Coronavirus outbreak expands to 18 states

Patients in 18 states have tested positive or are presumptively positive for the spreading coronavirus as public health officials race to get ahead of the growing worldwide epidemic.

 

Officials in Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee and Texas said they had identified new cases in the last 24 hours, adding to an outbreak that has infected at least 162 people nationwide. 

 

There are worrying signs that the number of cases is poised to grow

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/486123-coronavirus-outbreak-expands-to-18-states

Coronavirus has mutated at least once into two strains, study finds

A preliminary study conducted at Peking University’s School of Life Sciences and the Institute Pasteur of Shanghai discovered that one strain of coronavirus, type L, accounted for about 70% of the cases in China and is much more aggressive than the other strain, type S, which is milder and is the source of about 30% of the infections.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/coronavirus-has-mutated-at-least-once-into-two-strains-study-finds/ar-BB10NALk?ocid=spartanntp

Pence admits 'we don't have enough tests' to meet demands as delay in coronavirus testing persists

Confusion and delays appear to persist in testing Americans for coronavirus even after an outcry from state and local health authorities that the United States was behind in determining the extent of the outbreak.

Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the administration's response to the coronavirus crisis, acknowledged Thursday there was a shortfall in the number of testing kits required to meet demand.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/05/politics/mike-pence-coronavirus-testing-trump/index.html

Iranian coronavirus footage

Footage emerges claiming to show coronavirus body bags lined up in Iranian hospital - as country's first vice president 'is infected', illness affects 8% of MPs and 54,000 prisoners are released in bid to stop disease spreading

• The footage was reportedly recorded by medical personnel in a hospital 
• It shows lines of seemingly full body bags lining the floors of the hospital 
• Comes amid accusations regime is concealing the true extent of the outbreak 
• 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 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8073855/Footage-emerges-claiming-coronavirus-victim-body-bags-lined-Iranian-hospital.html?

Iranian footage

Washington county with nine coronavirus deaths and 31 cases urges ALL its 2.2MILLION residents to work from home

Washington county with nine coronavirus deaths and 31 cases urges ALL its 2.2MILLION residents to work from home and tells everyone over 60 to stay indoors - while state officials warn primary voters not to lick their ballots

• King County health officials urged businesses to allow employees to telecommute for the next three weeks
• They also recommended that higher-risk groups - including people over 60 and who have underlying health issues - to stay home and away from large social gatherings
• Washington has been at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US, with 39 cases and 10 deaths 
• Most of the state's deaths were patients at a Seattle-area nursing home that is now under federal investigation
• State officials have asked voters not to lick mail-in ballots for the March 10 primary  
• 11 people in the US have died from the COVID-19 coronavirus and 150 people have tested positive nationwide  
• Ten of the deaths have occurred in Washington state while California recorded its first death on Wednesday
• The California death was an elderly patient with underlying health conditions who was likely exposed on a cruise ship from San Francisco to Mexico in early February 
• The number of New York cases jumped to 11 on Wednesday after a Manhattan attorney's wife, two children, neighbor and friend's family of five tested positive
  

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8076427/Washington-county-31-coronavirus-patients-advises-residents-work-home.html?

What is a pandemic?

24 February 2010

A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease.

https://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/frequently_asked_questions/pandemic/en/