buzzfeednews--2020-01-28--Here's What We Do And Don't Know About The Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak

The first new disease outbreak in the social media era has been defined by the rapid spread of panic and uncertainty .
Here ’ s what you should worry about — and what you shouldn ’ t .
Update : This story was originally published with a different headline comparing the risk of the coronavirus in the US at the time to the flu .
The headline , and the story , was based on information available in late January .
Because the story is still being widely shared , we have decided to change the headline in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here is the most recent BuzzFeed News coverage on the coronavirus .
WASHINGTON — The world of 24-hour news and global stock markets has met its match in the newly identified Chinese coronavirus , which moves at the speed of biology and defies hot takes on how much of a threat it poses to humanity .
“ This outbreak is unrolling right in front of our eyes , ” CDC ’ s Nancy Messonnier , director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases , said in a Monday briefing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the world are looking at the available data to analyze it to come with information that would be helpful.
” In less than a month , a report of dozens of people infected with a newly identified virus in Wuhan , China , after visiting a seafood market has turned into an outbreak affecting more than 7,800 people , causing over 170 deaths so far .
The Chinese government has quarantined 50 million people in central China , banning travel following a small number of air travel-related cases , all nonfatal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen countries .
The World Health Organization has announced it will reconvene a panel to recommend whether to declare the coronavirus outbreak a global emergency , a decision expected on Thursday .
WHO is assembling an international team to send to China to help investigate cases there .
In the US , there are now six confirmed cases .
An additional 110 people are under observation , according to Messonnier .
The “ great majority ” are travelers from Wuhan or people who had close contact with them .
“ The general risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low at this time , ” she stressed .
Still , the first new disease outbreak in the social media era has been defined by panic and uncertainty .
An onslaught of sensational disinformation has spread like wildfire on platforms like Twitter and WhatsApp , along with overt propaganda and censorship from Chinese state media , making the actual risks of the fast-moving outbreak difficult to grasp .
In some ways , the uncertainty is built into the new disease , as scientists and health officials scramble to understand it .
Even without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks have seen plenty of genuine confusion as case numbers — trickling in from Chinese state media reports — have continued to climb .
And health officials worldwide have grappled with identifying the spread of a new disease with what an early scientific report has called “ non-specific ” symptoms — coughing , fever , and pneumonia .
Right now , the virus has more questions than answers .
Here is what we know so far — and what we don ’ t .
The coronavirus is infectious — but that should n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential infectiousness of a disease by a metric called R0 , or “ R naught.
” This is an estimate of the average number of people infected by each new case in a completely susceptible population with no efforts made — such as quarantine , hygiene , or hospitalization — to stop its spread .
But the R0 is also a snapshot in time : The measure changes as scientists get more data about the spread of the disease , which has led to fear and uncertainty online about the high initial estimates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of estimates emerged , ranging from 1.3 to 3.8 .
Harvard health economist Eric Feigl-Ding called the 3.8 value “ thermonuclear pandemic level bad ” in a tweet that triggered thousands of panicked shares on the platform , followed by widespread criticism from scientists .
Such declarations were “ absolutely premature and hyperbolic , ” epidemiologist Maimuna Majumder of Harvard Medical School and Boston Children ’ s Hospital , an author on one of the preliminary R0 estimate papers , told BuzzFeed News .
Even the high number isn ’ t so terrifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparison , the R0 for measles is between 12 and 18 , ” she said .
She noted that R0 is a moving target during an outbreak , with the goal of moving it below a measure of 1 as stronger actions are taken to quickly identify existing cases and prevent new ones .
Each case would then lead to fewer people with the illness over time , snuffing out its spread .
That ’ s what happened with SARS — which has an R0 of 3.0 , according to the World Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectiousness of less than 1 under quarantine measures that only started five months into its 2002 outbreak .
SARS infected more than 8,000 people in two years , killing 774 .
The coronavirus spreads person-to-person — but exactly how it spreads is still being worked out .
The virus is a newly discovered member of the coronavirus family that includes the viruses that caused the SARS and MERS outbreaks .
Human coronaviruses first jump from animals to people — from bats during SARS and camels in MERS — and then mutate to spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus originated in is still in dispute ; one early scientific paper concluded it came from bats , while another argued that it closely resembled a virus that infects snakes .
It ’ s important to know this origin to help stop future animal-to-human virus outbreaks .
Another dispute in the 2019-nCoV outbreak is over when it becomes infectious in the course of an illness , with some Chinese officials suggesting it is early , when no symptoms are evident .
That matters because the disease is thought to have a 2- to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person could be unknowingly spreading the disease .
China has suffered a widespread shortage of medical face masks , which experts say are only somewhat effective at stopping the spread of respiratory illnesses .
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also reportedly pledged to provide hospitals in Wuhan with 20,000 pairs of safety goggles to prevent exposure through the eyes ; this could benefit health care workers who are exposed to coughing patients in the worst stages of the disease .
For people in the US , CDC suggests washing your hands frequently ; not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eyes , or nose ; and avoiding sick people — standard advice during flu season .
Masks would not be necessary for anyone in the US , Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Tuesday .
SARS , the closest known genetic relative to the new coronavirus , only becomes infectious late in the illness , when it is lodged in the lungs and triggers coughing , releasing germs .
The flu , by contrast , affects the nose and throat early in an infection and is often spread by sneezing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Messonnier pushed back against claims about early infectiousness , reporting “ no evidence ” for such a spread .
She cited travelers without symptoms entering the US without infecting other people on their planes and secondary cases seen primarily in relatives and medical personnel .
The coronavirus can mutate — but so far that hasn ’ t led to a supervirus .
These viruses are “ messy ” in their reproduction , coronavirus expert Stanley Perlman of the University of Iowa told BuzzFeed News , because their genetic material is RNA .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ plants and animals have in their cells , which use DNA as their genetic material ; as the cells divide , the enzymes police mutations .
Viruses , instead , are barely alive — they 're mostly just packages of reproductive genes surrounded by a protein shell .
That makes such RNA viruses prone to mutations such as the one that facilitated the jump of the coronavirus from something at a seafood market in Wuhan to people in the first place .
It also raises legitimate fears about a mutation making the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , CDC has compared the genetic map of the virus that infected the first two US patients to the one from the first documented Chinese patient in Wuhan .
No differences between the two were seen .
This suggests that the virus has not mutated , Messonnier said .
The risk of getting infected is high in China — but people in the US should be way more worried about the flu .
The great majority of cases are in China , where the risk of catching the illness is high , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear the outbreak is spreading rapidly in China , '' said Azar .
More than 50 % of the new cases in China are outside Wuhan 's Hubei province , he noted , spreading to 30 Chinese provinces .
One preliminary estimate by an international scientific team , suggests that nearly 200,000 cases may be diagnosed in China by early February .
Outside of China , cases are not spiking .
They have turned up in 18 countries and appear to be concentrated among people who were in Wuhan before the travel ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were there .
This led a WHO emergency panel to decline to declare the outbreak an international emergency last week .
The deaths reported by China are largely among the elderly or people with underlying health conditions , putting them at high risk for pneumonia .
A commentary in the Lancet medical journal estimated a 2.9 % mortality risk from the virus , compared to 10 % for SARS , but added that number is likely to decrease as more mild cases are documented .
At the same time , “ there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that report , noting the 1918 Spanish flu killed around 50 million people worldwide with a mortality rate of less than 5 % .
To put the risk in more context , the current US flu season has killed 54 infants so far , according to CDC .
And in the first two weeks of 2020 , the flu has killed more than 5,000 people in the US , mostly through associated pneumonia .
Others have suggested imports from China could carry a risk of transmission overseas .
But coronavirus particles die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cell , according to Messonnier .
So there is little risk of commerce from China spreading the outbreak .
The widespread quarantine could stop the spread of the disease — but may harm people in China .
Quarantines worked with SARS once Chinese officials quit hiding the extent of the country ’ s 2002 outbreak .
That is the route China is going with now , quickly instituting a massive travel ban on Wuhan that later expanded to include much of Hubei province .
But some experts have criticized China ’ s response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely ineffective .
“ When done properly , limiting population movement can help ease the speed by which a disease spreads , ” Rebecca Katz of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University , said in a statement on the unprecedented travel ban .
“ Broadly-applied interventions such as travel bans can cause public panic , impede individual rights , lead to secondary effects like shortages of food , and may not be effective at containing a virus if it has already spread outside of the epicenter , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Social distancing ” measures , such as preventing people from riding buses or trains together , are better tools than blanket travel bans , she said .

Update: This story was originally published with a different headline comparing the risk of the coronavirus in the US at the time to the flu. The headline, and the story, was based on information available in late January. Because the story is still being widely shared, we have decided to change the headline in order to reflect our current understanding of the pandemic. Here is the most recent BuzzFeed News coverage on the coronavirus.
WASHINGTON — The world of 24-hour news and global stock markets has met its match in the newly identified Chinese coronavirus, which moves at the speed of biology and defies hot takes on how much of a threat it poses to humanity.
“This outbreak is unrolling right in front of our eyes,” CDC’s Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a Monday briefing on the 2019-nCoV virus. “Scientists all over the world are looking at the available data to analyze it to come with information that would be helpful.”
In less than a month, a report of dozens of people infected with a newly identified virus in Wuhan, China, after visiting a seafood market has turned into an outbreak affecting more than 7,800 people, causing over 170 deaths so far. The Chinese government has quarantined 50 million people in central China, banning travel following a small number of air travel-related cases, all nonfatal, which have spread to more than a dozen countries.
The World Health Organization has announced it will reconvene a panel to recommend whether to declare the coronavirus outbreak a global emergency, a decision expected on Thursday. WHO is assembling an international team to send to China to help investigate cases there.
In the US, there are now six confirmed cases. An additional 110 people are under observation, according to Messonnier. The “great majority” are travelers from Wuhan or people who had close contact with them. “The general risk to the [US] public is low at this time,” she stressed.
Still, the first new disease outbreak in the social media era has been defined by panic and uncertainty. An onslaught of sensational disinformation has spread like wildfire on platforms like Twitter and WhatsApp, along with overt propaganda and censorship from Chinese state media, making the actual risks of the fast-moving outbreak difficult to grasp.
In some ways, the uncertainty is built into the new disease, as scientists and health officials scramble to understand it. Even without conspiracy peddlers on YouTube, these early weeks have seen plenty of genuine confusion as case numbers — trickling in from Chinese state media reports — have continued to climb. And health officials worldwide have grappled with identifying the spread of a new disease with what an early scientific report has called “non-specific” symptoms — coughing, fever, and pneumonia.
Right now, the virus has more questions than answers. Here is what we know so far — and what we don’t.
The coronavirus is infectious — but that shouldn't cause panic.
Health experts measure the potential infectiousness of a disease by a metric called R0, or “R naught.” This is an estimate of the average number of people infected by each new case in a completely susceptible population with no efforts made — such as quarantine, hygiene, or hospitalization — to stop its spread.


buzzfeednews--2020-05-14--Pregnant And Scared, She Became The First Woman Federal Prisoner To Die Of COVID-19

People around the world are remembering family and friends who have died during the coronavirus pandemic .
BuzzFeed News is proud to bring you some of their stories .
To support our coverage , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
She was 7 months pregnant , sick , scared , and in prison .
The cough and fever would n't subside , so federal prison officials took Andrea Circle Bear to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth , Texas , where doctors told her she had pneumonia .
There , doctors let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one last time .
`` I prayed with her , and we said our goodbyes , '' LaBeau , a South Dakota resident , told BuzzFeed News .
`` We loved each other , and she said to tell her children that she loved them and that was the last time I talked to her . ''
That same day on March 31 , prison officials said Circle Bear was placed on a ventilator .
Four weeks later , on April 28 , she died from COVID-19 .
If doctors or prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the novel coronavirus , the 30-year-old did not tell her grandmother during that last phone call .
She had stood out in the cold , with no jackets or coverings , on March 20 when she was transferred from Winner City Jail in South Dakota to FMC Carswell in Texas , so she told her grandmother she must have developed the illness then .
Circle Bear also did n't mention any plans to give birth early , but the following day , her daughter was born by Cesarean section .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver because she was admitted for pneumonia , '' LaBeau said .
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons , Circle Bear was confirmed to be positive for COVID-19 on April 4 , four days after she had been placed on a ventilator .
As of Thursday , 2,820 inmates in federal custody have tested positive for COVID-19 .
But Circle Bear 's coronavirus-related death is the first for a woman federal inmate .

She was 7 months pregnant, sick, scared, and in prison.
The cough and fever wouldn't subside, so federal prison officials took Andrea Circle Bear to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, where doctors told her she had pneumonia. There, doctors let her call her grandmother, Clara LaBeau, one last time.
"I prayed with her, and we said our goodbyes," LaBeau, a South Dakota resident, told BuzzFeed News. "We loved each other, and she said to tell her children that she loved them and that was the last time I talked to her."
That same day on March 31, prison officials said Circle Bear was placed on a ventilator. Four weeks later, on April 28, she died from COVID-19.
If doctors or prison officials suspected Circle Bear had been infected with the novel coronavirus, the 30-year-old did not tell her grandmother during that last phone call. She had stood out in the cold, with no jackets or coverings, on March 20 when she was transferred from Winner City Jail in South Dakota to FMC Carswell in Texas, so she told her grandmother she must have developed the illness then.
Circle Bear also didn't mention any plans to give birth early, but the following day, her daughter was born by Cesarean section.
"I was not thinking she was going to deliver because she was admitted for pneumonia," LaBeau said.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Circle Bear was confirmed to be positive for COVID-19 on April 4, four days after she had been placed on a ventilator.
As of Thursday, 2,820 inmates in federal custody have tested positive for COVID-19. But Circle Bear's coronavirus-related death is the first for a woman federal inmate.


buzzfeednews--2020-05-12--Russia Sold The US A Bunch Of Ventilators That Never Got Used. The Same Model Just Burst Into Flames

Russia Sold The US A Bunch Of Ventilators That Never Got Used. The Same Model Just Burst Into Flames And Killed Six People In Russia.

BuzzFeed News has reporters across five continents bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
They were delivered in crates stamped “ from Russia , with love.
” But dozens of ventilators sent from Moscow to New York and New Jersey to help their hospitals respond to the coronavirus outbreak have gone unused — and will now be handed over to federal authorities .
“ New York State received 30 ventilators from Russia , but thanks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic , they were not needed .
They will be returned to FEMA soon , ” Jonah Bruno , director of communications for the New York State Department of Health , told BuzzFeed News on Tuesday , referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency .
The situation was similar across the Hudson River .
“ 15 ventilators were received .
They have not been used to date , mainly for electrical compatibility issues , ” said Donna Leusner , director of communications for the New Jersey State Department of Health .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ volts , whereas Russian equipment is designed for 220-volt electricity .
A FEMA spokesperson told BuzzFeed News the Russian ventilators were delivered to warehouses owned by the two states .
“ Thankfully , the flattening curve meant these ventilators were not needed , but they were held in reserve in case the situations in NY and NJ worsened .
The ventilators have not been deployed to hospitals , ” the spokesperson said .
The US may have caught a lucky break by not using the ventilators , since two of the same models @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past week , killing six people .
Russian authorities have launched an investigation into the fires .
The FEMA spokesperson said they are aware of those fires and that the states are returning the ventilators to it “ out of an abundance of caution.
” “ The conclusion ( s ) of the investigation being conducted by the Russian authorities into the fire in St. Petersburg will help inform our decision regarding any future use of the ventilators , ” the spokesperson added .
The second fire occurred in Moscow .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardest by the pandemic , has recorded a total of 342,267 cases of the coronavirus and 27,003 related deaths , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
New Jersey has reported 140,743 cases with 9,508 deaths .
Ventilators have become a symbol of the global coronavirus pandemic , representing the last hope for some people with severe cases of COVID-19 .
But some doctors have raised concerns about the overuse of the breathing machines — which require patients to be intubated — and said they may be doing more harm than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and early April , many state officials across the US warned President Donald Trump that they lacked sufficient ventilators to deal with the looming crisis .
Trump soon got into a war of words with governors over the federal supply , boasted about ramping up production , and even called the US the “ king of ventilators.
” The Russian ventilators were sent by Moscow to the US last month after a series of calls between Presidents Trump and Vladimir Putin , and as New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said he feared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the devices .
They were part of a medical aid shipment that caused a wave of criticism and confusion .
It was first billed as free assistance but later Russia said it had charged the US $ 660,000 for the medical supplies , which included disinfectant , masks , and gloves .
“ As a follow-up to the March 30 phone call between President Trump and President Putin , the United States has agreed to purchase needed medical supplies , including ventilators and personal protection equipment , from Russia , which were handed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City , ” State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement .
Forty-five ventilators were sent from Russia and included several of a particular model called Aventa-M. That model , built by the Ural Instrument Engineering Plant ( UPZ ) in Chelyabinsk , 930 miles east of Moscow , was reported by Russian media to have caused two deadly fires at hospitals treating coronavirus patients in less than a week .
Five people were reportedly killed at a hospital treating coronavirus patients in St. Petersburg on Tuesday when an Aventa-M @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensive care unit to catch fire .
Days earlier , a ventilator caused a fire in the intensive care unit of a Moscow hospital , killing one woman .
After the latest incident , Russia ’ s healthcare watchdog , Roszdravnadzor , launched an investigation to check the quality and safety of the Aventa-M ventilators and said it would stop using the model for now .
News of the ventilator fires in Russia came as Putin ’ s longtime spokesperson said he himself had been hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , “ Yes , I ’ ve gotten sick .
I ’ m being treated.
”  Peskov , 52 , has been Putin 's spokesperson since 2008 .
Kremlin pool reporters said that he last saw Putin in person on April 30 , within the 14-day window of time that the World Health Organization says carriers of coronavirus can be asymptomatic .
By the WHO 's own definition , that would make Putin a “ contact ” who health experts say should self-isolate for 14 days .
It was unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were physically in the same room .
Peskov told Russia ’ s TASS news agency on Tuesday that he hadn ’ t seen Putin in person in “ more than a month.
” Putin has limited in-person meetings since the start of Russia ’ s coronavirus outbreak and has been mostly confined to his residence , where he conducts official business by videoconferencing .
Peskov ’ s wife , Tatiana Navka , a Russian Olympic ice dancing champion , has also tested positive for the coronavirus and been hospitalized , according to local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by her and her husband ’ s diagnosis and was quoted as saying that her “ whole family was in strict isolation ” when they received their coronavirus test results .
“ My husband was working .
In this regard , there is only one explanation : most likely , this came from him , since he was the first to get sick .
He brought it home from work , ” she said .
Peskov is at least the fourth Russian official to become infected with the coronavirus .
In late April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a live videoconference with members of the government that he had tested positive .
Days later , Construction Minister Vladimir Yakushev and Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova both tested positive .
 Just one day before his spokesperson announced he had been infected with the coronavirus , Putin announced the easing of a nationwide lockdown imposed in March to stop the spread of it and said that Russians should get back to work .
The announcement came even as the country reported a record-high number of infections , making it Europe ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia had recorded a total of 232,243 cases of the coronavirus , according to a global case tracker , placing it just behind the US for the most cases in the world .

They were delivered in crates stamped “from Russia, with love.”
But dozens of ventilators sent from Moscow to New York and New Jersey to help their hospitals respond to the coronavirus outbreak have gone unused — and will now be handed over to federal authorities.
“New York State received 30 ventilators from Russia, but thanks to the success of our efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, they were not needed. They will be returned to FEMA soon,” Jonah Bruno, director of communications for the New York State Department of Health, told BuzzFeed News on Tuesday, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The situation was similar across the Hudson River.
“15 ventilators were received. They have not been used to date, mainly for electrical compatibility issues,” said Donna Leusner, director of communications for the New Jersey State Department of Health.
US equipment is designed to handle 110 volts, whereas Russian equipment is designed for 220-volt electricity.
A FEMA spokesperson told BuzzFeed News the Russian ventilators were delivered to warehouses owned by the two states. “Thankfully, the flattening curve meant these ventilators were not needed, but they were held in reserve in case the situations in NY and NJ worsened. The ventilators have not been deployed to hospitals,” the spokesperson said.
The US may have caught a lucky break by not using the ventilators, since two of the same models burst into flames in Russian hospitals in the past week, killing six people. Russian authorities have launched an investigation into the fires.
The FEMA spokesperson said they are aware of those fires and that the states are returning the ventilators to it “out of an abundance of caution.”
“The conclusion(s) of the investigation being conducted by the Russian authorities into the fire in St. Petersburg will help inform our decision regarding any future use of the ventilators,” the spokesperson added. The second fire occurred in Moscow.
New York, the US state hit the hardest by the pandemic, has recorded a total of 342,267 cases of the coronavirus and 27,003 related deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. New Jersey has reported 140,743 cases with 9,508 deaths.
Ventilators have become a symbol of the global coronavirus pandemic, representing the last hope for some people with severe cases of COVID-19. But some doctors have raised concerns about the overuse of the breathing machines — which require patients to be intubated — and said they may be doing more harm than good in some cases.
In March and early April, many state officials across the US warned President Donald Trump that they lacked sufficient ventilators to deal with the looming crisis. Trump soon got into a war of words with governors over the federal supply, boasted about ramping up production, and even called the US the “king of ventilators.”
The Russian ventilators were sent by Moscow to the US last month after a series of calls between Presidents Trump and Vladimir Putin, and as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he feared the state could face a shortage of the devices. They were part of a medical aid shipment that caused a wave of criticism and confusion. It was first billed as free assistance but later Russia said it had charged the US $660,000 for the medical supplies, which included disinfectant, masks, and gloves.
“As a follow-up to the March 30 phone call between President Trump and President Putin, the United States has agreed to purchase needed medical supplies, including ventilators and personal protection equipment, from Russia, which were handed over to FEMA on April 1 in New York City,” State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
Forty-five ventilators were sent from Russia and included several of a particular model called Aventa-M. That model, built by the Ural Instrument Engineering Plant (UPZ) in Chelyabinsk, 930 miles east of Moscow, was reported by Russian media to have caused two deadly fires at hospitals treating coronavirus patients in less than a week.
Five people were reportedly killed at a hospital treating coronavirus patients in St. Petersburg on Tuesday when an Aventa-M ventilator burst into flames, causing an intensive care unit to catch fire. Days earlier, a ventilator caused a fire in the intensive care unit of a Moscow hospital, killing one woman.
After the latest incident, Russia’s healthcare watchdog, Roszdravnadzor, launched an investigation to check the quality and safety of the Aventa-M ventilators and said it would stop using the model for now.
News of the ventilator fires in Russia came as Putin’s longtime spokesperson said he himself had been hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency on Tuesday, “Yes, I’ve gotten sick. I’m being treated.”
Peskov, 52, has been Putin's spokesperson since 2008. Kremlin pool reporters said that he last saw Putin in person on April 30, within the 14-day window of time that the World Health Organization says carriers of coronavirus can be asymptomatic. By the WHO's own definition, that would make Putin a “contact” who health experts say should self-isolate for 14 days.
It was unclear, however, whether the two men were physically in the same room. Peskov told Russia’s TASS news agency on Tuesday that he hadn’t seen Putin in person in “more than a month.”
Putin has limited in-person meetings since the start of Russia’s coronavirus outbreak and has been mostly confined to his residence, where he conducts official business by videoconferencing.
Peskov’s wife, Tatiana Navka, a Russian Olympic ice dancing champion, has also tested positive for the coronavirus and been hospitalized, according to local media. She seemed to be surprised by her and her husband’s diagnosis and was quoted as saying that her “whole family was in strict isolation” when they received their coronavirus test results.
“My husband was working. In this regard, there is only one explanation: most likely, this came from him, since he was the first to get sick. He brought it home from work,” she said.
Peskov is at least the fourth Russian official to become infected with the coronavirus. In late April, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told Putin during a live videoconference with members of the government that he had tested positive. Days later, Construction Minister Vladimir Yakushev and Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova both tested positive.
Just one day before his spokesperson announced he had been infected with the coronavirus, Putin announced the easing of a nationwide lockdown imposed in March to stop the spread of it and said that Russians should get back to work. The announcement came even as the country reported a record-high number of infections, making it Europe’s new hot spot.
On Tuesday, Russia had recorded a total of 232,243 cases of the coronavirus, according to a global case tracker, placing it just behind the US for the most cases in the world.


buzzfeednews--2020-05-07--Before He Died Of The Coronavirus, He Starred In Some Of New York's Most Iconic Low-Budget Commercia

Before He Died Of The Coronavirus, He Starred In Some Of New York's Most Iconic Low-Budget Commercials

People around the world are remembering family and friends who have died during the coronavirus pandemic .
BuzzFeed News is proud to bring you some of their stories .
To support our coverage , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Michael Halkias — who , along with his wife , became a minor New York celebrity due to long-running commercials for their Brooklyn wedding venue , Grand Prospect Hall — died Wednesday from the coronavirus .
He was 82 .
Halkias died at Lennox Hill Hospital in Manhattan , widow Alice Halkias told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms of COVID-19 on April 1 and was taken to the hospital a few days later after suffering issues with his lungs and kidneys .
He spent two weeks on a ventilator prior to his death .
`` We had a great life , and he was the best husband I could ever imagine , '' said Alice , 73 , in a phone call .
`` Even though we were working together all these hours , we always worked beautifully together . ''
His death was first reported by the Greek community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grand Prospect Hall in 1981 .
The building had been constructed as a French Renaissance–inspired entertainment hall in Park Slope in 1892 — originally designed by architect Ulrich J. Huberty , who was also behind the nearby Boathouse in Prospect Park — but had fallen into disrepair by the 1980s .
`` My husband had a great vision the moment he walked into the doors , '' recalled Alice .
`` He saw the staircase , which was painted white at the time , and he started jumping and said , ' I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it for New York to enjoy it . '
`` I said , 'You 've got to be kidding . '
`` He said , ' I have to do it .
Brooklyn needs this building . '
'' Once refurbished , low-budget commercials advertising Grand Prospect Hall ran dozens of times a day on TV in the New York area .
Using Antonio Vivaldi 's `` The Four Seasons '' as an earworm , the unforgettable ads featured dizzying camera work showcasing the gilded concert hall and its glittering chandelier .
Memorably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended with the married owners standing on their grand staircase and proudly announcing , `` We make your dreams come true ! ''
`` We became sort of celebrities , '' Halkias recalled to BuzzFeed News in an interview last year for the Facebook Watch show That Literally Happened .
`` What you hear all the time is , 'We grew up on your commercial !
. '
'' `` Some people despise the commercial .
They do n't like it — one percent , two percent [ of people ] .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hate it because it 's simple , '' he added .
`` But that 's OK because I 'm running all the way to the bank happily ! ''

Michael Halkias — who, along with his wife, became a minor New York celebrity due to long-running commercials for their Brooklyn wedding venue, Grand Prospect Hall — died Wednesday from the coronavirus. He was 82.
Halkias died at Lennox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, widow Alice Halkias told BuzzFeed News. He had first exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 on April 1 and was taken to the hospital a few days later after suffering issues with his lungs and kidneys. He spent two weeks on a ventilator prior to his death.
"We had a great life, and he was the best husband I could ever imagine," said Alice, 73, in a phone call. "Even though we were working together all these hours, we always worked beautifully together."
His death was first reported by the Greek community website Anamniseis.
The couple first purchased Grand Prospect Hall in 1981. The building had been constructed as a French Renaissance–inspired entertainment hall in Park Slope in 1892 — originally designed by architect Ulrich J. Huberty, who was also behind the nearby Boathouse in Prospect Park — but had fallen into disrepair by the 1980s.
"My husband had a great vision the moment he walked into the doors," recalled Alice. "He saw the staircase, which was painted white at the time, and he started jumping and said, 'I have to buy this building and fix it for New York to enjoy it.'
"I said, 'You've got to be kidding.'
"He said, 'I have to do it. Brooklyn needs this building.'"
Once refurbished, low-budget commercials advertising Grand Prospect Hall ran dozens of times a day on TV in the New York area. Using Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" as an earworm, the unforgettable ads featured dizzying camera work showcasing the gilded concert hall and its glittering chandelier. Memorably starring the Halkiases themselves, each spot ended with the married owners standing on their grand staircase and proudly announcing, "We make your dreams come true!"
"We became sort of celebrities," Halkias recalled to BuzzFeed News in an interview last year for the Facebook Watch show That Literally Happened. "What you hear all the time is, 'We grew up on your commercial!.'"
"Some people despise the commercial. They don't like it — one percent, two percent [of people]. That's because they are jealous. They hate it because it's simple," he added. "But that's OK because I'm running all the way to the bank happily!"


buzzfeednews--2020-04-17--"I Don't Want To Die Here!": Older ICE Detainees Fear The Worst As The Coronavirus Spreads

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Mariela , one of hundreds of older immigrant detainees in government custody at local and private detention centers across the country , worries she will die in a jail .
The 60-year-old Colombian has been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for two months in El Paso , Texas , where she folds laundry and helps clean the facility , a job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1 a day .
Mariela is accused of violating her visa by working in the US — a charge she denies — and knows she ’ s at a higher risk of death than younger detainees if she contracts COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
“ I am very afraid of getting the virus .
That ’ s my life , ” she said .
“ This shouldn ’ t exist at all — detaining people who are more than 60 years old .
I came to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an injustice .
I cry every night , every day .
I feel helpless .
I don ’ t know what ’ s going on.
” Medical experts and immigrant advocates have warned that the highly contagious disease puts everyone in detention at risk .
But for the older detainees in ICE custody , the inherent problems within jails — like a lack of necessary space to accommodate proper social distancing guidelines — put them in even more danger , they say .
Advocates have used these arguments as a way to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are at increased risk of serious complications and death from [ COVID-19 ] , ” said Marc Stern , a public health expert and faculty member at the University of Washington .
Data from the CDC show there 's increased risk to those who are 50 and older , he noted .
“ So they should be among those people ICE prioritizes for consideration to release .
The other — and from the public ’ s standpoint more important — reason for the public to be concerned about this is that it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected if they are in a detention center than at home .
And when they get sick , they ’ re going to be transported to a local community hospital where they may very well occupy a scarce hospital or ICU bed and ventilator , ” Stern said .
Last month , ICE officials began assessing their inmate population to locate “ vulnerable ” detainees , including those who are over 60 or pregnant .
So far , they have released nearly 700 detainees , and detention numbers are the lowest they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , there were more than 300 detainees over the age of 60 in ICE facilities , 93 % of whom have either a record of criminal convictions or pending criminal charges , according to an agency official .
ICE spokespeople have said determinations on whom to release are based on the “ person ’ s criminal record , immigration history , ties to the community , risk of flight , and whether he or she poses a potential threat to public safety.
” “ Due to the unprecedented nature of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals in detention who may be at higher risk for severe illness as a result of COVID-19 .
Utilizing CDC guidance along with the advice of medical professionals , ICE may place individuals in a number of alternatives to detention options , ” the agency wrote in a statement .
“ Decisions to release individuals in ICE custody occur every day on a case-by-case basis.
” Advocates , however , point to the older detainees still in custody as proof that ICE is not doing enough .
Lawsuits filed by the Mexican American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center for Constitutional Rights in recent weeks have asked a federal judge to force ICE to release a pair of 78-year old detainees and a 62-year-old asylum-seeker .
“ It is very irresponsible to be detaining him in this situation .
He is elderly .
He has medical conditions that make him extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 , ” said Carlos Moctezuma Garcia , an attorney representing Raul Garza Marroquin , one of the 78-year-olds in custody .
Garza , who has hypertension , mixed hyperlipidemia , polyosteoarthritis , and prediabetes , has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detention Center in Los Fresnos , Texas , for the last several weeks , according to the lawsuit .
He alleges that he has been unable to get regular access to soap and hand sanitizer , a charge that others in detention centers across the US have also made .
Garcia attempted to get Garza out of custody in late March , but the request was denied by an ICE official .
Garza , who is a permanent resident , has been arrested on multiple charges of driving while intoxicated , and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Similarly , lawyers from the Center for Constitutional Rights sued the government last month for the release of Matilde Flores de Saavedra .
The 78-year-old detainee , who like Garza is a permanent resident , was picked up by ICE officials in June after serving a sentence for conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants , according to court documents .
In a declaration to the court , Saavedra said she has diabetes and high blood pressure .
“ Tensions are running high as everyone in the dorm is worried that the detention center is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease , ” she wrote about the conditions at the LaSalle ICE Processing Center in Louisiana .
“ Neither the staff nor the detainees use gloves or masks around the dorm and neither the staff or ICE have said anything to any of us about coronavirus .
All we know is what we see on television.
” ICE officials have not publicly offered the ages of the detainees who have tested positive for COVID-19 .
They have , however , provided the information to congressional officials .
Thus far , among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , nearly a dozen have been over the age of 50 .
Stern , the expert from Washington , said that ICE officials should change their assessment of the vulnerable population in agency custody by including those over the age of 50 .
Correctional health experts have found that those in detention are physiologically comparable to those in the community who are older .
“ Many state departments of corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons therefore define ‘ elderly ’ or ‘ older ’ variously between 50 and 60 years of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No such scientific information exists for the immigration detention population .
In the absence of such science , it is not unreasonable to extrapolate from the next most comparable populations , i.e.
, jails and prisons.
” In recent days , Mariela , who owns dental clinics in her home country , has called her attorney sobbing about officers showing up in full protective clothing to remove a sick detainee .
Her attorneys are worried that her stay in custody will last weeks if the government attempts to carry out the deportation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her deportation order on Thursday .
“ I am listening to a woman who knows what is going on , who runs a business in her home country , who should never have been detained , in freefall panic .
Each time she calls , she is more anxious and more panicked , ” her attorney , Heidi Cerneka at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center , said .
“ She said , ‘ I do n't want to die here !
’ ''

Mariela, one of hundreds of older immigrant detainees in government custody at local and private detention centers across the country, worries she will die in a jail.
The 60-year-old Colombian has been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for two months in El Paso, Texas, where she folds laundry and helps clean the facility, a job for which she says she is paid $1 a day.
Mariela is accused of violating her visa by working in the US — a charge she denies — and knows she’s at a higher risk of death than younger detainees if she contracts COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
“I am very afraid of getting the virus. That’s my life,” she said. “This shouldn’t exist at all — detaining people who are more than 60 years old. I came to the US with a visa. This is an injustice. I cry every night, every day. I feel helpless. I don’t know what’s going on.”
Medical experts and immigrant advocates have warned that the highly contagious disease puts everyone in detention at risk. But for the older detainees in ICE custody, the inherent problems within jails — like a lack of necessary space to accommodate proper social distancing guidelines — put them in even more danger, they say. Advocates have used these arguments as a way to push for more releases.
“These people are at increased risk of serious complications and death from [COVID-19],” said Marc Stern, a public health expert and faculty member at the University of Washington. Data from the CDC show there's increased risk to those who are 50 and older, he noted.
“So they should be among those people ICE prioritizes for consideration to release. The other — and from the public’s standpoint more important — reason for the public to be concerned about this is that it is more likely that these people will become infected if they are in a detention center than at home. And when they get sick, they’re going to be transported to a local community hospital where they may very well occupy a scarce hospital or ICU bed and ventilator,” Stern said.
Last month, ICE officials began assessing their inmate population to locate “vulnerable” detainees, including those who are over 60 or pregnant. So far, they have released nearly 700 detainees, and detention numbers are the lowest they have been in several years. As of Friday, there were more than 300 detainees over the age of 60 in ICE facilities, 93% of whom have either a record of criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, according to an agency official.
ICE spokespeople have said determinations on whom to release are based on the “person’s criminal record, immigration history, ties to the community, risk of flight, and whether he or she poses a potential threat to public safety.”
“Due to the unprecedented nature of COVID-19, [ICE] is reviewing cases of individuals in detention who may be at higher risk for severe illness as a result of COVID-19. Utilizing CDC guidance along with the advice of medical professionals, ICE may place individuals in a number of alternatives to detention options,” the agency wrote in a statement. “Decisions to release individuals in ICE custody occur every day on a case-by-case basis.”
Advocates, however, point to the older detainees still in custody as proof that ICE is not doing enough. Lawsuits filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Center for Constitutional Rights in recent weeks have asked a federal judge to force ICE to release a pair of 78-year old detainees and a 62-year-old asylum-seeker.
“It is very irresponsible to be detaining him in this situation. He is elderly. He has medical conditions that make him extremely vulnerable to COVID-19,” said Carlos Moctezuma Garcia, an attorney representing Raul Garza Marroquin, one of the 78-year-olds in custody.
Garza, who has hypertension, mixed hyperlipidemia, polyosteoarthritis, and prediabetes, has been in ICE custody at the Port Isabel Detention Center in Los Fresnos, Texas, for the last several weeks, according to the lawsuit. He alleges that he has been unable to get regular access to soap and hand sanitizer, a charge that others in detention centers across the US have also made.
Garcia attempted to get Garza out of custody in late March, but the request was denied by an ICE official. Garza, who is a permanent resident, has been arrested on multiple charges of driving while intoxicated, and, in 2016, an assault allegation.
Similarly, lawyers from the Center for Constitutional Rights sued the government last month for the release of Matilde Flores de Saavedra. The 78-year-old detainee, who like Garza is a permanent resident, was picked up by ICE officials in June after serving a sentence for conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants, according to court documents.
In a declaration to the court, Saavedra said she has diabetes and high blood pressure.
“Tensions are running high as everyone in the dorm is worried that the detention center is doing nothing to prevent them from contracting the disease,” she wrote about the conditions at the LaSalle ICE Processing Center in Louisiana. “Neither the staff nor the detainees use gloves or masks around the dorm and neither the staff or ICE have said anything to any of us about coronavirus. All we know is what we see on television.”
ICE officials have not publicly offered the ages of the detainees who have tested positive for COVID-19. They have, however, provided the information to congressional officials. Thus far, among the 105 detainees who have tested positive for COVID-19, nearly a dozen have been over the age of 50.
Stern, the expert from Washington, said that ICE officials should change their assessment of the vulnerable population in agency custody by including those over the age of 50. Correctional health experts have found that those in detention are physiologically comparable to those in the community who are older.
“Many state departments of corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons therefore define ‘elderly’ or ‘older’ variously between 50 and 60 years of age,” he said. “No such scientific information exists for the immigration detention population. In the absence of such science, it is not unreasonable to extrapolate from the next most comparable populations, i.e., jails and prisons.”
In recent days, Mariela, who owns dental clinics in her home country, has called her attorney sobbing about officers showing up in full protective clothing to remove a sick detainee.
Her attorneys are worried that her stay in custody will last weeks if the government attempts to carry out the deportation. Government officials denied a request to pause her deportation order on Thursday.
“I am listening to a woman who knows what is going on, who runs a business in her home country, who should never have been detained, in freefall panic. Each time she calls, she is more anxious and more panicked,” her attorney, Heidi Cerneka at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, said. “She said, ‘I don't want to die here!’"


buzzfeednews--2020-01-23--People Outside Of China Shouldn't Worry About Coronavirus Yet, Health Officials Said

WASHINGTON — Amid growing international concern over coronavirus , a World Health Organization panel on Thursday declined to declare the new outbreak a global emergency , saying it was largely confined to China , where strong steps toward its containment were already underway .
“ This is an emergency in China , but it is not yet a global health emergency , ” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a news conference , describing the conclusions of the organization 's emergency panel , which had a near 50-50 split vote on the decision .
`` It may yet become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases of coronavirus — also known as 2019-nCoV — and 17 deaths since the outbreak began Dec. 31 .
Local news outlets in China reported slightly higher totals : 644 confirmed cases and 18 deaths .
The virus , a newly discovered member of the coronavirus family that includes past outbreak diseases SARS and MERS , was first reported from a patient who had visited a seafood and meat market in Wuhan .
The coronavirus causes pneumonia-like symptoms , including coughing , fever , headaches , difficulty breathing , and fatigue .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea , Taiwan , Thailand , Vietnam , and the US had reported cases in which coronavirus patients had traveled from China .
And Texas A & M University confirmed Thursday afternoon that one of its students who had traveled from Wuhan is under investigation as a possible second US coronavirus case .
But all the deaths , and 575 of the 584 reported illnesses , took place in China , Tedros said , arguing that the outbreak was not yet of global concern .
The cases of person-to-person transmission of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , largely among family members and health care workers , rather than infections from everyday activity .
Deaths are taking place among elderly patients , or ones with underlying health conditions that may worsen their pneumonia .
In addition , the WHO panel concluded that China had taken appropriately aggressive measures so far to contain the outbreak .
Early on Thursday , China widened a travel ban from Wuhan , the city of 11 million people at the center of the outbreak , extending the quarantine to include more than 20 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tedros declined to set a date for another meeting of the emergency panel but said he would not hesitate to do so if the conditions of the outbreak changed .
In response to a US patient first reported on Tuesday , the CDC has been screening air travelers from Wuhan at major airports in Atlanta , Chicago , Los Angeles , New York , and San Francisco , redirecting flights to those cities .
In their last comments on the outbreak , federal health officials last week rated the risk to people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low .
`` For a family sitting around the dinner table tonight , this is not something that they generally need to worry about , '' said Nancy Messonnier , director of CDC ’ s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases .
“ There is still a lot we don ’ t know about this coronavirus , ” chiefly just how infectious and how deadly the virus is , Stanley Perlman , a coronavirus expert at the University of Iowa , told BuzzFeed News .
`` It will take time and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this virus . ''
Quarantines proved to be effective in the SARS coronavirus outbreak of 2003 , he noted , because the virus was largely contagious only when it reached the late stages of illness , usually transmitted via coughing .
SARS ended up killing 774 people across 29 countries , with the majority of deaths in China and Taiwan .
If the new coronavirus is similar , becoming infectious only late in a case , then quarantines will likely prove to be effective , he said .
The flu , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more infectious because it lodges in the nose and throat , leading to sneezing early in a case and triggering more infections from casual contact .
But if the new coronavirus mutates and lodges in the nose and throat like the flu , Perlman added , `` then all bets are off . ''
The unknowns led some experts to criticize the WHO 's decision , arguing the outbreak met the criteria for issuing an emergency declaration .
“ WHO should have declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern .
All the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a novel virus , rising cases , and international spread , '' said Lawrence Gostin , a professor at Georgetown , in a statement .
`` There are already major impacts on travel and trade .
I expect the crisis to escalate , as cases will mount in China , Asia , and globally . ''
Coronaviruses typically spread first from animals to people , as in the MERS outbreak of 2012 , which originated in camels and has killed 858 people to date .
Which animal in the Wuhan seafood and meat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus is another unknown , Tedros noted .
Some studies have pointed to snakes as the point of origin , while others have suggested that the outbreak was sparked by bats sold as food in the market in Wuhan .
`` Probably all coronaviruses are bat viruses .
The question is just whether the bat virus went through some intermediary animal before infecting people , '' said Perlman .

WASHINGTON — Amid growing international concern over coronavirus, a World Health Organization panel on Thursday declined to declare the new outbreak a global emergency, saying it was largely confined to China, where strong steps toward its containment were already underway.
“This is an emergency in China, but it is not yet a global health emergency,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a news conference, describing the conclusions of the organization's emergency panel, which had a near 50-50 split vote on the decision. "It may yet become one."
WHO reported 584 confirmed cases of coronavirus — also known as 2019-nCoV — and 17 deaths since the outbreak began Dec. 31. Local news outlets in China reported slightly higher totals: 644 confirmed cases and 18 deaths.
The virus, a newly discovered member of the coronavirus family that includes past outbreak diseases SARS and MERS, was first reported from a patient who had visited a seafood and meat market in Wuhan. The coronavirus causes pneumonia-like symptoms, including coughing, fever, headaches, difficulty breathing, and fatigue.
As of Thursday, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and the US had reported cases in which coronavirus patients had traveled from China. And Texas A&M University confirmed Thursday afternoon that one of its students who had traveled from Wuhan is under investigation as a possible second US coronavirus case.
But all the deaths, and 575 of the 584 reported illnesses, took place in China, Tedros said, arguing that the outbreak was not yet of global concern. The cases of person-to-person transmission of the virus also appear to be confined to China, largely among family members and health care workers, rather than infections from everyday activity. Deaths are taking place among elderly patients, or ones with underlying health conditions that may worsen their pneumonia.
In addition, the WHO panel concluded that China had taken appropriately aggressive measures so far to contain the outbreak. Early on Thursday, China widened a travel ban from Wuhan, the city of 11 million people at the center of the outbreak, extending the quarantine to include more than 20 million people in nearby cities in Hubei province.
Tedros declined to set a date for another meeting of the emergency panel but said he would not hesitate to do so if the conditions of the outbreak changed.
In response to a US patient first reported on Tuesday, the CDC has been screening air travelers from Wuhan at major airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, redirecting flights to those cities.
In their last comments on the outbreak, federal health officials last week rated the risk to people in the US from the outbreak as low. "For a family sitting around the dinner table tonight, this is not something that they generally need to worry about," said Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
“There is still a lot we don’t know about this coronavirus,” chiefly just how infectious and how deadly the virus is, Stanley Perlman, a coronavirus expert at the University of Iowa, told BuzzFeed News. "It will take time and a larger number of cases to calculate that for this virus."
Quarantines proved to be effective in the SARS coronavirus outbreak of 2003, he noted, because the virus was largely contagious only when it reached the late stages of illness, usually transmitted via coughing. SARS ended up killing 774 people across 29 countries, with the majority of deaths in China and Taiwan.
If the new coronavirus is similar, becoming infectious only late in a case, then quarantines will likely prove to be effective, he said. The flu, a different kind of virus, is partly more infectious because it lodges in the nose and throat, leading to sneezing early in a case and triggering more infections from casual contact.
But if the new coronavirus mutates and lodges in the nose and throat like the flu, Perlman added, "then all bets are off."
The unknowns led some experts to criticize the WHO's decision, arguing the outbreak met the criteria for issuing an emergency declaration.
“WHO should have declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. All the legal criteria have been met, including a novel virus, rising cases, and international spread," said Lawrence Gostin, a professor at Georgetown, in a statement. "There are already major impacts on travel and trade. I expect the crisis to escalate, as cases will mount in China, Asia, and globally."
Coronaviruses typically spread first from animals to people, as in the MERS outbreak of 2012, which originated in camels and has killed 858 people to date. Which animal in the Wuhan seafood and meat market was the host for the new coronavirus is another unknown, Tedros noted. Some studies have pointed to snakes as the point of origin, while others have suggested that the outbreak was sparked by bats sold as food in the market in Wuhan.
"Probably all coronaviruses are bat viruses. The question is just whether the bat virus went through some intermediary animal before infecting people," said Perlman.


buzzfeednews--2020-01-23--QAnon Supporters And Anti-Vaxxers Are Spreading A Hoax That Bill Gates Created The Coronavirus

It has no basis in reality , but that hasn ’ t slowed its spread across Facebook and Twitter .
A false rumor that the coronavirus outbreak is a plot by former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is being spread by supporters of the pro-Trump QAnon movement and the anti-vax community .
A QAnon YouTuber named Jordan Sather warned his followers on Tuesday that the coronavirus was a “ new fad disease ” and claimed the release of the virus that causes it was “ planned.
” Following Sather ’ s heavily retweeted thread , the conspiracy theory traveled across Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newly discovered virus — a member of the coronavirus family that includes past outbreaks SARS and MERS — has infected more than 644 people and killed 18 since Dec. 31 , 2019 , according to Chinese news reports .
Infected travelers have been detected in Japan , Vietnam , South Korea , Thailand , Taiwan , and Singapore .
The first US case was announced on Tuesday , and five US airports have begun screening for the virus after a man in his thirties from Snohomish County , Washington , had his infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( A potential second US case was announced today . )
And on Thursday , Chinese officials quarantined a number of cities in close proximity to the center of the outbreak , Wuhan .
Public transportation was shut down , roads were blocked , and outbound flights were suspended , leaving 20 million people effectively unable to leave on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year .
While the World Health Organization has so far stressed that this is n't a global emergency , online rumors and lies have run fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy hinges on a 2015 patent filed by the Pirbright Institute in Surrey , England , which covers the development of a weakened form of a coronavirus that could potentially be used as a vaccine to prevent respiratory diseases in birds and other animals .
This is a standard way that vaccines are made , for everything from the flu vaccine to the polio vaccine .
“ The assignee of this patent was the government-funded Pirbright Institute out of the UK , ” Sather tweeted .
“ Was the release of this disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to incite fear around it ?
Is the Cabal desperate for money , so they 're tapping their Big Pharma reserves ?
” One of the many , many issues with Sather ’ s theory is that the Pirbright does not currently work with any strains of the coronavirus that affect humans — its patent covers the avian coronavirus , which only affects birds .
( Scientists have suggested that snakes or mammals could be the source of the outbreak — not birds . )
Dr. Erica Bickerton , who studies avian pathology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the institute patented the avian coronavirus to study how it replicated in chickens and chicken cells .
“ The name coronavirus is a whole family of viruses , ” she said .
“ Each of these viruses has their own characteristics.
” Bickerton said she was aware of the misinformation spreading online , but stressed that none of Pirbright ’ s work with the coronavirus involved humans : “ The work we do focuses on an avian coronavirus that affects chickens.
” But the facts haven ’ t slowed down the hoax .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ one QAnon supporter tweeted .
“ Who is pushing for people to be vaccinated ?
Hillary and Chelsea ?
” According to CrowdTangle , the institute ’ s patent listing has been shared over 6,000 times in the last week .
Facebook Groups like QAnon QClearance 8chan + related articles 2 Staqe 2 and Georgia Coalition for Vaccine Choice have linked the page to their thousands of followers , accusing Pirbright of being behind some kind of nefarious plot , which extends to the very social media company that hosts them .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a vaccine in the works .
Here ’ s the link to the patent , ” one user wrote in a group called United States for Medical Freedom .
“ So back in Nazi Germany , Hitler didnt want anyone to wake up to his deceit .
So he had Jews in every neighborhood give the S.S. intel .
Kind of like facebook reporting our comments.
” Sather , who appears to have started the false rumor , has over 100,000 followers on Twitter and over 200,000 followers on YouTube , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence-free mega-conspiracy theory that claims Donald Trump was appointed president by the military to save the nation from a ring of pedophilic Satanists , which includes Bill Gates .
Paranoid social media users found Google search results that connect the Pirbright Institute to a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant to study livestock antibodies — and latched on to it .
“ And would you look at that , some of [ Pirbright ’ s ] major funders are the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , ” Sather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a purported motive : “ Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation one of the primary owners .
Deep State released the virus to create chaos since nothing stopping Trump , ” reads another user ’ s heavily retweeted post about the patent .
According to Teresa Maughan , a spokesperson for Pirbright , not only does the patent in question not involve a coronavirus strain that affects humans , but the institute ’ s work with the virus wasn ’ t funded by the Gates Foundation .
“ The patented work cited in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IBV ) only , and we made four changes in the gene responsible for replicating the virus ’ s genetic material .
This has weakened the virus so it is no longer able to cause disease and has potential to be used as a vaccine , but has not yet been developed , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ The patented work was completed in 2015 and is not funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
” Nevertheless , Sather continues to tweet rumors and lies about the coronavirus .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thoughts into your head , ” he wrote on Wednesday in a post about the virus that has been retweeted almost 1,000 times .
“ Fear sells .
”

A false rumor that the coronavirus outbreak is a plot by former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is being spread by supporters of the pro-Trump QAnon movement and the anti-vax community.
A QAnon YouTuber named Jordan Sather warned his followers on Tuesday that the coronavirus was a “new fad disease” and claimed the release of the virus that causes it was “planned.” Following Sather’s heavily retweeted thread, the conspiracy theory traveled across Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
The newly discovered virus — a member of the coronavirus family that includes past outbreaks SARS and MERS — has infected more than 644 people and killed 18 since Dec. 31, 2019, according to Chinese news reports. Infected travelers have been detected in Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, and Singapore. The first US case was announced on Tuesday, and five US airports have begun screening for the virus after a man in his thirties from Snohomish County, Washington, had his infection confirmed by a recently developed genetic test. (A potential second US case was announced today.) And on Thursday, Chinese officials quarantined a number of cities in close proximity to the center of the outbreak, Wuhan. Public transportation was shut down, roads were blocked, and outbound flights were suspended, leaving 20 million people effectively unable to leave on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year.
While the World Health Organization has so far stressed that this isn't a global emergency, online rumors and lies have run fast.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-20--SpaceX Childcare Workers Said They Might Have Been Exposed To The Coronavirus. Elon Musk Is Making T

SpaceX Childcare Workers Said They Might Have Been Exposed To The Coronavirus. Elon Musk Is Making Them Work Anyways.

Daycare workers serving the children of SpaceX employees are asking the company for more serious measures to combat the novel coronavirus since learning a parent was tested after coming down with symptoms .
Workers at a child daycare and school for the Elon Musk–led rocket manufacturer SpaceX say their health and safety are being placed at risk by a company that is still asking its employees to come to the office despite the coronavirus pandemic .
While the governor of California ordered all nonessential businesses to close and advised residents to stay home , Hawthorne , California–based SpaceX has remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citing its role as a government contractor .
Because of this , the services supporting SpaceX ’ s campus , including on-campus preschool Xplor Education , have stayed in operation , leading some of its teachers and staff to worry that they ’ re being unnecessarily exposed to possible infection .
On Monday , according to documents seen by BuzzFeed News , an email was sent out to school employees and parents , notifying them that a parent had been tested over the weekend for the novel coronavirus after coming down with symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a petition asking the school to close that ’ s been signed by more than half of Xplor ’ s active staff , many of whom spend hours every day with infants and toddlers .
It 's unclear whether the Xplor parent and SpaceX employee tested positive or negative for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus strain .
Xplor did not send out any further updates about the test , and SpaceX did not respond to a detailed list of questions from BuzzFeed News .
Got a tip ?
Email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Caroline.Haskins @ buzzfeed.com or Ryan.Mac @ buzzfeed.com , or contact us here .
SpaceX ’ s hard-charging culture and Musk ’ s statements casting doubt on the disease ’ s spread , have inspired widespread concern among those at the company , leading some employees to wonder if the NASA contractor is prioritizing the financial health of the company over the safety of its workers , four people close to the company told BuzzFeed News .
That unease has been compounded by poor communication and a perceived failure to take proper precautions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I have personally witnessed multiple employees that are showing signs of the coronavirus and because of the position of SpaceX management , those employees continue to work in a facility with around 5,000 employees and a childcare facility , ” said one Xplor employee , who spoke to BuzzFeed News anonymously for fear of losing their job .
“ Not only is SpaceX putting direct employees in danger , but the children and employees of the school on campus are also put at risk all because of one man ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who leads SpaceX and electric car manufacturer Tesla , has downplayed what the World Health Organization declared a pandemic nine days ago .
Earlier this month , the billionaire tweeted that “ the coronavirus panic is dumb.
” Last week , in a companywide email to SpaceX employees , he claimed workers were more likely to die in a car accident than from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
And while Musk has suggested he could use his companies ’ resources to build ventilators to respond to the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak Thursday and tweeted misinformation about who is affected by the virus .
“ Small children have another name , ” Arthur Caplan , a professor of bioethics at New York University 's School of Medicine , told BuzzFeed News .
“ Viral vectors .
Close down.
” Sources at SpaceX ’ s offices in Hawthorne and Redmond , Washington , said that employees are frustrated with the decision-making and lack of communication from the human resources department .
In both locations , rumors have swirled about employees exposed to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and while some employees have been given permission to work from home , there has been no companywide directive .
Some employees lack the ability to work from home because of their physical jobs in manufacturing , production , and testing .
In at least one case , workers in the Redmond office had to find out through word of mouth that a colleague ’ s partner had tested positive for the coronavirus and that the SpaceX employee would be isolating themselves , according to two sources .
Those same people said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , despite their health concerns , he could not shut the office because of the position Musk had taken on the coronavirus on his public Twitter account .
Last week , SpaceX employees in Redmond who had been scheduled to travel to Hawthorne , canceled their flights on their own accord , for fear of potentially spreading the disease to headquarters .
They conducted their meetings over a video conference call instead .
At Xplor , employees said that SpaceX ’ s demanding work culture pressured the school ’ s director to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which handles children ranging from 8 weeks to 6 years old , open even though area schools had already closed .
Over the last two weeks , staffers said they have seen visibly sick parents who showed signs of sweats and coughing fits when dropping off their children .
Fever , cough , and shortness of breath are all symptoms of COVID-19 as well as many other ailments , and the general lack of testing across the country has created a climate of fear and uncertainty at the school .
“ The morale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee at Xplor ’ s preschool , Discovery .
“ People are afraid and there ’ s a lot of anxiety .
A couple girls said they had anxiety attacks before they came to work.
” In a Sunday email sent to a school staff of about 20 , Xplor CEO Greg Marick said that all employees were required to continue to come into work unless they were feeling sick .
He said that all staff would have an additional 80 sick hours in 2020 , which were only to be used if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 , or if they have a child whose school or daycare center closed .
“ I am profoundly appreciative of your commitment to Discovery , but I recognize these are uncertain times , ” Marick wrote in the email , which was shared with BuzzFeed News .
One employee said that Marick manipulated his staff to come to school , which typically cares for around 80 infants and kids , by suggesting they “ think of the children ” and suggesting that teachers are at a low risk of infection because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precautions .
“ We obviously love children , but we should not have to choose between our health and safety and caring for children , ” they said .
Beyond his comments , Marick seemed to contradict himself on his personal Facebook page .
Within the last week , the Xplor leader wrote in a post shared with BuzzFeed News , “ I ’ m convinced — the best way out of this is a national 15-day lockdown .
Then emerge from our homes on Day 16 and start rebuilding .
Isolate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked on a call about his handling of the situation and the differences in his private Facebook post and his pronouncements to employees , Marick declined to comment .
On Monday evening , Marick sent an email to staff and Xplor parents informing them that a SpaceX employee , whose child attended the school , was tested for COVID-19 over the weekend after falling ill .
While the child had not been at the daycare since Thursday , Marick asked staff to take precautionary health measures — like cleaning doorknobs and iPads , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support social distancing , ” and removing a bowl of mandarin oranges at the front desk — and informed recipients that they would be updated on the results of the test .
Staff have still not been notified , sources said .
Caplan , the NYU professor , said that we ’ re entering a crucial period where social isolation is very important , and people should avoid going into an office of any kind .
“ Unless you ’ re delivering health care , making vaccines , providing food , and food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national security function , you should not be at work , ” Caplan said .
The concern among teachers and staff manifested itself in a petition sent to Marick on Wednesday evening that stated the school “ should not have to wait for one of our own to fall ill in order to take the necessary steps or precautions.
” The letter , which was signed by more than half of Xplor ’ s active staff , emphasized that public schools in the area had already closed and asked for a full investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of COVID-19 in the SpaceX facility , ” separate of the symptomatic parent who had been tested .
“ It is important to have full transparency on this , as it is severely irresponsible if it is not being properly reported or disclosed by such a large company , ” the petition read .
The note went on to state the employees should still be paid if the school was closed without having to forfeit paid time off , and advocated for policies including the checking of children ’ s temperatures at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thus far , there has been no reaction from Xplor management .
While numbers at the school are much lower this week because SpaceX began allowing some employees to work from home , teachers are still being told to come to school .
On Wednesday , one teacher fell ill but had to wait for more than two hours before a substitute could replace her before she could head home , according to a source .
Musk ’ s public comments have also not sat well with those who work at SpaceX @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the billionaire tweeted that children were “ essentially immune ” to the novel coronavirus , despite information from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control that confirmed that children could be infected and spread the disease , sometimes with minimal to no symptoms .
Other research has shown that infants in China have been highly susceptible to infection .
In another tweet , Musk predicted that the US would see no new cases of COVID-19 by the end of April .
That came on the same day that Gov .
Newsom announced California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population — or 25.5 million people — would contract the coronavirus in the next eight weeks .
“ I just felt like it went in line with the way he ’ s been talking about the coronavirus in general , ” said one Xplor employee , when asked about Musk ’ s tweets .
“ He ’ s just speaking out of complete ignorance .
It ’ s not based in any scientific thought .
It ’ s just nonsense .
”

Workers at a child daycare and school for the Elon Musk–led rocket manufacturer SpaceX say their health and safety are being placed at risk by a company that is still asking its employees to come to the office despite the coronavirus pandemic.
While the governor of California ordered all nonessential businesses to close and advised residents to stay home, Hawthorne, California–based SpaceX has remained open for more than 5,000 employees, citing its role as a government contractor. Because of this, the services supporting SpaceX’s campus, including on-campus preschool Xplor Education, have stayed in operation, leading some of its teachers and staff to worry that they’re being unnecessarily exposed to possible infection.
On Monday, according to documents seen by BuzzFeed News, an email was sent out to school employees and parents, notifying them that a parent had been tested over the weekend for the novel coronavirus after coming down with symptoms. That notice inspired internal questions and a petition asking the school to close that’s been signed by more than half of Xplor’s active staff, many of whom spend hours every day with infants and toddlers.
It's unclear whether the Xplor parent and SpaceX employee tested positive or negative for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus strain. Xplor did not send out any further updates about the test, and SpaceX did not respond to a detailed list of questions from BuzzFeed News.
Got a tip? Email one of the reporters of this story at Caroline.Haskins@buzzfeed.com or Ryan.Mac@buzzfeed.com, or contact us here.
SpaceX’s hard-charging culture and Musk’s statements casting doubt on the disease’s spread, have inspired widespread concern among those at the company, leading some employees to wonder if the NASA contractor is prioritizing the financial health of the company over the safety of its workers, four people close to the company told BuzzFeed News. That unease has been compounded by poor communication and a perceived failure to take proper precautions to address the threat of the coronavirus.
“I have personally witnessed multiple employees that are showing signs of the coronavirus and because of the position of SpaceX management, those employees continue to work in a facility with around 5,000 employees and a childcare facility,” said one Xplor employee, who spoke to BuzzFeed News anonymously for fear of losing their job. “Not only is SpaceX putting direct employees in danger, but the children and employees of the school on campus are also put at risk all because of one man’s ignorance.”


buzzfeednews--2020-05-30--Workers Around The World Are Already Being Monitored By Digital Contact Tracing Apps

Imagine you arrive at work .
Before you ’ re allowed to clock in , you have to complete a quiz on your phone that asks if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
If you ’ re healthy , you get to walk in .
Once inside , you go about your day while your phone uses Bluetooth beacons , GPS tracking , or both to determine the people you have been near .
If one day you do come down with symptoms , the app alerts HR , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been in contact with .
This is already a reality for thousands of workers around the world — in particular , those working in sectors like mining , energy , manufacturing , field services ( like appliance installation or repair ) , construction , or hospitality .
Digital contact tracing — using an app or another form of technology to track who you ’ ve been in touch with , with the goal of stopping the spread of the coronavirus — isn ’ t mandated by any states or governments in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopping private companies from encouraging or even requiring workers to participate .
Are you a worker who is required to participate in digital contact tracing ?
Using a non-work phone or computer , you can contact Caroline Haskins via email at caroline.haskins @ buzzfeed.com or via Signal at +1 ( 785 ) 813-1084 .
Neema Singh Guliani , a senior legislative counsel for the ACLU , told BuzzFeed News that any company doing digital contact tracing in the workplace should make the system entirely opt-in and have transparency measures so workers know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crucial problem remains : We don ’ t know if any of these digital contact tracing tools are as accurate as companies say .
Often , they are adapted from existing location-tracking technology , meaning their effectiveness with the coronavirus is unknown .
“ A lot of these tools , we do n't actually know if they 're effective , ” Guliani said .
“ And depending on what the consequences of those false positives and false negatives could be , that could be extremely problematic .
So , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or negatives , and that still results in needing to close down part of a business or part of a factory .
That could raise questions about whether this is something worthwhile at all.
” For companies , the incentive to use digital contact tracing is simple : The longer their facilities stay closed , or the more people they have to quarantine in the case of a workplace outbreak , the more money the company loses .
But companies pitching digital contact tracing tools for workplaces told BuzzFeed News that they envision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic is over , meaning that what was originally a health and safety measure could force workers into a difficult quandary : opting in for what could become a permanent surveillance system — or opting out and risking their jobs ?
SaferMe , a geolocation technology company based in New Zealand , makes a contact tracing app that asks workers to complete a daily symptom quiz and uses geolocation data to track their movements and possible interactions .
Cofounder Mike Steere said the app is GDPR-compliant .
But it has its shortfalls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the accuracy of several meters , which is far beyond the transmission radius of the coronavirus .
Plus , workers may interact with people outside the company who don ’ t have the app , and they would have to manually add those close interactions .
“ Lots of businesses really do prioritize health and safety , but a lot of times it doesn ’ t make the top list of priorities when it comes to budgeting or financing , so it can be quite a long sales cycle , ” Steere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we can help give this tech to people where there is an acute need.
” Steere told BuzzFeed News that tens of thousands of workers in New Zealand are using SaferMe .
Earlier this month , the company received a contract from the country 's Ministry of Business , Innovation , and Employment to give out its tool for free to companies throughout the country .
To date , SaferMe has mainly serviced major mining companies , such as AngloGold Ashanti , and energy companies , including Veolia .
The company is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently signed a contract with a US-based Fortune 500 company , which he declined to name , and has received interest from other companies in the US and Mexico .
While SaferMe has been around for years , there are also new companies whose mission is specifically to combat the spread of the coronavirus .
Jun Ying and Doug Nelson created geolocation-based contact tracing app ExpoSURE Tracing in February .
Since then , ExpoSURE Tracing has been in touch with companies in the warehouse and field service industries with the goal of making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he sees the company ’ s future as extending far past the most severe phase of the pandemic .
“ We built this from the ground up , ” Ying told BuzzFeed News .
“ We do n't call this internally a ‘ COVID ’ or ‘ corona ’ or anything like that .
To us , this is just a pathogen .
We think more and more of these things will happen .
And even for flu season , this could be something that ’ s useful.
” There 's also hPass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academics from Harvard and the Sloan School of Management .
Their product — a QR code–based check-in app that requires people to take and pass a symptom quiz before entering a facility — is being piloted by 11 companies , four of which are in the restaurant industry , according to cofounder Shai Kivity .
Kivity told BuzzFeed News that the company has been in touch with over 200 vendors — including gyms , nursing homes , and universities — and that hPass wants its product to be used in any industry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s so exciting , and what is long term is — this is beyond COVID-19 , ” cofounder Raphael Yahalom told BuzzFeed News .
“ Obviously , we ’ re focusing on the immediate need here .
But this is a long term.
” Several companies in the location-tracking business have adopted existing wristbands — typically used in manufacturing facilities , hospitals , warehouses , and construction sites — to address the spread of the coronavirus .
These devices typically work by exchanging Bluetooth signals , which are stored locally and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good example is WiSilica , which struck a deal with the Hong Kong government in late March to use its TraceSafe wristbands for an enforced 14-day quarantine for all Hong Kong residents returning from abroad .
WiSilica CTO Dennis Kwan told BuzzFeed News the company is in touch with construction and event venue companies .
Kwan said that the company ’ s relationship with the Hong Kong government demonstrated that the product can work in various scenarios , including ones that have nothing to do with the coronavirus or contact tracing .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong is the proving case for how our product is able to be reliable , ” Kwan said .
“ The fact that we are able to adapt that into different applications , like for delivery , and then to contact tracing .
...
It shows the flexibility of this product being adopted for different applications.
” The company is also piloting DeliverSafe in Kuwait , which involves having food delivery workers wear wristbands which send Bluetooth beacons to an app .
AiRSITA Flow , meanwhile , is selling wristbands and handheld devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interactions with nearby employees .
Vincent Grove , vice president of marketing , told BuzzFeed News that the company developed new hardware about a month ago to enforce social distancing , which is GDPR-compliant .
The new devices don ’ t just log interactions ; they also light up and beep if you come within 6 feet of another person for more than five seconds .
“ We also do things like [ send an ] alert when groups form , ” Grove said .
“ So if a bunch of tags come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alert saying , ‘ Hey , there ’ s a group forming.
’ We can also have a sense of location associated with this .
So we can tell : Is it in the break room ?
Is it in the lobby ?
And you can look over time to see if this is a recurring pattern .
Are there individuals you wan na have a conversation with ?
” For the past 10 years , one of the company 's major clients has been prisons .
Grove said that over 100,000 inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Africa , he said — use AiRSITA Flow products .
Now , he said , the company is talking to hundreds of possible vendors in large-scale manufacturing , construction , and auto manufacturing .
These companies typically employ thousands to tens of thousands of people at their facilities .
KINEXON , a sensor technology company founded in 2012 , also recently brought a wristband contact tracing tool to market .
To date , the company 's major clients have been in the logistics and manufacturing industries .
For clients like BMW , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the day .
KINEXON CEO Mehdi Bentanfous told BuzzFeed News the company is piloting its new contact tracing tech to 50 potential clients .
Since Bluetooth-based tech can be fallible , does n't transmit over or through water , and ca n't determine if people are separated by a wall , KINEXON uses inaudible sound to double-check the Bluetooth transmissions and determine if people were actually near each other .
Bentanfous declined to name specific potential clients but said a `` top 3 food and beverage company '' in the US , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automotive suppliers were testing the product and that more than 5,000 workers are already wearing the new contact tracing wristband .
“ Since we track people , we are able to track forklifts in production ; we are able to do collision warnings , ” Bentanfous said .
“ So the advantage of the product is it ’ s not only limited to this pandemic and physical distancing and you throw it out after everything is over .
There are different applications and extensions of the technology to be used for safety purposes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ productions.
” Crucially , all of these workplace contact tracing products are only as effective as a company 's health , safety , and human resources .
If you download your state 's contact tracing app , a public health authority is running the show .
But if you have an employer-owned contact tracing app , it ’ s up to HR to responsibly handle that information .
“ That employee-employer dynamic creates additional challenges and intricacies , ” Guliani said .
`` When you have trained health professionals , they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are restrictions on how data can be used .
Those existing structures don ’ t exist in the HR context .
And you ’ re putting [ contact tracing ] in a context which might already have deficiencies when it comes to workers ’ rights.
” She added if workers don ’ t have access to COVID-19 testing or paid leave , they ’ re still going to be vulnerable .
“ I worry a little bit that there is a sense that some of these tools are going to be silver bullets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degree of normalcy , ” Guliani said .
“ And I think the reality is that in a best-case scenario , these are small tools that will only work if they ’ re part of a broader public health strategy that has to include things like testing , access to healthcare , and manual tracers .
”

Imagine you arrive at work. Before you’re allowed to clock in, you have to complete a quiz on your phone that asks if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. If you’re healthy, you get to walk in. Once inside, you go about your day while your phone uses Bluetooth beacons, GPS tracking, or both to determine the people you have been near. If one day you do come down with symptoms, the app alerts HR, which then alerts the people you’ve been in contact with.
This is already a reality for thousands of workers around the world — in particular, those working in sectors like mining, energy, manufacturing, field services (like appliance installation or repair), construction, or hospitality.
Digital contact tracing — using an app or another form of technology to track who you’ve been in touch with, with the goal of stopping the spread of the coronavirus — isn’t mandated by any states or governments in the US. But there’s nothing stopping private companies from encouraging or even requiring workers to participate.
Are you a worker who is required to participate in digital contact tracing? Using a non-work phone or computer, you can contact Caroline Haskins via email at caroline.haskins@buzzfeed.com or via Signal at +1 (785) 813-1084.
Neema Singh Guliani, a senior legislative counsel for the ACLU, told BuzzFeed News that any company doing digital contact tracing in the workplace should make the system entirely opt-in and have transparency measures so workers know what they are signing up for.
But a crucial problem remains: We don’t know if any of these digital contact tracing tools are as accurate as companies say. Often, they are adapted from existing location-tracking technology, meaning their effectiveness with the coronavirus is unknown.
“A lot of these tools, we don't actually know if they're effective,” Guliani said. “And depending on what the consequences of those false positives and false negatives could be, that could be extremely problematic. So, for example, you have a lot of false positives or negatives, and that still results in needing to close down part of a business or part of a factory. That could raise questions about whether this is something worthwhile at all.”
For companies, the incentive to use digital contact tracing is simple: The longer their facilities stay closed, or the more people they have to quarantine in the case of a workplace outbreak, the more money the company loses.
But companies pitching digital contact tracing tools for workplaces told BuzzFeed News that they envision their products being used long after the coronavirus pandemic is over, meaning that what was originally a health and safety measure could force workers into a difficult quandary: opting in for what could become a permanent surveillance system — or opting out and risking their jobs?