huffpost--2020-01-25--China Reports Over 1,280 Coronavirus Cases, Death Toll At 41

BEIJING ( AP ) — The virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan , already on lockdown , banned most vehicle use downtown and Hong Kong said it would close schools for two weeks as authorities scrambled Saturday to stop the spread of an illness that has infected more than 1,200 people and killed 41 .
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said her government will raise its response level to emergency , the highest one , and close primary and secondary schools for two more weeks on top of next week ’ s Lunar New Year holiday .
They will re-open Feb. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and trains from Wuhan would be blocked .
The outbreak began in the city in central China and has spread nationwide and overseas , fueled by millions of people traveling during the country ’ s biggest holiday .
In a sign of the growing strain on Wuhan ’ s health care system , the official Xinhua news agency reported that the city planned to build a second makeshift hospital with about 1,000 beds .
The city previously announced that construction of a hospital of the same size was underway and expected to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the infections and all the deaths have been in mainland China , but fresh cases are popping up .
Australia and Malaysia reported their first cases Saturday and Japan , its third .
France confirmed three cases Friday , the first in Europe , and the U.S. identified its second , a woman in Chicago who had returned from China .
The new virus comes from a large family of what are known as coronaviruses , some causing nothing worse than a cold .
It causes cold- and flu-like symptoms , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe case , shortness of breath .
It can worsen to pneumonia , which can be fatal .
China cut off trains , planes and other links to Wuhan on Wednesday , as well as public transportation within the city , and has steadily expanded a lockdown to 16 surrounding cities with a combined population of more than 50 million , greater than that of New York , London , Paris and Moscow combined .
Wuhan went one step further Saturday , announcing vehicle use including private cars would be banned in downtown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported .
Only authorized vehicles to carry supplies and for other needs would be permitted after that , the reports said .
The city of 11 million people will assign 6,000 taxis to different neighborhoods , under the management of local resident committees , to help people get around if they need to , the state-owned English-language China Daily newspaper said .
The National Health Commission reported a jump in the number of infected people to 1,287 .
The latest tally , from 29 provinces and cities across China , included 237 patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths , 39 have been in Hubei province , where Wuhan is the capital city , and one each in Hebei and Heilongjiang provinces .
The Australian state of Victoria announced its first case Saturday , a Chinese man in his 50s who returned from China last week , and the state of New South Wales confirmed three more cases later in the day .
Malaysia said three people tested positive Friday , all relatives of a father and son from Wuhan who had been diagnosed with the virus earlier in neighboring Singapore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Chinese tourist in her 30s who had arrived from Wuhan on Jan 18 .
The National Health Commission said it is bringing in medical teams from outside Hubei to help handle the outbreak , a day after videos circulating online showed throngs of frantic people in masks lined up for examinations and complaints that family members had been turned away at hospitals that were at capacity .
It is not clear how lethal the new coronavirus is , or even whether it is as dangerous as the ordinary flu , which kills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. alone .

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BEIJING (AP) — The virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, already on lockdown, banned most vehicle use downtown and Hong Kong said it would close schools for two weeks as authorities scrambled Saturday to stop the spread of an illness that has infected more than 1,200 people and killed 41.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said her government will raise its response level to emergency, the highest one, and close primary and secondary schools for two more weeks on top of next week’s Lunar New Year holiday. They will re-open Feb. 17.
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Lam said that direct flights and trains from Wuhan would be blocked. The outbreak began in the city in central China and has spread nationwide and overseas, fueled by millions of people traveling during the country’s biggest holiday.
In a sign of the growing strain on Wuhan’s health care system, the official Xinhua news agency reported that the city planned to build a second makeshift hospital with about 1,000 beds. The city previously announced that construction of a hospital of the same size was underway and expected to be completed Feb. 3.
The vast majority of the infections and all the deaths have been in mainland China, but fresh cases are popping up. Australia and Malaysia reported their first cases Saturday and Japan, its third. France confirmed three cases Friday, the first in Europe, and the U.S. identified its second, a woman in Chicago who had returned from China.
The new virus comes from a large family of what are known as coronaviruses, some causing nothing worse than a cold. It causes cold- and flu-like symptoms, including cough and fever and, in more severe case, shortness of breath. It can worsen to pneumonia, which can be fatal.
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Most of China’s provinces and cities activated a Level 1 public health alert, the highest in a four-tier system, the state-owned China Daily newspaper reported Saturday.
China cut off trains, planes and other links to Wuhan on Wednesday, as well as public transportation within the city, and has steadily expanded a lockdown to 16 surrounding cities with a combined population of more than 50 million, greater than that of New York, London, Paris and Moscow combined.
The cities of Yichang, Suizhou and Jingzhou were the latest added to the list on Friday evening and Saturday.
Wuhan went one step further Saturday, announcing vehicle use including private cars would be banned in downtown areas starting after midnight, state media reported. Only authorized vehicles to carry supplies and for other needs would be permitted after that, the reports said.
The city of 11 million people will assign 6,000 taxis to different neighborhoods, under the management of local resident committees, to help people get around if they need to, the state-owned English-language China Daily newspaper said.
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In Hong Kong, where five cases of the illness have been confirmed, a marathon that was expected to draw 70,000 participants on Feb. 9 was canceled, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported.
China’s biggest holiday, the Lunar New Year, unfolded Saturday in the shadow of the worrying new virus. Authorities canceled a host of Lunar New Year events, and closed major tourist sites and movie theaters.
The National Health Commission reported a jump in the number of infected people to 1,287. The latest tally, from 29 provinces and cities across China, included 237 patients in serious condition. Of the 41 deaths, 39 have been in Hubei province, where Wuhan is the capital city, and one each in Hebei and Heilongjiang provinces.
Most of the deaths have been older patients, though a 36-year-old man in Hubei died earlier this week.
Health authorities in the city of Hechi in Guangxi province said that a 2-year-old girl from Wuhan had been diagnosed with the illness after arriving in the city.
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The Australian state of Victoria announced its first case Saturday, a Chinese man in his 50s who returned from China last week, and the state of New South Wales confirmed three more cases later in the day.
Malaysia said three people tested positive Friday, all relatives of a father and son from Wuhan who had been diagnosed with the virus earlier in neighboring Singapore. Japan confirmed a third case, a Chinese tourist in her 30s who had arrived from Wuhan on Jan 18.
The National Health Commission said it is bringing in medical teams from outside Hubei to help handle the outbreak, a day after videos circulating online showed throngs of frantic people in masks lined up for examinations and complaints that family members had been turned away at hospitals that were at capacity.
The Chinese military dispatched 450 medical staff, some with experience in past outbreaks including SARS and Ebola, who arrived in Wuhan late Friday night to help treat the many patients hospitalized with viral pneumonia, Xinhua reported.
Xinhua also said that medical supplies are being rushed to the city, including 14,000 protective suits and 110,000 pairs of gloves from the central medical reserves as well as masks and goggles.
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The rapid increase in reported deaths and illnesses does not necessarily mean the crisis is getting worse, but could reflect better monitoring and reporting of the newly discovered virus.
It is not clear how lethal the new coronavirus is, or even whether it is as dangerous as the ordinary flu, which kills tens of thousands of people every year in the U.S. alone.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is expecting more Americans to be diagnosed with the virus.
The outbreak put a damper on Lunar New Year in China, the first day of the Year of the Rat.
Temples locked their doors, Beijing’s Forbidden City, Shanghai Disneyland and other major tourist destinations closed, and people canceled restaurant reservations ahead of the holiday, normally a time of family reunions, sightseeing trips and other festivities in the country of 1.4 billion people.
“We originally planned to go back to my wife’s hometown and bought train tickets to depart this afternoon,” said Li Mengbin, who was on a stroll by the moat of the closed Forbidden City. “We ended up cancelling. But I’m still happy to celebrate the new year in Beijing, which I hadn’t for several years.”
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huffpost--2020-01-26--Nearly 2,000 In China Now Infected With Coronavirus; 56 Dead

BEIJING/SHANGHAI ( Reuters ) - The ability of the new coronavirus to spread is strengthening and infections could continue to rise , China ’ s National Health Commission said on Sunday , with nearly 2,000 people in China infected and 56 killed by the disease .
Health authorities around the world are racing to prevent a pandemic after a handful of cases of infection were reported outside China , including in Thailand , Australia , the United States and France .
The newly-identified coronavirus has created alarm because much about it is still unknown , such as how dangerous it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
It can cause pneumonia , which has been deadly in some cases .
China ’ s National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei said the incubation period for the virus can range from one to 14 days , during which infection can occur , which was not the case with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) .
The Lunar New Year holiday , traditionally celebrated by hundreds of millions of Chinese travelling around the country and abroad to see family , began on Friday but has been severely disrupted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have originated late last year in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan that was illegally selling wildlife , has spread to cities including Beijing and Shanghai .
Hong Kong has six confirmed cases .
Health officials in Orange County , California , reported that a third case of the virus had been registered in the United States in a traveller from Wuhan , who was in isolation and in good condition .
On Sunday , China temporarily banned nationwide the sale of wildlife in markets , restaurants , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals packed together in Chinese markets are blamed as incubators for viruses to evolve and jump the species barrier to humans .
The U.S. State Department said it will relocate personnel at its Wuhan consulate to the United States , while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government was working with China to arrange a charter flight for Japanese nationals to return from Wuhan .
Health authorities in Beijing urged people not to shake hands but instead salute using a traditional cupped-hand gesture .
The advice was sent in a text message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city on Sunday morning .
Beijing also postponed the reopening of the city ’ s schools and universities after the Lunar New Year holiday , state radio reported .
Hong Kong had already delayed the reopening of schools to Feb. 17 .
China has called for transparency in managing the crisis , after a cover-up of the spread of the SARS virus eroded public trust , but officials in Wuhan have been criticised for their handling of the current outbreak .
“ People in my hometown all suspect the real infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Violet Li , who lives in the Wuhan district where the seafood market is located .
Illustrating the extend of disruption to life in China , overall passenger travel declined by nearly 29 % on Saturday , the first day of the Lunar New Year , from a year earlier , with air passengers down nearly 42 % , a transportation ministry official said .

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BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The ability of the new coronavirus to spread is strengthening and infections could continue to rise, China’s National Health Commission said on Sunday, with nearly 2,000 people in China infected and 56 killed by the disease.
Health authorities around the world are racing to prevent a pandemic after a handful of cases of infection were reported outside China, including in Thailand, Australia, the United States and France.
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The newly-identified coronavirus has created alarm because much about it is still unknown, such as how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can cause pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.
China’s National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei said the incubation period for the virus can range from one to 14 days, during which infection can occur, which was not the case with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
SARS was a coronavirus that originated in China and killed nearly 800 people globally in 2002 and 2003.
“According to recent clinical information, the virus’ ability to spread seems to be getting somewhat stronger,” Ma told reporters.
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The Lunar New Year holiday, traditionally celebrated by hundreds of millions of Chinese travelling around the country and abroad to see family, began on Friday but has been severely disrupted by the outbreak.
Ma said China would intensify its containment efforts, which have so far included transportation and travel curbs and the cancellation of big events.
The country may extend the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing a meeting hosted by Chinese premier Li Keqiang.
The virus, believed to have originated late last year in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan that was illegally selling wildlife, has spread to cities including Beijing and Shanghai. Hong Kong has six confirmed cases.
The World Health Organization this week stopped short of calling the outbreak a global health emergency, but some health experts question whether China can contain the epidemic.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping described the situation as “grave” on Saturday.
On Sunday, China confirmed 1,975 cases of patients infected as of midnight (1600 GMT) on Jan. 25, while the death toll from the virus has risen to 56, CCTV reported.
Health officials in Orange County, California, reported that a third case of the virus had been registered in the United States in a traveller from Wuhan, who was in isolation and in good condition.
On Saturday, Canada declared a first “presumptive” confirmed case in a resident who had returned from Wuhan. Australia confirmed its first four cases.
No fatalities have been reported outside China.
WILDLIFE SALES BAN
On Sunday, China temporarily banned nationwide the sale of wildlife in markets, restaurants, and e-commerce platforms. Wild and often poached animals packed together in Chinese markets are blamed as incubators for viruses to evolve and jump the species barrier to humans.
Snakes, peacocks, crocodiles and other species can also be found for sale via Taobao, an e-commerce website run by Alibaba.
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The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society called on China to make the ban permanent.
The U.S. State Department said it will relocate personnel at its Wuhan consulate to the United States, while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government was working with China to arrange a charter flight for Japanese nationals to return from Wuhan.
The outbreak has prompted widening curbs on movements within China, with Wuhan, a city of 11 million, on virtual lockdown and transport links all-but severed except for emergency vehicles.
CANCELLATIONS AND MISTRUST
Health authorities in Beijing urged people not to shake hands but instead salute using a traditional cupped-hand gesture. The advice was sent in a text message that went out to mobile phone users in the city on Sunday morning.
Beijing also postponed the reopening of the city’s schools and universities after the Lunar New Year holiday, state radio reported. Hong Kong had already delayed the reopening of schools to Feb. 17.
China has called for transparency in managing the crisis, after a cover-up of the spread of the SARS virus eroded public trust, but officials in Wuhan have been criticised for their handling of the current outbreak.
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“People in my hometown all suspect the real infected patients number given by authorities,” said Violet Li, who lives in the Wuhan district where the seafood market is located.
“I go out with a mask twice a day to walk the dog - that’s the only outdoor activity,” she told Reuters by text message.
Illustrating the extend of disruption to life in China, overall passenger travel declined by nearly 29% on Saturday, the first day of the Lunar New Year, from a year earlier, with air passengers down nearly 42%, a transportation ministry official said.
Many cinemas across China were closed with major film premieres postponed.
Cruise operators including Royal Caribbean Cruises , and Costa Cruises said they had cancelled a combined 12 cruises that had been scheduled to embark from Chinese ports before Feb. 2.
Hong Kong Disneyland and the city’s Ocean Park were closed on Sunday. Shanghai Disneyland, which expected 100,000 visitors daily through the holiday period, has already closed.
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Airports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers from China, although some health officials and experts have questioned the effectiveness of these efforts.


huffpost--2020-02-04--China’s Virus Cases Top 20,000 As Hong Kong Reports 1st Death

BEIJING ( AP ) — China said Tuesday the number of infections from a new virus surpassed 20,000 as medical workers and patients arrived at a new hospital and President Xi Jinping said “ we have launched a people ’ s war of prevention of the epidemic.
” Xi presided over a special meeting of the top Communist Party body for the second time since the crisis started , telling the Politburo standing committee on Monday the country must race against time to curb the spread of the virus .
He also said those who neglect their duties will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong on Tuesday reported its first death from the illness , a man who had traveled from the mainland city of Wuhan that has been the epicenter of the outbreak .
The semi-autonomous territory shut almost all of its land and sea border crossings with the mainland at midnight after medical workers began a strike demanding the border be closed completely .
More than 2,000 hospital workers went on strike Monday , and their union has threatened a bigger walkout Tuesday .
Hong Kong was hit hard by SARS , or severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an illness from the same family of viruses as the current outbreak and which many believe was intensified by official Chinese secrecy and obfuscation .
The mainland ’ s latest figures of 425 deaths and 20,438 confirmed infections with the new coronavirus were up from 361 deaths and 17,205 cases the previous day .
Outside mainland China , at least 180 cases have been confirmed , including two fatalities , in Hong Kong and the Philippines .
Other countries are continuing evacuations and restricting the entry of Chinese or people who have recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying Malaysians from Wuhan , the capital of Hubei province where the illness has been concentrated , arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday morning , and the 133 people on board were to be screened and quarantined for 14 days , the maximum incubation period for the virus .
Medical teams from the People ’ s Liberation Army were arriving in Wuhan to relieve overwhelmed health workers and to staff the new 1,000-bed hospital .
It was built in just 10 days , its prefabricated wards equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and ventilation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built for patients infected with the new virus is due to open within days .
With no end to the outbreak in sight , authorities in Hubei and elsewhere extended the Lunar New Year holiday break , due to end this week , well into February to try to keep people at home and reduce the spread of the virus .
All Hubei schools are postponing the start of the new semester until further notice .
Chinese scientists said they have more evidence the virus , which was first detected in Wuhan in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a study published in the journal Nature , Shi Zhen-Li and colleagues at the Wuhan Institute of Virology reported that genome sequences from seven patients were 96 % identical to a bat coronavirus .
SARS is also believed to have originated in bats , although it jumped to civet cats before infecting people .
Scientists suspect the latest outbreak began at a seafood market in Wuhan where wild animals were on sale and in contact with people .
The World Health Organization last week declared the virus a global health emergency and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in other countries , beyond those who were Chinese or who had traveled in Hubei recently .
On Tuesday , the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a 42-year-old South Korean woman tested positive for the virus , days after she returned from a trip to Thailand with chills and other symptoms .
It is South Korea ’ s 16th case .
Thailand has confirmed 19 cases , mostly Chinese tourists but also in a Thai taxi driver .
A passenger on a Japanese-operated cruise ship tested positive after leaving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Japanese officials were considering a quarantine of the more than 3,000 people on board .
The Diamond Princess returned to Yokohama after making port calls in Vietnam , Taiwan and Okinawa .
A team of quarantine officials and medical staff boarded the ship Monday and began medical checks of everyone on board , a health ministry official said , speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with department rules .
The ship ’ s captain said Hong Kong ’ s health authorities notified the ship about the passenger ’ s infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the announcement tweeted by a passenger .
The patient is recovering , and his traveling companions so far have not been infected , the captain ’ s announcement said .
“ I wish we were informed as soon as they found out , then I could have worn a mask or washed hands more carefully , ” the passenger said .
“ I was in Hong Kong nine days ago and it seems to be too late now.
” Associated Press writers Maria Cheng in London , Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bing in Beijing and Chen Si in Zhengzhou , China , contributed to this report .

BEIJING (AP) — China said Tuesday the number of infections from a new virus surpassed 20,000 as medical workers and patients arrived at a new hospital and President Xi Jinping said “we have launched a people’s war of prevention of the epidemic.”
Xi presided over a special meeting of the top Communist Party body for the second time since the crisis started, telling the Politburo standing committee on Monday the country must race against time to curb the spread of the virus. He also said those who neglect their duties will be punished, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Hong Kong on Tuesday reported its first death from the illness, a man who had traveled from the mainland city of Wuhan that has been the epicenter of the outbreak. The semi-autonomous territory shut almost all of its land and sea border crossings with the mainland at midnight after medical workers began a strike demanding the border be closed completely. More than 2,000 hospital workers went on strike Monday, and their union has threatened a bigger walkout Tuesday.
Hong Kong was hit hard by SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, in 2002-03, an illness from the same family of viruses as the current outbreak and which many believe was intensified by official Chinese secrecy and obfuscation.
The mainland’s latest figures of 425 deaths and 20,438 confirmed infections with the new coronavirus were up from 361 deaths and 17,205 cases the previous day. Outside mainland China, at least 180 cases have been confirmed, including two fatalities, in Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Other countries are continuing evacuations and restricting the entry of Chinese or people who have recently traveled in the country. A plane carrying Malaysians from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province where the illness has been concentrated, arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday morning, and the 133 people on board were to be screened and quarantined for 14 days, the maximum incubation period for the virus.
Medical teams from the People’s Liberation Army were arriving in Wuhan to relieve overwhelmed health workers and to staff the new 1,000-bed hospital. It was built in just 10 days, its prefabricated wards equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and ventilation systems.
A 1,500-bed hospital also specially built for patients infected with the new virus is due to open within days.
With no end to the outbreak in sight, authorities in Hubei and elsewhere extended the Lunar New Year holiday break, due to end this week, well into February to try to keep people at home and reduce the spread of the virus. All Hubei schools are postponing the start of the new semester until further notice.
Chinese scientists said they have more evidence the virus, which was first detected in Wuhan in December, likely originated in bats. In a study published in the journal Nature, Shi Zhen-Li and colleagues at the Wuhan Institute of Virology reported that genome sequences from seven patients were 96% identical to a bat coronavirus.
SARS is also believed to have originated in bats, although it jumped to civet cats before infecting people. Scientists suspect the latest outbreak began at a seafood market in Wuhan where wild animals were on sale and in contact with people.
The World Health Organization last week declared the virus a global health emergency and expressed concern about how it was spreading in other countries, beyond those who were Chinese or who had traveled in Hubei recently.
On Tuesday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a 42-year-old South Korean woman tested positive for the virus, days after she returned from a trip to Thailand with chills and other symptoms.
It is South Korea’s 16th case. Thailand has confirmed 19 cases, mostly Chinese tourists but also in a Thai taxi driver.
A passenger on a Japanese-operated cruise ship tested positive after leaving the vessel while it was in Hong Kong, and Japanese officials were considering a quarantine of the more than 3,000 people on board.
The Diamond Princess returned to Yokohama after making port calls in Vietnam, Taiwan and Okinawa. A team of quarantine officials and medical staff boarded the ship Monday and began medical checks of everyone on board, a health ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with department rules.
The ship’s captain said Hong Kong’s health authorities notified the ship about the passenger’s infection on Saturday, according to a recording of the announcement tweeted by a passenger. The patient is recovering, and his traveling companions so far have not been infected, the captain’s announcement said.
“I wish we were informed as soon as they found out, then I could have worn a mask or washed hands more carefully,” the passenger said. “I was in Hong Kong nine days ago and it seems to be too late now.”
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Associated Press writers Maria Cheng in London, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Joe McDonald in Beijing and researchers Yu Bing in Beijing and Chen Si in Zhengzhou, China, contributed to this report.


huffpost--2020-01-30--U.S. Reports First Case Of Coronavirus Being Spread Person-To-Person

NEW YORK ( AP ) — Health officials Thursday reported the first U.S. case of person-to-person spread of the new virus from China .
The man is married to the Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan , China , the epicenter of the outbreak .
There have been cases reported of the infectious virus spreading to others in a household or workplace in China and elsewhere .
The new case is the sixth reported in the United States .
The other five were travelers who developed the illness after returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest patient had not been in China .
The Chicago woman returned from central China on Jan. 13 , then last week went to a hospital with symptoms and was diagnosed with the viral illness .
She and her husband , both in their 60s , are hospitalized .
Experts have said they expected additional cases , and that at least some limited spread of the disease in the United States was likely .
Health officials think the new virus spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes , similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois health officials said that health workers and people who have been in contact with the latest patient are being monitored for symptoms .
“ We anticipated this , ” said Dr. William Schaffner , a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert .
“ The kind of contact that you have in a household is very close and very prolonged .
That ’ s the kind of circumstance where we would anticipate a virus such as this could be transmitted.
” The virus can cause fever , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a member of the coronavirus family that ’ s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past .
The new virus has sickened thousands , mostly in China , and killed about 170 .
An international outbreak caused by the virus first emerged last month in China .
Doctors there began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a wholesale food market in Wuhan .
Officials said the virus probably initially spread from animals to people , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

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NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials Thursday reported the first U.S. case of person-to-person spread of the new virus from China.
The man is married to the Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. There have been cases reported of the infectious virus spreading to others in a household or workplace in China and elsewhere.
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The new case is the sixth reported in the United States. The other five were travelers who developed the illness after returning to the U.S. from China. The latest patient had not been in China.
The Chicago woman returned from central China on Jan. 13, then last week went to a hospital with symptoms and was diagnosed with the viral illness. She and her husband, both in their 60s, are hospitalized.
Experts have said they expected additional cases, and that at least some limited spread of the disease in the United States was likely. Health officials think the new virus spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois health officials said that health workers and people who have been in contact with the latest patient are being monitored for symptoms.
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“We anticipated this,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert. “The kind of contact that you have in a household is very close and very prolonged. That’s the kind of circumstance where we would anticipate a virus such as this could be transmitted.”
The virus can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia. It is a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. The new virus has sickened thousands, mostly in China, and killed about 170.
An international outbreak caused by the virus first emerged last month in China. Doctors there began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a wholesale food market in Wuhan. Officials said the virus probably initially spread from animals to people, as did SARS and MERS.
The other U.S. cases are in Arizona, Southern California and Washington state.
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huffpost--2020-01-22--Everything You Should Know About Coronavirus, Which Just Hit The U.S.

Update : The article below was published , as the timestamp above indicates , in late January 2020 .
Much has changed since that time , and the information in the article below has become outdated or no longer applies ; HuffPost is leaving it as it was originally reported , per our policy not to redact information that was correct at the time of publication .
For more current information , please refer to HuffPost ’ s latest coverage and some of the most frequently asked questions about the disease .
The virus has been circulating around Wuhan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , infecting several hundred people and killing at least 17 , according to the latest figures shared by Chinese health officials on Wednesday .
Now that it ’ s in the U.S. — specifically in Washington state — you ’ re probably wondering if we ’ re on the cusp of an outbreak , and if so , what your odds of getting sick are .
Infectious disease experts say we don ’ t need to panic .
Though health officials are still learning about the virus , it currently looks unlikely that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. That said , it ’ s good to be armed with information .
Here ’ s what we know about coronavirus so far : Coronavirus refers to a group of viruses known to cause respiratory infections .
Some cases can be mild , whereas others involve more serious symptoms .
The vast majority of coronavirus strains are benign , according to William Schaffner , medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically no worse than a cold .
The virus we ’ re currently seeing is novel to experts , it ’ s in an unusual host — humans — and appears to cause a very serious illness in certain people .
At the very least , coronavirus can cause fever , cough and general malaise , similar to a cold .
In more severe cases , it can lead to pneumonia , severe acute respiratory system problems , kidney failure and death , according to the WHO .
How coronavirus stacks up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and MERS appear to be more severe and life-threatening than the current coronavirus going around in Wuhan .
SARS had a mortality rate of 9.6 % and the MERS mortality rate was around 35 % .
With this new coronavirus , we ’ ve only seen 17 deaths .
It ’ s safe to presume that it ’ s transmitted through respiratory secretions or bodily fluids , which can be passed through something as simple as breathing , talking , coughing and sneezing .
Researchers are still working to figure out how transmissible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proximity to an infected person — roughly three to six feet — but it ’ s unknown how long it takes for someone to pass on the virus .
It could take mere moments or require prolonged exposure .
Health officials have work to do Within a couple weeks of the illness first appearing , Chinese scientists identified the virus and quickly sequenced the genome .
That information was immediately shared across the globe to help researchers start developing a rapid diagnostic test along with a vaccine .
While there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ our own NIH [ National Institutes of Health ] is already starting to work on trying to develop a vaccine should it become necessary.
” Researchers are also hustling to learn more about the virus , including who gets sick , whether it ’ s more prevalent in people with underlying illness , how vulnerable children are , and more .
They ’ re also uncovering the epidemiology by identifying the animal source , how widespread the infection is in China , and how readily it spreads between people .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s likely a handful of people will get it , perhaps those traveling to and from Wuhan , and there may be a little bit of spread , he added .
But , looking at the big picture , the flu will be much more of an issue than this virus .
Here ’ s how to protect yourself The best way to ward off any virus like this is to wash your hands frequently .
You should also avoid people coughing and sneezing , get your flu shot ( it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re exposed to the flu ) , and sanitize a public surface you ’ ll be using for a few hours , like an airplane tray table or your desk .

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Update: The article below was published, as the timestamp above indicates, in late January 2020. Much has changed since that time, and the information in the article below has become outdated or no longer applies; HuffPost is leaving it as it was originally reported, per our policy not to redact information that was correct at the time of publication. For more current information, please refer to HuffPost’s latest coverage and some of the most frequently asked questions about the disease.
Previously:
By now, you’ve probably read a headline or two about coronavirus and how the first case appeared in the United States earlier this week.
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The virus has been circulating around Wuhan, China, for about a month now, infecting several hundred people and killing at least 17, according to the latest figures shared by Chinese health officials on Wednesday. Now that it’s in the U.S. — specifically in Washington state — you’re probably wondering if we’re on the cusp of an outbreak, and if so, what your odds of getting sick are.
Infectious disease experts say we don’t need to panic. Though health officials are still learning about the virus, it currently looks unlikely that we’ll see an outbreak here in the U.S. That said, it’s good to be armed with information. Here’s what we know about coronavirus so far:
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus refers to a group of viruses known to cause respiratory infections. Some cases can be mild, whereas others involve more serious symptoms. The vast majority of coronavirus strains are benign, according to William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. If you do contract coronavirus, it’s typically no worse than a cold.
Some coronavirus strains live in humans, and some live in animals. In the current outbreak in Wuhan, the virus was passed from an animal to a human, an event the World Health Organization calls “a spillover event.”
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“Every once in a while, one of these animal viruses gets rogue and jumps species from the animal species to the human,” Schaffner told HuffPost.
The virus we’re currently seeing is novel to experts, it’s in an unusual host — humans — and appears to cause a very serious illness in certain people. At the very least, coronavirus can cause fever, cough and general malaise, similar to a cold. In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, severe acute respiratory system problems, kidney failure and death, according to the WHO.
Health experts suspect it originated from live-animal markets in Wuhan, though the specific animal source is still unknown.
How coronavirus stacks up to other diseases
This coronavirus is, in some ways, similar to two other coronavirus strains that have caused outbreaks in the U.S.: severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which struck in 2002, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), which took off in 2012.
Both SARS and MERS caused serious and often fatal complications. SARS — which infected 8,098 people and killed 774 worldwide — was transmitted between humans, and originated from civets and bats. Like the new coronavirus, SARS is also thought to have come from live-animal markets.
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MERS — which sickened close to 2,500 and killed 858 — didn’t pass between humans easily and came from camels.
In general, both SARS and MERS appear to be more severe and life-threatening than the current coronavirus going around in Wuhan. SARS had a mortality rate of 9.6% and the MERS mortality rate was around 35%. With this new coronavirus, we’ve only seen 17 deaths.
“That’s much less than we saw with SARS and with MERS,” Schaffner said.
Coronavirus can pass between humans
How easily this particular coronavirus passes from person to person seems to fall somewhere in between MERS and SARS.
“There is sufficient evidence to conclude that there is some human-to-human transmission. How much is uncertain at the present time, and of course, that will have a large determining factor on the seriousness of the public health problem,” Schaffner said.
It’s safe to presume that it’s transmitted through respiratory secretions or bodily fluids, which can be passed through something as simple as breathing, talking, coughing and sneezing. Researchers are still working to figure out how transmissible it is. Transmission likely requires close proximity to an infected person — roughly three to six feet — but it’s unknown how long it takes for someone to pass on the virus. It could take mere moments or require prolonged exposure.
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JASON REDMOND via Getty Images One person in Washington state has been infected with coronavirus, a new virus strain that has killed 17 people and sickened hundreds of others in China.
Health officials have work to do
Within a couple weeks of the illness first appearing, Chinese scientists identified the virus and quickly sequenced the genome. That information was immediately shared across the globe to help researchers start developing a rapid diagnostic test along with a vaccine. While there’s no shot for it yet, Schaffner said, “our own NIH [National Institutes of Health] is already starting to work on trying to develop a vaccine should it become necessary.”
Researchers are also hustling to learn more about the virus, including who gets sick, whether it’s more prevalent in people with underlying illness, how vulnerable children are, and more. They’re also uncovering the epidemiology by identifying the animal source, how widespread the infection is in China, and how readily it spreads between people.
An outbreak in the U.S. is unlikely
We know at least one person in the U.S. is affected by the virus. Does that mean there’s a chance it’ll become more widespread?
“It’s hard to say, but we do not anticipate major outbreaks,” Schaffner said.
It’s likely a handful of people will get it, perhaps those traveling to and from Wuhan, and there may be a little bit of spread, he added. But, looking at the big picture, the flu will be much more of an issue than this virus.
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“I can assure you, influenza is going to cause many more thousands of hospitalizations and many thousands more deaths this winter season than any new coronavirus,” Schaffner said.
Locally, doctors are screening people with fevers and asking if they’ve traveled to China or been in contact with someone who has. If there’s a risk, patients are quickly isolated, tested and treated safely and appropriately.
Travelers coming from Wuhan to the U.S. through five international airports — Los Angeles International, San Francisco International, Chicago’s O’Hare, New York’s John F. Kennedy and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson — are being screened for the virus.
Here’s how to protect yourself
The best way to ward off any virus like this is to wash your hands frequently. You should also avoid people coughing and sneezing, get your flu shot (it’ll help you stay strong if you’re exposed to the flu), and sanitize a public surface you’ll be using for a few hours, like an airplane tray table or your desk.
If you’re traveling to China, Schaffner advises against visiting a live-animal market. Avoid contact with live animals on farms in rural areas and don’t eat meat sourced from strange animals — “because somewhere out there, there’s a source,” he said.
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If you suspect you’re sick and are at risk of contracting the virus, go to the emergency room. Be sure to call ahead of time so it can prepare and take necessary safety measures.
As previously mentioned, there’s no vaccine yet and there are also no anti-virals or specific treatments for those who contract coronavirus. However, those with the illness will be treated with supportive care and symptom management, which both the U.S. and China are extremely skilled at administering. In fact, many people who’ve had this infection have successfully recovered and returned home.
Lastly, don’t panic. Health officials and providers are doing everything they can to keep this contained.
“[People] ought to be reassured we are all on the ball here and we’re looking at this very carefully,” Schaffner said.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article mislabeled what SARS stands for. It’s Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.


huffpost--2020-01-24--China Building A Hospital To Treat Virus, Expands Lockdowns To 10 Cities

On the eve of the Lunar New Year , transportation was shut down Friday in at least 10 cities with a total of about 33 million people .
The cities are Wuhan , where the illness has been concentrated , and nine of its neighbors in central China ’ s Hubei province .
The SARS hospital was built from scratch in 2003 in just six days to treat an outbreak of a similar respiratory virus that had spread from China to more than a dozen countries and killed about 800 people .
The hospital featured individual isolation units that looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bustling streets , malls and other public spaces were eerily quiet in Wuhan on the second day of its lockdown .
Masks were mandatory in public , and images from the city showed empty shelves as people stocked up for what could be an extended isolation .
Train stations , the airport and subways were closed ; police checked incoming vehicles but did not entirely close off roads .
Hospitals in Wuhan were grappling with a flood of patients and a lack of supplies .
Videos circulating online showed throngs of frantic people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some users on Weibo said their family members had sought diagnoses but were turned away at hospitals that were at capacity .
At least eight hospitals in Wuhan issued public calls for donations of masks , goggles , gowns and other protective medical gear , according to notices online .
Administrators at Wuhan University People ’ s Hospital set up a group chat on the popular WeChat messaging app to coordinate donations .
The “ Fever Control Command Center ” of the city of Huanggang also put out a call for donations publicized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , asking for medical supplies , medicine and disinfection equipment .
The notice added that at the moment they wouldn ’ t accept supplies from foreign countries .
Authorities were taking precautions around the country .
In the capital , Beijing , major public events were canceled , including traditional temple fairs that are a staple of Lunar New Year celebrations .
Beijing ’ s Forbidden City , Shanghai Disneyland and a slew of other tourist attractions have been closed indefinitely .
The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus has risen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Twenty-six people have died , including the first two deaths outside Hubei and the youngest recorded victim .
The health commission in Hebei , a northern province bordering Beijing , said an 80-year-old man died there after returning from a two-month stay in Wuhan to see relatives .
Heilongjiang province in the northeast confirmed a death there but did not give details .
While the majority of deaths have been older patients , a 36-year-old man in Hubei was admitted to the hospital earlier this month after suffering from fever for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sudden cardiac arrest on Jan. 23 .
Initial symptoms of the virus can mirror those of the cold and flu , including cough , fever , chest tightening and shortness of breath , but can worsen to pneumonia .
The coronavirus family includes the common cold as well as viruses that cause more serious illnesses , such as SARS and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome , or MERS , which is thought to have originated from camels .
The Wuhan outbreak is suspected to have begun from wild animals sold at a food market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed for investigation .
The vast majority of cases have been in and around Wuhan , but people who visited or had personal connections to infected people were among the scattered cases counted beyond the mainland .
South Korea and Japan both confirmed their second cases Friday and Singapore confirmed its third .
Cases have been detected in Hong Kong , Macao , Taiwan , the United States , Thailand and Vietnam .
Chinese officials have not said how long the shutdowns of the cities will last .
While sweeping measures are typical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , large-scale quarantines are rare around the world , even in deadly epidemics , because of concerns about infringing on people ’ s liberties .
Recalling the government ’ s initial cover-up of SARS , many Chinese are suspicious of the case numbers reported by officials .
Authorities in turn have been keen to pledge transparency .
China ’ s cabinet , the State Council , announced Friday that it will be collecting information on government departments that have failed in their response to the new outbreak , including “ delays , concealment @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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BEIJING (AP) — China is swiftly building a 1,000-bed hospital dedicated to patients infected with a new virus that has killed 26 people, sickened hundreds and prompted unprecedented lockdowns of cities during the country’s most important holiday.
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, transportation was shut down Friday in at least 10 cities with a total of about 33 million people. The cities are Wuhan, where the illness has been concentrated, and nine of its neighbors in central China’s Hubei province.
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“To address the insufficiency of existing medical resources,” Wuhan authorities said in a Friday notice, the city is constructing a hospital modeled after the Xiaotangshan SARS hospital in Beijing. The facility will be a prefabricated structure on a 25,000- square-meter (270,000-square-foot) lot, slated for completion Feb. 3.
The SARS hospital was built from scratch in 2003 in just six days to treat an outbreak of a similar respiratory virus that had spread from China to more than a dozen countries and killed about 800 people. The hospital featured individual isolation units that looked like rows of tiny cabins.
Normally bustling streets, malls and other public spaces were eerily quiet in Wuhan on the second day of its lockdown. Masks were mandatory in public, and images from the city showed empty shelves as people stocked up for what could be an extended isolation. Train stations, the airport and subways were closed; police checked incoming vehicles but did not entirely close off roads.
China's CCTV shows a patient being carried on a stretcher to an ambulance by medical workers in protective suits in Wuhan, China, on Jan. 23, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Hospitals in Wuhan were grappling with a flood of patients and a lack of supplies. Videos circulating online showed throngs of frantic people in masks lined up for checks. Some users on Weibo said their family members had sought diagnoses but were turned away at hospitals that were at capacity.
At least eight hospitals in Wuhan issued public calls for donations of masks, goggles, gowns and other protective medical gear, according to notices online. Administrators at Wuhan University People’s Hospital set up a group chat on the popular WeChat messaging app to coordinate donations.
The “Fever Control Command Center” of the city of Huanggang also put out a call for donations publicized by the state-run People’s Daily, asking for medical supplies, medicine and disinfection equipment. The notice added that at the moment they wouldn’t accept supplies from foreign countries.
Authorities were taking precautions around the country. In the capital, Beijing, major public events were canceled, including traditional temple fairs that are a staple of Lunar New Year celebrations. Beijing’s Forbidden City, Shanghai Disneyland and a slew of other tourist attractions have been closed indefinitely.
The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus has risen to 830, the National Health Commission said. Twenty-six people have died, including the first two deaths outside Hubei and the youngest recorded victim.
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The health commission in Hebei, a northern province bordering Beijing, said an 80-year-old man died there after returning from a two-month stay in Wuhan to see relatives. Heilongjiang province in the northeast confirmed a death there but did not give details.
While the majority of deaths have been older patients, a 36-year-old man in Hubei was admitted to the hospital earlier this month after suffering from fever for three days. He died following a sudden cardiac arrest on Jan. 23.
Initial symptoms of the virus can mirror those of the cold and flu, including cough, fever, chest tightening and shortness of breath, but can worsen to pneumonia. The coronavirus family includes the common cold as well as viruses that cause more serious illnesses, such as SARS and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome, or MERS, which is thought to have originated from camels. The Wuhan outbreak is suspected to have begun from wild animals sold at a food market in the city. The market is closed for investigation.
In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, people shop for vegetables at a market in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province on Jan. 23, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The vast majority of cases have been in and around Wuhan, but people who visited or had personal connections to infected people were among the scattered cases counted beyond the mainland. South Korea and Japan both confirmed their second cases Friday and Singapore confirmed its third. Cases have been detected in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the United States, Thailand and Vietnam.
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Many countries are screening travelers from China and isolating anyone with symptoms.
The World Health Organization decided against declaring the outbreak a global emergency for now. The declaration can increase resources to fight a threat but its potential to cause economic damage makes the decision politically fraught.
Chinese officials have not said how long the shutdowns of the cities will last. While sweeping measures are typical of China’s Communist Party-led government, large-scale quarantines are rare around the world, even in deadly epidemics, because of concerns about infringing on people’s liberties.
Recalling the government’s initial cover-up of SARS, many Chinese are suspicious of the case numbers reported by officials. Authorities in turn have been keen to pledge transparency. China’s cabinet, the State Council, announced Friday that it will be collecting information on government departments that have failed in their response to the new outbreak, including “delays, concealment and under-reporting of the epidemic.”
Across China, a slew of cancellations and closures dampened the usual liveliness of Lunar New Year.
One Beijing subway station near a transport hub conducted temperature checks at its security checkpoint Friday. Some security personnel were clad in full-body hazardous material suits.
Schools prolonged their winter break and were ordered by the Ministry of Education to not hold any mass gatherings or exams. Transport departments will also be waiving fees and providing refunds for ticket cancellations.
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huffpost--2020-02-01--China's Death Toll From Coronavirus Rises To 259 As WHO Urges Preparation

Another locked-down city in Hubei , Huanggang , on Saturday banned almost all residents from leaving their homes in the @ @ @ @ @ .
The government said only one person from each household would be allowed out to @ @ @ @ @ two days .
The holiday , China ’ s busiest annual travel season , ends @ @ @ @ @ the country following a three-day extension to postpone the return to factories and offices by @ @ @ @ @ .
The official Xinhua News Agency said people in Hubei who work outside the province @ @ @ @ @ holiday .
It was the first time a federal quarantine has been ordered since the @ @ @ @ @ enacted over concern about smallpox , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said .

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BEIJING (AP) — China’s death toll from a new virus rose to 259 on Saturday and a World Health Organization official said other governments need to prepare for “domestic outbreak control” if the disease spreads in their countries.
Beijing criticized Washington’s order barring entry to most foreigners who visited China in the past two weeks.
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced similar measures Saturday, following Japan and Singapore.
South Korea and India flew hundreds of their citizens out of Wuhan, the city at the center of an area where some 50 million people are prevented from leaving in a sweeping anti-virus effort. The evacuees went into a two-week quarantine. Indonesia also sent a plane.
The number of confirmed cases in China rose to 11,791, surpassing the number in the 2002-03 outbreak of SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The virus’ rapid spread in two months prompted the World Health Organization on Thursday to declare it a global emergency.
That declaration “flipped the switch” from a cautious attitude to recommending governments prepare for the possibility the virus might spread, said the WHO representative in Beijing, Gauden Galea. Most cases reported so far have been people who visited China or their family members.
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The agency acted out of concern for poorer countries that might not be equipped to respond, said Galea. Such a declaration calls for a coordinated international response and can bring more money and resources.
WHO said it was especially concerned that some cases abroad involved human-to-human transmission.
“Countries need to get ready for possible importation in order to identify cases as early as possible and in order to be ready for a domestic outbreak control, if that happens,” Galea told The Associated Press.
On Friday, the United States declared a public health emergency and President Donald Trump signed an order barring entry to foreign nationals who visited China within the last 14 days, which scientists say is the virus’ longest incubation period. The restrictions don’t apply to immediate family of American citizens and permanent residents.
China criticized the U.S. controls and “unfriendly comments” that Beijing was failing to cooperate.
“Just as the WHO recommended against travel restrictions, the U.S. rushed to go in the opposite way. Certainly not a gesture of goodwill,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that despite the emergency declaration, there is “no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade.”
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Meanwhile, the ruling Communist Party postponed the end of the Lunar New Year holiday in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, for an unspecified “appropriate extent” and appealed to people there to stay home.
Another locked-down city in Hubei, Huanggang, on Saturday banned almost all residents from leaving their homes in the most stringent controls imposed yet. The government said only one person from each household would be allowed out to shop for food once every two days.
“Others are not allowed to go out except for medical treatment, to do epidemic prevention and control work or to work in supermarkets and pharmacies,” it said in an announcement.
China’s anti-disease controls started with the Jan. 23 suspension of plane, bus and train links to Wuhan, an industrial center of 11 million people. The lockdown has spread to surrounding cities.
The holiday, China’s busiest annual travel season, ends Sunday in the rest of the country following a three-day extension to postpone the return to factories and offices by hundreds of millions of workers. The official Xinhua News Agency said people in Hubei who work outside the province also were given an extended holiday.
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The party decision “highlighted the importance of prevention and control of the epidemic among travelers,” Xinhua said.
Americans returning from China will be allowed into the country, but will face screening. Those returning from Hubei province will be subject to a 14-day quarantine.
Beginning Sunday, the United States will direct flights from China to seven major airports where passengers can be screened.
Delta Air Lines said Saturday that it was accelerating plans to suspend fights between the United States and China. Delta’s last flight from China will leave Sunday, the airline said. It had planned to end flights on Thursday.
Other carriers including American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific also have canceled or cut back service to mainland China. Vietnam suspended all flights to China.
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The U.S. order followed a travel advisory for Americans to consider leaving China. Japan and Germany also advised against nonessential travel to China. Britain did as well, except for Hong Kong and Macao.
A plane carrying Indians from Wuhan landed Saturday in New Delhi. The government said they would be quarantined in nearby Manesar. Sri Lanka also pulled out 33 more of its citizens and promised to bring back the remaining 204 students.
A special flight brought 312 Bangladeshis back from Wuhan, including eight who were hospitalized with high temperatures. The government says about 5,000 Bangladeshis study in China.
A Turkish military transport carrying 42 people left Wuhan for Ankara. They reportedly showed no signs of infection.
The Kremlin said Russia would use its air force planes to evacuate Russians from areas of China most seriously affected by the virus.
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Germany’s defense minister said a plane taking 102 citizens back to Germany was refused permission to land and refuel in Moscow due to what the Russians said was lack of capacity and had to divert to Helsinki.
An EU evacuation flight from Wuhan was scheduled for Saturday.
South Korea’s second evacuation flight landed in Seoul with 330 people from Wuhan. They were to be screened for fever before being taken to two quarantine centers.
South Korea also reported its 12th virus case, which appeared to be a human-to-human transmission.
At least 24 countries have reported cases since China informed WHO about the new virus in late December.
The death rate in China is falling, but the number of confirmed cases will keep growing because thousands of specimens from suspected cases have yet to be tested, WHO’s Galea said.
“The case fatality ratio is settling out at a much lower level than we were reporting three, now four, weeks ago,” he said.
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Both the new virus and SARS are from the coronavirus family, which also includes those that cause the common cold.
Although scientists expect to see limited transmission of the virus between people with family or other close contact, they are concerned about cases of infection spreading to people who might have less exposure.
In Japan, a tour guide and bus driver became infected after escorting two groups from Wuhan. The country reported four new cases, including a woman in her 20s who worked on the same tour bus, and another person who was asymptomatic, for a total of 20.
In Germany, five employees of an auto parts supplier became ill after a Chinese colleague visited, including two who had no direct contact with the woman. She showed no symptoms until her flight back to China. On Friday, Germany confirmed a sixth case, a child of one of the people already infected.
The United Arab Emirates confirmed its fifth infection, Vietnam its sixth and Australia its ninth.
Spain reported its first case, a German man who had close contact with an infected person in Germany and then traveled to the Canary Islands with friends. Four friends who were hospitalized with him have not shown symptoms.
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In the United States, health officials issued a two-week quarantine order for 195 Americans evacuated this week from Wuhan.
It was the first time a federal quarantine has been ordered since the 1960s, when one was enacted over concern about smallpox, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
None of the Americans being housed at a Southern California military base has shown signs of illness.
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huffpost--2020-05-12--1 Out Of 3 Gay Men Feel Unsafe At Home Amid Coronavirus, Survey Finds

LONDON , May 12 ( Thomson Reuters Foundation ) - Almost a third of gay and bisexual men report feeling vulnerable at home during the new coronavirus pandemic , with Brazilians particularly concerned , a global survey found on Tuesday , highlighting its wider mental health impacts .
According to research conducted by the U.S.-based gay social network Hornet for the Thomson Reuters Foundation , 30 % of almost 3,500 respondents , which included transgender men , said they felt physically or emotionally unsafe in their own homes .
“ Think of how it feels to be 21 years old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsupportive and constantly haranguing you about marrying a woman , ” said Alex Garner , senior health innovation strategist at Hornet .
“ We have to challenge ourselves to think of how to support people in environments where they feel unsafe.
” Coronavirus restrictions have seen billions of people - both gay and straight - sequestered under tight stay-at-home rules , leading to a rise in domestic abuse , with particular pressure on LGBT+ people in conservative families that do not accept them .
Garner said he was hopeful that the community would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and1990s .
“ Gay and bisexual men do have the skills to get through this , but we do need to prioritize the mental health of ourLGBTQ community , ” he added .
Hornet sent the questionnaire to its 30 million users worldwide , with 18 % of responses coming from Brazil , a further 10 % from France and Russia respectively and 9 % from Turkey .
Many said lockdowns had impacted their mental health , with72 % experiencing anxiety since the pandemic began and 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , co-founder of PrEPster , a British LGBT+ sexual health organization , said the true scale of mental health issues would only be revealed after restrictions were lifted .
“ If we think we have mental health problems now , wait until post-lockdown , ” he said .
” ( We will see ) post-traumatic stress disorders not just from the LGBT+ community but society as a whole .

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LONDON, May 12 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Almost a third of gay and bisexual men report feeling vulnerable at home during the new coronavirus pandemic, with Brazilians particularly concerned, a global survey found on Tuesday, highlighting its wider mental health impacts.
According to research conducted by the U.S.-based gay social network Hornet for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, 30% of almost 3,500 respondents, which included transgender men, said they felt physically or emotionally unsafe in their own homes.
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“Think of how it feels to be 21 years old and living with a family that is unsupportive and constantly haranguing you about marrying a woman,” said Alex Garner, senior health innovation strategist at Hornet.
“We have to challenge ourselves to think of how to support people in environments where they feel unsafe.”
Coronavirus restrictions have seen billions of people - both gay and straight - sequestered under tight stay-at-home rules, leading to a rise in domestic abuse, with particular pressure on LGBT+ people in conservative families that do not accept them.
Garner said he was hopeful that the community would rally round, as they did during the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and1990s.
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“Gay and bisexual men do have the skills to get through this, but we do need to prioritize the mental health of ourLGBTQ community,” he added.
Hornet sent the questionnaire to its 30 million users worldwide, with 18% of responses coming from Brazil, a further 10% from France and Russia respectively and 9% from Turkey.
Many said lockdowns had impacted their mental health, with72% experiencing anxiety since the pandemic began and 24% feeling very lonely.
Will Nutland, co-founder of PrEPster, a British LGBT+ sexual health organization, said the true scale of mental health issues would only be revealed after restrictions were lifted.
“If we think we have mental health problems now, wait until post-lockdown,” he said. ”(We will see) post-traumatic stress disorders not just from the LGBT+ community but society as a whole.
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“The fallout of this is going to be huge.”


huffpost--2020-05-12--Doctors Without Borders Rushes To Aid Navajo Nation In COVID-19 Battle

“ I think it ’ s difficult for Americans to realize how big this country is and how the needs @ @ @ @ @ place , ” Stowell said .
“ The needs of the Native American community are @ @ @ @ @ different than the needs elsewhere , so they require a pretty significant coordinated effort.
” @ @ @ @ @ Borders includes two physicians , three nurses , two supply and organization coordinators , a @ @ @ @ @ a community health education expert .
They ’ ll stay at least through the end @ @ @ @ @ .

“I think it’s difficult for Americans to realize how big this country is and how the needs are so different in each place,” Stowell said. “The needs of the Native American community are challenging because they look so different than the needs elsewhere, so they require a pretty significant coordinated effort.”
The team from Doctors Without Borders includes two physicians, three nurses, two supply and organization coordinators, a water sanitation specialist, and a community health education expert. They’ll stay at least through the end of June, Stowell said.


huffpost--2020-05-12--Biden Blasts Trump's Michael Flynn Crusade: 'This Is All About Diversion'

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday slammed President Donald Trump for obsessing over the Michael Flynn case during the coronavirus crisis , accusing the president of seeking to divert attention from his inadequate response to the pandemic .
“ This is all about diversion , ” Biden told ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America.
” “ This is a game this guy plays all the time .
The country is in crisis ...
He should stop trying to always divert attention from the real concerns of the American people.
” “ The American people are worried with good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued .
“ We don ’ t have coronavirus because of him , but we have the devastating impact of it because of his lack of a policy , his lack of action.
” Asked if DOJ was justified in dropping charges against Michael Flynn @ JoeBiden tells @ GStephanopoulos : `` I think there 's nothing there ... but it 's not a surprise that , in fact , the Justice Dept .
decided anybody who was an ally of the president did n't do anything wrong ever anyway '' pic.twitter.com/eSHX96xScG — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 12 , 2020 In a shocking turn of events last week , the Justice Department dropped charges against Flynn , the former White House national security adviser who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian official .
Flynn had tried to withdraw his guilty plea in recent months , claiming he ’ d been illegally entrapped by the FBI agents who ’ d questioned him .
A federal judge rejected that argument in December .
But in a court filing last week , U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the investigation “ seems to have been undertaken only to elicit those very false statements and thereby criminalize Mr. Flynn.
” Trump fired Flynn in February 2017 for lying to Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI , but has since reversed course on the matter .
In recent months , he ’ s defended Flynn , a retired Army lieutenant general , as a “ war hero ” who was steamrolled by “ dirty cops.
” Sen. Chuck Grassley ( R-Iowa ) , a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know what Obama and Biden knew about the Flynn probe and when .
But he stopped short of calling on Congress to investigate the former president .
Asked Tuesday what he knew about the probe and whether anything improper was done , Biden told “ Good Morning America ” host George Stephanopoulos that he knows “ nothing about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn.
” “ I thought you asked me whether or not I had anything to do with him being prosecuted .
I ’ m sorry , ” Biden said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked for an investigation .
But that ’ s all I know about it , and I don ’ t think anything else.
” Stephanopoulos then asked whether the Justice Department was right to drop the charges against Flynn .
Biden pointed to an open letter signed by roughly 2,000 former Justice Department officials calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign over the department ’ s handling of the Flynn case .
“ I have been absolutely stunned by the way in which he has not conducted the office properly , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t know the detail of where we are right now .
My point is a simple one : Focus on what ’ s in front of us .
You have plenty of time to investigate this issue.
” “ I think there ’ s nothing there there , ” he continued .
“ But it ’ s not a surprise that in fact the Justice Department decided anybody who was an ally of the president didn ’ t do anything wrong ever anyway .
”

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Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday slammed President Donald Trump for obsessing over the Michael Flynn case during the coronavirus crisis, accusing the president of seeking to divert attention from his inadequate response to the pandemic.
“This is all about diversion,” Biden told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “This is a game this guy plays all the time. The country is in crisis ... He should stop trying to always divert attention from the real concerns of the American people.”
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“The American people are worried with good reason,” the former vice president continued. “We don’t have coronavirus because of him, but we have the devastating impact of it because of his lack of a policy, his lack of action.”
Asked if DOJ was justified in dropping charges against Michael Flynn @JoeBiden tells @GStephanopoulos: "I think there's nothing there...but it's not a surprise that, in fact, the Justice Dept. decided anybody who was an ally of the president didn't do anything wrong ever anyway" pic.twitter.com/eSHX96xScG — Good Morning America (@GMA) May 12, 2020
In a shocking turn of events last week, the Justice Department dropped charges against Flynn, the former White House national security adviser who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian official.
Flynn had tried to withdraw his guilty plea in recent months, claiming he’d been illegally entrapped by the FBI agents who’d questioned him. A federal judge rejected that argument in December.
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But in a court filing last week, U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea, a Trump appointee, said the investigation “seems to have been undertaken only to elicit those very false statements and thereby criminalize Mr. Flynn.”
Trump fired Flynn in February 2017 for lying to Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI, but has since reversed course on the matter. In recent months, he’s defended Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, as a “war hero” who was steamrolled by “dirty cops.”
This week, Trump accused both former President Barack Obama and Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee, of acting illegally when the Justice Department began investigating Flynn in late 2016.
“OBAMAGATE makes Watergate look small time!” Trump tweeted Monday.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, suggested Monday that he would like to know what Obama and Biden knew about the Flynn probe and when. But he stopped short of calling on Congress to investigate the former president.
Asked Tuesday what he knew about the probe and whether anything improper was done, Biden told “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos that he knows “nothing about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn.”
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Stephanopoulos cited accounts that Biden and Obama were briefed during a Jan. 5, 2017, meeting with intelligence officials on the FBI’s plan to question Flynn.
“I thought you asked me whether or not I had anything to do with him being prosecuted. I’m sorry,” Biden said. “I was aware that they asked for an investigation. But that’s all I know about it, and I don’t think anything else.”
Stephanopoulos then asked whether the Justice Department was right to drop the charges against Flynn. Biden pointed to an open letter signed by roughly 2,000 former Justice Department officials calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign over the department’s handling of the Flynn case.
“I have been absolutely stunned by the way in which he has not conducted the office properly,” Biden said. “But look, I don’t know the detail of where we are right now. My point is a simple one: Focus on what’s in front of us. You have plenty of time to investigate this issue.”
“I think there’s nothing there there,” he continued. “But it’s not a surprise that in fact the Justice Department decided anybody who was an ally of the president didn’t do anything wrong ever anyway.”
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huffpost--2020-05-12--The Bill Gates Population Control Conspiracy Theories Have A Long, Bizarre History

ASSOCIATED PRESS Bill Gates has been a frequent target of protesters opposed to stay-at-home orders and other restrictions imposed to combat the coronavirus pandemic .
A New War Over Birth Control In Africa But the strategy exploited the real and painful history of medical abuses against people of color in the U.S. , from compulsory or coercive sterilization campaigns from the 1910s to ’ 60s ( including the sterilization of a third of all Puerto Rican mothers between 20 and 49 years old by 1965 ) to unsafe contraceptives marketed to poor women of color from the 1970s to ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuses could be profound .
One 2016 study found that the notorious Tuskegee Study , wherein hundreds of black men were left with untreated syphilis so U.S. government researchers could track the progress of the disease , led to such mistrust of the medical establishment that it reduced the life expectancy of a generation of black men by more than a year .
Back in the U.S. , Fosu also worked with C-Fam to lobby delegates from African nations , with some success .
After a meeting of the Commission on the Status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African countries released an unprecedented statement expressing concerns over “ harmful contraceptives , ” echoing specific claims by Fosu and his allies .
The next month , at the Commission on Population and Development , delegates couldn ’ t agree on an outcome document for the first time in the commission ’ s 48 years — the result , conservative advocates claimed , of African and other developing nations ’ frustration with “ the profusion of references to population control , adolescent sexual activity , abortion , and comprehensive sexuality education .
”

This story was reported in partnership with Type Investigations.
Three months into the global coronavirus pandemic, Bill Gates has displaced George Soros as the chief bogeyman of the right.
In April, dozens of Texans crowded around Infowars host Alex Jones at an anti-shutdown demonstration in Austin, Texas, chanting “arrest Bill Gates.” A New York-based tech nonprofit falsely rumored to be working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to implant vaccine microchips in people received so many death threats that it contacted the FBI. And a White House petition demanding the billionaire’s foundation be investigated for “medical malpractice and crimes against humanity” amassed half-a-million signatures in three weeks.
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Gates, who has announced that his $40 billion-foundation will shift its “total attention” to fighting COVID-19, has been accused of a range of misdeeds, from scheming to profit off a vaccine to creating the virus itself. On April 8, Fox News host Laura Ingraham and Attorney General Bill Barr speculated about whether Gates would use digital certificates to monitor anyone who got vaccinated.
A Christian Right broadcaster, Brannon Howse of “Worldview Watch,” warned that Gates and the “medical globalist deep state” were using the crisis to regulate people’s fertility depending on their worldview, through “procreation tickets” and microchips. On Instagram, anti-vaccination activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., posted a video featuring a “1984”-style audience listening to Gates, with text declaring that the Microsoft Corp. co-founder “is conducting global social and medical experimentation,” via the World Health Organization. The New York Times noted that misinformation about Gates has become “the most widespread of all coronavirus falsehoods” trending online.
But while these themes have fed the imagination of QAnon, Pizzagate and anti-vaccination proponents since January, conspiracy theories involving Gates actually have a much longer history. Accusations that he has sinister plans to control or experiment on the public under the guise of medical charity date back at least a decade, including to an obscure and different political fight in Ghana.
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Gates speaking to the Gavi Alliance, a public-private partnership to increase immunization in the world's poorest countries. Paul Hackett via Getty Images
A New War Over Birth Control In Africa
In 2010, a former staffer with a government health initiative in Ghana made a shocking claim: a project partially funded by the Gates Foundation had tested the contraceptive Depo-Provera on unsuspecting villagers in the remote region of Navrongo, as part of an illicit “population experiment.” The woman making the charge was the Ghanian-born, U.S.-educated communications officer for another Gates-funded initiative by the Ghanaian government and Columbia University to use mobile phones to improve health care access for rural women and children. She had previously attempted to sue her employer for a multi-million dollar settlement when, after repeated clashes with her boss, her contract wasn’t renewed.
The lawsuit fizzled, but with help from a small U.S. nonprofit called the Rebecca Project for Human Rights, she shopped a series of stories to Ghana’s tabloid press. The Depo-Provera story caused a national scandal. Although it was denounced by Ghanaian health professionals and traditional leaders as libelous—the Navrongo project hadn’t tested any medications— so many death threats were directed at the project that some staff had to be evacuated across the Burkina Faso border.
The episode would mark the opening shot in a new war over birth control in Africa. It also reflected an evolution in the U.S. anti-abortion movement’s strategy in which it started to co-opt the language of women’s and civil rights used by progressives. There were fewer bloody fetus posters and more talk about how abortion and contraception violated women’s safety and impeded racial justice.
Anti-abortion groups hired black activists and highlighted uglier aspects of the history of reproductive health care — in particular, the courting of the eugenics movement by Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger in the early part of the 20th century. A right-wing documentary, Maafa 21: Black Genocide in 21st Century America, used a Swahili word that refers to the holocaust of African enslavement to denounce Planned Parenthood as racist. Billboards in Atlanta and Manhattan carried messages like, “The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb.” And federal and state legislators proposed a series of bills banning race- and sex-selective abortions in order to insinuate that abortion providers deliberately target communities of color.
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An anti-abortion billboard in Atlanta in 2010. ASSOCIATED PRESS
As black feminists pointed out, these groups cared little for women’s or civil rights in general, or black women’s well-being in particular. (A 2009 U.S. House bill titled the “Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act” was co-sponsored by a champion of the Confederate flag.)
But the strategy exploited the real and painful history of medical abuses against people of color in the U.S., from compulsory or coercive sterilization campaigns from the 1910s to ’60s (including the sterilization of a third of all Puerto Rican mothers between 20 and 49 years old by 1965) to unsafe contraceptives marketed to poor women of color from the 1970s to ’90s. And the legacy of those abuses could be profound. One 2016 study found that the notorious Tuskegee Study, wherein hundreds of black men were left with untreated syphilis so U.S. government researchers could track the progress of the disease, led to such mistrust of the medical establishment that it reduced the life expectancy of a generation of black men by more than a year.
The Rebecca Project, a small, Washington-based nonprofit focused on issues disproportionately affecting women of color, hadn’t been involved on either side of the abortion fight. But in 2011, the group released a thinly-sourced report titled “Non-Consensual Research in Africa: The Outsourcing of Tuskegee,” outlining what it claimed was a series of unethical U.S.-backed medical experiments in Africa.
Some of the examples were documented stories of legitimate concern — for instance, HIV-positive women in southern Africa had been pressured into sterilization procedures by local health care entities. The report attempted to link them to shakier allegations of USAID funding being used for coercive sterilization campaigns in other countries. But the report’s real target, it seemed, was the Gates-backed health initiative in Navrongo. Later, the report’s lead author would suggest that people involved with the project should be charged with attempted genocide.
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“The new narrative was that Gates was waging “chemical warfare on poor women” in a neocolonial effort to suppress African births.”
The report had numerous factual problems. Its author ― the Rebecca Project’s chief financial officer, Kwame Fosu ― also hadn’t disclosed a significant conflict of interest: The employee who’d leveled the charges against the Ghana project was the mother of his child. The fallout wound up splitting the organization, as one of its founders and several staff departed, taking with them all the Rebecca Project’s funding. Left with the group’s name, Fosu doubled down on his conspiratorial claims.
In 2013, Fosu published another report, “Depo-Provera: Deadly Reproductive Violence Against Women.” Drawing heavily on unnamed sources, paranoid accusations and the rhetoric of right-wing anti-abortion groups, this report used the Ghana story to anchor claims of a massive international conspiracy, led by the Gates Foundation, to push dangerous contraceptives on poor black women as a means of decreasing African births and advancing “population control ideology.” Fosu brought the Rebecca Project into alliance with a network of conservative Catholic nonprofits, like C-Fam and the Population Research Institute (PRI), that had long focused on fighting reproductive rights in developing nations or at the United Nations.
His new allies began publicizing Fosu’s claims to a large audience of conservative activists, arguing that he had uncovered the smoking gun confirming their long-held suspicions. As the head of PRI put it, “The population controllers will stop at nothing to stop African women from having children.” By 2014, the Rebecca Project was focusing full-time on the scourge of Depo-Provera. At the same time, the Gates Foundation was undertaking a new mission to radically expand contraceptive access to women in Africa, including with a new, low-dose adaptation of Depo-Provera.
The foundation’s family planning campaign had already drawn predictable backlash from religious groups. But as U.S. anti-abortion groups and websites circulated the Rebecca Project’s allegations, the opposition was no longer dominated by complaints that Gates was tempting African women to defy their faith. The new narrative was that Gates was waging “chemical warfare on poor women” in a neocolonial effort to suppress African births.
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Soon, powerful figures across Africa were making similar claims, undermining vital public health projects in the process. In 2014, Zimbabwe’s Registrar General, Tobaiwa Mudede — the official responsible for overseeing the country’s dubious elections — warned women to avoid modern contraceptives because they caused cancer and were a Western ploy to limit African population growth. In 2015, Mudede told parliamentarians, “Western countries are bent on curtailing the population of the darker races of the world.” According to a parliamentary committee, Mudede’s campaign panicked Zimbabwean women, who flooded into clinics to have contraceptive implants removed.
In Kenya, all 27 members of the nation’s Conference of Catholic Bishops declared that a WHO/UNICEF campaign to administer neonatal tetanus vaccines to women of childbearing age was really “a disguised population control programme.” According to the bishops, the vaccines were laced with a hormone that would cause repeated miscarriages and eventual sterility.
The same conservative Catholic network the Rebecca Project had allied itself with published numerous stories amplifying the bishops’ accusations and casting doubt on the government’s response. The Kenyan Parliament was forced to have the vaccine tested repeatedly. But by the time the claims were debunked, priests around Kenya had already instructed their congregants to refuse the vaccine.
Back in the U.S., Fosu also worked with C-Fam to lobby delegates from African nations, with some success. After a meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women, a regional grouping of African countries released an unprecedented statement expressing concerns over “harmful contraceptives,” echoing specific claims by Fosu and his allies. The next month, at the Commission on Population and Development, delegates couldn’t agree on an outcome document for the first time in the commission’s 48 years — the result, conservative advocates claimed, of African and other developing nations’ frustration with “the profusion of references to population control, adolescent sexual activity, abortion, and comprehensive sexuality education.”
One of the protester's at a recent anti-lockdown, anti-vaccine, anti-5G protest near Scotland Yard in London. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Undermining Confidence In A Coronavirus Vaccine
The Rebecca Project has long since faded into obscurity. But the current attacks on Gates and his foundation are now broadcasting the same themes to a massive global audience.
In April, Trump boosters Diamond & Silk vowed they would never take a vaccine created by Gates because he’d sought to make Africans “guinea pigs.” (This claim was helped along by erroneous media reporting that falsely suggested Gates planned to test his vaccine in South Africa.) “I have a problem receiving any vaccine from any entity, especially anybody like Bill Gates who pushed for population control. The same thing that Margaret Sanger pushed for,” Diamond said. “Abortions! Genocide!” Silk explained.
In response to these and other conspiracy theories, including their contention that the virus was a “plandemic,” Fox Nation reportedly cut ties with the pair. But Diamond and Silk weren’t alone.
Conservative commentator Candace Owens tweeted in April that “vaccine-criminal Bill Gates” had used “African & Indian tribal children to experiment w/ non-FDA approved drug vaccines.” Last week, she declared “that under no circumstances will I be getting any #coronavirus vaccine that becomes available. Ever. No matter what.”
An Infowars video suggested that Gates was the successor of eugenicist population controllers from Sanger to Nazi collaborators, and asked whether viewers would “allow your government to impose forced vaccines.” In a viral sermon, Rev. Danny Jones, the pastor of a 250-member Georgia church, echoed similar accusations while predicting that Gates would use vaccines to usher in a new world order under which Christians might be forced to accept biometric tattoos.
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On Twitter, hundreds of posts claimed that the billionaire had publicly said that vaccines could be used to lower the population by 10% to 15%. This was an old misrepresentation of Gates’ suggestion that increasing vaccination rates in the developing world could slow population growth, since families in which more children survive to adulthood might have fewer children overall.
Doctored photographs falsely suggesting the Gates Foundation runs a “Center for Human Population Reduction” spread so widely that both Reuters and Snopes published articles debunking them. Anti-vaxxer and Pizzagate proponents began sharing old C-Fam articles as proof that Gates “Thinks There Are Too Many Africans.” And the White House petition resurrected the old Kenyan controversy, informing new believers that Gates has “already been credibly accused of intentionally sterilizing Kenyan children through the use of a hidden HCG antigen in tetanus vaccines.”
By Saturday, the Gates-population control narrative had made its way onto conservative network One American News, quoting an anti-social distancing protester who charged,“This is not about COVID or about a virus. This is about gaining control over the human race and limiting population.”
“In the U.S. alone, nearly a third of Americans say they’ll refuse a coronavirus vaccine.”
Anti-Gates theories have resurfaced in Africa, as well. Unfounded rumors that Gates had bribed Nigerian lawmakers to pass a compulsory vaccination bill sparked a legislative investigation there. African Twitter influencers posted threads linking him not just to population control but the entire history of colonialist medical violence. One described the foundation’s family planning work “as genocide in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Another suggested that Gates would turn to “toxic Covid-19 vaccines” to depopulate South Africa next, since it had become “clear that this Depo is not working fast enough.”
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Nancy Rosenblum, author of “A Lot of People are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy,” said that some people may simply see the proliferation of these conspiracy narratives as a vehicle to advance their agenda, exploiting the swirling outrage around Gates to introduce fringe arguments to a much larger audience. To Quassim Cassam, author of the book “Conspiracy Theories,” the anti-Gates attacks reflect a larger global trend towards populism, characterized by profound distrust of the establishment and experts.
“If you say it’s Gates or big corporations who are responsible for developing coronavirus via 5G, these are all ways of expressing anti-elitist sentiment,” Cassam said. “They’re fantasies, but they’re fantasies that give expression to real things in their lives.”
The potential impact of such fantasies could be dire. The legacy of medical abuses against people of color helped give rise to HIV/AIDS conspiracy theories, Rosenblum noted, from claims that it was a government-crafted bioweapon to charges that life-saving medications were poison. After the latter theory was adopted by South Africa’s former president, Thabo Mbeki, Harvard University researchers found it was responsible for more than 330,000 unnecessary deaths.
The Gates Foundation has already committed $300 million to fighting the coronavirus and finding a vaccine. Tens of millions of that sum are dedicated to ensuring that vaccines are distributed in poor countries. Conspiracy theories suggesting an eventual vaccine is part of a nefarious plot could leave many of the world’s most vulnerable at greater risk; in the U.S. alone, a late April survey found, nearly a third of Americans say they’ll refuse a vaccine.
Of course, the same side that is accusing Gates of planning an imminent eugenicist attack is also loudly pushing to reopen the economy, even though this will almost undoubtedly come at the cost of thousands of lives, overwhelmingly people of color. Rather than reckon with that reality, Republican leaders have argued that “there are more important things than living” and the public will “have to accept” massive new casualties.
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Wisconsin’s chief justice dismissed superclusters of infection in the minority-staffed meatpacking industry as distinct from the threat posed to “regular folks.” One local California official mused that allowing the virus to “run rampant” through the ranks of the homeless, the old, the sick and the poor, represents a “natural” process of culling the “herd” that could lighten Social Security and health care burdens and free up jobs and housing.
Against this backdrop, right-wing claims of eugenics or population control begin to seem not just disingenuous, but like the most amoral form of projection.
A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus