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January 28 coronavirus news
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What we know about the Wuhan coronavirus
At least 131 people are dead and more than 4,600 cases have been confirmed in mainland China, as the Wuhan coronavirus spreads across Asia.
The virus has also spread globally to more than 17 countries.
Here’s what you need to know:
- China on lockdown: Nearly 60 million people are under partial or full lockdowns in Chinese cities.
- Outside of China: There are more than 70 confirmed cases in 17 places outside of China, including at least five in the US.
- Warning issued: On Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a level 3 alert warning against “all nonessential travel to China” — its highest alert on a scale of 1 to 3. “There is an ongoing outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that can be spread from person to person,” the CDC said in a statement, warning “there is limited access to adequate medical care in affected areas.”
- About the virus: Officials have cracked down on the trade of wild animals, after the Wuhan coronavirus was linked to a seafood market selling exotic live mammals, including bats and civet cats, which have previously been linked to the 2003 SARS outbreak.
Lab in Australia grows Wuhan coronavirus from patient sample
A laboratory in Australia is the first outside of China to grow the Wuhan coronavirus from a patient sample, which officials said “will provide expert international laboratories with crucial information to help combat the virus.”
Dr. Julian Druce, the head of the Virus Identification Laboratory at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, said in a statement that “this was a significant breakthrough as it will allow accurate investigation and diagnosis of the virus globally.”
White House denies report that it called airlines to ask for suspension of flights between US and China
A senior administration official is denying a report that the White House has asked US airlines to suspend flights between the US and China as a way to help contain the spread the deadly coronavirus.
A White House aide said that at a Monday session looking at ways to contain the spread of the virus, the notion of travel restrictions to China was raised. And on Tuesday, Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar declined to rule out such a possibility, saying nothing was off the table.
Azar also told reporters that he and Trump were “speaking regularly” about the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected close to 6,000 people in China and that he was in daily contact with White House officials.
“The President is highly engaged in this response and closely monitoring the work we’re doing to keep Americans safe,” Azar said.
A White House source described the attitude toward coronavirus as a “sense of urgency, not panic.” Inside the White House, the government’s cross-agency response is being coordinated by the National Security Council, with Matt Pottinger, the deputy national security adviser, leading near daily meetings, according to administration officials.
Three more coronavirus cases confirmed in Malaysia
Three more cases of Wuhan coronavirus have been confirmed in Malaysia, bringing the total number of cases in the country to seven, according to Malaysian state news agency Bernama.
All seven patients are Chinese nationals and the latest cases include a four-year old child, a woman and a 52-year-old man, the health director-general Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said.
The child is being treated in the isolation ward of the Sultanah Maliha Hospital and the 52-year old man is being treated at the isolation ward of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru, Bernama reports.
The woman initially tested negative, but decided to stay in Malaysia with her two children who were tested positive and are receiving treatment at the Sungai Buloh Hospital isolation ward.
Americans who left Wuhan may be forced to stay in isolation in airport hangar
The US diplomats and their families traveling on a charter flight from Wuhan, China may be forced to stay isolation between three days and two weeks, a San Bernardino County, California, official told CNN.
Curt Hagman, chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, said authorities are setting up beds, phone chargers and televisions in an isolated, dormant hangar at Ontario International Airport, as they wait to receive a group of US citizens who left Wuhan, China with a final destination to Ontario, California.
Upon arrival in California, the travelers will be offloaded into the hangar on the opposite side of the airport from the public terminals. Hagman said Ontario’s airport was chosen because it’s one of two airports designated by the US government for repatriations on the West Coast.
Hagman said after the travelers are screened for coronavirus during a refueling stopover in Anchorage, Alaska, they’ll be screened again in Ontario. Hagman notes there are no indications any of the travelers have the virus.
His messages to the community: “Don’t panic this is what we’ve been trained for.”
Hagman said they have no idea how long the travelers will be staying, and they are getting ready to have them watch the Super Bowl in an airport hangar if needed.
China has almost 6,000 cases of confirmed Wuhan coronavirus
China has a total of 5,974 confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, including 132 deaths, as of Wednesday, according to the National Health Commission (NHC).
The number of cases increased by 1,459 from Tuesday. There have been 25 new deaths in Hubei province and one new death in Henan.
The NHC added that Tibet also reported its first case of the virus.
Japanese evacuees arrive in Tokyo from Wuhan
Japanese citizens who were evacuated from Wuhan, China arrived in Tokyo Wednesday morning local time.
The 206 Japanese nationals arrived on a chartered flight operated by ANA, according to Japanese officials. About 450 more Japanese citizens have not departed yet.
The passengers are all quarantined on board and those with any pneumonia-like symptoms will be taken to a special medical center for treatment. Passengers without symptoms will be taken to separate hospitals for further screening.
Japanese citizens who live close to the Huanan Seafood Market and highly-populated areas in Wuhan were given priority on first flight. Chinese authorities have said the market is the likely source of the coronavirus.
Medical supplies for the Chinese government, including thousands of surgical masks, safety goggles and 50 protective suits, were also flown into Wuhan.
US Commerce secretary postpones China travel amid coronavirus concerns
US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross postponed plans to possibly travel to China this week amid concerns by US officials that the coronavirus was spreading, a department spokesperson said.
This is what life is like inside the coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan
Today is Ben Kavanagh’s birthday. The Irishman is teaching psychology in Wuhan and says he should be out at the local Irish bar in the city celebrating with friends.
Tomorrow, he had planned on returning to Europe to do some traveling.
He remembers first hearing about the coronavirus as “a disease similar to SARS” around December 31.
“Sir, can I go, I’ve got SARS,” he remembers one student in his class saying as a joke.
Now, he’s trying to pass the time with Netflix and keeping in touch with friends and family.
Kavanagh is one of 11 million Wuhan residents who are under travel restrictions. They are now essentially quarantined inside the city limits.
Kavanagh went to a nearby supermarket two days ago to get enough supplies: water, pasta, hot dogs, canned food, soy milk and other non-perishables.
Except he’s run of out of face masks, which are essential in preventing him getting the coronavirus.
“I never had enough to begin with and the stores ran out immediately,” Kavanagh says.
He says stores have been trying to restock, but he won’t be going outside until absolutely necessary.
Kavanagh says he doesn’t worry, most of the time.
Death toll in mainland China now stands at 131
The death toll related to the coronavirus rose to 131 in mainland China.
There have been 25 more coronavirus-related deaths in China’s Hubei province, bringing the provincial death toll to 125, according to Hubei’s provincial health authority late Tuesday.
There have been 840 more confirmed cases in Hubei, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 3,554.
Among those hospitalized, 228 remain in critical condition.
Starbucks closes more than half of its Chinese stores because of coronavirus
Starbucks has closed more than half of its roughly 4,300 Chinese stores, as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread in the country.
The company said Tuesday it is continuing to “monitor and modify the operating hours of all of our stores in the market,” in light of the outbreak.
“This is expected to be temporary,” Starbucks added.
Over the weekend, the company said that it was closing shops and suspending delivery services in the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and the wider Hubei Province. It has since closed stores throughout China.
The Wuhan Coronavirus has so far killed more than 100 people and infected thousands. It has reached more than 17 countries.
CEO Kevin Johnson promised transparency into the company’s response to the “extraordinary circumstances,” in a statement Tuesday.
“We remain optimistic and committed to the long-term opportunity in China,” he added.
Three patients in DC tested for novel coronavirus
Three patients in Washington, DC were tested for novel coronavirus, of which one tested negative and two are pending results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to DC Health.
DC Health said there are currently no cases of the virus in DC and the current risk to DC residents is low.
About the virus: The novel coronavirus, which has sickened thousands and killed more than 100 people in China, belongs to a large family of viruses that mostly sicken animals. But this coronavirus, like SARS and MERS, “jumped the species barrier” to infect people on a large scale, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
A plane carrying US diplomats has left Wuhan, official says
A plane carrying US diplomats and their families has departed Wuhan, China, according to a State Department spokesperson.
More on this: A California-bound flight chartered by the US State Department was expected to leave the city at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, a department official said.
About 240 Americans could be on the flight from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. It will stop to refuel in Anchorage, Alaska, before arriving early Wednesday in Ontario, California, about 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, according to Alaska Department of Health and Social Services spokesman Clinton Bennett.
About three dozen US diplomats and their families were expected to be on board, a US official with knowledge of the matter told CNN.
His wife and daughters are stuck in Wuhan, China. He’s in Wisconsin trying to bring them home.
Sam Roth’s wife and two small children went to Wuhan, China to visit family. Now they are stuck, hoping to be evacuated by the US State Department.
Daisy Roth, 10-month old Adalynn and five-year-old Abigail boarded a flight to Wuhan, China on January 19. They were headed to visit Daisy’s family for the Lunar New Year and spring festival; Abigail would even attend kindergarten there because they would be there until April 8.
Sam said he and Daisy knew about the coronavirus, but the risks looked completely different then.
Just days after landing, Roth said the lockdown began; Abigail was at a sleepover with a cousin.
“Her cousin’s father drove her to my in-laws place where my wife and other daughter were,” he told CNN. “They have stayed there since.”
On Saturday, he heard about a potential flight organized by the US State Department that would evacuate Americans stuck in epicenter of the coronavirus. Roth also sent his congressional delegations emails asking for them for help getting his family on the flight.
Unfortunately, his family was not picked to be on board the flight. Roth is hopeful though; he will bring them home.
Taiwan confirms another case of coronavirus, bringing the total to 8
Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CECC) has confirmed another case of coronavirus in Taiwan, CECC announced in a statement today.
The total number of confirmed cases in Taiwan is now eight, CECC says.
Here’s the CECC statement:
UK warns against most travel to mainland China during coronavirus outbreak
The UK Foreign Office has upped its travel warning for China, now advising against all but essential travel to mainland China, and against all travel to Hubei province, amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The FCO is working on a plan to evacuate British citizens from Hubei province, the statement says, “due to increasing travel restrictions and difficulty accessing medical assistance.”
British Columbia is reporting its first possible case of coronavirus
The British Columbia’s Minister of Health in Canada is reporting the province’s first presumed case of coronavirus.
A man who recently traveled to Wuhan returned to Vancouver last week, where he had an onset of symptoms, according to Health Minister Adrian Dix and British Columbia Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
The man, who is in his 40s, is in isolation at home, according to a statement on the British Columbia Government site. He tested positive for coronavirus by the BC Centre for Disease Control public health lab.
The results have not yet been confirmed by Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory.
US health officials expect CDC to be among WHO coronavirus delegation heading to China
Shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping and the World Health Organization agreed on Tuesday that WHO would send a team of international experts to China to investigate the coronavirus outbreak, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said he expects US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff to be among them.
“I’ve been standing on the stage, so I didn’t hear that,” Azar told reporters Tuesday after being made aware of the WHO announcement. “Obviously, if that is the case, [I’m] delighted with that news … and assuming CDC personnel would be part of that.”
Minutes earlier, Azar pressured China for more collaboration in addressing the coronavirus outbreak, saying, “We are urging China: More cooperation and transparency are the most important steps you can take toward a more effective response.”
CNN has reached out to WHO to ask if CDC will be part of its delegation to China.
One question US health officials are keen to answer involves whether the virus can be transmitted before symptoms appear.
“We would really like to see the data. Because if there is asymptomatic transmission, it impacts certain policies that you do regarding screening, et cetera,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, standing alongside Redfield and Azar.
But Fauci said that, even if patients are spreading the virus before symptoms show, that is very unlikely to be the leading contributor to the outbreak.
“In all the history of respiratory-borne viruses of any time, asymptomatic transmission has never been the driver of outbreaks,” he said. “The driver of outbreaks is always a symptomatic person.”
4th case of coronavirus confirmed in France
A fourth case of coronavirus has been confirmed in France, according to the head of France’s health department, Jerome Salomon.
The 80-year-old man is a tourist from China’s Hubei province and his condition is “serious,” Salomon said.
He is currently hospitalized in Paris.
There's not an elevated risk of Wuhan coronavirus if you're traveling outside of high-impact areas, experts say
Much is still unknown about the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, and health officials are urging vigilance.
That means travelers crisscrossing the globe should be aware of the virus, steer clear of heavily impacted areas and exercise some of the same kinds of preventive measures they’d use to avoid influenza and other illnesses.
But how worried should travelers outside the most impacted areas be about the Wuhan coronavirus?
In this era of global travel, you can never say the risk is zero of being exposed to something, says Dr. Yoko Furuya, associate professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
But most of the cases so far have involved Wuhan and surrounding cities in Hubei Province.
It’s not a big concern for US travelers traveling domestically, says Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of medicine in Vanderbilt University’s division of infectious diseases.
Travelers heading to China should be more concerned, he adds.
“As a matter of fact, I have heard colleagues say to a patient or two, ‘Gee, do you have to go to China right now? Why don’t you wait a little bit?’”
People who have traveled to Wuhan in the last few weeks and are feeling sick with fever, cough or are having difficulty breathing should seek medical attention right away and call ahead to inform providers of recent travel and symptoms, according to CDC guidelines.
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