Corona Virus Status: Live Updates on COVID-19: Coronavirus UPDATE

Coronavirus Update (Live) COVID-19

We bring you all critical updates this morning with news about the spread of Novel Coronavirus. Although there is a lot of speculation and gossip on social media, Thaiger will only publish messages that have been confirmed by authorized medical and scientific organizations or cited with attribution in the leading global media. As history develops rapidly, we will continuously update this information.

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Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has now spread to several continents and killed at least 80, while 2,700 + are reported for infection, according to Reuters.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping says China is facing a “serious situation” because health authorities around the world are fighting to prevent a pandemic. He spoke for a long time in a public statement on Saturday.

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The director of the Chinese National Health Committee explained that people who carry the virus but who do not show symptoms can still infect others. He warns that “the epidemic is now entering a more serious and complex period.”

Eight confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in Thailand. Five of them have already returned to China. Thai public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Sunday that 84 Chinese tourists are being watched – 24 have found fever during airport screening, and 60 who have visited the hospital themselves after the onset of symptoms. 45 of this group were released and returned to China. 39 are still under surveillance.

Thailand Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn say that closing Chinese cities and banning all outgoing tourist groups by the Chinese government will cost Thailand around 50 billion baht in lost tourism revenue.

A Thai student studying at Wuhan University has posted a desperate request for help from the Thai government on Facebook. Pasricha Krutdamrongchai, says that she and her friends had no opportunity to stock up on food and water due to the short notification given before the blockade. Panich painted a grim picture of supermarket shelves naked in his post.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, arrived in Beijing, China this morning to meet government and health officials to discuss the latest measures in the Wuhan coronavirus epidemic.

“We are working 24/7 to support China and its people in this challenging time, and we remain in close contact with the affected countries, with our deeply involved regional and national offices. World Organization Healthcare is updating all countries on the situation and providing specific guidance on what to do to respond. “

WHO continues to evaluate the spread and has refused to declare the dangerous respiratory disease a “global health emergency.”

“Make no mistake: this is an emergency in China. But it has not yet become a global health emergency. It can still become one.

China has banned wildlife trade nationwide, deployed hundreds of health workers, and assigned dozens of hospitals to focus on treating the virus alone.

In the United States, the fifth case of coronavirus has been confirmed, this time in Arizona. Other examples include a Chicago woman on the sexsofana, a man in her 30s in Washington state and two in California: a man in the 50s in Orange County and a patient in Los Angeles County. Everyone had recently traveled to Wuhan, China.

The Orange County victim is in solitary confinement and in “good condition” in a local hospital. U.S. state and federal officials are tracking down those who have had any contact with the person and are at risk of infection.

Hong Kong forbids residents to travel to the Chinese province of Hubei, with the center of the epidemic in its capital Wuhan. Officials also closed major tourist attractions as a precaution.

Other international cases have been confirmed in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Nepal, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, France, Australia, and the United States.

A doctor in Toronto, Canada, Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious disease specialist who contracted SARS in 2003 and who helped Saudi Arabia control several MERS hospital outbreaks, commented over the weekend …

“The more we learn about it, the greater the chance that the broadcast will not be able to be controlled by public health measures. If so, we live with a new human virus, and we will find out if it will spread worldwide.”

“Since the true severity of the epidemic is not yet known, it is impossible to predict what the impact of this spread would be. It would likely pose significant challenges to healthcare facilities.”

Latest coronavirus updates

China has extended the deadline for filing taxes in March of a week, from March 16, 2020, to March 23, 2020, nationally. Check out our latest update on China Briefing here.

March 4 – Mainland China confirmed 119 new cases, 38 further deaths on March 3. At the end of Tuesday, the total number of cases of infection was 80,270 in the country. As per these numbers, the infection rate had slowed since the previous day, when 125 new cases had been reported.

China Briefing has compiled a list of support policies implemented by China’s central and local governments to ease compliance and the financial burden for businesses across the country, including businesses in overseas clothes and foreign trade. The list serves as the COVID-19 policy tracker for companies in China and can be read here; will be continuously updated.

Hong Kong is planning to operate two charter flights from Wuhan to bring 533 residents home. The number is tentative, as people will undergo multiple tests to ensure they are not infected with the virus. Hong Kong residents include pregnant women, cancer patients, and students who are required to take exams. Hong Kong officials are making extensive arrangements in advance to prepare for all public health risks, including that of cross-infection. There will be two doctors and two nurses onboard each of the two flights. All participants will be immediately taken to a quarantine center with a particular transport where they will have to stay for 14 days.

Hong Kong, Guangdong Province, and Shanghai announced on Tuesday that all persons entering their respective jurisdictions will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine if they have traveled to one of the regions severely affected by the coronavirus. There are severe penalties in place if someone wrongly reports their travel stories. The latest rules apply to all nationalities and aim to avoid the import of new infections and to contain the internal spread of the epidemic.
March 3 – China’s daily reports on Tuesday said there were a total of 80,151 infections and 125 new cases, of which 114 have been confirmed in Hubei. Hubei also recorded all 31 further deaths in the country. The death toll is 2,943. However, 59 percent of those diagnosed have recovered (47,204 people). All indications, therefore, indicate a drop in numbers. Worldwide, infections have crossed 90,000 in 60 countries.
Our special issue of China Briefing magazine, entitled “Operating Your China Business during a Crisis and Contagious Disease Outbreaks,” is available as a free download and offers critical operational information for managers in China whose activities have been influenced by the COVID outbreak. -19. We will also discuss the IT solutions available as the remote workforce experiment in China becomes the new normal, and we respond to urgent HR, payroll, and legal issues.
The magazine has been made available as a free download for a limited time – see here.
Nearly 300 million people have returned to work in China, although smaller companies have difficulty resuming operations after the extended lunar new year break, according to The Guardian.
March 2 – The global death toll exceeded 3,000 on Monday. Worldwide, Covid-19 has infected more than 88,000 people and has spread to more than 60 countries.

The Chinese National Health Commission reported 202 new infections and 42 further deaths today; this is the lowest daily increase since late January, according to The Guardian. As the epicenter of the epidemic, Hubei continues to record the highest number of new cases at 196 out of 202, as well as all the deaths. The death toll in China reached 2,912.
March 1 – WHO raises its assessment of the risk of spreading and the impact of coronavirus to “very high” globally, as new infections have continued to grow sharply outside of China.
February 27 – As of 6:00 in Geneva – WHO reported that China had recorded a total of 78,630 confirmed cases; 2,747 dead. 3,474 cases outside of China – in 44 countries – and 54 deaths have been reported. This is the second consecutive day that the number of new infections reported has exceeded – outside of China.
On Wednesday, February 26, Chinese health authorities said the rate of new infections had slowed on the mainland, with 433 confirmed cases and 29 deaths.
February 26 – According to the latest data released by the PA, the total confirmed cases are 81,002 with 2,762 deaths. There are 78,064 cases recorded in mainland China with 2,715 deaths, mostly in the province of Hubei.

Coronavirus Facts

Amid the social and economic disruption of the coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has released a series of measures to help foreign companies resist economic impacts. In our last article, we will briefly talk about policies.
February 25 – 80,000 people have been affected by Covid-19 since Tuesday. This includes 77,658 cases in mainland China and 2,663 deaths, mainly in the province of Hubei. Hong Kong has recorded 81 cases and 2 deaths, Macau has 10 cases.
February 23 – Over the weekend, China reported 648 new confirmed cases and 97 additional deaths, bringing the total to 76,936 (approved) and 2,442 (dead) in 31 provincial-level regions of mainland China, according to the National Health Commission at midnight on February 22nd.
February 21 – The Chinese continent reported 889 new cases, with 75,465 confirmed cases, 5,206 suspected cases, and 2,236 deaths in total (at midnight on February 20), according to the National Health Commission of China.

February 20 – The provincial government of Hubei has announced that it will postpone the restart of businesses until March 11, 2020. Hubei epidemic prevention and control headquarters said that the situation remains tense despite a drop in daily reports of new infections in the province. Here we provide the most up-to-date reopening of the map monitoring factory/office across China.
What are the key economic impacts of coronavirus on the Chinese economy? How can I successfully manage my business in Asia during this period? Register for our next “Coronavirus Outbreak: Navigating China HR and Operational Questions” webinar here (February 24, 2020 – 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm China Time).
China is temporarily reducing social insurance commitments on SMEs to combat the financial stress caused by Covid-19. In particular, the Council of State has taken a surprise decision to reduce or exempt corporate social insurance premiums (pension insurance, unemployment, and accidents at work) for businesses and to defer payments made to the social security fund. Accommodation is applicable for the next few months. We explain the new policy announcements in our latest article, “China to reduce corporate social insurance premiums, defer payment of the delivery fund for housing.”
Total cases in mainland China reached 74,576, with 394 new cases confirmed. The calculation method has changed once again with the Hubei Health Commission once again separating suspected cases from confirmed cases. The Guardian explains this change – the new system has removed people who have been diagnosed clinically (through scans and evaluation of symptoms) but have been found negative through the nucleic acid test.

The deaths due to Covid-19 in China are now 2,118 – 114 in the last 24 hours, with 108 deaths recorded in the province of Hubei.
February 19 – The total of cases in mainland China is 74,185, and the total deaths due to the virus have reached 2,004. Globally, the total number of infections is 75.152. Confirmed cases in Hong Kong reached 62. The Guardian reported a 40 percent peak in Hubei overnight deaths but also said that the infection rate in China slowed with a drop in the number of new cases.
New investment opportunities are emerging in the online retail, education, telemedicine, pharmaceutical and it sectors in China as a direct and indirect consequence of changing consumer patterns and business practices during the Covid-19 outbreak, the latest from China Briefing here.

Chinese state media reports that officials are conducting house-to-house controls in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, and have a population of 11 million. Any person suspected of having an infection will be analyzed, and those who have had contact with infected patients will be quarantined. Those who delay the notification of symptoms will be punished.
The Guardian also reports the following, as published in the Wuhan newspaper, Chutian Daily: “10 quarantine centers similar to the makeshift Fangcang hospital will be installed in eight districts of the city, providing more than 11,400 additional beds for people with mild symptoms. The buildings of factories, industrial estates, and transport centers were becoming centers of change for housing patients. “Besides, “all communities and villages would be put under” closed “management 24 hours a day, in effect, putting them under confinement.” Besides, the state-funded website, The Paper, cites informing that “as of Tuesday, anyone who buys cough medicine or treatments to reduce fever in chemicals or online will have to use their ID card.”
The State Tax Administration of China (STA) has announced a new extension for the deadline for filing taxes in February to February 28.
WHO has stated that Covid-19 only causes mild illness in 80 percent of infected people and has affected older people more severely.
“It seems that Covid-19 is not as deadly as other coronaviruses, including Sars and Mers,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, while officials were “beginning to have a clearer picture of the outbreak. “.

The Chinese authorities have provided WHO with data on 44,000 cases of Covid-19 registered in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. It also seems that the virus does not affect children in the same way as adults. Tedros elaborated: “More than 80% of patients have mild illness and will recover, 14% have a severe illness, including pneumonia and difficulty breathing, 5% have critical illnesses, including respiratory failure, septic shock, and multiorgan insufficiency, and 2% of cases are Fatal … The risk of death increases the older you are. “
February 18: The total number of confirmed infections in mainland China has been reported on Monday. According to the national health commission of the country, 12,552 patients have recovered and discharged from the hospital.
There were 98 new fatalities on Monday; 93 of them were registered in Hubei province, with 72 of the deaths reported in the provincial capital and epicenter of the outbreak – Wuhan.

The Chinese legislature has postponed the third session of the 13th National People’s Congress (the annual two-session meeting) that was scheduled to begin on March 3. This will be the first time that the session has been postponed since it became a fixed feature in the political calendar, and the reason is the apparent concern associated with the mobilization of thousands of officials, delegates and journalists to the capital as the country seeks to reduce Public meetings. Also, officials will focus on epidemic control.
The Guardian reports that the Ximian country in Henan Province, which is south of Beijing, is extending the quarantine period for its citizens to 21 days.
After Wuhan, the city of Xiaogan, in central Hubei, has imposed self-quarantine on its citizens to reduce the spread of the virus. The city has the second-highest number of confirmed cases after Wuhan.
February 17: The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in China is 70,548; There are 2,048 new cases according to the Monday’s information meeting of the Ministry of Health, of which 1,933 were notified in Hubei province. The death toll in China has reached 1,770, with 105 new deaths, of which 100 were in Hubei.
February 16: China announces a total of 68,500 infections and 1,665 deaths, with an increase of 2,000 additional cases on a Saturday night. This comes after a general decrease in infection rates.
Companies in Hubei Province are expected to resume their work as of February 21. The start dates of universities, primary and secondary schools, vocational schools, technical schools, and kindergartens are also postponed. The city of Wuhan is an important manufacturing center in Hubei and has been locked up since January 23. This article shows the last map explaining the official position – Updated: China Factory and Offices Reopening Schedules after Lunar New Year.

February 14: The total number of confirmed cases in mainland China reached 63,851, which has seen an increase of 5,090 new cases. The death toll has reached 1,380, with 121 further deaths recorded on Thursday. (Note: The increase in the number of cases is due to the change in the methodology adopted by China to confirm facts, as mentioned above.)
February 13: The number of new cases of Covid-19 during the night was confused in China. The Hubei Health Commission declares a nighttime increase of 14,440 new cases, while according to the Global Times, nighttime infections increased by 16,568. This last figure means that there are 61,221 confirmed cases in China, most of them in Hubei. The increase is much higher than that recorded previously, due to a change in the way infections are included in the daily figures. This means that the jump is not caused by the virus suddenly becomes more infectious.
In related news, Beijing has fired both the Secretary of the Hubei Party and the mayor of Wuhan City and has replaced them with new officials from Shanghai and Jinan.
The Director of the Office of Hong Kong & Macao Affairs in Hong Kong has also been dismissed.
What do Chinese wildlife protection laws say about the pangolin, an endangered species that is now suspected of carrying the coronavirus (Covid-19)? Our latest article by Chris Devonshire-Ellis can be read here.
China has launched a series of preferential policies related to corporate income tax, value-added tax, and individual income tax to stimulate the production capacity of companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak, as well as to support the people and companies involved in the fight against the epidemic. Read our last article here.

10 family members in Hong Kong became infected while sharing Hot Pot with a Chinese mainland relative who had the virus. People are urged not to eat communally shared dishes and to use individual bowls.
The incubation period of the coronavirus could be longer than 14 days. South Korea reported yesterday of its 24th case that it had been in quarantine and had had no contact with any infected patient since January 25, within 18 days.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis states that after the coronavirus, the Chinese government needs to embark on a mass education campaign on the treatment and consumption of wild animals. Harder penalties for the capture, trafficking, and use of all these animals should be introduced, while the sanitary conditions of China’s traditional wet markets require massive investment and revision. Products should be stored away from each other, and the display of wild animals should be prevented, in addition to the presence of wild birds and rodents entering these markets. Despite the high initial cost, Chinese sanitation companies and other specialists in this field can become world leaders in this market within a decade, since the conditions that China currently experiences are also prevalent in other parts of Asia, Africa, and South America.

The NDRC of China reports that 22 provinces of China have seen that staff return to work and that 58 percent of coal production and 95 percent of grain production and processing capacity have resumed, both important to maintain since energy supplies and food supplies have fallen. Next week, you should see a new rebound in economic activity, as the government expects 160 million people to return from the extended rest on Monday, February 18.

February 12: in China, cases in China reached 44,653, with 2,015 new cases. That represents a decrease of 18.6 percent compared to Tuesday. The further fatalities reached 97 at night, but they speak of a reduction in the lethality rate, now at 10.2 percent. The spread of the coronavirus is slowing.

The coronavirus is officially called Covid-19, the head of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus informed reporters in Geneva on Tuesday. The name consists of CO for coronavirus, VI for viruses and D for diseases, and 19 represents for the year 2019.

The New York Times reports that thousands of people are in quarantine in the city of Tianjin after a group of new cases of coronavirus were linked to a department store in Baodi District; About a third of the 102 new coronavirus patients in Tianjin is said to have bought or worked there.
The executive director of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, asks citizens to stay home to contain the spread of the virus as part of a “social distance” strategy. The Guardian reports that more than 100 residents in 35 homes were evacuated from a high-rise apartment in Cheung Hong Estate, Tsing Yi, in the early hours of Tuesday after it was confirmed that two residents had contracted coronavirus. Health officials are trying to get in touch with nine more homes that need to be moved out of the complex, according to reports from the South China Morning Post.
February 11: In China, coronavirus cases totaled 43,138, with 1,018 deaths. The total number of patients recovered is now 4,284, including 2,277 in Hubei province. (Source: Real-time Coronavirus Tracker from John Hopkins University, see here.)

The central government of China announced a series of new measures that support the timely supply of medical needs of consumers, prioritizing the import and export of technology, reducing import tariffs compatible with the US trade agreement in Phase One, and opening more financial assistance channels for foreign commercial companies. See our article here.
Hong Kong confirmed its case number 42, Monday night (February 10).
Excellent article from the Guardian scientific correspondent about the long-term potential of n-CoV here.
Hong Kong reports its case 38. A real-time map of Hong Kong and the impact of the coronavirus can be seen here.
A map of China Briefing that shows all the provinces of China and the dates of return to work is here.
Infections from China outside Hubei Province fall from 890 on February 3 to 444 on February 9, according to the Global Times, citing the National Health Commission.
February 10: China reports 40,171 infections and 908 deaths as of Monday morning.
February 9: there are 37,554 cases and 813 fatalities waiting; However, WHO says the infection rate is “stabilizing.”
Reports from mainland China that local communities are not reporting possible cases due to the immediate quarantine inconvenience incurred. Whistleblowers face being ostracized.

Chinese travelers who break Hong Kong quarantine laws face 6 months in jail.
Fatality patterns suggest that N-CoV is more transmissible with colder weather conditions and is more harmful to patients with long-term smoking habits. China is the largest tobacco market in the world, with 2.4 billion cigarettes consumed annually, with middle-aged males being the largest group of consumers. This group also has a disproportionate number of N-CoV infections and deaths. Wuhan also suffers from high air pollution. A summary of January 2020 is here, and a real-time Wuhan air quality tracker is here. This suggests that the probability of acquiring n-CoV increases given the specific climatic conditions, local public health, and patient behavior.
The Chinese government has issued new regulations to severely punish people who interrupt epidemic control work. This includes employers forcing employees to work before official factory notices and another resumption of employment. Those who violate the rules are subject to rapid arrests and immediate jail sentences.
The n-CoV virus is 99 percent similar to that found in Pangolins, a rare and protected species in China related to anteaters, however, one that is sought among satisfied gourmets. Pangolins are not cultivated and can only be caught in the wild.

February 8: In China, overnight infections (Friday) reach 34,546 cases and 722 deaths, including an American. The mortality rate has slowed for the second day. The infections confirmed by China are now 320 in 27 other countries and two deaths.
New coronavirus notice for Russian companies in China here.
Singapore has raised the Orange Code for the n-CoV outbreak, the second-highest. For updates on ASEAN and Asia by country, travel restrictions in place, and commercial notices, click here.
February 7 – confirmed cases of infection in China now 31,161; the death toll in China, 1 in Hong Kong, and 1 in the Philippines. Total global diseases exceed 31,441, and more than 280 cases have been reported in 28 countries.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis on the recent decisions of the United Kingdom, the United States and other governments regarding their attitude towards China and introducing slight suspensions and travel bans: “Elected officials rarely participate in the regulatory impact assessment in a meaningful way when public health problems Allow travel has a cost and a benefit It also makes it restrict The epidemiologists and economists can make such evaluations Politicians are much more interested in being seen as decisive in the face of uncertainty, and cost them billions to their economy than to face an angry widow in hustings. In the transition or developing economies, these billions of people have passed through hundreds of thousands of lives through public health programs and hospital services, to endemic diseases other than coronavirus, on the other hand, epidemics in economies in Development and transition may be more challenging to control. There is no transparency in government decision making, only “our officials advise us, and by an abundance of caution we have decided ….. ‘”
The whole world amounts to 31,368 cases (China 31,102), 638 deaths (629 China), with 4,833 new cases overnight (Thursday, February 6).
We are listening to traveler accounts in some ASEAN countries that are denied entry if they have a history of Chinese visas in their passport. While it may not be an official policy, it seems to apply at certain border crossings in more remote areas. Intra-Asian trips can be better organized through the main exit points of entry.

The National Health Commission of China said that, at midnight yesterday (Wednesday), there were 28,018 confirmed cases across the country: an increase of 3,694 and the most substantial increase of 24 hours, and 24,702 suspected cases and 563 deaths.
WHO has requested the US $ 675 million. Of member countries to fight the outbreak.
Chris Devonshire-Ellis states: “There is a contradiction between the declared coronavirus statistics and the behavior of individual national governments. This means one of two things: there is an excessive reaction to the severity of the outbreak, or the actual number is being under-informed. And this news is being suppressed by something more than the Chinese. WHO needs to improve its game and participate better in its communications with the global public about what is happening. “

Cathay Pacific, from Hong Kong, asks 27,000 employees to take up to three weeks of leave without pay between March and June.
All arrivals from mainland China to Hong Kong to be immediately quarantined.

A newly identified SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is spreading throughout the world. This is what you need to know about the virus and the disease it causes called COVID-19.

The state of Washington reports three more deaths from coronavirus.
The state of Washington reported three more deaths from the coronavirus on Tuesday (March 3), according to The Washington Post. The three deaths were in King County.

One of these deaths occurred last week, on February 26, but doctors recently discovered that the patient’s samples tested positive for the virus, according to The New York Times. The patient was being treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and was a resident of the Kirkland Life Care Center, where authorities suspect a coronavirus outbreak is occurring. So far, five deaths have been linked to the installation, according to The Seattle Times.

Diagnostic tests in the US UU.

After botching its initial attempt at a COVID-19 diagnostic test, and taking weeks to develop a replacement, the United States government has assisted the help of private companies and academic institutions to expand the nation’s testing capacity, The New York Times reported. According to the estimates we are receiving from the industry at this time, by the end of this week, about one million tests will be able to be performed, “FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn told a news conference on Monday. (March 2).

Last week, the FDA allowed state and local laboratories to develop and validate their own diagnostic tests and perform initial tests on their own, instead of sending samples to the CDC lab in Atlanta, according to the Times.

CDC tests use a PCR-based protocol, which means that they identify fragments of viral DNA in hyssop samples from a patient’s nose and throat, according to The Scientist. Many of the other tests under development follow the same approach. Still, some laboratories aim to use the CRISPR genetic editing technique to highlight the target genes with fluorescent labels, The Scientist reported. Other groups are working to isolate antibodies from infected people to develop blood tests for the virus.

As voters go to the polls in 14 states for Super Tuesday, some areas are taking extra precautions in light of the growing number of coronavirus cases in the United States.

In Solano County, California, which has three confirmed cases of coronavirus, officials said they had expanded the number of delivery places for “curbside” ballots, where people can turn in their car ballots, and had been stocked with gloves for voting workers according to The New York Times. In nearby Sacramento County, about a dozen temporary election secretaries have chosen not to participate in their assignments for election day “for fear of being in public spaces,” according to The Sacramento Bee. Even so, the county has almost 700 electoral secretaries and does not anticipate any impact on the vote, officials said.

In Colorado, election workers have been instructed to disinfect voting machines after each use, the Times reported. And in Massachusetts, officials said that people in quarantine for coronavirus will be allowed to have someone pick up their ballot and take it to an election office.

How far has the coronavirus spread in the US?

The United States now has more than 100 confirmed cases of coronavirus and six deaths (all deaths have been in the state of Washington). 18 instances of COVID-19 have been established in Washington state, and seven of those people have died from the virus, all of whom had underlying health conditions. Most deaths occurred at the Evergreen Health Health Medical Center in Kirkland, in King County, according to the Seattle Times. When comparing genetic sequences from two of the cases in Kirkland, scientists say the virus could have been spreading there for up to six weeks, and if so, that would mean it could have infected between 150 and 1,500 individuals, the New York Times reported…

A woman in Manhattan has become the first case of coronavirus reported in New York State, said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Sunday (March 1), according to the Times. That woman, who recently traveled to Iran, is isolated in her home. The second case in the state was reported on March 3 in a man who lives in Westchester County and works in Manhattan.

The virus has already been confirmed in the following states of the United States: Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nebraska, Texas, Florida, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

Why are coronavirus cases so high in South Korea?

The outbreak in South Korea seems to have begun in the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of Testimony in Daegu, where a 61-year-old woman spread the virus to at least another 37. Considered “superspreader” for the abnormally high number of people infected, the woman (called “Patient 31” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of Korea) developed a fever on February 10. She attended four church services before being diagnosed with COVID-19.

Currently, at least 60% of the 5,186 confirmed cases in South Korea are linked in some way to members of this secret religious sect, the Times reported. There have been at least 28 deaths from the virus in South Korea.

The founder of the religious sect, Lee Man-hee, 88, is being accused by the government of thwarting his efforts to contain the virus, the Times reported. The government has accused him of not sharing the full list of sect members so they could be tested. On Monday (March 2), Lee apologized to the people of South Korea, saying he regretted that many of the cases were linked to his church, the Times reported.

Coronavirus cases outside mainland China

The spread of the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is slowing in mainland China, while it is picking up elsewhere. It has reached all continents except Antarctica. Outside of mainland China, 173 deaths have been linked to the virus: in the United States, Italy, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Iran, France, and six Diamond Princess passengers.

Here’s a look at the number of cases at critical points outside of mainland China, according to a Johns Hopkins panel:

South Korea: 5,186
Italy: 2,036
Iran: 2,336
Others: 706
Japan: 283
Germany: 188
Spain: 153
Singapore: 110
France: 204
Hong Kong: 100
United States: 106

How does coronavirus compare to SARS and MERS?

In March, there were more than 3,000 deaths related to COVID-19, far exceeding deaths from SARS, which killed 774 people worldwide, according to The New York Times.

It is known that MERS and SARS cause severe symptoms in people. It is unclear how the new coronavirus will be compared in severity, as it has caused severe symptoms and death in some patients, while causing only a mild illness in others, according to the CDC. The three coronaviruses can be transmitted between humans through close contact.

The MERS, which was transmitted by touching infected camels or consuming their meat or milk, was first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and has been contained primarily in the Arabian Peninsula, according to NPR. SARS was first published in 2002 in southern China (no new cases have been reported since 2004), and it is believed to have spread from bats that infected civets. The new coronavirus was probably transmitted by touching or eating an infected animal in Wuhan.

During the SARS outbreak, the virus killed one in 10 infected people. The mortality rate of COVID-19 is estimated to be slightly higher than 2%.

However, at the beginning of an outbreak, the initial cases that are identified as “bias the serious,” which can make the mortality rate seems higher than it is, said Alex Azar, secretary of the Department of Health and National Security of the United States (HHS), during a news report Tuesday (January 28). The mortality rate may decrease as more mild cases are identified, Azar said.

Currently, the majority of patients who have died from the infection have been older than 60 years and have had preexisting conditions.