latimes--2020-03-11--What's the risk of COVID-19 for a healthy young person?

The first person diagnosed with COVID-19 in New Jersey was a 32-year-old man who had been admitted to the hospital .
In a video posted to Twitter over the weekend , the patient explained that he ’ d had no underlying medical conditions that would make him susceptible to severe illness , yet the new coronavirus was making him sicker and sicker .
He spoke from a hospital bed where he had been hooked up to tubes helping him breathe .
The video , which has been viewed more than 440,000 times , raised concerns that young people may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been letting on .
So is that really true ?
According to medical experts , no .
The risk of serious illness due to COVID-19 is far higher for people who are older and have underlying medical conditions .
People 60 and older accounted for more than 80 % of the deaths in China , according to a major study in the Journal of the American Medical Assn .
But rare exceptions have popped up in the scientific literature , said Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be , as we ’ ve seen in influenza , an occasional person , who ’ s young and healthy , who winds up getting COVID-19 , seriously ill and dies , ” Fauci said in an interview with Dr. Howard Bauchner , the editor of JAMA .
“ But if you look at the weight of the data , the risk group is very , very clear.
” With the U.S. outbreak in its early stages , there isn ’ t yet good data on the ages and other characteristics of infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the analysis of nearly 45,000 COVID-19 patients in China that was conducted by the country ’ s Center for Disease Control and Prevention .
The study accounts for more than a third of all reported cases of the disease .
Worldwide , 118,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease so far and 4,200 have died from it .
The study identified very few deaths among people under 40 .
More than 12,000 people in that age group were infected , but only 26 died .
It is unclear if those people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asthma or cancer , that may have made them more vulnerable .
The study found that the chance of dying from COVID-19 clearly increases with age .
There were no reported deaths from COVID-19 in children under 10 , and other studies have suggested that children who are infected do not become very sick .
These are the COVID-19 mortality rates by age calculated by the Chinese CDC : The overall mortality rate estimated by researchers was 2.3 % , but experts caution that it is likely exaggerated due to milder cases that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ younger deaths , they represent what you would see if you pored over any disease data with a magnifying glass , experts say .
“ It is possible , but apparently very rare that otherwise healthy people can get severe disease , ” said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner , an infectious disease expert at UCLA ’ s Fielding School of Public Health .
“ But right now we have patients in the hospital with severe influenza that were otherwise healthy people in their 40s and 50s .
...
It ’ s rare as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2018-19 flu season , 2,450 people between the ages of 18 and 49 died in the United States , according to the CDC .
The mortality rate from the flu is lower than from COVID-19 , but far more people caught the flu last season — more than 35 million — than have gotten COVID-19 so far this year .
In an interview with a local CBS station in New York , the New Jersey COVID-19 patient identified himself as James Cai , who works as a physician assistant .
Cai @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a conference in New York and within three days was hospitalized because it had spread to his lungs .
“ The virus is everything .
Diarrhea , watery eyes , shortness of breath , chest pain , you name it .
High fever , ” he told the CBS station .
“ Every day is getting worse ... it happened so quick.
” Cai isn ’ t the first person to raise concerns about how quickly people become severely ill .
The average time it takes for people to start showing symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a new study by Johns Hopkins University , but there have been reports of rapid decline once illness sets in .
At a news conference Sunday , Timothy Killian , spokesman for nursing home Life Care Center in Kirkland , Wash. , said it had been “ surprising and shocking ” to see patients become deathly ill so quickly .
At least 19 people who were linked to the nursing home have died , most of them in their 70s and 80s .
“ We have found this to be troubling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We have seen as little as one hour , somebody getting no symptoms to going to symptoms that were severe enough that they needed to be transferred to the hospital , and then within a short amount of time , that patient died.
” Scientists are still learning more about how the virus kills its victims .
But it ’ s possible the older patients did not show the telltale signs of the virus , including a fever , that could have clued people into the illness earlier , Klausner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mount a fever the same way that younger people do , because their immune systems begin to react differently to viruses as they age , he said .
Nursing home staff should be on the lookout for not just fever but also cough , fatigue and headaches , he said .
“ While they are brewing infection , it may go unnoticed , ” Klausner said .
Times staff writers Richard Read and Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report .

Here’s a quick guide to how the novel coronavirus spreads, how likely you are to get it and what you can do to stay healthy.
The first person diagnosed with COVID-19 in New Jersey was a 32-year-old man who had been admitted to the hospital.
In a video posted to Twitter over the weekend, the patient explained that he’d had no underlying medical conditions that would make him susceptible to severe illness, yet the new coronavirus was making him sicker and sicker. He spoke from a hospital bed where he had been hooked up to tubes helping him breathe.
The video, which has been viewed more than 440,000 times, raised concerns that young people may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 than health experts had been letting on.
So is that really true?
According to medical experts, no. The risk of serious illness due to COVID-19 is far higher for people who are older and have underlying medical conditions. People 60 and older accounted for more than 80% of the deaths in China, according to a major study in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
But rare exceptions have popped up in the scientific literature, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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“There will be, as we’ve seen in influenza, an occasional person, who’s young and healthy, who winds up getting COVID-19, seriously ill and dies,” Fauci said in an interview with Dr. Howard Bauchner, the editor of JAMA. “But if you look at the weight of the data, the risk group is very, very clear.”
With the U.S. outbreak in its early stages, there isn’t yet good data on the ages and other characteristics of infected patients here. So experts have relied on the analysis of nearly 45,000 COVID-19 patients in China that was conducted by the country’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study accounts for more than a third of all reported cases of the disease. Worldwide, 118,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease so far and 4,200 have died from it.
The study identified very few deaths among people under 40. More than 12,000 people in that age group were infected, but only 26 died. It is unclear if those people had other medical conditions, such as asthma or cancer, that may have made them more vulnerable.
The study found that the chance of dying from COVID-19 clearly increases with age.
There were no reported deaths from COVID-19 in children under 10, and other studies have suggested that children who are infected do not become very sick.
These are the COVID-19 mortality rates by age calculated by the Chinese CDC:
ages 10-19: 0.2%
ages 20-29: 0.2%
ages 30-39: 0.2%
ages 40-49: 0.4%
ages 50-59: 1.3%
ages 60-69: 3.6%
ages 70-79: 8%
80 and over: 14.8%
The overall mortality rate estimated by researchers was 2.3%, but experts caution that it is likely exaggerated due to milder cases that have gone uncounted.
As for the younger deaths, they represent what you would see if you pored over any disease data with a magnifying glass, experts say.
“It is possible, but apparently very rare that otherwise healthy people can get severe disease,” said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, an infectious disease expert at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. “But right now we have patients in the hospital with severe influenza that were otherwise healthy people in their 40s and 50s. ... It’s rare as well, but it occurs.”
Indeed, in the 2018-19 flu season, 2,450 people between the ages of 18 and 49 died in the United States, according to the CDC. The mortality rate from the flu is lower than from COVID-19, but far more people caught the flu last season — more than 35 million — than have gotten COVID-19 so far this year.
In an interview with a local CBS station in New York, the New Jersey COVID-19 patient identified himself as James Cai, who works as a physician assistant. Cai said he believes he contracted the virus at a conference in New York and within three days was hospitalized because it had spread to his lungs.
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“The virus is everything. Diarrhea, watery eyes, shortness of breath, chest pain, you name it. High fever,” he told the CBS station. “Every day is getting worse ... it happened so quick.”
Cai isn’t the first person to raise concerns about how quickly people become severely ill. The average time it takes for people to start showing symptoms after infection is about five days, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins University, but there have been reports of rapid decline once illness sets in.
At a news conference Sunday, Timothy Killian, spokesman for nursing home Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., said it had been “surprising and shocking” to see patients become deathly ill so quickly. At least 19 people who were linked to the nursing home have died, most of them in their 70s and 80s.
“We have found this to be troubling and volatile and unpredictable,” Killian said. “We have seen as little as one hour, somebody getting no symptoms to going to symptoms that were severe enough that they needed to be transferred to the hospital, and then within a short amount of time, that patient died.”
Scientists are still learning more about how the virus kills its victims. But it’s possible the older patients did not show the telltale signs of the virus, including a fever, that could have clued people into the illness earlier, Klausner said.
Elderly people don’t mount a fever the same way that younger people do, because their immune systems begin to react differently to viruses as they age, he said. Nursing home staff should be on the lookout for not just fever but also cough, fatigue and headaches, he said.
“While they are brewing infection, it may go unnoticed,” Klausner said.
Times staff writers Richard Read and Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-11--How the makers of 'Contagion' saw an outbreak like coronavirus coming

There ’ s a moment early in the movie “ Contagion ” when health officials lay out what ’ s known about the film ’ s villain , a novel virus that is sweeping the globe and leaving dead bodies in its path .
For many watching in 2020 , the scene hits a little too close to home .
In front of a whiteboard in a drab government office , a health investigator with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , played by Kate Winslet , reviews the basics : the virus appears to spread through coughing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land on surfaces such as doorknobs and elevator buttons , which then transmit the virus when people touch their faces , she says .
To stop the spread of the pathogen , Winslet explains , officials need to determine its contagiousness , whether people without symptoms can infect others and who exactly is susceptible .
“ So far that appears to be everyone with hands , a mouth and a nose , ” quips a local health official .
Nine years after its release , “ Contagion ” has become the movie du @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very real disease : COVID-19 , which has infected more than 100,000 people in dozens of countries .
In late January , the 2011 thriller , which also stars Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow , rocketed into iTunes ’ top 10 movie rentals chart and became among the most popular films on Amazon Prime and Google Play .
Though other pandemic movies , including “ Outbreak ” and “ 12 Monkeys , ” have also enjoyed renewed favor in recent months , none seems to resonate with viewers as much as “ Contagion.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ movie ’ s screenwriter , Scott Z. Burns , conducted months of in-depth research into the science of pandemics .
He then recruited several well-established epidemiologists to develop a realistic plot , edit the script and train the actors who would portray health officials , doctors and scientists .
“ When I started talking to experts , they all said , ‘ It ’ s not a matter of if there will be another pandemic , it ’ s a matter of when , ’ ” Burns said .
“ There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Amid a growing public health crisis , the movie ’ s near-documentary precision has also become a source of alarm for some .
Some fans believe the film ’ s fictional destruction and high death toll are signs of what it is to come and suggest that officials are hiding information from the public .
In the vacuum created by how little is known about this new virus , fear and misinformation have flourished .
The movie , prescient as it is , predicted that , too .
Burns said “ Contagion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who often worried about the possibility of avian flu becoming a human pandemic .
Not wanting to make a conventional disaster movie , Burns turned to Dr. Larry Brilliant , an epidemiologist who spearheaded the successful global eradication of smallpox .
At the time , around 2009 , the public seemed to react strangely to the swine flu epidemic , Brilliant said .
People acted almost disappointed that it was not as severe as health officials had warned , he said .
“ We all started talking about the fact that modernity didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looked like , ” he said .
So they set out to create one .
“ Contagion ” tracks the arrival of a fictional virus called MEV-1 that sends officials from the CDC and the World Health Organization scrambling to stop the outbreak and quell growing fear and distrust among the public .
By the end of the film , chaos reigns and the disease ’ s death toll has reached at least 26 million .
The fictional virus originates from a bat — and then jumps to a pig and then a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75 % of new diseases in people come from animals , according to the CDC .
These diseases include HIV , Ebola , SARS and now , COVID-19 .
In the film , knocking down trees in Hong Kong displaces the bat and triggers the emergence of the virus , which shows how deforestation and the destruction of animal habitats makes such leaps more likely .
The virus ’ rapid spread , in just hours from Hong Kong to Chicago to Minneapolis , reveals the way increasing global travel can quickly turn diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain .
“ It was not going to be pure entertainment — it was actually going to have some public health messaging , ” said Dr. Ian Lipkin , a Columbia University epidemiology professor who served as the movie ’ s main scientific consultant .
“ The idea was to make people aware of the fact that emerging diseases will continue to emerge and reemerge.
” Lipkin , who has identified hundreds of new diseases throughout his career , shared with Burns his experiences from 2003 on the frontlines of the SARS outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character in the movie , a UC San Francisco scientist named Ian Sussman , is a nod to Lipkin .
Lipkin invited Winslet and actress Jennifer Ehle , who plays the researcher developing a vaccine for the virus , to his lab at Columbia to help them prepare for their roles .
He developed a 3-D model of the virus that rotates on screen .
He helped Burns during post-production to ensure the whooshing and whirring sounds of the fictional labs were accurate .
In one scene , Winslet explains the concept of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people each sick person is likely to infect , essentially a measure of contagiousness .
The scene brought a wonky epidemiology term to the general public , much to the delight of public health professors and biology teachers who now play the movie for their classes each year .
Watching that scene , Brilliant said , “ I thought I ’ d died and gone to heaven.
” Burns said that while filming the movie , Damon joked that they needed to amp up its fear factor and add some zombies for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Burns said it had become clear to him and director Steven Soderbergh that the film was even scarier because it was plausible , “ as opposed to creating a monster that gives the audience this kind of distance from the story.
” Which brings us to 2020 , when there is seemingly little distance between “ Contagion ” and real life .
Paltrow , who ( spoiler alert ) gets killed off in the first 10 minutes of the film , recently posted an Instagram selfie from an airplane wearing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in this movie , ” she wrote .
“ Stay safe .
Don ’ t shake hands .
Wash hands frequently.
” Paltrow isn ’ t the only one drawing these comparisons .
Many have taken to Twitter to tell people to watch “ Contagion ” to figure out what is really going on with COVID-19 .
A commenter wrote on the YouTube page where you can rent the movie for $ 3.99 : “ This movie should be FREE due to Coronavirus !
We must prepare !
” Stephen Tegethoff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” recently with friends made him suspect the virus is going to spread across the globe faster than officials have said .
“ Honestly , it did make me a little paranoid , ” said Tegethoff , who lives in Pittsburgh .
Burns anticipated that a pandemic would trigger fear and distrust in government .
In addition to the scientist characters , the movie features a freelance journalist played by Jude Law who questions the CDC ’ s motives , hawks a fake cure for the virus and gains fans as people grasp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
The movie ’ s portrayal of panic and scapegoating is what Burns sees as most analogous to what is happening today , he said .
“ I had someone write to me on Instagram and accuse me of being part of the Illuminati , and that I always knew this was coming , ” Burns said .
For the most part , he said , he is gratified that people might glean public health lessons from the movie .
But his research into the destructive social effects of pandemics makes him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dips in the stock market , countries blaming each other , as well as people hoarding masks and other supplies , he said .
“ What I do hope the movie illustrated is how misinformation and fear cause people to behave in ways that frequently are going to make the problem worse , or cause new problems , ” Burns said .
Burns said that making the film showed him how connected people are by public health .
For example , it is the responsibility of those with strong immune systems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who may be more fragile , he said .
In this way , he hopes a pandemic would bring people together as they realize they need each other to survive an outbreak , he said .
But he knows that is unlikely .
He made a movie about it .
On the original “ Contagion ” poster , in red and all-caps above the title , is the film ’ s tagline : “ Nothing spreads like fear .
”

There’s a moment early in the movie “Contagion” when health officials lay out what’s known about the film’s villain, a novel virus that is sweeping the globe and leaving dead bodies in its path.
For many watching in 2020, the scene hits a little too close to home.
In front of a whiteboard in a drab government office, a health investigator with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, played by Kate Winslet, reviews the basics: the virus appears to spread through coughing and sneezing. The particles released can also land on surfaces such as doorknobs and elevator buttons, which then transmit the virus when people touch their faces, she says.
Advertisement
To stop the spread of the pathogen, Winslet explains, officials need to determine its contagiousness, whether people without symptoms can infect others and who exactly is susceptible.
“So far that appears to be everyone with hands, a mouth and a nose,” quips a local health official.
Nine years after its release, “Contagion” has become the movie du jour as the world grapples with a very real disease: COVID-19, which has infected more than 100,000 people in dozens of countries.
In late January, the 2011 thriller, which also stars Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow, rocketed into iTunes’ top 10 movie rentals chart and became among the most popular films on Amazon Prime and Google Play. Though other pandemic movies, including “Outbreak” and “12 Monkeys,” have also enjoyed renewed favor in recent months, none seems to resonate with viewers as much as “Contagion.”
That’s likely because the movie’s screenwriter, Scott Z. Burns, conducted months of in-depth research into the science of pandemics. He then recruited several well-established epidemiologists to develop a realistic plot, edit the script and train the actors who would portray health officials, doctors and scientists.
“When I started talking to experts, they all said, ‘It’s not a matter of if there will be another pandemic, it’s a matter of when,’” Burns said. “There’s nothing uncanny to me about doing research.”
Amid a growing public health crisis, the movie’s near-documentary precision has also become a source of alarm for some.
Advertisement
Some fans believe the film’s fictional destruction and high death toll are signs of what it is to come and suggest that officials are hiding information from the public. In the vacuum created by how little is known about this new virus, fear and misinformation have flourished.
The movie, prescient as it is, predicted that, too.
*
Burns said “Contagion” was inspired by his father, who often worried about the possibility of avian flu becoming a human pandemic. Not wanting to make a conventional disaster movie, Burns turned to Dr. Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist who spearheaded the successful global eradication of smallpox.
At the time, around 2009, the public seemed to react strangely to the swine flu epidemic, Brilliant said. People acted almost disappointed that it was not as severe as health officials had warned, he said.
“We all started talking about the fact that modernity didn’t know what a real pandemic looked like,” he said.
So they set out to create one.
“Contagion” tracks the arrival of a fictional virus called MEV-1 that sends officials from the CDC and the World Health Organization scrambling to stop the outbreak and quell growing fear and distrust among the public. By the end of the film, chaos reigns and the disease’s death toll has reached at least 26 million.
The fictional virus originates from a bat — and then jumps to a pig and then a person — which reflects the fact that 75% of new diseases in people come from animals, according to the CDC. These diseases include HIV, Ebola, SARS and now, COVID-19.
In the film, knocking down trees in Hong Kong displaces the bat and triggers the emergence of the virus, which shows how deforestation and the destruction of animal habitats makes such leaps more likely. The virus’ rapid spread, in just hours from Hong Kong to Chicago to Minneapolis, reveals the way increasing global travel can quickly turn diseases into pandemics, sometimes becoming impossible to contain.
“It was not going to be pure entertainment — it was actually going to have some public health messaging,” said Dr. Ian Lipkin, a Columbia University epidemiology professor who served as the movie’s main scientific consultant. “The idea was to make people aware of the fact that emerging diseases will continue to emerge and reemerge.”
Lipkin, who has identified hundreds of new diseases throughout his career, shared with Burns his experiences from 2003 on the frontlines of the SARS outbreak in Beijing. Elliott Gould’s character in the movie, a UC San Francisco scientist named Ian Sussman, is a nod to Lipkin.
Lipkin invited Winslet and actress Jennifer Ehle, who plays the researcher developing a vaccine for the virus, to his lab at Columbia to help them prepare for their roles. He developed a 3-D model of the virus that rotates on screen. He helped Burns during post-production to ensure the whooshing and whirring sounds of the fictional labs were accurate.
In one scene, Winslet explains the concept of an R-naught — which refers to how many people each sick person is likely to infect, essentially a measure of contagiousness. The scene brought a wonky epidemiology term to the general public, much to the delight of public health professors and biology teachers who now play the movie for their classes each year.
Watching that scene, Brilliant said, “I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”
Burns said that while filming the movie, Damon joked that they needed to amp up its fear factor and add some zombies for it to be a real Hollywood thriller. But Burns said it had become clear to him and director Steven Soderbergh that the film was even scarier because it was plausible, “as opposed to creating a monster that gives the audience this kind of distance from the story.”
In the film “Contagion,” a bat virus finds its way into a pig and then into an American played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who quickly dies as “patient zero” of a horrifying global pandemic. (Claudette Barius / Warner Bros.)
Which brings us to 2020, when there is seemingly little distance between “Contagion” and real life. Paltrow, who (spoiler alert) gets killed off in the first 10 minutes of the film, recently posted an Instagram selfie from an airplane wearing a mask.
“I’ve already been in this movie,” she wrote. “Stay safe. Don’t shake hands. Wash hands frequently.”
Paltrow isn’t the only one drawing these comparisons. Many have taken to Twitter to tell people to watch “Contagion” to figure out what is really going on with COVID-19. A commenter wrote on the YouTube page where you can rent the movie for $3.99: “This movie should be FREE due to Coronavirus! We must prepare!”
Stephen Tegethoff, 28, said that watching “Contagion” recently with friends made him suspect the virus is going to spread across the globe faster than officials have said.
“Honestly, it did make me a little paranoid,” said Tegethoff, who lives in Pittsburgh.
Burns anticipated that a pandemic would trigger fear and distrust in government. In addition to the scientist characters, the movie features a freelance journalist played by Jude Law who questions the CDC’s motives, hawks a fake cure for the virus and gains fans as people grasp for answers after their loved ones’ deaths.
The movie’s portrayal of panic and scapegoating is what Burns sees as most analogous to what is happening today, he said.
“I had someone write to me on Instagram and accuse me of being part of the Illuminati, and that I always knew this was coming,” Burns said.
For the most part, he said, he is gratified that people might glean public health lessons from the movie. But his research into the destructive social effects of pandemics makes him worry about widespread fear, which led to dips in the stock market, countries blaming each other, as well as people hoarding masks and other supplies, he said.
“What I do hope the movie illustrated is how misinformation and fear cause people to behave in ways that frequently are going to make the problem worse, or cause new problems,” Burns said.
Burns said that making the film showed him how connected people are by public health. For example, it is the responsibility of those with strong immune systems to not spread diseases to their neighbors, who may be more fragile, he said.
In this way, he hopes a pandemic would bring people together as they realize they need each other to survive an outbreak, he said. But he knows that is unlikely.
He made a movie about it. On the original “Contagion” poster, in red and all-caps above the title, is the film’s tagline: “Nothing spreads like fear.”


latimes--2020-03-11--As California retreats from containment, New York sends in the National Guard

In New York , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo sent the National Guard to a suburban enclave northeast of New York City to prevent COVID-19 from infecting more people there , after 108 residents tested positive in recent days .
In Santa Clara , where California is experiencing its largest outbreak of the virus with 45 positive cases confirmed , health officials continued to direct residents not to congregate , following a ban on large events earlier this week .
In Sacramento , the county health officer announced there would be no more quarantines and minimal tracing to determine how those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deadly , fast-moving disease .
Those with symptoms face only voluntary restrictions for mingling in the community .
“ The cat is already out of the bag , ” said Peter Beilenson , Sacramento County ’ s health director .
“ The community spread has already occurred.
” The health director made his comments before the county revealed Tuesday that a woman in her 90s had died of COVID-19 in an assisted living facility home south of Sacramento , making her the third confirmed case of a Californian dying of the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many health officials argue , that the novel coronavirus will not easily be contained .
From using military might to a seemingly hands-off attitude , hard-hit states and municipalities hope to slow the spread of a contagion that threatens lives and can overwhelm health systems if too many cases hit at once .
This week , as the number of people testing positive begins to grow daily , health officials across the United States are taking varied tactics as they make the switch from containment to mitigation — a transition mandated in part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failure to find cases earlier as testing was delayed by a lack of access to kits , a problem many argue is still impeding efforts .
“ Our detection is so poor that if we detect one [ case ] we absolutely have a lot more than that , ” said Marc Lipsitch , a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health .
“ We have failed to detect cases to such a degree that there are probably many , many cases that are spreading undetected and the only way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like social distancing that don ’ t require tracing cases.
” What this new phase of fighting the novel coronavirus looks like varies widely as health officials grapple with how to keep people away from one another , a daunting prospect when many Americans are unaware , or skeptical , of the actual risks of the disease .
Mixed messages from federal , state and local authorities have confused many about the suggested precautions they should take , said Lipstich and others .
“ I don ’ t think that people are grasping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Harvard epidemiologist Michael Mina .
“ And I think right now is our last chance to prevent massive numbers of cases.
” President Trump has shifted between sounding skeptical about the virus to claiming the contagion is largely under control .
“ I think we ’ re doing a really good job , ” Trump said Tuesday after a meeting with GOP leaders on Capitol Hill .
“ Democrat governors are saying we ’ ve done a fantastic job ... Gavin Newsom said there ’ s not a thing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t able to get him.
” But the same day , Surgeon Gen.l Jerome Adams said at a White House briefing that , “ We will see more cases .
Unfortunately , we are likely to see more deaths .
We have not seen the peak of this epidemic quite yet.
” Mitigation strategies attempt to minimize the virus ’ s impact on the broader community , especially vulnerable populations , through community actions — rather than a focus on exposed individuals .
But it carries its own costs .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events like Coachella , as happened Tuesday , it mitigates risks but also hits low-income workers , who are losing jobs , contributing to the chance the nation will slip into a recession .
“ In most jobs in this country , you can ’ t work from a laptop on your couch , ” said Adriane Casalotti , the chief of government and public affairs at the National Assn .
of County and City Health Officials .
“ We ’ re out there asking real people to choose between the public ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — them keeping their jobs .
For individual families , this is complicated and messy.
” The disparate realities of mitigation are especially apparent in California , where Gov .
Newsom has made it clear counties have the lead in responding to the virus .
“ What we are doing is a bottom-up process not a top-down process , ” said Newsom Tuesday .
“ I think the local health officials should make those determinations.
” In Los Angeles County , Barbara Ferrer , director of the county Department of Health , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slowing the spread , but is combining mitigation with containment .
Public health officials in Placer and Yolo counties , which neighbor Sacramento to the northeast and west , also announced a shift Tuesday from trying to contain COVID-19 to accepting that the disease is spreading too fast for widespread quarantining measures .
Seven people in Placer County have tested positive for COVID-19 , including a Rocklin man who died last week .
Yolo County has one confirmed case .
On Tuesday , the United States surpassed 1,000 coronavirus cases , mostly in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As of Tuesday , California had 157 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , with more than 1,075 Californians so far tested for the coronavirus at 18 labs across the state , the governor said .
Under the new recommendations in Placer and Yolo counties , which are effective through March 31 , individuals who have come in contact with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 will no longer be required to be quarantined for 14 days .
Instead , persons with cold-like symptoms , regardless of whether they have the coronavirus or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manage their symptoms with over-the-counter drugs .
The counties also said while they have tests for COVID-19 , they will be reserved for those with more serious symptoms , since mild symptoms are treated the same regardless of the diagnosis .
The counties urged businesses to allow employees to telecommute where possible and for large events to be postponed or canceled .
Aimee Sisson , Placer County ’ s public health director , said the county will continue to do some tracing of who came in contact with COVID-19 , but only to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a person who visited a nursing home or came in contact with an immune-compromised individual .
Widespread quarantine measures can ’ t be sustained , Sisson said , especially for healthcare workers .
California is already taxed with a shortage of medical providers , and forcing quarantines on front-line staff is a burden the system can ’ t bear as the virus spreads .
If counties keep quarantining healthcare workers for potential exposure , “ we wouldn ’ t have any healthcare workers left , ” she said .
Sisson added that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to trace every contact because it lacks the manpower , even with an offer from the state for additional help .
“ Even a handful of cases tested our capacity , ” she said .
Casalotti said that in addition to tracing contacts , health officials felt burdened by containment because it required caring for those in isolation — a costly and labor-intensive prospect .
Health workers often deliver groceries to keep patients away from busy public spaces where they could transmit the virus , for example .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers are in the hundreds , ” said John Auerbach , the chief executive of Trust for America ’ s Health .
But Dr. Stanley Perlman , a microbiologist at the University of Iowa who studies coronaviruses , pointed out that drastic measures in Wuhan seem to have significantly slowed the spread of the virus .
China ’ s massive quarantine was a never-before-seen public health experiment .
“ Certainly what they did seems to have worked , ” Perlman said .
A study released last week in the journal Science modeled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had on the rest of the globe .
Though the study found minimal impact in stopping the spread of COVID-19 to the rest of China , researchers found that there were 77 % fewer cases imported to other parts of the world through mid-February due to the restrictions .
Because of its success , it has become the map for how to combat these outbreaks .
Italy locked down the nation of 60 million people this week .
But Perlman said that it is hard to believe that Americans would follow such orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they craft their plans .
“ This is not an on-off switch .
It ’ s a dimmer , ” Dr. Nancy Messonnier , the director of the CDC ’ s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases , said Monday of efforts to shift strategies .
Still , World Health Organization officials have warned against countries giving up on containment strategies entirely .
WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that several countries in Asia have shown that even places with huge outbreaks can control the disease ’ s spread .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take action swiftly , especially in countries with major outbreaks .
Tedros said he is heartened by Italy ’ s aggressive measures to contain the virus .
“ The bottom line is : we are not at the mercy of the virus , ” he said .
“ It is never too late to turn back the tide of the virus.
” Tedros said countries with community spread do need mitigation , including considering drastic actions , such as closing schools and churches and canceling mass gatherings .
But , he added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
“ No white flag .
We don ’ t give up .
We fight to protect our children , to protect our senior citizens , ” he said .
“ A comprehensive approach , a blended approach , an approach that can help contain this outbreak is very important because the death rate from this outbreak is high.
” Staff writers Chris Megerian , Thomas Curwen and Taryn Luna contributed to this report .

Anita Chabria, Melody Gutierrez, Emily Baumgaertner, Soumya Karlamangla

Media members wear masks as they film outside a synagogue in New Rochelle, N.Y., on Tuesday, where a one-mile containment zone will be set up with the hope of slowing down the coronavirus.
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent the National Guard to a suburban enclave northeast of New York City to prevent COVID-19 from infecting more people there, after 108 residents tested positive in recent days.
In Santa Clara, where California is experiencing its largest outbreak of the virus with 45 positive cases confirmed, health officials continued to direct residents not to congregate, following a ban on large events earlier this week.
In Sacramento, the county health officer announced there would be no more quarantines and minimal tracing to determine how those testing positive for the novel coronavirus contracted the deadly, fast-moving disease. Those with symptoms face only voluntary restrictions for mingling in the community.
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“The cat is already out of the bag,” said Peter Beilenson, Sacramento County’s health director. “The community spread has already occurred.”
The health director made his comments before the county revealed Tuesday that a woman in her 90s had died of COVID-19 in an assisted living facility home south of Sacramento, making her the third confirmed case of a Californian dying of the disease.
It was further evidence, as many health officials argue, that the novel coronavirus will not easily be contained. From using military might to a seemingly hands-off attitude, hard-hit states and municipalities hope to slow the spread of a contagion that threatens lives and can overwhelm health systems if too many cases hit at once.
This week, as the number of people testing positive begins to grow daily, health officials across the United States are taking varied tactics as they make the switch from containment to mitigation — a transition mandated in part, say some experts, by a failure to find cases earlier as testing was delayed by a lack of access to kits, a problem many argue is still impeding efforts.
“Our detection is so poor that if we detect one [case] we absolutely have a lot more than that,” said Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. “We have failed to detect cases to such a degree that there are probably many, many cases that are spreading undetected and the only way to deal with that problem are measures like social distancing that don’t require tracing cases.”
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What this new phase of fighting the novel coronavirus looks like varies widely as health officials grapple with how to keep people away from one another, a daunting prospect when many Americans are unaware, or skeptical, of the actual risks of the disease. Mixed messages from federal, state and local authorities have confused many about the suggested precautions they should take, said Lipstich and others.
“I don’t think that people are grasping that it’s serious right now,” said Harvard epidemiologist Michael Mina. “And I think right now is our last chance to prevent massive numbers of cases.”
President Trump has shifted between sounding skeptical about the virus to claiming the contagion is largely under control.
“I think we’re doing a really good job,” Trump said Tuesday after a meeting with GOP leaders on Capitol Hill. “Democrat governors are saying we’ve done a fantastic job ... Gavin Newsom said there’s not a thing that he’s asked for that we weren’t able to get him.”
But the same day, Surgeon Gen.l Jerome Adams said at a White House briefing that, “We will see more cases. Unfortunately, we are likely to see more deaths. We have not seen the peak of this epidemic quite yet.”
Mitigation strategies attempt to minimize the virus’s impact on the broader community, especially vulnerable populations, through community actions — rather than a focus on exposed individuals.
But it carries its own costs. When authorities urge businesses and governments to delay events like Coachella, as happened Tuesday, it mitigates risks but also hits low-income workers, who are losing jobs, contributing to the chance the nation will slip into a recession.
“In most jobs in this country, you can’t work from a laptop on your couch,” said Adriane Casalotti, the chief of government and public affairs at the National Assn. of County and City Health Officials. “We’re out there asking real people to choose between the public’s health and their own financial well-being — them keeping their jobs. For individual families, this is complicated and messy.”
The disparate realities of mitigation are especially apparent in California, where Gov. Newsom has made it clear counties have the lead in responding to the virus.
“What we are doing is a bottom-up process not a top-down process,” said Newsom Tuesday. “I think the local health officials should make those determinations.”
In Los Angeles County, Barbara Ferrer, director of the county Department of Health, said her agency also had a focus on slowing the spread, but is combining mitigation with containment.
Public health officials in Placer and Yolo counties, which neighbor Sacramento to the northeast and west, also announced a shift Tuesday from trying to contain COVID-19 to accepting that the disease is spreading too fast for widespread quarantining measures. Seven people in Placer County have tested positive for COVID-19, including a Rocklin man who died last week. Yolo County has one confirmed case.
On Tuesday, the United States surpassed 1,000 coronavirus cases, mostly in Washingon state, New York and California. As of Tuesday, California had 157 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with more than 1,075 Californians so far tested for the coronavirus at 18 labs across the state, the governor said.
Under the new recommendations in Placer and Yolo counties, which are effective through March 31, individuals who have come in contact with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 will no longer be required to be quarantined for 14 days. Instead, persons with cold-like symptoms, regardless of whether they have the coronavirus or flu, are asked to self-quarantine and manage their symptoms with over-the-counter drugs.
The counties also said while they have tests for COVID-19, they will be reserved for those with more serious symptoms, since mild symptoms are treated the same regardless of the diagnosis. The counties urged businesses to allow employees to telecommute where possible and for large events to be postponed or canceled.
Aimee Sisson, Placer County’s public health director, said the county will continue to do some tracing of who came in contact with COVID-19, but only to screen for high-risk situations, such as a person who visited a nursing home or came in contact with an immune-compromised individual.
Widespread quarantine measures can’t be sustained, Sisson said, especially for healthcare workers. California is already taxed with a shortage of medical providers, and forcing quarantines on front-line staff is a burden the system can’t bear as the virus spreads.
If counties keep quarantining healthcare workers for potential exposure, “we wouldn’t have any healthcare workers left,” she said.
Sisson added that the county does not have the capacity to continue to trace every contact because it lacks the manpower, even with an offer from the state for additional help.
“Even a handful of cases tested our capacity,” she said.
Casalotti said that in addition to tracing contacts, health officials felt burdened by containment because it required caring for those in isolation — a costly and labor-intensive prospect. Health workers often deliver groceries to keep patients away from busy public spaces where they could transmit the virus, for example.
“It’s hard work to do even when the numbers are in the hundreds,” said John Auerbach, the chief executive of Trust for America’s Health.
But Dr. Stanley Perlman, a microbiologist at the University of Iowa who studies coronaviruses, pointed out that drastic measures in Wuhan seem to have significantly slowed the spread of the virus. China’s massive quarantine was a never-before-seen public health experiment.
“Certainly what they did seems to have worked,” Perlman said.
A study released last week in the journal Science modeled the effects that Wuhan’s travel quarantine had on the rest of the globe. Though the study found minimal impact in stopping the spread of COVID-19 to the rest of China, researchers found that there were 77% fewer cases imported to other parts of the world through mid-February due to the restrictions.
Because of its success, it has become the map for how to combat these outbreaks. Italy locked down the nation of 60 million people this week.
But Perlman said that it is hard to believe that Americans would follow such orders — the challenge health officials will face as they craft their plans.
“This is not an on-off switch. It’s a dimmer,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said Monday of efforts to shift strategies.
Still, World Health Organization officials have warned against countries giving up on containment strategies entirely.
WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that several countries in Asia have shown that even places with huge outbreaks can control the disease’s spread. He said government leaders have a responsibility to take action swiftly, especially in countries with major outbreaks.
Tedros said he is heartened by Italy’s aggressive measures to contain the virus.
“The bottom line is: we are not at the mercy of the virus,” he said. “It is never too late to turn back the tide of the virus.”
Tedros said countries with community spread do need mitigation, including considering drastic actions, such as closing schools and churches and canceling mass gatherings. But, he added, all countries need to do contact tracing as well.
“No white flag. We don’t give up. We fight to protect our children, to protect our senior citizens,” he said. “A comprehensive approach, a blended approach, an approach that can help contain this outbreak is very important because the death rate from this outbreak is high.”
Staff writers Chris Megerian, Thomas Curwen and Taryn Luna contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-11--I've seen 'Contagion' four times. No, the coronavirus outbreak isn't the same

The outbreak of a novel coronavirus has many convinced that we are headed for the scenario depicted in the movie “ Contagion , ” a 2011 thriller about a pandemic with a death toll in the millions .
“ Had the whole family watch Contagion last night to prepare them for what is to come , ” one user wrote on Twitter .
“ Might rent ‘ Contagion ’ today to see what ’ s really going on in the world , ” wrote another .
The 9-year-old flick has become one of the most popular rentals for video streaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distributor , Warner Bros. , the film was the 270th-most watched among its catalog titles in December .
Since the start of the year , it has jumped up to No .
2 .
But despite the movie ’ s resurgence , it is important to remember that “ Contagion ’ s ” fictional virus is not all that similar to the novel coronavirus that is now spreading around the world .
I first watched “ Contagion ” on a plane ( not recommended ) a few years after it was released .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ watched the movie three more times to track the differences between the real disease , COVID-19 , and the fictional virus , which was named MEV-1 .
I also spoke to scientists — some who worked on the movie and some who didn ’ t — to gather some additional insight .
Here ’ s how the two illnesses stack up .
Spoiler : MEV-1 is way worse .
In the movie ’ s opening scene , Beth Emhoff , the character played by Gwyneth Paltrow , coughs after contracting the virus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the virus originated there .
The real disease circulating in 2020 , known as COVID-19 , is believed to have emerged in mainland China late last year .
The epicenter of the current outbreak is Wuhan , a city of 11 million people in Central China .
Less than 10 minutes into the movie , Paltrow ’ s character dies of encephalitis , swelling of the brain , following some very scary-looking seizures .
Though there are viruses that cause encephalitis , the novel coronavirus isn ’ t one of them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emhoff gives the virus to her son when she greets him with a hug .
Scientists determine MEV-1 is spread via respiratory droplets and fomites — objects like clothing or door handles that the virus can live on .
Here ’ s a place where the two viruses line up .
Experts believe COVID-19 is also likely spread through coughing , sneezing and fomites .
That is why public health officials are recommending that people frequently wash their hands and try not to touch their faces during this outbreak .
Throughout the movie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seconds on seemingly innocuous objects , including a bowl of bar nuts , a cash register and a pole in a subway car , until it becomes clear this is how the virus is spreading .
Since he first watched “ Contagion ” in 2011 , New York University film professor Harry Winer said those images have become a cautionary tale .
“ Every time I ’ m in the subway in New York I think about whether I want to hold the hand rail , ” he said .
Scientists with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the virus sickening people has never been seen before .
It is a combination of a bat and pig virus , they say .
This virus is new , too , but its origins are still being investigated .
Scientists have suggested links to bats and pangolins .
The MEV-1 virus was largely based on the Nipah virus , which jumped from bats to pigs to humans and emerged in Malaysia in the late 1990s , causing respiratory disease and encephalitis .
MEV-1 was also imbued with characteristics of a hantavirus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the movie ’ s scientific consultants .
The fictional virus in “ Contagion ” kills between 25 % and 30 % of people who catch it .
COVID-19 is estimated to kill 2 % of people who contract it .
Both viruses are deadlier for people with underlying medical conditions .
Dr. Ian Lipkin , a Columbia University epidemiologist who was a consultant on “ Contagion , ” said he thinks many milder cases of COVID-19 have not been counted , so the death rate is exaggerated .
When I spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from China where he was helping with the COVID-19 response .
He said tests that identify how many people in the general population had the disease but were not diagnosed will give a more accurate death rate .
“ When we complete that work we ’ re going to find out that the mortality rate is much lower than is currently described , ” he said .
MEV-1 ’ s mortality rate is more similar to MERS , another coronavirus that originated in 2012 and kills about a third of people who catch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , MEV-1 mutates and becomes more deadly and more contagious .
The novel coronavirus could mutate too .
That could make it more dangerous , or less , experts say .
“ We ’ re always at the mercy of the virus mutating , ” said Dr. Mark Smolinski , an epidemiologist who also consulted on “ Contagion.
” “ Those are things that over time could change the course of the epidemic.
” CDC officials in “ Contagion ” warn that one out of every 12 people on the planet will contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movie , 26 million people have died of the virus , including at least 2.5 million in the U.S .
So far , 4,100 people worldwide have died of COVID-19 , with at least 23 deaths in the U.S .
It is too early to know how many people may ultimately catch the virus , experts say .
In the movie , it takes a few months to create a vaccine .
Scientists say it would take at least a year to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 .
What happens in the movie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself slowly to the scientists .
It ’ s sort of a slow , laborious process , and I don ’ t think it lends itself to that kind of vivid , clear story-telling , ” said Dr. Paul Offit , a Philadelphia pediatrician who has written several books on the benefits of vaccines .
Despite the film ’ s artistic license , Offit is a fan .
The movie concludes with everyone being inoculated against MEV-1 , the threat subsiding and the world returning to normal .
“ How often in movies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Offit said .

The outbreak of a novel coronavirus has many convinced that we are headed for the scenario depicted in the movie “Contagion,” a 2011 thriller about a pandemic with a death toll in the millions.
“Had the whole family watch Contagion last night to prepare them for what is to come,” one user wrote on Twitter.
“Might rent ‘Contagion’ today to see what’s really going on in the world,” wrote another.
Advertisement
The 9-year-old flick has become one of the most popular rentals for video streaming services in 2020. According to its distributor, Warner Bros., the film was the 270th-most watched among its catalog titles in December. Since the start of the year, it has jumped up to No. 2.
But despite the movie’s resurgence, it is important to remember that “Contagion’s” fictional virus is not all that similar to the novel coronavirus that is now spreading around the world.
I first watched “Contagion” on a plane (not recommended) a few years after it was released. Since the coronavirus outbreak, I have watched the movie three more times to track the differences between the real disease, COVID-19, and the fictional virus, which was named MEV-1. I also spoke to scientists — some who worked on the movie and some who didn’t — to gather some additional insight.
Here’s how the two illnesses stack up. Spoiler: MEV-1 is way worse.
In the movie’s opening scene, Beth Emhoff, the character played by Gwyneth Paltrow, coughs after contracting the virus in Hong Kong. It is later revealed that the virus originated there.
The real disease circulating in 2020, known as COVID-19, is believed to have emerged in mainland China late last year. The epicenter of the current outbreak is Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in Central China.
Less than 10 minutes into the movie, Paltrow’s character dies of encephalitis, swelling of the brain, following some very scary-looking seizures.
Though there are viruses that cause encephalitis, the novel coronavirus isn’t one of them. COVID-19 kills by attacking the lungs.
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Watched the 2011 disaster movie Contagion last night. Topical and now has me terrified. pic.twitter.com/W5IQbjrF4a — Paul McCarthy-Brain 🇪🇺 (@penguinbasher) February 27, 2020
Emhoff gives the virus to her son when she greets him with a hug. Scientists determine MEV-1 is spread via respiratory droplets and fomites — objects like clothing or door handles that the virus can live on.
Here’s a place where the two viruses line up. Experts believe COVID-19 is also likely spread through coughing, sneezing and fomites. That is why public health officials are recommending that people frequently wash their hands and try not to touch their faces during this outbreak.
Throughout the movie, the camera lingers a few extra seconds on seemingly innocuous objects, including a bowl of bar nuts, a cash register and a pole in a subway car, until it becomes clear this is how the virus is spreading.
Since he first watched “Contagion” in 2011, New York University film professor Harry Winer said those images have become a cautionary tale.
“Every time I’m in the subway in New York I think about whether I want to hold the hand rail,” he said.
California How the makers of ‘Contagion’ saw an outbreak like coronavirus coming ‘Contagion,’ a 2011 film, has become a hit on streaming sites as the world grapples with the coronavirus. For many watching now, it hits a bit too close to home.
Scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determine that the virus sickening people has never been seen before. It is a combination of a bat and pig virus, they say.
This virus is new, too, but its origins are still being investigated. Scientists have suggested links to bats and pangolins.
The MEV-1 virus was largely based on the Nipah virus, which jumped from bats to pigs to humans and emerged in Malaysia in the late 1990s, causing respiratory disease and encephalitis.
MEV-1 was also imbued with characteristics of a hantavirus and parainfluenza, said Dr. Larry Brilliant, one of the movie’s scientific consultants.
The fictional virus in “Contagion” kills between 25% and 30% of people who catch it.
COVID-19 is estimated to kill 2% of people who contract it. Both viruses are deadlier for people with underlying medical conditions.
Dr. Ian Lipkin, a Columbia University epidemiologist who was a consultant on “Contagion,” said he thinks many milder cases of COVID-19 have not been counted, so the death rate is exaggerated.
When I spoke to Lipkin, he had recently returned from China where he was helping with the COVID-19 response. He said tests that identify how many people in the general population had the disease but were not diagnosed will give a more accurate death rate.
“When we complete that work we’re going to find out that the mortality rate is much lower than is currently described,” he said.
MEV-1’s mortality rate is more similar to MERS, another coronavirus that originated in 2012 and kills about a third of people who catch it.
contagion is so spot on it's scary pic.twitter.com/O7kMKC3W0A — y (@yewdis) February 26, 2020
About halfway through the movie, MEV-1 mutates and becomes more deadly and more contagious.
The novel coronavirus could mutate too. That could make it more dangerous, or less, experts say.
“We’re always at the mercy of the virus mutating,” said Dr. Mark Smolinski, an epidemiologist who also consulted on “Contagion.” “Those are things that over time could change the course of the epidemic.”
CDC officials in “Contagion” warn that one out of every 12 people on the planet will contract MEV-1. By the end of the movie, 26 million people have died of the virus, including at least 2.5 million in the U.S.
So far, 4,100 people worldwide have died of COVID-19, with at least 23 deaths in the U.S.
It is too early to know how many people may ultimately catch the virus, experts say.
Watching the movie Contagion tonight. Hopefully I’ll become an expert on the Coronavirus, like everyone else is on Twitter 🤞 pic.twitter.com/0WPSffPdOT — Just A Kansas Girl ⭐🇺🇸⭐ (@KSChick_KU) February 27, 2020
In the movie, it takes a few months to create a vaccine.
Scientists say it would take at least a year to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. What happens in the movie is a fantasy.
“Nature gives itself slowly to the scientists. It’s sort of a slow, laborious process, and I don’t think it lends itself to that kind of vivid, clear story-telling,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a Philadelphia pediatrician who has written several books on the benefits of vaccines.
Despite the film’s artistic license, Offit is a fan. The movie concludes with everyone being inoculated against MEV-1, the threat subsiding and the world returning to normal.
“How often in movies are the vaccines the hero?” Offit said.


latimes--2020-03-11--3 TSA officers at San Jose airport have coronavirus

The Transportation Security Administration confirmed Tuesday that three of its officers who work at Mineta San Jose International Airport tested @ @ @ @ @ said screening at the airport is continuing .
“ The officers are receiving medical care @ @ @ @ @ they have come in contact with over the past 14 days are quarantined at home @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ Screening checkpoints remain open , and the agency is working @ @ @ @ @ well as the California Department of Public Health and the Santa Clara County Public Health @ @ @ @ @ situation as well as the health and safety of our employees and the traveling public.
@ @ @ @ @ Angeles International Airport have also tested positive .
Both checked arriving passengers for signs of @ @ @

The Transportation Security Administration confirmed Tuesday that three of its officers who work at Mineta San Jose International Airport tested positive for coronavirus.
Officials said screening at the airport is continuing.
“The officers are receiving medical care, and all TSA employees they have come in contact with over the past 14 days are quarantined at home,” the agency said in a statement. “Screening checkpoints remain open, and the agency is working with the CDC, as well as the California Department of Public Health and the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, to monitor the situation as well as the health and safety of our employees and the traveling public.”
Two screeners at Los Angeles International Airport have also tested positive. Both checked arriving passengers for signs of the coronavirus.


latimes--2020-03-10--Runoff increasingly likely in L.A. County district attorney race

Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey ’ s share of the vote from last week ’ s primary election slipped below 50 % , moving her further from the mark she needs to avoid a runoff .
The latest vote totals released by the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder on Tuesday in the district attorney ’ s race found Lacey ’ s share of the vote slid from 50 % to 49.94 % .
She needs 50 % plus one vote to win outright , and is increasingly likely to face a November runoff with the second-place finisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 493,450 ballots remain uncounted as of Tuesday evening .
Lacey , a two-term incumbent , was challenged by George Gascon , a former Los Angeles Police Department official and San Francisco district attorney , and Rachel Rossi , a public defender and former congressional aide , to lead the nation ’ s largest prosecutor ’ s office .
Gascon and Rossi , who both ran on a reform agenda , have captured 27.66 % and 22.4 % of the vote , respectively , as of Tuesday .
The county registrar will update the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen as a test of whether a national movement that has installed progressive , reform-minded candidates in prosecutors ’ offices in San Francisco , Philadelphia , Baltimore and other cities would extend to Los Angeles .
Despite its left-leaning electorate , the county has historically endorsed a more conservative view of law and order .

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey’s share of the vote from last week’s primary election slipped below 50%, moving her further from the mark she needs to avoid a runoff.
The latest vote totals released by the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder on Tuesday in the district attorney’s race found Lacey’s share of the vote slid from 50% to 49.94%. She needs 50% plus one vote to win outright, and is increasingly likely to face a November runoff with the second-place finisher. The registrar’s office estimated 493,450 ballots remain uncounted as of Tuesday evening.
Lacey, a two-term incumbent, was challenged by George Gascon, a former Los Angeles Police Department official and San Francisco district attorney, and Rachel Rossi, a public defender and former congressional aide, to lead the nation’s largest prosecutor’s office. Gascon and Rossi, who both ran on a reform agenda, have captured 27.66% and 22.4% of the vote, respectively, as of Tuesday.
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The county registrar will update the vote count Friday.
The race was seen as a test of whether a national movement that has installed progressive, reform-minded candidates in prosecutors’ offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Baltimore and other cities would extend to Los Angeles. Despite its left-leaning electorate, the county has historically endorsed a more conservative view of law and order.


latimes--2020-03-10--Long lines, voting problems prompt an investigation, grilling of L.A.'s elections chief

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has ordered an investigation into complaints about long waits and equipment malfunctions that hampered voting at many poll centers during last week ’ s primary election .
At a hearing on Tuesday , the supervisors ordered the county ’ s chief elections official , Dean Logan , to explain what they called “ serious problems ” for voters — and to address them before the general election in November .
They didn ’ t mince words in telling Logan that they were dissatisfied and concerned with the performance of a new $ 300-million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the primary .
“ We made it less accessible for people on election day .
We made it less convenient .
We made it less desirable to vote , ” said Supervisor Janice Hahn , whose motion prompted the hearing .
“ I ’ m sorry to say I ’ ve lost confidence , and I know the public has lost confidence .
We have to fix this.
” Logan , who , in his more than a decade on the job , has weathered controversies without such a public rebuke from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that voters experienced , but stood by his long-developed vision for a new voting system .
“ I hear you , and I hear the voices of our voters and of our poll workers .
It was not the implementation we were hoping for .
I regret that and I apologize , ” Logan said .
“ I also accept and take seriously my responsibility for addressing these issues.
” The new system , approved by Secretary of State Alex Padilla ’ s office and partly prompted by changes in California law , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , scrapping traditional precinct polling locations in favor of fewer but more flexible vote centers .
The county also adopted new electronic polling rosters , allowing election workers to print customized ballots regardless of the voting location , and new custom-built ballot-marking devices intended to make casting a ballot easier and more accessible .
Taken together , the overhaul was intended to allow more voters to cast ballots earlier , either at any of the nearly 1,000 vote centers , or by mail .
But a considerable number of voters still decided on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technical and staffing hurdles .
Logan on Tuesday acknowledged there were technical glitches that led to frustration and delays , but also cited problems with the locations of some of the vote centers , which were too small to handle the crush of voters .
“ I don ’ t think the answer is to give up on this , ” he added .
“ I think the answer is to get it right.
” The supervisors voted unanimously to investigate the “ serious problems ” some voters encountered .
In their motion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait times and issues checking in at the polls , and whether vote centers were adequately staffed and had enough working equipment .
“ It really is critical to know the quality of our voting devices , ” said Supervisor Hilda Solis , who also called for more foreign language support among poll workers .
The supervisors also questioned why 17,000 voters didn ’ t receive their requested mail ballots on time — and why some of those ballots mistakenly excluded a question on Measure FD , which would have granted more funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Their motion calls on Logan , working with state election officials , to report back to the board within 45 days on “ corrective measures ” to ensure similar problems don ’ t occur in November when many more people are likely to vote .
The county ’ s chief executive officer also has been ordered to hire an independent consultant to review the problems and to “ validate ” any action plan presented by Logan ’ s office .
On Monday , Logan ’ s office released a list of voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices and voter-lookup machines deployed to each .
The data on the list reveal wide discrepancies in the capacity at centers across the county .
The vote centers had , on average , about 20 ballot-marking devices .
But more than 140 had only five machines — potentially one source of bottlenecks reported by voters on primary day .
Logan has said his office also may have overestimated how many voters would use the extended period to cast their ballots early .
In the 2016 June primary election , for example , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,800 schools , churches and other quasi-public facilities around the county .
Last week ’ s primary election included just 970 vote centers , though those locations remained open for as long as 11 days to reduce the crush of voters .
Yet only about 250,000 of an estimated 2.1 million ballots were cast early by voters who came to the centers .
Both new computer systems experienced problems on the day of the primary , and voters also complained about the machines and poll books failing or general confusion about both .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ teacher who voted at Brockton Elementary in Los Angeles , said a diagram about how to use the new voting machine was misleading .
He said he almost failed to cast his ballot properly because he forgot to select a final button .
“ That is a diagram for disenfranchisement , ” he said of the instructions .
“ If you put that thing in there and don ’ t push the button , you have not voted.
” But despite the seemingly widespread problems reported by voters and elections officials and observed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggests that many voters left the process having a positive experience with the system .
An exit poll by Loyola Marymount University of 3,500 voters at 50 randomly selected vote centers found that nearly 90 % of voters said their experience was “ excellent ” or “ good.
” And about 75 % of the respondents said the new voting technology was “ much easier ” or a “ bit easier ” compared to previous elections .
The poll also found , however , that roughly 20 % said they spent at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center .
“ This whole narrative that the vote center model didn ’ t work , or that it was unsuccessful , or that everybody was waiting in these ridiculously long lines just wasn ’ t true , ” said Brianne Gilbert , associate director at the Center for the Study of Los Angeles .
“ We ’ re certainly not saying that everything was perfect — there ’ s room for improvement — but overall , things were successful.
” However , the poll , which was conducted by student researchers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supervisors .
“ We have a lot of work to do , ” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger .
“ Between now and November we have to restore confidence , so that people know we take this seriously , and that it ’ s not going to happen again.
” Tuesday ’ s hearing comes as Logan ’ s office continues tabulating mail and provisional ballots from the March 3 primary election ahead of the official certification scheduled for March 27 .
As of Tuesday , some 493,000 votes remained uncounted — down from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office stressed that the process of confirming and counting late-arriving ballots is unrelated to the delays experienced on election day .
The lengthy tabulation schedule had been anticipated .
Many vote-by-mail ballots , for example , were cast at vote centers , drop boxes and by mail on election day .
Those ballots require signature verification and preparation prior to tabulation , Logan has said .
Also , thousands of ballots were filed provisionally or under the condition that a voter registration be reviewed .
Key among the outstanding contests is the contest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jackie Lacey is seeking to avoid a runoff election .
The outcome of the hotly contested 2nd District supervisor ’ s race also hadn ’ t yet been settled , in which L.A. City Council member Herb Wesson and state Sen. Holly Mitchell appeared to be headed to a runoff , while currently leading over former City Council member Jan Perry .

L.A. County chief elections official Dean Logan was on the hot seat at the L.A. County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has ordered an investigation into complaints about long waits and equipment malfunctions that hampered voting at many poll centers during last week’s primary election.
At a hearing on Tuesday, the supervisors ordered the county’s chief elections official, Dean Logan, to explain what they called “serious problems” for voters — and to address them before the general election in November.
They didn’t mince words in telling Logan that they were dissatisfied and concerned with the performance of a new $300-million electronic voting system that his office unveiled for the primary.
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“We made it less accessible for people on election day. We made it less convenient. We made it less desirable to vote,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose motion prompted the hearing. “I’m sorry to say I’ve lost confidence, and I know the public has lost confidence. We have to fix this.”
Logan, who, in his more than a decade on the job, has weathered controversies without such a public rebuke from the supervisors, apologized for the problems that voters experienced, but stood by his long-developed vision for a new voting system.
“I hear you, and I hear the voices of our voters and of our poll workers. It was not the implementation we were hoping for. I regret that and I apologize,” Logan said. “I also accept and take seriously my responsibility for addressing these issues.”
The new system, approved by Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s office and partly prompted by changes in California law, overhauled the voting experience in L.A. County, scrapping traditional precinct polling locations in favor of fewer but more flexible vote centers.
Seated center, Supervisor Kathryn Barger listens to testimony during a Board of Supervisors meeting where Los Angeles County elections chief Dean Logan testified Tuesday. (Kent Nishimura/Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
The county also adopted new electronic polling rosters, allowing election workers to print customized ballots regardless of the voting location, and new custom-built ballot-marking devices intended to make casting a ballot easier and more accessible.
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Taken together, the overhaul was intended to allow more voters to cast ballots earlier, either at any of the nearly 1,000 vote centers, or by mail. But a considerable number of voters still decided on an in-person experience, exacerbating delays amid technical and staffing hurdles.
Logan on Tuesday acknowledged there were technical glitches that led to frustration and delays, but also cited problems with the locations of some of the vote centers, which were too small to handle the crush of voters.
“I don’t think the answer is to give up on this,” he added. “I think the answer is to get it right.”
The supervisors voted unanimously to investigate the “serious problems” some voters encountered.
In their motion, the supervisors raised concerns about excessive wait times and issues checking in at the polls, and whether vote centers were adequately staffed and had enough working equipment.
“It really is critical to know the quality of our voting devices,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis, who also called for more foreign language support among poll workers.
The supervisors also questioned why 17,000 voters didn’t receive their requested mail ballots on time — and why some of those ballots mistakenly excluded a question on Measure FD, which would have granted more funding to the county’s Fire Department.
Voters in L.A. County used new equipment during last week’s primary election. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Their motion calls on Logan, working with state election officials, to report back to the board within 45 days on “corrective measures” to ensure similar problems don’t occur in November when many more people are likely to vote.
The county’s chief executive officer also has been ordered to hire an independent consultant to review the problems and to “validate” any action plan presented by Logan’s office.
On Monday, Logan’s office released a list of voting centers and the total number of ballot-marking devices and voter-lookup machines deployed to each. The data on the list reveal wide discrepancies in the capacity at centers across the county.
The vote centers had, on average, about 20 ballot-marking devices. But more than 140 had only five machines — potentially one source of bottlenecks reported by voters on primary day.
Logan has said his office also may have overestimated how many voters would use the extended period to cast their ballots early.
In the 2016 June primary election, for example, there were 4,500 precincts and polling places at 2,800 schools, churches and other quasi-public facilities around the county.
Last week’s primary election included just 970 vote centers, though those locations remained open for as long as 11 days to reduce the crush of voters. Yet only about 250,000 of an estimated 2.1 million ballots were cast early by voters who came to the centers.
Both new computer systems experienced problems on the day of the primary, and voters also complained about the machines and poll books failing or general confusion about both.
Mitch Paradise, a writer and substitute teacher who voted at Brockton Elementary in Los Angeles, said a diagram about how to use the new voting machine was misleading. He said he almost failed to cast his ballot properly because he forgot to select a final button.
“That is a diagram for disenfranchisement,” he said of the instructions. “If you put that thing in there and don’t push the button, you have not voted.”
But despite the seemingly widespread problems reported by voters and elections officials and observed by The Times, a new survey suggests that many voters left the process having a positive experience with the system.
An exit poll by Loyola Marymount University of 3,500 voters at 50 randomly selected vote centers found that nearly 90% of voters said their experience was “excellent” or “good.” And about 75% of the respondents said the new voting technology was “much easier” or a “bit easier” compared to previous elections.
The poll also found, however, that roughly 20% said they spent at least 20 minutes or more at a vote center.
“This whole narrative that the vote center model didn’t work, or that it was unsuccessful, or that everybody was waiting in these ridiculously long lines just wasn’t true,” said Brianne Gilbert, associate director at the Center for the Study of Los Angeles. “We’re certainly not saying that everything was perfect — there’s room for improvement — but overall, things were successful.”
However, the poll, which was conducted by student researchers, did little to quell the concerns of supervisors.
“We have a lot of work to do,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “Between now and November we have to restore confidence, so that people know we take this seriously, and that it’s not going to happen again.”
Tuesday’s hearing comes as Logan’s office continues tabulating mail and provisional ballots from the March 3 primary election ahead of the official certification scheduled for March 27. As of Tuesday, some 493,000 votes remained uncounted — down from 675,000 on Friday.
Logan’s office stressed that the process of confirming and counting late-arriving ballots is unrelated to the delays experienced on election day. The lengthy tabulation schedule had been anticipated.
Many vote-by-mail ballots, for example, were cast at vote centers, drop boxes and by mail on election day. Those ballots require signature verification and preparation prior to tabulation, Logan has said.
Also, thousands of ballots were filed provisionally or under the condition that a voter registration be reviewed.
Key among the outstanding contests is the contest for district attorney, in which incumbent Jackie Lacey is seeking to avoid a runoff election.
The outcome of the hotly contested 2nd District supervisor’s race also hadn’t yet been settled, in which L.A. City Council member Herb Wesson and state Sen. Holly Mitchell appeared to be headed to a runoff, while currently leading over former City Council member Jan Perry.


latimes--2020-03-10--Northern California woman dies of coronavirus — first known senior facility case statewide

An elderly patient in a northern California assisted living facility has died of the novel coronavirus , sparking fears of an outbreak among other residents of the facility and renewing concerns about statewide availability of testing kits to detect the virus .
Sacramento County health officials announced Tuesday that a patient in her 90s was the county ’ s first fatality from COVID-19 .
The Sacramento Bee identified the facility as Carlton Senior Living .
The woman was among about 140 patients of the facility in Elk Grove , the same suburb where all public schools were closed this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple sites tested positive for the coronavirus .
Yesterday , the district announced that an elementary age student in that family had also tested positive .
Peter Beilenson , health director of Sacramento County , said Tuesday that all patients in the nursing home would be tested for the virus , but that effort was delayed by a lack of test kits .
He said the county has access to only 20 tests per day , and is having to ration those between possible cases in the community and medical professionals who may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been very frustrating because we have been stuck now for a couple of weeks with just 20 tests a day , ” said Beilenson .
Beilenson said other residents of the facility are now subject to special protective measures , including having meals delivered to rooms and not being allowed to congregate in communal areas .
The woman ’ s death has renewed focus on the testing capacity needed in California and other state to help stem the spread of the COVID-19 disease .
The number of tests available is inadequate , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local and federal government officials , as the Times reported on March 6 .
As of last weekend , California had only 7,400 tests statewide , even as federal officials were pledging that nearly 1 million tests would be made available nationwide by that time .
On Tuesday at a news conference , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said the state had 7,675 tests available .
“ But not every one of those tests can be accessed , because all the ingredients are not available at all of the labs , ” the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third confirmed death from COVID-19 in California , and she is the state ’ s first known case of infection with the coronavirus in a senior facility .
But it is possible that others in assisted facilities and nursing homes have contracted the disease , since local and state authorities do not reveal locations of individual victims .
As of Tuesday , California had 157 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , the governor said , up from 60 last Friday .
Nursing home industry leaders have recommended curtailing all but essential visits at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stem the spread of the virus .
The recommendation comes as the toll continues to rise at a Washington state nursing facility , Life Care Center of Kirkland , where 19 have died , including an additional 3 on Monday .

An elderly patient in a northern California assisted living facility has died of the novel coronavirus, sparking fears of an outbreak among other residents of the facility and renewing concerns about statewide availability of testing kits to detect the virus.
Sacramento County health officials announced Tuesday that a patient in her 90s was the county’s first fatality from COVID-19. The Sacramento Bee identified the facility as Carlton Senior Living.
The woman was among about 140 patients of the facility in Elk Grove, the same suburb where all public schools were closed this week after two family members with students in multiple sites tested positive for the coronavirus. Yesterday, the district announced that an elementary age student in that family had also tested positive.
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Peter Beilenson, health director of Sacramento County, said Tuesday that all patients in the nursing home would be tested for the virus, but that effort was delayed by a lack of test kits. He said the county has access to only 20 tests per day, and is having to ration those between possible cases in the community and medical professionals who may have been exposed.
“It has been very frustrating because we have been stuck now for a couple of weeks with just 20 tests a day,” said Beilenson.
Beilenson said other residents of the facility are now subject to special protective measures, including having meals delivered to rooms and not being allowed to congregate in communal areas.
The woman’s death has renewed focus on the testing capacity needed in California and other state to help stem the spread of the COVID-19 disease. The number of tests available is inadequate, with healthcare workers statewide reporting widespread failings by local and federal government officials, as the Times reported on March 6.
As of last weekend, California had only 7,400 tests statewide, even as federal officials were pledging that nearly 1 million tests would be made available nationwide by that time.
On Tuesday at a news conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state had 7,675 tests available. “But not every one of those tests can be accessed, because all the ingredients are not available at all of the labs,” the governor said.
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California Nursing home at center of coronavirus deaths spurs precautions across U.S. Few places are more fraught with risk from the coronavirus outbreak than a skilled nursing facility. Concerns about nightmare scenarios have nursing home operators and government officials across the country taking extra precautions.
The Elk Grove woman is the third confirmed death from COVID-19 in California, and she is the state’s first known case of infection with the coronavirus in a senior facility. But it is possible that others in assisted facilities and nursing homes have contracted the disease, since local and state authorities do not reveal locations of individual victims.
As of Tuesday, California had 157 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the governor said, up from 60 last Friday.
Nursing home industry leaders have recommended curtailing all but essential visits at nursing facilities across the country, to stem the spread of the virus. The recommendation comes as the toll continues to rise at a Washington state nursing facility, Life Care Center of Kirkland, where 19 have died, including an additional 3 on Monday.
Staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-10--Most California coronavirus patients are aged 18-64, new data shows

California officials on Tuesday released age breakdowns of the coronavirus cases so far as the spread of the disease continued .
The data showed 91 cases of people 18-64 and 60 cases of people 65 and over .
There were only two cases of people younger than 18 .
There is growing alarm about the toll coronavirus is taking on the elderly , who account for the vast majority of the deaths in the United States .
People at higher risk include those over the age of 70 and people with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes , obesity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lung or kidney and those with weakened immune systems .
If someone who falls in one of these categories does get sick , early diagnosis is important to allow more time to treat the patient , which may include putting them on oxygen or , when necessary , a ventilator to help them breathe if their lungs begin to fail .
Los Angeles County health officials on Wednesday will begin visiting about 300 assisted care facilities in the county to assess their needs for keeping the residences safe from the coronavirus .
California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have come in contact with the disease .
More than 1,075 Californians have been tested for the coronavirus at On Monday , Los Angeles County reported the first instance of the virus spreading in the community .
A new case was reported Tuesday — the county ’ s 20th — by health officials who said a traveler returning from Iran tested positive after flying into Los Angeles International Airport .
The individual is currently isolated at home .
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management also reported one new case Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 .
The patient , who had known contact with another person who tested positive , is hospitalized , officials said .
10,300+ Number of people self monitoring who returned to the U.S. through SFO or LAX * Does not include passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked in Oakland

Rong-Gong Lin II, Colleen Shalby, Thomas Curwen

California officials on Tuesday released age breakdowns of the coronavirus cases so far as the spread of the disease continued.
The data showed 91 cases of people 18-64 and 60 cases of people 65 and over. There were only two cases of people younger than 18.
There is growing alarm about the toll coronavirus is taking on the elderly, who account for the vast majority of the deaths in the United States.
People at higher risk include those over the age of 70 and people with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, disease of the heart, lung or kidney and those with weakened immune systems. If someone who falls in one of these categories does get sick, early diagnosis is important to allow more time to treat the patient, which may include putting them on oxygen or, when necessary, a ventilator to help them breathe if their lungs begin to fail.
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Los Angeles County health officials on Wednesday will begin visiting about 300 assisted care facilities in the county to assess their needs for keeping the residences safe from the coronavirus.
California had 157 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , and thousands of residents who may have come in contact with the disease. More than 1,075 Californians have been tested for the coronavirus at 18 labs across the state.
On Monday, Los Angeles County reported the first instance of the virus spreading in the community. A new case was reported Tuesday — the county’s 20th — by health officials who said a traveler returning from Iran tested positive after flying into Los Angeles International Airport. The individual is currently isolated at home.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management also reported one new case Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 14. The patient, who had known contact with another person who tested positive, is hospitalized, officials said.
OVERALL
157 Positive cases*
AGE BREAKDOWN
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Age 0-17 | 2 cases
Age 18 - 64 | 91 cases
Age 65+ | 60 cases
Unknown | 4 cases
DETAILS
24 cases of positive tests related to federal repatriation flights
133 cases not related to repatriation flights
50 travel-related
30 person-to-person
29 community transmission
24 under investigation
10,300+ Number of people self monitoring who returned to the U.S. through SFO or LAX
* Does not include passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked in Oakland


latimes--2020-03-10--L.A. County will visit hundreds of senior living centers to assess coronavirus risk

Los Angeles County health officials on Wednesday will begin visiting about 300 assisted care facilities in the county to assess their needs for keeping the residences safe from the coronavirus .
The move , according to Barbara Ferrer , director of the county Department of Public Health , comes amid growing alarm about the toll coronavirus is taking on the elderly , who account for the vast majority of the deaths in the United States .
California that group to avoid large public gatherings , travel and events .
The Santa Clara city library is canceling all programs for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the senior center .
San Jose ’ s senior meals program will transition to a boxed to-go pickup format .
“ If you are an elderly person with an underlying condition , if you get infected , the risk of getting into trouble is considerable .
So it ’ s our responsibility to protect the vulnerable , ” said Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , on NBC ’ s Meet the Press .
“ When I say protect , I mean right now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Say no large crowds , no long trips .
And above all , don ’ t get on a cruise ship.
” Those at higher risk include people over 70 with underlying conditions such as diabetes , obesity , asthma , heart , lung or kidney diseaseand weakened immune systems .
If someone in one of these categories does get sick , early diagnosis is important to allow more time to treat the patient , which may include putting a patient on oxygen or , when necessary , a ventilator to help them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Monday , Los Angeles County reported the first instance of the virus spreading in the community .
A new case was reported Tuesday — the county ’ s 20th — by health officials who said a traveler returning from Iran tested positive after flying into Los Angeles International Airport .

Los Angeles County health officials on Wednesday will begin visiting about 300 assisted care facilities in the county to assess their needs for keeping the residences safe from the coronavirus.
The move, according to Barbara Ferrer, director of the county Department of Public Health, comes amid growing alarm about the toll coronavirus is taking on the elderly, who account for the vast majority of the deaths in the United States.
California officials have been urging that group to avoid large public gatherings, travel and events. The Santa Clara city library is canceling all programs for the upcoming week, and most programs at the senior center. San Jose’s senior meals program will transition to a boxed to-go pickup format.
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On Sunday, federal officials reiterated that message.
“If you are an elderly person with an underlying condition, if you get infected, the risk of getting into trouble is considerable. So it’s our responsibility to protect the vulnerable,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on NBC’s Meet the Press. “When I say protect, I mean right now. Not wait until things get worse. Say no large crowds, no long trips. And above all, don’t get on a cruise ship.”
Those at higher risk include people over 70 with underlying conditions such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, heart, lung or kidney diseaseand weakened immune systems. If someone in one of these categories does get sick, early diagnosis is important to allow more time to treat the patient, which may include putting a patient on oxygen or, when necessary, a ventilator to help them breathe if their lungs begin to fail.
On Monday, Los Angeles County reported the first instance of the virus spreading in the community. A new case was reported Tuesday — the county’s 20th — by health officials who said a traveler returning from Iran tested positive after flying into Los Angeles International Airport.