huffpost--2020-02-27--Concerns Over Coronavirus Send Stock Market Into Frenzy

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 960 points in morning trading , then erased much of the loss by midday before giving way to another round of selling in the afternoon .
It was down more than 780 points , or 2.9 % , in afternoon trading .
The bond market saw similar volatility , with the yield on the 10-year Treasury at one point falling to another all-time low .
Low yields are a sign that investors are feeling less confident about the strength of the economy going forward .
The losses extended a weeklong rout in stocks that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major indexes had posted early this year .
Investors came into 2020 feeling confident that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates at low levels and the U.S.-China trade war posed less of a threat to company profits after the two sides reached a preliminary agreement in January .
The virus outbreak has upended that rosy scenario as economists lower their expectations for economic growth and companies warn of a hit to their business .
Microsoft warned that the virus outbreak had interrupted its supply lines and would hurt its financial performance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple .
The two stocks led another sell-off in technology stocks .
Energy stocks fell sharply as the price of oil dropped 3.4 % .
The furious selling of the past week has brought the S & P 500 10 % below the record high it set just a week ago .
If the S & P closes that low it would mark what market watchers call a “ correction , ” a normal phenomenon that analysts have said was long overdue in this bull market , which is the longest in history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get to a place where this fear , it ’ s something that we get used to living with , the same way we got used to living with the threat of living with terrorism , ” she said .
“ But right now , people don ’ t know how or when we ’ re going to get there , and what people do in that situation is to retrench.
” Japan will close schools nationwide to help control the spread of the new virus .
Saudi Arabia banned foreign pilgrims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s holiest sites .
Italy has become the center of the outbreak in Europe , with the spread threatening the financial and industrial centers of that nation .
At their heart , stock prices rise and fall with the profits that companies make .
And Wall Street ’ s expectations for profit growth are sliding away .
Apple and Microsoft , two of the world ’ s biggest companies , have already said their sales this quarter will feel the economic effects of the virus .
Goldman Sachs on Thursday said earnings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 index might not grow at all this year , after predicting earlier that they would grow 5.5 % .
Strategist David Kostin also cut his growth forecast for earnings next year .
Such cuts are even more impactful now because stocks are already trading at high levels relative to their earnings , raising the risk .
Before the virus worries exploded , investors had been pushing stocks higher on expectations that strong profit growth was set to resume for companies .
The S & P 500 was recently trading at its most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earnings per share , since the dot-com bubble was deflating in 2002 , according to FactSet .
If profit growth doesn ’ t ramp up this year , that makes a highly priced stock market even more vulnerable .
Goldman Sach ’ s Kostin said the S & P 500 could fall to 2,900 in the near term , which would be a nearly 7 % drop from Wednesday ’ s close , before rebounding to 3,400 by the end of the year .
Traders are growing increasingly certain that the Federal Reserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect the economy , and soon .
They ’ re pricing in a better than two-in-three probability of a cut at the Fed ’ s next meeting in March .
Just a day before , they were calling for only a one-in-three chance .

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Stocks went on a wild ride Thursday as investors struggle to gauge the potential impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the global economy.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 960 points in morning trading, then erased much of the loss by midday before giving way to another round of selling in the afternoon. It was down more than 780 points, or 2.9%, in afternoon trading.
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The bond market saw similar volatility, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury at one point falling to another all-time low. Low yields are a sign that investors are feeling less confident about the strength of the economy going forward.
“People can demand things that feel safe for irrational amounts of time,” said Katy Kaminski, chief research strategist at AlphaSimplex Group. “It doesn’t matter, the fundamentals, when people are worried.”
The losses extended a weeklong rout in stocks that has wiped out the solid gains the major indexes had posted early this year. Investors came into 2020 feeling confident that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates at low levels and the U.S.-China trade war posed less of a threat to company profits after the two sides reached a preliminary agreement in January. The virus outbreak has upended that rosy scenario as economists lower their expectations for economic growth and companies warn of a hit to their business.
Microsoft warned that the virus outbreak had interrupted its supply lines and would hurt its financial performance, following a similar warning last week from Apple. The two stocks led another sell-off in technology stocks. Energy stocks fell sharply as the price of oil dropped 3.4%.
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The furious selling of the past week has brought the S&P 500 10% below the record high it set just a week ago. If the S&P closes that low it would mark what market watchers call a “correction,” a normal phenomenon that analysts have said was long overdue in this bull market, which is the longest in history.
“This is a market that’s being driven completely by fear,” said Elaine Stokes, portfolio manager at Loomis Sayles, with market movements following the classic characteristics of a fear trade: stocks are down, commodities are down and bonds are up.
Stokes said the swoon reminded her of the market’s reaction following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“Eventually we’re going to get to a place where this fear, it’s something that we get used to living with, the same way we got used to living with the threat of living with terrorism,” she said. “But right now, people don’t know how or when we’re going to get there, and what people do in that situation is to retrench.”
The S&P 500 was down 2.8% as of 3:26 p.m. Eastern time. after being down as much as 3.5% earlier. The Dow fell 781 points at 26,176. The Nasdaq fell 3%.
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The virus has now infected more than 82,000 people globally and is worrying governments with its rapid spread beyond the epicenter of China.
Japan will close schools nationwide to help control the spread of the new virus. Saudi Arabia banned foreign pilgrims from entering the kingdom to visit Islam’s holiest sites. Italy has become the center of the outbreak in Europe, with the spread threatening the financial and industrial centers of that nation.
At their heart, stock prices rise and fall with the profits that companies make. And Wall Street’s expectations for profit growth are sliding away. Apple and Microsoft, two of the world’s biggest companies, have already said their sales this quarter will feel the economic effects of the virus.
Goldman Sachs on Thursday said earnings for companies in the S&P 500 index might not grow at all this year, after predicting earlier that they would grow 5.5%. Strategist David Kostin also cut his growth forecast for earnings next year.
Besides a sharply weaker Chinese economy in the first quarter of this year, he sees lower demand for U.S. exporters, disruptions to supply chains and general uncertainty eating away at earnings growth.
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Such cuts are even more impactful now because stocks are already trading at high levels relative to their earnings, raising the risk. Before the virus worries exploded, investors had been pushing stocks higher on expectations that strong profit growth was set to resume for companies.
The S&P 500 was recently trading at its most expensive level, relative to its expected earnings per share, since the dot-com bubble was deflating in 2002, according to FactSet. If profit growth doesn’t ramp up this year, that makes a highly priced stock market even more vulnerable.
Goldman Sach’s Kostin said the S&P 500 could fall to 2,900 in the near term, which would be a nearly 7% drop from Wednesday’s close, before rebounding to 3,400 by the end of the year.
Traders are growing increasingly certain that the Federal Reserve will be forced to cut interest rates to protect the economy, and soon. They’re pricing in a better than two-in-three probability of a cut at the Fed’s next meeting in March. Just a day before, they were calling for only a one-in-three chance.
A handful of companies have managed to gain ground in the latest rout of stocks. Medical teleconferencing company Teladoc surged 19% and 3M, which counts surgical masks among its many products, rose 2.2%.
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The market’s sharp drop this week partly reflects increasing fears among many economists that the U.S. and global economies could take a bigger hit from the coronavirus than they previously thought.
Earlier assumptions that the impact would largely be contained in China and would temporarily disrupt manufacturing supply chains have been overtaken by concerns that as the virus spreads, more people in numerous countries will stay home, either voluntarily or under quarantine. Vacations could be canceled, restaurant meals skipped, and fewer shopping trips taken.
“A global recession is likely if COVID-19 becomes a pandemic, and the odds of that are uncomfortably high and rising with infections surging in Italy and Korea,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.
The market rout will also likely weaken Americans’ confidence in the economy, analysts say, even among those who don’t own shares. Such volatility can worry people about their own companies and job security. In addition, Americans that do own stocks feel less wealthy. Both of those trends can combine to discourage consumer spending and slow growth.
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huffpost--2020-02-27--Coronavirus Spreads Faster Outside China, Stoking Global Fears

SHANGHAI/SEOUL ( Reuters ) - The number of new coronavirus infections inside China - the source of the outbreak - was for the first time overtaken by fresh cases elsewhere on Wednesday , with Italy and Iran emerging as epicenters of the rapidly spreading illness .
Asia reported hundreds of new cases , Brazil confirmed Latin America ’ s first infection and the new disease - COVID-19 - was also detected for the first time in Pakistan , Sweden , Norway , Greece , Romania and Algeria .
U.S. President Donald Trump , seeking to calm markets and an increasingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcast that the United States was “ very very ready ” to face the virus threat and that Vice President Mike Pence would be in charge of the national response .
It was one of just a handful of times that the president has appeared in the White House briefing room .
Wall Street reversed earlier gains on Wednesday afternoon and oil prices dropped to their lowest level in over a year , spooked in part by health officials saying dozens of people who had been in China were being monitored in suburbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no confirmed cases have been found .
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio urged the federal government to tighten testing for visitors from a range of countries where the virus has been spreading , adding that its eventual detection in the city was “ 100 % certain.
” The virus that can lead to pneumonia is believed to have originated in a market selling wildlife in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year .
It has infected about 80,000 people and killed more than 2,700 , the vast majority in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , said it was already impossible to trace all chains of infection , and Health Minister Jens Spahn urged regional authorities , hospitals and employers to review their pandemic planning .
However , WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus advised diplomats in Geneva on Wednesday against speaking of a pandemic - which the WHO defines as the worldwide spread of a new disease .
“ Using the word pandemic carelessly has no tangible benefit , but it does have significant risk in terms of amplifying unnecessary and unjustified fear and stigma , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It may also signal that we can no longer contain the virus , which is not true.
” The WHO says the outbreak in China peaked around Feb. 2 , after measures that included isolating its epicenter Hubei province .
It said only 10 new cases were reported in China on Tuesday outside Hubei .
There is no known vaccine for the virus .
U.S. pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences Inc ( GILD.O ) said on Wednesday it had started two late-stage studies to test its experimental antiviral drug remdesivir in humans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effects on large gatherings have increased .
In Japan , Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for sports and cultural events to be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks as concern mounted for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics , while sources told Reuters the International Monetary Fund was considering whether to make its April meeting in Washington virtual .
In addition to Brazil , Italians or people who recently visited Italy have tested positive in Algeria , Austria , Croatia , Greece , Romania , Spain , Sweden and Switzerland .
Italy itself has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the industrial heartlands of Lombardy and Veneto .

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SHANGHAI/SEOUL (Reuters) - The number of new coronavirus infections inside China - the source of the outbreak - was for the first time overtaken by fresh cases elsewhere on Wednesday, with Italy and Iran emerging as epicenters of the rapidly spreading illness.
Asia reported hundreds of new cases, Brazil confirmed Latin America’s first infection and the new disease - COVID-19 - was also detected for the first time in Pakistan, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Romania and Algeria.
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U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking to calm markets and an increasingly worried public, said in a live broadcast that the United States was “very very ready” to face the virus threat and that Vice President Mike Pence would be in charge of the national response. It was one of just a handful of times that the president has appeared in the White House briefing room.
Stock markets across the world have lost $3.3 trillion of value in four days of trading, as measured by the MSCI all-country index .MIWD00000PUS.
Wall Street reversed earlier gains on Wednesday afternoon and oil prices dropped to their lowest level in over a year, spooked in part by health officials saying dozens of people who had been in China were being monitored in suburbs of populous New York city - although no confirmed cases have been found.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio urged the federal government to tighten testing for visitors from a range of countries where the virus has been spreading, adding that its eventual detection in the city was “100% certain.”
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The virus that can lead to pneumonia is believed to have originated in a market selling wildlife in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. It has infected about 80,000 people and killed more than 2,700, the vast majority in China.
While radical quarantining measures have helped slow the rate of transmission in China, it is accelerating elsewhere.
Germany, which has around 20 cases, said it was already impossible to trace all chains of infection, and Health Minister Jens Spahn urged regional authorities, hospitals and employers to review their pandemic planning.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said China had reported 412 new cases on Tuesday, while there were 459 in 37 other countries.
However, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus advised diplomats in Geneva on Wednesday against speaking of a pandemic - which the WHO defines as the worldwide spread of a new disease.
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“Using the word pandemic carelessly has no tangible benefit, but it does have significant risk in terms of amplifying unnecessary and unjustified fear and stigma, and paralyzing systems,” he said. “It may also signal that we can no longer contain the virus, which is not true.”
As panic increased, Mexican authorities barred a cruise ship from docking at one of its ports over what the ship’s company said was a single case of common seasonal flu.
The WHO says the outbreak in China peaked around Feb. 2, after measures that included isolating its epicenter Hubei province. It said only 10 new cases were reported in China on Tuesday outside Hubei.
There is no known vaccine for the virus. U.S. pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O) said on Wednesday it had started two late-stage studies to test its experimental antiviral drug remdesivir in humans.
FIRST LATIN AMERICAN CASE
As the cases have rippled outwards, the effects on large gatherings have increased. In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for sports and cultural events to be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks as concern mounted for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, while sources told Reuters the International Monetary Fund was considering whether to make its April meeting in Washington virtual.
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Latin America’s first case was confirmed in a 61-year-old man in Sao Paulo, Brazil, who had recently visited Italy, a new front line in the global outbreak.
The diagnosis coincided with the carnival holiday, a peak time for domestic travel. Brazil’s stock index fell over 7%.
In addition to Brazil, Italians or people who recently visited Italy have tested positive in Algeria, Austria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Italy itself has reported more than 400 cases, centered on the industrial heartlands of Lombardy and Veneto.
A hotel in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands was locked down over cases linked to Italy.
“It’s very scary because everyone is out, in the pool, spreading the virus,” said 45-year-old hotel guest Lara Pennington.
In France, a second person died - a teacher who had not visited any country with a known outbreak.
There have been nearly 50 deaths outside China, including 12 in Italy and 19 in Iran, according to a Reuters tally.
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While Iran has reported only 139 cases, epidemiologists say the death rate of around 2% seen elsewhere suggest that the true number of cases must be many times higher.
Cases linked to Iran have been reported across the Middle East. Iraq imposed travel bans to affected countries and barred public gatherings.
(Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus here)


huffpost--2020-02-27--Japanese Woman Tests Positive For Coronavirus For A Second Time

TOKYO , Feb 27 ( Reuters ) - A woman working as a tour-bus guide in Japan tested positive for the coronavirus for a second time , Osaka ’ s prefectural government said on Wednesday , the first person in the country to do so amid growing concerns about the spread of the infection .
The second positive test comes as the number of confirmed cases in Japan rose to 186 by Thursday from around 170 the day before .
Tokyo has urged big gatherings and sports events be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks to contain the virus while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go ahead in the city .
The 186 cases reported by Japan ’ s health ministry are separate from 704 reported from an outbreak on a cruise liner that was quarantined off Tokyo earlier this month .
A total of seven people have died , including four from the ship .
The woman , a resident of Osaka in western Japan , tested positive on Wednesday after developing a sore throat and chest pains , the prefectural government said in a statement , describing her as being in her forties .
She first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discharged from the hospital after recovering on Feb. 1 , according to the statement .
The health ministry confirmed the case was the first in Japan where a patient tested positive for coronavirus for a second time after being discharged from hospital , the Nikkei newspaper said .
Though a first in Japan , cases of second positive tests have been reported in China , where the disease originated late last year .
The outbreak has spread rapidly and widely , infecting about 80,000 people globally and killing nearly 2,800 , the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have the infection , it could remain dormant and with minimal symptoms , and then you can get an exacerbation if it finds its way into the lungs , ” said Philip Tierno Jr. , Professor of Microbiology and Pathology at NYU School of Medicine .
He said much remains unknown about the virus .
“ I ’ m not certain that this is not bi-phasic , like anthrax , ” he said , meaning the disease appears to go away before recurring .
Asked to comment on prospects for the Olympic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Prof. Tierno said , “ The Olympics should be postponed if this continues ...
There are many people who don ’ t understand how easy it is to spread this infection from one person to another.
” As part of the attempt to contain the outbreak , Tokyo Olympics officials are considering scaling down the torch relay , Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said on Wednesday .
Meanwhile a major Japanese bank reported an employee had tested positive for coronavirus .
MUFG Bank , part of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assets , said a member of staff at a branch in central Aichi prefecture , had been confirmed to have the virus on Wednesday .

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TOKYO, Feb 27 (Reuters) - A woman working as a tour-bus guide in Japan tested positive for the coronavirus for a second time, Osaka’s prefectural government said on Wednesday, the first person in the country to do so amid growing concerns about the spread of the infection.
The second positive test comes as the number of confirmed cases in Japan rose to 186 by Thursday from around 170 the day before. Tokyo has urged big gatherings and sports events be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks to contain the virus while pledging the 2020 Olympic Games will still go ahead in the city.
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The 186 cases reported by Japan’s health ministry are separate from 704 reported from an outbreak on a cruise liner that was quarantined off Tokyo earlier this month. A total of seven people have died, including four from the ship.
The woman, a resident of Osaka in western Japan, tested positive on Wednesday after developing a sore throat and chest pains, the prefectural government said in a statement, describing her as being in her forties. She first tested positive in late January and was discharged from the hospital after recovering on Feb. 1, according to the statement.
The health ministry confirmed the case was the first in Japan where a patient tested positive for coronavirus for a second time after being discharged from hospital, the Nikkei newspaper said.
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Though a first in Japan, cases of second positive tests have been reported in China, where the disease originated late last year. The outbreak has spread rapidly and widely, infecting about 80,000 people globally and killing nearly 2,800, the vast majority in mainland China.
“Once you have the infection, it could remain dormant and with minimal symptoms, and then you can get an exacerbation if it finds its way into the lungs,” said Philip Tierno Jr., Professor of Microbiology and Pathology at NYU School of Medicine.
He said much remains unknown about the virus. “I’m not certain that this is not bi-phasic, like anthrax,” he said, meaning the disease appears to go away before recurring.
Asked to comment on prospects for the Olympic Games going ahead in Tokyo this summer, Prof. Tierno said, “The Olympics should be postponed if this continues ... There are many people who don’t understand how easy it is to spread this infection from one person to another.”
Japan has changed its strategy in combating the contagion, seeking to slow its spread and minimize the number of deaths.
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As part of the attempt to contain the outbreak, Tokyo Olympics officials are considering scaling down the torch relay, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said on Wednesday.
The government is also considering scaling back this year’s March 11 memorial ceremony for victims of 2011′s massive earthquake and tsunami, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Thursday.
Meanwhile a major Japanese bank reported an employee had tested positive for coronavirus. MUFG Bank, part of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc, the country’s largest lender by assets, said a member of staff at a branch in central Aichi prefecture, had been confirmed to have the virus on Wednesday.


huffpost--2020-02-27--Japan's Prime Minister Asks All Schools To Close Over Coronavirus

TOKYO ( Reuters ) — All Japan ’ s elementary , junior and high schools will be asked to close from March 2 until their upcoming spring break to help contain the coronavirus outbreak , Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a task force fighting the virus on Thursday .
The news came after a woman working as a tour bus guide tested positive for the coronavirus for a second time , Osaka ’ s prefectural government said , the first known person in Japan and one of very few worldwide to do so amid growing concerns about the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Japan has now risen to more than 200 , up from the official tally of 186 late on Wednesday .
On the main northern island of Hokkaido , 13 new cases , including two under the age of 10 , were confirmed , the public broadcaster NHK reported .
The western major city of Osaka said it would close all public kindergartens , elementary and junior high schools for two weeks from Feb. 29 to prevent infection .
The government has urged that big gatherings and sports events be scrapped or curtailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while pledging that the 2020 Summer Olympics will go ahead in the capital Tokyo .
The more than 200 cases are separate from 704 reported from an outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise liner that was quarantined off Tokyo earlier this month .
A man in his 80s died in Hokkaido after contracting the coronavirus , the prefectural government said , bringing the total number of people who have died in Japan to eight , including four from the ship .
Though a first known case for Japan , second positive tests have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Feb. 21 ― where the disease originated late last year .
The woman , a resident of Osaka , in western Japan , tested positive on Wednesday after developing a sore throat and chest pains , the prefectural government said in a statement , describing her as being in her 40s .
She first tested positive in late January and was discharged from hospital on Feb. 1 after recovering , according to the statement .
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said in parliament the central government would need to review patient lists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously discharged , as health experts analysed the implications of testing positive for the virus after an initial recovery .
“ Once you have the infection , it could remain dormant and with minimal symptoms , and then you can get an exacerbation if it finds its way into the lungs , ” said Philip Tierno Jr. , Professor of Microbiology and Pathology at NYU School of Medicine .
Tierno said much remains unknown about the virus .
“ I ’ m not certain that this is not bi-phasic , like anthrax , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears to go away before recurring .
Asked to comment on prospects for the Olympic Games going ahead in Tokyo this summer , Tierno said , “ The Olympics should be postponed if this continues ...
There are many people who don ’ t understand how easy it is to spread this infection from one person to another.
” The health ministry said on Thursday that with the Diamond Princess still located south of Tokyo , about 240 foreign and Japanese crew members who have tested negative for the virus would disembark from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those with no symptoms would remain at a facility near Tokyo for further monitoring , the ministry said in a statement .
An official could not immediately confirm the total number of crew on board the ship .

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TOKYO (Reuters) — All Japan’s elementary, junior and high schools will be asked to close from March 2 until their upcoming spring break to help contain the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a task force fighting the virus on Thursday.
The news came after a woman working as a tour bus guide tested positive for the coronavirus for a second time, Osaka’s prefectural government said, the first known person in Japan and one of very few worldwide to do so amid growing concerns about the spread of the infection.
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The Japanese school year ends in March and resumes in April, after a break.
The number of cases in Japan has now risen to more than 200, up from the official tally of 186 late on Wednesday.
On the main northern island of Hokkaido, 13 new cases, including two under the age of 10, were confirmed, the public broadcaster NHK reported. The western major city of Osaka said it would close all public kindergartens, elementary and junior high schools for two weeks from Feb. 29 to prevent infection.
The government has urged that big gatherings and sports events be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks to contain the virus while pledging that the 2020 Summer Olympics will go ahead in the capital Tokyo.
The more than 200 cases are separate from 704 reported from an outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise liner that was quarantined off Tokyo earlier this month.
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A man in his 80s died in Hokkaido after contracting the coronavirus, the prefectural government said, bringing the total number of people who have died in Japan to eight, including four from the ship.
Though a first known case for Japan, second positive tests have been reported in China ― one reported on Feb. 21 ― where the disease originated late last year.
The outbreak has spread rapidly and widely, infecting about 80,000 people globally and killing nearly 2,800, the vast majority in mainland China.
The woman, a resident of Osaka, in western Japan, tested positive on Wednesday after developing a sore throat and chest pains, the prefectural government said in a statement, describing her as being in her 40s. She first tested positive in late January and was discharged from hospital on Feb. 1 after recovering, according to the statement.
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said in parliament the central government would need to review patient lists and keep tabs on the condition of those previously discharged, as health experts analysed the implications of testing positive for the virus after an initial recovery.
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“Once you have the infection, it could remain dormant and with minimal symptoms, and then you can get an exacerbation if it finds its way into the lungs,” said Philip Tierno Jr., Professor of Microbiology and Pathology at NYU School of Medicine.
Tierno said much remains unknown about the virus. “I’m not certain that this is not bi-phasic, like anthrax,” he said, meaning the disease appears to go away before recurring.
Asked to comment on prospects for the Olympic Games going ahead in Tokyo this summer, Tierno said, “The Olympics should be postponed if this continues ... There are many people who don’t understand how easy it is to spread this infection from one person to another.”
SCALING DOWN EVENTS
Japan has changed its strategy in combating the contagion, seeking to slow its spread and minimise the number of deaths.
The health ministry said on Thursday that with the Diamond Princess still located south of Tokyo, about 240 foreign and Japanese crew members who have tested negative for the virus would disembark from the ship over the next few days.
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Those with no symptoms would remain at a facility near Tokyo for further monitoring, the ministry said in a statement. An official could not immediately confirm the total number of crew on board the ship.
As part of the attempts to contain the outbreak, Tokyo Olympics officials are considering scaling down the torch relay, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said on Wednesday.
The government is also considering scaling back this year’s March 11 memorial ceremony for victims of 2011′s massive earthquake and tsunami, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Thursday.
In the private sector, Japan’s biggest trading firm, Mitsubishi Corp, said it was telling all of its 3,800 staff in the country to work from home for two weeks starting Friday, while a major Japanese bank reported an employee had tested positive for coronavirus.
MUFG Bank, part of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc, the country’s largest lender by assets, said a member of staff at a branch in central Aichi prefecture, had been confirmed to have the virus on Wednesday.
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huffpost--2020-02-27--How Long Can Coronavirus Live On Surfaces, And Does Disinfecting Work?

When it comes to the new coronavirus going around ( aka COVID-19 ) , good hygiene seems to be our best line of defense .
Because the virus has only been on our radar for a couple of months , we don ’ t have a preventive vaccine yet , nor do we have an effective way to treat the respiratory illness the virus causes .
And though researchers are getting close to putting potential vaccines to the test , it ’ ll likely be about a year before they ’ re ready for us .
That doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ’ s illnesses will be severe , the vast majority of COVID-19 illnesses are probably going to be relatively mild , even asymptomatic ( a recent report from China looking at over 72,000 infected people shows 80 % of cases are mild ) .
Here ’ s how long the coronavirus can survive and spread .
Early evidence suggests the coronavirus mainly spreads through respiratory droplets that float through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes .
Those droplets can either land on you ― making you sick ― or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take up residency for some time .
More research published in March found similar results .
Tests from the U.S. government and other scientists found that the disease could be detected up to three hours in the air and up to 24 hours on cardboard .
It also found it can linger for two to three days on surfaces like plastic and stainless steel , the Associated Press reported .
Do disinfectant wipes work to eliminate the virus ?
If you ’ ve been following coronavirus news , you ’ ve probably heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down all the surfaces you come across every day — at work , at school , at the airport , your phone and so on and so forth .
Most disinfecting wipes claim they can kill up to 99.9 % of germs , and in a perfect world , they ’ re right .
COVID-19 is a lipid-containing virus , which means it can be easily killed with wipes , according to Dr. Charles Gerba , a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Arizona and consultant for the restroom hygiene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t live in a perfect world , and people misuse wipes , demolishing their effectiveness .
One study found that while disinfectant wipes clear off most bacteria from surfaces , it stays on the wipe — and if it ’ s reused , that bacteria is transferred to the new location .
To prevent this , use one wipe , then toss it .
Health experts are also recommending using ethanol or bleach-based wipes rather than benzalkonium chloride or hydrogen peroxide disinfectants .
Most people don ’ t give bleach enough time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a point to apply it , let it sit for a while , then wipe it clean , says Dr. Robert Amler , the dean of the school of health sciences and practice at New York Medical College and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief medical officer .
Here ’ s how to properly sanitize and stay healthy .
Now that we know COVID-19 spreads through feces , we ’ ve got to talk about flushing .
When we flush a toilet , it essentially “ sneezes ” and sprays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place — that water ( which includes microscopic particles of urine , feces , bacteria , and viruses ) can shoot out a couple of feet and may hit your pants and splatter on the doors , surfaces and sinks around you .
Additionally , our hands are the biggest culprit for transferring bacteria to others .
Think about it : All day long , we touch our face — our eyes , nose , mouth— all the areas that can invite a virus into the body , according to Amler .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 23 times per hour .
Don ’ t forget to dry your hands , as the virus can linger on wet hands .
Hand sanitizer ( that ’ s at least 60 % alcohol ) is not as good as hand-washing , but it ’ s the next best thing , Amler said .
Again , you really need to lather it on and rub it in and around your hands and fingers to destroy all the bacteria .
Make sure you ’ re also sanitizing your smartphone , which research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Slate reported that disinfectant wipes may be fine to use on some parts ; some companies also recommend using warm , soapy water and a microfiber towel ( just make sure it ’ s a clean one , to heed the warning from Gerba above ) .
Turn the power off and unplug your phone before you clean it .
You can also purchase cleaning spray or wipes designed specifically for devices .
Experts are still learning about the novel coronavirus .
The information in this story is what was known or available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s possible guidance around COVID-19 could change as scientists discover more about the virus .
Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
When it comes to the new coronavirus going around (aka COVID-19), good hygiene seems to be our best line of defense. Because the virus has only been on our radar for a couple of months, we don’t have a preventive vaccine yet, nor do we have an effective way to treat the respiratory illness the virus causes. And though researchers are getting close to putting potential vaccines to the test, it’ll likely be about a year before they’re ready for us.
That doesn’t mean you should panic. Though some people’s illnesses will be severe, the vast majority of COVID-19 illnesses are probably going to be relatively mild, even asymptomatic (a recent report from China looking at over 72,000 infected people shows 80% of cases are mild).
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Regardless, a pandemic may be coming for the United States, and now’s the time to up your personal hygiene habits in preparation, according to health experts.
Here’s how long the coronavirus can survive and spread.
FotoDuets via Getty Images Never reuse a disinfecting wipe, or you risk spreading bacteria around.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty about how we can protect ourselves, let’s chat about how COVID-19 spreads and how long it may be able to survive on surfaces.
Early evidence suggests the coronavirus mainly spreads through respiratory droplets that float through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Those droplets can either land on you ― making you sick ― or they can fall onto a surface and take up residency for some time.
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Exactly how long remains unclear, but early evidence suspected the virus can survive from a few hours to up to nine days at a comfy room temperature.
More research published in March found similar results. Tests from the U.S. government and other scientists found that the disease could be detected up to three hours in the air and up to 24 hours on cardboard. It also found it can linger for two to three days on surfaces like plastic and stainless steel, the Associated Press reported.
Early research also suggested that COVID-19 may also spread through people’s feces. A person doesn’t wipe efficiently, traces of poop cling onto their hands, they touch a doorknob, and boom, the virus has a new home.
Do disinfectant wipes work to eliminate the virus?
If you’ve been following coronavirus news, you’ve probably heard by now that you should be washing down all the surfaces you come across every day — at work, at school, at the airport, your phone and so on and so forth.
Public surfaces are known hotspots for dangerous bacteria and germs. A study from 2018 found that contagious, disease-causing bacteria from people’s guts and feces can be found on most public touch screens.
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Most disinfecting wipes claim they can kill up to 99.9% of germs, and in a perfect world, they’re right. COVID-19 is a lipid-containing virus, which means it can be easily killed with wipes, according to Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Arizona and consultant for the restroom hygiene company Enviro-Master.
But we don’t live in a perfect world, and people misuse wipes, demolishing their effectiveness. One study found that while disinfectant wipes clear off most bacteria from surfaces, it stays on the wipe — and if it’s reused, that bacteria is transferred to the new location. To prevent this, use one wipe, then toss it.
Health experts are also recommending using ethanol or bleach-based wipes rather than benzalkonium chloride or hydrogen peroxide disinfectants. Most people don’t give bleach enough time to work its magic, though, so make a point to apply it, let it sit for a while, then wipe it clean, says Dr. Robert Amler, the dean of the school of health sciences and practice at New York Medical College and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief medical officer.
Though you can’t overdo it with the disinfecting per se, Gerba said “people who clean more are germier because they move everything around.”
Disinfecting surfaces one to three times daily is all you really need to do to have a big impact, Gerba added.
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Here’s how to properly sanitize and stay healthy.
Delmaine Donson via Getty Images When washing your hands, scrub for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water. Don't miss your thumbs, fingertips, and in between fingers. Then dry your hands off.
Now that we know COVID-19 spreads through feces, we’ve got to talk about flushing. When we flush a toilet, it essentially “sneezes” and sprays tiny spurts of water all over the place — that water (which includes microscopic particles of urine, feces, bacteria, and viruses) can shoot out a couple of feet and may hit your pants and splatter on the doors, surfaces and sinks around you.
Basically, bathrooms are a danger zone and you gotta be smart about how you use the toilet. Put the seat down, take a step back, cover your face (especially your mouth and eyes), then wash your hands.
Use a disinfectant wipe in the bowl, another on the seat, and another on the lid if you are cleaning the toilet. There are also bleach-based toilet-bowl cleaners that can reduce the number of organisms expelled from a flush.
Additionally, our hands are the biggest culprit for transferring bacteria to others. Think about it: All day long, we touch our face — our eyes, nose, mouth— all the areas that can invite a virus into the body, according to Amler. It’s estimated we touch our face up to 23 times per hour.
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That’s why thorough, solid hand-washing is the No. 1 way to cut your risk of getting sick. Scrub for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water. Most people, he added, often miss their thumbs, fingertips, and in between fingers.
“It’s not just a question of dipping your hands in the water, drying them off and moving on,” Amler said. “What we’re asking is you scrub your hands, really scrub and lather with the soap.”
Don’t forget to dry your hands, as the virus can linger on wet hands. Hand sanitizer (that’s at least 60% alcohol) is not as good as hand-washing, but it’s the next best thing, Amler said. Again, you really need to lather it on and rub it in and around your hands and fingers to destroy all the bacteria.
Some other tips from Gerba: Wash your laundry with hot water, use liquid soap as opposed to a bar, and dry your hands with paper towels, not cloth towels, to avoid spreading microorganisms around.
Make sure you’re also sanitizing your smartphone, which research shows is a hotspot for germs. Slate reported that disinfectant wipes may be fine to use on some parts; some companies also recommend using warm, soapy water and a microfiber towel (just make sure it’s a clean one, to heed the warning from Gerba above). Turn the power off and unplug your phone before you clean it. You can also purchase cleaning spray or wipes designed specifically for devices.
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Bottom line: Take care of yourself and don’t panic ― and reach out to a doctor if you’re feeling ill or displaying any symptoms.
This piece has been updated to include information on disinfecting phones.


huffpost--2020-02-27--Canceling A Trip Due To Coronavirus? Here’s What Travelers Need To Know.

Travel insurance can be a useful resource if you face a health emergency , such as contracting coronavirus , during a trip .
If you are quarantined or fall ill , your standard trip cancellation or interruption policy should cover any nonrefundable expenses that result .
Traditional travel insurance plans also cover emergency medical expenses and medical evacuations home .
But what if you haven ’ t taken your trip yet and are thinking about canceling because of fears about coronavirus ?
Will insurance cover that ?
And what kind of insurance should you buy if you ’ re booking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance do in the face of a global health crisis ?
Say you purchased a basic cancellation policy when you booked a trip to Italy .
If you decide to call off your vacation because you ’ re worried about contracting COVID-19 , you probably won ’ t be eligible for coverage and will have to pay the cancellation fees and nonrefundable costs yourself .
“ Almost every travel insurance policy I ’ m aware of excludes epidemics and pandemics , ” Schreier said .
“ The one thing insurance companies are most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic or pandemic by nature could put these companies out of business if they had to pay out millions of dollars for millions of policies.
” If your January trip was affected by the coronavirus outbreak , you may still be eligible for some reimbursement .
As an Allianz Travel Insurance advisory notes , “ Customers whose plan includes the Epidemic exclusion may still have coverage for a covered loss occurring on or prior to February 3 , 2020.
” ‘ Cancel For Any Reason ’ Plans Can Help You “ Cancel for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the option to cancel a trip for ‘ any reason , ’ ” she explained .
“ So , unless a travel insurance company has stated otherwise , you can certainly cancel a trip out of fear of contracting the virus if you select this optional benefit.
” But There Are Restrictions “ The challenge in CFAR is it may only be available to a narrow slice of the traveling market .
CFAR tends to be an optional upgrade in the more premium plans .
It may cost another 30 % to 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Stan Sandberg , co-founder of TravelInsurance.com .
With CFAR , you usually have to insure the entire cost of the trip rather than certain elements .
Another restriction is that you have to purchase your policy within a set time frame ― usually 7 to 21 days ― from your initial trip deposit .
If you do choose to cancel the trip , you may have to do so at least 48 hours before the departure date in order to qualify for reimbursement .
Most versions of CFAR plans also reimburse travelers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their prepaid nonrefundable trip cost .
Additionally , there ’ s bad news for residents of New York : You can ’ t buy CFAR travel insurance .
The New York State Department of Financial Services , which regulates the insurance industry , does not deem CFAR to be actual insurance because it “ allows the purchaser to control the event that would lead to payment.
” Thus , the state does not permit the sale of that benefit .
“ I always recommend people read the fine print to make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Charles Leocha , president and co-founder of the consumer advocacy group Travelers United .
If anything is unclear , you can also call the insurer ’ s customer service line with questions .
There Are Other Measures You Can Take You may also want to hold off on booking flights and other expensive travel elements until there ’ s more concrete information available about the coronavirus epidemic .
“ With how things are looking right now , it seems like airfares aren ’ t jumping too dramatically , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re really concerned , I would say wait .
”

NELSON ALMEIDA via Getty Images Passengers wear masks as a precautionary measure against the new coronavirus as they travel Wednesday through Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
With the rapid rise in reported cases of coronavirus around the world, travelers are reconsidering their 2020 vacation plans. For many, that means canceling trips. For others, it means looking into travel insurance.
“We’ve seen a huge spike in travel insurance purchases and call volume since the outbreak,” Jason Schreier, CEO of April Travel Protection, told HuffPost. “As awful as it sounds, when these kinds of things happen around the world, it absolutely is a boost to our business.”
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Travel insurance can be a useful resource if you face a health emergency, such as contracting coronavirus, during a trip. If you are quarantined or fall ill, your standard trip cancellation or interruption policy should cover any nonrefundable expenses that result. Traditional travel insurance plans also cover emergency medical expenses and medical evacuations home.
But what if you haven’t taken your trip yet and are thinking about canceling because of fears about coronavirus? Will insurance cover that? And what kind of insurance should you buy if you’re booking upcoming travel now? What can travel insurance do in the face of a global health crisis?
HuffPost spoke to industry experts to find out the good and not-so-good news about travel insurance and trip cancellation coverage amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Most Policies Won’t Cover Epidemic Concerns
While travel insurance may pay for hospitalization or quarantine interruptions, standard plans generally don’t cover preemptive trip cancellations based on concerns about an epidemic.
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Say you purchased a basic cancellation policy when you booked a trip to Italy. If you decide to call off your vacation because you’re worried about contracting COVID-19, you probably won’t be eligible for coverage and will have to pay the cancellation fees and nonrefundable costs yourself.
This typically applies even if the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues an official travel alert.
“Almost every travel insurance policy I’m aware of excludes epidemics and pandemics,” Schreier said. “The one thing insurance companies are most scared of is concentrated exposure. An epidemic or pandemic by nature could put these companies out of business if they had to pay out millions of dollars for millions of policies.”
If your January trip was affected by the coronavirus outbreak, you may still be eligible for some reimbursement. As an Allianz Travel Insurance advisory notes, “Customers whose plan includes the Epidemic exclusion may still have coverage for a covered loss occurring on or prior to February 3, 2020.”
‘Cancel For Any Reason’ Plans Can Help You
Although standard plans don’t cover you if you cancel a trip due to coronavirus fears, there is a more expensive option that will. And it has a pretty straightforward name.
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“[U]nless a travel insurance company has stated otherwise, you can certainly cancel a trip out of fear of contracting the virus if you select this optional benefit.” - Meghan Walch, product manager at InsureMyTrip
“Since the outbreak, InsureMyTrip reports a 60% increase in travel insurance policies sold with a ‘cancel for any reason’ benefit,” Meghan Walch, a product manager at the travel insurance comparison site InsureMyTrip, told HuffPost.
“Cancel for any reason is designed to give travelers the option to cancel a trip for ‘any reason,’” she explained. “So, unless a travel insurance company has stated otherwise, you can certainly cancel a trip out of fear of contracting the virus if you select this optional benefit.”
But There Are Restrictions
There are still some limitations on travel insurance plans with a CFAR option. For starters, they’re much more expensive, which can be prohibitive.
“The challenge in CFAR is it may only be available to a narrow slice of the traveling market. CFAR tends to be an optional upgrade in the more premium plans. It may cost another 30% to 60% of the base price,” said Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com.
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With CFAR, you usually have to insure the entire cost of the trip rather than certain elements. Another restriction is that you have to purchase your policy within a set time frame ― usually 7 to 21 days ― from your initial trip deposit.
If you do choose to cancel the trip, you may have to do so at least 48 hours before the departure date in order to qualify for reimbursement. Most versions of CFAR plans also reimburse travelers for only 50% to 75% of their prepaid nonrefundable trip cost.
Additionally, there’s bad news for residents of New York: You can’t buy CFAR travel insurance. The New York State Department of Financial Services, which regulates the insurance industry, does not deem CFAR to be actual insurance because it “allows the purchaser to control the event that would lead to payment.” Thus, the state does not permit the sale of that benefit.
Ultimately, it’s important to examine your chosen policy in advance to get a sense of any requirements or restrictions.
“I always recommend people read the fine print to make sure they know what they’re buying,” said Charles Leocha, president and co-founder of the consumer advocacy group Travelers United. If anything is unclear, you can also call the insurer’s customer service line with questions.
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Credit Card Travel Insurance Probably Won’t Help
Several credit cards offer trip cancellation and interruption insurance as a benefit when you charge travel expenses to your card or account’s rewards program. Examples include select American Express and Chase cards, including Amex Platinum, Delta SkyMiles Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve.
But as with standard travel insurance policies, concerns about the coronavirus epidemic and travel advisories do not appear to qualify as covered losses.
In fact, Chase’s policy explicitly excludes “your disinclination to travel due to an epidemic or pandemic” as a grounds for canceled trip reimbursement. (Quarantine “due to health reasons by a competent governmental authority having jurisdiction” is covered, however.)
“Coronavirus has created a smoky gray area in a lot of these cases.” - Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com
The American Express trip cancellation benefit description states that cardholders may be reimbursed “if a Physician advises the Eligible Traveler that a Covered Trip is medically inadvisable.”
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There Are Other Measures You Can Take
Even if you don’t have CFAR insurance, there are ways to cut down on the costs of a canceled trip.
“With airfare, there’s a big price difference between getting a totally refundable ticket and nonrefundable ticket, but that’s not usually the case with the rest of your travel plans,” Leocha said.
Consider booking refundable hotel accommodations, which often don’t cost too much more than nonrefundable rooms. The same can apply to car rentals, restaurant reservations and other activities.
Even if you have a nonrefundable booking, try calling customer service anyway to see if they’re making an exception for coronavirus. Airlines and other travel services may offer reimbursement, waivers or credits.
“Coronavirus has created a smoky gray area in a lot of these cases,” Sandberg said.
Alternatively, it could be worth rescheduling, rerouting a flight or adding a second destination within your original trip.
You may also want to hold off on booking flights and other expensive travel elements until there’s more concrete information available about the coronavirus epidemic.
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huffpost--2020-02-27--Are Children Less Likely To Contract The Coronavirus? Here's What We Know.

When officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that it is likely not a matter of if but when the new coronavirus spreads in the United States , my first thought was of my own little germ factories : my kids .
One is in elementary school , the other is in day care .
One or both of them has been sniffling — or worse — since September .
I worry about what an outbreak here could portend for them .
There ’ s no evidence that kids are more susceptible to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viruses often .
Experts say that it is not unusual for a healthy child who goes to school or day care to come down with up to 10 a season — partly because they ’ re just around a lot of other children and partly because they tend to be a bit more lax about things like keeping their hands to themselves or washing them .
Or not sneezing on friends .
Also , their little immune systems are still developing .
Right now , however , there is no evidence that kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come down with this particular coronavirus , the CDC says .
And the agency stresses that the majority of confirmed cases in China were in adults .
Also notable : The largest study we have so far on the outbreak of this coronavirus , dubbed COVID-19 , which looked at more than 44,000 cases in China , found no deaths among children younger than 9 .
There is some evidence that kids have milder symptoms .
Janowski said there are examples of viral outbreaks in the past in which children tended to fare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influenza outbreak .
He explained that young adults may have had immune responses to the virus that were almost too strong .
But children ’ s developing immune systems may have actually benefited them , though again it is premature to say whether something similar could be happening with COVID-19 .
Parents can do a few things to prepare .
“ It ’ s just so hard to predict what this virus could do in the United States , ” Janowski said .
“ Are we going to see a large outbreak ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a few pockets ?
If you think about what happened with SARS , yes , we did see some transmission to Canada and the United States , but we didn ’ t see a large outbreak.
” Again , at this point , we just don ’ t know .
Stay up to date on your kids ’ immunizations , first , because the flu is currently a much greater threat to kids in the United States than the coronavirus , and , second , because it could help your kids stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight off COVID-19 if it comes to that .
Now is the time to be particularly mindful about keeping children home from school or day care if they ’ re sick .
And talk to your pediatrician if you have any concerns about travel .
If the virus spreads in the United States , “ social distancing measures ” in places like schools , day cares and other public spaces might become important , but we ’ re not there right now — and may never be .

Sasha_Suzi via Getty Images
When officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that it is likely not a matter of if but when the new coronavirus spreads in the United States, my first thought was of my own little germ factories: my kids. One is in elementary school, the other is in day care. One or both of them has been sniffling — or worse — since September. I worry about what an outbreak here could portend for them.
Also concerned? Here’s what we know so far — and what parents should keep in mind when it comes to keeping their kids healthy.
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There’s no evidence that kids are more susceptible to the virus.
First, an important note: There is a lot that is unclear at this point.
“We don’t know why kids seem to be not in the news,” Dr. Aaron Milstone, an epidemiologist and professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told HuffPost. “The news we’re getting is filtered, and all we know is what we hear.”
Kids come down with respiratory viruses often. Experts say that it is not unusual for a healthy child who goes to school or day care to come down with up to 10 a season — partly because they’re just around a lot of other children and partly because they tend to be a bit more lax about things like keeping their hands to themselves or washing them. Or not sneezing on friends. Also, their little immune systems are still developing.
Right now, however, there is no evidence that kids are any more likely than adults to come down with this particular coronavirus, the CDC says. And the agency stresses that the majority of confirmed cases in China were in adults. Also notable: The largest study we have so far on the outbreak of this coronavirus, dubbed COVID-19, which looked at more than 44,000 cases in China, found no deaths among children younger than 9.
There is some evidence that kids have milder symptoms.
The limited information we do have on children affected with the virus in China suggests that those with confirmed cases had relatively mild symptoms: runny nose, fever, cough and some gastrointestinal issues.
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“Though severe complications (e.g., acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock) have been reported,” the CDC states, “they appear to be uncommon.” Children with underlying health conditions may have a higher risk of developing more serious symptoms.
Why healthy kids might have a milder reaction to the virus than adults isn’t yet clear.
“Kids have the benefit that most of them are pretty healthy, so that might play a part in why they have a little bit milder symptoms,” explained Dr. Andrew Janowski, a pediatric infectious diseases doctor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Janowski said there are examples of viral outbreaks in the past in which children tended to fare better than adults, including the 1918 influenza outbreak. He explained that young adults may have had immune responses to the virus that were almost too strong. But children’s developing immune systems may have actually benefited them, though again it is premature to say whether something similar could be happening with COVID-19.
Parents can do a few things to prepare.
“It’s just so hard to predict what this virus could do in the United States,” Janowski said. “Are we going to see a large outbreak? Is it going to be mostly isolated to a few pockets? If you think about what happened with SARS, yes, we did see some transmission to Canada and the United States, but we didn’t see a large outbreak.” Again, at this point, we just don’t know.
Stay up to date on your kids’ immunizations, first, because the flu is currently a much greater threat to kids in the United States than the coronavirus, and, second, because it could help your kids stay healthy overall, which could help them fight off COVID-19 if it comes to that.
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Now is the time to be particularly mindful about keeping children home from school or day care if they’re sick. And talk to your pediatrician if you have any concerns about travel. If the virus spreads in the United States, “social distancing measures” in places like schools, day cares and other public spaces might become important, but we’re not there right now — and may never be.
So experts’ top tip is generally to wash your hands and your children’s hands often — for at least 20 seconds. (Encourage your kiddo to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.)
That said, I recently watched my toddler engage in what I can only describe as an enthusiastic licking fight with one of his buddies, so it’s hard to keep little kids from passing germs back and forth. At a certain point, there’s not much you can do.


huffpost--2020-02-27--Trump Reinvents Pandemic Response Wheel After Scrapping Team Obama Left Him

“ Because of all I ’ ve done , the risk to the American people remains very low , ” he said in a Wednesday evening White House news conference about the coronavirus crisis he has spent weeks downplaying .
“ We ’ ve had tremendous success beyond what people would have thought.
” He also put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the government ’ s coronavirus response , while denying Pence would serve as “ czar ” – a title he had mocked when Obama had used in his response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with zero experience in the medical area and zero experience in infectious disease control .
A TOTAL JOKE !
” he wrote two weeks later .
( Wednesday , Trump defended his choice of Pence , who is also not a doctor or scientist , because he had been a governor . )
Rush Limbaugh , the right-wing radio host Trump honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this month , claimed in 2014 that Obama administration officials “ have this attitude , ‘ Well , if they have it in Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get it , because they ’ re in Africa because of us and because of slavery.
’ ” Ronald Klain , a veteran of both the Bill Clinton and Obama White Houses , was that Ebola “ czar , ” tasked with coordinating the responses from the various executive branch agencies dealing with the outbreak .
Both Klain and Obama ultimately won praise for their handling of the crisis , and Obama later institutionalized the structure Klain had established , creating , for example , a senior position on the National Security Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who worked on the Ebola team at the United States Agency for International Development , said that the lack of a streamlined process had been a hindrance as they dealt with that outbreak .
“ It was very fragmented , and it became a handicap , ” he said .
A senior administration official , speaking on condition of anonymity , said that while the NSC position had been eliminated , its duties had been absorbed into other positions on the council .
“ Similar responsibilities still exist at the National Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the official said , adding that the council “ is staffed by officials with extensive experience and expertise including in virology , infectious disease epidemiology , global health security , public health , and emergency response.
” He said the Trump administration ’ s response to the current crisis has seemed fixated on the notion that the virus could be kept from ever making it to this country , rather than coming up with a plan to deal with it once it does .
At Wednesday ’ s press conference , Trump took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unusually calm advice that Americans should treat the virus like the seasonal flu by washing their hands and staying home if they felt ill .
He did , however , at times veer off into campaign mode , claiming he would beat any of his potential Democratic opponents , blaming some of the recent 2,000-point stock market decline on Tuesday ’ s Democratic debate , and insulting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) .
“ I think Speaker Pelosi is incompetent , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement that the president does not know what he is talking about on the coronavirus issue .
“ She ’ s trying to create a panic .
And there ’ s no reason to panic.
” Trump has , in recent days , claimed the new coronavirus is “ very much under control , ” that it “ will go away in April ” with the warmer weather , and that , in any event , his administration was doing “ a great job ” of handling it .
At times , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus ’ effect on the stock market than on human beings .
“ Stock Market starting to look very good to me !
” he wrote on Twitter on Monday , while he was in India and as the market was halfway through a deep , two-day slide .
“ Low Ratings Fake News MSDNC ( Comcast ) & @ CNN are doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible , including panicking markets , if possible .
Likewise their incompetent Do Nothing Democrat comrades are all talk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” he wrote .

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WASHINGTON — Six years after ridiculing predecessor Barack Obama’s handling of a major health crisis and two years after dismantling the pandemic response team Obama left behind, President Donald Trump is now reinventing the infectious disease wheel.
“Because of all I’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low,” he said in a Wednesday evening White House news conference about the coronavirus crisis he has spent weeks downplaying. “We’ve had tremendous success beyond what people would have thought.”
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He also put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the government’s coronavirus response, while denying Pence would serve as “czar” – a title he had mocked when Obama had used in his response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014.
“Mike is not a czar. He’s vice president,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump, with members of the president's coronavirus task force, holds a paper about countries best prepared to deal with a pandemic during a news conference on Feb. 26, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
In 2014, Trump relentlessly attacked Obama’s handling of the Ebola epidemic in Africa, savaging him in nearly 100 Twitter posts over a three-month period.
“The United States must immediately institute strong travel restrictions or Ebola will be all over the United States-a plague like no other!” Trump wrote on Sept. 30, 2014.
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“Obama just appointed an Ebola Czar with zero experience in the medical area and zero experience in infectious disease control. A TOTAL JOKE!” he wrote two weeks later. (Wednesday, Trump defended his choice of Pence, who is also not a doctor or scientist, because he had been a governor.)
Rush Limbaugh, the right-wing radio host Trump honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this month, claimed in 2014 that Obama administration officials “have this attitude, ‘Well, if they have it in Africa, by God, we deserve to get it, because they’re in Africa because of us and because of slavery.’”
Ronald Klain, a veteran of both the Bill Clinton and Obama White Houses, was that Ebola “czar,” tasked with coordinating the responses from the various executive branch agencies dealing with the outbreak. Both Klain and Obama ultimately won praise for their handling of the crisis, and Obama later institutionalized the structure Klain had established, creating, for example, a senior position on the National Security Council to respond to pandemics.
Jeremy Konyndyk, who worked on the Ebola team at the United States Agency for International Development, said that the lack of a streamlined process had been a hindrance as they dealt with that outbreak. “It was very fragmented, and it became a handicap,” he said.
Trump, however, eliminated the pandemic response team, including the top-level NSC member, just as he has reversed Obama policies throughout the government.
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A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that while the NSC position had been eliminated, its duties had been absorbed into other positions on the council. “Similar responsibilities still exist at the National Security Council but under different titles,” the official said, adding that the council “is staffed by officials with extensive experience and expertise including in virology, infectious disease epidemiology, global health security, public health, and emergency response.”
Konyndyk, though, said that elimination of the NSC position reporting directly to the national security adviser makes a rapid response on global health issues more difficult.
He said the Trump administration’s response to the current crisis has seemed fixated on the notion that the virus could be kept from ever making it to this country, rather than coming up with a plan to deal with it once it does.
“The ball has been dropped,” Konyndyk said. “They’ve lost a month where they could have been doing that.”
At Wednesday’s press conference, Trump took questions for some 45 minutes, giving unusually calm advice that Americans should treat the virus like the seasonal flu by washing their hands and staying home if they felt ill. He did, however, at times veer off into campaign mode, claiming he would beat any of his potential Democratic opponents, blaming some of the recent 2,000-point stock market decline on Tuesday’s Democratic debate, and insulting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
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“I think Speaker Pelosi is incompetent,” Trump said, responding to her earlier statement that the president does not know what he is talking about on the coronavirus issue. “She’s trying to create a panic. And there’s no reason to panic.”
The briefing was nevertheless a dramatic shift from how Trump and his White House had been characterizing the virus since it became a global health threat two months ago.
Trump has, in recent days, claimed the new coronavirus is “very much under control,” that it “will go away in April” with the warmer weather, and that, in any event, his administration was doing “a great job” of handling it.
At times, he has seemed far more concerned about the virus’ effect on the stock market than on human beings. “Stock Market starting to look very good to me!” he wrote on Twitter on Monday, while he was in India and as the market was halfway through a deep, two-day slide.
Wednesday morning, just returned from his India trip, Trump accused the news media of intentionally overhyping the danger of the virus in order to hurt the stock market and, therefore, his reelection chances.
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“Low Ratings Fake News MSDNC (Comcast) & @CNN are doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible. Likewise their incompetent Do Nothing Democrat comrades are all talk, no action. USA in great shape!” he wrote.
Trump’s nothing-to-worry-about message has been at odds with statements and congressional testimony from his own administration, including members of the coronavirus “task force” he named at the end of January and led by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
Azar told lawmakers on Tuesday that more U.S. coronavirus cases are likely, as had the Centers for Disease Control’s Nancy Messionnier.
“I don’t think it’s inevitable,” Trump said Wednesday night. “Whatever happens, we’re totally prepared.”


huffpost--2020-02-27--Saudi Arabia Bars Foreign Pilgrims As Iranian Vice President Diagnosed With Coronavirus

ASSOCIATED PRESS Workers clean the roof of the Kaaba , the cubic building at the Grand Mosque , as worshippers circumambulate around during the minor pilgrimage , known as Umrah in the Muslim holy city of Mecca , Saudi Arabia , Monday , Jan. 27 , 2020 .
( AP Photo/Amr Nabil ) The decision showed the growing worry across the Mideast about the virus as Iran confirmed that infected cases in the country spiked by over 100 , to 254 now .
Those with the virus in the Islamic Republic now include Iranian vice president Masoumeh Ebtekar , better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for the 1979 hostage-takers who seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and sparked the 444-day diplomatic crisis , state media reported .
Saudi Arabia ’ s barring of pilgrims from Mecca , home to the cube-shaped Kaaba that the world ’ s 1.8 billion Muslims pray toward five times a day , and also the holy city of Medina , appeared unprecedented in modern history .
The kingdom ’ s Al Saud ruling family stakes their legitimacy in overseeing and protecting the sites .
Authorities also suspended entry to travelers from nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tourist visas for the kingdom .
It appeared Saudi officials worried about the risk of pilgrims spreading the virus as they had in Iran .
The virus ’ epicenter in the Islamic Republic is the holy Shiite city of Qom , where the faithful in reverence reach out to kiss and touch a famous shrine .
That shrine and others have remained open , despite Iran ’ s civilian government calling for them to be closed .
“ Saudi Arabia renews its support for all international measures to limit the spread of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercise caution before traveling to countries experiencing coronavirus outbreaks , ” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement announcing the decision .
“ We ask God Almighty to spare all humanity from all harm.
” Hundreds of faithful deplaned in Pakistan as the ban came into effect , while Indonesia and Turkey had to turn away thousands of pilgrims set to fly .
Authorities at Cairo ’ s international airport said the Saudi decision created “ intense confusion ” and “ extreme anger ” among thousands of passengers waiting for flights .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to control the crowd as news of the ban broke , said the officials , who spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren ’ t allowed to speak to reporters .
Disease outbreaks always have been a concern surrounding the hajj , which is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life , especially as pilgrims come from all over the world .
The earliest recorded outbreak came in 632 as pilgrims fought off malaria .
A cholera outbreak in 1821 killed an estimated 20,000 pilgrims .
Another cholera outbreak in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worldwide .
More recently , Saudi Arabia faced the danger from another coronavirus , one that causes the Middle East respiratory syndrome , or MERS , which jumped from ill camels to humans .
The kingdom increased its public health measures during the hajj in 2012 and 2013 and urged the ill and the elderly not to take part in the pilgrimage .
Since September 2012 , there have been nearly 2,500 cases of MERS reported , with 858 deaths attributed to the virus , according to the World Health Organization .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
Saudi officials also instituted bans on pilgrims coming from countries affected by the Ebola virus in recent years as well .
While millions attend the hajj , which is this year set for late July into early August , millions more come during the rest of the year to the holy sites in the kingdom .
Those other pilgrimages are referred to as the umrah , which drew 7.5 million people in 2019 alone .
One of the biggest times for the umrah is the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of April .
“ This is a very tough decision , ” he told The Associated Press .
“ But with the rapid spread of COVID-19 and a lack of good diagnostics , preventative vaccines and therapeutics , this is the best decision that could be taken at such difficult times.
” “ Given the worldwide spread of the virus and the global nature of the umrah , it makes sense from a public health and safety point of view , ” said “ Especially since the Iranian example illustrates how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread and reach of the virus .
”

Workers clean the roof of the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, as worshippers circumambulate around during the minor pilgrimage, known as Umrah in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) ASSOCIATED PRESS
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Thursday banned foreign pilgrims from entering the kingdom to visit Islam’s holiest sites over the new coronavirus, potentially disrupting the plans of millions of faithful ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and as the annual hajj pilgrimage looms.
The decision showed the growing worry across the Mideast about the virus as Iran confirmed that infected cases in the country spiked by over 100, to 254 now. Those with the virus in the Islamic Republic now include Iranian vice president Masoumeh Ebtekar, better known as the English-language spokeswoman “Mary” for the 1979 hostage-takers who seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and sparked the 444-day diplomatic crisis, state media reported.
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A total of 26 people have died so far in Iran, the world’s highest death toll outside of China, where the outbreak began.
A worker disinfects a public bus against coronavirus in Tehran, Iran, on the early morning of Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Saudi Arabia’s barring of pilgrims from Mecca, home to the cube-shaped Kaaba that the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims pray toward five times a day, and also the holy city of Medina, appeared unprecedented in modern history. The kingdom’s Al Saud ruling family stakes their legitimacy in overseeing and protecting the sites. Authorities also suspended entry to travelers from nations affected by the new virus who hold tourist visas for the kingdom.
It appeared Saudi officials worried about the risk of pilgrims spreading the virus as they had in Iran. The virus’ epicenter in the Islamic Republic is the holy Shiite city of Qom, where the faithful in reverence reach out to kiss and touch a famous shrine. That shrine and others have remained open, despite Iran’s civilian government calling for them to be closed.
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There have been no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Saudi Arabia amid the outbreak.
“Saudi Arabia renews its support for all international measures to limit the spread of this virus, and urges its citizens to exercise caution before traveling to countries experiencing coronavirus outbreaks,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement announcing the decision. “We ask God Almighty to spare all humanity from all harm.”
News of the cancellation shocked the Muslim world, as many save their entire lives for a chance to see the Kaaba and walk along the path of the Prophet Muhammad and visit his tomb in Medina.
Indonesian who are scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia for a minor pilgrimage, called 'Umrah', sit at a waiting area as they are turned away from their flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hundreds of faithful deplaned in Pakistan as the ban came into effect, while Indonesia and Turkey had to turn away thousands of pilgrims set to fly. Authorities at Cairo’s international airport said the Saudi decision created “intense confusion” and “extreme anger” among thousands of passengers waiting for flights. Security officials needed to call in reinforcements to control the crowd as news of the ban broke, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t allowed to speak to reporters.
Disease outbreaks always have been a concern surrounding the hajj, which is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life, especially as pilgrims come from all over the world. The earliest recorded outbreak came in 632 as pilgrims fought off malaria. A cholera outbreak in 1821 killed an estimated 20,000 pilgrims. Another cholera outbreak in 1865 killed 15,000 pilgrims and then spread worldwide.
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More recently, Saudi Arabia faced the danger from another coronavirus, one that causes the Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, which jumped from ill camels to humans. The kingdom increased its public health measures during the hajj in 2012 and 2013 and urged the ill and the elderly not to take part in the pilgrimage.
Since September 2012, there have been nearly 2,500 cases of MERS reported, with 858 deaths attributed to the virus, according to the World Health Organization. However, the hajj itself saw no MERS outbreak. Saudi officials also instituted bans on pilgrims coming from countries affected by the Ebola virus in recent years as well.
Since the new coronavirus emerged in December in central China, it has sickened 82,000 people globally, with more than 2,700 deaths. The illness it causes was named COVID-19, a reference to its origin late last year.
While millions attend the hajj, which is this year set for late July into early August, millions more come during the rest of the year to the holy sites in the kingdom. Those other pilgrimages are referred to as the umrah, which drew 7.5 million people in 2019 alone. One of the biggest times for the umrah is the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, which is set to begin at the end of April.
Those pilgrims spend upward of 10 days at holy sites, mingling in tight quarters. Of those coming, many are older, have pre-existing chronic diseases and come from countries “with suboptimal disease surveillance,” according to a letter Thursday to The Lancet medical journal.
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“Respiratory infections are the most common illness among pilgrims ... and the lack of social distancing among pilgrims as they engage in religious rituals amplifies their risk of acquiring and transmitting respiratory diseases,” the letter read.
The letter added: “We do not need to wait for the first case to emerge in Saudi Arabia’s holy sites. The time for preparedness is now.”
Dr. Ziad A Memish, a Saudi professor who studies infectious diseases and co-signed the letter, said he welcomed the kingdom’s decision.
“This is a very tough decision,” he told The Associated Press. “But with the rapid spread of COVID-19 and a lack of good diagnostics, preventative vaccines and therapeutics, this is the best decision that could be taken at such difficult times.”
Kristian Ulrichsen, a research fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, called the Saudi decision “unprecedented.”
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“Given the worldwide spread of the virus and the global nature of the umrah, it makes sense from a public health and safety point of view,” said “Especially since the Iranian example illustrates how a religious crossroads can so quickly amplify the spread and reach of the virus.”
By leaving the suspension of travel to the holy sites open-ended, Saudi Arabia has opened the possibility of this year’s hajj potentially being disrupted as well.
The hardest-hit nation in the Mideast is Iran, where Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour on Thursday reported 26 deaths out of 245 confirmed cases of the illness. Experts are concerned Iran may be underreporting cases and deaths, given the illness’ rapid spread from Iran across the Persian Gulf.
Jahanpour seemed to address that, saying new labs in Iran were conducting tests and the number of confirmed cases could continue to spike in coming days. Thursday’s number represented a jump in over 100 new cases from the previous day. Authorities said Friday prayers in Tehran and other cities would be canceled, according to semiofficial Iranian news agencies.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday praised medical staffers, calling their work “very invaluable.” But the virus has struck the official in charge of Iran’s response to the outbreak, as well as at least two lawmaker. On Thursday, the state-run IRNA news agency reported that Ebtekar, the Iranian vice president and hostage-taker spokeswoman, had the virus. It reported she had quarantined herself at home.
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huffpost--2020-06-14--Popular Bollywood Actor Sushant Singh Rajput Dies At 34

MUMBAI , India ( AP ) — Popular Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on Sunday , police and Indian media reports said .
Initial reports citing police said the 34-year-old actor was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra .
Mumbai police spokesperson Pranaya Ashok confirmed the death and said details were being investigated .
Rajput , who started as a TV actor , made his Bollywood debut in 2013 with director Abhishek Kapoor in “ Kai Po Che , ” based on the book by Chetan Bhagat .
Social media was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with many reacting to the news with disbelief .
“ Sushant Singh Rajput ... a bright young actor gone too soon , ” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted .
“ He excelled on TV and in films .
His rise in the world of entertainment inspired many and he leaves behind several memorable performances .
Shocked by his passing away .
My thoughts are with his family and fans .
Om Shanti.
” In this May 30 , 2017 file photo , Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput speaks during a press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ahmadabad , India .
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar wrote on Twitter , “ Honestly this news has left me shocked and speechless.
” “ I can ’ t believe this at all ... it ’ s shocking ... a beautiful actor and a good friend ... it ’ s disheartening , ” actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui tweeted .
Rajput played former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the 2016 film “ M.S .
Dhoni : The Untold Story.
” Among his other movies are “ Kedarnath , Sonchiriya ” ( Golden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Connection ) .
He was last seen in the 2019 Netflix film “ Drive.
” Mumbai , India ’ s financial hub and home to Bollywood , has been grappling with the coronavirus pandemic , which has brought the business of entertainment to a complete halt in the country .
If you or someone you know needs help , call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline .
You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free , 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line .
Outside of the U.S. , please visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a database of resources .

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MUMBAI, India (AP) — Popular Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on Sunday, police and Indian media reports said.
Initial reports citing police said the 34-year-old actor was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra.
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Mumbai police spokesperson Pranaya Ashok confirmed the death and said details were being investigated.
Rajput, who started as a TV actor, made his Bollywood debut in 2013 with director Abhishek Kapoor in “Kai Po Che,” based on the book by Chetan Bhagat.
Social media was flooded with condolences for the actor, with many reacting to the news with disbelief.
“Sushant Singh Rajput...a bright young actor gone too soon,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. “He excelled on TV and in films. His rise in the world of entertainment inspired many and he leaves behind several memorable performances. Shocked by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and fans. Om Shanti.”
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In this May 30, 2017 file photo, Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput speaks during a press conference to promote his movie "Raabta" in Ahmadabad, India. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar wrote on Twitter, “Honestly this news has left me shocked and speechless.”
“I can’t believe this at all... it’s shocking... a beautiful actor and a good friend... it’s disheartening,” actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui tweeted.
Rajput played former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the 2016 film “M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story.” Among his other movies are “Kedarnath, Sonchiriya” (Golden Bird) and “Raabta” (Connection).
He was last seen in the 2019 Netflix film “Drive.”
Mumbai, India’s financial hub and home to Bollywood, has been grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought the business of entertainment to a complete halt in the country.
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