost none of them have been tested at all.
https://www.naturalnews.com/2020-02-24-8000-californians-under-self-quarantine-for-coronavirus.html
The CDC has only tested 426 people in the entire country, including the 185 from California.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/locations-confirmed-cases.html
2-26-20 Yesterday
https://thecommonsenseshow.com/conspiracy-economics-health/coronavirus-spreads-germany-switzerland-croatia-iraq-spain-algeria-austria-and-brazil-while-cases
Coronavirus spreads to Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, Iraq, Spain, Algeria, Austria and Brazil while cases explode in Italy by 45% in one day. An infection is now suspected in Brazil, which would make it the first South American nation to confirm a coronavirus infection, bringing the virus to a whole new continent. According to Brazil’s Health Ministry, one test of a local patient has reportedly come back positive. A second confirmation test is necessary to make the diagnosis “official.”
COMMENTS: We are entering the apocalypse that's what's going on. Plagues is one of the punishments to come on the earth. The corona virus may not be so bad right now. 18 months, next flu season is another matter.
[Edited on 2/27/2020 by gina]
FRIDAY 2-28-20 Mexico has confirmed two coronavirus cases.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/mexico-confirms-cases-coronavirus-200228134156264.html
Mexico's government said on Friday it had detected the first cases of coronavirus infection in two men who had recently travelled to Italy, making the country the second in Latin America to register the virus.
A 35-year-old man who showed positive in an initial test in Mexico City went through a second test that turned up positive results early on Friday, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell Ramirez told reporters.
His case is connected to the second case in the northern state of Sinaloa, Lopez-Gatell told a news conference alongside President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
COMMENT: He is in the northern state of Sinaloa, where the Guzman drug cartel operates. If any of the people who process the drugs that come to the US are infected, you can have quite a problem in a short amount of time. In addition, any of those migrants who want to cross the border can also become infected bringing it with them across the border.
Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic refused to allow a cruise ship headed towards the island to dock at its port amid worries over the virus.
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said in an emailed statement that it had reported "a small number of influenza-like cases on board. Our medical team has now advised that they are all feeling better. No guests or crew are, or have been, displaying symptoms that are considered to be consistent with those of coronavirus."
Given the United States may eventually have a pandemic on its hands, it probably wasn't a good idea to fire the professionals within the CDC tasked with coping with such emergencies....Another brilliant call by our stable genius president.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-fire-pandemic-team/
https://www.vox.com/2020/2/25/21150574/trump-coronavirus-cdc-cuts
An Israeli company, MIGAL, has a vaccine for the coronavirus. It will be ready in 90 days to achieve the safety approvals for use. Guess where the company is. GALILEE. There's more. They had been researching something else when they hit the breakthrough AND it happened after a massive group of people prayed at the wailing wall.
Chen Katz is the leader of the biotech team. David Zigdan is their CEO.
Https://churchleaders.com/news/371701-israel-coronavirus-vaccine.html
They did an interview in Jerusalem Post also.
The company has a Facebook page at migal.research
[Edited on 2/29/2020 by gina]
2-29-20 SATURDAY
Selenium Deficiencies and Coronavirus
https://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fj.00-0721fje
CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE
The data presented here demonstrate that a dietary deficiency of the nutritionally essential trace element Se increases the lung pathology caused by the influenza virus in mice. Under our conditions, mice fed a diet adequate in Se develop only a relatively mild inflammatory response when infected with influenza A/Bangkok/1/79. However, the inflammation is much more severe in Se-deprived mice. The increased severity of the inflammation is reflected in the increased number of inflammatory cells obtained by BAL as well as the higher pathology score.
These results complement earlier research that showed that Se deficiency induced myocarditis in mice infected with a benign strain of Coxsackie virus. Work by others has indicated that supplementation with Se may be of some benefit in individuals infected with HIV. Taken together, these studies emphasize the general importance of good nutrition in fighting infections and suggest that Se may be of particular benefit against a variety of viral diseases.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6769590/
Selenium deficiency, which is the main regulator of selenoprotein expression, has been associated with the pathogenicity of several viruses. In addition, several selenoprotein members, including glutathione peroxidases (GPX), thioredoxin reductases (TXNRD) seemed important in different models of viral replication
The recommended daily intake of selenium in adults is between 50 and 70 micrograms per day.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12011-011-8977-1
Influenza virus-laden sneeze → Healthy, Se-adequate host inhales influenza virus → Virus infects lung epithelium → Induces ROS (inflammation) → Chemoattracts GPx1 → Stimulates host proinflammatory chemokines → Induces dendritic cell activity, including polypeptide C1q [7] → Primes viral antigen-specific T cells → ↑ anti-inflammatory interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) neutralization of viral antigen → inhibits virus replication and clears virus from host.
Your average Doctor gets SIX hours in nutrition in medical school. Take your health into your own hands. Get educated, get decent food and nutrients or supplement it.
[Edited on 2/29/2020 by gina]
Vaccines Updates
https://www.precisionvaccinations.com/vaccines/coronavirus-vaccines
Coronaviruses without preventive vaccines are the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), and the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease in humans.
As of February 29, 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved any preventive or therapeutic vaccines for use against the SARS, MERS or the SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses.
Coronavirus Vaccine Candidates Conducting Human Clinical Trials:
INO-4700 MERS-CoV is a DNA plasmid vaccine that expresses the MERS CoV spike (S) glycoprotein. Inovio expects to advance INO-4700 into a Phase 2 field study in the Middle East and Africa where outbreaks have been observed, with full funding from CEPI. On January 6, 2020, the company says this is the most advanced vaccine candidate for MERS. The Wistar Institute announced January 23, 2019, that they are part of the Inovio team. Wistar brings the experience and suitability of its DNA technology platform to rapidly translate a vaccine against an emerging virus.
GLS-5300 MERS-CoV Vaccine - The GLS-5300 MERS-CoV product is a DNA vaccine candidate, which allows for rapid design and production in response to emerging infectious diseases. Underscoring the potential for rapid deployment of DNA vaccines, GLS-5300 was advanced into the clinic within nine months of preclinical vaccine candidate selection. GLS-5300 was co-developed by GeneOne Life Science Inc. and Inovio
Pharmaceuticals. GLS-5300 is administered intramuscularly using the CELLECTRA® delivery device. A July 24, 2019, Phase 1 first-in-human clinical trial. Initial findings from the trial were published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
ChAdOx1 MERS-CoV Vaccine - ChAdOx1 MERS is a vaccine candidate to treat Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The ChAdOx1 MERS vaccine consists of the replication-deficient simian adenovirus vector ChAdOx1, containing the MERS Spike protein antigen. The first-in-human trial is now being conducted in Oxford in UK healthy adult volunteers. The vaccine will be administered intramuscularly. This is an open-label, dose-escalation phase 1b trial to assess the safety and immunogenicity of the candidate ChAdOx1 MERS vaccine in healthy Middle Eastern adult volunteers aged 18-50.
MVA MERS (Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara) is a vaccine candidate that contains the full-length spike gene of MERS-CoV. MVA MERS vaccines are produced with tPA, but either the mH5 or F11 promoter driving expression of the spike gene. In this phase I first-in-human clinical trial, healthy volunteers in two different dose cohorts will be vaccinated twice with the candidate vaccine MVA-MERS-S. A subgroup will additionally receive a late booster vaccination. A second phase 1b study is a two-center study in approximately 160 healthy adults aged 18-55 years. The study is to assess the safety and immunogenicity of MVA-MERS-S_DF-1. The study is not yet recruiting.
SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Development News: February 2020
February 28, 2020 - Altimmune, Inc. announced the advancement of a novel single-dose, intranasal vaccine using Altimmune’s proprietary technology to protect against COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Altimmune has completed the design and synthesis of the vaccine and is now advancing it toward animal testing and manufacturing.
February 27, 2020 - Generex Receives Contract from Chinese Partners to Develop a COVID-19 Vaccine Using Ii-Key Peptide Vaccines. The vaccine candidate could be available for human clinical trials within 90 days. “Our subsidiary NuGenerex Immuno-Oncology has developed Ii-Key peptide vaccines against several potentially pandemic viruses, including bird flu, swine, flu, HIV and a previous coronavirus, SARS.
February 27, 2020 - MIGAL’s researchers announced they have developed an effective vaccine against avian coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV), to be adopted soon and create a human vaccine against COVID-19 disease. Dr. Chen Katz, MIGAL’s Biotechnology Group Leader, commented, “The scientific framework for the vaccine is based on a new protein expression vector, which forms and secretes a chimeric soluble protein that delivers the viral antigen into mucosal tissues by self-activated endocytosis (a cellular process in which substances are brought into a cell by surrounding the material with cell membrane, forming a vesicle containing the ingested material), causing the body to form antibodies against the virus. In pre-clinical (IN-VIVO) trials, MIGAL’s researchers have demonstrated that the oral vaccination induces high-levels of specific anti-IBV antibodies.
February 26, 2020 - Novavax, Inc. announced progress in its efforts to develop a novel vaccine to protect against coronavirus disease COVID-19. Novavax has produced and is currently assessing multiple nanoparticle vaccine candidates in animal models prior to identifying an optimal vaccine candidate for human testing, which is expected to begin by the end of spring 2020.
February 26, 2020 - Tonix Pharmaceuticals Announces Research Collaboration with Southern Research to Develop a Potential Vaccine to Protect Against New Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Based on Horsepox Virus (TNX-1800).
February 25, 2020 - Dyadic International, Inc. announced today that they are collaborating with The Israel Institute for Biological Research ("IIBR"), a governmental research institute established to provide the State of Israel with scientific responses to chemical and biological threats. IIBR will explore the potential of Dyadic's industrially proven C1 gene expression platform to express gene sequences and targets developed by IIBR into both an rVaccine candidate and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that may help combat the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus (Coronavirus).
February 24, 2020 - Moderna, Inc. announced that it has released the first batch of mRNA-1273, the Company’s vaccine against the novel coronavirus, for human use. Vials of mRNA-1273 have been shipped to the NIAID, a part of the NIH to be used in the planned Phase 1 study in the U.S.
February 24, 2020 - Clover and GSK announce research collaboration to evaluate the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine candidate with the pandemic adjuvant system.
February 21, 2020 - A University of Queensland research team has met a key milestone in their fast-tracked research to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the disease COVID-19. Researchers said the early research had gone ‘as expected’ and the material created had the properties which allowed the team to proceed with vaccine development. The work in the lab shows the feasibility of using UQ’s ‘molecular clamp’ technology to engineer a vaccine candidate that could be more readily recognized by the immune system, triggering a protective immune response. The next stage is to produce this on a larger scale needed for additional testing, to determine its effectiveness against the virus.
February 20, 2020 - Houston-based Greffex Inc., scientists have completed the coronavirus vaccine candidate and should now move to animal testing by the necessary government agencies. In September 2019, Greffex received an $18.9 million contract from the National Institute of Health's National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop new treatments for infectious threats, according to a news release. With the development of this Greffex Vector Platform, we overcame two obstacles: interference by viral genes and contamination by helper viruses. We have been using our flexible vector to investigate and develop the production of gene therapy vectors and specific immune suppression products.
February 19, 2020 - Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the National Institutes of Health have made a critical breakthrough toward developing a vaccine for the 2019 novel coronavirus by creating the first 3D atomic-scale map of the part of the virus that attaches to and infects human cells.
February 18, 2020 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response announced today its engagement of Sanofi Pasteur to use its recombinant DNA platform to produce a recombinant 2019 novel coronavirus vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections.
February 13, 2020 – Israel based Vaxil announce it has successfully identified a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine candidate based on unique and patent-protected signal peptide technology, utilizing Vaxil’s proprietary VaxHitTM bioinformatics platform. The Vaccine Candidate’s design is also based on successful in vivo experiments testing a tuberculosis signal peptide vaccine.
February 13, 2020 - Codagenix, Inc. announced a collaboration with the Serum Institute of India, Ltd. to rapidly co-develop a live-attenuated vaccine against the emergent coronavirus. The company says a live-attenuated vaccine has multiple advantages, including mounting an immune response to multiple antigens of the virus and the ability to scale for mass production. Codagenix uses viral deoptimization to synthesize "rationally designed," live-attenuated vaccines. Codagenix's technology allows for the rapid generation of multiple vaccine candidates against emerging viruses, starting with only the digital sequence of the viral genome.
February 11, 2020 - Johnson & Johnson announced that it's Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies will further expedite its investigational coronavirus vaccine program through expanded collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
February 10, 2020 - Moderna said 'the first clinical batch of mRNA-1273, including fill and finishing of vials, was completed on February 7, 2020. This mRNA vaccine was designed and manufactured in 25 days and is undergoing analytical testing prior to release to the NIH for use in their planned Phase 1 clinical trial in the USA. mRNA-1273 is an mRNA vaccine candidate encoding for the viral Spike (S) protein. The S protein complex is necessary for membrane fusion and host cell infection and has been the target of vaccines against the coronaviruses responsible for Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Previously, Moderna announced in an SEC filing on January 21, 2020, they are working with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Vaccine Research Center a new collaboration to develop an mRNA vaccine against the novel coronavirus.
February 7, 2020 - Applied DNA Sciences Subsidiary, LineaRx, and Takis Biotech Collaborate for Development of a Linear DNA Vaccine Candidate Against Wuhan Coronavirus 2019-nCoV. Expanded Joint Development Agreement Serves as Basis for Preclinical Linear DNA Vaccine; Linear DNA Platform Will be the Production Framework.
February 6, 2020 - Generex Biotechnology announced that the company is working with third-party groups and government agencies to reactivate the previously robust research and development to generate Ii-Key peptide vaccines against pandemic viruses. The patented NuGenerex Immuno-Oncology (Formerly Antigen Express) Ii-Key technology uses synthetic peptides that mimic essential protein regions from a virus that is chemically linked to the 4-amino acid Ii-Key to ensure robust immune system activation.
February 5, 2020 - Imperial College London Professor Shattock announced that his team could move towards trials on animals as early as next week and then onto humans within a matter of months. “We have successfully generated our novel coronavirus vaccine candidate in the lab – just 14 days from getting the genetic sequence to generating the candidate in the lab. This will go into the first animal experiments on February 10th. "If this work is successful, and if we secure further funding, the vaccine could enter into clinical studies (with human participants) in early Summer 2020.”
February 3, 2020 - iBio, Inc. and Beijing CC-Pharming Ltd. announced their collaboration to develop and test a new 2019-nCoV vaccine to be manufactured using iBio’s FastPharming System™. Originally built in 2010 with funding from the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), part of the U.S. Department of Defense, iBio’s FastPharming Facility was part of the “Blue Angel” initiative to establish facilities capable of rapid delivery of medical countermeasures in response to a disease pandemic.
February 3, 2020 - GSK announced a new collaboration with CEPI aimed at helping the global effort to develop a vaccine for the 2019-nCoV virus. GSK will make its established pandemic vaccine adjuvant platform technology available to enhance the development of an effective vaccine against 2019-nCoV.
February 3, 2020 - The UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care announced an additional £20 million funding to CEPI to further our mission to advance vaccines against epidemic threats. The funding comes amid the rapid global spread of the outbreak of a novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV. The funding was announced by UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock to support our work to develop a wide range of vaccine candidates and platform technologies against emerging infectious diseases. The UK Government says it is also in initial stages of talks between NIHR and UKRI regarding plans to run a rapid research call to support the global response to 2019-nCoV.
February 3, 2020 - Vaxart Oral Vaccine Enters 2019-nCoV Development Competition. The oral vaccine platform may offer potential advantages when developing coronavirus vaccines. Vaxart recently published results from an influenza challenge study, which demonstrated that its oral tablet vaccine primarily protects through mucosal immunity, which is a potential key factor when targeting mucosal pathogens, such as this new coronavirus. Per the press release, Vaxart plans to develop vaccine candidates based on the published genome of the 2019-nCoV and evaluate the same in preclinical studies for the ability to generate both mucosal and systemic immune responses.
January 2020 Vaccine Development News Articles
January 27, 2020 – GeoVax Labs, Inc. together with BravoVax, a vaccine developer in Wuhan, China, announced the signing of a Letter of Intent to jointly develop a vaccine against the new coronavirus. Under the collaboration, GeoVax will use its MVA-VLP vaccine platform and expertise to design and construct the vaccine candidate using genetic sequences from the ongoing coronavirus outbreak originating in Wuhan, China. BravoVax will provide further development, including testing and manufacturing support, as well as direct interactions with Chinese public health and regulatory authorities.
CureVac and CEPI partner to develop a rapid-response coronavirus vaccine development platform targeting the 2019-nCoV. Vaccine development effort receives up to $8.3 million in funds.
Inovio Pharmaceuticals announced the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has awarded Inovio a grant of up to $9 million to develop a vaccine against the recently emerged strain of coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The latest grant was aimed at funding development of Inovio’s INO-4800, through phase 1 human testing.
On January 30, 2020, Beijing Advaccine Biotechnology Co. announced a collaboration with Pennsylvania-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to advance the development in China of the INO-4800 vaccine candidate, which is targeted against the novel coronavirus named 2019-nCoV.
Novavax, Inc. had developed a vaccine for MERS in 2013. Its successful history with coronavirus makes the company a potential winner in case of an outbreak caused by the new coronavirus. The company has also started developing a vaccine for the same.
MERS-CoV RBD Vaccine candidate (RBD219-N1) - Baylor College of Medicine's MERS vaccine development started in 2011 with support from the NIAID/NIH and in partnership with the New York Blood Center, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Immune Design, a therapeutic vaccine product development company. The group has successfully manufactured, under cGMP, the first receptor binding protein antigen against SARS-CoV, the SARS-CoV RBD Vaccine. Like the SARS-CoV RBD Vaccine, the comparative advantage of the MERS-CoV RBD Vaccine is its efficacy in terms of eliciting protective neutralizing antibodies together with its safety in terms of maximal reduction of eosinophilic immune enhancement. NIH - Optimization of the Production Process and Characterization of the Yeast-Expressed SARS-CoV Recombinant Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD219-N1), a SARS Vaccine Candidate.
The University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre, also known as VIDO-InterVac, has received permission from the Public Health Agency of Canada to focus on the 2019-nCoV threat.
The University of Queensland has been commissioned to fast-track a vaccine to help control the new coronavirus outbreak. Queensland is one of three groups commissioned to develop a vaccine against the virus, known as nCoV-2019, by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Paul Young, head of Queensland’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, said the university had developed a new way to rapidly generate vaccines from analyses of viruses’ genetic sequence information. He said the team hoped to develop a vaccine in the next six months for distribution to first responders, helping to prevent medics from becoming infected and accelerating the disease’s spread. Dr. Keith Chappell, from UQ’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences and the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, said the key to the speedy development of this potential vaccine was the 'molecular clamp' technology, invented by UQ scientists and patented by UniQuest.
Aethlon Medical Inc. is the developer of the patented Aethlon Hemopurifier, a clinical-stage immunotherapeutic device that removes exosomes and life-threatening viruses from the human circulatory system. The U.S. HHS has established an initiative to support platform technology medical countermeasures with broad-spectrum capabilities. Based on preclinical studies and human treatment experiences, the Aethlon Hemopurifier® defines this initiative. To date, Hemopurifier therapy has been administered to individuals infected with the Ebola virus, Hepatitis C virus, and HIV. In the case of Ebola, a remarkable response to a single administration of Hemopurifier therapy, a comatose physician with multiple organ failures at the time.
Real-time COVID-19 outbreak news is available at
https://www.coronavirustoday.com/coronavirus-breaking-news
[Edited on 2/29/2020 by gina]
2-29-20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/scientists-create-atomic-scale-map-224805438 .html
Governments around the world have been using quarantines to reduce the spread of the virus, and health officials are using the best virus-fighting treatments they have on hand. But longer-term, researchers are racing to develop vaccines and other types of antiviral treatments that are specific to COVID-19. That’s where the 3-D map, published today by the journal Science, comes into play.
UW’s Institute for Protein Design has been at the forefront of protein engineering to fight disease. The institute’s technique looks at the 3-D structure of proteins, and then creates molecular “locks” and “keys” that fit onto those proteins — either to facilitate a molecular interaction or gum up the works and head off an interaction.
For COVID-19, the institute is looking for ways to gum up the works.
Researchers at the institute has already reported some success in developing a “Flu Glue” that binds itself to a protein on the outer coat of an influenza virus known as hemagglutinin or influenza HA. The newly released map could help them create similar mini-proteins for COVID-19. Institute director David Baker said the authors of the Science study have already emailed him the coordinates for the COVID-19 map.
The bulk of the research was done by the study’s principal authors, Daniel Wrapp and Nianshuang Wang of UT-Austin. Just two weeks after receiving the genome sequence of the virus from Chinese researchers, the team designed and produced samples of their stabilized spike protein. It took another 12 days to reconstruct the 3-D protein map and send the research to Science. One of the key technologies behind the effort is cryogenic electron microscopy, or cryo-EM, which makes it possible to produce 3-D models of cellular structures, molecules and viruses. UT-Austin has a state-of-the-art cryo-EM facility at its Sauer Structural Biology Laboratory.
“We ended up being the first ones in part due to the infrastructure at the Sauer Lab,” McLellan said. “It highlights the importance of funding basic research facilities.” In addition to facilitating the development of vaccines and synthetic antiviral mini-proteins, the 3-D map could help researchers come up with ways to isolate naturally occurring antibodies from COVID-19 patients who survive the disease. Like the mini-proteins, those antibodies could be used to treat an infection soon after exposure.
Authors of the study published by Science, “Cryo-EM Structure of the 2019-nCoV Spike in the Prefusion Conformation,” include Wrapp, Wang and McLellan as well as Kizzmekia Corbett, Jory Goldsmith, Ching-Lin Hsieh, Olubukola Abiona and Barney Graham.
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/02/19/science.abb2507
MODERNA PHARMACEUTICALS SHIPPED IT'S FIRST BATCH OF VACCINES
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/coronavirus-vaccine-developed-in-cambr idge-sent-for-testing/2081570/
