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Post by maybetoday on Feb 27, 2020 12:46:36 GMT -5
SCIENTISTS DISCOVER HIV-LIKE “MUTATION” WHICH MAKES CORONAVIRUS EXTREMELY INFECTIOUS
“This virus may use the packing mechanisms of other viruses such as HIV.” Zero Hedge - FEBRUARY 27, 2020 48 Comments Scientists Discover HIV-Like "Mutation" Which Makes Coronavirus Extremely Infectious . While mainstream scientists continue to perform mental gymnastics to insist that the new coronavirus wasn’t man-made, new research from scientists in China and Europe reveal that the disease happens to have an ‘HIV-like mutation’. This allows it to bind with human cells up to 1,000 times stronger than the Sars virus, according to SCMP. Recall that at the end of January, a team of Indian scientists wrote in a now-retracted, scandalous paper claiming that the coronavirus may have been genetically engineered to incorporate parts of the HIV genome. They wrote “This uncanny similarity of novel inserts in the 2019- nCoV spike protein to HIV-1 gp120 and Gag is unlikely to be fortuitous in nature,” meaning – it was unlikely to have occurred naturally. Dr. Francis Boyle joins Mike Adams on The Alex Jones Show to break down the toll has taken for standing up for the truth in the wake of bioweapon development. Fast forward to new research by a team from Nankai University, which writes that COV-19 has an ‘HIV-like mutation’ that allows it to quickly enter the human body by binding with a receptor called ACE2 on a cell membrane. Other highly contagious viruses, including HIV and Ebola, target an enzyme called furin, which works as a protein activator in the human body. Many proteins are inactive or dormant when they are produced and have to be “cut” at specific points to activate their various functions. When looking at the genome sequence of the new coronavirus, Professor Ruan Jishou and his team at Nankai University in Tianjin found a section of mutated genes that did not exist in Sars, but were similar to those found in HIV and Ebola. –SCMP “This finding suggests that 2019-nCoV [the new coronavirus] may be significantly different from the Sars coronavirus in the infection pathway,” reads the paper published this month on Chinaxiv.org – a platform used by the Chinese Academy of Sciences which releases research papers prior to peer-review. “This virus may use the packing mechanisms of other viruses such as HIV,” they added. For those confused, what the latest scientific paper claims is that whereas the Coronavirus may indeed contain a specific HIV-like feature that makes it extremely infectious, that was the result of a rather bizarre “mutation.” However, since the scientists did not make the scandalous claim that Chinese scientists had created an airborne version of HIV, but instead blamed a mutation, they will likely not be forced to retract it, even if it the odds of such a “random” mutation taking place naturally are extremely small. As a reminder, the running narrative is that the new coronavirus lie dormant in bats somewhere between 20 and 70 years, then ‘crossed over’ to humans through and unknown species – possibly a Pangolin – before it emerged at a Wuhan, China meat market roughly 900 feet from a level-4 bioweapons lab. And what were they researching at said lab? Among other things – why Ebola and HIV can lie dormant in bats without causing diseases. According to the new study, the ‘mutation’ can generate a structure known as a cleavage site in the new coronavirus’ spike protein, SCMP reports. “Compared to the Sars’ way of entry, this binding method is “100 to 1,000 times” as efficient, according to the study.” The virus uses the outreaching spike protein to hook on to the host cell, but normally this protein is inactive. The cleavage site structure’s job is to cheat the human furin protein, so it will cut and activate the spike protein and cause a “direct fusion” of the viral and cellular membranes. –SCMP (a recent paper published by Dr. Zhou Peng of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, meanwhile, is “Immunogenicity of the spike glycoprotein of Bat SARS-like coronavirus.“) According to the report, a follow-up study from a Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhn confirmed Nankai University’s findings. The mutation could not be found in Sars, Mers or Bat-CoVRaTG13, a bat coronavirus that was considered the original source of the new coronavirus with 96 per cent similarity in genes, it said. This could be “the reason why SARS-CoV-2 is more infectious than other coronaviruses”, Li wrote in a paper released on Chinarxiv on Sunday. Meanwhile, a study by French scientist Etienne Decroly at Aix-Marseille University, which was published in the scientific journal Antiviral Research on February 10, also found a “furin-like cleavage site” that is absent in similar coronaviruses. Chinese scientists speculate that drugs targeting the fuirn enzyme could potentially hinder the virus’ replication inside the human body. Drugs up for consideration include “a series of HIV-1 therapeutic drugs such as Indinavir, Tenofovir Alafenamide, Tenofovir Disoproxil and Dolutegravir and hepatitis C therapeutic drugs including Boceprevir and Telaprevir,” according to Li’s study. The conclusion is in line with several reports from doctors who self-administered HIV drugs after testing positive for coronavirus, however there have been no clinical tests to confirm the theory. All perfectly “natural.” video at link
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Post by Berean on Feb 27, 2020 21:02:05 GMT -5
California is monitoring at least 8,400 people for the coronavirus
PUBLISHED THU, FEB 27 20201:54 PM ESTUPDATED 3 HOURS AGO Berkeley Lovelace Jr. US confirms first possible community spread of the coronavirus California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that 33 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and the state is currently monitoring at least 8,400 others —a day after U.S. health officials confirmed the first possible community transmission of the coronavirus in a Solano County resident. “This is a fluid situation right now and I want to emphaize the risk to the American public remains low,” said Dr. Sonia Y. Angell, California Department of Public Health Director and State Health Officer during a press conference. “There have been a limited number of confirmed cases to date.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t know exactly how the new California patient, who’s receiving medical care in Sacramento County, contracted the virus. The patient didn’t have a relevant travel history or exposure to another patient with the virus, the CDC said Wednesday. California health officials said the patient wasn’t under quarantine before her diagnosis and was out and about in her community. GP: Coronavirus, US, San Francisco 200226 A San Francisco Public Works Community Clean volunteer wearing a face mask removes trash on a street in the Chinatown district of San Francisco, California, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images “We are currently in deep partnership with CDC on one overriding protocol that drives our principle focus right now and that’s testing, and the importance to increase our testing protocols and to have point of contact diagnostic testing as our top priority not just in the state of California but I imagine all across the United States,” Newsom said at a press conference. Newsom said five of the 33 patients who tested positive for the virus have since left the state. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 33 positive cases were part of the group of Diamond Princess passengers who were evacuated from the cruise ship that was quarantined off the coast of Japan. The U.S. had 60 cases as of Wednesday night, 42 of which are people who were on the ship, according to the CDC. California health officials have 200 testing kits on hand and will be receiving more over the next few days, Newsom said. “We have just a few hundred testing kits and that’s surveillance testing as well as diagnostic testing. That’s simply inadequate to do justice to the kind of testing that is required to address this issue head on,” he said. Newsom said that the CDC has made “firm commitments” to improve the state’s testing capacity, but did not provide details, such as how many testing kits the agency has agreed to send to the state. WATCH NOW VIDEO01:33 CA Governor Newsom: We are working with CDC to expand testing California received the first flight in late January of people evacuated from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the epidemic. All 195 passengers were quarantined on the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County and released earlier this month. The state also took evacuees in at the Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, roughly 40 miles southwest of Sacramento, and the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego. “We coordinated those first flights, that first flight in particular, in January, late January down into Riverside at March,” Newsom said. “Over 800 people have come in on those flights, but that’s a small part of the overall picture. Thousands and thousands of other people have come in on more traditional flights through the state of California.” A mistake in the lab earlier this month led U.S. health officials to release from the hospital an infected coronavirus patient who was part of the group quarantined at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. CDC officials later told UC San Diego Health that further testing revealed that the patient in fact tested positive for the virus. That patient was returned from quarantine at the Marine Corps base to the UC San Diego Health facility “for observation and isolation until cleared by the CDC for release.” One other evacuee who was in quarantine at the Miramar base also tested positive for the virus, UC San Diego Health’s Dr. Randy Taplitz said on Feb. 13. link
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Post by J.J.Gibbs on Feb 28, 2020 1:33:21 GMT -5
Iran's vice president contracts coronavirus as country's tally spikes again
Alexandria HeinBy Alexandria Hein | Fox News Dr. Siegel: Coronavirus more contagious than the flu but can be treated Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel reports on what he's learned from the University of Nebraska Medical Center where patients are being treated. Iran’s vice president tested positive for the novel coronavirus days after the country’s health minister was also struck down by the illness that has killed 26 people in the region, marking the highest number of fatalities to occur outside of mainland China. Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar is now among the 254 cases reported in the country, which has seen a spike in illnesses over the last several days. Ebtekar, a spokeswoman for the 1979 hostage-takers who seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, is reportedly self-isolating at her home. DENMARK SEES FIRST CORONAVIRUS CASE IN MAN RETURNING FROM ITALY VACATION Information on the first coronavirus case in the country and exactly how many fatalities there have been is being met with worldwide skepticism after an early report citing a Qom lawmaker claimed that 50 people had already died. The death rate among Iranians is much higher than elsewhere in the world, where over 83,000 cases have been reported across at least 47 countries. The country's efforts to contain the virus have also come under question. Officials have gone so far as to ask people not to travel to Qom, and prayers in Tehran and other cities have been canceled. Cities have closed schools and Iranians are being urged to stay home if sick and to avoid shaking hands, but officials have stopped short of quarantining any regions or restricting travel. TOKYO ORGANIZERS, GOVERNMENT TAKE OFFENSIVE ON VIRUS THREAT “We have no plan to quarantine any district or any city,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, according to BBC News. “If an individual has early symptoms, that person must be quarantined.” Rouhani also took a swipe at the U.S. on Wednesday and said that it was trying to spread fear about the virus as several of Iran’s neighboring countries shut joint borders and banned flights over the outbreak. “We must not let America to add a new virus to the coronavirus by halting our social activities by spreading tremendous fear,” he said, according to Reuters. CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE On Thursday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the rapid spread in Iran, Italy and South Korea “demonstrate what this virus is capable of.” “This virus is not influenza,” Tedros said. “With the right measures, it can be contained.” Iran’s health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said new labs were continuing to conduct tests and that the number of cases could be expected to spike in the coming days. Thursday’s tally represented a 100 case jump from the numbers reported on Wednesday. link
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Post by J.J.Gibbs on Feb 28, 2020 1:45:40 GMT -5
Chinese state media finally admitting official coronavirus count is a lie
Thursday, February 27, 2020 by: Ethan Huff Tags: China, containment, coronavirus, Cover-Up, covid-19, deception, disease, global emergency, infection, infection count, lies, novel coronavirus, outbreak, pandemic, propaganda, state media, virus, Wuhan, Wuhan coronavirus (Natural News) In a shocking turn of events, Caixin, a state-run media outlet in communist China, has finally fessed up about the mass underreporting of coronavirus deaths in Wuhan, ground-zero for the Wuhan coronavirus (CoVid-19) pandemic. Confirming what we and others in the independent media have been saying for weeks now, Caixin published an exposé addressing the major discrepancy between the official numbers and the actual numbers, which one doctor based out of Hunan says is a factor of 50 to one. For every 50 actual deaths, in other words, communist China is only reporting one death, which means the true Wuhan coronavirus (CoVid-19) death count is substantially higher than what the world is being told. Of particular concern are the number of deaths occurring in prisons and nursing homes, which are almost going completely unnoticed as the communist Chinese regime focuses almost exclusively on what’s going on in Wuhan’s hospitals. We know that Chinese authorities missed some 500 cases of the Wuhan coronavirus (CoVid-19) that emerged in a handful of prisons located both in and out of Hubei, which prompted some journalists and local officials to take a closer look at the situation. Amazingly, one local nursing home that sits just blocks away from the Huanan seafood market where the Wuhan coronavirus (CoVid-19) was initially said to have emerged has seen a sharp increase in the number of deaths among its patients – the highest number of deaths in this short a period of time perhaps ever, some of its workers say. In this particular nursing home, some 19 people have died since the outbreak first went public, and yet only one of them was attributed to the Wuhan coronavirus (CoVid-19). Since proper testing isn’t being conducted, in many cases, officials are getting away with blaming things like “pneumonia” or “infection” for this unusual uptick in deaths when, in all likelihood, they’re probably just undiagnosed Wuhan coronavirus (CoVid-19) cases. “A list of the dead at the social welfare facility obtained by Caixin showed 15 fatalities between Dec. 23 and Feb. 11 and four more Feb. 18,” the state-run news outlet reported. “Of the total of 19 fatalities, only the death of an 83-year-old male Feb. 15 was clearly linked to Covid-19.” “Either others were attributed to infections, including six to lung infections and two deaths from shock caused by infection. The remaining 10 fatalities were reportedly from other causes, and five of them took place before Feb. 11 when the nursing home started testing for Covid-19.” link
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Post by Midnight on Feb 28, 2020 5:48:44 GMT -5
Switzerland bans all events with more than 1,000 people to combat coronavirus as infections spike in South Korea and Nigeria confirms first case in sub-Saharan Africa
The Swiss ban is likely to affect football matches and the Geneva Motor Show South Korea recorded 571 new cases on Friday, most of them in the city of Daegu Today's number of new cases in mainland China was the lowest since January 24 China now has a total of 78,824 virus cases, with the death toll reaching 2,788 By TIM STICKINGS FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 03:47 EST, 28 February 2020 | UPDATED: 05:38 EST, 28 February 2020 Switzerland has today banned all events involving more than 1,000 people in a drastic bid to stop the spread of coronavirus. The Swiss government announced the emergency measure today and said it will last until at least March 15. Officials say the ban on 'public and private events' is intended to 'prevent or delay the spread of the disease in Switzerland, thus reducing its momentum'. Switzerland has already confirmed eight cases and officials expect the outbreak to get worse because of the crisis over the border in northern Italy. Elsewhere, cases have surged again in South Korea today where 571 new infections brought the total from 1,766 to 2,337. Meanwhile Nigeria has confirmed the first case outside sub-Saharan Africa, saying the patient was an Italian citizen who had recently returned from Milan. The global count of those sickened by the virus is nearing 84,000, with the virus now spreading more rapidly outside China. Mainland China saw another sharp fall in its rate of infections today with 327 new cases, the lowest number since January, and 44 deaths. Full article with pictures and video at link
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Post by Midnight on Feb 28, 2020 5:58:00 GMT -5
Coronavirus Outbreak Could Lead to Cancellation of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo
According to a senior member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), if the coronavirus outbreak doesn’t reverse, it is likely that the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will be altogether cancelled, not delayed or postponed. Due to the rapidly increasing nature of the CoVid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, a senior official from the International Olympic Committee, Dick Pound, announced on Tuesday that if the virus doesn’t change course, they’ll likely cancel the games altogether rather than postponing or delaying them. According to Pound, it’s likely that a decision will be made in the next three months, or maybe even two, as to whether the games will take place or not. In his interview with the Associated Press, he stated that when this deadline draws near, the condition of the virus worldwide and the safety of all of the participants will need to be evaluated. Thus far Japan has recorded 4 deaths due to the virus but there is fear of a much greater outbreak in the coming days and weeks. There are expected to be nearly 11,000 athletes attending the Olympic games in 2020. While encouraging athletes to maintain their training in preparation, he stated, “All indications are at this stage that it will be business as usual. So, keep focused on your sport and be sure that the IOC is not going to send you into a pandemic situation.” February 26th, 2020|News link
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Post by Midnight on Feb 28, 2020 5:59:31 GMT -5
European Union Officials Agree that No Border Checks Remains the Best Policy Despite CoVid-19 Outbreak
European government ‘experts’ have come to the conclusion that border checks would create more damage than necessary; Isolated quarantine remains their preferred strategy; The final decision is made by national authorities, not the EU. On Thursday, EU officials announced that while they’re reinforcing their strategy for containing the CoVid-19 (coronavirus) virus, they believe it’s best not to implement additional border screening for people who are potentially carrying the virus. At this time, they’re recommending the policy of isolated quarantine. This is somewhat of a surprising announcement considering the rapid spread of the virus throughout Italy. Though this is the position of several European Union government ‘experts’, it doesn’t necessarily represent the thinking of every European national leader, and ultimately, the decision to implement border checks is under the jurisdiction of each nation. One official that is warning against border checks stated that “Refusal of entry is not considered an appropriate preventive or remedial measure as the virus would spread further.” The basis for the argument is built on the negative effect border checks supposedly had during the migration disaster in 2015. So far, Algeria, Austria, Croatia, Greece, and Switzerland have all reported cases of the coronavirus that were found in people who had recently travelled to Italy. Italy itself has reported 12 deaths from the virus so far and hundreds of cases. February 27th, 2020|News link
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Post by schwartzie on Feb 28, 2020 10:58:12 GMT -5
Dog tests ‘weak positive’ for coronavirus
Dog tests ‘weak positive’ for coronavirus A Chinese woman holds her dog that is wearing a protective mask as well as they stand in the street. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) By: Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk Updated: February 28, 2020 - 8:09 AM It was thought that dogs could not contract the COVID-19 or the coronavirus that is plaguing people across the world, but a pet dog in Hong Kong has apparently tested positive for the coronavirus. The result, however, was weak, the government of Hong Kong said, according to Fox News. The positive test was confirmed by the government of Hong Kong in a press release. The dog is the pet of a patient who has coronavirus. The test resulted from “environmental contamination” of the dog’s mouth and nose. The animal is in quarantine. Content Continues Below It does not have any symptoms. Officials with the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department are now saying that the pets of patients who test positive should also be in quarantine for 14 days, Fox News reported. The country’s agriculture department doesn’t believe the pets can become infected or infect humans, Bloomberg reported. Still, the American Kennel Club says to wash your hands with soap and water after coming in contact with any pet and you don’t need to get a muzzle mask to protect an animal from the virus. But if you do see a change of health, call your veterinarian. link
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Post by shalom on Feb 28, 2020 16:38:35 GMT -5
Coronavirus Infects Iranian VP, Kills Iranian Ambassador to Vatican, Pope Sick
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz February 28, 2020 , 11:11 am “Uzziyahu slept with his fathers in the burial field of the kings, because, they said, he was a leper; his son Yotam succeeded him as king.” (Chronicles 2 26:23) The long list of high-ranking Iranian government officials who have contracted the coronavirus has just gotten longer: Iranian media announced on Thursday that Masoumeh Ebtekar, the current Vice President of Iran for Women and Family Affairs, tested positive for the coronavirus. Ironically, Ebtekar was elected as the President of the 12th International Congress of Immunology in 2013. Not so ironically, she first came to prominence as the spokesperson for the students in the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, when the students occupied the U.S. Embassy and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Ebtekar was identified only with the codename “Sister Mary.” She appeared on U.S. and British television justifying the seizure of the embassy and saying that she was prepared to kill American hostages Iran is the hardest-hit country by the coronavirus outside of China, with the government announcing that 12 people had died from the virus and an additional 61 infections had been diagnosed. Iranian authorities announced on Thursday that the death toll in the country from coronavirus stood at 26 with 245 identified cases. But these data have been questioned. The Guardian and AFP cited the semi-official ILNA news agency that reported the claims of Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, a government official from the city of Qom, as saying that at least 50 people have died in that city alone. Farahani claimed that 250 people are quarantined in the city. Mojtaba Zonnour, the Chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, announced on Twitter that he also tested positive for the virus. It is important to note that Zonnour represents the city of Qom in parliament. The city, considered holy and a Muslim pilgrimage site, has been hit hard by the coronavirus. Iraj Harirchi, Iran’s, deputy health minister and department spokesman, made a video announcement on Tuesday on Fars News, the semi-official news agency of the Government of Iran, that he has tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus but that “we will definitely defeat the corona.” IRNA News reported that Iran’s former Ambassador to Vatican Sayyed Hadi Khosroshahi died on Thursday, one day after being admitted to the hospital with the coronavirus. Pope Francis canceled a special church service on Thursday due to illness. In the announcement, the Vatican did not specify the nature of the illness, but Pope Francis was seen coughing and blowing his nose during Ash Wednesday Mass the previous day. The Pope is 83 years old and the elderly are particularly susceptible to the respiratory ailment. The Pope is missing a part of one lung. It was removed when he was in his early 20s in his native Buenos Aires after he suffered from tuberculosis, according to biographer Austen Ivereigh. At the Ash Wednesday ceremony in St. Peter’s Square where he greeted the crowd, many of whom wore surgical masks, and even hugged people. At the event, the Pope expressed solidarity with sufferers of the coronavirus. Speaking on Wednesday during the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope said, “I wish, again, to express my closeness to those who are ill with coronavirus and to health-care workers who are caring for them.” He later greeted visiting bishops who were reportedly distant, refraining from kissing his ring or embracing him as they normally would. Italy reported 500 cases of the pandemic and 12 deaths so far. The World Health Organisation reported in February that, on average, 80 percent of the cases of coronavirus report only mild, flu-like symptoms, and just 2 percent of cases have resulted in death. While COVID-19 has a far lower death rate than epidemics of similar viruses such as SARS or MERS, it has spread far wider. Globally, more than 80,000 people in about 40 countries have been infected with the new coronavirus, which emerged in December. The vast majority remain in China. Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, has killed more than 2,700 people so far. link
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Post by J.J.Gibbs on Feb 28, 2020 17:33:20 GMT -5
COVID-19 outbreak hits drug factories, pharmaceutical shortage now inevitable
Friday, February 28, 2020 by: Michael Alexander Tags: badhealth, badmedicine, badscience, Big Pharma, China, coronavirus, covid-19, disease, drug shortage, drugs, global emergency, infection, outbreak, pandemic, pharmaceuticals, pharmacies, prescription medications, virus (Natural News) Drug factories are potentially the next “collateral damage” of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Thursday that a manufacturer alerted the agency about a disruption in its supply of a certain human drug. FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said the shortage is due to an issue with the production of an “active pharmaceutical ingredient” (API) used in the drug. According to Hahn, the still-unnamed manufacturer has confirmed that the shortage was traced to a site hit by the coronavirus. Hahn, in a statement published on the FDA website, said the agency is now working with the manufacturer – as well as several others – in a bid to mitigate the shortage. The FDA previously announced that it has kept in touch with over 180 manufacturers of pharmaceutical products, reminding the companies to evaluate their entire supply chain, with particular emphasis on the supply of their products’ APIs. In addition, the agency said this week that it has identified about 20 drugs that either source all of their main ingredients from, or are finished in China, and that it has contacted their manufacturers to gauge if they would face shortages in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. As noted by a CBS report, antibiotics such as amoxicillin, doxycycline, penicillin and other key drugs are at risk of running low since 90 percent of their core components are sourced from China. (Related: Desperate scientists inject monkeys with coronavirus to create vaccine.) Is Big Pharma beholden to China? This looming shortage is the exact scenario feared by writer Rosemary Gibson, who highlighted America’s dependence on China for medicine in her book “China Rx.” Gibson, who has long advocated for the rebuilding of domestic drug production capabilities in order to safeguard the U.S. from a disruptive event like the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, is also a senior adviser to the Hastings Center, a bioethics research institute based in the USA. “We have a couple of perfect storms that are colliding. Large parts of China are locked down. People are not going to work. They are not making essential medicines and even if they were made, transportation routes are blocked,” Gibson said in an interview with CBS MoneyWatch. According to Gibson, one of her fears is that China could begin nationalizing and hoarding medicines that would otherwise be exported to the U.S. and other countries. “Whatever supply of essential medicines China has is needed to care for Chinese people that are suffering. It means we in the US are not going to have as much as we thought we would. It’s very scary,” Gibson said in her interview. Presently, the U.S. relies heavily on China when it comes to drugs and the ingredients needed for their production. In fact, according to the FDA, China, as of 2018, ranked second among the countries that exported drugs to the U.S. In addition to medicines and their APIs, China also produces and exports numerous FDA-approved medical supply components such as insulin pumps, MRI machines, catheters and dental implants. China’s hold on the global pharmaceutical industry is so deeply entrenched that according to Jayasree Iyer, executive director at the Access to Medicine Foundation, a non-profit organization that analyzes the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, it would be very difficult for a foreign buyer like the U.S. to replace Chinese API supplies in the event of a substantial supply chain disruption, such as the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak which, as of press time, has already infected 83,368 and killed 2,858 people worldwide. link
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Post by J.J.Gibbs on Feb 28, 2020 17:35:01 GMT -5
SHOCK: Leaked documents reveal Wuhan coronavirus infections up to 52 times HIGHER than official Chinese figures
Thursday, February 27, 2020 by: JD Heyes Tags: China, communist government, fake numbers, false data, funeral employees, funeral homes, infections, lies, pandemic, propaganda, Shandong Province, underreport, Wuhan coronavirus (Natural News) If you were skeptical from the beginning that Chinese authorities were accurately reporting on the number of Wuhan coronavirus infections since the outbreak began in December, your instincts serve you well. It turns out they weren’t, and now documents have leaked proving as much. The Epoch Times reported Wednesday that the outbreak of the virus in China’s Shandong province is far worse than previously stated by the government, according to several official documents the news organization has managed to obtain. The outlet reported: Each day from Feb. 9 to Feb. 23, Shandong authorities underreported the number of infections, according to internal data compiled by the Shandong Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). The CDC kept a tally of the number of people who tested positive for the virus during nucleic acid testing—using a diagnostic kit to test patient samples and detect whether they contain the virus’s genetic sequence. The CDC’s day-to-day infection figures ranged anywhere from 1.36 times to 52 times more than the data that was officially published by the Shandong health commission and China’s National Health Commission, the documents show. As of Feb. 25, the provincial government said that a total of 755 infections had been identified, but in fact, according to the internal leaked document, 1,992 had actually tested positive for the virus via nucleic acid testing as of Feb. 23. On Feb. 22, the provincial government said that four additional people had been positively diagnosed with the virus, but in fact, the internal document said that health officials had found that 61 people had actually tested positive for the day. And in the days since Feb. 23, official figures show that the infection numbers are actually leveling off, though there is no reason to believe them, obviously. For instance, the National Health Commission reported Feb. 25 there were just nine new cases of virus diagnosed outside of Wuhan City, the outbreak’s epicenter. ‘We have collected hundreds of thousands of samples for diagnosis’ “In fact,” The Epoch Times reported, “Shandong alone had new infections in the double-digits daily. On Feb. 20, new infections spiked, with 274 people testing positive.” While many geopolitical experts familiar with the historic opaqueness of the Communist government in China long suspected Beijing was not accurately reporting rates of infection, the documents provide the first substantial evidence of routine underreporting. Previously, The Epoch Times had interviewed workers at funeral homes in Wuhan who said they were having to work around the clock just to keep up with the number of bodies they had to process. As Natural News reported, citing Chinese and English-speaking media earlier this month, workers were flocking to Wuhan City in response to calls for more help from funeral home directors, some of whom were paying the Chinese currency equivalent of $143 an hour. And it was clear that, with the job announcements, funeral home directors believe that ‘business’ isn’t going to slow down anytime soon — a point emphasized by some local medical workers who have also been revealing the true severity of the pandemic. “We have collected hundreds of thousands of samples for diagnosis,” Wang Hui, chief nurse at the Wuhan Tongji Hospital, one of more than 40 in the city that have been designated virus treatment centers, said during a recent media interview. Health experts have long doubted that China was officially reporting virus infections based on their own statistical modeling. Recently, a group of U.S. researchers published an as-yet non-peer reviewed paper suggesting that total infections and deaths from the coronavirus in China could be higher by a factor of 5 to 10. U.S.-based China experts have said that the government is underreporting cases because Communist leaders want to give citizens the impression they’ve got a handle on the pandemic. “It [Beijing] is trying to create an image that most of the country is safe enough to resume production,” Tang Jingyuan told The Epoch Times. link
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Post by schwartzie on Feb 29, 2020 15:51:17 GMT -5
A lot of the stories about this virus may be hype, but frankly, I think it's a manufactured crisis to help bring about the One World Order. Source Claims that the Coronavirus Death Toll in Iran Could be ‘Six Times’ Higher than Reported
Sources from within Iranian hospitals believe that a minimum of 200 fatalities has occurred in Iran since the outbreak of CoVid-19; The US is offering help despite previous sanctions. Several sources from within hospital(s) inside of Iran are claiming that the death toll from the coronavirus is being highly underreported by the Iranian government. While Iran has officially reported 34 deaths after eight more were announced on Friday, the numbers compiled by individuals inside of the hospital(s) exceeds 200. Additionally, Iran has confirmed 143 new cases of the virus as of Friday. The majority of the fatalities have come from the capital city of Tehran as well as Qom, where the virus first came on the scene in Iran. Despite the economically crippling sanctions the United States has implemented on Iran, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced, “We have made offers to the Islamic Republic of Iran to help. Their healthcare infrastructure is not robust and, to date, their willingness to share information about what’s really going on inside… Iran has not been robust.” Unfortunately, Iran dismissed this offer of help as nothing by a political stunt. Furthermore, several key Iranian officials have now contracted the virus, some of whom have been in extremely close proximity to the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani this week. February 29th, 2020|News link |
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Post by PurplePuppy on Mar 2, 2020 1:38:00 GMT -5
British health secretary issues shock warning that entire CITIES could be shut down over coronavirus if spread continues
Sunday, March 01, 2020 by: JD Heyes Tags: China, cities, Collapse, coronavirus, economic collapse, health officials, infectious disease, London, outbreak, pandemic, quarantine, spread, UK, United Kingdom, virus, Wuhan (Natural News) Just when you thought maybe the Wuhan coronavirus’ global spread may be petering out and that the world could take a step back from the pandemic abyss, another alarming report surfaces to make you think conditions are not improving at all. We already know that the virus has spread well beyond the borders of China, where it originated. We know that the virus has spread to all of the continents, and that it has killed on most of them. But what we are learning everyday now is that while the virus’ spread may be slowing in China — may be, we’re not yet convinced that’s true — it is just now beginning to spread elsewhere. And the effects are alarming. On Sunday, in fact, health officials in the United Kingdom actually made a shocking announcement: If the virus continues to spread around the country, the government could order entire cities to be shut down and everyone in them quarantined, just like the Communist government in China has done (and we’ve seen what that did to China’s economy and production). UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock, in an interview with the BBC, said he wasn’t prepared to take anything “off the table at this stage” after being asked whether Britain would consider a Wuhan City-style mass quarantine of entire towns. “There’s clearly a huge economic and social downside to that but we don’t take anything off the table at this stage because you’ve got to make sure that you have all of the tools available if that is what’s necessary,” he said. “I want to minimize the social and economic disruption, and at this stage we still have the hope – although the numbers elsewhere are rising fast – we still have the hope that we might be able to avoid this outcome,” he added. “Under the worst-case scenario we would have to take some quite significant actions that would have social and economic disruption.” ‘Every single person has a role to play’ Already London is considering some drastic measures such as banning all public gatherings and sporting events like soccer matches, closing schools, and telling people not to use public transportation if they can find other ways of getting around. Thus far, according to The Epoch Times, there are 35 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, according to Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Witty. That is about half of the amount of sick in the U.S. (71 as of Sunday, 44 of which were from the infected cruise ship in Japan). “As of 9am this morning 12 further patients in England have tested positive for COVID-19. Three patients were close contacts of a known case, transmitted in the UK, identified as part of contact tracing,” he said in a statement. “One patient, resident in Essex, had no relevant travel and it is not yet clear whether they contracted it directly or indirectly from an individual who had recently returned from abroad; investigations are ongoing. Of the remaining eight cases, six had recently traveled from Italy and two from Iran.” As for Hancock, he made similar statements as other health agencies around the world in noting that citizens can help prevent the spread of the infection if they just wash their hands more often. “Every single person has a role to play in helping to manage the spread of the virus, whether that’s washing your hands more often, catching your sneezes, and following clinical advice,” he said. There is also a developing fear of re-infection. As Natural News reported, a percentage of coronavirus patients who have ‘recovered’ are testing positive for the illness a second time. “New reports suggest that at least 14 percent of former coronavirus patients who appear to have overcome the novel infection end up contracting it a second time after being released from medical care,” Ethan Huff wrote on Sunday. link
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Post by Berean on Mar 2, 2020 4:53:50 GMT -5
Canine coronavirus outbreak: Dog version of the virus is found in GREYHOUNDS as race bosses urge owners to isolate infected pooches
Greyhounds arriving in Victoria will be isolated following a coronavirus outbreak The canine coronavirus is relatively common and cannot spread to humans Dogs experience shivers, vomiting and diarrhoea if infected with virus By DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA REPORTER PUBLISHED: 23:22 EST, 1 March 2020 | UPDATED: 00:02 EST, 2 March 2020 All greyhounds arriving in Victoria will be isolated as they industry moves to stop the spread of canine coronavirus. Nine News reports a Geelong greyhound property has been temporarily shutdown following an outbreak. Greyhound Racing Victoria say the canine coronavirus can't spread to humans and is not fatal to dogs. Despite this, GRV say any greyhounds displaying symptoms of the infection should be isolated. Full story with pictures and video at link
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Post by schwartzie on Mar 2, 2020 11:31:08 GMT -5
I'm over 60, and in all my life I've never seen anything being so hyped and so sensationalized - not AIDS, not herpes, not swine flu.... I'm becoming more and more convinced that the agenda behind all this is to begin population reduction, crash the world economy, eliminate cash, institute even more draconian surveillance of the citizens, and kick start the One World Order. TPTB have to really get moving if they're to meet their goal of the 2030 Agenda.
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Post by schwartzie on Mar 2, 2020 11:36:18 GMT -5
‘YOU NEED TO SHUT UP’: DR DREW SLAMS MEDIA OVER CORONAVIRUS DOOM-MONGERING
It’s “overblown press created hysteria” Steve Watson | Infowars.com - MARCH 2, 2020 84 Comments 'You Need To Shut Up': Dr Drew Slams Media Over Coronavirus Doom-mongering David Drew Pinsky, otherwise known as ‘Dr Drew’, has slammed the media for over-hyping the coronavirus, leading people the world over to panic buy provisions and medical supplies. Speaking with Daily Blast Live, Dr Drew said “Let me frame it this way: we have in the United States 24 million cases of flu-like illness, 180,000 hospitalizations, 16,000 dead from influenza,” “Why is that not being reported? Why isn’t the message: get your flu shot?” he added. In a previous appearance on the show, Dr Drew urged that “We are not overreacting; the press is overreacting, and it makes me furious.” “The press should not be reporting medical stories as though they know how to report it,” he continued. “If we have a pandemic, I won’t know how to tell that we’re actually having a pandemic because everything is an emergency.” Drew further explained, adding “People that are infectious disease specialists, the CDC, the epidemiologist , need to take this very seriously. The press needs to shut up because you’re more likely to die of influenza right now.”
“Where was the press during the Mediterranean corona outbreak where the fatality rate was 41%?” Dr Drew asserted, adding “If they wanted to get crazed about something, why didn’t they get crazed about MERS or SARS? This is an overblown press created hysteria.”
Dr Drew also ridiculed leftists who have claimed that Vice President Mike Pence is the last person who should be overseeing the government response.
“I have no idea what people are talking about. Whether Pence is the right person, look the right people are Anthony Fauci of the CDC. Dr. Fauci will tell you what’s going on, when you need to worry … that guy’s been on top of infectious disease for 30 years.” he said.
“When there’s a problem, he will let us know and he’s been saying exactly what I’ve been saying the whole way. Look to him, not me, and not even Vice President Pence, look at guys like Anthony Fauci whose responsibility is to contain these things.” Drew proclaimed.
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Post by schwartzie on Mar 2, 2020 11:38:17 GMT -5
DEADLY PANDEMIC SETS STAGE FOR GLOBALIST TAKEOVER
Coronavirus was likely deliberately released Daniel Taylor | Old-Thinker News - MARCH 2, 2020 3 Comments Deadly Pandemic Sets Stage for Globalist Takeover Due to the conflicting reports about the Coronavirus, it is difficult to discern the truth. Mainstream media, and the establishment that props it up, has become so distrusted that a crisis of confidence is threatening to bring everything down. Coronavirus is hitting the United States at a time of internal conflict and civil war at the highest levels of government. What we can discern are a variety of mega-trends that at the very least point to a strong motive for a deliberate release of a man-made virus that could meet the goals of bad actors working against America and humanity at large. At the very least – even if it turns out that mortality rates are low – Coronavirus is being used as a deadly economic and political weapon. To begin, let’s take a look at some of the major trends and data points that have recently shaped the globe: In 2017, the Pentagon initiated a study that assessed the threat of synthetic biology tech creating engineered biological weapons that are difficult to identify. As Wired magazine reported, this development “…could have implications for defensive strategies against a new type of bioweapon, potentially more difficult to identify because it resembles its “natural” counterpart.” The fact that Coronavirus first appeared in China, an enemy of the United States, meant that the most authoritarian country on earth set the tone for how to respond to the outbreak, and initiated a coverup of the true nature of the virus. Efforts to undermine President Trump’s successful presidency have so far failed. A persistent effort to sabotage both Trump and American success at large has been at work since before Trump was elected. An overall move toward authoritarian globalism worldwide is meeting resistance. Populist movements are angering elites. The medical industrial complex is experiencing a crisis of confidence, as revealed by recent comments from top scientists at the WHO Global Vaccine Safety Summit. A pro-human philosophy for the future of mankind is gaining a foothold, threatening a long-established plan for technocratic rule. Coronavirus is appearing at a critical point in human development. The technological revolution has the potential to lift up all of mankind, while overall confidence in the establishment is at an all time low as governments struggle to contain “empowered individuals“. What better way to counter every single one of these developments than to release a pandemic virus on the globe? When threatened with the prospect of a deadly virus, unprepared humans will quickly abandon any kind of morality or higher values in pursuit of the common good. Deep state operatives (like George Soros) have already made moves to destabilize the United States. Democrats have hoped for a global economic crisis to stop Trump from winning in 2020. President Trump’s perceived inaction can be used against him if the virus is reported to be community spread on a large scale in the US. Authoritarian rule, including Big Tech censorship of online speech, could be justified as a means to control the population. The medical establishment can make a comeback with a vaccine to save the world from Coronavirus, utilizing the same synthetic biology technology that may have been used to create the virus. The best response that informed individuals can take is to prepare as best we can while continuing to practice and promote virtues of freedom, self reliance, and Judeo Christian values that sustained the west during times of hardship in the past. Make no mistake, America and Trump’s response could shape history. Video at link
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Post by Berean on Mar 3, 2020 1:46:41 GMT -5
Coronavirus: Britain braced for crackdown
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Post by Midnight on Mar 4, 2020 3:12:19 GMT -5
Buying into the hype!
All of A Sudden People All Across America Are Prepping Like Crazy
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Post by schwartzie on Mar 4, 2020 9:36:16 GMT -5
They're really pushing this thing! Former FDA head says number of coronavirus cases in the USA likely already in the “low thousands”
Tuesday, March 03, 2020 by: Ethan Huff Tags: China, coronavirus, covid-19, disease, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, global emergency, infection, infections, low thousands, novel coronavirus, outbreak, pandemic, Scott Gottlieb, virus, Wuhan, Wuhan coronavirus \ (Natural News) The official infection count for the Wuhan coronavirus (CoVid-19) here in the United States currently stands at 106 (and likely a few more by the time this gets published). But according to Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the true number has actually breached the “low thousands.” During one of his many recent appearances on cable news, Gottlieb publicly stated that Americans shouldn’t trust the rhetoric coming from the Trump administration, adding that things are far from “okay” like President Trump is claiming. In Gottlieb’s view, the number of Wuhan coronavirus (CoVid-19) infections in the U.S. will continue to “grow rapidly,” which means that Americans need to start stocking up on supplies and preparing in other ways for widespread societal disruptions. By the end of the week, he’s quoted as saying, the confirmed number of Wuhan coronavirus (CoVid-19) cases will likely enter into the hundreds. But there are still many hundreds more cases that have not yet been confirmed, meaning that when all is said and done, we could be seeing many thousands of confirmed cases of the novel disease. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still telling Americans that it’s not necessary to wear surgical protective masks in public, Gottlieb apparently believes otherwise. “Right now, there [are] probably hundreds or low thousands of cases … that aren’t reported yet,” Gottlieb is quoted as saying. “It’s a big country, 330 million people, so anyone’s individual risk is still very low, but we need to get those cases diagnosed and identified so we can start getting people quarantined and into treatment and prevent more spread. We need to start mitigating the implications of this spread.” link |
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Post by Berean on Mar 4, 2020 21:47:28 GMT -5
Iran's first vice president 'has coronavirus', it is claimed, as illness affects 8% of MPs and 54,000 prisoners are released to stop it spreading
Death toll reached 92, the highest outside of China, with 2,922 infected One of those infected is said to be the First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri Ali Khamenei said COVID-19 isn't 'that big of a deal' despite one of his most trusted advisers dying and eight percent of his parliament infected By ROSS IBBETSON FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 04:00 EST, 4 March 2020 | UPDATED: 14:09 EST, 4 March 2020 Iran's First Vice President has reportedly contracted coronavirus as the death toll soared to 92 today, exceeding Italy's, with the worsening contagion prompting the regime to cancel Friday prayers. Tehran announced total infections rose to 2,922 on Wednesday and it was said the country's most senior VP, Eshaq Jahangiri, was the latest high-profile figure to contract the disease. Iranians were told Friday prayers - deeply significant in the Islamic Republic - were to be cancelled in the capital and in other areas after the death toll became the highest from the virus outside mainland China. The judiciary meanwhile said it was freeing 54,000 inmates who have tested negative for the virus and posted bail. It added that these would not include 'security prisoners' jailed for more than five years. Full story with pictures and video at link
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Post by Midnight on Mar 5, 2020 4:32:46 GMT -5
Italy's coronavirus death toll hits 107 just weeks after first case in the country - as all schools and universities and sporting venues are locked down and authorities plan a ban on KISSING
The number of people infected in Italy soared to over 3,000 today, including 107 dead across the country All schools and universities will be shuttered until mid-March, and interpersonal contact will be discouraged Italian PM is expected to provide new health rules, including bans on kissing, hugging and shaking hands By RYAN FAHEY and ROSS IBBETSON FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 07:04 EST, 4 March 2020 | UPDATED: 21:09 EST, 4 March 2020 Italy closed all schools and universities and prepared other emergency measures on Wednesday to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Europe's worst-hit country as the death toll and number of cases jumped. The total number of dead in Italy rose to 107 after 28 people died of the highly contagious virus over the past 24 hours, the Civil Protection Agency said. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's government released a decree this afternoon which told the nation, among other restrictions, that the public should refrain from the traditional Italian greeting of kissing each other on the cheek. A later announcement confirmed that all sporting events will take place without fans present for at least the next month due to the virus outbreak. Full story with pictures and video at link
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Post by Midnight on Mar 5, 2020 4:35:01 GMT -5
WHO urges people not to talk about 'transmitting' coronavirus because it 'assigns blame' in woke message for medical staff
Its most recent advice was aimed at tackling social stigma around the disease Told people to talk about 'acquiring' the disease but not about 'spreading it' Urged people to avoid adding country or ethnicity when talking about it By TERRI-ANN WILLIAMS FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 07:19 EST, 4 March 2020 | UPDATED: 12:04 EST, 4 March 2020 The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged people not to talk about transmitting the coronavirus because it 'assigns blame' to those who may be carrying it in a woke message for medical staff. In its most recent advice for those concerned about the risks of the deadly virus, the group aimed to tackle the so-called 'social stigma' around the disease. It highlighted why COVID-19 is causing stigma and discouraged people from adding countries or ethnicities when talking about transmission. Posting its new guidance to social media WHO said: 'DO - talk about people "acquiring" or "contracting" #COVID19 'DON'T - talk about people "transmitting COVID-19", "infecting others" or "spreading the virus" as it implies intentional transmission and assigns blame.' Full story with pictures and video at link
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Post by shalom on Mar 6, 2020 15:54:23 GMT -5
Chinese scientists identify two strains of the coronavirus, indicating it’s already mutated at least once
PUBLISHED WED, MAR 4 20207:35 AM ESTUPDATED WED, MAR 4 20208:53 AM EST Sam Meredith @smeredith19 KEY POINTS The more aggressive type of virus was found to be prevalent in the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan — the Chinese city where COVID-19 was first detected late last year. But the frequency of this type of virus has since decreased from early January, the scientists said. Researchers cautioned that data examined in the study was still “very limited.” Researchers in China have found that two different types of the new coronavirus could be causing infections worldwide. In a preliminary study published Tuesday, scientists at Peking University’s School of Life Sciences and the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai found that a more aggressive type of the new coronavirus had accounted for roughly 70% of analyzed strains, while 30% had been linked to a less aggressive type. The more aggressive type of virus was found to be prevalent in the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan — the Chinese city where COVID-19 was first detected late last year. But the frequency of this type of virus has since decreased from early January. The researchers said their results indicate the development of new variations of the spike in COVID-19 cases was “likely caused by mutations and natural selection besides recombination.” “These findings strongly support an urgent need for further immediate, comprehensive studies that combine genomic data, epidemiological data, and chart records of the clinical symptoms of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),” they said. Researchers cautioned that data examined in the study was still “very limited,” emphasizing that follow-up studies of a larger set of data would be needed to gain a “better understanding” of the evolution and epidemiology of COVID-19. The findings were published in the National Science Review, the journal of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Travel restrictions The study comes shortly after the WHO confirmed the fast-spreading virus had infected more than 93,000 people worldwide, with at least 3,100 deaths. The vast majority of those cases have been reported in China, although the number of new daily infections overseas has now exceeded those in the world’s second-largest economy. South Korea, Italy, Iran and Germany have all recorded sharp upticks in cases of the flu-like virus in recent days, with many countries imposing travel restrictions on virus-hit areas worldwide. The outbreak has now spread to more than 70 countries, while the WHO has warned that COVID-19 could soon reach most, “if not all,” nations around the world. link
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Post by shalom on Mar 6, 2020 15:56:37 GMT -5
El Al cancels flights to San Francisco, Europe amid ‘unprecedented’ virus crisis
Israeli airline, hit hard by spread of coronavirus, combines flights, will use smaller planes as global travel slumps By TOI STAFF Today, 4:56 pm 2 El Al on Friday cancelled a flight to San Francisco and several others to a number of European cities amid a global drop in travel over fears about the new coronavirus, with a senior company official calling it “an unprecedented crisis.” Flights that left for San Francisco Friday morning were combined, according to El Al, due to the low number of passengers on each plane. In Europe, the Israeli airline was cancelling some flights to Berlin, Barcelona and Zurich. All three cities are located in countries which Israel began restricting the entry of non-nationals to on Friday as part of efforts to slow the spread of the virus. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top storiesFREE SIGN UP “This is an unprecedented crisis,” a senior El Al official told the Ynet news site. “The consequences of this crisis are huge and we are trying to do everything we can [to handle it],” he said. El Al was also expected to cancel flights on Sunday to Munich, Budapest, Amsterdam, Brussels, Bucharest, Vienna and Marseille. The official at the airline told the website that El Al was working to combine flights and use smaller planes. Empty departure halls at Ben Gurion Airport. on March 4, 2020. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90) On Wednesday, El Al fired some 600 permanent workers as it grapples with ongoing financial losses caused by the virus outbreak. Other employees in high paying roles are likely to have their salaries cut. The airline also axed hundreds of temporary workers, who are employed by the company for under five years. The fired staff include air crews, flight attendants, ground crews and others. The company appears to be one of the hardest hit in Israel by the virus. On Wednesday, the Bank of Israel said the country’s economy was weathering the crisis, but was ready to step in to help if necessary. On Tuesday El Al cut salaries of its senior staff by 20 percent. The salary reduction includes the company’s board of directors and chairman, and retroactively takes effect from March 1, Channel 12 reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the head of the union, Sharon Ben Itzhak, that he had assigned a ministerial committee to help El Al and other Israeli airlines. Besides cutting back flights, El Al has also suspended flights to Italy and Thailand and and said it would delay its planned launch of direct flights to Tokyo until April. The airline extended its halt of flights to Beijing and Hong Kong until May. A pilgrim wearing a protective mask visis the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City in Jerusalem on February 27, 2020. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP) Despite the damage to the aviation industry, the Tourism Ministry said Wednesday that the usual number of tourists entered Israel in February, with some 344,000 arrivals and an estimated tourist revenue of $486 million. Israel has thus far taken far-reaching measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, forcing thousands of Israelis into self-quarantine, barring foreigners from countries hit hard by the virus, banning large gatherings, and advising against personal contact and travel abroad. It was the first country to urge its citizens to refrain from international travel entirely because of the outbreak, which started in China in December and has since infected over 100,000 in about 85 nations and claimed nearly 3,400 lives, almost all of them in China. There have been 19 confirmed cases of the virus in Israel and no deaths. link
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