naturalnews--2020-03-07--Saudi Arabia clears out Islam's holiest site due to coronavirus fears

( Natural News ) Saudi Arabia ordered the Great Mosque of Mecca to be emptied amid fears over the coronavirus in a report on Thursday .
The move was made so that authorities can begin sterilizing the area to minimize the risk of an outbreak .
Images and videos shared by state media , as well as in social media , showed tan-uniformed guards emptying the Mataaf , or the while tiled parade grounds surrounding the Kaaba , the great black cube at the mosque ’ s center and considered to be the most sacred site in all of Islam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devotees as well as pilgrims from around the world .
Authorities are also closing down Safa and Marwa , two small hills located inside the Great Mosque , which pilgrims walk barefoot back and forth in an enclosed gallery .
A Saudi official told AFP that the move was merely a “ temporary preventive measure ” and that the upper floors of the Grand Mosque were still open , and worshipers already in the kingdom could still come there to pray .
However , the official also said that the measure was unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities will also be closing the Prophet ’ s Mosque in Medina an hour after evening prayers ( Isha ) and will reopen it an hour before dawn prayers ( Fajr ) .
On Wednesday , Saudi Arabia announced a temporary ban on Umrah pilgrimages to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina .
The new measures came on the heels of visa suspensions for the Umrah last week .
The country also barred entry for citizens from five other countries in the Gulf — Bahrain , Kuwait , Oman , Qatar and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suspend the Umrah and sterilize the Mataaf comes ahead of the beginning of Ramadan , the holy month of fasting , which starts in late April .
Around seven million visitors come to Mecca annually to perform Umrah .
Furthermore , the Great Mosque sees an uptick of pilgrims during Ramadan .
The Hajj will begin several months after , during late July .
It ’ s still unclear how the coronavirus outbreak will affect both Ramadan and the Hajj .
Last year , around 2.5 million Muslims from around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hajj .
The six-day event is a logistical ordeal for local and national authorities .
Crowds of millions converge into holy sites , making pilgrims who participate in the Hajj more at risk of catching an infectious disease .
Saudi Arabia reported its first case of COVID-19 on Monday , a Saudi national who recently traveled to Iran .
In response to the possibility of more cases popping up in the kingdom , a health ministry spokesperson said that the government was preparing 25 hospitals to take in any new coronavirus cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ world worship Authorities outside of Saudi Arabia are also strictly regulating how Muslims will continue following their religious traditions .
In Iran , over 3,500 people have reportedly been infected , over 107 people have died , and a full eight percent of the country ’ s parliament has the disease .
The country is struggling to contain the virus .
One measure they ’ ve enacted is to halt Friday prayers in mosques and other public gathering spaces .
President Hassan Rouhani is calling on the whole country to “ work together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as possible .
( Related : Iran ’ s VP infected by the coronavirus – many top officials are also sick… or DEAD . )
Tajikistan , a small country in Central Asia with nine million people , still has no reported cases and wants to keep it that way .
This is why they ’ ve also suspended Friday prayers .
Furthermore , they ’ ve completely closed off their borders to people from 35 different countries .
Authorities are also canceling celebrations for the Persian New Year ( Nowruz ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 .
In Singapore , Minister for Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli told citizens to avoid shaking hands with anyone and to bring their prayer mats when they go to mosques to pray .
He is also advising Muslims to stay at home if they show any COVID-19 symptoms .
“ In these circumstances , we will not be shaking hands , ” he said .
“ But if you do , wash your hands and then make sure you don ’ t touch your face .
This is just a precaution for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Muslim Council of Britain , one of the United Kingdom ’ s largest umbrella organizations for Muslims , has called on both mosques and madrasas ( Islamic schools ) to follow the government ’ s advice to keep their congregations safe from the outbreak .
They are advising mosques and madrasas to encourage handwashing and to stock up on enough soap and hand sanitizers .
In Saudi Arabia , more than 60,000 people have so far applied to participate in this year ’ s Hajj .
It remains to be seen how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s celebrations .
Authorities have not yet announced if the restrictive measures currently imposed on both the Great Mosque and the Prophet ’ s Mosque will apply during the Hajj or if they will expand these measures .

Saudi Arabia clears out Islam’s holiest site due to coronavirus fears
Saudi Arabia ordered the Great Mosque of Mecca to be emptied amid fears over the coronavirus in a report on Thursday. The move was made so that authorities can begin sterilizing the area to minimize the risk of an outbreak.
Images and videos shared by state media, as well as in social media, showed tan-uniformed guards emptying the Mataaf, or the while tiled parade grounds surrounding the Kaaba, the great black cube at the mosque’s center and considered to be the most sacred site in all of Islam. The Mataaf is often packed with devotees as well as pilgrims from around the world.
Authorities are also closing down Safa and Marwa, two small hills located inside the Great Mosque, which pilgrims walk barefoot back and forth in an enclosed gallery.
A Saudi official told AFP that the move was merely a “temporary preventive measure” and that the upper floors of the Grand Mosque were still open, and worshipers already in the kingdom could still come there to pray. However, the official also said that the measure was unprecedented.
Aside from the Great Mosque, authorities will also be closing the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina an hour after evening prayers (Isha) and will reopen it an hour before dawn prayers (Fajr).
https://twitter.com/hsharifain/status/1235560347752452097
Saudi Arabia tightening grip to combat coronavirus
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia announced a temporary ban on Umrah pilgrimages to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The new measures came on the heels of visa suspensions for the Umrah last week. The country also barred entry for citizens from five other countries in the Gulf -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
This decision to suspend the Umrah and sterilize the Mataaf comes ahead of the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, which starts in late April. Around seven million visitors come to Mecca annually to perform Umrah. Furthermore, the Great Mosque sees an uptick of pilgrims during Ramadan. The Hajj will begin several months after, during late July. It’s still unclear how the coronavirus outbreak will affect both Ramadan and the Hajj. Last year, around 2.5 million Muslims from around the world traveled to Mecca to participate in the Hajj.
The six-day event is a logistical ordeal for local and national authorities. Crowds of millions converge into holy sites, making pilgrims who participate in the Hajj more at risk of catching an infectious disease.
Saudi Arabia reported its first case of COVID-19 on Monday, a Saudi national who recently traveled to Iran. In response to the possibility of more cases popping up in the kingdom, a health ministry spokesperson said that the government was preparing 25 hospitals to take in any new coronavirus cases.
https://twitter.com/are_eb/status/1235559677766721537
Coronavirus fears changing how Muslims around the world worship
Authorities outside of Saudi Arabia are also strictly regulating how Muslims will continue following their religious traditions.
In Iran, over 3,500 people have reportedly been infected, over 107 people have died, and a full eight percent of the country’s parliament has the disease. The country is struggling to contain the virus. One measure they’ve enacted is to halt Friday prayers in mosques and other public gathering spaces. President Hassan Rouhani is calling on the whole country to “work together” to tackle the outbreak as quickly as possible. (Related: Iran’s VP infected by the coronavirus - many top officials are also sick... or DEAD.)
Tajikistan, a small country in Central Asia with nine million people, still has no reported cases and wants to keep it that way. This is why they’ve also suspended Friday prayers. Furthermore, they’ve completely closed off their borders to people from 35 different countries. Authorities are also canceling celebrations for the Persian New Year (Nowruz), which is celebrated from March 21 to 25.
In Singapore, Minister for Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli told citizens to avoid shaking hands with anyone and to bring their prayer mats when they go to mosques to pray. He is also advising Muslims to stay at home if they show any COVID-19 symptoms.
“In these circumstances, we will not be shaking hands,” he said. “But if you do, wash your hands and then make sure you don’t touch your face. This is just a precaution for many of us who always forget that.”
The Muslim Council of Britain, one of the United Kingdom’s largest umbrella organizations for Muslims, has called on both mosques and madrasas (Islamic schools) to follow the government’s advice to keep their congregations safe from the outbreak. They are advising mosques and madrasas to encourage handwashing and to stock up on enough soap and hand sanitizers.
In Saudi Arabia, more than 60,000 people have so far applied to participate in this year’s Hajj. It remains to be seen how the coronavirus outbreak will affect this year’s celebrations. Authorities have not yet announced if the restrictive measures currently imposed on both the Great Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque will apply during the Hajj or if they will expand these measures.
Sources include:
Geo.tv
ArabNews.com
MiddleEastEye.net 1
MiddleEastEye.net 2
Metro.co.uk
AlJazeera.com
BusinessInsider.com
Reuters.com


naturalnews--2020-03-07--Hysteria over coronavirus hits pet owners in Australia – some are even asking vets to PUT DOWN their

( Natural News ) A veterinary clinic in Sydney has found itself flooded with calls from pet owners asking for their pets to be euthanized .
Sam Kovac of Southern Cross Veterinary Clinic in St. Peters , Sydney , said their clinic received calls within the past couple of weeks from customers asking about the possibility of euthanizing their pets over fears that the animals could infect them with the coronavirus .
“ They ’ re scared their dog could catch coronavirus and bring it home and be a risk to their family , ” Kovac said in an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one client say to me ’ dogs are in lockdown in China , should I be putting Cheto into quarantine at home ?
’ , ” Kovac said .
According to Kovac , he has refused all requests .
Kovac said he has taken to explaining to clients that the common coronavirus seen in dogs is not the same as the deadly new virus affecting humans , adding in his interview , that he was “ disturbed ” by the fact that pet owners would seek to euthanize their dogs over a disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same clients if they ’ d euthanize their grandma , they ’ d say no .
Why have a pet and treat it differently to how you ’ d treat another family member ?
” he added .
Kovac , however , expressed concern over the possibility that other veterinarians may comply with panicked pet owners ’ requests .
“ I am worried about people going elsewhere to euthanize pets because there are unscrupulous people out there that would profit from putting animals down.
” According to Kovac , he believes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak of canine coronavirus in Victoria .
This outbreak , Kovac said , led to greyhounds being quarantined for up to two weeks before participating in races .
Canine coronavirus primarily causes contagious gastroenteritis , which can lead to abdominal pain and diarrhea .
Kovac maintains however , that this type of coronavirus can not infect humans .
In what would seem like a twist of fate ; however , it seems dogs are more at risk for contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus from their owners , based on an incident reported in Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agriculture , Fisheries and Conservation Department , they have received confirmation that a dog indeed , tested “ weak positive ” for the new coronavirus .
“ Experts unanimously agreed the results suggested the dog had ‘ a low-level of infection ’ and it is likely to be a case of human-to-animal transmission , ” the department said in a statement .
The dog ’ s owner was infected with COVID-19 .
The dog , however , did not manifest any symptoms .
In the original report , medical experts , including those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , had been investigating the case to determine if the dog contracted the disease from its owner , or if it merely picked up the virus from another source , such as a contaminated surface .
“ It is positive to tests and has been infected , so it is now quarantined in a center by the department .
Further tests will be conducted and it will not be released until the tests return negative results , ” Hong Kong health minister Sophia Chan Siu-chee said during a press briefing on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China to implement PERMANENT ban on wildlife trade in the wake of coronavirus outbreak ) The Hong Kong health department later released a statement , stating that there is still no evidence that pet animals could be a source of infection of COVID-19 or that they could fall ill from it .
The World Organization for Animal Health ( OIE ) verified the report but said there was no evidence that pets played a role in the spread of the virus , a stance supported by the WHO .
“ With regard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weak positive to Covid-19 virus , these findings suggest that it is likely that the dog is infected with the virus .
So far it is not showing relevant clinical signs , ” the OIE said .
“ Currently , there is no justification in taking measures against companion animals which may compromise their welfare , ” they added .
In addition , the Society for the Protection of Animals ( SPCA ) in Hong Kong said in a Facebook post that being infected was not the same as being infectious , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus .
The SPCA is the largest independent animal welfare charity group in the city .
“ While the information tells us that the dog has a low-level of infection members of the public should note that the dog is showing no symptoms whatsoever .
We have been informed the dog is currently very healthy and doing well at the quarantine center , ” the group said .
As of this writing , the COVID-19 coronavirus has infected 98,395 people and claimed 3,385 around the world .
For more related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , visit Pandemic.news .

Hysteria over coronavirus hits pet owners in Australia – some are even asking vets to PUT DOWN their pets
A veterinary clinic in Sydney has found itself flooded with calls from pet owners asking for their pets to be euthanized
Sam Kovac of Southern Cross Veterinary Clinic in St. Peters, Sydney, said their clinic received calls within the past couple of weeks from customers asking about the possibility of euthanizing their pets over fears that the animals could infect them with the coronavirus.
“They’re scared their dog could catch coronavirus and bring it home and be a risk to their family,” Kovac said in an interview with website 10Daily.
“I had one client say to me’ dogs are in lockdown in China, should I be putting Cheto into quarantine at home?’,” Kovac said.
According to Kovac, he has refused all requests.
Kovac said he has taken to explaining to clients that the common coronavirus seen in dogs is not the same as the deadly new virus affecting humans, adding in his interview, that he was “disturbed” by the fact that pet owners would seek to euthanize their dogs over a disease.
“If you’d ask the same clients if they’d euthanize their grandma, they’d say no. Why have a pet and treat it differently to how you’d treat another family member?” he added.
Kovac, however, expressed concern over the possibility that other veterinarians may comply with panicked pet owners’ requests.
“I am worried about people going elsewhere to euthanize pets because there are unscrupulous people out there that would profit from putting animals down.”
According to Kovac, he believes the panic and confusion stemmed from a recent outbreak of canine coronavirus in Victoria. This outbreak, Kovac said, led to greyhounds being quarantined for up to two weeks before participating in races.
Canine coronavirus primarily causes contagious gastroenteritis, which can lead to abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Kovac maintains however, that this type of coronavirus cannot infect humans.
Authorities confirm: Dog tests positive for COVID-19 coronavirus in Hong Kong
In what would seem like a twist of fate; however, it seems dogs are more at risk for contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus from their owners, based on an incident reported in Hong Kong.
According to the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, they have received confirmation that a dog indeed, tested “weak positive” for the new coronavirus.
“Experts unanimously agreed the results suggested the dog had ‘a low-level of infection’ and it is likely to be a case of human-to-animal transmission,” the department said in a statement.
The dog’s owner was infected with COVID-19. The dog, however, did not manifest any symptoms. In the original report, medical experts, including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), had been investigating the case to determine if the dog contracted the disease from its owner, or if it merely picked up the virus from another source, such as a contaminated surface.
“It is positive to tests and has been infected, so it is now quarantined in a center by the department. Further tests will be conducted and it will not be released until the tests return negative results,” Hong Kong health minister Sophia Chan Siu-chee said during a press briefing on the epidemic, Thursday. (Related: China to implement PERMANENT ban on wildlife trade in the wake of coronavirus outbreak)
The Hong Kong health department later released a statement, stating that there is still no evidence that pet animals could be a source of infection of COVID-19 or that they could fall ill from it.
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) verified the report but said there was no evidence that pets played a role in the spread of the virus, a stance supported by the WHO.
“With regard to the dog in Hong Kong which tested weak positive to Covid-19 virus, these findings suggest that it is likely that the dog is infected with the virus. So far it is not showing relevant clinical signs,” the OIE said.
“Currently, there is no justification in taking measures against companion animals which may compromise their welfare,” they added.
In addition, the Society for the Protection of Animals (SPCA) in Hong Kong said in a Facebook post that being infected was not the same as being infectious, and that infected animals are not capable of spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus. The SPCA is the largest independent animal welfare charity group in the city.
“While the information tells us that the dog has a low-level of infection members of the public should note that the dog is showing no symptoms whatsoever. We have been informed the dog is currently very healthy and doing well at the quarantine center,” the group said.
As of this writing, the COVID-19 coronavirus has infected 98,395 people and claimed 3,385 around the world.
For more related news about the Wuhan coronavirus (CoVid-19), visit Pandemic.news.
Sources include:
Mirror.co.uk
10Daily.com.au
TheGuardian.com
SCMP.com
OIE.int
Facebook.com


naturalnews--2020-03-07--The power of food cures: Study shows foods like carrots, grapes and oranges have CANCER-FIGHTING pro

( Natural News ) Carrots , grapes and oranges may contain the same anti-carcinogenic compounds found in synthetic drugs , according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports .
Researchers from Imperial College London said they found evidence to suggest that fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants may help inhibit the growth of cancerous cells and tumors .
Fruits and vegetables as natural treatments of cancer Recent data shows that 30–40 percent of all cancers may be prevented by eating healthier plant-based foods .
This may be due to the presence of naturally-occurring chemicals obtained from plants , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Existing research suggests that these compounds may inhibit tumor growth due to powerful anti-inflammatory properties , thereby lowering the risk of cancer .
As such , the researchers suggested that diet and nutrition may be instrumental in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases , like cancer , cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders .
To test this hypothesis , the researchers studied the potency of flavonoids , terpenoids and botanical polysaccharides in many fruits and vegetables .
To determine which foods were able to significantly reduce the risk of cancer , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found within fruits and vegetables into a machine-learning algorithm designed to recognize anti-carcinogenic compounds in 199 “ anti-cancer ” medications .
The algorithm identified 110 molecules that bore similarities in composition to the compounds found in clinically approved anti-cancer drugs from a variety of chemicals used to inhibit the growth of malignant tumors .
They determined that these findings corresponded to an “ anti-cancer drug likeness threshold ” of more than 70 percent .
Some of the fruits and vegetables found to have cancer-fighting properties were oranges , grapes , carrots , cabbage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tea .
( Related : ONIONS are just as effective as chemotherapy at beating cancer . )
Many cancer-fighting compounds are measured by their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties .
Flavonoids are a group of naturally occurring chemicals that act as powerful antioxidants capable of preventing inflammation and fortifying the body ’ s immune system .
They are also responsible for giving most fruits and vegetables their bright , vivid colors .
Moreover , flavonoids may also play an important role in controlling abnormal cell replication and malignant tumor growth .
Citrus fruits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are rich sources of the flavonoid dydimin .
Dydimin has been shown to have strong antioxidant properties capable of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells .
Dydimin is also abundant in herbs like coriander , parsley and dill .
Additionally , citrus fruits also contain beta-elemene .
Beta-elemene is the main active component of Curcuma zedoaria , a widely used herb in traditional Chinese medicine known for its chemopreventive activities .
As such , beta-elemene has been shown to arrest abnormal cell replication and induce apoptosis , or cell death , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were found to have strong anti-carcinogenic properties due to the presence of the antioxidant catechin .
One prospective study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that green tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer in Japanese men due to high amounts of catechin .
Carrots , on the other hand , are abundant in beta-carotene .
Beta-carotene is a type of carotenoid , which belongs to the group of organic compounds known as terpenoids .
Various types of terpenoids play important roles in traditional herbal remedies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ foods that contain terpenoids , such as ginger , cinnamon and Ginkgo biloba , can prevent viral and bacterial infections and suppress inflammation .
Beta-carotene , in particular , can arrest the growth of cancerous cells due to its antioxidant properties .
Moreover , the researchers found that carrots and grapes were among the foods that showed the greatest amount of cancer-beating molecules .
Many fruits and vegetables possess anti-carcinogenic properties .
Including plenty of these in your diet may help lower the risk of various cancers .
Cancer.news has more stories on @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The power of food cures: Study shows foods like carrots, grapes and oranges have CANCER-FIGHTING properties
Carrots, grapes and oranges may contain the same anti-carcinogenic compounds found in synthetic drugs , according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports. Researchers from Imperial College London said they found evidence to suggest that fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants may help inhibit the growth of cancerous cells and tumors.
Fruits and vegetables as natural treatments of cancer
Recent data shows that 30–40 percent of all cancers may be prevented by eating healthier plant-based foods. This may be due to the presence of naturally-occurring chemicals obtained from plants, such as flavonoids, terpenoids and botanical polysaccharides. Existing research suggests that these compounds may inhibit tumor growth due to powerful anti-inflammatory properties, thereby lowering the risk of cancer.
As such, the researchers suggested that diet and nutrition may be instrumental in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, like cancer, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. To test this hypothesis, the researchers studied the potency of flavonoids, terpenoids and botanical polysaccharides in many fruits and vegetables. To determine which foods were able to significantly reduce the risk of cancer, the researchers “fed” 7,962 bioactive molecules found within fruits and vegetables into a machine-learning algorithm designed to recognize anti-carcinogenic compounds in 199 “anti-cancer” medications. The algorithm identified 110 molecules that bore similarities in composition to the compounds found in clinically approved anti-cancer drugs from a variety of chemicals used to inhibit the growth of malignant tumors. They determined that these findings corresponded to an “anti-cancer drug likeness threshold” of more than 70 percent. Some of the fruits and vegetables found to have cancer-fighting properties were oranges, grapes, carrots, cabbage, wild celery, coriander, dill and tea. (Related: ONIONS are just as effective as chemotherapy at beating cancer.)
The cancer-fighting benefits of plant-based foods
Many cancer-fighting compounds are measured by their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Flavonoids are a group of naturally occurring chemicals that act as powerful antioxidants capable of preventing inflammation and fortifying the body's immune system. They are also responsible for giving most fruits and vegetables their bright, vivid colors. Moreover, flavonoids may also play an important role in controlling abnormal cell replication and malignant tumor growth.
Citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons and grapefruits, are rich sources of the flavonoid dydimin. Dydimin has been shown to have strong antioxidant properties capable of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. Dydimin is also abundant in herbs like coriander, parsley and dill. Additionally, citrus fruits also contain beta-elemene. Beta-elemene is the main active component of Curcuma zedoaria, a widely used herb in traditional Chinese medicine known for its chemopreventive activities. As such, beta-elemene has been shown to arrest abnormal cell replication and induce apoptosis, or cell death, in malignant tumors.
Meanwhile, tea leaves were found to have strong anti-carcinogenic properties due to the presence of the antioxidant catechin. One prospective study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that green tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer in Japanese men due to high amounts of catechin.
Carrots, on the other hand, are abundant in beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a type of carotenoid, which belongs to the group of organic compounds known as terpenoids. Various types of terpenoids play important roles in traditional herbal remedies. For instance, many medicinal plants and foods that contain terpenoids, such as ginger, cinnamon and Ginkgo biloba, can prevent viral and bacterial infections and suppress inflammation. Beta-carotene, in particular, can arrest the growth of cancerous cells due to its antioxidant properties. Moreover, the researchers found that carrots and grapes were among the foods that showed the greatest amount of cancer-beating molecules.
Many fruits and vegetables possess anti-carcinogenic properties. Including plenty of these in your diet may help lower the risk of various cancers.
Cancer.news has more stories on herbs and superfoods that prevent cancer.
Sources include:
DailyMail.co.uk
Nature.com
Cancer.gov
Academic.OUP.com


naturalnews--2020-03-07--Engineers develop "Vegebot" that can harvest lettuce

( Natural News ) While using machines to harvest crops isn ’ t a new concept , using a robot that does so through machine learning is .
A team of engineers from the University of Cambridge developed a vegetable-picking robot that uses machine learning to harvest a commonplace , but challenging , agricultural crop : lettuce .
The team , led by Cambridge ’ s Dr. Fumiya Iida , initially trained their robot , called “ Vegebot , ” to recognize and harvest iceberg lettuce in a lab setting .
First tested in laboratory conditions , the robot was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field conditions with the help of local fruit and vegetable co-operative , G ’ s Growers .
Currently , Vegebot is nowhere near as fast or as efficient as a human worker .
However , it demonstrates how advanced robotics can be used in agriculture to help harvest certain crops , such as iceberg lettuce , that have been particularly challenging to harvest mechanically .
While certain crops such as wheat and potatoes have been harvested mechanically for decades , other crops such as iceberg lettuce still remain harvested by hand .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it also grows relatively flat to the ground , both factors that present a challenge to robotic harvesters .
“ Every field is different , every lettuce is different , ” said co-author Simon Birrell , a research student from Cambridge ’ s Department of Engineering .
“ But if we can make a robotic harvester work with iceberg lettuce , we could also make it work with many other crops.
” Vegebot consists of two main components : a computer vision system and a cutting system .
The former uses an overhead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lettuce field , which the machine learning algorithm then uses to identify each individual head of lettuce on the field before classifying whether it should be harvested or not .
For Vegebot be able to do this , the engineers trained its machine learning algorithm using example images of lettuce .
Once it could recognize healthy heads of lettuce in the lab , they continued to train it in actual fields , under a variety of weather conditions .
To help ensure a smooth cut , Vegebot ’ s cutting system also has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blades .
Another important component of the cutting system is the robot ’ s gripping arm .
The engineers designed the arm so that it would exert just enough pressure to grip a head of lettuce without crushing it .
Additionally , the engineers stated that the force of the arm ’ s grip can also be adjusted for other crops .
“ We wanted to develop approaches that weren ’ t necessarily specific to iceberg lettuce , so that they can be used for other types of above-ground crops , ” stated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes longer than manual harvesting by hand , the plan is to develop the technology to the point where it can be competitive with a human .
This would allow growers to remove the only remaining manual part of the lettuce growing process .
“ At the moment , harvesting is the only part of the lettuce life cycle that is done manually , and it ’ s very physically demanding , ” said co-author Julia Cai , who worked on Vegebot ’ s computer vision system .
Additionally , Vegebot could help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Currently , fields are harvested only once , and any unripe fruits or vegetables are discarded .
An automated system such as Vegebot can run round the clock , continually harvesting ripe produce , while leaving the unripe ones untouched .
However , as with any automated system , Vegebot raises the question of labor and of people losing jobs to robots .
It ’ s true that automated systems like Vegebot can help save people from having to do backbreaking labor , while also helping reduce waste .
That said , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who need them .
At a widespread enough scale , this could have a negative effect on employment .
If not approached correctly , this push toward automation can lead to as many problems as it solves .

Engineers develop “Vegebot” that can harvest lettuce
While using machines to harvest crops isn't a new concept, using a robot that does so through machine learning is. A team of engineers from the University of Cambridge developed a vegetable-picking robot that uses machine learning to harvest a commonplace, but challenging, agricultural crop: lettuce.
The team, led by Cambridge's Dr. Fumiya Iida, initially trained their robot, called “Vegebot,” to recognize and harvest iceberg lettuce in a lab setting. First tested in laboratory conditions, the robot was later successfully tested in a variety of field conditions with the help of local fruit and vegetable co-operative, G's Growers.
Currently, Vegebot is nowhere near as fast or as efficient as a human worker. However, it demonstrates how advanced robotics can be used in agriculture to help harvest certain crops, such as iceberg lettuce, that have been particularly challenging to harvest mechanically.
Harvesting iceberg lettuce with AI
While certain crops such as wheat and potatoes have been harvested mechanically for decades, other crops such as iceberg lettuce still remain harvested by hand. Not only is iceberg lettuce easily damaged, it also grows relatively flat to the ground, both factors that present a challenge to robotic harvesters.
“Every field is different, every lettuce is different,” said co-author Simon Birrell, a research student from Cambridge's Department of Engineering. “But if we can make a robotic harvester work with iceberg lettuce, we could also make it work with many other crops.”
Vegebot consists of two main components: a computer vision system and a cutting system. The former uses an overhead camera to take an image of the lettuce field, which the machine learning algorithm then uses to identify each individual head of lettuce on the field before classifying whether it should be harvested or not. For Vegebot be able to do this, the engineers trained its machine learning algorithm using example images of lettuce. Once it could recognize healthy heads of lettuce in the lab, they continued to train it in actual fields, under a variety of weather conditions.
To help ensure a smooth cut, Vegebot's cutting system also has its own camera, placed alongside its blades. Another important component of the cutting system is the robot's gripping arm. The engineers designed the arm so that it would exert just enough pressure to grip a head of lettuce without crushing it. Additionally, the engineers stated that the force of the arm's grip can also be adjusted for other crops.
“We wanted to develop approaches that weren't necessarily specific to iceberg lettuce, so that they can be used for other types of above-ground crops,” stated Iida.
Harvest robots to replace labor
While harvesting with Vegebot currently takes longer than manual harvesting by hand, the plan is to develop the technology to the point where it can be competitive with a human. This would allow growers to remove the only remaining manual part of the lettuce growing process.
"At the moment, harvesting is the only part of the lettuce life cycle that is done manually, and it's very physically demanding," said co-author Julia Cai, who worked on Vegebot's computer vision system.
Additionally, Vegebot could help reduce food waste from discarded produce. Currently, fields are harvested only once, and any unripe fruits or vegetables are discarded. An automated system such as Vegebot can run round the clock, continually harvesting ripe produce, while leaving the unripe ones untouched.
However, as with any automated system, Vegebot raises the question of labor and of people losing jobs to robots. It's true that automated systems like Vegebot can help save people from having to do backbreaking labor, while also helping reduce waste. That said, they can also take jobs away from people who need them. At a widespread enough scale, this could have a negative effect on employment. If not approached correctly, this push toward automation can lead to as many problems as it solves.
Sources include:
Newswise.com
ScienceDaily.com


naturalnews--2020-03-07--Energy from an unlikely source: A combination of microbes and graphene could make inexpensive and ec

( Natural News ) The quest for renewable energy has led some scientists to think small , that is , on a microscopic scale .
A recent study has demonstrated how mixing microbes and a carbon nanomaterial can be used to help create biohybrid materials that can be used in several green energy applications .
Led by Pascal Sailaly , a team at the King Abdulla University of Science and Technology ( KAUST ) have been able to create a biohybrid material that works well as an electrocatalyst , by mixing microbes with graphene .
The material could see an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuels and other eco-friendly energy solutions .
Many clean energy technologies revolve around a process called the oxygen-evolution reaction ( OER ) .
For example , OER enables the use of solar electricity to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen , allowing the latter to be used as a clean fuel .
Current technology requires the use of rare and expensive metals as OER electrocatalysts .
The team , however , has demonstrated that a graphene biohybrid material could serve as an inexpensive and eco-friendly alternative to these rare metals .
Made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just a single layer of atoms thick , graphene—as well as the closely related graphene oxide—is highly conductive , mechanically robust and widely available .
However , turning both graphene and graphene oxide into active electrocatalysts requires doping the materials with other elements such as sulfur , iron , nitrogen or copper .
“ Usually graphene-based OER catalysts are developed by chemical methods , which require rigorous reaction conditions , such as high temperature and copious toxic chemicals , ” stated Shafeer Kalatil , a former postdoctoral researcher for Saikaly at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ methods in their study , however , Saikaly and his team used the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens .
According to the team , they decided to use this specific microbe not only because it is abundant in nature , but also , because it is rich in iron-containing proteins and more importantly , is not known to cause any disease .
In order to create the electrocatalyst , Saikaly and his team mixed the bacterium and the graphene oxide in oxygen-free conditions .
Tere , the bacterial cells adhered to the surface of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then reacted with it as part of their natural metabolism .
As a result , the graphene oxide sheet ended up “ decorated ” with elements such as iron , copper and sulfur , making it a highly efficient OER electrocatalyst .
“ The elements contributed by the bacterium transformed the catalytically inert graphene into a highly electrocatalytic one , ” Kalathil said .
The biologically created OER electro-catalyst also came with one other advantage : In benchmark testing against the traditional , meta-based OER materials , the biohybrid material actually outperformed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most practical fuel available on Earth .
Aside from being the most abundant element in the solar system , burning hydrogen , or turning it into electricity in a fuel cell , only results in the production of water .
In the context of vehicles , hydrogen engines have the advantages of both traditional internal combustion engines ( ICE ) and electric batteries , combining the fast refueling of the former with the lack of emissions of the latter .
( Related : Transportation company pitches oversized hydrogen-powered drones as air ambulances or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , several hurdles have kept hydrogen from seeing wide use .
Since hydrogen is rarely found in its pure form in nature , the relatively high cost—alongside the environmental impact—of creating metal-based OER electrocatalysts for use in hydrogen production has been one of these hurdles .
The development of a safe , inexpensive method of creating an OER electrocatalyst should help make hydrogen a more viable energy source .
With this in mind , Saikaly ’ s team is not working on large-scale production and commercialization of their biohybrid OER electrocatalyst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team is also conducting further research into other types of biohybrid catalysts for other important electrocatalytic reactions .

Energy from an unlikely source: A combination of microbes and graphene could make inexpensive and eco-friendly energy
The quest for renewable energy has led some scientists to think small, that is, on a microscopic scale. A recent study has demonstrated how mixing microbes and a carbon nanomaterial can be used to help create biohybrid materials that can be used in several green energy applications.
Led by Pascal Sailaly, a team at the King Abdulla University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have been able to create a biohybrid material that works well as an electrocatalyst, by mixing microbes with graphene. The material could see an application in the solar-powered production of carbon-free fuels and other eco-friendly energy solutions.
Many clean energy technologies revolve around a process called the oxygen-evolution reaction (OER). For example, OER enables the use of solar electricity to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, allowing the latter to be used as a clean fuel.
Current technology requires the use of rare and expensive metals as OER electrocatalysts. The team, however, has demonstrated that a graphene biohybrid material could serve as an inexpensive and eco-friendly alternative to these rare metals.
Making electrocatalysts with graphene
Made out of a sheet of carbon that's just a single layer of atoms thick, graphene—as well as the closely related graphene oxide—is highly conductive, mechanically robust and widely available. However, turning both graphene and graphene oxide into active electrocatalysts requires doping the materials with other elements such as sulfur, iron, nitrogen or copper.
“Usually graphene-based OER catalysts are developed by chemical methods, which require rigorous reaction conditions, such as high temperature and copious toxic chemicals,” stated Shafeer Kalatil, a former postdoctoral researcher for Saikaly at KAUST.
Instead of using such dangerous methods in their study, however, Saikaly and his team used the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens. According to the team, they decided to use this specific microbe not only because it is abundant in nature, but also, because it is rich in iron-containing proteins and more importantly, is not known to cause any disease.
In order to create the electrocatalyst, Saikaly and his team mixed the bacterium and the graphene oxide in oxygen-free conditions. There, the bacterial cells adhered to the surface of the graphene oxide and produced iron-rich proteins which then reacted with it as part of their natural metabolism. As a result, the graphene oxide sheet ended up "decorated" with elements such as iron, copper and sulfur, making it a highly efficient OER electrocatalyst.
“The elements contributed by the bacterium transformed the catalytically inert graphene into a highly electrocatalytic one,” Kalathil said.
The biologically created OER electro-catalyst also came with one other advantage: In benchmark testing against the traditional, meta-based OER materials, the biohybrid material actually outperformed the former.
Making “clean energy” truly clean and affordable
Hydrogen is the cleanest and most practical fuel available on Earth. Aside from being the most abundant element in the solar system, burning hydrogen, or turning it into electricity in a fuel cell, only results in the production of water. In the context of vehicles, hydrogen engines have the advantages of both traditional internal combustion engines (ICE) and electric batteries, combining the fast refueling of the former with the lack of emissions of the latter. (Related: Transportation company pitches oversized hydrogen-powered drones as air ambulances or sky taxis.)
Despite these advantages, however, several hurdles have kept hydrogen from seeing wide use.
Since hydrogen is rarely found in its pure form in nature, the relatively high cost—alongside the environmental impact—of creating metal-based OER electrocatalysts for use in hydrogen production has been one of these hurdles.
The development of a safe, inexpensive method of creating an OER electrocatalyst should help make hydrogen a more viable energy source. With this in mind, Saikaly's team is not working on large-scale production and commercialization of their biohybrid OER electrocatalyst. In addition to this, the team is also conducting further research into other types of biohybrid catalysts for other important electrocatalytic reactions.
Sources include:
Nanowerk.com
Energy.gov


naturalnews--2020-03-07--Cyanide found on meteorites can broaden understanding of life itself

( Natural News ) Cyanide is a poison that can kill humans and animals alike .
However , scientists are looking at the chemicals present in some asteroids as a way to better understand how life first emerged on our planet .
According to a study by scientists at Boise State University and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) , the presence of cyanide , iron and carbon monoxide ( another chemical lethal to humans ) may have helped kickstart life on Earth .
These chemicals are involved in synthesizing amino acids and nucleobases , the building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which life is dependent .
“ When most people think of cyanide , they think of spy movies — a guy swallowing a pill , foaming at the mouth and dying , “ said lead author Karen Smith , senior research scientist at Boise .
“ But cyanide was probably an essential compound for building molecules necessary for life.
” According to the scientists , the extraterrestrial compounds found in the meteorites resemble the active sites of hydrogenases , which are enzymes that provide energy to microorganisms like bacteria by breaking down hydrogen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the study , these compounds were also present on early Earth , before the emergence of life , during a time where the planet was constantly bombarded by meteorites and the atmosphere was more hydrogen-rich .
Smith and co-author Mike Callahan , assistant professor at Boise , developed new analytical methods to extract and measure ancient traces of cyanide in meteorites .
The researchers found that the meteorites containing cyanide belong to a group of carbon-rich meteorites called CM chondrites .
No cyanide was found in any other meteorites that they tested , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cyanide in meteorites before .
However , in their study , Smith and Callahan were surprised to find that the cyanide , along with carbon monoxide , were binding with iron to form stable compounds in the meteorites .
Using high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry , they identified two different iron cyano-carbonyl complexes in the meteorites .
These iron cyano-carbonyl complexes resembled portions of the active sites of hydrogenases .
Hydrogenases are large proteins present in almost all modern bacteria and archaea that are widely believed to be be ancient in origin .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the chemical reactions take place — are actually much smaller metal-organic compounds contained within the protein .
According to Callahan , these are what that the cyanide-bearing compounds in the meteorites resemble .
One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the origin of life is how it could have arisen from non-biological chemical processes .
The similarities between the cyanide compounds found by the researchers and the active sites of hydrogenase enzymes suggest that non-biological processes in the parent asteroids of meteorites that struck the Earth in prehistoric times could have produced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Mars may have developed habitable conditions as early as 4.2 billion years ago . )
However , to be able to test this , the team must get samples from an actual asteroid in space .
To this end , they have enlisted the help of NASA ’ s Origins , Spectral Interpretation , Resource Identification , Security-Regolith Explorer ( OSIRIS-REx ) , which is currently at the near-Earth asteroid 101955 Bennu .
“ Data collected by NASA ’ s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft of asteroid Bennu indicate that it is related to CM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center , who co-authored the study .
“ OSIRIS-REx will deliver a sample from Bennu to study on Earth in 2023 .
We will search for these very compounds to try to connect Bennu to known meteorites and to understand the potential delivery of prebiotic compounds such as cyanide , which may have helped start life on the early Earth or other bodies in the solar system.
” If the cyanide compounds are found in 101955 Bennu , then it could go a long way to proving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life on Earth .

Cyanide found on meteorites can broaden understanding of life itself
Cyanide is a poison that can kill humans and animals alike. However, scientists are looking at the chemicals present in some asteroids as a way to better understand how life first emerged on our planet. According to a study by scientists at Boise State University and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the presence of cyanide, iron and carbon monoxide (another chemical lethal to humans) may have helped kickstart life on Earth . These chemicals are involved in synthesizing amino acids and nucleobases, the building blocks of proteins and nucleic acids upon which life is dependent.
“When most people think of cyanide, they think of spy movies — a guy swallowing a pill, foaming at the mouth and dying,“ said lead author Karen Smith, senior research scientist at Boise. “But cyanide was probably an essential compound for building molecules necessary for life.”
Life seeded by meteorites
According to the scientists, the extraterrestrial compounds found in the meteorites resemble the active sites of hydrogenases, which are enzymes that provide energy to microorganisms like bacteria by breaking down hydrogen gas. Based on the results of the study, these compounds were also present on early Earth, before the emergence of life, during a time where the planet was constantly bombarded by meteorites and the atmosphere was more hydrogen-rich.
Smith and co-author Mike Callahan, assistant professor at Boise, developed new analytical methods to extract and measure ancient traces of cyanide in meteorites. The researchers found that the meteorites containing cyanide belong to a group of carbon-rich meteorites called CM chondrites. No cyanide was found in any other meteorites that they tested, including Martian ones.
Scientists have found cyanide in meteorites before. However, in their study, Smith and Callahan were surprised to find that the cyanide, along with carbon monoxide, were binding with iron to form stable compounds in the meteorites. Using high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, they identified two different iron cyano-carbonyl complexes in the meteorites. These iron cyano-carbonyl complexes resembled portions of the active sites of hydrogenases.
Hydrogenases are large proteins present in almost all modern bacteria and archaea that are widely believed to be be ancient in origin. The active sites of hydrogenases -- the region where the chemical reactions take place -- are actually much smaller metal-organic compounds contained within the protein. According to Callahan, these are what that the cyanide-bearing compounds in the meteorites resemble.
Testing rocks in space
One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the origin of life is how it could have arisen from non-biological chemical processes. The similarities between the cyanide compounds found by the researchers and the active sites of hydrogenase enzymes suggest that non-biological processes in the parent asteroids of meteorites that struck the Earth in prehistoric times could have produced the molecules needed for life. (Related: Mars may have developed habitable conditions as early as 4.2 billion years ago.)
However, to be able to test this, the team must get samples from an actual asteroid in space. To this end, they have enlisted the help of NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx), which is currently at the near-Earth asteroid 101955 Bennu.
“Data collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft of asteroid Bennu indicate that it is related to CM chondrites,” said Jason Dworkin of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, who co-authored the study.
“OSIRIS-REx will deliver a sample from Bennu to study on Earth in 2023. We will search for these very compounds to try to connect Bennu to known meteorites and to understand the potential delivery of prebiotic compounds such as cyanide, which may have helped start life on the early Earth or other bodies in the solar system.”
If the cyanide compounds are found in 101955 Bennu, then it could go a long way to proving that meteorites helped in the emergence of life on Earth.
Sources include:
Space.com
NASA.gov


naturalnews--2020-03-08--Coronavirus DENIALISM: When people tell you, "It won't be that bad," ask them to explain how the vir

Coronavirus DENIALISM: When people tell you, "It won't be that bad," ask them to explain how the virus STOPS replicating

( Natural News ) There ’ s a disease that spreading around the world at breakneck speeds , and it isn ’ t the coronavirus .
It ’ s coronavirus denialism , a kind of mental state of imaginary biology that has more in common with transgenderism propaganda than medical reality .
People will announce their coronavirus denialism disease at every opportunity , often in public .
Here are some of the phrases that identify these irrational denialists who suffer from mathematical illiteracy and imaginary fictions where they can pretend the virus poses no threat to humanity : “ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ There will be a vaccine that stops it.
” “ It won ’ t affect America like it ’ s affecting the rest of the world.
” “ It will fade out on its own.
” “ It will be contained and won ’ t spread any further.
” “ It will be stopped in ( insert country name here ) .
” When you hear these phrases , you ’ ve got a pandemic denialism disease victim on your hands .
Here ’ s how to give them a quick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus will stop replicating To cure your friend or family member of pandemic denialism disease , just ask them the following question : “ By what mechanism does the virus stop replicating ?
” You see , for the coronavirus to be “ no big deal , ” it has to stop replicating , obviously .
Because if it keeps replication and spreading on the exponential curve that ’ s been well traced since day one in Wuhan , it very quickly infects a very large percentage of the global population , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals around the world .
See this chart from Worldometers.info ?
It shows the explosive , sustained spread of the coronavirus around the world , both in terms of infections and deaths .
For the coronavirus to be “ no big deal , ” these skyrocketing lines have to be flatlined : So another way to phrase the main question here is to show your friend these graphs and ask them what will cause the lines to go flat .
If the lines don ’ t go flat , the virus keeps spreading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , “ It won ’ t be that bad ” is in effect proposing a theory of how these lines turn FLAT .
So ask them to explain how that theory works .
That will stop them in their tracks .
In truth , pandemic denialists have no theories to explain how the virus stops replicating .
They have no rational process they can invoke which will achieve a halting of the spread of the virus without causing widespread economic collapse .
Yes , they can say , “ The government orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home for 30 days , ” but that action would of course collapse the very fabric of modern society , leading to economic collapse , lawlessness , food shortages , a medical crisis and much more .
Pandemic denialists , you see , can ’ t face the reality of what ’ s happening so they fabricate nice-sounding stories to tell themselves so that they don ’ t have to embrace the reality of the global pandemic collapse that has already been set into motion .
That ’ s how they come up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s no worse than the flu.
” It ’ s a story they tell themselves , just like children have imaginary friends who keep them safe from dreadful monsters hiding in the closet .
But the stories aren ’ t real .
They ’ re fairy tales .
Our world is dominated by fairy tales , it turns out .
Very few people are living in any mental model that resembles reality .
Lots of famous people are peddling fairy tales that will collapse in the face of reality within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Elon Musk are all spinning delusional fairy tales , by the way .
So is President Trump .
If you ask them the simple question above — by what mechanism does the virus stop replication ?
— they can ’ t provide any rational answer .
Rush Limbaugh says “ 98 % of the people survive , ” which is an admission that 2 % die .
If half the U.S. population gets infected , a 2 % fatality rate is about 3.3 million people , or 100 times more fatalities than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t do math , you can ’ t walk him through this simple equation .
Rush has become the propaganda broadcast hub for Mike Pence , who knows nothing about virology or epidemiology .
When Mike Pence talks about the coronavirus , it makes about as much sense as Joe Biden talking about firearms .
Dr. Drew is a celebrity doctor who says it ’ s , “ no worse than the flu.
” Yet unless he ’ s been lobotomized , he must know that the mortality rate of seasonal influenza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , while the mortality rate among those infected with the coronavirus is , according to the WHO , 3.4 % .
That means the coronavirus mortality rate is 34 times higher than the season flu .
Surely Dr. Drew can follow this simple math , unless he ’ s gone the route of Brian Williams on MSNBC who thinks 327 million multiplied by one million is only 500 million .
( Hint : The correct answer is 327 trillion . )
Elon Musk is a high-tech huckster and hype artist whose entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denying financial reality .
He ’ s been able to sucker millions of investors into his soon-to-fail “ Tesla ” fiasco , but the virus can ’ t be bamboozled by billionaires .
The virus doesn ’ t care if Elon Musk is loved by millions of deluded , ignorant youth who literally think he ’ s Iron Man .
The virus can ’ t be reasoned with or threatened on twitter .
It just replicates .
Similarly , President Trump now repeats propaganda lines from Dr. Anthony Fauci , uttering shockingly uninformed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will just magically disappear ” ( or some similar paraphrased statement ) .
Yet the virus doesn ’ t respond to magic .
It only responds to biochemistry and physiology .
The virus can ’ t even hear President Trump since the virus has no ears .
So it offers no consideration to the spin of Mike Pence or Trump himself .
Their words are irrelevant .
The only thing that matters is stopping the replication of the virus .
So we ask you , dear reader , by what mechanism will the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DUH : If the virus were easily stopped , it would have been stopped in Wuhan I ’ ve asked dozens of people that same question .
No one has anything resembling a realistic answer .
Ultimately , the answers from people all come down to a measure of “ hope.
” They say things like , “ I hope it won ’ t get bad , ” or “ I think it won ’ t get bad.
” The virus , it turns out , doesn ’ t give a crap what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeat the question : By what mechanism does the virus replication get stopped ?
No one has any answer to that .
If the virus were easy to stop , it would have been contained in Wuhan , obviously .
Or Asia .
If the virus were easy to stop it wouldn ’ t now be in 103 countries and territories , would it ?
If the virus were easy to stop , it wouldn ’ t still be spreading in Italy and South Korea .
The USA wouldn ’ t now have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 when Trump first told us it was no big deal .
This , despite Trump saying today that the USA has a , “ perfectly coordinated and fine tuned plan ” to deal with the virus .
Seriously ?
With virtually no testing kits in the hands of doctors and hospitals yet ?
It ’ s absurd .
( Mike Pence ’ s plan to deal with the virus is to keep repeating , “ Socialism is bad ” and hope nobody notices when their family members start dying from the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be , “ The coronavirus doesn ’ t kill as many people as communism does.
” ) Why Americans are the most delusional of all Americans are especially delusional in all this , as they think America will somehow be able to stop the virus when 103 other countries couldn ’ t .
Yet they hold this belief at the same time that America has tested almost no one for the virus , as I originally warned over two weeks ago on NaturalNews.com — a story that has now been repeated across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As we explain in this new story , The Atlantic finally reported what we reported two weeks ago about the catastrophic lack of testing for the coronavirus in the USA .
( Drudge linked to The Atlantic , but he never links to Natural News even when we ’ re first and more accurate . )
Thus , the belief of delusional Americans that the virus won ’ t spread in America is precariously lashed to a rickety sinking raft that ’ s taking on water and is named , “ Almost Nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , delusional Americans think the virus can be stopped without any real testing for the virus .
This belief is , of course , utterly insane .
Those who hold such a belief are mentally ill ( or incredibly stupid ) .
They are perhaps even more mentally ill than the transgenderism pushers who think a biological man can transform into a biological woman by wishing .
If that ’ s true , then why not just imagine the coronavirus isn ’ t real , too ?
Or pretend that viral replication in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which you self-identify ?
Or why not just invoke trans-species magical thinking and declare yourself to be a zebra , then declare that zebras are immune to the coronavirus ?
In denying the coronavirus , in other words , Rush Limbaugh is acting out the same sort of lunacy as the transgenderism pushers on the radical Left .
Rush is pretending the virus isn ’ t a problem because he wishes it so .
For Trump ’ s part , he ’ s just wildly misinformed and has no medical training himself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are giving him terrifyingly bad information .
To this day , Trump still doesn ’ t seem to realize the coronavirus is on track to infect and kill millions of Americans .
Every day that Trump doesn ’ t shut down domestic air travel , another nearly 100 people are getting infected .
Will Trump still insist it ’ s no big deal when the number of infections reaches 10,000 ?
How about 100,000 ?
Or a million ?
At what point are denialists suddenly be convinced it ’ s real ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfectly coordinated plan ” finally get recognized as the federal sh # tshow of incompetence and lies that it has now become across the totally incompetent and infinitely corrupt CDC , FDA and NIH ?
It ’ s not “ real ” until it kills someone they know I think I have the answer to that question , by the way .
For irrational people who remain in a paralyzed state of denial , the coronavirus isn ’ t real until it kills somehow they know .
Then suddenly it ’ s real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue to deny what ’ s happening because they are mentally fragile and unable to process any reality that ’ s too scary for their snowflake minds .
That day may not be far off , by the way , if the virus continues on its current track .
As revealed in my pandemic projection model , we only have a couple of months before the number of infections starts to reach into the millions , followed a month or two later by millions of deaths in America if something drastic isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and alter the trajectory of the virus ) : By April 4th , 2020 , if no travel restrictions are put in place : • 8,645 actively infected and transmitting on this day • 580 cumulative dead since day one , with 58 deaths on this day By May 4th , 2020 , if no travel restrictions are put in place : • 122,529 actively infected and transmitting on this day • 10,432 cumulative dead since day one , with 910 deaths on this day By June 4th , 2020 , if no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • 1.7 million actively infected and transmitting on this day • 153,000 cumulative dead since day one , with 12,960 deaths on this day By July 4th , 2020 , if no travel restrictions are put in place : • 24.3 million actively infected and transmitting on this day • 2.16 million cumulative dead since day one , with 183,000 deaths on this day You can replicate this math in an Excel spreadsheet by simply following mathematical rules of exponential spread .
Yet , truly stated , few people are able to grasp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making it impossible for them to understand the accelerating rate of the spread of the virus .
Most people don ’ t even know what “ accelerating rate ” means , since people tend to think in linear fashion .
“ Accelerating rate ” means the rate at which people are being infected ( i.e .
# of cases per unit of time ) is itself increasing with time , creating a kind of “ compounded interest ” effect in the aggregate number of infections and deaths .
But we live in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to calculate a 15 % tip for a restaurant waiter , much less understand derivatives and basic calculus .
So any effort to try to explain where this coronavirus is headed is met with blank stares and zombie-like reactions ranging from paralyzed , befuddled faces to angry , contorted smirks and accusations of mathematical sorcery .
I am no sorcerer , but I do understand math .
And the math is irrefutable .
I can ’ t teach people math , but I can show them what the math says , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus continues on its current trajectory , there will be 2+ million dead Americans by July 4th .
There are really only two ways to stop that trajectory : 2 ) Widespread use of anti-viral nutraceuticals across the general population .
Option # 1 causes an economic collapse and social chaos .
Option # 2 will never be invoked because it doesn ’ t enrich Big Pharma , since Big Pharma runs the media and the entire political establishment in D.C .
So this means we can choose either between mass coronavirus deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump doesn ’ t handle this correctly , we will get both .
We can ’ t fix stupid… but we might be able to survive it The difference between genius and stupidity , they say , is that genius has its limits .
And since we can ’ t fix stupid , we must figure out how to survive among the masses of the stupid , making sure their stupidity and lack of planning doesn ’ t incapacitate everything in society upon which the rest of us depend .
If I could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans instantly understand math , then half this problem would already be solved ( and all waiters would get better tips ) .
But that would be my own delusional fantasy , and I dare not entertain such fairy tales .
Nope , there is no magical solution that will implant intelligence into the minds of the masses .
Instead , we must be smart enough to survive the stupid .
For if we aren ’ t , they will take us with them as they collectively win the Darwin Award in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applies during pandemics , too .
And bluntly stated , our world is population by a whole lot of people who are too stupid to survive .
If you want to live , read Pandemic.news .
If you prefer to perish , listen to the WHO and follow their ( horrible ) advice .
Or trust Trump ’ s delusional non-plan that ends in disaster , both for the country and his own presidency .
We are literally watching the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency , and if he doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will lose the coming election or possibly even resign before it arrives .
Finally , for those who insist that any talk about the coronavirus is a plot to “ hurt Trump , ” stop being so stupid .
The virus isn ’ t a hoax and Trump can ’ t stop this with happy talk .
Unless you can halt the replication of the virus across the USA , everything else is just pure bullsh # t .
Federal Reserve liquidity can ’ t raise people from the dead , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t magically raise supply lines from collapse .
Telling us , “ America is great !
” doesn ’ t make people immune to the virus .
And when government morons like the Surgeon General tell us to “ stop buying masks !
” we ’ ve truly reached the point of Idiocracy where society is too stupid to survive .

Coronavirus DENIALISM: When people tell you, “It won’t be that bad,” ask them to explain how the virus STOPS replicating
There's a disease that spreading around the world at breakneck speeds, and it isn't the coronavirus. It's, a kind of mental state of imaginary biology that has more in common with transgenderism propaganda than medical reality.
People will announce their coronavirus denialism disease at every opportunity, often in public. Here are some of the phrases that identify these irrational denialists who suffer from mathematical illiteracy and imaginary fictions where they can pretend the virus poses no threat to humanity:
"It won't be that bad."
"It's no worse than the flu."
"There will be a vaccine that stops it."
"The government will stop it."
"It won't affect America like it's affecting the rest of the world."
"It will fade out on its own."
"Viruses don't exist / viruses don't cause disease."
"It will be contained and won't spread any further."
"It will be stopped in (insert country name here)."
When you hear these phrases, you've got a pandemic denialism disease victim on your hands. Here's how to give them a quick cure.
No one can explain how the virus will stop replicating
To cure your friend or family member of pandemic denialism disease, just ask them the following question:
"By what mechanism does the virus stop replicating?"
You see, for the coronavirus to be "no big deal," it has to stop replicating, obviously. Because if it keeps replication and spreading on the exponential curve that's been well traced since day one in Wuhan, it very quickly infects a very large percentage of the global population, killing many millions of people and overwhelming hospitals around the world.
See this chart from Worldometers.info? It shows the explosive, sustained spread of the coronavirus around the world, both in terms of infections and deaths. For the coronavirus to be "no big deal," these skyrocketing lines have to be flatlined:
So another way to phrase the main question here is to show your friend these graphs and ask them what will cause the lines to go flat.
If the lines don't go flat, the virus keeps spreading, obviously. So anyone who tells you, "It won't be that bad" is in effect proposing a theory of how these lines turn FLAT. So ask them to explain how that theory works.
That will stop them in their tracks.
In truth, pandemic denialists have no theories to explain how the virus stops replicating. They have no rational process they can invoke which will achieve a halting of the spread of the virus without causing widespread economic collapse. Yes, they can say, "The government orders everyone in the entire country to stay home for 30 days," but that action would of course collapse the very fabric of modern society, leading to economic collapse, lawlessness, food shortages, a medical crisis and much more.
Pandemic denialists, you see, can't face the reality of what's happening so they fabricate nice-sounding stories to tell themselves so that they don't have to embrace the reality of the global pandemic collapse that has already been set into motion. That's how they come up with nonsensical, irrational sayings like, "It's no worse than the flu."
It's a story they tell themselves, just like children have imaginary friends who keep them safe from dreadful monsters hiding in the closet. But the stories aren't real. They're fairy tales.
Our world is dominated by fairy tales, it turns out. Very few people are living in any mental model that resembles reality.
Lots of famous people are peddling fairy tales that will collapse in the face of reality within 90 days
Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Drew and Elon Musk are all spinning delusional fairy tales, by the way. So is President Trump. If you ask them the simple question above -- by what mechanism does the virus stop replication? -- they can't provide any rational answer.
Rush Limbaugh says "98% of the people survive," which is an admission that 2% die. If half the U.S. population gets infected, a 2% fatality rate is about 3.3 million people, or 100 times more fatalities than the flu. But since Rush can't do math, you can't walk him through this simple equation. Rush has become the propaganda broadcast hub for Mike Pence, who knows nothing about virology or epidemiology. When Mike Pence talks about the coronavirus, it makes about as much sense as Joe Biden talking about firearms.
Dr. Drew is a celebrity doctor who says it's, "no worse than the flu." Yet unless he's been lobotomized, he must know that the mortality rate of seasonal influenza is only around 0.1% (CDC.gov), while the mortality rate among those infected with the coronavirus is, according to the WHO, 3.4%. That means the coronavirus mortality rate is 34 times higher than the season flu. Surely Dr. Drew can follow this simple math, unless he's gone the route of Brian Williams on MSNBC who thinks 327 million multiplied by one million is only 500 million. (Hint: The correct answer is 327 trillion.)
Elon Musk is a high-tech huckster and hype artist whose entire financial existence depends on fluffing falsehoods and denying financial reality. He's been able to sucker millions of investors into his soon-to-fail "Tesla" fiasco, but the virus can't be bamboozled by billionaires. The virus doesn't care if Elon Musk is loved by millions of deluded, ignorant youth who literally think he's Iron Man. The virus can't be reasoned with or threatened on twitter. It just replicates.
Similarly, President Trump now repeats propaganda lines from Dr. Anthony Fauci, uttering shockingly uninformed things like, "One day it will just magically disappear" (or some similar paraphrased statement). Yet the virus doesn't respond to magic. It only responds to biochemistry and physiology. The virus can't even hear President Trump since the virus has no ears. So it offers no consideration to the spin of Mike Pence or Trump himself. Their words are irrelevant. The only thing that matters is stopping the replication of the virus.
So we ask you, dear reader, by what mechanism will the replication of this virus be stopped?
DUH: If the virus were easily stopped, it would have been stopped in Wuhan
I've asked dozens of people that same question. No one has anything resembling a realistic answer.
Ultimately, the answers from people all come down to a measure of "hope." They say things like, "I hope it won't get bad," or "I think it won't get bad."
The virus, it turns out, doesn't give a crap what you hope or think.
So we repeat the question: By what mechanism does the virus replication get stopped?
No one has any answer to that.
If the virus were easy to stop, it would have been contained in Wuhan, obviously. Or Asia. If the virus were easy to stop it wouldn't now be in 103 countries and territories, would it?
If the virus were easy to stop, it wouldn't still be spreading in Italy and South Korea. The USA wouldn't now have 464 confirmed infections, up from just 15 when Trump first told us it was no big deal. This, despite Trump saying today that the USA has a, "perfectly coordinated and fine tuned plan" to deal with the virus. Seriously? With virtually no testing kits in the hands of doctors and hospitals yet? It's absurd. (Mike Pence's plan to deal with the virus is to keep repeating, "Socialism is bad" and hope nobody notices when their family members start dying from the virus. Maybe the new, upcoming argument will be, "The coronavirus doesn't kill as many people as communism does.")
Why Americans are the most delusional of all
Americans are especially delusional in all this, as they think America will somehow be able to stop the virus when 103 other countries couldn't. Yet they hold this belief at the same time that America has tested almost no one for the virus, as I originally warned over two weeks ago on NaturalNews.com -- a story that has now been repeated across the mainstream media two weeks later. As we explain in this new story, The Atlantic finally reported what we reported two weeks ago about the catastrophic lack of testing for the coronavirus in the USA. (Drudge linked to The Atlantic, but he never links to Natural News even when we're first and more accurate.)
Thus, the belief of delusional Americans that the virus won't spread in America is precariously lashed to a rickety sinking raft that's taking on water and is named, "Almost Nobody is Being Tested in America." Somehow, delusional Americans think the virus can be stopped without any real testing for the virus.
This belief is, of course, utterly insane. Those who hold such a belief are mentally ill (or incredibly stupid). They are perhaps even more mentally ill than the transgenderism pushers who think a biological man can transform into a biological woman by wishing. If that's true, then why not just imagine the coronavirus isn't real, too? Or pretend that viral replication in your lungs is no longer something with which you self-identify? Or why not just invoke trans-species magical thinking and declare yourself to be a zebra, then declare that zebras are immune to the coronavirus?
In denying the coronavirus, in other words, Rush Limbaugh is acting out the same sort of lunacy as the transgenderism pushers on the radical Left. Rush is pretending the virus isn't a problem because he wishes it so.
For Trump's part, he's just wildly misinformed and has no medical training himself, so he's relying on people who are giving him terrifyingly bad information. To this day, Trump still doesn't seem to realize the coronavirus is on track to infect and kill millions of Americans. Every day that Trump doesn't shut down domestic air travel, another nearly 100 people are getting infected.
Will Trump still insist it's no big deal when the number of infections reaches 10,000? How about 100,000? Or a million? At what point are denialists suddenly be convinced it's real? When does Trump's, "perfectly coordinated plan" finally get recognized as the federal sh#tshow of incompetence and lies that it has now become across the totally incompetent and infinitely corrupt CDC, FDA and NIH?
It's not "real" until it kills someone they know
I think I have the answer to that question, by the way. For irrational people who remain in a paralyzed state of denial, the coronavirus isn't real until it kills somehow they know. Then suddenly it's real.
Until that day comes, they will continue to deny what's happening because they are mentally fragile and unable to process any reality that's too scary for their snowflake minds.
That day may not be far off, by the way, if the virus continues on its current track. As revealed in my pandemic projection model, we only have a couple of months before the number of infections starts to reach into the millions, followed a month or two later by millions of deaths in America if something drastic isn't done to stop this (and alter the trajectory of the virus):
By April 4th, 2020, if no travel restrictions are put in place:
8,645 actively infected and transmitting on this day
580 cumulative dead since day one, with 58 deaths on this day
5,432 cumulative recovered since day one
By May 4th, 2020, if no travel restrictions are put in place:
122,529 actively infected and transmitting on this day
10,432 cumulative dead since day one, with 910 deaths on this day
85,332 cumulative recovered since day one
By June 4th, 2020, if no travel restrictions are put in place:
1.7 million actively infected and transmitting on this day
153,000 cumulative dead since day one, with 12,960 deaths on this day
1.2 million cumulative recovered since day one
By July 4th, 2020, if no travel restrictions are put in place:
24.3 million actively infected and transmitting on this day
2.16 million cumulative dead since day one, with 183,000 deaths on this day
17.1 million cumulative recovered since day one
You can replicate this math in an Excel spreadsheet by simply following mathematical rules of exponential spread. Yet, truly stated, few people are able to grasp exponential math in the first place, making it impossible for them to understand the accelerating rate of the spread of the virus. Most people don't even know what "accelerating rate" means, since people tend to think in linear fashion. "Accelerating rate" means the rate at which people are being infected (i.e. # of cases per unit of time) is itself increasing with time, creating a kind of "compounded interest" effect in the aggregate number of infections and deaths.
But we live in a world where the masses are too stupid to calculate a 15% tip for a restaurant waiter, much less understand derivatives and basic calculus. So any effort to try to explain where this coronavirus is headed is met with blank stares and zombie-like reactions ranging from paralyzed, befuddled faces to angry, contorted smirks and accusations of mathematical sorcery.
I am no sorcerer, but I do understand math. And the math is irrefutable. I can't teach people math, but I can show them what the math says, and that message is crystal clear: If the coronavirus continues on its current trajectory, there will be 2+ million dead Americans by July 4th.
There are really only two ways to stop that trajectory:
1) Extreme isolation (martial law, quarantines, locking down entire cities, etc.)
2) Widespread use of anti-viral nutraceuticals across the general population.
Option #1 causes an economic collapse and social chaos.
Option #2 will never be invoked because it doesn't enrich Big Pharma, since Big Pharma runs the media and the entire political establishment in D.C.
So this means we can choose either between mass coronavirus deaths or an economic collapse, and if Trump doesn't handle this correctly, we will get both.
We can't fix stupid... but we might be able to survive it
The difference between genius and stupidity, they say, is that genius has its limits. And since we can't fix stupid, we must figure out how to survive among the masses of the stupid, making sure their stupidity and lack of planning doesn't incapacitate everything in society upon which the rest of us depend.
If I could wave a magic wand and make all Americans instantly understand math, then half this problem would already be solved (and all waiters would get better tips). But that would be my own delusional fantasy, and I dare not entertain such fairy tales. Nope, there is no magical solution that will implant intelligence into the minds of the masses. Instead, we must be smart enough to survive the stupid.
For if we aren't, they will take us with them as they collectively win the Darwin Award in the months ahead. Survival of the fittest applies during pandemics, too. And bluntly stated, our world is population by a whole lot of people who are too stupid to survive.
If you want to live, read Pandemic.news. If you prefer to perish, listen to the WHO and follow their (horrible) advice. Or trust Trump's delusional non-plan that ends in disaster, both for the country and his own presidency. We are literally watching the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency, and if he doesn't change course very soon, he will lose the coming election or possibly even resign before it arrives.
Finally, for those who insist that any talk about the coronavirus is a plot to "hurt Trump," stop being so stupid. The virus isn't a hoax and Trump can't stop this with happy talk. Unless you can halt the replication of the virus across the USA, everything else is just pure bullsh#t. Federal Reserve liquidity can't raise people from the dead, you know. Negative interest rates don't magically raise supply lines from collapse. Telling us, "America is great!" doesn't make people immune to the virus. And when government morons like the Surgeon General tell us to "stop buying masks!" we've truly reached the point of Idiocracy where society is too stupid to survive.
Coming soon to a CDC-approved hospital near you (explicit):


naturalnews--2020-03-08--San Francisco expecting possible influx of coronavirus cases, hospitals now preparing "surge tents"

( Natural News ) The Bay Area is now bracing for what authorities are describing as a possible surge of coronavirus cases , with several hospitals in the area set to roll out “ surge tents ” to accommodate the incoming patients .
Despite being normally reserved for the flu season , Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose pushed to have their tents set up in light of the steady increase of COVID-19 infections .
According to Mark Brown , Chief Nursing Officer for Good Samaritan Hospital , this was done to keep the incoming patients safe and to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together .
The military-grade disaster tents , which measure 15 feet by 30 feet and stand about 10 feet tall in the center , are large enough to handle up to six patients at a time , while still allowing the minimum “ six-foot exclusion zone ” or the distance that health officials say is sufficient to prevent human-to-human transmission of the disease .
“ We ’ re taking an overabundance of caution to do the right thing , and we feel for our patient population and for our community , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Brown said .
Sanjay Kurani , medical director of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center , said that in addition to setting up their own sets of tents , their hospital has assembled a dedicated team of medical specialists , from epidemiologists to respiratory therapists , to help deal with the influx of patients .
Tom Inglesby of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security likens the preparations of the area ’ s hospitals to that of a city building a fire brigade .
“ You build a fire department ahead of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fire , ” Inglesby said .
“ There is an under-appreciation for the amount of time and resources required to build a prepared system.
” All things considered , Inglesby ’ s description of the scenario is an apt one .
According to the Department of Health and Human Services , if the coronavirus behaves like the 1968 flu , approximately 38 million people would need medical care , while 1 million would require hospitalization .
There would be drastic escalations , however , if the COVID-19 coronavirus behaves similarly to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Richard Waldhorn of the Center for Health Security , should the second scenario happen , the number of people who would need medical care will remain at 38 million .
At the same time , those requiring hospitalization would jump to about 9 million .
In addition , there would also be increased demand for Intensive Care Unit ( ICU ) care , according to Toner and Waldhorn .
In their report entitled “ What US Hospitals Should Do Now to Prepare for a COVID-19 Pandemic , ” the two experts said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimum of 200,000 patients would need ICU care—a number that , unfortunately , could still jump to 2.9 million .
According to the two experts , this is a problem because currently , the U.S. only has about 46,500 medical ICU beds , with an equal number of other ICU beds that could be used during a crisis .
Amesh Adalja , an infectious disease specialist at the Center for Health Security , said the current situation with the coronavirus should make medical experts and practitioners think more about dealing with the infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are more and more cases , it is time to start thinking about not how to contain it but how to cope with it — and repurpose our health care facilities to deal with it , ” Adalja said .
Regarding this , the World Health Organization ’ s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had stern words for health care leaders : “ This is a time for pulling out all the stops.
” “ Get your hospitals ready .
Ensure essential supplies are available .
Train your health workers to identify cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and protect themselves from infection , ” Ghebreyesus said .

San Francisco expecting possible influx of coronavirus cases, hospitals now preparing “surge tents”
Despite being normally reserved for the flu season, Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose pushed to have their tents set up in light of the steady increase of COVID-19 infections. According to Mark Brown, Chief Nursing Officer for Good Samaritan Hospital, this was done to keep the incoming patients safe and to make sure that the patients are not co-mingling together.
The military-grade disaster tents, which measure 15 feet by 30 feet and stand about 10 feet tall in the center, are large enough to handle up to six patients at a time, while still allowing the minimum “six-foot exclusion zone” or the distance that health officials say is sufficient to prevent human-to-human transmission of the disease.
“We’re taking an overabundance of caution to do the right thing, and we feel for our patient population and for our community, this is the best way to serve them,” Brown said.
Sanjay Kurani, medical director of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, said that in addition to setting up their own sets of tents, their hospital has assembled a dedicated team of medical specialists, from epidemiologists to respiratory therapists, to help deal with the influx of patients.
Tom Inglesby of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security likens the preparations of the area’s hospitals to that of a city building a fire brigade.
“You build a fire department ahead of time. You don’t wait for a fire,” Inglesby said. “There is an under-appreciation for the amount of time and resources required to build a prepared system.”
All things considered, Inglesby’s description of the scenario is an apt one.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, if the coronavirus behaves like the 1968 flu, approximately 38 million people would need medical care, while 1 million would require hospitalization. There would be drastic escalations, however, if the COVID-19 coronavirus behaves similarly to the 1918 flu.
According to Eric Toner and Richard Waldhorn of the Center for Health Security, should the second scenario happen, the number of people who would need medical care will remain at 38 million. At the same time, those requiring hospitalization would jump to about 9 million.
In addition, there would also be increased demand for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) care, according to Toner and Waldhorn. In their report entitled “What US Hospitals Should Do Now to Prepare for a COVID-19 Pandemic,” the two experts said that in a worst-case scenario, a minimum of 200,000 patients would need ICU care—a number that, unfortunately, could still jump to 2.9 million. According to the two experts, this is a problem because currently, the U.S. only has about 46,500 medical ICU beds, with an equal number of other ICU beds that could be used during a crisis.
Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist at the Center for Health Security, said the current situation with the coronavirus should make medical experts and practitioners think more about dealing with the infection and not its containment.
“As there are more and more cases, it is time to start thinking about not how to contain it but how to cope with it — and repurpose our health care facilities to deal with it,” Adalja said.
Regarding this, the World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had stern words for health care leaders: “This is a time for pulling out all the stops.”
“Get your hospitals ready. Ensure essential supplies are available. Train your health workers to identify cases, provide careful and compassionate treatment, and protect themselves from infection,” Ghebreyesus said.
Sources include:
SanFrancisco.CBSLocal.com
MercuryNews.com
NBCBayArea.com