Glenn gives the latest coronavirus numbers, updating YOU on everything needed to know as Americans and officials monitor China's new COVID-19 virus:
Daily Stats as of 5:30 AM CT (from John's Hopkins)
- Total Confirmed Cases 96,268 (up from 94,293 yesterday)
- Total Confirmed Deaths 3,304 (up from 3,219 yesterday)
- 86 Countries Have Confirmed Cases (up from 81 yesterday), 7 more have Suspected cases
- 17% of Active Cases are considered Serious (Requiring Hospitalization, steady from 17% yesterday) including 5% that Require ICU
- US has 160 Confirmed Cases, and now 11 Deaths (10 Washington State, 1 in California)
- Confirmed Cases in the US Now Include: Washington State, Oregon, California, Arizona, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, with additional suspected cases in Missouri and Colorado
- California and Washington have the highest number of infections, with 40+ Cases in each state
Washington, King County Asking All 2.2 Million Residents to Work From Home If Possible https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8076427/Washington-county-31-coronavirus-patients-advises-residents-work-home.html, https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/as-coronavirus-spreads-king-county-recommends-avoiding-large-groups-working-remotely-when-possible/
- County officials asking employers to move to a work-from-home basis for all office/administrative workers if possible.
- The request also includes recommendations to avoid any large gatherings of more than 10 people, especially in confined, indoor spaces.
- Officials also recommend that any person over the age of 60 or with underlying health issues to stay home, avoid going to public places or having physical contact with others as a precaution (Note: Case Fatality Rate for 60+ is estimated to be ~5%).
- All Washington Residents are being asked to NOT lick envelopes if they are voting by mail for the state's March 10th Primary.
- Hospital officials are asking any person coming into a Hospital who suspects possible COVID-19 exposure who is having symptoms to call ahead and wear a surgical mask to prevent spread.
King County Buys Motel to House COVID-19 Patients https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/king-county-buy-kent-motel-house-covid-19-patients/RKPEH5B42JDQBNTNIMWD7SM3HE/
- King County Board of Supervisor purchased the 24-Room Kent Motel to house patients who do not require ICU treatment.
- Officials say the Motel is ideal because it has hard surfaces which can be disinfected, and independent heating/cooling units in each room (no shared ventilation in case COVID-19 is airborne).
- The move is designed to ensure hospital beds are reserved for those requiring ICU or other life-saving medical procedures.
- County also using 18 Mobile Homes originally planned for Homeless Shelters in a secondary location near the Motel.
- Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, has also designated modular homeless shelters as potential COVID-19 Quarantine facilities for homeless or other patients. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/world/coronavirus-news.html
- California set up 18 FEMA-provided modular home homeless shelters in January 2020, which could now be used for Coronavirus Quarantine centers if needed.
- Head of the World Health Organization & US National Institute of Infectious Diseases both urged media to stop comparing COVID-19 to Seasonal Flu.
- COVID-19 is at least 10x deadlier and at least 2x more contagious (the implication is that it could kill 20x more people due to spread rate and fatality rate).
- The concern is that by comparing to The Flu residents and governments will not take the necessary precautions to prevent and slow the spread as much as possible to avoid hospitals being overwhelmed.
- "Saying this is like a bad flu season gives a false sense of security and understates how dangerous the disease can be. It needs to be taken more seriously."
- Researchers are also concerned the virus could continue to mutate into something more dangerous, noting it has already split between an original "S" strain and a more deadly "L" strain. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/03/04/discovery-of-2-strains-of-covid-19-coronavirus-hints-at-how-it-evolved/#285e29177094
- JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, Goldman Sachs & Wells Fargo all asking hundreds of employees to work from home today/tomorrow to stress-test a work-from-home scenario to ensure essential services can still be securely performed.
- US Banks are also setting up remote 'disaster recovery' data and operations centers in London and/or Canada in the event US Operations face a disruption.
- Firms have asked both US and British regulator authorities for flexibility on security controls for allowing employees remote access to ensure Customer' access to funds and customer support continue without interruption.
- California man has died nearly 2 weeks after debarking from Grand Princess Cruise Ship.
- Man's trip was from Mexico to San Francisco...since then Ship went to Hawaii and back to California before being Quarantined.
- The ship is now being held off the coast of California so current passengers can be screened for SARS-CoV-2 and ship can be disinfected.
- The ship currently houses more than 2,500 passengers. So far 11 passengers and 10 crew members have developed symptoms of infection.
- The ship is being held off-shore until all passengers can be screened and 14-day quarantine period elapses.
- First person to test positive for COVID-19 in New Hampshire had been requested by Doctors to self-quarantine due to symptoms, including fever and dry cough.
- Instead, he went to a social mixer with medical students near Dartmouth, a party attended by at least 200 other people.
- The bar where the mixer was held, has canceled 3 upcoming concerts and is having the facility professionally cleaned.
- Man is now under official order from the County health commissioner for a 14-day at-home Quarantine and could face misdemeanor charges if he defies the order.
- So far, China is the only country reporting confirmed cases of re-infection resulting in death.
- Of 32 patients discharged as "Recovered" from hospitals, 12 have later died of confirmed re-infection (...over 30% secondary-infection fatality rate).
- China is now screening all discharged patients 2-3 days later for possible re-infection and ordering any discharged patients who later feel ill to report back to Hospitals.
- Doctors still not sure if COVID-19 is Bi-Phasic, which means the Virus can go dormant in the body only to re-emerge, or if patients are simply contracting COVID-19 from community spread after original hospital discharge
Dutch Government Engages Military As Part of COVID-19 Outbreak Response https://nltimes.nl/2020/03/04/experts-want-military-part-coronavirus-containment-plan-hospitals-diagnose-new-cases, https://nltimes.nl/2020/03/03/dutch-govt-gathering-coronavirus-crisis-meeting
- Dutch National Guard being called up at the request of the Outbreak Response Team.
- Troops will assist national Healthcare workers, Police and local authorities in coordinating the response, providing security and enforcing quarantines.
- Italy, Germany, Japan, Korea, UK, China, Iran and the US have all used various parts of their Militaries to help combat COVID-19
- Different Virus' attack different parts of the population. [For COVID-19 it's the elderly & those with weakened immune systems]
- Prevention ended up being the best 'medicine'. Social distancing proved better at preventing spread than going to hospitals.
- More patients died of Pneumonia than of the Flu itself.
- Researchers believe today's Sanitary/Hygiene habits - washing hands, disinfecting surfaces, coughing/sneezing into tissue that is discarded, not shaking hands, etc - could have prevented millions of deaths in 1918.
- Many insiders in Washington expect the US Government to make a National Emergency Declaration by the end of this week.
- FEMA's initial role would be to help deploy Federal disaster & emergency funds to local/state authorities.
- FEMA is capable of setting up regional command centers to help coordinate State/Local response teams, including setting up temporary TENT hospitals, modular Quarantine centers using Mobile Homes, and providing food, water & medical supplies to local hot spots.
- As of 3/5/20, 5 States and 32 counties in the US have declared States of Emergency, none have requested formal FEMA response teams.