Commentary: Five Questions About the Coronavirus Testing Answered
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The main symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, are fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. These look a lot like the flu and the common cold, so it takes a physician to determine if testing for the virus is necessary.
Initially, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended testing only people with symptoms and who had potentially been exposed to the virus. But to the surprise of public health officials, several of the first people in the U.S. who tested positive for the virus had no obvious exposure. This development suggested that the virus was being transmitted locally, meaning it was spreading from person to person easily and/or that people may have been transmitting the virus without experiencing serious symptoms." Thank You, Minnesota Sun.
Read moreCommentary: Globalization Helped Export China’s Coronavirus
"n the current environment, something not seen in America in living memory, the fear and panic of the Chinese coronavirus make it near impossible to look ahead. But while everyone who can is working on the “here and now,” it is vital that we think about how this situation came to be, what we can learn from it, and how the crisis we are now experiencing can be prevented in the future." Thank You, Minnesota Sun.
Read morePence: We’re Suspending Travel from U.K. and Ireland – Americans ‘Can Come Home’
"During a press conference on Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence announced that travel from the United Kingdom and Ireland will be suspended at midnight on Monday, but Americans and legal residents of the U.S. in those countries will be allowed to return to the United States."
Read moreVirus Cases Spread Across Africa, Nations Prepare for More
"Africa is seeing a steady spread of the coronavirus across the continent, with four new countries confirming cases on Saturday, so that 23 of Africa’s 54 countries have COVID-19 patients."
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Coronavirus: Spain Limits Public Movement, Shuts Down Bars, Restaurants, Hotels, and More
" Spain´s government is set to announce Saturday that it is placing tight restrictions on movements and closing restaurants and other establishments in the nation of 46 million people as part of a two-week state of emergency to fight the sharp rise in coronavirus infections."
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Health Expert: 60% of Britons Need to Catch Coronavirus to Develop ‘Herd Immunity’
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The government’s chief scientific adviser has said that 60 per cent of Britons need to catch coronavirus to develop “herd immunity” because the virus could return like the winter flu.
“We think this virus is likely to be one that comes year on year, becomes like a seasonal virus,” Sir Patrick Valance said.
“Communities will become immune to it and that’s going to be an important part of controlling this longer term. About 60 per cent is the sort of figure you need to get herd immunity,” he told Sky News on Friday."
Read moreHow Serious is the Corona Virus? Infectious Disease Expert Michael Osterholm Explains
This is a little over 15-minute video of the Joe Rogan Show. Michael Osterholm explains how the epidemic is unfolding.
Read moreresearchers rush to start moderna coronavirus vaccine trial without usual animal testing
"As they race to test an experimental coronavirus vaccine, researchers aren’t waiting to see how well it prevents infection in animals before trying it in people, breaking from the usual protocol."
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President Trump Suspends Entry From EU Schengen Area – Outline of Travel Restrictions
"The EU nations impacted include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
This is a prudent step because these are EU nations, under their collective assembly, who permit unrestricted travel without border enforcement or containment measures."
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