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Thread: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Wuhan Pneumonia

  1. #91
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    This week in COVID-19 news, we'll start with the fake

    If pestilence is the 1st horse of the apocalypse, fake news should be the next one.

    Fake Facts Are Flying About Coronavirus. Now There's A Plan To Debunk Them
    February 21, 2020 11:33 AM ET
    MALAKA GHARIB


    The World Health Organization is sharing social media posts to debunk widely circulated rumors about coronavirus cures.
    Facebook/ Screengrab by NPR

    The coronavirus outbreak has sparked what the World Health Organization is calling an "infodemic" — an overwhelming amount of information on social media and websites. Some of it's accurate. And some is downright untrue.

    The false statements range from a conspiracy theory that the virus is a man-made bioweapon to the claim that more than 100,000 have died from the disease (as of this week, the number of reported fatalities is reported at 2,200-plus).

    WHO is fighting back. In early January, a few weeks after China reported the first cases, the U.N. agency launched a pilot program to make sure the facts about the newly identified virus are communicated to the public. The project is called EPI-WIN — short for WHO Information Network for Epidemics.

    "We need a vaccine against misinformation," said Dr. Mike Ryan, head of WHO's health emergencies program, at a WHO briefing on the virus earlier this month.

    While this is not the first health crisis that has been characterized by online misinformation — it happened with Ebola, for example — researchers are especially concerned because this outbreak is centered in China. The world's most populous country has the largest market of Internet users globally: 21% of the world's 3.8 billion Internet users are in China.

    And fake news can spread quickly online. A 2018 study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that "false news spreads more rapidly on the social network Twitter than real news does." The reason, say the researchers, may be that the untrue statements inspire strong feelings such as fear, disgust and surprise.

    This dynamic could cause fake coronavirus cures and treatments to fan out widely on social media — and as a result, worsen the impact of the outbreak, says Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Over the past decade, he has been tracking the effect of digital technology on issues such as global health and economic development.

    The rumors offer remedies that have no basis in science. One untrue statement suggests that rubbing sesame oil on the skin will block the coronavirus.

    If segments of the public turn to false treatments rather than follow the advice of trusted sources for avoiding illness (like frequent hand-washing with soap and water), it could cause "the disease to travel further and faster than it ordinarily would have," says Chakravorti.

    There could be a political agenda behind the fake coronavirus news as well. Countries that are antagonistic toward China could try to hijack the conversation in hopes of creating chaos and eroding trust in the authorities, says Dr. Margaret Bourdeaux, research director for Harvard Belfer Center's Security and Global Health Project.

    "Disinformation that specifically targets your health system or your leaders who are trying to manage an emergency is a way of destroying, undermining, disrupting your health system," she says.

    In the instance of vaccines, Russian bots have been identified as fueling skepticism about the effectiveness of vaccination for childhood diseases in the U.S.

    The World Health Organization's EPI-WIN team believes that the countermeasure for misinformation and disinformation is simply to tell the truth.

    It works rapidly to debunk unjustified medical claims on social media. In a series of bright blue graphics posted on Instagram, EPI-WIN states categorically that neither sesame oil nor breathing in the smoke of fire or fireworks will kill the new coronavirus.

    Part of this truth-telling strategy involves enlisting large-scale employers.

    The approach, says Melinda Frost, an officer on the EPI-WIN team, is based on the idea that employers are the most trusted institution in society, a finding reflected in a 2020 study on global trust from the public relations firm Edelman: "People tend to trust their employers more than they trust several other sources of information."

    Over the past few weeks, Frost and her team have been organizing rounds of conference calls with representatives from Fortune 500 companies and other multinational corporations in sectors such as health, travel and tourism, food and agriculture, and business.

    The company representatives share questions that their employees might have about the coronavirus outbreak — for example, is it safe to go to conferences? The EPI-WIN team gathers the frequently asked questions, has their experts answer them within a few days, and then sends the responses back to the companies to distribute in internal newsletters and other communication.

    Because the information is coming from their employer, says Frost, the hope is that people will be more likely to believe what they hear and pass the information on to their family and community.

    Bourdeaux at Harvard calls this approach a "smart move."

    It borrows from "advertising techniques from the 1950s," she adds. "They're establishing the narrative before anybody else can. They are going on offense, saying, 'Here are the facts.' "

    WHO is also collaborating with tech giants like Google, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok to limit the spread of harmful rumors. It's pursuing a similar tactic with Chinese digital companies such as Baidu, Tencent and Weibo.

    "We are asking them to filter out false information and promote accurate information from credible sources like WHO, CDC [the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and others. And we thank them for their efforts so far," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, in a briefing earlier this month.

    Google and Twitter, for example, now actively bump up credible sources such as WHO and the CDC in search results for the term "coronavirus." And Facebook has deployed fact-checkers to remove content with false claims or conspiracy theories about the outbreak. Kang-Xing Jin, head of health at Facebook, wrote in a statement about one such rumor that it has eliminated from its platform: that drinking bleach cures coronavirus.

    Chakravorti applauds WHO's coordination with the digital companies — but says he's particularly impressed with Facebook's efforts. "This is a radical departure from Facebook's past record, including its controversial insistence on permitting false political ads," he wrote in an op-ed in Bloomberg News.

    [Facebook and Twitter did not respond to requests from NPR for comments. Facebook is one of NPR's financial sponsors.]

    Still, there is no silver bullet to fighting health misinformation. It has become "very, very difficult to fight effectively," says Chakravorti of Tufts University.

    A post making a false claim about coronavirus can just "jump platforms," he says. "So you might have Facebook taking down a post, but then the post finds its way on Twitter, then it jumps from Twitter to YouTube."

    Fake News: How To Spot Misinformation
    LIFE KIT


    In addition to efforts by WHO and other organizations, individuals are doing their part.

    On Wednesday, The Lancet published a statement from 27 public health scientists addressing rumors that the coronavirus had been engineered in a Wuhan lab: "We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin .... Conspiracy theories do nothing but create fear, rumors and prejudice that jeopardize our global collaboration in the fight against this virus."

    Dr. Deliang Tang, a molecular epidemiologist at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, says his friends from medical school and his research colleagues in China find it difficult to trust Chinese health authorities, especially after police reprimanded the eight Chinese doctors who warned others about a pneumonialike disease in December.

    As a result, Tang's network in China has been looking to him and others in the scientific community to share information.

    Since the outbreak began, Tang says he has been answering "30 to 50 questions a night." Many want to fact-check rumors or learn about clinical trials for a potential cure.

    "My real work starts at 7 p.m.," he says — morning in China.
    Gene Ching
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  2. #92
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    WUC Wushu, Liaoyang July 11-14?

    China to avoid competing in all international university sport events until May amid coronavirus outbreak
    By Daniel Etchells Saturday, 22 February 2020

    FUSC has cancelled the participation of its athletes in all international events until May over the coronavirus outbreak



    The Federation of University Sports of China (FUSC) has cancelled the participation of its athletes in all international events until May over the coronavirus outbreak, it has been announced.

    In a statement, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) revealed the decision was taken "keeping the safety of participants and organisers in mind".

    It means FUSC's athletes will not compete in this year's first three World University Championships (WUCs), namely those in cross-country in Marrakech on March 7, speed skating in Amsterdam from March 10 to 13 and ski orienteering in Rovaniemi from March 23 to 27.

    "FISU extends its best wishes to all Chinese university athletes for their continued training and looks forward to their renewed participation at the earliest appropriate opportunity," the statement reads.

    FISU also warned it will "continue to monitor the situation closely" ahead of the two WUCs due to take place in China in July.


    Latest Chinese figures put the death toll from coronavirus at 2,236 people and total infections at more than 75,000 ©Getty Images

    WUC Wushu is scheduled to be held in Liaoyang from from July 11 to 14, while WUC Squash is set to be staged in Shanghai from July 17 to 23.

    "With more than four months to go, FISU is hopeful that these events will go ahead as planned," the statement added.

    "FISU would like to reiterate its full confidence in the organisers of these events and in China’s capacity to effectively tackle the outbreak."

    The latest figures from China put the death toll from coronavirus at 2,236 people and total infections at more than 75,000.

    The virus has also spread around the globe, with more than 1,000 cases and several deaths in the rest of Asia, in Europe, the United States and Africa.




    About the author
    Daniel Etchells Senior reporter

    Daniel Etchells graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a BA honours degree in Media and Sports Journalism in 2010. Before joining insidethegames.biz, Daniel covered football for various national newspapers through the Wardle Whittell Agency and undertook placements writing for the official website of his beloved Manchester United, the Manchester Evening News and BBC Sport.
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  3. #93
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    A lot of things might get cancelled if this goes full pandemic

    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    If Covid-19 is still surging, I’m wondering if there will even BE a Tokyo Olympics, even I though Japan isn’t the epicenter of it. Look at how faraway countries, like Italy, Iran, etc., are being affected.
    Indeed. I just posted on how it's affected the Universaide.

    Then there's this:
    Tokyo Governor criticises "inappropriate" offer from London to host Olympics because of coronavirus crisis
    By Liam Morgan Friday, 21 February 2020


    ©Getty Images

    Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has criticisied an "inappropriate" offer from London to step in to replace the city as hosts of this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games because of the coronavirus outbreak.

    London Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey claimed the city "can host the Olympics in 2020" and the world "might need us to step up" due to the virus, which has so far killed 2,250 people and infected over 76,000 worldwide.

    Bailey is a candidate for the Conservatives, the same party that Britain's current Prime Minister Boris represents, and added he would "make sure London is ready to answer the call and host the Olympics again" if he is elected Mayor.

    Johnson was the Mayor of London when the city hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

    In response, Koike claimed it was "not appropriate to try to make it an issue in a Mayoral election".

    "A reason why this issue has attracted global attention is due to the cruise ship," Koike, referencing the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan which is thought to have 600 cases of the virus, said.

    "But the cruise ship’s nationality belongs to Britain.

    "I wish aspects like these would be well understood."


    More than 600 cases of the virus have been reported on the quarantined cruise ship ©Getty Images

    Two people on the cruise ship, which has been docked in Japan since February 3, have died from the virus so far.

    Tokyo 2020 and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have insisted the Games will not be postponed or cancelled because of the virus, given the official title of COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

    John Coates, chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020, claimed this week the organisation was "satisified" the event will be safe to attend.

    During a project review of Tokyo 2020 last week, Coates claimed the WHO had told the IOC there was no case for cancelling or postponing the Games.

    Tokyo 2020 President Yoshirō Mori has also remained defiant and blasted what he claimed were "irresponsible" rumours surrounding whether the Games would take place as planned.

    Koike claimed she does not foresee any changes to the schedule for the Games, which begin with the Olympics Opening Ceremony on July 24.

    "I think we are not yet reaching that point," Koike said.



    About the author
    Liam Morgan Senior chief reporter
    Since joining insidethegames.biz, in 2015 Liam Morgan has covered a variety of international multi-sport events and conferences, including the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympics. He also reported from the 2017 IOC Session in Lima and three editions of the FIFA Congress. He graduated from Southampton Solent University in 2014 with a BA First Class honours degree in Sports Journalism.
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  4. #94
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    About that market

    MARKETS
    Dow plunge tops 1,000 points on fears coronavirus will tank global economic growth
    All three major indices plummeted at Monday's opening bell as reported cases of the epidemic surged worldwide.


    The challenge investors face is that no one knows how long this epidemic will last, or how dangerous it ultimately will be to populations.Richard Drew / AP file

    Feb. 24, 2020, 6:32 AM PST / Updated Feb. 24, 2020, 6:42 AM PST
    By Martha C. White and Lucy Bayly

    Wall Street plunged Monday after a spike in the number of reported cases of coronavirus fueled fears that the epidemic would have a serious impact on global economic growth.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted by 1,003 points in midday trading Monday, after a volatile session that saw the blue-chip index lose 979 points at the opening bell, erasing all gains for the year. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell by 4 percent, with the S&P 500 dropping 3.2 percent.

    Travel-related stocks continued to take heavy hits as the epidemic restricted movement and discouraged vacationers, with Delta Air Lines and American Airlines falling by 7 percent. Casino operators Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts each tumbled by around 4 percent.

    Monday's selloff came as South Korea raised the country's coronavirus alert to its highest level and Italy saw 130 new cases of the disease. While the World Health Organization stopped short of calling the outbreak a pandemic, it did note on Monday that the virus has "unlimited potential."

    Scientists say the new virus, dubbed COVID-19, is both more easily transmitted and less deadly than the SARS epidemic, but much still remains unknown. As a result, Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said, “Markets are now slaves to the news flow.”

    Investor reaction to the wider spread of coronavirus led to a volume of trading so heavy that some clients even had difficulty accessing their accounts, CNBC reported.

    “Due to higher-than-usual volumes, some clients may have experienced delays in accessing some online features as the market opened but our systems are fine and up and running,” Schwab Public Relations told CNBC. Fidelity, the largest online broker, said, “Some clients are experiencing technical issues and we are working as quickly as possible to resolve."

    The rate at which the virus was spreading in China appears to be slowing. An announcement of 409 new cases Monday was the fifth day in a row that the number of new daily cases had fallen below 1,000. Outside of China, though, a spate of outbreaks presented fresh cause for concern.

    “The spike in infections in South Korea, mostly concentrated in the congregation of a single church, a surge in cases in Italy, and news of an outbreak in Iran, where the health care system is of uncertain quality and the government is secretive, has triggered fears that China's aggressive quarantining efforts won't keep the virus from spreading globally,” Shepherdson wrote in a client note.

    “Global growth is likely to be impacted in a meaningful way due to fears of the coronavirus,” Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for the Independent Advisor Alliance, said.

    The challenge investors face is that no one knows how long this epidemic will last, nor how dangerous it ultimately will be to populations.

    “Stock markets around the world are beginning to price in what bond markets have been telling us for weeks,” Zaccarelli said. “Bond yields have continued to move lower, despite the fact that stocks quickly shrugged off the coronavirus risks last month,” he said, adding that this indicated that the stock market’s initial resilience was unlikely to last.

    Nigel Green, CEO and founder of the deVere Group, predicted that markets could fall by as much as 10 percent — a possibility he said most investors are not yet pricing into valuations. “Many investors remain complacent about the far-reaching impact of coronavirus, which is continuing to spread — and a faster pace. This will inevitably hit financial markets,” he said. “In general terms, stocks have hardly been deterred by the coronavirus outbreak. This complacency is concerning.”

    Green added that the virus was emerging at a time when many key global economies were already vulnerable. “Coronavirus has struck at a time when major economies, including Japan, Germany, India and Hong Kong are facing a downturn due to other factors such as the U.S.-China trade dispute and political protesters, which could hit the world economy,” he said.

    “This threat to global growth is real and should not be ignored,” Zaccarelli said, but he added that — provided the United States stays out of recession — the virus impact will be unlikely to hurt the retirement goals of long-term investors.

    “We will move past this challenge, and the economic expansion will continue in 2020,” he said.

    Martha C. White
    Martha C. White is an NBC News contributor who writes about business, finance and the economy.

    Lucy Bayly
    Lucy Bayly is the business editor for NBC News.
    I launched this thread on 1/14 and have been cherry-picking news articles (so many) every working day to post here.

    On 2/6, I mentioned the impact this might have on the market.

    On 2/19, I posted how it has directly affected our business because we are on the front lines.

    Does anyone know anyone who has contracted this yet?
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  5. #95
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    Jimbo on point

    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    If Covid-19 is still surging, I’m wondering if there will even BE a Tokyo Olympics
    And right after our discussion above, this gets posted.

    CORONAVIRUS 12:25 P.M.
    The Coronavirus Is Already Affecting the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
    By Adam K. Raymond


    Masked spectators look on at the Olympic torch relay rehearsal in Tokyo. Photo: Du Xiaoyi/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

    The opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is still five months away, and officials insist the Games will go on as planned, despite the global coronavirus panic. But the deadly and still-mysterious infection caused by the virus, known as COVID-19, has already begun to affect preparations for the Summer Games. Movement of athletes has been limited, qualifying events have been disrupted, and plans to train tens of thousands of volunteers have been postponed.

    In public, Japanese officials are doing everything they can to calm fears. “There are no considerations of canceling the Games, nor will the postponements of these activities have an impact on the overall Games preparation,” officials said Friday after training for Olympic volunteers in Tokyo was postponed. Training for the 80,000 volunteers has been pushed back to May in what officials called “part of efforts to prevent the spread of infection.”

    Japan has seen the fourth most cases of coronavirus, not counting the hundreds of cases aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Ahead of it are Italy, South Korea, and China, where the disease originated and at least 77,150 have been infected. The numbers in Japan could increase soon though. Last week, as passengers were allowed to leave the cruise ship, critics said the disorganization could lead to a spike in cases throughout the country.

    Already, coronavirus fears have led to the cancellation of high-profile public gatherings in Tokyo. Last week, participation in the Tokyo Marathon was restricted to only elite athletes, limiting the field to about 200.

    Next month, the Olympic torch is set to begin a four-month relay though Japan. Roughly 10,000 torchbearers are expected to carry the torch through all 47 of Japan’s prefectures. A dress rehearsal for the relay, held earlier this month, provided a glimpse of what the real thing looked like. As participants carried the torch, spectators lined the streets in masks.

    Even if the Tokyo Olympics go off as planned, and the summer heat quells the spread of the virus, as many hope, it will have made an impact on the Games. The preparation of some athletes, especially those in China, has already suffered, Reuters reports:

    At home, many of China’s Olympic hopefuls are confined to closed training bases, unable to venture abroad due to entry restrictions placed by countries to contain the virus that has killed more than 2,500 people in China.

    Overseas, a slew of China’s national teams remain in hastily arranged training camps scattered across the globe, unable to return home for fear of being swept up in virus-related travel restrictions.
    China’s gymnastics team was also kept from participating in a recent international competition in Australia due to travel restrictions, and China’s national women’s soccer team spent two weeks under quarantine in Brisbane.

    There are also emerging questions about how many people will be willing to travel to watch the Olympics. Coronavirus fears have led to a huge drop in tourism to Asia. Travelers from within China are staying put, and those from outside the region are wary to enter it. Olympic organizers are hoping five months is enough time to turn that trend around.
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  6. #96
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    bats, snakes, civets, donkey, dog, deer, crocodile...

    China Bans Trade, Consumption of Wild Animals Due to Coronavirus
    Feb. 24, 2020, at 8:58 p.m.
    U.S. News & World Report


    FILE PHOTO: Butchered dogs are displayed for sale at a stall inside a meat market during the local dog meat festival in Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China June 21, 2018. REUTERS/Tyrone SiuREUTERS

    HONG KONG (REUTERS) - China's top legislature said it will immediately ban the trade and consumption of wild animals, in a fast-track decision it says will allow the country to win the battle against the coronavirus outbreak.

    The announcement, made late on Monday according to the official Xinhua News Agency, comes after an initial suspension of the trade and consumption of wildlife in January.

    Scientists suspect, but have not proven, that the new coronavirus passed to humans from animals. The disease has now killed almost 2,700 people in China and spread to countries around the globe.

    Some of the earliest infections were found in people who had exposure to a wildlife market in Hubei's provincial capital Wuhan, where bats, snakes, civets and other animals were sold.

    "There has been a growing concern among people over the consumption of wild animals and the hidden dangers it brings to public health security since the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak," said Zhang Tiewei, a spokesman for the top legislature's Legislative Affairs Commission.

    Zhang said it was both urgent and necessary for the decision to be made at the "critical moment for the epidemic prevention and control".

    The decision, made by the National People's Congress, stipulates the illegal consumption and trade of wildlife will be "severely punished" as will be hunting, trading or transporting wild animals for the purpose of consumption.

    The use of wild animals for non-edible purposes, including scientific research, medical use and display, will be subject to strict examination, approval and quarantine inspection.

    Prior to the announcement, traders legally selling donkey, dog, deer, crocodile and other meat told Reuters they planned to get back to business as soon as the markets reopen.

    Many academics, environmentalists and residents in China have joined international conservation groups in calling for a permanent ban. Online debate within China has also heavily favored a permanent ban.

    (Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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  7. #97
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    Feeling that pinch...

    I really hope they can get production fired up again soon. So many backorders.
    China struggles to revive manufacturing amid virus outbreak
    By JOE McDONALD
    today


    In this Feb. 17, 2020, file photo released by Xinhua News Agency, workers assemble Audi A6 L cars at a workshop of FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd. in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province.Factories that make the world's smartphones, toys and other goods are struggling to reopen after a virus outbreak idled China's economy. But even with the ruling Communist Party promising help, companies and economists say it may be months before production is back to normal. (Zhang Nan/Xinhua via AP, File)

    BEIJING (AP) — Factories that make the world’s smartphones, toys and other goods are struggling to reopen after a virus outbreak idled China’s economy. But even with the ruling Communist Party promising help, companies and economists say it may be months before production is back to normal.

    The problem is supply chains — the thousands of companies that provide components, from auto parts to zippers to microchips. China’s are famously nimble and resourceful, but they lack raw materials and workers after the most intensive anti-disease measures ever imposed closed factories, cut off most access to cities with more than 60 million people and imposed travel curbs.

    In smartphones, an industry that relies on China to assemble almost all its handsets, some components suppliers say production is as low as 10% of normal levels, according to Nicole Peng of Canalys, a research firm.

    “The bad news is that there will be further impact, and the impact is worse than a lot of people initially expected,” said Peng.

    Travel and retail businesses that need Chinese customers have suffered the most so far from the partial shutdown of the second largest economy. But brands including Apple Inc. say it is starting to disrupt their supplies.Analysts warn the longer that disruption lasts, the more damage will spread to wider industries and other economies.

    Global brands have used low-cost Chinese labor to assemble goods for three decades. Now, they increasingly depend on China to supply auto, computer and other components. D disruptions can make this country a bottleneck, choking off their sales.

    The most optimistic forecasts call for bringing the virus under control by March, allowing manufacturing to rebound. Gloomier outlooks say the outbreak might last until mid-May or later. Or, as the World Health Organization warned this week, authorities might fail to stop its global spread.

    Automakers and other factories are reopening, but analysts say they won’t restore normal production until at least mid-March.

    “If factory work does not spike in the coming weeks, a global parts shortage would likely emerge,” Taimur Baig and Samuel Tse of DBS said in a report.

    There is no indication yet of an impact on consumers abroad, but retailers are starting to warn some products might be late or unavailable.

    China also is a major supplier of chemicals for the global pharmaceutical industry. The outbreak has prompted concern supplies might be disrupted but there is no indication that drug production has been affected.

    President Xi Jinping has put his personal authority behind reviving industry.

    Beijing is promising tax cuts, though economists say financial help will have limited impact when anti-disease controls still in effect are still keeping workers away from factories and disrupting the movement of goods.

    On Sunday, Xi said “low-risk areas” should change disease-control measures to fully restore production while high-risk areas focus on fighting the epidemic, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

    Manufacturers face a shortage of workers after millions who visited their hometowns for the Lunar New Year holiday were stranded there by the suspension of plane, train and bus services.

    Officials must “unblock transportation channels,” Xinhua cited Xi as saying.

    The government of Yiwu, a southeastern city known for its thousands of suppliers of buttons, doorknobs and other components to export manufacturers, says it arranged planes and trains to help their employees get back to work.

    China accounts for about one-quarter of global manufacturing when measured by the value added in its factories. But it is the final assembly point for more than 80% of the world’s smartphones, more than half of TVs and a big share of other consumer goods.

    Apple, which has most of its iPhones and other products assembled by contractors in China, rattled stock markets when it warned Feb. 17 that revenue would suffer due to supply disruptions.

    “We would certainly expect to see more news like that,” said Simon Weston of AXA Investment Managers in Hong Kong.

    Other global companies that need Chinese plastics, chemicals, steel and high-tech components also “face reduced production,” according to Kaho Yu of Verisk Maplecroft, a consulting firm. Yu said that is likely to last through the quarter ending in September.

    The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai said last week half of 109 companies that responded to a survey reported their global operations already are affected. It said 78% reported they lacked sufficient staff to run production lines.

    Some companies including Ralph Lauren Corp. already were moving out of China due to rising costs and U.S. tariff hikes in a fight over Beijing’s technology ambitions and trade surplus. But many still depend on China for components or some stages of manufacturing.

    Samsung is “feeling the heat” because it shifted smartphone assembly to Vietnam but needs experienced Chinese managers to run those factories, Peng said. She said they visited China for the Lunar New Year and are blocked from returning to their jobs.

    Other companies including global automakers that rely increasingly on the Chinese market are restarting production but say the pace depends on whether they can get components.

    China accounts for about one-quarter of global auto production and according to UBS provides 8% of global exports of auto components. Many use “just in time” manufacturing, delivering components when needed. Those factories have limited stockpiles to ride out disruptions.

    Volkswagen, the country’s biggest-selling auto brand, said Monday its challenges include “slow national supply chain and logistics ramp-up.”

    In China, factory production in export-oriented coastal provinces is back above 70% of normal levels, according to Cong Liang, the general secretary of the Cabinet’s planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission.

    “Companies are working overtime,” Cong said at a news conference. He insisted the epidemic’s impact is “short-term and generally controllable.”

    Private sector forecasters are less upbeat.

    Economic activity is “likely 45% back on track,” said a Citigroup report.

    Coal consumption, one way to measure industrial activity, is 60% of the average level in the same period during 2017-19, according to UBS. It said real estate sales are 10% of normal.

    Haier Group, one of the world’s biggest home appliance manufacturers, said its suppliers are back to about 80% of normal production. The company said its own factories will be operating normally by the end of February.

    Some smaller companies that lack the resources of global industrial giants but might be the only source of a critical component are struggling to reopen.

    In the southern city of Shenzhen, a computer monitor maker is closed because some of its managers are in Hubei and cannot get back to work, according to Global Sources, a company that links buyers to Chinese suppliers.

    Others manufacturers are looking for alternative suppliers but say foreign sources can’t match Chinese prices or service, according to Global Sources.
    Gene Ching
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  8. #98
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    Score another for Kung Fu?

    Chinese anti-coronavirus inspector uses his kung fu moves to prevent a man from returning to his home after his village was locked down
    A video shows the villager arriving on his bike and trying to go back home
    The officer performs martial art moves to prevent the resident from crossing
    The intimidated man then gets back on his motorbike and rides off in a hurry
    The village has reportedly imposed self-isolation measures amid the outbreak
    Coronavirus has killed 2,705 people and infected over 80,326 people globally
    By EMILIA JIANG FOR MAILONLINE
    PUBLISHED: 06:44 EST, 25 February 2020 | UPDATED: 09:18 EST, 25 February 2020

    A Chinese officer has been caught on camera performing martial art moves to stop a villager from returning to his home after his village was locked down due to the coronavirus.

    The video shows the community worker and his colleague standing guard behind a red ribbon stretched across the entire width of a road, preventing outsiders from entering.

    The male resident is seen in the footage arriving on his small electric bike and trying to cross the blockade.


    The video shows the community worker and his colleague standing behind a red ribbon stretched across the entire width of a road, blocking outsiders from entering the area


    The villager is pictured trying to enter his neighbourhood. He is taken by surprise when the inspector screams and performs a back flip, followed by another spinning sweeping kick

    The cyclist says to the two black-suited officers: 'Just for a short while. I want to go home and have a look.'

    The villager is taken by surprise when the inspector screams and performs a backflip, followed by a spinning sweeping kick.

    The officer then does another kung fu move while the intimidated traveller gets back on his motorbike and rides off in a hurry.


    The officer then does another kung fu move to prevent the visitor from crossing the blockade


    The traveller, who appears to be scared, gets back on his motorbike and rides off in a hurry

    It is believed that the incident took place in Shandong Province, eastern China as the visitor speaks with a heavy local accent.

    The officer was allegedly one of the volunteering villagers who acted as checkpoint security guards during the coronavirus outbreak.

    The village has reportedly imposed self-isolation measures amid the deadly epidemic, with no one allowed to enter or leave the area.


    The village has reportedly imposed self-isolation measures amid the epidemic of coronavirus. The picture shows villagers with masks guarding a checkpoint in a rural area of Beijing, China


    Villages across China have reportedly set up temporary fences in an effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak. A villager in Beijing is seen driving his tractor through a checkpoint


    The picture shows passengers with masks travelling on the underground in Shanghai, China

    The novel coronavirus, which was first discovered in Wuhan, has so far killed 2,705 people and infected over 80,326 people globally.

    Iran's coronavirus death toll has risen to 15 today with the regime refusing to seal off the holy city at the centre of the crisis and pilgrims spreading the virus around the Middle East.

    Italy now has at least seven deaths as the country imposes drastic security measures to contain the first major outbreak in Europe.


    People are seen wearing protective masks walking through a market in Wan Chai, Hong Kong


    The novel coronavirus has killed 2,705 people and infected over 80,326 people globally

    South Korea has confirmed an additional 84 cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 977.

    China's top legislative committee on Monday passed a proposal to ban all trade and consumption of wild animals, a practice believed responsible for the country's deadly disease.

    Experts believe that the new coronavirus has been passed onto humans by wildlife sold as food, especially bats and snakes.
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  9. #99
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    Ain't that Amurika?

    The PRC's ability to quarantine mass populations has been fascinating. I've been corresponding with several people under quarantine. Is the U.S. capable of such a unified effort at this time? I hope so for all our sakes.


    Trump’s DHS head has a brutal exchange on coronavirus — courtesy of a GOP senator

    Acting secretary of homeland security Chad Wolf struggled to provide facts about the virus when he was questioned by Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) (C-SPAN)
    Image without a caption
    By
    Aaron Blake
    Feb. 25, 2020 at 12:46 p.m. PST

    The Department of Homeland Security is coordinating the U.S. government’s response to the increasing threat of the novel coronavirus. The agency has also been under the control of acting head Chad Wolf for more than four months, with no full-time replacement selected.

    And Wolf’s testimony Tuesday morning wasn’t exactly confidence-inspiring — particularly for one GOP senator.

    Appearing in front of a Senate appropriations subcommittee, Wolf was on the receiving end of a brutal line of questioning from Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.). Throughout the exchange, Wolf struggled to produce basic facts and projections about the disease. Perhaps most strikingly, the hearing came at a time of heightened fears about the disease, with the stock market plunging over new estimates about its spread into the United States. It’s a moment in which you’d expect such things to be top of mind for someone in Wolf’s position.

    Wolf got started on the wrong foot almost immediately, when Kennedy asked him how many cases of the coronavirus there were in the United States. Wolf stated there were 14 but was uncertain about how many cases had been repatriated back to the United States from cruise ships, placing the number at “20- or 30-some-odd.”

    Asked how many DHS was anticipating, Wolf didn’t have an answer and suggested this was the Department of Health and Human Services’ territory. “We do anticipate the number will grow; I don’t have an exact figure for you, though,” Wolf said.

    “You’re head of Homeland Security, and your job is to keep us safe,” Kennedy responded, asking him again what the estimates might be. Wolf talked around the question, which led Kennedy to say, “Don’t you think you ought to check on that, as the head of Homeland Security?”

    “We will,” Wolf responded. He referred to a task force that is working on that issue.

    “I’m all for committees and task forces,” Kennedy said. “I think you ought to know that answer.”

    Things didn’t get much better from there.

    Kennedy then asked Wolf how the coronavirus was transmitted, to which Wolf responded that there were “a variety of ways” including “human to human.” That, though, wasn’t what Kennedy was asking; he was asking how it was transmitted between humans.

    “How is it transmitted?” Kennedy cut in, making clear he wanted specifics.

    “A variety of different ways,” Wolf again responded.

    “Tell me what they are,” Kennedy quizzed him, clearly skeptical that Wolf knew the answer.

    When Wolf again referred to “human-to-human” transmissions, Kennedy cut in. “Well, obviously human to human,” Kennedy said. “How?”

    Wolf could muster only that it was “being in the same vicinity” and “physical contact.”

    Kennedy then sought to compare mortality rates for the coronavirus — which is about 2 percent — and for influenza “over the last 10 years in America.” Wolf, who was clearly on his heels, responded somewhat haltingly that the flu was “also right around that percentage, as well” — referring to the 2 percent.

    “You sure of that?” Kennedy asked.

    “Yes, sir,” Wolf said.

    The mortality rate for influenza in the United States is significantly lower than that — only around 0.1 percent, according to the CDC, with some differences depending on how you define an influenza-related death. In other words, while about 1 in 50 people are dying from the coronavirus, only about 1 in 1,000 Americans die of the flu. Wolf may have been referring to the worldwide flu mortality rate, which is indeed significantly higher than in the United States. He began answering the question as Kennedy was saying “America.”

    It was more of the same from there. Kennedy asked whether we have enough respirators, and Wolf again wasn’t totally sure. “To my knowledge, we do.” Kennedy responded the committee had been told that wasn’t the case. Wolf seemed to think Kennedy was asking only about equipment for DHS officials and not the broader public.

    A similar exchange occurred on masks. Wolf then tried to push back, noting Kennedy was asking him about “a number of medical questions.”

    “I’m asking you questions because you’re the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security,” Kennedy shot back, “and you’re supposed to keep us safe. And you need to know the answers to these questions.”

    Kennedy then asked when a vaccine for the disease might be ready, and Wolf said “several months.” Kennedy again said that conflicted with what the committee had been told elsewhere.

    “Your numbers aren’t the same as CDC’s,” Kennedy said.

    Kennedy concluded by again begging Wolf to have answers to these questions. But as Wolf tried to respond, Kennedy was apparently finished with the whole thing, and he instead yielded his time back.

    The scene was jarring, but it wasn’t without precedent from Kennedy. The Louisiana senator has occasionally sent a message to the Trump administration by lighting into the president’s judicial picks — including in 2017 and last year. He also told administration officials during a hearing on the opioid crisis two months ago, “I don’t speak B.S.”

    Tuesday was particularly striking, though, given who Wolf is. President Trump has left acting officials in charge of major departments and in other Cabinet-level jobs for months and months without picking successors that people like Kennedy would vote to confirm. The downside of that is the people in charge haven’t been vetted as closely for situations such as a potential outbreak of a disease. (DHS has actually been under acting control for more than 10 months now.)

    Whether any one of Kennedy’s individual questions was fair or not, Wolf’s exchange with Kennedy suggested someone who was wasn’t terribly plugged in to what’s going on. That’s not a great sign.



    Aaron Blake
    Aaron Blake is senior political reporter, writing for The Fix. A Minnesota native, he has also written about politics for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and The Hill newspaper
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  10. #100
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    Traditional Chinese medicine nurses lead COVID-19 patients practice Tai Chi

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  11. #101
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    Ninjas v COVID-19

    Ninja Castle in Tokyo has heartwarming message for foreign tourists in midst of coronavirus
    Oona McGee 3 hours ago



    Japanese shadow warriors work to “eliminate corona discrimination” in its tracks.

    As the coronavirus continues to spread in Japan, fear of contracting the illness is also spreading throughout the country. Worrying news reports are now surfacing, with one commuter pushing the emergency button on a passenger who coughed without wearing a mask on a train and business owners flatly denying entry to people who aren’t Japanese.

    With everyone on edge at the moment, one business in Tokyo is putting a smile on people’s faces with a refreshingly friendly approach to foreigners in the midst of the current health crisis. As one of the city’s most popular tourist spots, Ninja Castle in Asakusa is used to welcoming foreign visitors through its doors, and now they’ve decided to take a stand against “corona discrimination” with an all-inclusive message that’s caught everyone’s attention.

    ▼ Twitter user @MAD_adnap snapped this photo of the message outside Ninja Castle.

    天晴れ富士 CHLOER ☆
    @MAD_adnap
    Saw that today and it warmed my heart 💗


    941
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    The message reads:

    “We welcome everyone. So foreigner (sic) and of course Chinese too. The bad thing is the virus not you who come to Japan. So come in with ‘peace of mind’. Eliminate corona discrimination. Ninja Castle.”

    This level-headed approach towards foreigners at a time when many are labelling them as possible high-risk carriers for the virus is a welcome change to some of the sad stories of racist behaviour floating around online at the moment.

    In light of the massive drop in tourist numbers from China and other places around the world due to coronavirus fears, many businesses in Japan are currently facing an uncertain future as they struggle to stay afloat. Down in Kyoto, a city that’s usually weighed down by problems related to overtourism, merchants have even started an “empty” tourist campaign to encourage more people to visit the area.

    While Ninja Castle relies on its foreign customers in the same way Kyoto does, it’s nice to see them acknowledge their customer base and proactively create a message to make them feel at ease. As they say, “the bad thing is the virus not you who come to Japan”.

    Coronavirus doesn’t discriminate, people do, so hopefully we see more of these welcome messages in the future as opposed to fear-based signs denying people entry to businesses solely on the basis of race.

    Source: Twitter/@MAD_adnap
    Top image: Flickr/go.biwako
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  12. #102
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    aw ****

    I'm headed up to SF this weekend for my birthday. Nothing like heading into an emergency for celebrate.

    San Francisco declares state of emergency over coronavirus. Here's what that means
    By Jason Hanna, CNN
    Updated 3:16 PM ET, Wed February 26, 2020

    (CNN)San Francisco's mayor on Tuesday declared a local emergency to make it easier for the populous city and international travel hub to combat novel coronavirus if it comes -- even while stressing that it isn't there yet.
    The move will, among other things, help the city get reimbursed by state and federal governments for money it spends on preparedness, Mayor London Breed said at a news conference
    "This declaration of emergency is all about preparedness," Breed said.
    The announcement follows similar declarations in California's Santa Clara and San Diego counties. The move came as US health officials warned they expect to eventually see a continual spread of coronavirus in the United States.
    Breed's declaration is effective immediately for seven days, though the board of supervisors will vote on its continuation March 3.

    How the emergency will help the city prepare
    These are some ways the emergency declaration will help the city prepare, health officials said at the news conference:
    • It allows staff to be pulled away from nonessential duties so they can focus on preparedness and prevention. This includes public health nurses, case managers and social workers, who will assess situations in the city.
    • Clinicians will be on call at all times to answer questions from anyone who calls the city's customer service number, 311, with clinical questions about coronavirus.
    • "It allows us to look at things like shelters, and other opportunities for us to expand, in the event that that's necessary, and do a broader assessment of the city's capacity to respond in the event that there is an outbreak," city Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said.

    The city also will focus on making sure health care workers -- because they'd have the most contact with symptomatic people -- have the supplies they need to lower the chances they would become sick, city health officer Dr. Tomás Aragón said.
    Media coverage of the declaration itself can raise awareness about how to prevent the spread of the virus, officials said.
    So far, there is no cure or vaccine for the virus. Clinical trials to evaluate whether a certain antiviral drug can treat the illness are underway in the United States and China.
    "We're going to depend on a lot of core, traditional public health measures -- things like washing your hand(s), making sure that you don't touch your face and your nose, making sure that if you're sick, you stay home from school or from work or from social events," Aragón said.

    City official: Separate the disease from ethnicity
    The virus has has infected more than 80,000 people, mostly in China where it originated, and killed over 2,700 worldwide in the past few months.
    The number of coronavirus patients in the United States was at 59 on Tuesday, most of whom who returned to the US after being aboard a cruise ship that was traveling in Asia.
    San Francisco's hospitals have treated three coronavirus patients who were transferred there from other areas, but there are otherwise no active cases in the city, officials said.
    City officials addressed San Francisco's travel links with Asia and China, where the outbreak started in December. The city has a large Asian American population, and usually robust transit to and from Asia, though airlines have recently suspended many routes to and from China.
    "Given the high volume of travel between San Francisco and mainland China and the spread of the virus to other countries, there is a growing likelihood that we will see cases in San Francisco," Colfax said.
    He emphasized that the virus transmission was not about race or ethnicity, but travel.
    "We are monitoring hundreds of people who have recently returned from travel in mainland China and are helping them to self-quarantine and watch for symptoms," and so far none has tested positive, Colfax said.
    City Assessor Carmen Chu, an Asian American, also urged people to separate the disease from ethnicity.
    "I think we see many of our restaurants, not only in Chinatown, but across our neighborhoods, that are sitting empty on days that would normally be filled to the brim with people who were going there for eating," she said.
    "We ... want to share a message of making sure that we don't let this disease turn us into racists. At the end of the day ... this is about contracting a virus because someone traveled," Chu said.
    Breed encouraged people to "continue to live their daily lives."
    "There is no recommendation to cancel social gatherings at this time, and we should continue to support the neighborhoods we love, like Chinatown," the mayor said.
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  13. #103
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    our tax dollars at work

    The CDC has thoughts about soul patches and mutton chops – and preventing coronavirus
    NEWS
    by: CNN Wire
    Posted: Feb 26, 2020 / 02:31 PM CST / Updated: Feb 26, 2020 / 03:08 PM CST

    When it comes to novel coronavirus safety, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some suggestions about facial hair.

    Side whiskers, soul patches, lampshades and handlebar moustaches are good to go, according to a CDC infographic. But styles like long stubble, a beard, the Dali and mutton chops are not recommended because they are likely to interfere with a facepiece respirator.

    Masks and respirators are being utilized around the world to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has reached more than 80,000 cases globally.

    A respirator covers at least the nose and mouth and protects against particles including infectious agents, the CDC said. However, the CDC does not recommend routine use outside of workplaces.

    Facial hair poses a risk to the effectiveness of respirators because it may keep the exhalation valve from working properly if the two come into contact, the infographic said.

    No matter the style choice, the hair should not cross the respirator sealing surface, the infographic said.

    A goatee, horseshoe and villain mustache are okay, with caution, the infographic noted.

    Take a look at the infographic below:

    CDC: Facial Hairstyles and Filtering Facepiece Respirators
    Nice to know the U.S. government has labelled all these facial hair styles. Didn't get mine tho. I'm uncategorizable. The closest would be the Imperial without the mustache. And I'm not shaving. My beard hides a keyloid scar that looks like a witch's wart on my chin. Plus I know how to tuck my beard up in my mask. This isn't my first pandemic rodeo...
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  14. #104
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    COVID-19, rats & bud

    About that global economy...

    Budweiser APAC takes a hit in China as biggest Lunar New Year campaign runs into coronavirus outbreak
    Sales to nightclubs and restaurants has come to a halt amid the public health crisis sparked by coronavirus outbreak
    Net profit fell 2 per cent in 2019, partially due to weaker sales to nightclubs and restaurants last quarter
    Yujing Liu
    Published: 12:04pm, 27 Feb, 2020


    Packs of Budweiser beers are displayed in a Shanghai's supermarket. The brewer says on February 27 that there’s “almost no activity in the nightlife channel and very limited activity in restaurants.” Photo: AFP

    Budweiser Brewing Company APAC, the most profitable brewer in Asia, said revenue in China plunged in the first two months of this year as nightclubs and restaurants were shut across the country amid the coronavirus outbreak.
    The Asia-Pacific unit business of Anheuser-Busch InBev estimated its China sales to have declined by US$285 million in January and February compared to the same period last year, it said in notes to its 2019 financial results on Thursday. The hit is equivalent to about 4 per cent of its revenue last year, based on its latest accounts.
    Profit also declined by US$170 million over the period, the company said in the report, referring to its normalised earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation or Ebitda. That is about 8 per cent of its full-year figure in 2019. The company’s top beer brands in China include Budweiser, Corona, Hoegaarden and Harbin.
    “The impact of the virus outbreak on our business continues to evolve,” Budweiser said in the financial report. “We have observed almost no activity in the nightlife channel and very limited activity in restaurants.”
    Other retail channels also recorded a meaningful decline, it said, but e-commerce sales growth accelerated significantly.
    The viral outbreak has so far infected more than 82,000 people and killed at least 2,800, mostly in mainland China. The hit put a halt to a strong start in the opening three weeks of 2020 just as Budweiser was launching its largest ever Lunar New Year campaign, prompting the brewer to also shut some of its breweries including in the epicentre of Wuhan.
    Budweiser said it has reopened over half of its beer factories in China and obtained permission to reopen the rest, except for one in Wuhan, after the country extended the Lunar New Year holiday by a week to contain the virus.
    The firm also expressed concerns over its business in South Korea, where the novel virus is spreading rapidly, adding to pressure from price competition last year. South Korea recorded a surge in infection and death this week, stoking concerns about a wider contagion.
    Budweiser said net profit fell 2 per cent to US$994 million last year, while revenue was little changed at about US$6.55 billion. Still, total volume sold last year declined by 3 per cent from the previous year, mainly “due to a challenging industry and competitive environment in South Korea and softness in the China nightlife channel,” it said.
    Hong Kong-listed shares of Budweiser fell by 3.1 per cent to HK$23.55 as of 10:40am local time, bringing the loss to 13 per cent from its IPO price of HK$27. Budweiser raised US$5 billion in its listing plan, one of the five biggest IPOs in the world’s last year.




    Yujing Liu
    Yujing Liu is a business reporter with a passion for understanding and explaining the fascinating complexities of China’s economy and society. Originally from Beijing, she joined the Post in 2017 after graduating from the University of Hong Kong with a degree in politics and journalism.
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  15. #105
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    I confess...I want Gwyneth's mask.

    Wearing a mask, Gwyneth Paltrow cracks a coronavirus joke: ‘I’ve already been in this movie’


    Gwyneth Paltrow played patient zero of a viral epidemic in “Contagion.”(Claudette Barius / Warner Bros.)
    By CHRISTIE D’ZURILLASTAFF WRITER
    FEB. 26, 2020 12:02 PM

    Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Hudson are among those locking it down in the air when it comes to the coronavirus. At least they think they are.

    “En route to Paris. Paranoid? Prudent? Panicked? Placid? Pandemic? Propaganda? Paltrow’s just going to go ahead and sleep with this thing on the plane,” the Goop founder said on Instagram, where she posted a picture of herself on a flight wearing an appropriately stylish Airinum+Nemen mask.

    “I’ve already been in this movie,” she said. “Stay safe. Don’t shake hands. Wash hands frequently.”

    Paltrow was joking about her role in “Contagion,” the 2011 Steven Soderbergh film where she played a Midwestern woman who stops for a fling on her way from a business trip in Hong Kong, only to die soon after she gets home, much to movie-husband Matt Damon’s dismay. Her patient-zero affliction quickly turns into a global pandemic.

    gwynethpaltrow
    Verified




    gwynethpaltrow's profile picture
    gwynethpaltrow
    Verified
    En route to Paris. Paranoid? Prudent? Panicked? Placid? Pandemic? Propaganda? Paltrow’s just going to go ahead and sleep with this thing on the plane. I’ve already been in this movie. Stay safe. Don’t shake hands. Wash hands frequently. 😷
    Hudson, meanwhile, posted a shot of herself in what appears to be a surgical mask, tagging her picture with the caption, “Travel. 2020.”

    Commenters were quick to note that her mask wouldn’t do much good when it came to protecting her from coronavirus. Frequent soap-and-water hand-washing, experts say, is a better preventative measure.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the role of such face masks is “patient source control,” to prevent contamination of the surrounding area when a person who has contracted the virus coughs or sneezes.

    katehudson
    Verified



    katehudson's profile picture
    katehudson
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    Travel. 2020. #😳
    Paltrow’s mask, however, was the equivalent of an N95-filtering facepiece respirator, the medical version of which, the CDC says, is recommended for healthcare professionals and could wind up in short supply in a pandemic.

    Paltrow’s reusable, $99 limited edition Urban Air Mask 2.0 is currently sold out, along with everything else on the Airinum website, but the company has a wait list going. According to its maker, the mask “combines Scandinavian minimalist design with Italian textile and dyeing research,” neither of which has anything to do with virus transmission.

    (Incidentally, the respirator appears to match the actress’ eye mask, which might be the same black silk one that’s available on the Goop website for $50.)

    More seriously, the CDC has chimed in via Instagram as well.

    “While #CDC considers #COVID19 a serious situation and is taking preparedness measures, the immediate health risk in the U.S. is thought to be low, based on what we know,” the government agency said. “Everyone should always take simple daily precautions to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses. Learn more at www.cdc.gov.”

    cdcgov
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    While #CDC considers #COVID19 a serious situation and is taking preparedness measures, the immediate health risk in the U.S. is thought to be low, based on what we know. Everyone should always take simple daily precautions to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses. Learn more at www.cdc.gov. #publichealth #coronavirus

    Christie D’Zurilla
    Christie D’Zurilla covers breaking entertainment news. A USC graduate, she joined the Los Angeles Times in 2003 and has 30 years of journalism experience in Southern California.
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