Wuhan Coronavirus Resource Thread

KLNMurthy · Post by **KLNMurthy** » 16 Mar 2020 22:02

syam wrote:I don't think anyone quarantine the virus for long. We better have plan B in place. This is nothing but bio-war unleashed by God(if not chinis or amerikis). It's too late anyway. One can't treat bio-war like this.

My suggestions to GoI if the number reaches 5000:

1. quarantine 50+ age folks where they can be better protected from this disease without going through all the panic.

2. enroll 15-30 age folks into some temporary army type of organization. It is mandatory for them to help with hospitals and grunt work.

3. build temporary hospitals. if not, at least keep things ready so that they can build hospitals at moment notice.

4. take over control of every public place. including pubs and bars.

5. Close the borders. Not even a rat should cross the border. Only one or 2 entry points should be there for outsiders.

6. Secure food and supply chains. We must have enough grains to last for 1 year at least.

You forgot: close temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras etc

Bart S · Post by **Bart S** » 16 Mar 2020 22:13

saip wrote:Looking at COVIDOUT.in Website, there were 3 cases on Feb 2 and then Five cases on Mar 2. So no cases detected in a whole month! Now after 14 days the count jumped by 113. It appears that the Italian tourist group became the epicenter of infection and caused the count to spike after the Kerala group was contained.

The Kerala group was never really contained.

There was the family who returned from Italy who lied to authorities and infected people around them.

Another guy escaped from quarantine, tried to catch a flight out and caused 250 people to be offloaded.

Another guy who was in home quarantine also ignored the restrictions, got in a car to travel, car got into an accident on the way, was admitted in another hospital where they did not disclose that they were under quarantine, and now 30 doctors and medical staff from that hospital have to be quarantined!

So many selfish jackasses, despite being in the so-called 100% literate state. Govt should press criminal charges against these reckless scum and name and shame them.

Bart S · Post by **Bart S** » 16 Mar 2020 22:16

syam wrote:
Bart S wrote: You can't do that in practice. The younger people will just go out, get infected and infect them. You have to maintain social distancing for the entire population and minimize unnecessary contact regardless of age.
That's why I mentioned specific age. 50+ years age group living in some township type of quarantine area maintained by armed forces during crisis times. This can be turned into vacation type homes for older people during peacetime. Government doesn't need to do much as the older folks will have their own money to spend on their township.

We have very huge population of older people who are living alone and frankly they need their peace to pass their last decades somewhere nearby hill or river or sea side. I am sure we have acres of such land near to these places.

My idea sounds outlandish, but at least the older people will have much better chance at survival if they are protected from regular society. Please nitpick my thoughts. I really want to come up with some thing for older folks in disaster times like now. If the cases go above 5k, Italy like situation will happen in India.

Sorry, but this is Utopian thinking, in the Indian context older folks depend on their younger family members and vice-versa. We just don't have the time nor the resources to implement this sort of thing.

Better to channel our energies into more productive solutions and practical measures.

KL Dubey · Post by **KL Dubey** » 16 Mar 2020 22:18

chola wrote:^^^ Sir, the cruise ship story is from the Miami Herald which is a publication of record for that city just as the Boston Globe is for its city when it reported that travelers from Italy were coming in unchecked at the Boston international airport at Logan a few weeks ago. We saw how the Boston story panned out. Hardly random rumors when it involved that many people and a local source.

OK, so I found the Miami Herald story. There is a lot of background detail that your post did not mention.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/busine ... 09366.html

It was the same "US health authorities" that made decisions in both places, including the CDC. The report mentions nobody on the Florida ship had symptoms, and were checked for symptoms for multiple days on the ship.

“We worked closely with the Health Authorities in Canada, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and PortMiami and followed all protocols as required,” said MSC Cruises spokesperson Alyssa Goldfarb via email. “MSC Meraviglia received clearance after health authorities reviewed all the necessary documentation regarding the health of passengers and crew on board today and throughout the cruise.”

Probably they learned from the California case and modified procedures accordingly based on a risk assessment.

Locally also, I am getting emails from different organizations wherein they clarify that persons who may have formerly come into incidental contact with COVID-positive cases are not considered as a high risk unless they show symptoms. This seems the consistent US policy now: it may change later or not.

Once again, I think we should desist from hysteria/panic/rumors.

Vikas · Post by **Vikas** » 16 Mar 2020 22:21

So in next few weeks we will see temperatures rising in most parts of the Northern hemisphere. Would that mean that number of cases will go down assuming the theory of high temperatures == death of corona virus is true.
Vice versa would this cause spike in covid-19 positive cases in places like Aus, NZ, SA and Agentina ?

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 16 Mar 2020 22:22

https://twitter.com/ARanganathan72/stat ... 4487069696

Anand Ranganathan
@ARanganathan72

Fantastic breakthrough by German scientists, just published in Cell (https://cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S00 ... %2930229-4) and today corroborated in PNASc (https://pnas.org/content/pnas/early/202 ... 7.full.pdf) that CoVID19 employs human TMPRSS2 protein for entry.

Existing anti-TMPRSS2 drug Camostat (+E-64d) blocked CoVID19 infection.

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 16 Mar 2020 22:42

Big decision by Govt. Of Maharashtra. All private sector companies including banks need to work only with its 50% employees, rest need to work from home.

@MoHFW_INDIA issues comprehensive advisory on #SocialDistancing

syam · Post by **syam** » 16 Mar 2020 22:42

KLNMurthy wrote:
syam wrote: 4. take over control of every public place. including pubs and bars.
You forgot: close temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras etc

I put it under the fourth point.

Bart S wrote: Sorry, but this is Utopian thinking, in the Indian context older folks depend on their younger family members and vice-versa. We just don't have the time nor the resources to implement this sort of thing.

Better to channel our energies into more productive solutions and practical measures.

It's not utopian thinking, saar. Just look at the Italy situation. They openly declared they will leave 80+ to die. They are not even being evil. Most of the doctors crying openly there. It's helpless situation. There must be a way to save these people. The older people don't even need to be part of active society. Why should they die?

My approach to it is to come up with some grand idea which can be adapted at individual level to nation level.

case-1:
Let's think about older people at our home. We can adapt the grand idea to suit the given requirement. We can dedicate a single room to elder and not expose them to any virus infected environment.

case-2:
Dedicate emergency flat to the vulnerable people in our apartment. They can use their own dedicated lift too. It will touched only by the qualified people.

I am sure we can come up with something useful, if we brainstorm here.

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 16 Mar 2020 22:47

Foreign tourists starve as Coronavirus fear grips Kerala

Maria from Argentina was forced to spend the night in a hospital after her hotel refused to honor her booking
Several cases of foreign tourists starving and sleeping rough have come up in the last two days in Kerala as hotels and restaurants turn away anyone with white skin over fears of Coronavirus.

The most striking is the case of Selena, from France, and Mauro, from Italy.

The couple, who had been roaming around in India for several days, reached Kannur in Kerala on 11 March. However, they could not find any restaurant or hotel willing to serve them for three days, and finally reached the nearby town of Payyanur.

They were found by state police crying on the road and were taken to Payyanur Taluk Hospital for Coronavirus testing by the police.

When the doctor found out that they hadn’t eaten for nearly three days, hospital authorities arranged for food.

They are currently in Telicherry Government Hospital.

Another tourist who was found breaking down on the streets was Maria from Argentina.

She was picked up last night by the police when she broke down after failing to find any hotel or restaurant that would serve her.

She had reached Trivandrum by flight yesterday, but her hotel refused to honor her booking. She tried to find a lodge in Thampanoor area, but was rejected by all the establishments there.

She told the police that when she approached passers by for help, no one was willing to even speak with her.

She was picked up by Pink Police near the University Library near Palayam and was transported in an ambulance to Government Hospital in Trivandum (see image).

Police said she would be given an accommodation after testing negative for COVID-19. It is likely that she would be kept in the hospital until the results are available.

Police were also called to Church of Christ in Vagamon, a popular tourist spot, after passers by noticed a tourist sleeping on one of the tombstones. However, the tourist managed to get a bus out of the locality by the time the police arrived at 6:30 AM.

Another couple, David and Leah from Spain, were in for a surprise when they climbed on to a state transport bus. As soon as the couple got on the bus, the other passengers created a furore.

The couple were handed over to the police, who passed them on to state health authorities.

The couple were advised to remain in home quarantine.

However, given the difficulties in finding any hotel or lodge that would accommodate them, they agreed to the authorities’ suggestion that they should stay in the Pala General Hospital.

GENERAL PANIC

The level of concern about Coronavirus has reached panic levels among many in Kerala after a recent incident involving a tourist from the UK.

An incident in which a British tourist — later confirmed with COVID 19 — attended a mass festival in Thrissur and danced with the locals has led to panic in the area. Health authorities have asked everyone who danced with the tourist and clicked selfies with him to come forward.

Hotels visited by the tourist have been shut down and staff have been put under observation.

According to state authorities, the estimated number of foreign tourists in Kerala at present is above 5,000.

Last week, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had to specifically appeal to the people not to treat foreigners will suspicion and to remember to be good hosts.

“We are hearing several cases of harassment and non-cooperation. Awareness does not mean you should shout ‘Corona, Corona’ whenever you see a foreigner,” he said last week in light of police reports about the difficulties faced by foreign tourists.

“Remember that we depend on these tourists.”

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 16 Mar 2020 22:53

अर्ध-सन्यासी (Half Hermit) @bababanaras

Initially I was thinking, it is a joke. But it is true ,The vaccine made by Israel to treat the Carona virus contains part of pig's tissues. Scientist of Israel tested it on 4 patients of #WuhanCoronavius and found positive results.

But it is "HARAAM" for "special people".

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 16 Mar 2020 22:56

Coronavirus outbreak: 4 held for locking up couple under self-quarantine in Kerala flat

Four people have been arrested for allegedly locking up a couple, who were in self- quarantine following the COVID-19 scare, in their flat in an apartment complex in Thrissur, police said on Monday.

The elderly couple, who had returned from Saudi Arabia on Sunday, had undergone screening at the airport and did not have any symptoms of coronavirus, they said.

"The couple found their door locked up from outside and informed the police. The residents association members took the extreme step of confining the couple to the flat and pasting a sticker related to coronavirus on their door. That is not the right way. The couple was already under self-quarantine. We have registered a case," police said.

The couple's helper bought all the groceries and kept them at the door and when the couple tried to open it, they found it locked from the outside, they said.

"The association members are supposed to help the couple. Instead, they tried to lock them up," police said, adding the arrest was made to be deterrent to other from following this act.

Police took into custody, the president, secretary and two members of the residents association.

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 16 Mar 2020 23:03

India's new travel advisory for #Coronavirus
--Everyone coming from/ Transiting from UAE/Qatar/Oman/Kuwait to be Quarantined
--No one from EU/Turkey/UK/EFTA to be boarded

no USA???

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 16 Mar 2020 23:05

Italy reports 3,233 new cases of coronavirus and 349 new deaths, raising total to 27,980 cases and 2,158 dead.

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 16 Mar 2020 23:08

4 New cases of #Coronavirus in Pakistan’s Largest city, Karachi, Pakistan.

All 4 cases have no travel history. All 4 cases are Human to Human transmission cases.

Number of Confirmed Human to Human transmission cases reach 8 in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Total reaches 184.

saip · Post by **saip** » 16 Mar 2020 23:18

sooraj wrote:अर्ध-सन्यासी (Half Hermit) @bababanaras

Initially I was thinking, it is a joke. But it is true ,The vaccine made by Israel to treat the Carona virus contains part of pig's tissues. Scientist of Israel tested it on 4 patients of #WuhanCoronavius and found positive results.

But it is "HARAAM" for "special people".

It would be Haram even for Jewish. So if Israel has done it, it is very laudable.

tandav · Post by **tandav** » 16 Mar 2020 23:21

Should I ask my parents (70+) who are definitely at Risk diabetes, heart ailments, high BP (currently in self quarantine in NOIDA) go to our ancestral village near KanyaKumari. facilities there are not great but I feel that they will reduce the risk of getting the Virus from surroundings as unlike in Big cities like Delhi and Mumbai where the chance of getting infected is higher.

If we can buy them 2-3 months of time perhaps a vaccine will be available? Thoughts

Sicanta · Post by **Sicanta** » 16 Mar 2020 23:30

High Temperature and High Humidity Reduce the Transmission of COVID-19

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm ... id=3551767

SBajwa · Post by **SBajwa** » 16 Mar 2020 23:44

tandav wrote:Should I ask my parents (70+) who are definitely at Risk diabetes, heart ailments, high BP (currently in self quarantine in NOIDA) go to our ancestral village near KanyaKumari. facilities there are not great but I feel that they will reduce the risk of getting the Virus from surroundings as unlike in Big cities like Delhi and Mumbai where the chance of getting infected is higher.

If we can buy them 2-3 months of time perhaps a vaccine will be available? Thoughts

My 82 years old mother is also self quarantined. Just have rations (grains, rice, pulses, vegetables, water, medicines ) available for 3 months. Traveling is very dangerous.

Uttam · Post by **Uttam** » 16 Mar 2020 23:48

Sicanta wrote:High Temperature and High Humidity Reduce the Transmission of COVID-19

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm ... id=3551767

Just a note regarding SSRN. Anybody can post an article on SSRN. Just because an article is posted on SSRN, it does not mean it is peer-reviewed or verified by any reputable unit. Therefore, please digest these articles with bags of salt!

Sanju · Post by **Sanju** » 16 Mar 2020 23:53

tandav wrote:Should I ask my parents (70+) who are definitely at Risk diabetes, heart ailments, high BP (currently in self quarantine in NOIDA) go to our ancestral village near KanyaKumari. facilities there are not great but I feel that they will reduce the risk of getting the Virus from surroundings as unlike in Big cities like Delhi and Mumbai where the chance of getting infected is higher.

If we can buy them 2-3 months of time perhaps a vaccine will be available? Thoughts

At this stage the best solution is to stay put, as long as they are in a safe place. Traveling will put them in the risk of human-to-human transmission, especially in crowded areas (airports, train stations, bus stations, taxi stands etc.)

India being geographically large and densely populated, localised lockdowns could possibly happen, and no ingress or egress allowed. This may further put them in a quandary of being neither here nor there.

nam · Post by **nam** » 17 Mar 2020 00:05

tandav wrote:Should I ask my parents (70+) who are definitely at Risk diabetes, heart ailments, high BP (currently in self quarantine in NOIDA) go to our ancestral village near KanyaKumari. facilities there are not great but I feel that they will reduce the risk of getting the Virus from surroundings as unlike in Big cities like Delhi and Mumbai where the chance of getting infected is higher.

If we can buy them 2-3 months of time perhaps a vaccine will be available? Thoughts

I have asked my parents to buy 2 months of food. Not go out anywhere. Also to keep a soap and water outside the house, and ask everyone coming in to wash their hands.

There could something you could do to make the stay more comfortable. Get them a good data plan mobile connection, may be a good tv connection to keep them occupied.

Away from crowded place, the better.

Gyan · Post by **Gyan** » 17 Mar 2020 00:08

Delhi NCR is untimely cold but hopefully in next couple of days it will become very hot & safe.

nam · Post by **nam** » 17 Mar 2020 00:09

Italy has 80% of the infection above 50 years. We will probably hear about 300+ death on a daily basis...

syam · Post by **syam** » 17 Mar 2020 00:24

tandav ji, don't send them anywhere. the distance is very long. Things can go very wrong if we have bad luck. once we leave our house, everything will be out of our hands.

disha · Post by **disha** » 17 Mar 2020 00:48

tandav wrote:Should I ask my parents (70+) who are definitely at Risk diabetes, heart ailments, high BP (currently in self quarantine in NOIDA) go to our ancestral village near KanyaKumari. facilities there are not great but I feel that they will reduce the risk of getting the Virus from surroundings as unlike in Big cities like Delhi and Mumbai where the chance of getting infected is higher.

If we can buy them 2-3 months of time perhaps a vaccine will be available? Thoughts

I would not recommend any traveling. And definitely not go to Kanyakumari, which is a long way off from Noida.

1. Self-quarantine under your watchful eyes is the best thing. You can provide support as necessary
2. Staying at home will actually increase the social distance as recommended. All unnecessary travel must be avoided.

Ambar · Post by **Ambar** » 17 Mar 2020 00:49

I hope we can start producing COVID-19 test kits locally in large volume. ICMR says they have 100k kits currently and have placed an order for 200k additional kits from Germany. If the contagion spreads then we'll probably need 100 to 300 times as many kits, so waiting for them to arrive from europe may not be an option then. The government should also give daily updates and hold immediate meetings with (a) Pharma and biotech executives to ensure essential drugs are readily available and start earnestly on r&d for a vaccine against covid-19 (b) Meet with CMs and health ministers of every state to start adding additional beds and construct temporary hospitals (c) Take steps with MEMs to ramp up manufacturing and increase availability of full body biohazard suits, nitrile gloves, N95 masks etc. (d) procure additional ambulances on war footing (e) Every healthcare facility must add to its ICU capacity. This is a time for maximum, visible governance, and i'm glad we have a government at center that's capable of delivering in such trying times.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 17 Mar 2020 00:58

Vaccine testing starts in Seattle: a segment of genetic sequence of virus is being injected into 45 humans, it will take months to know the result https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51906604

Cain Marko · Post by **Cain Marko** » 17 Mar 2020 01:29

saip wrote:
sooraj wrote:अर्ध-सन्यासी (Half Hermit) @bababanaras

Initially I was thinking, it is a joke. But it is true ,The vaccine made by Israel to treat the Carona virus contains part of pig's tissues. Scientist of Israel tested it on 4 patients of #WuhanCoronavius and found positive results.

But it is "HARAAM" for "special people".
It would be Haram even for Jewish. So if Israel has done it, it is very laudable.

Not Haram for Muslims depending on school of fiqh followed. Exception for medicine in times of emergency can be made. Could be makrooh but not necessarily Haram.

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 17 Mar 2020 01:30

On war footing the Govt can use a couple of DRDO labs to develop low cost test kits and low cost essentials kit including basic ventilators/nebulizer(not really medical grade), temp measurement kits etc. I read up about ventilators/nebulizer and looks relatively easy to develop a basic one if you have about 15 engineers/technicians with some good 3D-print infra. Temperature/oxygen content/pulse related items are anyways commodity. Post design validation/verification the manufacturing could be done by willing private companies. This could actually be made as a take-home package to anyone who visits PHCs and they can use it after checking youtube videos which are made in the "yoga with Modi" style

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 17 Mar 2020 01:31

It is wise of them to allow exceptions. For everything.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 17 Mar 2020 01:32

syam wrote:tandav ji, you can do it, if you can arrange some safe transportation for your parents. But the distance is very long. Things can go very wrong if we have bad luck. once we leave our house, everything will be out of our hands. So consider all of it before sending them anywhere.

IOW don't. Why cant you say that" many posters responded with clear NO.
He is asking for advice not five flow chart with risks.
Tandav don't send as the travel could expose them.
In US the advice to any one over 65 is stay home.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 17 Mar 2020 01:32

suryag, I would rather the DRDO labs work on vaccine.
You know the ones I am thinking off.

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 17 Mar 2020 01:44

https://twitter.com/ARanganathan72/stat ... 4445331456

Anand Ranganathan
@ARanganathan72
·
20h
Camostat Mesylate, the drug shown by German scientists to effectively block corona virus CoVID-19 infection of lung cells, is apparently made by Sun Pharma in India and sold as Camopan. It is approved for human use in Japan but is not FDA-approved.
Quote Tweet

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 17 Mar 2020 01:49

https://www.rediff.com/news/report/dont ... 200316.htm

Don't be scared: First COVID-19 patient of Delhi
Source: PTI - Edited By: Roshneesh KmaneckMarch 16, 2020 23:44 IST
A businessman who was the first person to test positive for the novel coronavirus in Delhi and quarantined 14 days, said on Monday that people having symptoms of the deadly disease should not be scared and visit doctors immediately.

The first coronavirus patient, who had arrived in Delhi from Italy on February 25, said he got fever at night the same day.

"On February 26 morning, I went to a local doctor and got some medicine," he said.

On February 28, on his 12-year-old son's birthday, the man said he had organised a small get-together at a luxury hotel in south Delhi.

"My wife, daughter,8, and my mother, along with few friends, were also present. All have tested negative for coronavirus, thankfully.

"My wife, two children, and mother along with the families of two of my friends, whose children are my son's classmates, were present," he said.

That night, he again got fever.

"I got a bit worried and went to RML Hospital after that tested positive there. Soon I was sent to Safdarjung Hospital isolation facility.

"I had access to my phone in the room, so I could connect to my family through video calling. I also read books and watched videos on Netflix, and so I wasn't feeling disconnected during the 14-day isolation at the hospital," he said.

Now, recuperating at his house where he had been asked by doctors to be home quarantined for 14 days, he said, "Everyday, I and family, thank God, more now"

Gyan · Post by **Gyan** » 17 Mar 2020 01:49

nam wrote:Italy has 80% of the infection above 50 years. We will probably hear about 300+ death on a daily basis...

My back of envelope calculation is giving a very frightening high death rate for Patients above 75+ years suffering from COVID in Italy. Can someone better equipped comment on it?

Gyan · Post by **Gyan** » 17 Mar 2020 01:52

vijayk wrote:https://twitter.com/ARanganathan72/stat ... 4445331456
Anand Ranganathan
@ARanganathan72
·
20h
Camostat Mesylate, the drug shown by German scientists to effectively block corona virus CoVID-19 infection of lung cells, is apparently made by Sun Pharma in India and sold as Camopan. It is approved for human use in Japan but is not FDA-approved.
Quote Tweet

One can be sure that Italians, Japanese, Koreans & Chinese tested all known anti virals & medicines against Flu while trying to save patients. Oddly enough, there is not much data on success or failure of these medicines.

sudarshan · Post by **sudarshan** » 17 Mar 2020 02:16

Gyan wrote:
nam wrote:Italy has 80% of the infection above 50 years. We will probably hear about 300+ death on a daily basis...
My back of envelope calculation is giving a very frightening high death rate for Patients above 75+ years suffering from COVID in Italy. Can someone better equipped comment on it?

Have you considered that they could be letting them die?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 17 Mar 2020 02:30

Gyan, Maybe the Italian strain is more potent?

schinnas · Post by **schinnas** » 17 Mar 2020 02:33

All good ideas regarding using DRDO should be conveyed to Govt through the portal for ideas to fight COVID19 launched by govt.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 17 Mar 2020 02:48

On France: https://twitter.com/joyehoward/status/1 ... 8064670722

Impressive speech: war-time measures including total lock down, state appropriation of hotels & taxis for healthcare workers; setting up military field hospitals; no company will go bankrupt; all tax, electricity & gas bills suspended; solidarity fund for the self-employed.