by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
SARS became the first virus of the new millennium to reach pandemic status back in 2002-2003 when it surged out of the Hong Kong area and managed to establish a presence in many countries - particularly throughout Asia. SARS raged on for nearly a year before finally being brought under control.
Now a new deadly virus, also with roots in China, has already surpassed the death toll of SARS and is on the verge of being declared a pandemic. Cases of Novel Coronavirus were first reported in the Central Chinese city of Wuhan on December 31, 2019 - thought to have originated in a large fish market - and quickly spread within the city's population and beyond. As talk of an outbreak began to circulate, foreign nationals rushed to leave the city of eleven million and return to their home countries - and more that five million Chinese nationals left Wuhan before the government finally locked the city down in early February.
Wuhan is a large industrial city and the capital of Hubei Province. It is located where the Yangtze River and its largest tributary, the Han, meet. Foreign visitors with business ties to Wuhan have given it the nickname "the Chicago of China."
The virus easily managed to move beyond the city. It spreads by saliva, urine, stool, and respiratory droplets.
As of this morning there have been at least 910 deaths attributed to Coronavirus, mostly in China - and there were 97 deaths yesterday alone - again mostly in China. At least one of the dead in China has been reported to be an American. The total number of reported Coronavirus cases as of today is 40, 615.
Four days ago twelve cases had been reported in the United States: six in California, two in Illinois, and one each in Washington, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin.
Symptoms include, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and other breathing difficulties.
There is a cruise ship currently quarantined in Yokohama (Japan) Harbor due to this outbreak. The "Diamond Princess" has 2,666 "guests" and a crew of 1,045. The ill-fated ship also has 135 confirmed or suspected cases of Coronavirus, of which twenty-three are Americans. The quarantine is currently scheduled to remain in place until February 19th.
A comparison between cruise ships (captive cultures) and petri dishes would not be totally out of line.
Because so many individuals were able to flee Wuhan before the government of China isolated the city, and the speed with which people can now circumnavigate the globe, the potential for the virus to spread is great. Add to those factors what appears to be a movement away from science in certain quarters of the world - such as Washington, DC - and the world could be in real trouble with this one.
What happened in Wuhan did not stay in Wuhan. It impacts us all.
Citizen Journalist
SARS became the first virus of the new millennium to reach pandemic status back in 2002-2003 when it surged out of the Hong Kong area and managed to establish a presence in many countries - particularly throughout Asia. SARS raged on for nearly a year before finally being brought under control.
Now a new deadly virus, also with roots in China, has already surpassed the death toll of SARS and is on the verge of being declared a pandemic. Cases of Novel Coronavirus were first reported in the Central Chinese city of Wuhan on December 31, 2019 - thought to have originated in a large fish market - and quickly spread within the city's population and beyond. As talk of an outbreak began to circulate, foreign nationals rushed to leave the city of eleven million and return to their home countries - and more that five million Chinese nationals left Wuhan before the government finally locked the city down in early February.
Wuhan is a large industrial city and the capital of Hubei Province. It is located where the Yangtze River and its largest tributary, the Han, meet. Foreign visitors with business ties to Wuhan have given it the nickname "the Chicago of China."
The virus easily managed to move beyond the city. It spreads by saliva, urine, stool, and respiratory droplets.
As of this morning there have been at least 910 deaths attributed to Coronavirus, mostly in China - and there were 97 deaths yesterday alone - again mostly in China. At least one of the dead in China has been reported to be an American. The total number of reported Coronavirus cases as of today is 40, 615.
Four days ago twelve cases had been reported in the United States: six in California, two in Illinois, and one each in Washington, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin.
Symptoms include, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and other breathing difficulties.
There is a cruise ship currently quarantined in Yokohama (Japan) Harbor due to this outbreak. The "Diamond Princess" has 2,666 "guests" and a crew of 1,045. The ill-fated ship also has 135 confirmed or suspected cases of Coronavirus, of which twenty-three are Americans. The quarantine is currently scheduled to remain in place until February 19th.
A comparison between cruise ships (captive cultures) and petri dishes would not be totally out of line.
Because so many individuals were able to flee Wuhan before the government of China isolated the city, and the speed with which people can now circumnavigate the globe, the potential for the virus to spread is great. Add to those factors what appears to be a movement away from science in certain quarters of the world - such as Washington, DC - and the world could be in real trouble with this one.
What happened in Wuhan did not stay in Wuhan. It impacts us all.
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