The coronavirus situation in the US, as reported yesterday, 29 Feb 2020.

Feb. 29, 2020 / 10:41 AM
Health officials confirm first U.S. coronavirus death
By
Danielle Haynes & Christen McCurdy

Feb. 29 (UPI) -- Health officials confirmed the first U.S. death due to coronavirus Saturday.

According to the Washington State Department of Health and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, one person in Washington state has died of the virus.

"It is a sad day in our state as we learn that a Washingtonian has died from COVID-19. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus," Inslee said in a statement.

The patient, a man in his late 50s, was admitted to EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, Wash., with "serious respiratory issues," the hospital said in a statement to The Seattle Times.

The announcement came one day after Washington reported one of four cases of so-called community-spread coronavirus, meaning the patients didn't contract the virus through travel or contact with known carriers.

During a Saturday-afternoon news conference, officials said two of the newly-diagnosed patients were connected to a long-term care facility in Kirkland, Wash. have also tested positive for the virus.

A resident in her 70s is in serious condition, and a health employee in her 40s is stable. An additional 27 residents and 25 employees have symptoms of the facility have shown symptoms, officials said.

Dr. Francis Riedo, medical director of infection control at Evergreen Health Hospital in Washington, where the patient who died was treated, said the uptick in diagnoses was attributable to recently increased testing capacity and this week's change in testing criteria.

Previously, Riedo said, the Centers for Disease Control recommended only testing individuals with a history of traveling to coronavirus-infected regions, or contact with a known infected person.

On Tuesday the federal agency changed testing criteria to allow testing of individuals based on symptoms alone, prompting hospital staff to test two critically ill patients, according to Riedo.

Health officials in Oregon and Washington announced a new case in each state late Friday, after California announced its second case earlier in the day.

Officials in Oregon shut down a Lake Oswego elementary school after an employee there tested presumptive positive. The woman's test will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The woman was quarantined at the Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro as health officials attempt to determine if she exposed anyone at the school to COVID-19. She first began exhibiting symptoms Feb. 19 and was tested for the virus Friday.

"Our first concern is for this individual, to make sure they're being cared for and is able to recover," said Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen. "Our next priority is finding out who this individual had contact with and make sure they know about their risks, and to let them know how they can get care if they need it. We said this was a fast-moving situation, and that has proved to be true."

Lake Oswego School District spokeswoman Mary Kay Larson told The Oregonian that officials shut down Forest Hills Elementary School through Wednesday for a "deep cleaning." The district also canceled all activities through the weekend at all schools.

The woman is Oregon's first case of COVID-19 since the global outbreak began in December.

One of the two new diagnoses Washington announced Friday involves a teenager who hadn't traveled to affected areas nor had contact with another confirmed case. The teen's test was also presumptive positive, meaning the CDC will need to confirm.

"It's concerning that this individual did not travel, since this individual acquired it in the community," Washington health officer Dr. Kathy Lofy said during a news conference. "We really believe now that the risk is increasing."

The Seattle Times reported the teen became ill Monday with fever, body aches and a headache and visited two clinics for treatment. He returned to Henry M. Jackson High School on Friday, though, because he began to feel better.

Some students who interacted with the teen have been quarantined for 14 days.

Earlier Friday, California announced its fourth case of community-spread coronavirus in an adult woman. The woman lives in Santa Clara County, about 40 miles from the location of the first case of community-spread coronavirus in Solano County.

CDC officials said Friday that all state and local public health laboratories across the country will have the capability to test for the virus by the end of next week.

The announcement comes as officials face criticism over shortages of working test kits in several states with hundreds of suspected cases of the virus, most notably California. UPI reported Thursday that California currently has 8,400 state residents under self-quarantine but only 200 kits available to test for the virus.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/02 ... 582986064/

Interesting read.
You’re Likely to Get the Coronavirus
Most cases are not life-threatening, which is also what makes the virus a historic challenge to contain.
James Hamblin
February 24, 2020
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/arch ... ne/607000/

39,002 recovered COVID-19 patients discharged from hospital in China
01/03/20 12:41
BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 39,002 patients of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had been discharged from hospital after recovery by the end of Friday, Chinese health authority said Saturday.

Friday saw 2,885 people discharged from hospital after recovery, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.

By the end of Friday, a total of 79,251 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 had been reported on the Chinese mainland, and 2,835 people had died of the disease.
http://en.freshnewsasia.com/index.php/e ... 22-09.html

Thailand's first virus death,only 35 years old

Thailand today confirmed its first death from complications related to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoen, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, made the announcement in a Bangkok press conference. The victim was described as a 35 year old who also had dengue fever.

The patient had been in hospital for roughly a month and was tested for the coronavirus in early February. According to Ministry of Health, he initially recovered, but later suffered complications arising from previous health issues.

The man was reportedly a sales clerk who worked directly with Chinese tourists.

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/coronav ... ated-death

The surgeon general on Saturday urged the public to stop buying masks, warning that it won’t help against the spread of the coronavirus but will take away important resources from health care professionals.

“Seriously people — STOP BUYING MASKS!” the surgeon general, Jerome M. Adams, said in a tweet on Saturday morning. “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if health care providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!”

In another tweet, Dr. Adams said the best way to protect against the virus is to wash hands regularly, and for those who are feeling ill to stay home.

Health officials around the world have been imploring the public to stop buying masks if they are healthy or not caring for someone who is ill. Medical professionals need a large supply of the masks because they are in direct contact with infected patients and must change their masks repeatedly.

Dr. Ryan said masks primarily prevent a person from giving the disease to someone else.

“There are limits to how a mask can protect you from being infected,” he said

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/heal ... PMgF-_pTiA

above; dont spread rumors
POPE Francis cancelled a church service today after he was struck down with illness.

The 83-year-year-old pontiff was not well enough to attend the mass, although there is no suggestion at this stage he has coronavirus as the outbreak in Italy topped 500 cases.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11054234/ ... ronavirus/

so in the past 24 hours
1 dead in US, Oz and Thailand and who knows how many elsewhere.