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China virus: ten cities locked down and Beijing festivities scrapped | Chinese authorities have imposed lockdown measures on ten cities in an unprecedented effort to contain the outbreak of the deadly new virus that has made hundreds of people ill and spread to other parts of the world during the busy lunar new year travel period.
Authorities banned transport links from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, on Thursday morning, suspending buses, subways, ferries, and shutting the airport and train stations to outgoing passengers. Later in the day, the nearby central Chinese cities of Huanggang and Ezhou announced similar measures. Travel restrictions were also placed on the smaller cities of Chibi and Zhijiang.
Starting at midnight, long-distance buses, the rapid transit system, and the train station in Huanggang would be shut, according to a notice from the local government. Cinemas, internet cafes and other entertainment venues would all stop operating. Residents should not leave the city, except for “ special reasons ”.
A government notice in Ezhou said the city’ s railway would stop operating on Thursday evening. In nearby Chibi, authorities said buses and rural transport links would be halted. Officials also ordered tour operators to cancel operations and said no more large-scale cultural events were to be held.
On Friday, Huangshi in Hubei province also halted public transport. The People’ s Daily newspaper said Xiantao, Enshi, Qianjiang and Xianning were also subject to travel restrictions.
There have been 830 confirmed cases in China of the coronavirus, from the same family of viruses that gave rise to Sars. Chinese authorities say 95 patients remain in a critical condition.
On Thursday, Hebei’ s provincial health authority said an infected patient had died, marking the first confirmed death outside Hubei province, where the outbreak began. On Friday morning the official death toll rose to 25.
Cases have also been confirmed in the US, the UK, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.
Officials worry the weeklong lunar new year holiday, which begins on Saturday and usually sees hundreds of millions of Chinese crisscross the country, will exacerbate an outbreak that has reached almost all of China’ s provinces.
The state-run Beijing News said the capital had cancelled events including two well-known lunar new year temple fairs. The Forbidden City, the palace complex in Beijing that is now a museum, announced it will close indefinitely on Saturday.
The country’ s railway operator, China State Railway Group, said passengers would be able to receive full refunds on tickets nationwide starting on Friday.
While sweeping measures are typical of China’ s communist government, large-scale quarantines are rare around the world, even in deadly epidemics, because of concerns about infringing on people’ s liberties, and the effectiveness of such measures is unclear.
“ To my knowledge, trying to contain a city of 11 million people is new to science, ” Gauden Galea, the World Health Organization’ s representative in China, told the Associated Press. “ It has not been tried before as a public health measure. We can not at this stage say it will or it will not work. ”
Late on Thursday Wuhan city authorities said that limits on car travel would be introduced for the first time at noon on Friday.
In Wuhan, supermarket shelves were empty and local markets sold out of produce as residents hoarded supplies and isolated themselves at home. Petrol stations were overwhelmed as drivers stocked up on fuel, exacerbated by rumours that reserves had run out. Local residents said pharmacies had sold out of face masks.
“ When I saw the news when I woke up, I felt like I was going to go crazy. This is a little too late now. The government’ s measures are not enough, ” said Xiao, 26, a primary schoolteacher in Wuhan, who asked not to give her full name.
Anxiety in Wuhan has been exacerbated by reports that hospitals are turning patients away because they do not have enough room. A hospital contacted by the Guardian on Thursday said it had between 500 and 600 patients and recommended patients go to a community health centre instead. Eight hospitals in Wuhan put out calls for donations of protective equipment, according to Chinese media.
Officials said they would build a new hospital in six days to accommodate patients, modelled after an isolation facility constructed in Beijing during the Sars outbreak.
It is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization ( WHO) has declared it a pandemic.
According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment.
About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
In the UK, the National health Service ( NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either:
As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system.
Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities.
In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
China’ s national health commission confirmed human-to-human transmission in January. As of 6 April, more than 1.25m people have been infected in more than 180 countries, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
There have been over 69,500 deaths globally. Just over 3,200 of those deaths have occurred in mainland China. Italy has been worst affected, with over 15,800 fatalities, and there have been over 12,600 deaths in Spain. The US now has more confirmed cases than any other country - more than 335,000. Many of those who have died had underlying health conditions, which the coronavirus complicated.
More than 264,000 people are recorded as having recovered from the coronavirus.
Hubei officials said schools, on break for the spring festival holiday, would delay the beginning of the spring term.
The illnesses from the newly identified coronavirus appeared last month in Wuhan, an industrial and transportation hub in central China. The vast majority of cases in the mainland have been in the city.
Analysts have predicted the reported cases will continue to multiply. “ Even if [ the number of cases ] are in the thousands, this would not surprise us, ” Galea said. The number of cases was not an indicator of the outbreak’ s severity, so long as the mortality rate remained low, he added.
The coronavirus family includes the common cold as well as viruses that cause more serious illnesses, such as the Sars outbreak that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-03 and killed about 800 people, and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome which developed from camels.
China is keen to avoid repeating mistakes with its handling of Sars. For months, even after the illness had spread around the world, China parked patients in hotels and drove them around in ambulances to conceal the true number of cases and avoid WHO experts.
In the current outbreak, China has been credited with sharing information rapidly, and President Xi Jinping has emphasised that as a priority.
On Thursday a WHO committee said the outbreak does not yet constitute a public health emergency of international concern. Previous emergencies have included Ebola and Zika.
Associated Press contributed to this report | general |
Chinese state media downplays coronavirus as Xi strikes positive tone | It has been splashed all over the front pages of newspapers around the world for days. But the outbreak of coronavirus, which has left at least 25 dead and infected more than 800, has been largely missing from China’ s major state-run media.
Friday’ s front page of the People’ s Daily, the Chinese Communist party’ s flagship newspaper, displayed only warm wishes for lunar new year’ s eve from the president, Xi Jinping, as he attended a spring festival gala at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
News of the coronavirus outbreak has also been buried during prime time CCTV news over the past two evenings, featuring as the fifth or sixth item on the daily 7pm bulletin.
Bill Bishop, the Washington-based author of the widely read Sinocism newsletter, said that despite the lack of front-page coverage Xi was “ all in ” in guiding efforts to control the outbreak. He said the clunky nature of the coverage was primarily a product of Communist party protocol.
“ Anything about the general secretary is always first, and the top leaders have a set of ritual meetings the week before the new year that always get top billing, ” Bishop said.
“ Other CCTV news programs are doing a lot of reporting, as are lots of other official media.
“ They can not show any signs of panic, so the party media efforts are around showing resolve, action and competence. ”
The lack of prominent display of the outbreak by the party-run media comes as outlets such as Caixin, the country’ s most open business news outlet, and others have been allowed to report more freely, giving some measure of transparency to the outbreak.
Caixin has a team of nine reporters in Wuhan that are now under the general quarantine and can not leave the city because of the transport stoppages. It’ s global site in English reports that health authorities in China “ have been grappling ” with the outbreak of the virus which it says has spread to all provinces except Tibet and Qinghai. But its Chinese site leads on GDP figures, with the outbreak relegated to fourth spot.
“ How unleashed Caixin and other media are allowed to be will be more interesting over the next week or so, ” Bishop said.
“ They seem to have a latitude, a rarity in the Xi era, but I wonder how much they can dig out before they get smacked down by the censors. ” | general |
Coronavirus: la Chine confine des villes et ferme la Cité interdite | Après Wuhan, métropole de 11 millions d'habitants et principal centre industriel et commercial du centre du pays, d'où est partie le mois dernier l'épidémie de coronavirus, les autorités chinoises ont placé ce jeudi 23 janvier en quasi-quarantaine une deuxième ville, Huanggang, ville de sept millions d'habitants.
Au total, plus de 40 millions de personnes ont été confinées pour tenter d'endiguer la propagation de l'épidémie qui, selon un dernier bilan annoncé vendredi matin par la Commission nationale de la santé, a déjà fait 26 morts et contaminé 830 personnes.
Les autorités chinoises ont annoncé jeudi le premier décès en dehors du berceau de l'épidémie: un homme de 80 ans mort mercredi dans la province de Hebei, au sud de Pékin.
Dans ce contexte, les autorités ont décidé ce jeudi d'annuler les festivités du Nouvel An lunaire à Pékin et la Cité interdite va être fermée aux touristes.
La mairie de Pékin avait vu les choses en grand pour la nouvelle lune, le coronavirus aura définitivement gâché la fête. Sur les avenues froides de la capitale chinoise ce jeudi soir, les arbres enguirlandés de lumières se sentent bien seuls. Près du stade des travailleurs, comme partout en ville, les Pékinois ont déserté les trottoirs. Beaucoup sont partis célébrer « chunjié », la fête du printemps en famille. Mais pour les promenades dans les temples ce week-end, il faut oublier, rapporte notre correspondant à Pékin, Stéphane Lagarde.
Comme à Wuhan dans le centre du pays, à l’ est dans la province du Zhejiang où à Macau dans le sud, les Pékinois n’ auront pas droit aux réjouissances collectives. Le Bureau de la culture et du tourisme a annoncé l’ annulation de toutes les foires de la capitale.
Ce traditionnel rendez-vous des festivités du Nouvel An lunaire intervient généralement après le repas en famille: on y partage des fruits confis au caramel, on brûle de l’ encens et on dépense surtout ses économies auprès des marchands du temple. Choses impossibles quand tout rassemblement est perçu comme un potentiel bain virus. Même chose pour les institutions, les musées…
La Cité interdite ne sortira pas ses lanternes célestes pour fêter l’ entrée dans l’ année de la souris. Le monument le plus célèbre de Chine fermera ses portes au public ce samedi, jusqu’ à nouvel ordre.
Deux cas confirmés à Hong Kong
Au cours des dernières 24 heures, 18 personnes présentant des symptômes du nouveau virus ont été hospitalisées à Hong Kong: 10 hommes et 8 femmes, de 3 à 90 ans. 27 autres patients sont également isolés, dont 24 en état stable, deux en état critique et un en état grave.
Le premier cas médical d’ infection par le coronavirus à Hong Kong est un Chinois de 39 ans, originaire de Wuhan, la ville berceau du nouveau virus, rapporte la correspondante de RFI, Florence de Changy. Arrivé en train mardi 21 janvier avec sa famille, il est à présent isolé dans le centre spécialisé des maladies infectieuses. Mais le temps que les autorités confirment son cas, le reste de la famille avait déjà repris l’ avion vers les Philippines. Le second cas confirmé est celui d’ un Hongkongais de 56 ans qui est rentré de Wuhan en passant par Shenzhen il y a trois jours.
Toutes les personnes qui ont pu être en contact avec ces deux malades, en partageant la même voiture de train, le même avion, le même taxi ou le même hôtel sont appelées à se manifester auprès des autorités sanitaires. Plusieurs députés de l’ opposition ont dénoncé aujourd’ hui l’ attitude « laxiste » du gouvernement qu’ ils soupçonnent de ne pas vouloir vexer Pékin avec des mesures plus drastiques.
À Macau, qui compte aussi déjà deux cas de malades porteurs du virus, le chef de l’ exécutif envisage une fermeture totale des casinos.
L'OMS estime « trop tôt » pour déclarer une urgence internationale
Le virus a donc été détecté à Hong Kong, Macau, Taïwan et Singapour, mais aussi en Corée du Sud, Thaïlande, et Vietnam. Les autorités thaïlandaises ont rendu obligatoire le passage au scanner thermique des passagers en provenance des zones à haut risque en Chine. À Singapour, tous les passagers en provenance de Chine font désormais l'objet d'un contrôle. Le Vietnam a également ordonné des contrôles à sa frontière avec la Chine.
Au Moyen-Orient, les voyageurs en provenance de Chine seront soumis aux caméras thermiques à leur arrivée à l'aéroport de Dubaï, l'un des plus importants du monde.
Aux États-Unis, où un premier cas de maladie a été signalé mardi, pour un passager en provenance de Wuhan, les autorités ont ordonné le contrôle des passagers arrivant de Wuhan, que ce soit sur des vols directs ou non, dans les aéroports de New York, San Francisco et Los Angeles.
Ce qui est certain, c'est que ça vient d'un animal sauvage
Le virus a probablement une source animale
Agnès Rougier
En Europe, le Centre européen de prévention et de contrôle des maladies ( ECDC) a élevé de « bas » à « modéré » son estimation du risque que le virus pénètre dans l'Union européenne, après que les autorités chinoises ont confirmé sa transmissibilité entre humains. La Commission européenne se dit prête à prendre les mesures nécessaires en fonction des préconisations de l'OMS.
L'Organisation mondiale de la santé, réunie à Genève, estime « trop tôt » pour déclarer une urgence internationale.
Le directeur général de l'OMS juge les mesures prises en Chine appropriées et souligne qu'il n ' y a « aucune preuve » d'une transmission entre humains en dehors de la Chine.
`` It is likely that we will see more cases in other parts of # China & other countries. 🇨🇳 has taken measures it believes appropriate to contain the spread of coronavirus in Wuhan & other cities. We hope that they will be both effective and short in their duration '' - @ DrTedros
« Nous savons qu'il existe une transmission interhumaine en Chine, mais pour l'instant elle semble être limitée à des groupes familiaux et à des travailleurs de la santé qui s'occupent des patients infectés. Pour l'instant, il n ' y a aucune preuve de transmission interhumaine en dehors de la Chine, mais cela ne veut pas dire que celan'arrivera pas », a déclaré Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus lors d'une conférence de presse à Genève. « Ne vous y trompez pas, c'est une urgence en Chine. Mais cen'est pas encore une urgence sanitaire mondiale. Cela pourrait le devenir », a souligné déclaré le directeur de l'OMS.
Le gouvernement met en place un dispositif de suivi pour les Français
« Un dispositif spécifique et permanent de suivi et de réponse aux préoccupations des Français a été mis en place par le Centre de crise et de soutien du ministère (..) en coordination avec l'ambassade de France à Pékin et l'ensemble de nos consulats généraux en Chine », précise le ministère français des Affires étrangères dans un communiqué. | general |
Oxford Immunotec to supply TB diagnostic tests to china to aid in coronavirus crisis | The company’ s T-SPOT test is to be donated on a scale valued at CNY 3,000,000 in order to coincide with World Tuberculosis Day, delivered to hospitals throughout China.
As a respiratory disease, the Wuhan coronavirus displays symptoms which can be easily mistaken for other respiratory conditions, including a sore throat, dry cough, fatigue and fever. If TB can be discounted from the equation early, it is hoped that patient diagnosis and outcomes can be improved.
The T-SPOT test has been approved in China since 2010, with the company saying it had become “ a critical aid in the diagnosis of TB infection ” in the country. | tech |
Fourteen people in UK tested for coronavirus | More than a dozen people in the UK have been tested for coronavirus, as the health secretary warned there is an “ increased likelihood ” of cases occurring.
Fourteen people were tested for the virus, with five confirmed negative and nine still awaiting results, Public Health England ( PHE) said on Thursday night.
The Scottish government had earlier confirmed that five people were being examined after presenting with symptoms of the illness, while it was understood that another patient was being tested at Belfast’ s Royal Victoria Hospital.
PHE would not give a breakdown of where the people were tested and where the negative results were recorded.
Downing Street said four of the suspected cases in Scotland were believed to involve Chinese nationals.
Around the world, so far the disease has killed 26 people and infected more than 800. Cases have been reported in the US, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
However the World Health Organization’ s emergency committee said on Thursday that it was “ too early ” to declare an international public health emergency over the outbreak.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, said: “ Make no mistake. This is an emergency in China. But it has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one.
“ I wish to reiterate, the fact that I am not declaring a public health emergency of international concern today should not be taken as a sign that WHO does not think the situation is serious, or that we are not taking it seriously. Nothing could be further from the truth. WHO is following this outbreak every minute of every day. ”
Referring to the Scottish cases, Prof Jürgen Haas, the head of infection medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said he believed there would be many more in other parts of the UK.
The Scottish patients all travelled from Wuhan, where the outbreak is thought to have originated, within the past two weeks and were showing symptoms of respiratory trouble – a red flag for the virus.
A Scottish government spokesman said: “ Following travel to Wuhan, China, two people confirmed as diagnosed with influenza are now being tested for Wuhan novel coronavirus as a precautionary measure only. Three further people are also undergoing testing on a similar precautionary basis. ”
Haas said there were “ robust arrangements ” in place to manage emerging diseases and they were monitoring the situation closely.
He said the cases emerged overnight, adding: “ The situation will be pretty similar in pretty much all UK cities with a large number of Chinese students. It’ s not too surprising. My suspicion is that there will probably be many more cases in many other cities in the UK. ”
Haas said there was only one laboratory testing for the virus, operated by Public Health England, and that the cases had been flagged up through the PHE infection guidelines as the patients had travelled to Wuhan within the last 14 days and were showing signs of respiratory symptoms.
Universities with links to China have issued warnings to staff and students travelling to and from areas affected by the coronavirus. Nine UK institutions have partnerships with Wuhan University in Hubei Province in central China, where the outbreak began.
Earlier in the day, the UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, told MPs there was an increased likelihood that the coronavirus would arrive in the UK, but said the authorities were well prepared and would remain vigilant.
It is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization ( WHO) has declared it a pandemic.
According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment.
About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
In the UK, the National health Service ( NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either:
As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system.
Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities.
In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
China’ s national health commission confirmed human-to-human transmission in January. As of 6 April, more than 1.25m people have been infected in more than 180 countries, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
There have been over 69,500 deaths globally. Just over 3,200 of those deaths have occurred in mainland China. Italy has been worst affected, with over 15,800 fatalities, and there have been over 12,600 deaths in Spain. The US now has more confirmed cases than any other country - more than 335,000. Many of those who have died had underlying health conditions, which the coronavirus complicated.
More than 264,000 people are recorded as having recovered from the coronavirus.
Hancock told the Commons that the UK was one of a few countries to have developed a test for the latest coronavirus, so any suspected case could be diagnosed quickly. However, the symptoms do not develop for five to seven days, and sometimes even up to 14, meaning the virus can circulate undetected.
The UK has advised against all but essential travel to Wuhan, where all the deaths so far have occurred and which is now under lockdown by the Chinese authorities. While the UK has put in place measures to check passengers at Heathrow airport arriving from Wuhan, the Chinese government has stopped flights out of the city.
“ The chief medical officer has revised the risk to the UK population from very low to low and concluded that while there is an increased likelihood that cases may arise in this country, we are well-prepared and well-equipped to deal with them, ” Hancock told MPs.
Some people arriving on the last flight from Wuhan on Wednesday said they had not received any health checks at Heathrow, MPs pointed out. Handing out information was the key thing, Hancock replied. “ The most important part of the monitoring is to ensure everybody knows what to do if the symptoms arise. ”
Several MPs said there were substantial numbers of Chinese students at universities in their constituencies. There was no specific advice for students, other than the general advice, Hancock said.
“ I’ m very happy to take away the point that we will ensure we are communicating through Universities UK with all universities, to make sure the message gets to all students directly and they hear the advice that is there for everybody. ”
The Labour MP Hilary Benn asked what advice would be given to the public about the use of face masks, which they would see being used in China and elsewhere on the television. “ People look at what people are doing in countries where the disease has taken hold and ask the authorities, ‘ Why aren’ t we doing the same?’ ” said Benn.
Hancock replied: “ The wearing of face masks is not deemed clinically necessary now, but we will keep that under review and will be guided by the science. ” | general |
Snakes could be the original source of the new coronavirus outbreak in China | The many-banded krait ( Bungarus multicinctus), also known as the Taiwanese krait or the Chinese krait, is a highly venomous species of elapid snake found in much of central and southern China and Southeast Asia.
The illness was first reported in late December 2019 in Wuhan, a major city in central China, and has been rapidly spreading. Since then, sick travelers from Wuhan have infected people in China and other countries, including the United States.
Using samples of the virus isolated from patients, scientists in China have determined the genetic code of the virus and used microscopes to photograph it. The pathogen responsible for this pandemic is a new coronavirus. It's in the same family of viruses as the well-known severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( MERS-CoV), which have killed hundreds of people in the past 17 years. The World Health Organization ( WHO) has named the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV.
We are virologists and journal editors and are closely following this outbreak because there are many questions that need to be answered to curb the spread of this public health threat.
What is a coronavirus?
The name of coronavirus comes from its shape, which resembles a crown or solar corona when imaged using an electron microscope.
The electron microscopic image, reveals the crown shape structural details for which the coronavirus was named. This image is of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( MERS-CoV). National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID)
Coronavirus is transmitted through the air and primarily infects the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tract of mammals and birds. Though most of the members of the coronavirus family only cause mild flu-like symptoms during infection, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV can infect both upper and lower airways and cause severe respiratory illness and other complications in humans.
This new 2019-nCoV causes similar symptoms to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. People infected with these coronaviruses suffer a severe inflammatory response.
Unfortunately, there is no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment available for coronavirus infection. A better understanding of the life cycle of 2019-nCoV, including the source of the virus, how it is transmitted and how it replicates are needed to both prevent and treat the disease.
Read: What exactly is a coronavirus?
Zoonotic transmission
Both SARS and MERS are classified as zoonotic viral diseases, meaning the first patients who were infected acquired these viruses directly from animals. This was possible because while in the animal host, the virus had acquired a series of genetic mutations that allowed it to infect and multiply inside humans.
Now these viruses can be transmitted from person to person. Field studies have revealed that the original source of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV is the bat, and that the masked palm civets ( a mammal native to Asia and Africa) and camels, respectively, served as intermediate hosts between bats and humans.
In the case of this 2019 coronavirus outbreak, reports state that most of the first group of patients hospitalized were workers or customers at a local seafood wholesale market which also sold processed meats and live consumable animals including poultry, donkeys, sheep, pigs, camels, foxes, badgers, bamboo rats, hedgehogs and reptiles. However, since no one has ever reported finding a coronavirus infecting aquatic animals, it is plausible that the coronavirus may have originated from other animals sold in that market.
The hypothesis that the 2019-nCoV jumped from an animal at the market is strongly supported by a new publication in the Journal of Medical Virology. The scientists conducted an analysis and compared the genetic sequences of 2019-nCoV and all other known coronaviruses.
The study of the genetic code of 2019-nCoV reveals that the new virus is most closely related to two bat SARS-like coronavirus samples from China, initially suggesting that, like SARS and MERS, the bat might also be the origin of 2019-nCoV. The authors further found that the viral RNA coding sequence of 2019-nCoV spike protein, which forms the `` crown '' of the virus particle that recognizes the receptor on a host cell, indicates that the bat virus might have mutated before infecting people.
How influenza jumped from animals to humans
But when the researchers performed a more detailed bioinformatics analysis of the sequence of 2019-nCoV, it suggests that this coronavirus might come from snakes.
The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, where the coronavirus outbreak is believed to have started, is now closed.
From bats to snakes
The researchers used an analysis of the protein codes favored by the new coronavirus and compared it to the protein codes from coronaviruses found in different animal hosts, like birds, snakes, marmots, hedgehogs, manis, bats and humans. Surprisingly, they found that the protein codes in the 2019-nCoV are most similar to those used in snakes.
Snakes often hunt for bats in wild. Reports indicate that snakes were sold in the local seafood market in Wuhan, raising the possibility that the 2019-nCoV might have jumped from the host species -- bats -- to snakes and then to humans at the beginning of this coronavirus outbreak. However, how the virus could adapt to both the cold-blooded and warm-blooded hosts remains a mystery.
The authors of the report and other researchers must verify the origin of the virus through laboratory experiments. Searching for the 2019-nCoV sequence in snakes would be the first thing to do. However, since the outbreak, the seafood market has been disinfected and shut down, which makes it challenging to trace the new virus ' source animal.
3 reasons the US is not ready for a pandemic
Sampling viral RNA from animals sold at the market and from wild snakes and bats is needed to confirm the origin of the virus. Nonetheless, the reported findings will also provide insights for developing prevention and treatment protocols.
The 2019-nCoV outbreak is another reminder that people should limit the consumption of wild animals to prevent zoonotic infections.
| business |
World financial markets rocked by China coronavirus | Financial markets around the world have been rattled by the coronavirus outbreak, with its centre in Wuhan, a city known as the Chicago of China for its central location and booming car manufacturing industry.
Amid growing concern over the spread of the virus, China has put Wuhan and four other cities with a combined population of more than 20 million on lockdown. It has banned travel during the biggest mass annual human migration on the planet for the lunar new year this weekend, when up to 400 million Chinese are expected to travel across the country to celebrate with friends and family.
With outbound trains, buses and flights halted, fears are rising that the virus could also dent growth in the world’ s second largest economy, in a rerun of the Sars outbreak of 2003. The first major deadly infectious disease of the 21st century infected up to 8,098 people worldwide and killed 774, spreading fear of fatal disease around the world and dragging down Chinese growth.
Almost two decades after becoming a member of the World Trade Organization, China is now far more important to the economic prospects of companies and countries worldwide.
As fears of a “ black swan ” event rise at a fragile time for the world economy, there was a sharp sell-off on Thursday, with markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen down 2-3.5%.
On the London Stock Exchange, mining companies including Rio Tinto, Glencore and Anglo American were among the biggest fallers, amid fears that demand for metals and materials in China could falter.
The price of oil fell on international markets by 3%, while shares in hotel groups, airlines and luxury retailers – including Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Cartier – have all hit reverse.
The lunar new year on 25 January is typically a significant opportunity for European luxury brands. China represents 35% of global income in the sector, and analysts warned sales could be dented by the travel bans during the crucial two-week spending period.
Christopher Wood, an analyst at the US bank Jefferies, said the virus had potential to trigger further panic-selling, adding: “ Markets have started to try to price in the risk of this becoming a full-blown epidemic. ”
If not contained, economists said tourism, retail sales and travel would be hit in the next few months, while industrial production could struggle to recover after a slump at the end of 2019, amid the US-China trade war which has cut Chinese economic growth to its lowest level in 29 years.
George Magnus, an associate at the China Centre at Oxford University, said: “ It’ s coming at a very sensitive time for the Chinese economy. It looked as though at the end of 2019 the downturn in economic activity and unemployment had stabilised.
“ The idea was that we would see a modest rise in economic growth in the first and second quarters of the year. That might not actually happen. It may cause stagnation around current levels of activity to continue. ”
Wuhan is home to Dongfeng, one of China’ s largest car manufacturers. As the capital and most populous city of the central province of Hubei, with a population of about 11 million, it produced roughly $ 224bn ( £171bn) in GDP in 2018. While equivalent to the size of Vietnam or Portugal, it is little more than 1% of China’ s total economic output.
Drawing lessons from the Sars outbreak, economists at the French bank Société Générale warned that economic growth would probably fall below 6% in the first quarter of 2020, down from a previous estimate of 6.1%, if the outbreak failed to stabilise by March. Consumer- and tourism-related sectors would be most affected, it said.
Sars caused an estimated decline in China’ s GDP growth of between one and two percentage points, at a time when the country’ s economy was much smaller but faster growing at the turn of the millennium.
Unlike the Wuhan coronavirus, Sars first hit the much more economically significant province of Guangdong and spread to Beijing – at a time when they accounted for a total of about 15% of GDP.
According to Société Générale, Sars caused visitor numbers to mainland China to plunge by 26% in the second quarter of 2003 from the previous three months, and by nearly 60% in Guangdong. Disruptions to normal production led to shortages of some products, including medicines.
However, as the spread of the disease was contained, the disruption to activity was short-lived. A strong recovery followed, raising hopes that the coronavirus may also have little lasting impact if it can be contained.
Seema Shah, the chief strategist at the fund manager Principal Global Investors, said memories of the impact could play havoc with market confidence, but should be kept in perspective.
She added: “ It is too early to assess the potential economic impact of this outbreak. However, there is reason to hope that the impact of this virus will not be greater than Sars. China’ s response has been considerably more proactive than in 2003. ” | general |
Are you in Wuhan? Tell us about living with the coronavirus outbreak | As China unveils measures to try and prevent the spread of coronavirus and airports around the world carry out screenings of arriving passengers, we’ d like to hear from people in Wuhan, where the outbreak of the Sars-like virus is thought to have originated and other affected cities.
Authorities have ordered Wuhan residents not to leave the city and have shut down transportation links. All citizens must wear face masks while in public places. Nearby cities have also cut off transportation links.
Tell us what life is like in Wuhan at the moment and any other cities that are experiencing a lockdown.
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If you’ re having trouble using the form, click here. Read terms of service here. | general |
China’ s response to the coronavirus shows what it learned from the Sars cover-up | A new disease arrives in a Chinese winter – is history repeating itself? At the end of 2002, Sars erupted in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. Nearly two decades on, another new virus has struck at roughly the same time of year, this time in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
Though the diseases are similar – Sars and the new Wuhan virus are from the same coronavirus family, and both attack the lungs – there is a great deal of difference in the way China has responded to these outbreaks.
In 2002, China was in denial and concealed the existence of Sars not merely from the outside world but from its own people. Newspapers were forbidden from reporting the disease, except for occasional statements from government officials assuring the public that there was nothing to worry about.
Such was the obsession with suppressing “ negative news ” that when a sick traveller from Guangdong arrived in Beijing, doctors there had no idea of what the illness was, and allowed it to spread in the city.
The people of Guangdong, however, knew there was something frightening going on. Nurses, doctors and healthcare workers were telling their friends and family they had never seen a disease that attacked so viciously and spread so rapidly. The provincial government’ s aim in Guangdong was simple: to stop local people from panicking and ensure that foreign investors and businesses were not scared away. Guangdong had set itself a GDP growth target of 12.2%, and no disease was going to be allowed to stop the onward march of the economy.
The cost of the Chinese cover-up was immense, both in human lives as well as global standing. Had China warned the world about this new disease and shared the considerable knowledge its doctors had already gained about its symptoms and its treatment, other countries would have been prepared and far fewer lives would have been lost.
The fallout from China’ s handling of Sars forced a move towards greater openness that has been apparent in other outbreaks of disease. In the case of the Wuhan flu, the World Health Organization as well as the public were informed on 31 December about the new disease.
By early January, the virus had been identified as a coronavirus by Chinese scientists, and its genetic sequence had been shared globally. Both of these moves were essential for an effective global response to the disease. Importantly, countries were aware of the disease before the first travellers brought it to their shores.
The greater openness in China has done little to lessen the primeval fear experienced by people confronted with a new and largely unknown disease. Virologists, clinicians and epidemiologists still know little about it, except that it is caused by a coronavirus, that the first cases appeared to be associated with a seafood market in Wuhan, and that the number of cases seems to be rising steadily.
It is unclear how severe the disease is. What proportion of people who get infected fall severely ill or die? Is this a virus that primarily causes a mild illness in people, so that most people don’ t even realise they have been infected, or is it a disease that hits hard, and sends most of those it infects to hospital? According to Chinese authorities, 17 people have died since the virus was detected in late December, all in Wuhan, and there have been 633 confirmed cases. The true numbers of those who have contracted the disease are likely to be much larger. There may be many more who have not gone to hospital because their symptoms are mild. We do not even know whether this disease kills more people than other common diseases such as influenza.
China seems determined to see that it does not suffer the loss of image that happened after Sars, and the unprecedented lockdown of 20 million people in Wuhan and two neighbouring cities indicates that it is determined to quash this disease as firmly as it quashes political dissent. Given the huge scientific uncertainties that exist, this may well be overkill. This is an animal virus, and according to WHO experts there is no evidence yet that it transmits easily and in a sustained way between human beings.
There is also no guarantee that a lockdown will work to contain the virus. If it is indeed spreading fast and widely, then more and more cases are going to pop up all over the country regardless.
The Sars epidemic mysteriously disappeared in the summer of 2003, nine months after it arrived. Unlike other diseases, it has never returned to the places that it once terrorised. No one knows why this is so. If China gets incredibly lucky, this new virus too could disappear.
On the other hand, if the number of cases and deaths increase, China’ s rulers could face something they fear more than disease itself: anger at a botched response and social discontent.
• Thomas Abraham is the author of Twenty-First Century Plague: The Story of Sars | general |
Wuhan coronavirus'super spreader ' alarms disease detectives | That's what's called a `` super spreader, '' and disease detectives are hot on that patient's trail. It's one element to stopping the spread of this coronavirus that's killed 17 people and infected more than 500 in five different countries, including the United States.
Super spreaders are a crucial part of a disease outbreak. Think about Mary Mallon, or `` Typhoid Mary, '' who was responsible for widely spreading typhoid in New York City in the early 1900s. Or the Chinese doctor who in 2003 spread SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, to four different countries. Or the single patient at a South Korean hospital who in 2015 infected 82 people with MERS, or Middle East respiratory syndrome.
The Wuhan virus is a cousin of SARS and MERS. All three are coronaviruses.
The presence of a super spreader in Wuhan indicates that the virus can spread with some ease, said Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
He calls them `` super shedders, '' since they shed the virus -- for example, in sneezes or coughs -- in larger quantities than most other people.
`` You only need one super shedder to say, 'This dog is going to hunt, ' `` he said. `` It really does speak to the potential for this virus to be transmitted. ''
He added that there are probably more super spreaders -- or shedders -- of the Wuhan coronavirus than this one patient.
`` If we have one super shedder, that tells us we're going to have more super shedders, '' he said. `` If there's one, there will be more. ''
Osterholm's team at the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy is investigating the super spreader, and their research shows there might be more health care workers in or near Wuhan who 've become infected than the 14 mentioned by the health official earlier this week.
Super spreaders in coronavirus outbreaks
On Tuesday, the mayor of Wuhan said one patient spread the coronavirus to a doctor and 13 nurses.
The mayor, Zhou Xianwang, said a patient wasn't screened for the virus before being admitted to Union Hospital in Wuhan for neurosurgery, and after surgery developed a fever. Zhou, who spoke on CCTV, the state-run television station, did not specify when this occurred.
Osterholm said his team's research shows that 20 health care workers have been infected by patients, with the other six cases possibly at hospitals in Wuhan and the nearby city of Huanggang.
Public health officials are trying to avoid devastating super spreader events that happened with SARS and MERS.
In 2003, a Chinese doctor who was staying at the Metropole Hotel in the city of Guangzhou infected other hotel guests who then traveled back to Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada. In Singapore alone, 94 cases of SARS can be traced back to the hotel, according to WHO.
In 2015, there were five super-spreading events of MERS at hospitals in South Korea. In one case, a single patient spread the infection to 82 other people.
The ramifications were huge. Two South Korean hospitals closed down, nearly 17,000 people had to be quarantined, and the economic loss was estimated at 9.3 trillion Korean won, or $ 8.5 billion. In all, 186 people became infected in the South Korea MERS outbreak and 38 died, according to WHO. | business |
WHO says no need—yet—to declare spread of novel virus is an international emergency | Amid travel restrictions and canceled public gatherings, millions of Chinese people, like this couple at a Beijing rail station, are now traveling to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
By Jon CohenJan. 23, 2020, 5:00 PM
Because a novel coronavirus has spread throughout China and jumped to a dozen other countries, the world is on red alert. But the World Health Organization ( WHO) today, to the surprise of many global health experts, decided the outbreak does not merit the loudest siren it can sound, a declaration called a Public Health Emergency of International Concern ( PHEIC). “ It has not yet become a global health emergency, ” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Geneva this evening. “ It may yet become one. ”
The decision by Tedros reflected a recommendation from an emergency committee, which over the past 2 days carefully reviewed information about the outbreak. The committee expected to issue a recommendation yesterday but it was so evenly divided on whether to declare a PHEIC that it requested this second day to review the most current data. Today, its chair, Didier Houssin, said opinions remained split. Those against a PHEIC declaration, Houssin said, contended that too few cases have surfaced outside of China—nine of 584 confirmed infections—and also rejected the declaration “ because of the efforts presently made by Chinese authorities in order to contain the disease. ”
According to an update that Chinese health officials gave to the emergency committee, 25% of the cases to date have had life-threatening disease and 17 people have died. But critical questions still remain about the severity of the infection with what’ s now dubbed 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV). Researchers suspect that 2019-nCoV jumped from an animal to a human, but no animal source has been identified. Tedros also stressed that human-to-human transmission has occurred, but only within China.
Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, was part of a loud chorus that immediately questioned the decision to hold off on declaring a PHEIC. “ This is clearly an extraordinary and novel event that poses risks to [ other countries ] through international spread and which requires a coordinated international response, ” he told ScienceInsider. A PHEIC declaration, he said, “ should be a means of increasing support for China’ s response, not something that would in any way impair it. ”
Inglesby and many others also sharply criticized China for restricting travel for people in Wuhan, where the outbreak surfaced last month, and several surrounding cities. In one of several tweets, Inglesby wrote, “ Serious concern that large scale quarantine for nCoV will be ineffective and could have big negative consequences. ” He warned that the restrictions could hamper efforts to move medical supplies and personnel—and also scare infected people away from seeking care.
Tedros sidestepped questions at the press conference about China’ s travel restrictions, underscoring the sensitive political nature of coordinating international responses to outbreaks of novel, dangerous pathogens such as 2019-nCoV. “ WHO’ s role is to provide rational and science-based public health recommendations to countries, ” Tedros said. “ But at the end of the day, a sovereign country has the autonomy to do what it thinks is right. ” He said he hoped the transportation restrictions were effective and “ short in duration. ”
Houssin said China’ s announcement of the travel restrictions yesterday took the emergency committee by surprise, adding that the restrictions were initiated by the city of Wuhan. “ It was not directly related to the specific epidemiology in the city, ” Houssin said.
Michael Ryan, head of WHO’ s Health Emergencies Programme, thanked China for providing WHO with detailed epidemiological information about cases that it has not yet made public. “ In many of these situations in the past, countries haven’ t been prepared to share that detail of data, quite frankly, ” Ryan said. Based on the data, he says the outbreak is evolving. “ We’ re not in a position to say the epidemic has peaked, ” he said.
Tedros said WHO is now working to help researchers develop new diagnostics and lay the groundwork to test therapies and vaccines. “ The situation is serious, ” Tedros said. “ We’ re completely committed to ending this outbreak as soon as possible, and I will not hesitate to reconvene the committee at a moment’ s notice. ” | science |
WHO: Wuhan coronavirus is not yet a public health emergency of international concern | `` Make no mistake. This is an emergency in China, but it has not yet become a global health emergency, '' WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday. `` It may yet become one. ''
The announcement came shortly after an emergency committee was convened over two days in Geneva to advise WHO leadership on the outbreak. WHO was expected to make an announcement Wednesday, but Ghebreyesus then said he did not have enough information to make a decision, and the committee was asked to reconvene a second day.
Committee chairman Dr. Didier Houssin told reporters Thursday that the committee remained split down the middle on whether to issue the recommendation and ultimately decided it was `` too early. ''
On Wednesday, Houssin expressed that the committee was initially unable to make a recommendation because the information it had from Chinese authorities was too limited and imprecise. According to a statement Thursday, Chinese authorities gave the committee new epidemiological data, which included higher numbers of infected people and evidence of fourth-generation cases in Wuhan. The Chinese government has also been asked to provide more information on the preventive measures it's taking and to `` enhance surveillance and active case finding across China, particularly during the Chinese New Year celebration. ''
Ghebreyesus praised the Chinese government for its cooperation and transparency on Thursday.
Advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had previously told CNN they were concerned that Chinese health officials had still not released basic epidemiological data about the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, making it more difficult to contain.
WHO defines a public health emergency of international concern as `` an extraordinary event '' that constitutes a `` public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease '' and `` to potentially require a coordinated international response. '' Previous emergencies have included Ebola, Zika and H1N1.
Ghebreyesus said that WHO's decision `` should not be taken as a sign that WHO does not think the situation is serious, or that we are not taking it seriously. ''
WHO has played a number of roles in the international response to the outbreak, including coordinating with international authorities and researchers, as well as developing guidance for lab testing, treatment and prevention measures.
WHO has previously advised that people in the region avoid unnecessary contact with animals or animal products in markets, that they practice proper hygiene, and that they avoid eating raw or undercooked meat. People with `` underlying medical conditions '' should avoid live animal markets and raw meats altogether, as those people are `` considered at higher risk of severe disease, '' according to the WHO.
Ghebreyesus said Thursday WHO does not recommend broadening restrictions on travel or trade at the moment, but does recommend ways to detect potential cases in airports and health care settings.
Hundreds of confirmed cases
The newly identified virus has infected hundreds of people worldwide and led to at least 17 deaths since the outbreak started in December. The majority of confirmed cases are in the Chinese province of Hubei -- where Wuhan is located -- with other suspected and confirmed infections cropping up in multiple countries and territories worldwide.
Scientists at Imperial College London say there could be far more cases. According to their estimates Wednesday, around 4,000 people are likely to have been infected by the new coronavirus in Wuhan alone as of January 18.
The United States announced its first case Tuesday, and is planning to expand health screenings at airports. Similar measures are being adopted by airports across Asia, including temperature screening of incoming passengers.
On Thursday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised its travel notice for Wuhan to its highest level, `` warning, '' recommending `` that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Wuhan, China. ''
Earlier in the week, the agency also activated its Emergency Operations Center -- as it has done with Ebola and vaping-related lung injuries -- to centralize the US response to the outbreak.
Signs and symptoms
According to health authorities, patients infected with the Wuhan coronavirus may have common symptoms such as fever, cough, headache or muscle pain. A subset of patients may have more severe illness including trouble breathing and scans revealing signs of infection in both lungs.
According to the CDC, `` preliminary information suggests that older adults and people with underlying health conditions may be at increased risk for severe disease from this virus. ''
The CDC also says it believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed to the virus, based on what it knows about other viruses in the same family. Still, health experts say there's much to unravel about how -- and how quickly -- the virus spreads.
`` At this time, it's unclear how easily or sustainably this virus is spreading between people, '' the CDC says.
The Wuhan coronavirus is in the same family as severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS -- which killed more than 700 people in 2002 and 2003 -- and Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. The coronavirus family is also associated with the common cold.
Containing the outbreak
Chinese officials are racing to contain the outbreak after it was confirmed the infection can be spread from person to person, raising the possibility of increased transmissions as China enters into the busy Lunar New Year travel period.
Wuhan municipal government published a notice making it mandatory to wear face masks in public places on Wednesday.
`` People who don't obey the requirements shall be dealt with by authorities in accordance with their respective duties and laws, '' the notice reads.
The city has taken a number of other measures, including the cancellation of upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations and putting the city on a partial lockdown on Thursday, halting city buses, ferries and subways, as well as airport and railway stations, according to Wuhan authorities.
Wuhan is the largest city in central China and a major transportation hub. Officials in China have linked the initial infections to a Wuhan seafood and wildlife market, which has been closed since January 1 to prevent further spread of the illness. | business |
Coronavirus: panic and anger in Wuhan as China orders city into lockdown | A sense of panic has spread in Wuhan as the Chinese city of 11 million people was put on lockdown in an attempt to quarantine a deadly virus believed to have originated there.
On Thursday, authorities banned all transport links from the city, suspending buses, the subway system, ferries and shutting the airport and train stations to outgoing passengers.
Nearby Huanggang and Ezhou suspended buses, subways and ferries and shut the airport and train stations to outgoing passengers.
In Wuhan, supermarket shelves were empty and local markets sold out of produce as residents hoarded supplies and isolated themselves at home. Petrol stations were overwhelmed as drivers stocked up on fuel amid rumours that reserves had run out. Local residents said pharmacies had sold out of face masks.
Few pedestrians were on the street and families cancelled plans to get together for the lunar new year holiday. Special police forces were seen patrolling railway stations. Residents and all government workers are now required to wear face masks while in public spaces.
“ When I saw the news when I woke up, I felt like I was going to go crazy. This is a little too late now. The government’ s measures are not enough, ” said Xiao, 26, a primary school teacher in Wuhan, who asked not to give her full name.
Some residents posted photos of their newly bought supplies of instant noodles and snacks on social media. “ No more going out … so I won’ t get sick, ” wrote one person on Weibo, adding: “ Hope Wuhan can get some support soon. ” Others said the lifts in their apartment complexes were being disinfected and that most of their friends and relatives in the city were also planning on staying in as much as possible.
At least 571 people have been infected with the coronavirus, which is part of the same family of viruses that gave rise to Sars. It has now reached almost all of the country’ s provinces as well as the US, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong. Vietnam and Singapore confirmed their first cases on Thursday.
Chinese authorities said on Thursday that 95 patients were in critical condition.
Hong Kong officials announced on Thursday they would turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus.
Seventeen people have died since the virus was detected in late December, all of them in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital. Many of the deaths occurred in Wuhan, where a seafood market selling wild animals is the suspected source of the virus. Scientists believe it probably jumped from an animal to a human and is now transmissible from one person to another, and could mutate further.
It is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization ( WHO) has declared it a pandemic.
According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment.
About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
In the UK, the National health Service ( NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either:
As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system.
Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities.
In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
China’ s national health commission confirmed human-to-human transmission in January. As of 31 March, more than one million people have been infected in more than 170 countries, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
There have been over 50,000 deaths globally. Just over 3,200 of those deaths have occurred in mainland China. Italy has been worst affected, with over 13,900 fatalities, and there have been over 10,000 deaths in Spain. The US now has more confirmed cases than any other country - more than 245,000. Many of those who have died had underlying health conditions, which the coronavirus complicated.
More than 210,000 people are recorded as having recovered from the coronavirus.
“ It’ s truly an extraordinary development. You have a city of 10 million people being shut down, ” said Dali Yang, a professor of political science focusing on China at the University of Chicago. “ In many ways the local leadership and the population are definitely not prepared. This is truly an emergency for them. ”
On Thursday some residents raced to leave Wuhan before the de facto quarantine was put into effect at 10am, lining up at the airport and at train stations. Local authorities, announcing the emergency measure at around 2am on Thursday, said citizens would be notified later when the restrictions were lifted.
Anxiety has been exacerbated by reports that sick patients are being turned away from hospitals without enough room. “ Infected people could be right beside you and you wouldn’ t know. That is what is scarier, ” said Xiao, who has not left home since Sunday.
Wuhan’ s disease prevention and control centre released a statement on Thursday asking residents not to panic and not to stockpile. “ At the present time, Wuhan’ s reserves of food, medicine and other supplies are all enough, ” it said.
Authorities have made an effort to update citizens regularly on the situation and state media have attempted to frame the current shutdown as a battle being waged by the people of Wuhan for the good of the country. The state-run People’ s Daily posted on Weibo: “ Come on Wuhan, let us win this disease prevention war together! ”
But residents are wary of the information provided by their government, which in recent weeks repeatedly said the virus was not serious and was “ controllable ”.
“ I am a bit panicked because before the government said it wasn’ t serious so no one thought it was a big deal, ” said Wang Ying, 26, a government worker who described going out in large crowds on New Year’ s Eve, despite the virus having been detected before then.
“ Then this morning, Wuhan was suddenly sealed off. I think the government’ s early warnings were not enough. ”
Others criticised local authorities, who held a lunar new year banquet for 40,000 people days before authorities announced that the virus could be transmitted between humans.
“ It’ s been a month since the first case was discovered and only now do they think of closing the city? This Wuhan emergency response is a little slow, right? ” another Weibo user wrote.
As reports circulated online that food prices had gone up in Wuhan, there were calls for government intervention. One person said: “ The government needs to address this. If things become too expensive, people will definitely panic and when people feel unsafe, terrible things happen. Right now people are fighting over supplies, soon they may just be fighting. ”
Additional reporting by Lillian Yang | general |
The Wuhan virus is the last thing China's economy needs right now |
China's
economy is slumping
and the country is still suffering the effects of the trade war with America. An outbreak of a new and deadly virus is the last thing it needs.
The Wuhan coronavirus — which has killed 17 people and infected nearly 600 so far — has already roiled Chinese markets and
thrown plans for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday into chaos
for millions of people.
If Beijing fails to contain the disease quickly, it will cause more pain for a country that was already trying to stave off a serious downturn by trying to encourage more consumer spending. An epidemic could have the opposite effect.
`` If you're trying to rebalance the Chinese economy, this is one of the last events you want to see, '' said Logan Wright, director of China markets research at Rhodium Group.
The world's second biggest economy grew at its slowest pace in nearly three decades last year as it contended with rising debt, cooling domestic demand and
US tariffs, many of which remain in place despite
a recent truce
. Beijing is worried about unemployment, too, and has announced a wave of stimulus measures in recent weeks aimed at preventing mass layoffs.
China is really worried about unemployment. Here's what it's doing to avoid mass layoffs
Read More
Most of the tariffs Washington imposed on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods haven't gone away, said ING economist Robert Carnell, adding that Beijing has already nudged `` every policy lever that could be nudged ''
to try to offset the effects
of the trade dispute.
The
Chinese economy
is just `` managing '' right now, he said.
Wright called the timing of the outbreak `` especially unfortunate '' given the Lunar New Year holiday. The period is
the largest annual human migration on Earth
, during which hundreds of millions of Chinese travelers usually cram
themselves into homebound trains, buses and planes for family reunions.
The spread of the virus prompted Chinese officials to take the largely unprecedented step of partially locking down Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in central China where the virus originated. Airline regulators have also instructed Chinese carriers to offer free cancellations on flights into Wuhan, while state media has reported that China's rail authorities are taking similar steps.
A SARS-like scenario
China has a good sense of the economic
trouble that could lie ahead.
The
2003 SARS outbreak
, which sickened 8,098 and killed 774 people in 37 different countries, cost the world economy $ 40 billion, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health. The economies of China and Hong Kong bore the brunt of that burden, the authors said.
Like SARS, the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak could spark widespread fear and spur people to hunker down and avoid going outside. That kind of behavior would deal a huge blow to the service sector, which now accounts for about 52% of the Chinese economy.
Asian markets drop as coronavirus death toll climbs
`` As soon as you're worried, you're worried, '' Carnell said. `` You stay home, if you can. You don't go out to the local food court, you try not to travel on public transport, you try to work from home, you don't travel for pleasure. You don't get on a plane, you don't go to the movie theater, restaurants or conferences. ''
The SARS outbreak forced the cancellation of the week-long May Day holiday in China, forced the postponement or abandonment of sporting, business and cultural events and
turned Beijing into a virtual ghost town
.
Investors are already worried about what the Wuhan virus could mean for China's growing travel industry. Shares of the country's three major airlines — Air China, China Southern and China Eastern — all closed down 2.5% or more in Shanghai and Hong Kong on Thursday. And the aviation sector is `` likely to remain under pressure as confirmed cases are set to increase, '' said Andrew Lee, equity analyst at Jefferies.
SARS also had a wider impact on the economy. China's annual growth rate slumped to 9.1% in the second quarter of 2003, down from 11.1% in the first quarter of that year, according to brokerage firm Macquarie Group.
This time around, the hit to China's GDP could be even worse, because the sectors most directly affected now make up a bigger part of the economy, Commerzbank analyst Hao Zhou and economist Marco Wagner wrote in a research note on Wednesday. For example, tourism accounts for about 5% of China's GDP today, compared to 2% in 2003.
`` If history is a guide, there is clearly a risk that the already struggling China's consumption would face further headwinds if the ( Wuhan) virus can't be effectively controlled, '' Hao and Wagner wrote.
Limiting the economic blow
But China is stepping up efforts to contain the virus,
including the partial lockdown of Wuhan, and some lessons have been learned since 2003, when the authorities were slow to release information and initially downplayed the severity of the SARS outbreak.
A visual guide to the Wuhan coronavirus
`` Rumors and bad information were drowning out good information at that time, and people were especially careful as a result, '' said Wright, adding that he expected the
economic impact
of the Wuhan virus won't be as severe as during the SARS crisis.
And as scary as the 2003 outbreak was, experts say the impact on China's economy was short-lived.
Once SARS faded away, China's growth rebounded quickly and climbed to 10% in the third quarter of 2003, according to Commerzbank's Hao and Wagner.
Some
remain skeptical about how forthcoming Beijing is being about the outbreak. A senior US State Department official, for example, said Wednesday that the United States is
concerned about transparency inside the Chinese government
about the Wuhan coronovirus.
But the official added that Washington has seen encouraging signs that Beijing understands the gravity of the problem. | general |
Why Disney Merch Is Suddenly Big in China | China Decoded
Gucci, Adidas and Uniqlo are all playing it safe this Chinese New Year. Will their cutesy collaborations pay off during one of the biggest moments in the global shopping calendar?
China Decoded
Gucci, Adidas and Uniqlo are all playing it safe this Chinese New Year. Will their cutesy collaborations pay off during one of the biggest moments in the global shopping calendar?
SHANGHAI, China – Mickey Mouse has overtaken China. A quick stroll down Nanjing Xi Lu, one of Shanghai’ s most popular shopping streets, takes shoppers past Uniqlo, Gap and Gucci – all of which are stocking Mickey-related products. The 91-year-old cartoon character’ s friendly visage stares out from almost every other shop window.China’ s 1.4 billion people are gearing up for the biggest holiday of the year, with an official week-long holiday beginning January 24, the eve of the Lunar New Year. Despite concerns about the deadly coronavirus that has spread from Wuhan to other major Chinese cities, people will travel in their hundreds of millions to celebrate with family as the calendar ticks over to the “ Year of the Rat ” on January 25.The upcoming shunian, or “ Rat Year ” has proven to be something of a boom for The Walt Disney Company, with its endearing rodent mascot representing a safe way for brands of all price-points across the fashion, beauty and accessories sectors to give a nod to the New Year – and to traditional Chinese culture, without being too serious or controversial. “ In China, we have been preparing for the ‘ Year of the Mouse’ for the last three years, ” Kermid Rahman, vice president and general manager for consumer products commercialisation at The Walt Disney Company, Greater China and Korea, explained. Though the Chinese term shunian is generally translated as “ Year of the Rat ”, the word shu actually means rat and mouse interchangeably. Li Ning x Mickey Mouse Campaign 2020 | Source: Courtesy “ Our China-based creative team integrated Chinese elements into Mickey and Minnie product style guides in a locally relevant way. They developed approximately 20,000 SKU localised products for the Chinese Lunar New Year, ” Rahman added.In addition to Uniqlo, Gap and Gucci plugging their Mickey collaborations in the lead-up to Spring Festival, other domestic and international fashion and sportswear brands feature limited edition Chinese New Year products with Disney’ s Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters, including Columbia, Li Ning, Adidas, Urban Revivo, Chocoolate, Vero Moda, Peacebird, Zhang Dayi and Metersbonwe.In the beauty sector, Innisfree, SK-II, Neutrogena, Dr Jart+, Elizabeth Arden and Maybelline also have Mickey-related Chinese New Year products; and Pandora and Chow Tai Fook are releasing Mickey Mouse accessories as part of their holiday offerings. “ In China, we not only work with global high-end brands, but we work with more than 450 local licensee partners… [ to bring ] better products, greater innovation and happiness to more Chinese consumers, ” Rahman added.As an aesthetic proposition, the Year of the Rat presents inherent challenges, as opposed to, for example, the Year of the Dragon or Horse, animals that are more easily rendered in a visually appealing way. This makes Mickey an enticing choice, but perhaps more important than looking good, Mickey is also a safe choice.Throughout their history of doing business in China and interacting with local holidays, Chinese New Year collaborations have notoriously been hit and miss for global brands with numerous missteps being seized upon by Chinese netizens for ridicule. In 2019, Burberry bore the brunt of criticism with its campaign depicting unsmiling, unconventional family portraits that were widely labelled “ creepy ” by Chinese consumers.I think after a number of cultural shocks... all of the international brands are trying to be safer.Criticism of international luxury brands from Chinese consumers was something of a theme throughout 2019, with a crescendo in August that saw brands from Versace, to Givenchy and Coach, lose Chinese celebrity ambassadors who quit in protest following the release of products considered offensive for labelling Taiwan and Hong Kong as countries separate from China.This trend has seemingly made international brands even more gun shy when it comes to Chinese New Year products and campaigns in 2020, according to Jason Yu, the Shanghai-based general manager of market research firm Kantar Worldpanel. “ I think after a number of cultural shocks and very expensive lessons learned last year, all of the international brands are trying to be safer, ” he said.However, not everyone has been won over by the Mickey Mouse collections, particularly at the luxury end of the fashion spectrum. One of WeChat’ s top-ranked fashion accounts, iiiher, penned an article that was particularly critical of Gucci’ s collaboration, ridiculing the cost of 30 to 40 thousand yuan ( $ 4,350 to $ 5,800) products and comparing them to similar products available from fast fashion brands and Taobao stores for a fraction of the price.Gucci’ s collection has received plenty of coverage within China, largely because of its co-operation with high-profile KOLs such as Mr Bags and Fil Xiaobai, who along with celebrity ambassador Ni Ni were filmed enjoying Disneyland with their families wearing the collection, vlogs that were then pushed out on Weibo. Gucci Chinese New Year 2020 campaign | Source: Courtesy Mr Bags, whose real name is Tao Liang, told BoF that Gucci in particular had been paying attention to the growth in influence that KOLs have enjoyed in China over the past year, with as many as 48 percent of online consumers in China buying products directly from links provided by KOLs. “ More attention is paid to the influence of KOLs [ and ] Gucci quickly captured the influence of KOL’ s Weibo [ accounts ] and built a large, breakthrough campaign [ around that ]. It’ s actually very powerful and timely, '' he said.As to whether the “ cuteness ” of a Disney collaboration might diminish the positioning of a luxury brand, Jason Yu says that on the contrary it helps brands connect with younger consumers, a key demographic for international luxury companies.According to a 2019 report from McKinsey, China’ s post-80s consumers ( the first generation in China to grow up with Mickey Mouse, following the reform and opening period of the late-70s) account for more than half of the total luxury spend by Chinese consumers; the post-90s generation, meanwhile, are the fastest growing luxury consumer cohort in China. “ For younger consumers Mickey Mouse is going to be a very popular choice, ” Yu said. “ I would say that all the luxury brands are trying to launch products that are appealing to younger consumers, rather than the classic luxury consumer target. ” Interestingly, these age groups have also been targeted by The Walt Disney Company in China, with a shift from products targeting children to those targeting young adults in recent years. “ Currently, 55 percent of Disney consumer products are purchased by young adults and 45 percent are by children. Ten years ago, the ratio for adults and children was 15 percent and 85 percent respectively, ” Disney’ s Rahman said.There’ s little doubt the safe haven of cuteness and universal appeal of Disney’ s favourite mouse has won Chinese New Year in 2020. Although there’ s not much in the way of innovative campaigns breaking through the noise this season, perhaps brands are happy to just keep their heads down and avoid attracting attention for the wrong reasons.Additional reporting from Jing Wang时尚与美容FASHION & BEAUTYThe exterior of an IT store in Hong Kong | Source: CourtesyHong Kong-based Fashion and Jewellery Brands Lose GroundFashion retailer IT saw same-store sales in Hong Kong and Macau fall 33.3 percent in the third quarter, a drop the brand attributed to recent social unrest in Hong Kong hitting tourism. At the same time, same-store sales in the mainland decreased by 5.2 percent year-on-year, reportedly due to discounting activities of online and offline sales outlets in mainland China during the period. Meanwhile, jeweller Lukfook Group's third quarter financial report for fiscal year 2020 shows same-store sales in its retail portfolio fell by 25 percent overall, with a 27 percent drop reported for same-store sales in Hong Kong and Macau. ( Beijing Commercial Daily, Zhitong Finance) Collaborations Key for Fashion Players in China MarketEarlier this month, fashion designer Alexander Wang released a collaboration with McDonald’ s in the form of picnic basket and lunch bag-inspired handbags in his signature shade of black. The collection, sold through Alibaba’ s Tmall online platform, proved a hit with Chinese consumers, selling out in minutes, according to Alibaba. Brand collaborations like these are incredibly popular in China, and their frequency and popularity are growing each year. A June report from Gartner L2 showed that the percentage of fashion brands promoting brand collaborations on the Chinese social network Weibo had jumped up from 62 percent in the first quarter of 2018 to 80 percent by mid 2019. ( Glossy) How Chinese Fashion Brands Can Achieve Global DominationChina buys, produces and exports most of the world’ s clothing – but somehow, Chinese consumers are still wearing clothes designed in the US, Europe, Japan and even Korea. This begs the question: why are Chinese brands still struggling to find the spotlight? Most Western consumers would be hard pressed to name a Chinese fashion brand. This is partly because China’ s domestic market is so big that many brands are simply not motivated to make a global expansion. Marketing to Western audiences is another challenge which requires brands to help international audience understand the cultural references and craftsmanship behind Chinese design. ( South China Morning Post) 科技与创新TECH & INNOVATIONA Louis Vuitton OLED bag on display at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai | Source: Casey HallLouis Vuitton Chinese Tech Partner Mulls US IPORoyole Corporation, the Shenzhen-based manufacturer of flexible displays and sensors, might be planning for an IPO in the US. Although it hasn’ t been officially confirmed, insiders speculate that it’ s a sensible step for the startup, which closed its E Series round at a valuation of $ 5 billion in 2018. Founded in 2012, Royole ventured from tech to fashion last May when it debuted a collaboration with Louis Vuitton’ s cruise collection. In it, three iconic handbags from the luxury brand were paired with Royole’ s flexible displays, which allow customers to show their custom images and videos while using the touchscreen interfaces. ( Securities Times) Alibaba’ s Tech Trends to Watch in 2020 The Alibaba DAMO Academy, a research arm of the conglomerate, has predicted the humanisation of artificial intelligence, hyper-connected manufacturing, easier chip design, the mainstreaming of blockchain, the internet of things combined with 5G enabling machines to talk with each other in large-scale deployments and great leaps forward in quantum computing as being among the top trends that will shape technology in the year ahead. ( Alizila) Tencent Portfolio Boasts 160 Unicorns Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings has invested in 160 companies that have since become unicorns, according to its President Lau Chiping. The firm has invested in more than 800 companies to date and 70 of them have gone public, Lau said at the company's recent 2020 Insight & Forecast Conference. It pumped cash into 100 firms in 2019, adding 38 unicorns to its portfolio and seven to its list of listed firms. The Shenzhen-based company plans to start steering its investment toward smart retail, the 'industrial internet ' and overseas companies, he continued. Tencent has typically invested in gaming content and cutting-edge technologies. ( Yicai Global) 消费与零售CONSUMER & RETAILAnta Sports advertisement | Source: @ antasportsofficial InstagramAthleisure Continues to Gain Ground in ChinaDespite forecasts of a decline in consumption worldwide, Chinese consumers continue to increase their spending on clothing, accessories, and footwear, according to the China Consumer Report 2020: The Many Faces of the Chinese Consumer, prepared by Euromonitor. Athleisure has continued to gain ground in Chinese consumers’ baskets. Around 70 percent of China’ s consumers expanded their spending on sports shoes by more than 5 percent between 2017 and 2018, while around 60 percent did the same with sportswear. Between 2017 and 2018, about 60 percent of the country's consumers increased their budget for products in the beauty sector by more than 5 percent. ( The MDS) US Marketers Don’ t Understand China as Well as They ThinkMarketing consultancy Lewis surveyed 351 US marketers and revealed that there is a perception of overconfidence in regards to marketing in China among US senior marketers which leaves brands open to risk in the world’ s second-largest economy. For example, 80 percent of US marketers reported that they completely or mostly understand marketing practices in China, while only 23 percent felt it was either extremely or very difficult to market in this country. China has a different social media landscape, yet almost a third ( 30 percent) were only somewhat or not at all familiar with Chinese social media and e-commerce platforms. ( Marketing Interactive) Chinese Companies Bring Smart Retail to the USEquipped with cutting-edge products and innovative services, a group of Chinese companies made their presence felt at New York Retail's Big Show 2020 in New York, an annual expo held by the US National Retail Federation. Chinese companies have been weaving together the online and offline worlds toward a vision of retail that seamlessly blends stores, data, online and logistics and they are now looking to export these innovations to the US market. Over a dozen Chinese companies, including Sunmi, Lenovo, Qingdao Hisense and Wintec System, joined the show with high quality hardware facilities and retail solutions designed to enhance user experience. ( CCTV) 政治, 经济与社会POLITICS, ECONOMY, SOCIETYAn image of two women posing in the Forbidden City | Source: WeiboA Mercedes in Beijing’ s Forbidden City Attracts OutragePictures circulating on China’ s Weibo microblogging platform showed two women inside one of China’ s most sacred spaces, the Forbidden City in Beijing, smiling as they showed off a Mercedes-Benz SUV. One of the women bragged about getting exclusive access to the palace, a notoriously congested tourist site, saying she had gone there to “ run wild. ” The photos have set off debate in China about the privileges enjoyed by wealthy families, at a time when President Xi Jinping is trying to persuade the public that he is working to eliminate corruption and to reduce the gap between rich and poor. ( The New York Times) China Moves to Ban Single Use PlasticsChina is stepping up restrictions on the production, sale and use of single-use plastic products, the state planner said on Sunday, as it seeks to tackle one of the country’ s biggest environmental problems. The National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, which issued the new policy, said plastic bags will be banned in all of China’ s major cities by the end of 2020 and banned in all cities and towns in 2022. Markets selling fresh produce will be exempt from the ban until 2025. Other items such as plastic utensils from takeaway food outlets and plastic courier packages will also be phased out. ( Reuters) A Rush on Worrying Accessory Prior to Spring Festival Travel RushAs panic over the rapidly-spreading respiratory illness known as coronavirus grips China in the lead up the week-long Chinese New Year holiday, also known as the world’ s largest migration of people, face masks have been selling out throughout the country’ s major cities. Multiple local governments, as well as major online players, have been prompted to warn merchants against inflating the prices of face masks to make more profit from people’ s concern over the virus. Taobao has issued a notice to all merchants selling masks on its platform that it will not allow price increases. At present, they say, the supply of masks on Taobao and Tmall “ is sufficient. ” ( 36Kr) China Decoded wants to hear from you. Send tips, suggestions, complaints and compliments to our Shanghai-based Asia Correspondent casey.hall @ businessoffashion.com.
China’ s 1.4 billion people are gearing up for the biggest holiday of the year, with an official week-long holiday beginning January 24, the eve of the Lunar New Year. Despite concerns about the deadly coronavirus that has spread from Wuhan to other major Chinese cities, people will travel in their hundreds of millions to celebrate with family as the calendar ticks over to the “ Year of the Rat ” on January 25.
The upcoming shunian, or “ Rat Year ” has proven to be something of a boom for The Walt Disney Company, with its endearing rodent mascot representing a safe way for brands of all price-points across the fashion, beauty and accessories sectors to give a nod to the New Year – and to traditional Chinese culture, without being too serious or controversial.
“ In China, we have been preparing for the ‘ Year of the Mouse’ for the last three years, ” Kermid Rahman, vice president and general manager for consumer products commercialisation at The Walt Disney Company, Greater China and Korea, explained. Though the Chinese term shunian is generally translated as “ Year of the Rat ”, the word shu actually means rat and mouse interchangeably.
Li Ning x Mickey Mouse Campaign 2020 | Source: Courtesy
“ Our China-based creative team integrated Chinese elements into Mickey and Minnie product style guides in a locally relevant way. They developed approximately 20,000 SKU localised products for the Chinese Lunar New Year, ” Rahman added.
In addition to Uniqlo, Gap and Gucci plugging their Mickey collaborations in the lead-up to Spring Festival, other domestic and international fashion and sportswear brands feature limited edition Chinese New Year products with Disney’ s Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters, including Columbia, Li Ning, Adidas, Urban Revivo, Chocoolate, Vero Moda, Peacebird, Zhang Dayi and Metersbonwe.
In the beauty sector, Innisfree, SK-II, Neutrogena, Dr Jart+, Elizabeth Arden and Maybelline also have Mickey-related Chinese New Year products; and Pandora and Chow Tai Fook are releasing Mickey Mouse accessories as part of their holiday offerings.
“ In China, we not only work with global high-end brands, but we work with more than 450 local licensee partners… [ to bring ] better products, greater innovation and happiness to more Chinese consumers, ” Rahman added.
As an aesthetic proposition, the Year of the Rat presents inherent challenges, as opposed to, for example, the Year of the Dragon or Horse, animals that are more easily rendered in a visually appealing way. This makes Mickey an enticing choice, but perhaps more important than looking good, Mickey is also a safe choice.
Throughout their history of doing business in China and interacting with local holidays, Chinese New Year collaborations have notoriously been hit and miss for global brands with numerous missteps being seized upon by Chinese netizens for ridicule. In 2019, Burberry bore the brunt of criticism with its campaign depicting unsmiling, unconventional family portraits that were widely labelled “ creepy ” by Chinese consumers.
I think after a number of cultural shocks... all of the international brands are trying to be safer.
Criticism of international luxury brands from Chinese consumers was something of a theme throughout 2019, with a crescendo in August that saw brands from Versace, to Givenchy and Coach, lose Chinese celebrity ambassadors who quit in protest following the release of products considered offensive for labelling Taiwan and Hong Kong as countries separate from China.
This trend has seemingly made international brands even more gun shy when it comes to Chinese New Year products and campaigns in 2020, according to Jason Yu, the Shanghai-based general manager of market research firm Kantar Worldpanel.
“ I think after a number of cultural shocks and very expensive lessons learned last year, all of the international brands are trying to be safer, ” he said.
However, not everyone has been won over by the Mickey Mouse collections, particularly at the luxury end of the fashion spectrum. One of WeChat’ s top-ranked fashion accounts, iiiher, penned an article that was particularly critical of Gucci’ s collaboration, ridiculing the cost of 30 to 40 thousand yuan ( $ 4,350 to $ 5,800) products and comparing them to similar products available from fast fashion brands and Taobao stores for a fraction of the price.
Gucci’ s collection has received plenty of coverage within China, largely because of its co-operation with high-profile KOLs such as Mr Bags and Fil Xiaobai, who along with celebrity ambassador Ni Ni were filmed enjoying Disneyland with their families wearing the collection, vlogs that were then pushed out on Weibo.
Gucci Chinese New Year 2020 campaign | Source: Courtesy
Mr Bags, whose real name is Tao Liang, told BoF that Gucci in particular had been paying attention to the growth in influence that KOLs have enjoyed in China over the past year, with as many as 48 percent of online consumers in China buying products directly from links provided by KOLs.
“ More attention is paid to the influence of KOLs [ and ] Gucci quickly captured the influence of KOL’ s Weibo [ accounts ] and built a large, breakthrough campaign [ around that ]. It’ s actually very powerful and timely, '' he said.
As to whether the “ cuteness ” of a Disney collaboration might diminish the positioning of a luxury brand, Jason Yu says that on the contrary it helps brands connect with younger consumers, a key demographic for international luxury companies.
According to a 2019 report from McKinsey, China’ s post-80s consumers ( the first generation in China to grow up with Mickey Mouse, following the reform and opening period of the late-70s) account for more than half of the total luxury spend by Chinese consumers; the post-90s generation, meanwhile, are the fastest growing luxury consumer cohort in China.
“ For younger consumers Mickey Mouse is going to be a very popular choice, ” Yu said. “ I would say that all the luxury brands are trying to launch products that are appealing to younger consumers, rather than the classic luxury consumer target. ”
Interestingly, these age groups have also been targeted by The Walt Disney Company in China, with a shift from products targeting children to those targeting young adults in recent years.
“ Currently, 55 percent of Disney consumer products are purchased by young adults and 45 percent are by children. Ten years ago, the ratio for adults and children was 15 percent and 85 percent respectively, ” Disney’ s Rahman said.
There’ s little doubt the safe haven of cuteness and universal appeal of Disney’ s favourite mouse has won Chinese New Year in 2020. Although there’ s not much in the way of innovative campaigns breaking through the noise this season, perhaps brands are happy to just keep their heads down and avoid attracting attention for the wrong reasons.
Additional reporting from Jing Wang
时尚与美容FASHION & BEAUTY
The exterior of an IT store in Hong Kong | Source: Courtesy
Hong Kong-based Fashion and Jewellery Brands Lose Ground
Fashion retailer IT saw same-store sales in Hong Kong and Macau fall 33.3 percent in the third quarter, a drop the brand attributed to recent social unrest in Hong Kong hitting tourism. At the same time, same-store sales in the mainland decreased by 5.2 percent year-on-year, reportedly due to discounting activities of online and offline sales outlets in mainland China during the period. Meanwhile, jeweller Lukfook Group's third quarter financial report for fiscal year 2020 shows same-store sales in its retail portfolio fell by 25 percent overall, with a 27 percent drop reported for same-store sales in Hong Kong and Macau. ( Beijing Commercial Daily, Zhitong Finance)
Collaborations Key for Fashion Players in China Market
Earlier this month, fashion designer Alexander Wang released a collaboration with McDonald’ s in the form of picnic basket and lunch bag-inspired handbags in his signature shade of black. The collection, sold through Alibaba’ s Tmall online platform, proved a hit with Chinese consumers, selling out in minutes, according to Alibaba. Brand collaborations like these are incredibly popular in China, and their frequency and popularity are growing each year. A June report from Gartner L2 showed that the percentage of fashion brands promoting brand collaborations on the Chinese social network Weibo had jumped up from 62 percent in the first quarter of 2018 to 80 percent by mid 2019. ( Glossy)
How Chinese Fashion Brands Can Achieve Global Domination
China buys, produces and exports most of the world’ s clothing – but somehow, Chinese consumers are still wearing clothes designed in the US, Europe, Japan and even Korea. This begs the question: why are Chinese brands still struggling to find the spotlight? Most Western consumers would be hard pressed to name a Chinese fashion brand. This is partly because China’ s domestic market is so big that many brands are simply not motivated to make a global expansion. Marketing to Western audiences is another challenge which requires brands to help international audience understand the cultural references and craftsmanship behind Chinese design. ( South China Morning Post)
科技与创新TECH & INNOVATION
A Louis Vuitton OLED bag on display at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai | Source: Casey Hall
Louis Vuitton Chinese Tech Partner Mulls US IPO
Royole Corporation, the Shenzhen-based manufacturer of flexible displays and sensors, might be planning for an IPO in the US. Although it hasn’ t been officially confirmed, insiders speculate that it’ s a sensible step for the startup, which closed its E Series round at a valuation of $ 5 billion in 2018. Founded in 2012, Royole ventured from tech to fashion last May when it debuted a collaboration with Louis Vuitton’ s cruise collection. In it, three iconic handbags from the luxury brand were paired with Royole’ s flexible displays, which allow customers to show their custom images and videos while using the touchscreen interfaces. ( Securities Times)
Alibaba’ s Tech Trends to Watch in 2020
The Alibaba DAMO Academy, a research arm of the conglomerate, has predicted the humanisation of artificial intelligence, hyper-connected manufacturing, easier chip design, the mainstreaming of blockchain, the internet of things combined with 5G enabling machines to talk with each other in large-scale deployments and great leaps forward in quantum computing as being among the top trends that will shape technology in the year ahead. ( Alizila)
Tencent Portfolio Boasts 160 Unicorns
Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings has invested in 160 companies that have since become unicorns, according to its President Lau Chiping. The firm has invested in more than 800 companies to date and 70 of them have gone public, Lau said at the company's recent 2020 Insight & Forecast Conference. It pumped cash into 100 firms in 2019, adding 38 unicorns to its portfolio and seven to its list of listed firms. The Shenzhen-based company plans to start steering its investment toward smart retail, the 'industrial internet ' and overseas companies, he continued. Tencent has typically invested in gaming content and cutting-edge technologies. ( Yicai Global)
消费与零售CONSUMER & RETAIL
Anta Sports advertisement | Source: @ antasportsofficial Instagram
Athleisure Continues to Gain Ground in China
Despite forecasts of a decline in consumption worldwide, Chinese consumers continue to increase their spending on clothing, accessories, and footwear, according to the China Consumer Report 2020: The Many Faces of the Chinese Consumer, prepared by Euromonitor. Athleisure has continued to gain ground in Chinese consumers’ baskets. Around 70 percent of China’ s consumers expanded their spending on sports shoes by more than 5 percent between 2017 and 2018, while around 60 percent did the same with sportswear. Between 2017 and 2018, about 60 percent of the country's consumers increased their budget for products in the beauty sector by more than 5 percent. ( The MDS)
US Marketers Don’ t Understand China as Well as They Think
Marketing consultancy Lewis surveyed 351 US marketers and revealed that there is a perception of overconfidence in regards to marketing in China among US senior marketers which leaves brands open to risk in the world’ s second-largest economy. For example, 80 percent of US marketers reported that they completely or mostly understand marketing practices in China, while only 23 percent felt it was either extremely or very difficult to market in this country. China has a different social media landscape, yet almost a third ( 30 percent) were only somewhat or not at all familiar with Chinese social media and e-commerce platforms. ( Marketing Interactive)
Chinese Companies Bring Smart Retail to the US
Equipped with cutting-edge products and innovative services, a group of Chinese companies made their presence felt at New York Retail's Big Show 2020 in New York, an annual expo held by the US National Retail Federation. Chinese companies have been weaving together the online and offline worlds toward a vision of retail that seamlessly blends stores, data, online and logistics and they are now looking to export these innovations to the US market. Over a dozen Chinese companies, including Sunmi, Lenovo, Qingdao Hisense and Wintec System, joined the show with high quality hardware facilities and retail solutions designed to enhance user experience. ( CCTV)
政治, 经济与社会POLITICS, ECONOMY, SOCIETY
An image of two women posing in the Forbidden City | Source: Weibo
A Mercedes in Beijing’ s Forbidden City Attracts Outrage
Pictures circulating on China’ s Weibo microblogging platform showed two women inside one of China’ s most sacred spaces, the Forbidden City in Beijing, smiling as they showed off a Mercedes-Benz SUV. One of the women bragged about getting exclusive access to the palace, a notoriously congested tourist site, saying she had gone there to “ run wild. ” The photos have set off debate in China about the privileges enjoyed by wealthy families, at a time when President Xi Jinping is trying to persuade the public that he is working to eliminate corruption and to reduce the gap between rich and poor. ( The New York Times)
China Moves to Ban Single Use Plastics
China is stepping up restrictions on the production, sale and use of single-use plastic products, the state planner said on Sunday, as it seeks to tackle one of the country’ s biggest environmental problems. The National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, which issued the new policy, said plastic bags will be banned in all of China’ s major cities by the end of 2020 and banned in all cities and towns in 2022. Markets selling fresh produce will be exempt from the ban until 2025. Other items such as plastic utensils from takeaway food outlets and plastic courier packages will also be phased out. ( Reuters)
A Rush on Worrying Accessory Prior to Spring Festival Travel Rush
As panic over the rapidly-spreading respiratory illness known as coronavirus grips China in the lead up the week-long Chinese New Year holiday, also known as the world’ s largest migration of people, face masks have been selling out throughout the country’ s major cities. Multiple local governments, as well as major online players, have been prompted to warn merchants against inflating the prices of face masks to make more profit from people’ s concern over the virus. Taobao has issued a notice to all merchants selling masks on its platform that it will not allow price increases. At present, they say, the supply of masks on Taobao and Tmall “ is sufficient. ” ( 36Kr)
China Decoded wants to hear from you. Send tips, suggestions, complaints and compliments to our Shanghai-based Asia Correspondent casey.hall @ businessoffashion.com.
Unpacking Tiffany’ s Contentious New Ad Campaign | business |
China’ s Battle With a Deadly Coronavirus, in Photos | The spread of a mysterious respiratory virus has prompted the authorities to limit travel in cities in China, including Wuhan, where the disease was first found last month. It has since spread across the nation and to at least 10 other countries.
The outbreak intensified just before the start of the Lunar New Year holiday on Friday, when hundreds of millions of people were traveling across China. Many people who work and live in Wuhan and the surrounding area are now spending time with their families in other parts of the country. Epidemiologists fear that could make the virus harder to contain.
Here’ s a look at the public health crisis in photographs.
Disinfecting a Thai Airways jet near Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand.
Hong Kong’ s chief executive, Carrie Lam, center, during a news conference on Tuesday.
Medical workers at a checkpoint near the border of Hubei Province on Tuesday.
Teachers and students at a Chinese school in Quezon City, Philippines. So far, there have been no deaths from coronavirus outside China.
A hospital under construction in Wuhan that will treat people infected with the coronavirus.
Celebrating the Lunar New Year in Macau.
Normally busy roads in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, have become deserted.
Exercising outside while Wuhan remained on lockdown.
Chinese wearing protective masks during the Lunar New Year festival in Beijing.
The construction site of a hospital being built in Wuhan to treat patients who have contracted the virus.
Security officers standing guard at Tiananmen Gate in Beijing.
A shopping district in Hong Kong. On Sunday, the government said it would bar residents of Hubei Province, which includes Wuhan, from entering Hong Kong until further notice.
Workers making dumplings in Beijing.
A near-empty street in Beijing. Chinese officials greatly expanded a travel ban in an effort to contain the virus. The youngest confirmed case involved a 9-month-old girl in the capital city.
Riding the subway in Beijing.
People with masks leaving a store after stocking up on food at a market in Wuhan.
Festivities for Lunar New Year at the Wong Tai Sin temple in Hong Kong. The city has canceled new year celebrations.
Health workers waiting to check the temperature of people entering a subway station in Beijing.
Masks were ubiquitous on trains and other public places in Hong Kong.
China celebrated a somber Lunar New Year in Beijing.
A site for the construction of a field hospital to treat patients with the coronavirus in Wuhan.
The intensive care unit at Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan.
Hankou Hospital in Wuhan was overwhelmed by residents and their families.
Lining up in Hong Kong to get free vitamin C tablets and bottles of hand sanitizer.
As quarantine efforts expanded, health checkpoints were set up on a highway in Wuhan.
A meat vendor in Wuhan.
A railway station in Beijing. China’ s expanded restrictions on travel will apply to tens of millions of people.
A supermarket in Wuhan, where masks are now a part of everyday clothing.
A mall in Wuhan. The provincial capital of Hubei is usually busy during the holiday season.
A security guard disinfecting a park in Wuhan.
Security officers guarding an entrance to the closed Hankou Railroad Station in Wuhan. Public transit and outbound trains were to stop service at midnight.
A train from Shanghai to Wuhan. Services are usually packed as the Lunar New Year approaches.
Staff members checking the temperature of passengers after a train from Wuhan arrived in Hangzhou, in China’ s eastern Zhejiang Province.
Arriving at the nearly deserted Wuhan station.
A hospital worker washing the entrance to the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, which handled some coronavirus patients.
Officials screening arrivals in Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Travelers arriving at Los Angeles International Airport from China.
Visitors at the Venetian casino hotel resort in Macau, after the region reported its first case of coronavirus.
Medical staff members wearing protective suits at Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan.
Workers producing face masks at a factory in Handan, in China’ s northern Hebei Province.
Hankou train station in Wuhan.
The Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, above on Jan. 17, has been disinfected and closed after it was linked to the coronavirus outbreak. | business |
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By Beth Newhart contact
23-Jan-2020 - Last updated on 23-Jan-2020 at 09:37 GMT
Related tags: Beer, Beer market, non-alcoholic, non-alcoholic drinks, alcohol-free, Winter fancy food, Fancy Food Show function sanitize gpt value2 ( gptValue) { var vOut= '' ''; var aTags = gptValue.split ( ', '); var reg = new RegExp ( '\\W+ ', `` g ''); for ( var i=0; i < aTags.length; i++) { vOut += aTags [ i ].trim ().replace ( reg, '- ').substring ( 0,40); if ( i! = ( aTags.length-1)) vOut += ', '; } vOut = vOut.toLowerCase (); return vOut; } $ ( document).ready ( function () { dataLayerNews = { }; dataLayerNews.related tags = sanitize gpt value2 ( `` Beer, Beer market, non-alcoholic, non-alcoholic drinks, alcohol-free, Winter fancy food, Fancy Food Show ''); dataLayer.push ( dataLayerNews); });
Husband and wife duo Tammer Zein-El-Abedein and Donna Hockey launched Surreal in June 2018 for the same reason so many others have entered the alcohol alternative industry. They no longer drink alcohol, and wanted to create better options for those who abstain from drinking.
Surreal exhibited at the Specialty Food Association’ s Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco this week, sampling all five beers that contain less than 0.5% ABV.
Hockey told BeverageDaily that they decided, “ Let’ s get in there, and let’ s try to create something that we really would love to have and we know other people want as well. ”
Nine months of development led to the launch of the brand’ s flagship Chandelier Red IPA. They have grown ‘ exponentially’ in the time since, and their mission is to “ reduce the stigma traditionally associated with NA Beer so more people can enjoy beer. ”
The new Pastry Porter beer is the first in Surreal’ s dessert line, according to Donna. It joins the portfolio -- Chandelier Red IPA, Juicy Mavs Hazy IPA, Natural Bridges Kolsch Style and 17 Mile Porter.
Each beer is low in calories, low in carbs, with 0g of sugar. A typical non-alcoholic beer is between 75-120 calories, while the Surreal range is between 17-75 calories per 12oz can. The Red IPA and the Kolsch Style are also gluten-reduced.
“ We use all-natural ingredients, non-GMO grains, and a wholesome brewing process that allows the yeast to create marvelous esters and phenols, minerals, B vitamins, flavors and aromas, ” Surreal said.
“ We wouldn’ t have it any other way. Beer is freshest when it is kept cool so we never heat our finished product. ”
Hockey said they are a health-forward brand and consider the beers a ‘ fitness line’ of beverages for those looking for something to celebrate with, drink with friends and take along on adventures.
“ We encourage people to get outside, so our packaging highlights a lot of northern California destinations, ” Hockey said.
Their audience is made up of those that are health-conscious, the craft beer lovers who like the beer taste but don’ t always want the alcohol, and younger, curious drinkers.
“ There’ s young people who have kind of grown up learning that alcohol is not quite good for you, but they still want to go out and have fun, ” Hockey said.
The non-alcoholic beer market is being led by independent craft brands, such as Partake Brewing and Two Roots Brewing who both sell different IPA and lager varieties. But it’ s also getting help from launches at larger companies like Heineken 0.0, with single, more mainstream options.
Hockey thinks the category only benefits from all the launches and competition, attracting new customers to non-alcoholic beer and allowing them to discover the specialized, craft brands.
Surreal will continue launching new beer styles in 2020 beyond the Pastry Porter. The range can be purchased on the Surreal website, nationwide at Total Wine & More, in California at BevMo! and in southern California at Whole Foods and specialty stores.
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The Wuhan virus is the last thing China's economy needs right now | The Wuhan coronavirus — which has killed 17 people and infected nearly 600 so far — has already roiled Chinese markets and thrown plans for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday into chaos for millions of people.
If Beijing fails to contain the disease quickly, it will cause more pain for a country that was already trying to stave off a serious downturn by trying to encourage more consumer spending. An epidemic could have the opposite effect.
`` If you're trying to rebalance the Chinese economy, this is one of the last events you want to see, '' said Logan Wright, director of China markets research at Rhodium Group.
The world's second biggest economy grew at its slowest pace in nearly three decades last year as it contended with rising debt, cooling domestic demand and US tariffs, many of which remain in place despite a recent truce. Beijing is worried about unemployment, too, and has announced a wave of stimulus measures in recent weeks aimed at preventing mass layoffs.
Most of the tariffs Washington imposed on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods haven't gone away, said ING economist Robert Carnell, adding that Beijing has already nudged `` every policy lever that could be nudged '' to try to offset the effects of the trade dispute.
The Chinese economy is just `` managing '' right now, he said.
Wright called the timing of the outbreak `` especially unfortunate '' given the Lunar New Year holiday. The period is the largest annual human migration on Earth, during which hundreds of millions of Chinese travelers usually cram themselves into homebound trains, buses and planes for family reunions.
The spread of the virus prompted Chinese officials to take the largely unprecedented step of partially locking down Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in central China where the virus originated. Airline regulators have also instructed Chinese carriers to offer free cancellations on flights into Wuhan, while state media has reported that China's rail authorities are taking similar steps.
A SARS-like scenario
China has a good sense of the economic trouble that could lie ahead.
The 2003 SARS outbreak, which sickened 8,098 and killed 774 people in 37 different countries, cost the world economy $ 40 billion, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health. The economies of China and Hong Kong bore the brunt of that burden, the authors said.
Like SARS, the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak could spark widespread fear and spur people to hunker down and avoid going outside. That kind of behavior would deal a huge blow to the service sector, which now accounts for about 52% of the Chinese economy.
`` As soon as you're worried, you're worried, '' Carnell said. `` You stay home, if you can. You don't go out to the local food court, you try not to travel on public transport, you try to work from home, you don't travel for pleasure. You don't get on a plane, you don't go to the movie theater, restaurants or conferences. ''
The SARS outbreak forced the cancellation of the week-long May Day holiday in China, forced the postponement or abandonment of sporting, business and cultural events and turned Beijing into a virtual ghost town.
Investors are already worried about what the Wuhan virus could mean for China's growing travel industry. Shares of the country's three major airlines — Air China, China Southern and China Eastern — all closed down 2.5% or more in Shanghai and Hong Kong on Thursday. And the aviation sector is `` likely to remain under pressure as confirmed cases are set to increase, '' said Andrew Lee, equity analyst at Jefferies.
SARS also had a wider impact on the economy. China's annual growth rate slumped to 9.1% in the second quarter of 2003, down from 11.1% in the first quarter of that year, according to brokerage firm Macquarie Group.
This time around, the hit to China's GDP could be even worse, because the sectors most directly affected now make up a bigger part of the economy, Commerzbank analyst Hao Zhou and economist Marco Wagner wrote in a research note on Wednesday. For example, tourism accounts for about 5% of China's GDP today, compared to 2% in 2003.
`` If history is a guide, there is clearly a risk that the already struggling China's consumption would face further headwinds if the ( Wuhan) virus can't be effectively controlled, '' Hao and Wagner wrote.
Limiting the economic blow
But China is stepping up efforts to contain the virus, including the partial lockdown of Wuhan, and some lessons have been learned since 2003, when the authorities were slow to release information and initially downplayed the severity of the SARS outbreak.
`` Rumors and bad information were drowning out good information at that time, and people were especially careful as a result, '' said Wright, adding that he expected the economic impact of the Wuhan virus won't be as severe as during the SARS crisis.
And as scary as the 2003 outbreak was, experts say the impact on China's economy was short-lived.
Once SARS faded away, China's growth rebounded quickly and climbed to 10% in the third quarter of 2003, according to Commerzbank's Hao and Wagner.
Some remain skeptical about how forthcoming Beijing is being about the outbreak. A senior US State Department official, for example, said Wednesday that the United States is concerned about transparency inside the Chinese government about the Wuhan coronovirus. But the official added that Washington has seen encouraging signs that Beijing understands the gravity of the problem. | business |
UPDATE 1-Hotel operators waive fees for Chinese hotel cancellations as virus fears grow | * Lunar New Year usually key travel period
* Coronavirus has killed 17 and infected 600 so far
* Hotels offering free cancellations
* IHG group shares down 2.2%, one of biggest FTSE 100 falls
* Movie releases postponed, airlines on high alert
* ( Adds Hyatt, Langham statements)
By Brenda Goh and Zoey Zhang
SHANGHAI, Jan 23 ( Reuters) - InterContinental Hotels and Hyatt will allow guests to change or cancel stays at most Chinese hotels as a deadly coronavirus outbreak overshadows Lunar New Year holiday plans.
The outbreak began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and has killed 17 and infected nearly 600 people so far. The holiday takes place between Jan. 24-30.
IHG said on its official WeChat account on Thursday that it will allow customers to change or cancel stays scheduled up to Feb. 3 across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan at no additional cost.
The waiver of fees applies to bookings made directly, such as through the company’ s mobile app or website, it added. It advised customers who booked via third-party vendors to contact those platforms directly.
IHG has 443 hotels in Greater China under different brands, and has another 397 in the pipeline, according to its website here It operates four hotels in Wuhan.
The company has been investing in China, its fastest-growing market and has revamped rooms at Holiday Inn to woo local business travellers.
However, it has already warned of lower business bookings in China and a downturn in tourism from the protests in Hong Kong. Its shares were 2.2% lower at 4,888 pence at 1131 GMT, making them one of the biggest losers on London’ s bluechip FTSE 100 index.
Separately, Chicago-headquartered Hyatt said guests who had booked stays through its official channels and are canceling due to the coronavirus flu or are Chinese guests outbound to its Asia Pacific hotels, can cancel stays or change dates free of charge.
The policy applies to Hyatt’ s hotels in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, but not the three in Sanya, its customer service representatives said through its WeChat service.
“ While all the Hyatt hotels in China remain in operation as usual, we understand the concerns for traveling at the moment, ” the company said in a statement.
The company runs about 100 hotels in the Greater China region according to its website here
Investment trust Langham said that for all the Langham and Cordis Mainland China Hotels in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Haining, Ningbo, Xiamen, Hefei and Haikou, a full refund will be given for cancellations related to the coronavirus for stays up to and including Feb. 9.
Global airlines are also on high alert as the virus spreads, bringing with it concerns of a sharp drop in travel demand if it becomes a pandemic.
The release of seven movies over the Lunar New Year has been also postponed. The holiday is the high season for distributors and cinemas attract huge crowds. ( Reporting by Zoey Zhang and Brenda Goh in Shanghai, Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru and writing by Noor Zainab Hussain, Additional reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Elaine Hardcastle) | business |
Coronavirus Has Hit the Stock Market. Here’ s What History Says Comes Next. | The outbreak of pneumonia in China’ s Wuhan province is caused by a coronavirus that usually infects animals but can jump to humans. The first case of the Wuhan virus in the U.S. was confirmed on Tuesday.
The growing number of cases has travel-related stocks down. China Eastern Airlines ( ticker: CEA), for instance, is down about 13% over the past five days.
On the other hand, Lakeland Industries ( LAKE), a small-capitalization company that makes personal protective equipment used by health-care professions, is up more than 25%.
Investors don’ t like volatility, but they have had to deal with disease-related shocks in the past. History says the impact will be temporary.
Read Next: The Dow Could Hit 30,000 Five Years Ahead of Schedule. It Won’ t Stop There.
“ Past experience of market performance around such events suggests that markets tend to bottom with the peak in new cases and news flow. ” J.P. Morgan Asia equity and quantitative strategist Mixo Das wrote in a Wednesday research report.
That’ s good news. A small, short-term impact is what market participants hope happens this time.
“ Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing respiratory illness in people, ” reads the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention news release reviewing the confirmed U.S. infection. “ Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people, such as has been seen with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( MERS). ”
SARS infected more than 8,000 people in 2003, killing more than 770. The outbreak occurred between November 2002 and July 2003.
Stocks of U.S. airlines—a proxy for travel-related shares—dropped more than 30% from pre-SARS highs during that outbreak, about twice the decline of the broader S & P 500 index. All stocks, it appears, were impacted by the outbreak. It took about three months for shares to bottom and another three month to achieve previous highs.
Travel is often the sector investors focus on when disease fears rise. China, for instance, is recommending that people not travel ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
The “ Ebola virus outbreak helps frame potential [ airline pricing ] impact from coronavirus, ” wrote Stifel airline analyst Joseph DeNardi in a Wednesday research report. Reported cases of Ebola—another deadly virus—spiked in 2014, creating volatility for investors again.
It wasn’ t just uncertainty that moved stock prices back then. The outbreak impacted airline fundamentals. There were fewer travelers and prices declined. Looking ahead, DeNardi estimates that, if airline pricing from the U.S. to Asia behaves as it did in 2014, 10% to 45% of full year U.S. airline earnings could vanish. That is a big impact.
United Airlines Holdings ( UAL) and Hawaiian Holdings ( HA) have the most Asian exposure. Delta Air Lines ( DAL) and American Airlines Group ( AAL) have less exposure, according to the analyst.
This isn’ t a prediction by DeNardi, only a scenario analysis. And not every stock is negatively affected by disease fears. Traders historically have bid up shares of some health-care companies when disease outbreaks occur.
Lakeland, for instance, jumped by almost six times after the 2014 Ebola problems came to light. Shares, however, fell back to earth relatively quickly.
Looking far back into the past, the Spanish flu was the “ most severe pandemic in recent history, ” according to the CDC. About 500 million people were infected and 50 million people died. The numbers are staggering.
It is difficult to assess the impact of Spanish flu on markets. World War I was raging. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 30% from its highs while all the problems unfolded.
Health-care technology, of course, has advanced significantly over the past 100 years. And world health officials are working to mitigate disease transmission and impact., including in the U.S. where travelers entering the country are widely being screened. | business |
Coronavirus Causes Stock Market to Drop More Than 100 Points | 10:10 a.m. The stock market is sinking Thursday morning, and China’ s coronavirus, which is spreading globally, is getting the blame. The real reason, however, may simply be that stocks needed a breather.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped 107.25 points, or 0.4%, to 29,079.02, while the S & P 500 has declined 0.3% to 3310.33, and the Nasdaq Composite has dipped 0.1% to 9373.37.
It’ s easy to see why the coronavirus would get the blame. China has sealed off multiple cities to try to rein in the disease, and there’ s even suggestions that Macau’ s casinos, run by Wynn Resorts ( WYNN), Las Vegas Sands ( LVS) and MGM Resorts ( MGM), among others, could be closed. This all comes as China is set to celebrate its New Year on Jan. 25.
Chinese stocks are getting walloped—the Shanghai Composite Index dropped 2.8% to 2976.53 Thursday—and that makes sense. The spread of coronavirus will have a non-negligible economic impact on the world’ s second largest economy. The impact in the U.S., however, should be trivial, especially with China doing its best to contain the virus.
Still, the market was ready to drop, and the coronavirus presents a perfect excuse. As we noted in the Trader column in this past week’ s issue of Barron’ s, the stock market really has melted up—the 10-day moving average was more than 9.25% above the 200-day—and was set for a pullback. Right on schedule, the coronavirus starts making headlines, and the market pulls back, if only just a little best. Our column also predicted that the Dow would eventually hit 30,000, which really isn’ t that far away. It will probably go higher too, if history is the judge.
But that doesn’ t mean everything is OK. Market’ s can rally right into trouble, and perhaps that’ s what is happening now. Just don’ t expect the current pullback to be the big one. | business |
European Stocks Are Down As the ECB Meets And Coronavirus Worries Grow | European stocks fell Thursday ahead of a European Central Bank meeting, with investors cautious after China locked down a city of 10 million people to stem the outbreak of a deadly respiratory illness.
Trade worries were also resurfacing for investors after comments made by President Donald Trump in Davos at the World Economic Forum.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index slipped 0.2% to 422.30, after closing down 0.08% on Wednesday, which marked its third-straight losing session. The German DAX 30 index fell 0.4%, the French CAC 40 index was flat and the FTSE 100 index slipped 0.2%.
The European Central Bank meeting will be the main event for Europe. Though no change in policy is expected, investors will be paying attention to its strategic review and any hints dropped by President Christine Lagarde over future policy.
Investors were spooked on Thursday by worries over a spreading coronavirus, which left Asia markets sharply lower. In an unprecedented move, the government has locked down the city of Wuhan, where the first cases of the virus were reported. So far, 17 people have died and hundreds have been sickened.
Shares of luxury goods makers, many of which derive a chunk of their revenue from sales in China, reflected those worries. Burberry Group, Kering and LVMH Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton shares were down over 1% each.
Investors were also keeping an eye on trade tensions after President Trump told CNBC on Wednesday that the European Union has “ no choice ” but to negotiate a deal with the U.S.
Shares of GALP Energia fell 2% after the Portuguese energy company said it would buy Actividades de Construcción y Servicios’ s stake in photovoltaic energy projects in Spain in a 2.2 billion-euro ( $ 2.43 billion) deal. | business |
Dow Jones Industrial Average Fell as Stocks Aren’ t Going Anywhere For Now | Standing Still. The three main U.S. stock indexes started in the red but slowly rose to finish flat. The stock market has been rallying in recent months and maybe needed to take a break. China locked down more cities in an attempt to control the coronavirus outbreak. The impeachment trial against President Donald Trump continued into the second day on Capitol Hill. The European Central Bank left key interest rates and forward guidance unchanged. President Trump said at the World Economic Forum that he wants to reach a trade agreement with the European Union before the election, but threatened to levy tariffs if talks failed. In today’ s After the Bell, we...
Stocks didn’ t move much on Thursday as the world continues to watch China’ s fight against a spreading virus that’ s killed at least 17 people and infected over 550. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 26.18 points, or 0.09%, to close at 29,160.09. The S & P 500 edged up 3.79 points, or 0.11%, to end at 3325.54, and the Nasdaq Composite added 18.71 points, or 0.20%, to close at 9402.48.
In an attempt to contain the outbreak, China has locked down seven cities including Wuhan—a city of 11 million people where the virus was first identified. Many public events in celebration of the Lunar New Year, which falls on this Saturday, have been canceled, as well as many Chinese people’ s travel plans. At its Geneva meeting, the World Health Organization said it’ s still too early to declare an international public health emergency.
Both the stock and bond markets have not reacted strongly to the pandemic. The S & P 500 is up 0.2% from last Friday’ s close, while the 10-year Treasury yields slid 9.2 basis points. Still, corners of the market expected to see bigger impact from declining Chinese consumption saw some volatilities in share prices.
As of Wednesday’ s close, airline stocks in the S & P 500 index dropped 4.5% from levels set last Friday before the coronavirus news hit the mainstream headlines. Textile apparel and luxury goods stocks lost 4.5%, casino and gaming stocks retreated 4.2%, while hotel, restaurants, and leisure stocks fell 2.5%.
All these groups have recovered some of the losses by the end of Thursday, likely due to relief from the WHO announcement. Still, China’ s Shanghai Composite index is 3.2% down from last Friday, and Hong Kong’ s Hang Seng index dropped 3.9%.
At the same time, online businesses might benefit as people avoid going out to public places and spend longer time at home. This includes Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding ( ticker: BABA), JD.com ( JD), Meituan Dianping ( 3690. Hong Kong), Vipshop Holdings ( VIPS), as well as delivery platforms such as ZTO Express ( ZTO) and Best ( BEST). | business |
Molson Coors buys craft beer maker Atwater Brewery | As beer makers grapple with a slowdown in their iconic brews, one area they have tapped into for growth is craft. While the increase in craft sales may not be as robust as a few years ago, it continues to far outpace outpace beer overall. Beer volume slipped 2.3% in 2019, its fourth straight year of declines, led by a 3.6% drop in domestic brews, IWSR said, while craft beer consumption increased 4.1%.
This growth is a major reason why big beer companies such as Molson Coors and its competitors continue to snap up these upstarts known for clever names and new flavors brewed using ingredients typically not associated with beer.
AB InBev announced in August that it acquired Platform Beer, a fast-growing regional brewery founded in Cleveland in 2014. Then, three months later it purchased the 68.8% stake it didn't own in Craft Brew Alliance for about $ 321 million. And last year, the Boston Beer Company, the manufacturer of Sam Adams, announced it would buy craft-beer maker Dogfish Head Brewery for $ 300 million in an effort to keep pace with `` an intense amount of consolidation among many craft breweries in the U.S., '' most notably the sale of many of them to large international beer giants.
The decision by Atwater to sell itself to Molson Coors is as much a reflection of the challenges facing Big Beer as it is those in the increasingly crowded craft beer space. This segment had more than 7,300 craft players in 2018, nearly double the amount in the U.S. four years earlier, according to data from the Brewers Association.
With so many brewers around, it's no longer enough just to be in the craft space to guarantee success. A growing number of craft players are going out of business or finding it hard to compete or find the financial firepower to expand their distribution into other regions where a local competitor already is entrenched in the area. This was the primary reason Atwater decided to sell itself rather than forge ahead on its own.
`` The competition has gotten a lot stiffer, '' Atwater owner Mark Rieth told The Detroit News. `` Our growth required capital and craft beverage expertise. All ( Molson Coors wants) to do is support us and bring our brand to the next level. ''
Molson Coors has been overhauling its portfolio to reflect a consumer shift away from its classic brews, such as Miller Lite and Molson Coors, toward spirits, craft beers or ready-to-drink products like hard seltzer. As part of the Atwater purchase, Molson Coors is adding the craft maker's hard seltzers and craft spirits to its existing offerings.
After another quarter of falling sales in the U.S., which accounts for two-thirds of its revenue, Molson Coors announced sweeping changes to its business in October that included cutting hundreds of jobs, a change in its corporate structure and a decision to drop the word `` Brewing '' from its name and replace it with `` Beverage '' in an effort `` to better reflect its strategic intent to expand beyond beer and into other growth adjacencies. '' It also is testing a La Colombe cold brew with the addition of an alcoholic malt in four markets, and in November it purchased a stake in L.A. Libations, a nonalcoholic beverage incubator.
While these changes could indicate that beer is no longer a key focus of Molson Coors, a company spokesman told Food Dive last week that is not the case. Molson Coors is `` doubling down '' on its core brews even as the company simultaneously broadens its portfolio to make sure it can respond to a shift in consumer trends. In just a few short months, Molson Coors has made major changes to its portfolio, highlighted most recently by the Atwater acquisition. But like its competitors, it can't afford to ease up, meaning further deals in craft and other niches in alcohol are inevitable in 2020 and beyond.
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As consumers turn to other beverages, Gavin Hattersley has moved aggressively into energy drinks, diet soda and tequila to revive his company's portfolio — all while combating challenges like COVID-19 and a security breach.
With its products in public school cafeterias and a teen-focused website that connects animal agriculture to global warming, the company aims to feed and educate the next generation.
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As consumers turn to other beverages, Gavin Hattersley has moved aggressively into energy drinks, diet soda and tequila to revive his company's portfolio — all while combating challenges like COVID-19 and a security breach. | general |
Memphis Meats raises $ 161M to build a cell-based meat plant | Legacy companies Cargill and Tyson both participated in this funding round for a facility that could be making products in 24 months.
A $ 161 million investment round that will be used to build a pilot plant is bringing Memphis Meats much closer to being able to produce cell-based meat for consumers — something company officials hope will be possible from an infrastructure and regulatory standpoint in about two years. This latest round increases the California cell-based meat company's total funds raised more than eight-fold.
Investors who participated in the investment round announced Wednesday include funding leaders SoftBank Group, Norwest and Temasek, but also meat giants Cargill and Tyson Foods and celebrity business leaders Richard Branson and Bill Gates.
So far, Memphis Meats has produced different food items, including beef, chicken and duck, from cells using fermentation technology and cultivators. These products include both cutlets and ground meats, and Vice President of Operations Steve Myrick told Food Dive he's confident in the process and quality of Memphis Meats ' products.
`` Our hope is to be able to produce products from many species that people enjoy eating today, '' Myrick said. `` I think the proof is in the pudding when people come and try our products. We think that they already create a wonderful consumer experience. And lifelong meat eaters have given us the feedback that the products are delicious — and very clearly meat products. ''
As the products have improved, Myrick said it is time to be able to produce them at scale. The company has identified land in San Francisco's East Bay area where it would like to build the pilot plant, close to Memphis Meats ' current headquarters in Berkeley, California, Myrick told Food Dive. The design is currently underway, and Myrick said he's anticipating it could be fully operational 18 to 24 months from now.
Although company officials would not say how much meat they expect the plant to produce, they said it will be able to make all of Memphis Meats ' product lines. Myrick said the plant will likely begin serving the local area — both consumers and food service — and use the Bay Area test market to get feedback in the beginning. As the company further perfects its products and processes, it will likely build similar regional plants to serve different areas.
While some reports have shown acrimony between traditional meat companies and cell-based meat companies, Memphis Meats’ latest investment round shows little evidence of these battles. Two legacy meat companies — Cargill and Tyson — participated in this round. Tyson’ s venture capital arm purchased a minority stake in the company in 2018. Cargill is a new investor, but previously invested in cell-based meat company Aleph Farms.
`` We 've found that those companies share our conviction that our food system needs to continue to innovate in order to feed humanity and to feed the growing demand for meat in the coming decades, and that they see our technology as an important potential solution, '' Myrick said. `` From our point of view, Cargill and Tyson are very remarkable in their ability to feed countless millions of people, and they built out production and distribution system at the largest scale you can imagine. So we're really eager to learn from them as we look to scale up our production and build a global supply chain. ''
`` I think the proof is in the pudding when people come and try our products. We think that they already create a wonderful, consumer experience. And lifelong meat eaters have given us the feedback that the products are delicious — and very clearly meat products. ''
Steve Myrick
VP of operations, Memphis Meats
The release about the funding round contains quotes from several of Memphis Meats ' investors, partners and advisers, including Cargill.
`` Our continued investment in Memphis Meats underscores our inclusive approach to the future of meat. We need all options on the table to meet customer and consumer needs now and in the future, '' Elizabeth Gutschenritter, managing director of Cargill’ s alternative protein team, said in the release.
David Kay, Memphis Meats ' senior manager of communications and operations, told Food Dive that the company believes in a `` big tent '' vision of the meat market. Demand is projected to double in the next 30 years, and he said cell-based meat can help be part of the solution. Those in the livestock business and those in the cell-based meat business have found `` quite a bit '' of common ground, Kay said.
By the time the plant is complete and operational, the U.S. government could be ready to allow the sale of cell-based meat, Eric Schulze, Memphis Meats’ vice president of product and regulation, told Food Dive. The company has been working with federal regulators at the FDA and USDA, which is putting together a joint framework to oversee the cultured meat segment. Schulze, who formerly worked for the FDA, said Memphis Meats expects to be able to legally sell in the U.S. as it reaches the ability to have products on the market.
`` I can say as a former regulator myself, the U.S. government is working with an incredible speed, diligence and efficiency on bringing these products to market, '' Schulze said.
While many food companies developing new products fight for a first-to-market advantage, that distinction doesn’ t seem as crucial in the cell-based meat space.
`` We think that this is a truly enormous opportunity that is large enough to sustain multiple companies and to allow multiple companies to be successful, '' Kay said.
Last year, Memphis Meats and cell-based meat companies Just, Fork & Goode, Finless Foods and BlueNalu formed the Alliance for Meat, Poultry & Seafood Innovation. The group lobbies the federal government, educates consumers about products and the industry, and serves as a marketplace of ideas for members. Kay said this group’ s formation is a milestone for the industry and collaboration.
Memphis Meats is not the only cell-based meat company that is close to beginning production. In the U.S., Just has said it will be able to produce cell-based chicken nuggets to sell as soon as it can get regulatory approval somewhere — likely in Asia. Israel-based Future Meat Technologies is currently building its pilot plant, which it expects to be producing meat this year. Founder and Chief Science Officer Yaakov Nahmias told Food Dive he expects to sell cell-based meat in Israel next year. And BlueNalu, a California company that produces cell-based seafood, released a commercialization strategy and facility design schematics last year.
Kay said the space is not all about competition right now.
`` We're happy that an ecosystem has started to rise around cell-based meat, '' he said. `` Ultimately, we believe for ourselves that getting a product to market first is less important than making sure that that product launch is done the right way: with products that are safe and delicious and that consumers really enjoy. ''
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With its products in public school cafeterias and a teen-focused website that connects animal agriculture to global warming, the company aims to feed and educate the next generation.
As consumers turn to other beverages, Gavin Hattersley has moved aggressively into energy drinks, diet soda and tequila to revive his company's portfolio — all while combating challenges like COVID-19 and a security breach.
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With its products in public school cafeterias and a teen-focused website that connects animal agriculture to global warming, the company aims to feed and educate the next generation. | general |
Once a sidekick in food, the pea finds itself the star of the show | The little round legume has grown in popularity as a way to add nutrients, replace allergens and respond to the consumer demand for more plant-based meats, beverages and other products.
When Puris started selling its pea protein ingredients in 2014 for use in food and beverages, the company found its biggest obstacle wasn't in the lab, but overcoming the stigma surrounding other foods containing peas.
Early on, Puris recognized for its offering to have any chance of succeeding on the market, it would need to convince flavorists, food scientists and product marketers. It went about preparing a suite of foods — including milk, yogurt and pudding — loaded with the ingredient for them to try. The strategy worked.
“ I can’ t tell you how many times we brought in this idea of pea protein and how many people had that 'ugh ' look on their face. And, frankly speaking, that disdain for it is rightfully so. The products on the market already weren’ t very good and, let’ s face it, [ a lot of people don’ t like peas ]. … We definitely had to get past that perspective, ” Tyler Lorenzen, Puris ' CEO, told Food Dive.
In the food and beverage industries, where flavor and mouthfeel are coveted, Puris has taken the opposite approach in developing pea proteins: blandness. The goal, Lorenzen said, is to `` not compromise '' the other flavors at work that ultimately define the product, such as sweetness, savory or umami, when the pea protein is added in.
`` If the pea protein doesn’ t take away from the flavoring and the food experience, that’ s our goal. If we can make sure it’ s neutral in flavor or non-noticeable, it makes the... culinary experience have way more upside because you don’ t have a green note or an off note or some sort of flavor that is not relatable to a user. Ultimately they want that experience that they’ re used to. That’ s their expectation, so how do we beat and exceed that? ”
Once a seemingly forgotten ingredient, the pea has moved from being a maligned item on dinner plates to a popular addition to everything from milks, yogurts and snack bars to faux meat, veggie burgers and shakes. While its growth has made it a coveted ingredient in many foods, the pea is still facing a slew of challenges that could determine whether it remains a permanent fixture on ingredient lists, or becomes the next trendy item to see its popularity fade.
Pea protein has rapidly expanded in popularity as a way to add nutrients to products; replace allergens such as wheat, dairy and egg; and respond to increased consumer demand for more plant-based products that taste, look and feel like traditional meat or dairy. The ingredient offers functional benefits and a healthier image, which comes from its high protein content. Experts also have said that pea protein can be more sustainably produced and at a fraction of the cost compared to similar ingredients such as soy.
The global market for pea protein is projected to grow to $ 176 million by 2025, according to Allied Market Research. This increase comes on the heels of an already meaningful expansion as launches of foods and beverages containing pea protein posted a 19% compound annual growth rate between January 2016 and December 2018, according to data from Innova Market Insights.
“ I can’ t tell you how many times we brought in this idea of pea protein and how many people had that 'ugh ' look on their face. And, frankly speaking, that disdain for it is rightfully so. The products on the market already weren’ t very good and, let’ s face it, [ a lot of people don’ t like peas ]. … We definitely had to get past that perspective. ''
Tyler Lorenzen
CEO, Puris
In just the last year, several high-profile products incorporating pea proteins have been introduced, including Nestlé's plant-based Awesome Burger and Awesome Grounds under its Sweet Earth banner, and Tyson Foods ' Raised & Rooted brand, which uses pea protein and other ingredients to make plant-based chicken nuggets. Food giant Danone recently incorporated pea proteins into its plant-based offerings under its Silk beverage line and Hershey's Krave announced last week it was using peas as one of the ingredients in its plant-based jerky offering.
`` Pea protein has soared in popularity... which is making it more expensive, '' Sweet Earth founders Kelly and Brian Swette told Food Dive in an email. `` For us, this is a key benefit for working with Nestlé. They have strong vendor relationships that they value and cultivate. ''
Food manufacturers told Food Dive that before settling on a pea protein they evaluated several varieties to see how well they functioned — solubility, for example — as well as taste, nutrients, sustainability and whether they could get a reliable supply.
The Swettes first started looking at pea protein in their test kitchen in 2016, assessing characteristics like protein levels, sodium and GMO status before testing the protein later to evaluate flavor, aroma, ability to be processed and color variability. Some pea proteins exhibited off-flavors or aromas, while others had the `` undesirable quality '' of muting natural flavors they wanted to put in the product, the Swettes said. Finally, they rated the texture of burger and sausages with the pea protein, ultimately settling on one that had a meat-like bite with some chew.
In addition to its role in food, pea protein had other attributes that made it stand out for the co-founders. Sweet Earth's peas can be traced down to the U.S. locations where they are grown and processed, reducing the impact that transportation would have on air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption. The Swettes also were attracted to the ingredient because peas are nitrogen fixers, meaning they pull the chemical element from the air and add it to the soil. This is important to farmers, and can entice more producers to grow the legume.
Dairy and plant-based giant Danone evaluated more than a dozen pea proteins before selecting ones that met its requirements, Luke Chavez, senior manager for research and innovation at Danone North America, told Food Dive in an email.
He said pea proteins can vary considerably depending on the supplier or the process used to extract them. With the ingredient being a relatively new category, Chavez said the French company is `` constantly evaluating '' whether other pea proteins — or another ingredient option altogether — is the best choice for the product being developed.
`` We are always striving to find the most nutritious, best-tasting, sustainable protein sources, '' Chavez wrote. `` Pea protein is always in our recipe development 'toolbox ' and evaluated in products where it makes sense, but we also continue to look at protein from sources other than pea protein to provide flexibility when developing new recipes. ''
Puris, with its expertise working with pea proteins, starches and flours, has partnered with large CPG companies to help them develop plant-based yogurts and ready-to-drink beverages that have the same texture and nutritional profile as their dairy-based counterparts. It's also among the suppliers of pea protein to plant-based food makers such as Beyond Meat.
While Puris may operate out of the spotlight directed toward hot upstarts and CPG giants such as Nestlé or Tyson, its role in the pea protein craze hasn't gone unnoticed. It has received $ 100 million in funding from commodity trader Cargill, much of it earmarked toward doubling production at one of Puris ' plants.
`` We didn’ t just start yesterday. We didn't jump into this because it’ s the hot market right now, '' Lorenzen said. `` This has been our focus and our goal since we started. ”
The company's team of 250 employees, including engineers, agronomists, geneticists and plant breeders, work with hundreds of different pea genomes in an effort to develop new varieties. To be sure, how the pea protein eventually tastes or feels in a new food or beverage product is paramount, but there are a host of other factors the company needs to keep in mind during its research.
Researchers need to consider how much fiber and protein the peas have, seed quality, how quickly the plant matures, how much it yields, how well the peas hold up when transported, the color and shape of the peas, the plant's ability to resist disease, and scores of other factors. To arrive at a pea that includes many of these attributes, the company eschews controversial technologies like CRISPR or gene editing in favor of cross-breeding, where the best traits in one plant are combined with those in another.
`` We didn’ t just start yesterday. We didn't jump into this because it’ s the hot market right now. This has been our focus and our goal since we started. ”
Tyler Lorenzen
CEO, Puris
Puris is especially cognizant of the fact that farmers — the company works with 400 of them from Montana to Georgia — need to have an incentive to grow peas instead of more widely raised crops including corn, wheat, soybeans or cotton. For Puris, that means it not only needs to provide the seeds to grow peas but ensure that once they're harvested there is a market with companies that want to buy them.
So far that doesn't appear to be an impediment. Dry pea acres totaled 900,000 in 2018, according to Agweek, compared to about 300,000 two decades earlier.
Ingredion started working with pea proteins in 2014, initially partnering with outside firms. But as the ingredients supplier amassed more expertise and insight into the crops and how they functioned, it brought its work in-house.
CPG companies `` are looking for pea protein to go into just about every application you can possibly imagine, from cereals and snacks to beverages and meat alternatives, '' Julie Mann, global plant protein senior manager at Ingredion, told Food Dive. `` It has become a strong emphasis for us. Internally, we 've allocated resources accordingly to grow this specialty ingredient platform and support our customers’ interests. ''
Plant-based proteins, including peas, have been targeted by Ingredion as one of its five platforms for growth. The company plans to spend $ 185 million on the segment by the end of this year. It's also modifying a Nebraska facility to produce protein isolates from peas, and has entered into a joint venture agreement with Verdient Foods, a Canadian company jointly owned and operated by the filmmaker James Cameron and his family, to make pulse-based protein concentrates and flours from peas, lentils and fava beans for use in consumer and pet food applications.
Mann said pea protein is coveted by food manufacturers because it is concentrated into a dried, stable protein source that can be formulated into CPG products. With knowledge, formulation expertise and a few supporting tools from Ingredion's portfolio, it also can be transformed to take on similar characteristics of proteins found in meat, dairy or soy products.
But peas come with their own set of obstacles. From a food science perspective, pea and pulse proteins deliver nutritional and functional attributes that are different from other sources, including the whey or soy they may be intended to replace, Mann noted.
The composition of amino acids — the building blocks of organic compounds that form proteins — and the structure of the proteins themselves can affect solubility or how they perform functions such as gelling and emulsifying. This can create formulation challenges for product developers replacing existing proteins, as the substitution is typically not a one-for-one replacement, she said.
As CPGs look to reinvent or reinvigorate categories and roll out products that address consumer needs — such as lactose intolerance, desire to cut down or eliminate meat consumption or other dietary restrictions — peas have become a go-to ingredient.
`` As an industry, and at Ingredion, we are constantly learning and moving the needle further with R & D to fully understand and optimally leverage pea and pulse proteins, '' Mann said. `` The research continues to build on alternative plant sources, and they are catching up to the level that dairy and soy proteins have achieved through decades of research. ''
`` We 've done the legwork to train ( consumers) over the last four years that pea protein has accumulated popularity, so it's not like it's just going to disappear. But my mind is also catered to how can we make ( it) better. ''
MJ Kinney
Food scientist, The Good Food Institute
As pea protein has become a household ingredient with consumers and food manufacturers seemingly overnight, there are further opportunities for improvements that could make it even more attractive in additional applications.
MJ Kinney, a food scientist with The Good Food Institute, a nonprofit that promotes plant-based alternatives, said researchers could further minimize the flavor and aroma of the pea and incorporate valued-added attributes, like increasing its ability to absorb water or add viscosity.
Kinney told Food Dive more needs to be done to increase the portion of the pea protein that is actually protein. This would create an incentive for more companies to switch to pea from soy, which naturally has more protein. At the same time, developing uses in human food for the starches and fibers generated when protein is extracted from peas would help increase its sustainability halo while making it more economically attractive for manufacturers to incorporate into food and beverages.
`` We 've done the legwork to train ( consumers) over the last four years that pea protein has accumulated popularity, so it's not like it's just going to disappear, '' Kinney said. `` But my mind is also catered to how can we make ( it) better. ''
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As consumers turn to other beverages, Gavin Hattersley has moved aggressively into energy drinks, diet soda and tequila to revive his company's portfolio — all while combating challenges like COVID-19 and a security breach.
With its products in public school cafeterias and a teen-focused website that connects animal agriculture to global warming, the company aims to feed and educate the next generation.
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Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R & D, and much more.
Subscribe to Food Dive to get the must-read news & insights in your inbox.
Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R & D, and much more.
Discover announcements from companies in your industry.
As consumers turn to other beverages, Gavin Hattersley has moved aggressively into energy drinks, diet soda and tequila to revive his company's portfolio — all while combating challenges like COVID-19 and a security breach. | general |
Texas Student May Have Wuhan Coronavirus, as Dozens in U.S. Are Monitored | SEATTLE — A Texas A & M University student was being isolated at home on Thursday as health officials said they were examining whether he could be the second known case of Wuhan coronavirus in the United States.
The man had traveled from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak of the respiratory illness began, and health care providers determined that he met the criteria for coronavirus testing, health officials in Brazos County, Texas, said. They said they would promptly announce if testing confirmed the patient’ s illness was a case of Wuhan coronavirus.
Texas A & M said in a statement that the immediate health risk to those on its campus in College Station was considered low.
The case marked a growing roster of people being monitored around the United States since officials identified the country’ s first confirmed Wuhan coronavirus patient in Washington State this week. Officials have been working to contact people who were on his flight home from the Wuhan region, and on Thursday they increased the number of people they have identified as having had close contact with that patient in recent days to 43. Those people will get daily check-ins from medical personnel to monitor their health.
Separately, the state’ s health officer, Dr. Kathy Lofy, said in an interview that officials have started investigating a few other individuals in the state to determine whether they may have the coronavirus strain.
While assuring the public that there was little threat, officials have said the patient in Washington State would most likely not be the last Wuhan coronavirus case to reach the United States. Dr. Lofy encouraged people to take typical steps that could prevent the spread of illnesses, such as washing hands and avoiding touching their eyes, nose and mouth.
“ Currently, we believe the risk to the general public is low, ” Dr. Lofy said.
The strain of coronavirus surfaced in December and has spread through parts of Asia, sickening hundreds and killing at least 17 people. The authorities in China have since closed off Wuhan, a city of more than 11 million people, by canceling flights and trains leaving the city, and suspending bus, subway and ferry service within it. Travel restrictions have been extended to several cities nearby.
The United States has put travel limits of its own in place, funneling passengers who have traveled recently to Wuhan through a handful of airports, including Los Angeles International, that have special screening processes in place.
A passenger who arrived at Los Angeles International on an American Airlines flight from Mexico City on Wednesday night was taken to a hospital for a “ precautionary medical evaluation, ” officials said. Heath Montgomery, an airport spokesman, said he did not know whether the traveler had recently been to China or whether coronavirus was suspected.
State and county health officials declined to discuss the situation in detail, but said they did not have any confirmed cases of coronavirus. They have been providing healthy travelers arriving from Wuhan with information about symptoms and advising them to seek care if they become ill.
The union that represents more than 27,000 American Airlines flight attendants on Thursday called for airlines to institute immediate emergency measures, including procedures to manage potentially ill people. Lori Bassani, the national president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said airlines needed to do everything possible to contain the outbreak and minimize the chances of exposure.
“ The health of our crew members and passengers is a top priority for us and we refuse to compromise their health or safety in any way, ” Ms. Bassani said. | business |
International Ocean Governance Forum- Thematic Working Group webinars - April 22-24, 2020 | In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to change the format of the International Ocean Governance ( IOG) Forum, originally scheduled for 22-24 April in Brussels. Ocean governance can not wait for viruses to stop from spreading. To do justice to the importance of the subject, we didn’ t cancel or postpone the meeting but partially moved to a digital format.
The IOG-Forum Thematic Working Groups ( TWGs) were launched via online webinars between 22-24 April. 435 ocean actors, stakeholders and experts joined the webinars from their desks from around the world – demonstrating our shared commitment to ocean governance despite the COVID-19 pandemic. THANK YOU!
Please also note in your calendars the next IOG-Forum meeting on 14-16 December ( new date!!) in Brussels, including a high-level plenary and meetings of the Thematic Working Groups ( TWGs).
For more information on the IOG Forum, please contact: IOG-Forum @ fresh-thoughts.eu
or have a look at the flyer iog-flyer.pdf
as well as the operational guidelines iog-operational guidelines-v1.pdf for all 3 groups | general |
Chinese Retail Sector Set for Coronavirus Hit | News & Analysis
On the eve of the week-long Chinese New Year holiday, China is gripped with fear due to a rapidly advancing epidemic during one of the most important periods on the shopping calendar.
News & Analysis
On the eve of the week-long Chinese New Year holiday, China is gripped with fear due to a rapidly advancing epidemic during one of the most important periods on the shopping calendar.
SHANGHAI, China – Spring Festival, China’ s most important holiday period, is a time for families to be together. In the days and weeks leading up to the week-long official holiday, people in their hundreds of millions crowd onto trains and into airports, squeezing onto long-distance busses to reunite with family members in their home towns. This year, however, celebrations will be muted.The fast-spreading pneumonia-like coronavirus is casting a dark shadow across the country, as transport officials prepare for the climax of the world’ s largest annual human migration. To date, the virus is closing in on 600 confirmed cases, and has caused the deaths of 17 people. Though it started in the central city of Wuhan, it has since spread to many of China’ s major cities including Beijing and Shanghai. Cases have also been confirmed in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the US.Authorities have effectively sealed Wuhan off from the world, cancelling transportation in and out of the city and stopping public transport within it, encouraging its population of 11 million to stay home to avoid further transmission of the virus. Employees wearing face masks at a Gucci store in Shanghai | Source: Casey Hall The citizens of Wuhan are not the only ones likely to avoid populated public areas during the Spring Festival.Would-be shoppers across the country and the wider region are more likely to stay home, leading to a flow-on effect for retailers that has already been reflected in a stock market plunge on luxury stocks earlier this week. Some shopping malls in Shanghai appear to be quieter than normal this week, with staff donning face masks and the few shoppers constantly applying hand sanitiser.In the last decade, as mall developments have exploded across China, heading for a day at the mall has become a popular way for Chinese families to spend time together. The temperature-controlled environment and purified air can offer respite to harsher conditions outside. Indeed, retailers count on periods like Spring Festival because malls are an obvious choice for a multi-generational family outing. However, there are now concerns that the sector could take a hit as the economic impact of the epidemic starts to bite.With global luxury companies increasingly reliant on China – Chinese shoppers account for 35 percent of global luxury goods sales and 90 percent of last year's growth in the market, according to consultancy Bain & Company – news of the worsening outbreak was quick to hit luxury stocks in Europe, wiping $ 15 billion from the bottom line of European luxury players earlier this week.China’ s economy, too, is increasingly reliant on the spending of its own citizens, with domestic consumption accounting for more than 60 percent of the country’ s GDP.As growth in the world’ s second-largest economy slows – the country emerged from 2019 with an official economic growth of 6.1 percent, which is within the government’ s target range of 6 to 6.5 percent, but represents the lowest level in nearly three decades – consumer confidence and retail sales have remained relatively positive. But if the epidemic puts a dampener on either of these indicators, it could spell trouble.This year there are concerns that the sector could take a hit as the economic impact of the epidemic starts to bite.According to official estimates, Chinese spent $ 74 billion on travel and $ 145 billion on shopping and food during the Spring Festival holiday last year, representing a growth of 8.5 percent over 2018. As a barometer for China’ s consumption, a poor performance during this Chinese New Year season will not bode well for the country’ s economy in the year ahead.Swiss bank UBS said the coronavirus outbreak could present some downside risk to its economic growth forecast for the mainland, but predicted that Beijing would likely engage in additional policy easing to offset any shock from the virus, particularly to affected sectors, including retail.Analysts have been looking to past outbreaks, such as SARS, for signs of how China’ s economy and retail sales might be impacted by this latest health scare. SARS resulted in 774 deaths around the world from November 2002 through July 2003, with most of the deaths in mainland China and Hong Kong. “ History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes. More importantly, China has learnt lessons from SARS. The government is now working much more proactively and transparently to contain the Wuhan pneumonia than [ it did with ] SARS, and China’ s public health system is now more experienced than before as well, ” Wang Tao, head of Asia economic research and chief China economist in UBS’ s investment bank, wrote in a research note on Wednesday.One potential silver lining for retail sales might be found online, according to Kinger Lau, chief China equities strategist at Goldman Sachs, who said the highly-developed e-commerce sector in China means people can continue to spend money, even if they aren’ t leaving their homes to do so. The Hong Kong-listed shares of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba climbed 1.8 percent on Wednesday, beating a 1.2 percent gain for Hong Kong’ s Hang Seng index.How the epidemic will impact Shanghai Fashion Week and other events planned in China in the weeks and months to come remains unclear. So far, most industry leaders appear to be in a wait-and-see mode until people return to work after the Spring Festival holiday ends.Stay tuned to BoF updates on this developing story.Related Articles: Luxury Stocks Hit on New China Virus FearsBurberry Faces Hong Kong SlumpLuxury Players Get Chinese New Year Jitters
The fast-spreading pneumonia-like coronavirus is casting a dark shadow across the country, as transport officials prepare for the climax of the world’ s largest annual human migration. To date, the virus is closing in on 600 confirmed cases, and has caused the deaths of 17 people. Though it started in the central city of Wuhan, it has since spread to many of China’ s major cities including Beijing and Shanghai. Cases have also been confirmed in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the US.
Authorities have effectively sealed Wuhan off from the world, cancelling transportation in and out of the city and stopping public transport within it, encouraging its population of 11 million to stay home to avoid further transmission of the virus.
Employees wearing face masks at a Gucci store in Shanghai | Source: Casey Hall
The citizens of Wuhan are not the only ones likely to avoid populated public areas during the Spring Festival.
Would-be shoppers across the country and the wider region are more likely to stay home, leading to a flow-on effect for retailers that has already been reflected in a stock market plunge on luxury stocks earlier this week. Some shopping malls in Shanghai appear to be quieter than normal this week, with staff donning face masks and the few shoppers constantly applying hand sanitiser.
In the last decade, as mall developments have exploded across China, heading for a day at the mall has become a popular way for Chinese families to spend time together. The temperature-controlled environment and purified air can offer respite to harsher conditions outside. Indeed, retailers count on periods like Spring Festival because malls are an obvious choice for a multi-generational family outing. However, there are now concerns that the sector could take a hit as the economic impact of the epidemic starts to bite.
With global luxury companies increasingly reliant on China – Chinese shoppers account for 35 percent of global luxury goods sales and 90 percent of last year's growth in the market, according to consultancy Bain & Company – news of the worsening outbreak was quick to hit luxury stocks in Europe, wiping $ 15 billion from the bottom line of European luxury players earlier this week.
China’ s economy, too, is increasingly reliant on the spending of its own citizens, with domestic consumption accounting for more than 60 percent of the country’ s GDP.
As growth in the world’ s second-largest economy slows – the country emerged from 2019 with an official economic growth of 6.1 percent, which is within the government’ s target range of 6 to 6.5 percent, but represents the lowest level in nearly three decades – consumer confidence and retail sales have remained relatively positive. But if the epidemic puts a dampener on either of these indicators, it could spell trouble.
This year there are concerns that the sector could take a hit as the economic impact of the epidemic starts to bite.
According to official estimates, Chinese spent $ 74 billion on travel and $ 145 billion on shopping and food during the Spring Festival holiday last year, representing a growth of 8.5 percent over 2018. As a barometer for China’ s consumption, a poor performance during this Chinese New Year season will not bode well for the country’ s economy in the year ahead.
Swiss bank UBS said the coronavirus outbreak could present some downside risk to its economic growth forecast for the mainland, but predicted that Beijing would likely engage in additional policy easing to offset any shock from the virus, particularly to affected sectors, including retail.
Analysts have been looking to past outbreaks, such as SARS, for signs of how China’ s economy and retail sales might be impacted by this latest health scare. SARS resulted in 774 deaths around the world from November 2002 through July 2003, with most of the deaths in mainland China and Hong Kong.
“ History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes. More importantly, China has learnt lessons from SARS. The government is now working much more proactively and transparently to contain the Wuhan pneumonia than [ it did with ] SARS, and China’ s public health system is now more experienced than before as well, ” Wang Tao, head of Asia economic research and chief China economist in UBS’ s investment bank, wrote in a research note on Wednesday.
One potential silver lining for retail sales might be found online, according to Kinger Lau, chief China equities strategist at Goldman Sachs, who said the highly-developed e-commerce sector in China means people can continue to spend money, even if they aren’ t leaving their homes to do so. The Hong Kong-listed shares of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba climbed 1.8 percent on Wednesday, beating a 1.2 percent gain for Hong Kong’ s Hang Seng index.
How the epidemic will impact Shanghai Fashion Week and other events planned in China in the weeks and months to come remains unclear. So far, most industry leaders appear to be in a wait-and-see mode until people return to work after the Spring Festival holiday ends.
Stay tuned to BoF updates on this developing story.
Related Articles:
Luxury Stocks Hit on New China Virus Fears
Burberry Faces Hong Kong Slump
Luxury Players Get Chinese New Year Jitters
Why Price Inflation Is Coming to Fashion | business |
Utilities and Industrials Are Gaining as Stock Market Falls. That’ s Weird. | 12:25 p.m. The market is dropping today, so it’ s no surprise to see utilities and real estate as two of the best performing sectors in the S & P 500. But why are industrial’ s performing so well?
The S & P 500 has fallen 0.3% to 3313.46, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 129.07 points, or 0.4%, to 29,057.20. That the S & P 500 Utilities Sector Index, up 0.41%, and the S & P 500 Real Estate Sector Index, up 0.63%, are having a good day is no surprise, particularly given that the 10-year Treasury yield has slipped. They are, after all, defensive by nature and yield plays to boot, so they usually rise when bond yields go down.
It is strange, however, to see the S & P 500 Industrials Sector Index, up 0.48%, hanging with those two. Industrials stocks usually depend on economic growth for outperformance, so their gains seem strange if investors are worried that the coronavirus will hit the global economy. My first thought was that maybe utilities and industrials were two ends of a ‘ barbell’ —defensives on one end, cyclicals on the other.
But then my colleagues reminded me of all the news this morning helping to lift industrial stocks. General Electric ( GE) has gained 3% to $ 11.71 after getting upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley; railroad stocks are getting a lift from Union Pacific’ s ( UNP) earnings results; and Boeing ( BA) stock has gained 2% to $ 315.06 as it rebounds after getting hammered on Tuesday and Wednesday. Together, those stocks account for nearly 20% if the sector’ s market cap.
It all goes back to the cliché: The stock market really is a market of stocks.
Markets Now is a quick take on what’ s happening with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and other major market indexes. Don’ t forget to check out the rest of Barron’ s markets coverage. | business |
Hotel operators waive fees for Chinese hotel cancellations as virus fears grow | InterContinental Hotels and Hyatt will allow guests to change or cancel stays at most Chinese hotels as a deadly coronavirus outbreak overshadows Lunar New Year holiday plans.
The outbreak began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and has killed 17 and infected nearly 600 people so far. The holiday takes place between Jan. 24-30.
IHG said on its official WeChat account on Thursday that it will allow customers to change or cancel stays scheduled up to Feb. 3 across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan at no additional cost.
The waiver of fees applies to bookings made directly, such as through the company’ s mobile app or website, it added. It advised customers who booked via third-party vendors to contact those platforms directly.
IHG has 443 hotels in Greater China under different brands, and has another 397 in the pipeline, according to its website. It operates four hotels in Wuhan.
The company has been investing in China, its fastest-growing market and has revamped rooms at Holiday Inn to woo local business travellers.
However, it has already warned of lower business bookings in China and a downturn in tourism from the protests in Hong Kong. Its shares were 2.2% lower at 4,888 pence at 1131 GMT, making them one of the biggest losers on London’ s bluechip FTSE 100 index.
Separately, Chicago-headquartered Hyatt said guests who had booked stays through its official channels and are cancelling due to the coronavirus flu or are Chinese guests outbound to its Asia Pacific hotels, can cancel stays or change dates free of charge.
The policy applies to Hyatt’ s hotels in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, but not the three in Sanya, its customer service representatives said through its WeChat service.
“ While all the Hyatt hotels in China remain in operation as usual, we understand the concerns for traveling at the moment, ” the company said in a statement.
The company runs about 100 hotels in the Greater China region according to its website.
Investment trust Langham said that for all the Langham and Cordis Mainland China Hotels in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Haining, Ningbo, Xiamen, Hefei and Haikou, a full refund will be given for cancellations related to the coronavirus for stays up to and including Feb. 9.
Global airlines are also on high alert as the virus spreads, bringing with it concerns of a sharp drop in travel demand if it becomes a pandemic.
The release of seven movies over the Lunar New Year has been also postponed. The holiday is the high season for distributors and cinemas attract huge crowds.
Reporting by Zoey Zhang and Brenda Goh in Shanghai, Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru and writing by Noor Zainab Hussain, Additional reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Elaine Hardcastle | business |
Likelihood of case of coronavirus emerging in Ireland 'quite low ' | Dr John Cuddihy said Ireland had no direct flights to Wuhan in China where the outbreak is thought to have originated.
The likelihood of a case of the new coronavirus emerging in Ireland is “ quite low ”, the director of the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre has said.
Dr John Cuddihy said Ireland had no direct flights to Wuhan in China where the outbreak is thought to have originated.
“ If we were to see a case in a European country the risk of a secondary case – a person transmitting to somebody else – is also low, ” he said.
HSE assistant national director of public health and child health, Dr Kevin Kelleher, said there had been a “ massive ” change in how China reacted.
During the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) the Chinese did not talk about it and did not have the systems in place to deal with it, said Dr Kelleher. | general |
'Like a ghost town ': Kildare teacher living in Chinese city hit with coronavirus | Kildare man Ben Kavanagh, who is working as a teacher in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has told of the precautions people are taking to avoid contracting the coronavirus.
Kildare man Ben Kavanagh, who is working as a teacher in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has told of the precautions people are taking to avoid contracting the coronavirus.
“ It’ s almost like a ghost town, ” he told RTÉ radio’ s Morning Ireland.
Mr Kavanagh explained that with the Chinese New Year, he has been on a break from school since last Friday and has not gone outside his apartment for “ two to three days. ”
He said that he lives near a dual carriageway that is usually very busy, but it is very quiet now.
“ You are allowed out, but there are so many rumours and people are worried, it’ s better not to. ”
The latest news he heard was that the virus is spread through the eyes and people are now wearing eye protection as well as masks.
“ I have enough water for a few more days, but I will probably have to head out to the shops for food. ”
He had heard that prices for some products, such as celery, have already tripled because of shortages.
Mr Kavanagh said that when he ventures out he will wear a surgical mask over his mouth and nose and swim goggles over his eyes.
The timing of the virus could not be worse, he said as people are travelling to visit their families for the new year celebrations.
While he is not very worried, he did admit that the issue “ does play on the mind a bit. ”
People are taking the situation very seriously.
“ I have no idea what to expect, ” he said.
Most of the people who had died from the virus to date were elderly, he said.
When asked if he would prefer to be at home in Kildare listening to election debates or dealing with a killer virus, he said it was ‘ 50/50 ”.
`` The decision about whether or not to declare a public health emergency of international concern is one I take extremely seriously, and one I am only prepared to make with appropriate consideration of all the evidence '' - @ DrTedros on new # coronavirus
The HSE’ s director of Public Health Dr John Cuddihy has said that the response to a suspected case of the coronavirus at a Dublin hospital earlier this week demonstrates that the protocols in place are effective. | general |
Comcast: A Great Play On Broadband With An Achilles Heel |
Comcast ( CMCSA) reported earnings this morning and sparked a bit of volatility in its share price. The stock price first shot up nearly 1.75% on strength in the top and bottom-line results. Shortly after the release and well before the open of today’ s session Comcast shares gave up that strength and more.
The headline results were good but could have been better. Revenue of $ 28.8 billion grew by 2.0% and exceeded expectations. Revenue was driven by strength in high-speed internet offset by weakness in theatrical releases. The weakness in theatrical is not unexpected. It’ s clear that Disney ( DIS) is the winner at the box office in 2019, and its ugly to see, but theatrical sales are not the real risk to Comcast’ s future growth.
Earnings Driven By Internet/Cable Subscriber Growth
GAAP EPS came in as-expected with adjusted EPS a bit hot relative to consensus. The strength in EPS was driven again by strength in broadband internet. The company added 466,000 new Internet subscribers versus the expected 362,000 and that translated into growth across most cable/broadband segments.
NBC/Universal did not fare so well. The media arm of the company fell short of expectations for revenue due to poor sales at the box office. Revenue for the Filmed Entertainment segment dropped 21% from the previous year due to two factors. The first is NBC/Universal’ s success with its films in 2018 ( the Grinch and Halloween are two), the second is Disney’ s dominance of box office revenue this year.
Comcast’ s Achilles Heel
While Comcast’ s broadband and cable segments are doing well it’ s not all wine and roses. The company saw its video subscriber losses accelerate to 149,000 and well above the consensus. The company’ s CFO, Michael Cavanagh, warned investors on the conference call losses could accelerate further in 2020.
document.write ( ' < a style= '' text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal; color: # 696969; '' target= '' blank '' rel= '' nofollow '' href= '' https: //www.ame ' + 'ricanconsumernews.net/scripts/click.aspx? NativeDisplayAdID=584 & ImpressionID=0 & UserID=0 & Placement=PlaceOnArticlePage '' > '); Buffett is notoriously “ anti technology. ” Which is why this Wall Street Legend's recent discover is so shocking: 21 of Buffett’ s 25 current favorite companies are going “ all in ” one hot new technology… To the tune of $ 1.7 billion!... After decades of being anti-tech... what is making Buffett going all in now? And what is this new technology that America's biggest companies are in a race to implement?
According to Cavanagh, consumer trends and rising prices are driving consumers away. Considering the vast amount of competition for streaming media, it is likely Comcast is losing subscribers to other services. The top competitor is Netflix ( NFLX) but even it is under pressure from competition. Disney is emerging as a winner in the online/streaming space with the launch of Disney + last year and there’ s always Hulu and HBO Max to consider.
Comcast Is Fighting Back
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts isn’ t content to sit back and let his competition take his business. Comcast, through NBC/Universal, announced just last week its entry into the streaming wars. Peacock, a three-tiered streaming service, is scheduled to launch July 2020 and compete with the big boys. Notably, the company is planning to take back its content leased to other outlets so it has leverage within the market.
In a televised interview, Roberts said “ We hope in the next four or five years to get to the kind of [ average revenue per user ]... that some other platforms are getting today, … So I think we’ ve given ourselves a long runway to scale up, take back some of the content that’ s on other platforms, make some original content, engage with customers. ”
Cash, Cash Flow, Dividends And Comcast Technical Outlook
Comcast is a cash-flow machine no matter what the 4th revenue and EPS comparisons say. The company reported net-cash from operations of $ 6.2 billion with $ 2.5 billion in free-cash-flow. Considering the company’ s history of dividend increases, 12 years now, it is no surprise management increased the distribution today.
Comcast management increased the dividend to $ 0.92. That’ s a 10% increase and brings the forward-looking payout ratio to 28.0%. With such a low payout ratio the company has plenty of cash to invest in the digital platform and pay the dividend. Also, future increases can be expected regardless of the amount of revenue or earnings growth. The only downside to Comcast distribution is the yield. At 2.0% it’ s only a hair above the broad market average and far less than what you can get with other sectors.
Technically speaking, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that buyers are present above the short-term moving average. This shows confidence in the company’ s growth outlook, about 5% revenue and 6% EPS in 2020, and its ability to compete with streaming. The bad news is that price action has fallen below a crucial resistance target at the previous all-time high. If price action can not regain the upper side of the $ 47.25 level I would expect lower prices to come.
In the near-term, Comcast is likely to drift lower and test support at the short-term moving average. Support may kick in around $ 45.50, if that level doesn’ t hold a move down to the $ 43.00 level is possible.
6 Stocks to Help You Profit Off the Coronavirus PPE Boom
Every major global event brings with it changes to our national lexicon. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, few Americans knew what the initials PPE stood for. Today, virtually anyone knows that PPE stands for personal protective equipment. At the onset of the mitigation policies, the goal of flattening the curve was being done to prevent our health care system from becoming overwhelmed. Part of that concern stemmed from a shortage of personal protective equipment. These are the masks, gloves, goggles and gowns that help protect medical workers against viral or bacterial infections. As the novel coronavirus became labeled a global pandemic, the global mantra became to “ flatten the curve ” in an effort to prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed. The United States is being referred to as being on a war time footing. Manufacturers that were already producing PPE have significantly ramped up capacity. And many companies are converting their excess manufacturing capacity to produce personal protective equipment. In fairness, this may only be a reason for some of these companies to “ keep the lights on ” right now. But many of these companies have a good story to tell. And it’ s that story that can make them solid investments in the future.
View the `` 6 Stocks to Help You Profit Off the Coronavirus PPE Boom ''.
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Molson Coors acquires Atwater Brewery in Detroit | Or wait...
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By Rachel Arthur contact
23-Jan-2020 - Last updated on 23-Jan-2020 at 12:28 GMT
Related tags: Molson coors, Craft beer, Us function sanitize gpt value2 ( gptValue) { var vOut= '' ''; var aTags = gptValue.split ( ', '); var reg = new RegExp ( '\\W+ ', `` g ''); for ( var i=0; i < aTags.length; i++) { vOut += aTags [ i ].trim ().replace ( reg, '- ').substring ( 0,40); if ( i! = ( aTags.length-1)) vOut += ', '; } vOut = vOut.toLowerCase (); return vOut; } $ ( document).ready ( function () { dataLayerNews = { }; dataLayerNews.related tags = sanitize gpt value2 ( `` Molson coors, Craft beer, Us ''); dataLayer.push ( dataLayerNews); });
Founded in 1997, Atwater Brewery is known in Michigan craft beer community for its traditional German-style lagers and ales. Its top beers include Dirty Blonde, Vanilla Java Porter, Better Life Choices and Decadent Dark Chocolate. The brewer, which also produces hard seltzers and craft spirits, also operates three taphouse and biergarden locations in Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park and Grand Rapids.
Mark Rieth, owner of Atwater Brewery, says Tenth and Blake will help the brewery expand. `` For Atwater to continue to grow, it will require both capital and brewing expertise. Tenth and Blake brings both, which makes them the ideal strategic partner to help us continue to live our mantra 'Born in Detroit. Raised Everywhere. ' '' Rieth and his management team will continue to lead Atwater's day-to-day operations.
Tenth and Blake says it will help the brewery develop its core markets and then expand across the Great Lakes region. Other craft brands in its portfolio include the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, AC Golden Brewing Company, Saint Archer Brewing Company, Terrapin Beer Company, Hop Valley Brewing Company and Revolver Brewing.
Tenth and Blake’ s regional crafts posted volume growth of more than 15% in 2019, while the overall craft segment was just above flat.
Not only does today’ s acquisition of @ atwaterbeer build on our successful model of growing regional crafts, it is a clear indication of how serious we are about our plans to invest across our entire portfolio as we revitalize @ MolsonCoors. https: //t.co/z1BPEWi1jt
Molson Coors says the acquisition is an example of how it is executing its revitalization plan, which was launched in October 2019 to generate and reinvest savings. It has also taken a stake in beverage incubator L.A. Libations; announced it will air ads during the pro football championship for the first time in years; and launched new creative campaigns for a range of brands. | general |
Forget Tesla, Should Investors be Buying Ford? | Ford ( NYSE: F) stock is down about 1.5% so far in 2020. But in the last 12 months, the stock has been up nearly 8%. While that is pedestrian to the broader market, there may be a story forming about Ford. And while it’ s not as spectacular as the mania currently surrounding Tesla ( NASDAQ: TSLA), it may provide value investors with an interesting way to play the burgeoning electric vehicle ( EV) market.
But I’ ll start with a disclaimer. Contrary to the headline of this article, I know that Tesla is playing in a much different sandbox than Ford. Tesla is being priced and evaluated more as a tech company, than an auto maker. But Tesla is changing the conversation about electric vehicles. And that’ s an area where it does have something in common with the Motor City icon.
Ford’ s investment in electrification is paying off
When Ford announced it was making a major push into electric vehicles, many industry analysts scoffed. The company looked to be gambling both its short-term and long-term future on a technology that looked to be years away.
But today, electric vehicles represent where the growth is coming from in the industry. And where some automakers are trying to play catch up, Ford finds itself ahead of the curve. Specifically, Ford is preparing to launch its headline EV, the Mustang Mach-E late in 2020. At this point, demand for the Mach-E looks healthy. And that’ s only one of over a dozen electric vehicles that Ford plans on launching between now and 2022.
Also, keep in mind that it appears the auto industry is finding its bottom. So if, as expected, the industry starts to rebound over the next two years; and if, as expected, electric vehicles help to lead this growth, then Ford will be well-positioned both in terms of revenue and profit.
document.write ( ' < a style= '' text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal; color: # 696969; '' target= '' blank '' rel= '' nofollow '' href= '' https: //www.ame ' + 'ricanconsumernews.net/scripts/click.aspx? NativeDisplayAdID=592 & ImpressionID=0 & UserID=0 & Placement=PlaceOnArticlePage '' > '); Jeff Brown, a former Silicon Valley CEO, holds live event off-campus of Yale University for a select audience to reveal new `` 5G Device ''
But the company is about more than just electric vehicles
What has helped Ford remain profitable has been the popularity of its Ford F-Series trucks. To that end, the company introduced new models of its Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 that show the company is not taking its status for granted. “ The fitness of the kind of competition that comes at us gets better and better, ” admits CEO Jim Hackett. “ We can’ t stand on our laurels here, and we’ re not … we now start to marry the intelligence – the emergence of the connectivity, the awareness of how people use our F-150s has probably never been higher. We have to keep changing the product for them in ways that they care about. ”
Growth versus value
The difference between Tesla and Ford is about more than what sector they play in. In fact, Tesla has just reached a higher market cap than Ford has had … ever.
The real issue is what kind of investor is attracted to each stock. And while Tesla may or may not be a smart growth stock, it is certainly not a value stock.
When investors look at Tesla stock, it’ s easy to see that what the stock may be is a lot different than what it is. I can’ t say when, or if, Tesla shares will come down to earth. What I can say is at over $ 500 per share, I’ m looking for a dip before deciding to take a plunge.
Ford on the other hand, looks inexpensive right now. And I’ m not just talking about its share price ( which is currently around $ 9). The stock looks to absorb most of the downturn in the automotive market and therefore may be very attractive for investors who are looking to swoop up a bargain.
From a fundamental standpoint, the stock looks reasonably priced. The company’ s current forward price/earnings ratio of just over 7 times earnings is consistent with its five-year average. And that would put the stock in the range of $ 11 per share.
And don’ t forget about the dividend. Ford currently pays out a 60 cent per share dividend every year ( 15 cents per quarter). The company hasn’ t increased its dividend in five years, and critics point out that the company may have to cut the dividend to meet some of its long-term growth objectives.
But with a payout ratio of around 46%, the dividend looks to be very safe in the short term. And that’ s all I’ m really talking about right now.
What’ s Next for Ford stock?
Ford is scheduled to release earnings on February 4. The company recently issued an SEC filing that says the company will take a $ 2.2 billion pretax hit due to pension plan contributions and retirement benefits. While this is supposed to reduce the company’ s net income by $ 1.7 billion, it will not impact earnings because it is a special item. The consensus estimate is for the earnings per share of 16 cents.
7 Energy Stocks to Buy On This Historical Dip
It may seem hard to believe, but the current chaos in the energy sector, and oil stocks, in particular, will pass. The novel coronavirus that has birthed a global pandemic is being compared to the Spanish Flu of 1918. Of course, when you have once in a century event, it’ s difficult to look back in history and make an apples-to-apples comparison to our current situation. This isn’ t to minimize our current situation. It’ s simply to say that the market is forward-looking, but it’ s also emotional. And it also hates uncertainty. In a typical economic downturn, demand decreases, and investors are advised to “ buy the dip. ” But in the current environment, demand has been destroyed. Millions of Americans are being asked, and in some cases ordered, to stay home. And this simply means that oil demand is down. And investors are looking at prices that are, in some cases, at all-time lows. The trading app Robinhood is frequented by millennial investors. And according to the latest information, many investors are trying to buy the dip on old guard oil stocks. That may be a mistake. But the energy sector is about more than just oil stocks. There are several companies that are holding their own in the current environment. And that means when the economy opens up, these companies will be well-positioned for further growth. Currently, the volatility and uncertainty surrounding energy stocks make them a poor choice for growth investors. However, many of these companies in this presentation offer a secure dividend that, along with the potential for capital appreciation, can make them a solid play for income investors.
View the `` 7 Energy Stocks to Buy On This Historical Dip ''.
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Cirque du Soleil cancels all performances in Chinese city over coronavirus | The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.
MONTREAL - The Cirque du Soleil is cancelling all performances in Hangzhou, China to ward off the potential spreading of the coronavirus.
The Montreal-based acrobatic troupe says it made the decision to cancel all performances of The Land of Fantasy show after Chinese officials requested the temporary closing of all indoor activities with 100 or more people to stem the outbreak.
Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre says it has a responsibility to step up and take preventative measures by putting health and safety its top priority.
Cirque says the company and its partner Hangzhou Xintiandi Group has been working with Chinese officials, the Canadian embassy and the Quebec government office in Shanghai.
The World Health Organization on Thursday chose not to declare a global health emergency because of the disease even as China quarantined more territory around the city at the heart of the outbreak, Wuhan, to prevent its spread.
At least 17 people have died in China and another 500 people have been infected, with cases popping up in other countries as well. | general |
China new year plans scrapped as Wuhan coronavirus spreads | The clampdown -- which comes amid the Lunar New Year, China's busiest travel period -- reflects mounting fears that the outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus could give rise to a pandemic. The virus has killed at least 25 people in China, several of whom did not have pre-existing conditions before they contracted the illness, with more than 830 infected.
Still, the World Health Organization's ( WHO) emergency committee said Thursday it was too early to declare the outbreak an international public health emergency.
Earlier in the day, David Heymann, the chairman of a WHO committee gathering data on the virus, said the virus spreads more easily from person to person than previously thought.
It initially appeared to spread only by very close contact that would typically occur within a family -- such as hugging, kissing, or sharing eating utensils -- but now evidence is accruing that shows more distant contact could spread the virus, such as if a sick person were to sneeze or cough near someone else's face.
He said there is no evidence at this point that the virus is airborne and could be spread across a room, as happens with the flu or measles.
Mounting evidence suggests the virus is spreading outside mainland China, with various countries reporting their first cases.
In Scotland, five people were tested for suspected coronavirus after traveling from Wuhan.
Hong Kong confirmed two cases of the virus and Singapore confirmed its first, a 66-year-old Chinese national who had also been in Wuhan.
Saudi Arabia has denied there are any cases of the virus in its territory, following reports that an Indian nurse working in the country had been diagnosed.
China's race to contain it
Wuhan -- ground zero for the pneumonia-like respiratory virus -- `` temporarily '' closed its airport and railway stations on Thursday for departing passengers. All public transport services in the city of 11 million people have also been suspended until further notice.
On Thursday afternoon, transport authorities began shutting down some of the main highways leaving Wuhan, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The wearing of face masks is now mandatory in all public places in the city, including hotels, restaurants, parks, cafes, and shopping malls.
`` People who don't obey the requirements shall be dealt with by authorities in accordance with their respective duties and laws, '' a statement from Wuhan's municipal government said on Wednesday.
Authorities in Huanggang, about 80 kilometers ( 50 miles) east of Wuhan, announced a series of similar measures cutting off the city as of midnight local time ( 11 a.m. ET on Thursday).
Government officials said in a statement that the city's subway and train stations will close, per a report in the People's Daily, a state-run newspaper. All theaters, internet cafes and indoor public culture, tourism and entertainment facilities in the city will also stop business, People's Daily reported.
Hundreds of thousands of people will likely be affected. The entire administrative area of Huanggang has a population of 7.5 million, but People's Daily reported that the lockdown only applies to the urban area, which is only a part of the total population.
In Ezhou, the city's railway station has been closed `` in order to fully conduct prevention and control of the new type of pneumonia... effectively cut off the transmission of the virus, resolutely curb the spread of the epidemic, and ensure the safety and health of the people, '' according to a statement from city's Coronavirus Disease Prevention Control Headquarters on Thursday.
There was an unusual flurry of activity around the train stations in Wuhan early Thursday morning, as passengers -- most of them wearing face masks -- scrambled to leave the city before the lockdown began. Families were seen unloading their cars and hurrying to get into lines that already stretched outside the doors.
At Wuhan's Hankou railway station, one of the country's busiest high-speed rail hubs, officials used thermal detectors to scan for potential fevers as dozens of passengers filed through the security screening. Inside, crowds were shoulder to shoulder as they waited for trains out of the city.
The mass exodus was met with anger from many users of the Weibo microblogging platform.
`` Wuhan people, get out of Shanghai, '' one person posted. `` Don't sneak in and spread chaos. ''
Others shared their fears over the virus, and cautionary warnings. `` Don't panic and try not to go out, '' one person said.
Another person posted they had considered fleeing Wuhan. `` I was thinking about my parents and children -- if I bring them, where can we escape to? ''
The decision to stop trains and planes to and from Wuhan comes shortly before Lunar New Year begins on January 25 amid what is considered the biggest human migration on the planet, with hundreds of millions of people visiting families and traveling in China or throughout Asia.
Inside Wuhan, the epicenter
Wuhan is one of China's most important cities. Located on the confluence of the Yangtze River and its largest tributary, the Han River, it is considered the political and economic capital of central China.
For those remaining in the city, there is a sense of unease. Jan Renders, a 29-year-old PhD student in Wuhan, told CNN that many shops are closing for the Lunar New Year holiday, so people had already been stocking up on supplies. He said he was able to buy enough food for at least a week.
`` But of course people aren't sure whether shops will be going back to normal soon, '' he said.
Another man in Wuhan sent CNN a photo inside a grocery store Thursday morning that showed several empty shelves. The man, who asked not to be identified, said most of the food was sold out.
The Wuhan New-type Coronavirus Pneumonia Command -- a task-force set up to deal with the crisis -- said in a statement that Wuhan has a sufficient supply and reserve of food, medical supplies and commodities.
`` There is no need for the general public of the city to panic or hoard in order to prevent unnecessary wastes, '' the command said.
The scale of the challenge facing authorities tasked with implementing the blockade is immense. By way of comparison, the lockdown is akin to closing down all transport links for a city more than three times the size of Chicago, two days before Christmas.
`` The Chinese new year is the most important festival for Chinese. And many of the mobile population, they're coming from rural China to work in Wuhan, and now you ask them not to leave to see their relatives, that is difficult, '' professor Yuen Kwok-yung, a leading microbiologist, told CNN.
Yuen was part of a group of high-level experts who visited Wuhan earlier this week and recommended on Sunday that the Chinese central government should stop people traveling to and from the city.
`` It has to be done, '' he said. `` If you allow people to go out of Wuhan, especially those who may have symptoms, then the exported case numbers will continue to surge, and that is not a good thing for the whole outbreak control. ''
`` The mainland government policy now is that nobody should leave Wuhan and nobody should come into Wuhan, '' he continued.
A growing number of cases
Chinese health authorities said on Friday that at least 830 cases of the Wuhan coronavirus had been confirmed. The death toll rose on Friday to 25, from 17 the day before -- with all but one of those deaths in Hubei, the central Chinese province of which Wuhan is the capital.
The other death was in Hebei province, close to Beijing.
Cases of the virus have now been reported in nearly every Chinese province, with two cases confirmed in Macao, and two in Hong Kong. The self-governing island of Taiwan has also confirmed a case.
Beyond China, officials in Washington state said on Tuesday that a man in his 30s is the first confirmed case on US soil. A total of nine cases have also been reported in Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam.
The true extent of the Wuhan coronavirus is unclear, however, and official figures may be an underestimation as mild symptoms and delayed onset mean cases are likely to have been undetected, a team of scientists have said.
Scientists at Imperial College London estimate that around 4,000 people are likely to have been infected in Wuhan city alone as of January 18.
What we know about the virus
Officially called the novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV), the contagion is in the same family of infections as severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome ( MERS). SARS infected 8,000 people and caused 774 deaths in 2002 and 2003.
Coronaviruses are transmitted by animals and people, and the Wuhan strain has been linked to a market in the city that was selling seafood and live animals, including wild species. The coronavirus that causes SARS was traced to the civet cat, a wild animal considered a delicacy in parts of China that was sold in similar markets.
Chinese health officials said human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed, raising the chance of its spread. In one instance, 14 doctors and nurses operating on a patient unknown to be carrying the virus were all infected with it, suggesting it can be spread relatively easily.
The disease is mainly transmitted `` through the respiratory tract, '' Li Bin, China's national health commissioner said on Wednesday, adding that `` there is possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease. ''
Li said that Wuhan and Hubei provincial authorities should tighten the regulation of farm markets and wild animals. He also urged the public to avoid crowds and minimize large gatherings.
China on Tuesday announced it was adopting Class A prevention and control measures, typically used for major outbreaks such as plague and cholera. The designation has given health officials sweeping powers to lock down affected areas and quarantine patients.
China previously used such measures in 2009 to tackle an outbreak of H1N1, introducing mandatory quarantine for anyone who had `` close contact '' with an infected person, including foreigners arriving in the country from areas where H1N1 outbreaks had been reported.
International containment efforts
As officials race to slow the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus, containment efforts are being put in place in many travel hubs.
Airports around the world are increasing health screenings and implementing new quarantine procedures, including in major airports in the US, Thailand, Singapore and Australia.
Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway ( MTR) has halted the sale of high-speed railway tickets to and from Wuhan, according to its public relations manager Dobie Yam.
Several countries, including the UK and Japan, have advised against all but essential travel to Wuhan.
However, the World Health Organization ( WHO) has not yet declared the virus a `` public health emergency of international concern, '' which might merit a coordinated global response.
The organization's emergency committee met Wednesday in Geneva, but decided more information was needed to declare the status of the outbreak and what recommendations should be made regarding it. It is expected to take up the matter again on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a senior State Department official said Wednesday the United States is concerned about transparency inside the Chinese government on the Wuhan coronavirus.
`` I do believe that the concern you see both inside China and internationally is a reflection of what we 've seen in the past. 2003 was SARS, and a number of issues, where the government has been slow to respond out of fear of embarrassment or making things look worse than they are. And that reluctance to respond in a rapid manner doesn't give the global community a secure feeling for this being managed inside China, '' the official said. | business |
Shares and oil hit by global coronavirus fear | Global shares and the price of oil dropped amid growing concern that a virus spreading from China could curb global growth.
Global shares and the price of oil dropped amid growing concern that a virus spreading from China could curb global growth.
Makers of consumer goods were among the biggest drags on the S & P 500 index in the US as investors tried to gauge the potential impact of the virus on travel and shopping.
In Europe, mining companies led the Stoxx Europe 600 index lower after declines from Seoul to Sydney.
China’ s Shanghai Composite Index plunged 2.8% on the last trading day before the Lunar New Year holiday, the biggest drop in eight months.
The reverberations were also felt in other markets, with oil sinking to its lowest level since November on concerns the virus could dent demand. Around the world, government bonds and the yen rallied as investors sought a haven.
Investors are turning cautious with stocks trading at lofty valuations near record highs, trying to gauge the threat to airlines, retailers and energy providers as the illness spreads, with confirmed cases in the US, South Korea and Singapore.
While fewer than 20 deaths have been tallied, traders are hesitant to take on risk on the chance the outbreak could develop into something like the much more devastating Sars respiratory illness that emerged in China 17 years ago.
In the US, casino and hotel operators including Wynn Resorts, Melco Resorts, and Las Vegas Sands, which draw a large portion of their revenue from China, were down.
“ There is concern that this may become a much bigger event, ” said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist for Prudential Financial. | general |
WHO says will decide on Thursday if China virus is a global health emergency | The World Health Organization ( WHO) said it will decide on Thursday whether to declare a global emergency over the outbreak of a new flu-like virus spreading in and beyond China.
If it does so it will be only the sixth international public health emergency to be declared in the last decade.
“ The decision is one I take extremely seriously and one I am only prepared to make with appropriate consideration of all the evidence, ” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“ This is an evolving and complex situation, ” he added. “ Our team in China is working with local experts and officials to investigate the outbreak. ”
He was speaking after the WHO held a day-long meeting of an independent panel of experts in Geneva on Wednesday.
Deaths from China’ s new coronavirus virus rose to 17 on Wednesday with more than 540 cases confirmed, increasing fears of contagion from an infection suspected to originate from illegally traded wildlife.
The WHO’ s head of emergencies program, Mike Ryan, said the priority now was to find the roots of how the virus is passing between people.
“ We are in agreement with Chinese authorities who have been clear and transparent that there is evidence of human-to-human transmission, ” he said. “ The primary issue is to limit ( that) human-to-human transmission. ”
The previously unknown coronavirus strain is believed to have emerged from an animal market in the central city of Wuhan, with cases now detected as far away as the United States.
Wuhan is closing its transport networks and advising citizens not to leave the city, state media reported on Thursday.
Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Kate Kelland in London; Editing by Hugh Lawson | business |
5 Stocks That Could Pop as Coronavirus Fears Spread | As the coronavirus spreads, economists are looking for clues to what the deadly illness’ s broader impacts could be.
Many have drawn comparisons to the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, outbreak of 2003, which also originated in China and infected more than 8,000 people and killed nearly 800.
While the outbreak of the coronavirus is still in the early stages, there is reason to believe that the economic impact might be somewhat muted when compared with SARS. This is due both to the swifter response to the illness from Chinese officials as well as advances in technology that can facilitate commerce even when travel is constrained.
To be sure, economists still predict “ significant downside risk ” over the next two quarters, but there could also be differences in transmission, according to a Wednesday note by J.P. Morgan’ s Haibin Zhu.
“ The Chinese government has taken serious action much faster this time, ” Zhu wrote.
It took three weeks for the Chinese government to notify the World Health Organization after the first case of the coronavirus was identified on Dec. 8. By contrast, nearly three months passed from the time the government first identified SARS on Nov. 16, 2002, to when WHO was notified, leading to the government being criticized for withholding information.
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With the Chinese government thought to be better prepared to handle an outbreak as the memory of SARS is still recent, the impact may be “ less severe, ” Zhu wrote.
China’ s gross-domestic-product growth averaged 10.5% in the four quarters leading up to China taking serious action to quell the SARS outbreak, but plunged to 3.4% in the second quarter of 2003 as the number of confirmed cases increased rapidly. Growth swiftly rebounded in the second half of the year as the health alert was removed by WHO, putting China’ s economy back in line with previous years.
But it isn’ t just China’ s relatively faster response this time that may mitigate an economic slowdown. The world economy has changed enormously over the past 17 years as more business is conducted online.
Online sales in China have risen 30% since 2014 and now account for 20% of total retail sales, up from zero to low single digits in 2003, by Zhu’ s estimate.
While airlines, airports, and other public places are sure to see a drop in traffic as travel bans take hold and people avoid going out, online business may rise. E-commerce platforms such as Alibaba Group Holding ( ticker: BABA), Meituan Dianping ( 3690.Hong Kong), and Vipshop Holdings ( VIPS) could benefit, as could delivery companies such as ZTO Express ( ZTO) and BEST ( BEST), Zhu writes. | business |
Wuhan Beyond the Coronavirus: Steel, Cars and Spicy Noodles | If Wuhan could be compared to an American city, it might be Pittsburgh — a much bigger, much hotter Pittsburgh.
Wuhan, an industrial city in central China, straddles a river, the Yangtze. It is home to a troubled and declining steel industry. It is a university town filled with college students.
The comparisons don’ t go much further. Wuhan has a population of more than 11 million people, the equivalent of 36 Pittsburghs. In terms of college students alone, roughly one million are enrolled there, according to government figures. Summer temperatures can approach 100 degrees, with heavy humidity. Its traditional dish, and one of China’ s favorite noshes, is a pungent pasta concoction called reganmian, or “ hot dry noodles. ”
Wuhan is also the epicenter of a viral outbreak that is worrying the world. On Thursday, Chinese officials sharply limited travel to and from the city in an effort to contain a coronavirus that so far has killed at least 17 people and infected hundreds more. The restrictions hit the city at the peak of the travel period for the Lunar New Year holiday, meaning many residents may miss their families and loved ones this week.
Wuhan embodies China’ s rise as a global economic power, in all its complexities. Disposable income per person soared more than sixfold between 2002 and 2018, according to government figures compiled by CEIC Data, an information provider. The area is home to vast factories making cars for General Motors, Nissan, Honda and other global and local brands. The city has become a popular destination for foreign investment.
The Chinese government thinks so highly of the city’ s image that Xi Jinping, the country’ s leader, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India there two years ago. The two walked along the city’ s East Lake, building what Chinese state-run media came to call the Wuhan spirit between the two regional rivals.
The boom has come with problems. Heavy pollution has provoked protests. Wuhan’ s streets are often clogged with traffic. Its steel factories, long a backbone of the local economy, have struggled along with the rest of the inefficient industry in China with overcapacity and pollution problems, leading Beijing to combine the state-owned local giant, Wuhan Steel, with another company.
Wuhan has long been a center of commerce in China thanks to its position along the Yangtze River, a major trade route, and it remains a key transportation hub, leading some in China to compare it to Chicago. It was also the site of one formative event in Chinese history: a military mutiny in 1911 that led to the collapse of the Qing dynasty and ushered in the Republic of China.
Updated June 12, 2020
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “ very rare, ” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’ s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’ s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “ start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid, ” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “ When you haven’ t been exercising, you lose muscle mass. ” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’ t being told to stay at home, it’ s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. ( Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Taking one’ s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “ normal ” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’ t have a thermometer ( they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’ t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’ t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’ re sick and you think you’ ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’ s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’ re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’ t be able to get tested.
Wuhan held a special place in the heart of Mao Zedong, who famously took a swim in the Yangtze there in 1966 to show his vitality. This was at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, which tore Wuhan apart as it did other cities.
As China took off in the modern era, local leaders tried to burnish the city’ s image and show Wuhan taking part in the country’ s rise. They explored adopting a slogan and considered “ Great River, Great Lake, Great Wuhan ” and “ River Capital of the East, Livable Wuhan, ” among others.
They settled on “ Wuhan, Different Everyday! ” | business |
Coronavirus Could Mean You’ ll Pay Less at the Pump for Gas | Gasoline prices have been falling this year, and they could continue to decline as coronavirus puts a damper on China’ s Lunar New Year festivities. People are less likely to travel throughout China given the spread of the virus, which has killed at least 17 people.
Travel centered around the holiday is considered the largest annual human migration in the world. An estimated 3 billion trips take place over 40 days. The potential reduction in traffic means less fuel is burned, potentially cutting into Chinese demand for imported crude oil and petroleum products.
And it comes as other factors weigh on gasoline prices. The latest inventory data in the U.S. shows that supplies are building up even as demand remains subdued. The supply-demand imbalance comes as speculators have bet that gasoline supplies will tighten as a result of high demand this summer, notes Goldman Sachs analyst Damien Courvalin.
Supplies of gasoline are likely to remain high because more refineries will be in operation and available to produce the fuel. Last year, refineries were out of action longer than usual for maintenance, and that isn’ t likely to be repeated this year. “ Ultimately, the main headwind for gasoline ( and distillates) this year will come from high available refining capacity, ” Courvalin wrote.
All of this is good news for U.S. drivers, who are paying less at the pump and may continue to see low prices over the coming weeks. The average national gasoline price is $ 2.57 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Gasoline futures traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange are down 7% this year, while the S & P 500 is up 2.8%.
“ With oil prices sagging lately, the door has been opened for a notable decline in U.S. gasoline prices, and that’ s exactly what has happened, with more declines likely coming ahead of us before the fun is over, ” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, which tracks the gasoline market for consumers.
Not only are oil prices weak overall, but “ demand for gasoline remains abysmal and the fuel being produced today will have to eventually be purged from the system over the next few months as refiners begin the transition to summer gasoline, ” he added. | business |
Demand signals show signs of life, but trucking industry still struggling | Gains in the load-to-truck ratio show carriers are finally getting the signal that they need to cut capacity. The failure of hundreds of trucking companies has also contributed to capacity cuts. While truck posts were up YoY in December, they were down from November. Spot posts, meanwhile, were up month-over-month and YoY in December, according to DAT.
Taken together, there are signs the market is moving in the direction carriers have been waiting for — experts suggest this could happen in the second half of 2020. But for now, it's still a shipper's market with plenty of capacity and relatively low rates.
Earlier this month, analysts with UBS lowered fourth-quarter earnings guidance for five major trucking companies: Heartland Express, Hub Group, J.B. Hunt, Schneider National and Werner Enterprises. J.B. Hunt reported its earnings two days later and missed on earnings and revenue.
J.B. Hunt CFO David Mee said the company had a strong quarter when it came to its contractual business but struggled with the spot market where rates continue to flounder.
`` Most of this freight was contractual business, where we experienced very competitive pricing gain to bid season over the prior several quarters, '' Mee said on the call.; '' However, we did not experience similar competitive pricing in the third-party carrier markets, nor did we capture a materially larger portion of spot activity during the fourth quarter, hence, our margins were squeezed. ''
J.B. Hunt also said high levels of capacity in the trucking market hurt its intermodal business. Currently, the rates in the trucking market are favorable to shippers and don't make intermodal as desirable.
But the speed at which spot rates are declining is slowing, the UBS analysts said. It noted steps to reduce capacity could lead to improvements in 2020 and a tighter freight market that favors carriers rather than shippers.
`` Certainly, it feels, from a supply-side, like a tighter environment than really what people are talking about, '' Shelley Simpson, the chief commercial officer at J.B. Hunt, said of capacity on the earnings call. Simpson noted the closure of multiple trucking companies throughout the year.
For carriers, this could mean a few more difficult months ahead.
Ken Adamo, the chief of analytics at DAT Solutions, said van rates will probably remain flat for the first quarter of 2020 compared with the fourth quarter of 2020.
`` In the spring we expect year-over-year rate comparisons to turn positive for the first time since September 2018, '' Adamo said in a statement emailed to Supply Chain Dive.
Cass agreed with this assessment in its December report, suggesting that increased rates at the beginning of December were `` unusual and that spot rates are likely to fall again in January, unless significant capacity is removed due to fleet failures. ''
Topics covered: logistics, freight, operations, procurement, regulation, technology, risk/resilience and more.
Over the course of the pandemic, inventory has gone up, but so have sales. Are companies rethinking lean or just trying to keep up with demand?
Brands with high exposure to Vietnam are seeing port delays, canceled orders and slow capacity recovery after months of COVID-19 related restrictions.
Topics covered: logistics, freight, operations, procurement, regulation, technology, risk/resilience and more.
Topics covered: logistics, freight, operations, procurement, regulation, technology, risk/resilience and more.
Over the course of the pandemic, inventory has gone up, but so have sales. Are companies rethinking lean or just trying to keep up with demand?
Brands with high exposure to Vietnam are seeing port delays, canceled orders and slow capacity recovery after months of COVID-19 related restrictions.
Topics covered: logistics, freight, operations, procurement, regulation, technology, risk/resilience and more. | general |
French cases show coronavirus has reached Europe | France has identified three cases of the deadly new coronavirus from China, the first cases in Europe.
Two of the cases were announced by the health minister, Agnès Buzyn, on Friday evening. She said that both of those affected had travelled to China.
The third case was announced a few hours after the press conference. Two of the three infected people belong to the same family, authorities said.
The minister said she believes that one reason why France is the first European country to have confirmed cases is that it has developed a test allowing medics to rapidly diagnose those affected. “ You have to treat an epidemic as you would a fire, that’ s to say find the source very quickly, ” she said. “ We identified the first positive cases very quickly. ”
One of the patients, a 48-year-old man, passed through Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak, before travelling to France on Wednesday, the minister said. He is in hospital in the south-western city of Bordeaux. “ He’ s been put in an insulated room so as to avoid any contact with the outside world. He’ s fine, ” she said.
She said he is a French national who traveled to China for work and lives in the Bordeaux area. He was in contact with about 10 people before he was taken into care, the minister said. French authorities are seeking to contact them.
The mayor of Bordeaux, Nicolas Florian, told residents not to be concerned about the case. “ There is no imminent danger. It’ s under control, in hospital … There is no cause for alarm, and no reason to panic, ” he told France Bleu radio.
The other person referred to by Buzyn is in hospital in Paris. The minister said they also travelled to China but she had little other information about that case, which was confirmed shortly before she spoke at the news conference.
The minister urged people who suspect they may have the virus to call emergency services and to stay at home to avoid spreading the disease.
The newly discovered virus has killed 41 people and infected more than 1,000. Most of the cases and all of the deaths so far have been in China, where officials have imposed severe restrictions on travel and public gatherings.
Cases have also been reported in South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the US, Thailand and Vietnam. | general |
Coronavirus shakes citizens ' faith in Chinese government | Zhu Wenyi, 21, has spent the eve of the lunar new year at home, worrying whether or not she has caught a deadly virus that has spread from her province to much of the rest of the country.
Zhu, a university student, is back in her hometown of Huangshi, one of 10 cities in Hubei province, including Wuhan, that have been locked down in an attempt to contain the virus this week. She recently stayed at a friend’ s in Wuhan who later developed a fever, one of the virus’ s symptoms. The friend recovered, but Zhu is still anxious.
“ I’ m so worried, I feel like I’ m having trouble breathing, ” she said. “ People accuse the Wuhan government of acting too slow. It’ s true, they did. ”
As Chinese authorities scramble to restrict an illness that emerged a month ago, citizens are asking whether their government has failed them by failing to disclose information and not acting decisively or early enough.
Less than a week ago, officials in Wuhan, where the virus was detected, said the mystery illness posed little danger and there was no evidence it could be passed from human to human. China’ s national health commission said the situation was “ preventable ” and “ controllable ”.
On Monday, the number of confirmed cases suddenly tripled and a respected scientist said the virus, believed to have originated from an animal, was now being transmitted by people. Late on Friday the official death toll in China rose to 41 with more than 1,000 confirmed cases across almost every province in China, as well as South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the United States, Thailand and Vietnam.
On Friday the first cases were reported in Europe with France saying it had identified three cases.
“ This was most definitely not ‘ preventable and controllable’ … all these mistakes will be borne by the common people, ” one internet user wrote on the microblog Weibo.
This weekend the cost is being felt by millions of Chinese citizens who will be isolated and nervous on the most important holiday of the year, lunar new year on 25 January. For many Chinese, especially those working in provinces far from their hometowns, it is the only time of the year they are able to go home.
Many families have cancelled plans to get together. On Friday, the hashtag “ New Year’ s Eve in ICU ” trended on Weibo. The most liked comment in response to a state TV annual spring festival gala was: “ Can you please send a responsible leader to Hubei? ”
“ Leaders in this country are horrible, ” one Weibo user wrote, condemning Wuhan officials for attending a spring festival celebration in the middle of the outbreak.
Few issues are potent enough to threaten the Communist party’ s rule in China, where the leadership under Xi Jinping enjoys broad support from the public. But people have experienced years of public health scandals from the cover-up of infant formula tainted with melamine in 2008 to last year’ s discovery of hundreds of thousands of counterfeit vaccines administered to children.
The memory of China’ s Sars outbreak in 2002 and 2003 has cast an especially large shadow over the current crisis. Officials initially suppressed information, worsening an outbreak of the deadly respiratory virus that went on to infect more than 8,000 people and kill 744, the majority of them in China and Hong Kong.
“ The coronavirus is a problem for the Chinese Communist party because the CCP has historically not handled epidemics and other large-scale disasters well, ” said Maura Cunningham, a historian focusing on modern China. “ The party has shown a knee-jerk tendency to clamp down on information and not be forthcoming with accurate statistics. ”
Authorities have vowed this time will be different. On Monday, Xi called for “ all-out prevention and control efforts ” and “ stressed the importance of informing the public to safeguard social stability ”.
A high-level party committee posted on Wechat: “ Whoever deliberately delays or conceals reporting for the sake of their own interests will be forever nailed to history’ s pillar of shame. ” Officials have given daily updates and Chinese media, often restricted, appear to have been given more space to report on the situation.
“ The Chinese government recognises that if they don’ t maintain public trust in public health, food safety … there will be a backlash, which they don’ t need and don’ t want, ” said Nicholas Thomas, associate professor focusing on health security at City University of Hong Kong.
Covid-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization ( WHO) has declared it a pandemic.
According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment.
About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
In the UK, the National health Service ( NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either:
As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system.
Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities.
In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
But while public health officials have applauded China’ s improvements since Sars, as the outbreak widens, residents, especially in Hubei, are losing faith.
“ Before, I always believed what the government said. Now I don’ t know who to believe, ” said Xiao, 26, a teacher in Wuhan, who has been unable to leave.
Experts say that while mistakes are likely to be blamed on local officials, the virus is a test for the leadership under Xi, who has centralised decision-making even more in his consolidation of power.
“ If it is stopped it reinforces Xi’ s prestige and the impression that China has a system that can act and respond to crisis, ” said Dali Yang, a professor of political science focusing on China at the University of Chicago.
“ It cuts both ways. If it is not contained, it could have an impact on the economy and could dent the legitimacy of the leadership. ”
It will be a lonely Chinese new year for Zhu in Huangshi. Her family has cancelled plans to celebrate with relatives. Instead she will spend the next week scanning updates on WeChat and trying to figure out what to do if anyone in her family catches the virus. The roads have been shut down and the local hospital’ s resources are limited.
“ The hospital is full. There’ s no way to get diagnosed. Your only option is to go to Wuhan but it’ s closed off, ” she said. “ If you get sick, you can’ t even get treated. ” | general |
Germany's only black MP reveals death threats | Hi, what are you looking for?
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Germany's only black MP said this week he had received death threats from right-wing extremists days after finding holes probably made by a pellet gun in his constituency office window.
Karamba Diaby, a lawmaker for the centre-left Social Democratic Party ( SPD), told German media that he had received the anonymous threat by email, which was reportedly signed with the words `` Sieg Heil '' and `` Heil Hitler ''.
`` I am taking the threat very seriously and have informed the police immediately, '' Diaby told the DPA news agency on Thursday.
`` Investigations have been started without delay and measures have been taken to protect me. ''
The threat comes just days after Diaby tweeted a picture of three holes in his office window, which investigators believe were made by plastic pellets shot from an `` airsoft '' gun.
Regional newspaper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung said they had also received a copy of the threatening e-mail.
The newspaper reported that it was signed by a group calling themselves the `` coup d'etat orchestra '', and made reference to the recent killing of conservative politician Walter Luebcke.
Luebcke, an advocate of a liberal refugee policy, was shot at his home last June. The primary suspect in the murder is a neo-Nazi named Stephan Ernst.
Diaby, 58, was born in Senegal but moved to the former communist East Germany in the late 1980s to study chemistry.
In a 2017 interview with AFP, he recalled experiencing racism both before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification in 1989-90, suffering a beating from neo-Nazis in 1991.
Elected in 2013, he represents a constituency in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, a region where the far-right AfD party enjoys widespread support.
The threats against him come amid a growing wave of aggression towards politicians in Germany.
Last year, police recorded 1,241 politically motivated crimes against elected officials of all stripes.
Three mayors have resigned in recent months after death threats and attacks on their cars.
Another mayor has made headlines in recent days after applying for a licence to carry a weapon in self-defence.
Politicians from the conservative CDU and the Green Party have also received death threats from right-wing extremists in recent months.
Germany’ s only black MP said this week he had received death threats from right-wing extremists days after finding holes probably made by a pellet gun in his constituency office window.
Karamba Diaby, a lawmaker for the centre-left Social Democratic Party ( SPD), told German media that he had received the anonymous threat by email, which was reportedly signed with the words “ Sieg Heil ” and “ Heil Hitler ”.
“ I am taking the threat very seriously and have informed the police immediately, ” Diaby told the DPA news agency on Thursday.
“ Investigations have been started without delay and measures have been taken to protect me. ”
The threat comes just days after Diaby tweeted a picture of three holes in his office window, which investigators believe were made by plastic pellets shot from an “ airsoft ” gun.
Regional newspaper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung said they had also received a copy of the threatening e-mail.
The newspaper reported that it was signed by a group calling themselves the “ coup d’ etat orchestra ”, and made reference to the recent killing of conservative politician Walter Luebcke.
Luebcke, an advocate of a liberal refugee policy, was shot at his home last June. The primary suspect in the murder is a neo-Nazi named Stephan Ernst.
Diaby, 58, was born in Senegal but moved to the former communist East Germany in the late 1980s to study chemistry.
In a 2017 interview with AFP, he recalled experiencing racism both before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification in 1989-90, suffering a beating from neo-Nazis in 1991.
Elected in 2013, he represents a constituency in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, a region where the far-right AfD party enjoys widespread support.
The threats against him come amid a growing wave of aggression towards politicians in Germany.
Last year, police recorded 1,241 politically motivated crimes against elected officials of all stripes.
Three mayors have resigned in recent months after death threats and attacks on their cars.
Another mayor has made headlines in recent days after applying for a licence to carry a weapon in self-defence.
Politicians from the conservative CDU and the Green Party have also received death threats from right-wing extremists in recent months.
With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
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The Chinese city of Xi'an, where 13 million residents are currently confined to their homes, announced tightened restrictions on Sunday.
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What you need to know about the novel coronavirus | A new virus, originating from Wuhan in China, is quickly spreading across the country and around the world. In this video, we highlight the key things you need to know about the outbreak, and how science can help control it. | science |
Korea's booming hangover treatments trade | Or wait...
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By Richard Whitehead
24-Jan-2020 - Last updated on 29-Jan-2020 at 13:30 GMT
Related tags: Asia function sanitize gpt value2 ( gptValue) { var vOut= '' ''; var aTags = gptValue.split ( ', '); var reg = new RegExp ( '\\W+ ', `` g ''); for ( var i=0; i < aTags.length; i++) { vOut += aTags [ i ].trim ().replace ( reg, '- ').substring ( 0,40); if ( i! = ( aTags.length-1)) vOut += ', '; } vOut = vOut.toLowerCase (); return vOut; } $ ( document).ready ( function () { dataLayerNews = { }; dataLayerNews.related tags = sanitize gpt value2 ( `` Asia ''); dataLayer.push ( dataLayerNews); });
Dapper, with slicked back greying hair and a kindly smile, Jong Hyun Nam peers out benevolently from the front of cans of Dawn 808.
For many, his face might the last thing they would want to see as they grapple with the misery of a filthy hangover. But Koreans do by the million, exhorting his effigy for deliverance from the exertions of the night before.
With some of the longest working hours and heaviest drinking habits in the world, Koreans are often in need of a workaround to make it though the drinking week.
According to the Journal of Korean Medical Science, some 6m South Koreans drink around 9m bottles of soju, a distilled liquor that can be drunk neat or mixed with beer, each day on average.
It is common for colleagues to accompany the boss for drinks at least once a month, and in some cases weekly, and these office gatherings tend to be rowdy affairs. Drinking etiquette requires that a person’ s cup should never be left empty, and refusing a drink is often seen as rejecting generosity at these company-sponsored shindigs.
The following morning, it is considered good manners for staff to gather round the water cooler to bemoan the state of their heads. Doing so in a Korean office after a hoesik night signifies taking one for the team.
Despite a work culture that smiles on night-time excesses, it is poor form to allow a hangover to get in the way of work. This has spurred a unique industry that continues to blossom.
Haejanghada translates as the practice of getting over a hangover, and is an important part of life in Korea. So-called hangover remedies, including pre-, during- and post-drinking beverages, chewing gums and pills can be found at every convenience store in the country. By some measures, two thirds of Koreans rely on these potions and tablets each year.
Dawn 808 was the first beverage in this category to come to market in 1998. A “ patented and proven hangover solution ”, the morning-after drink was developed over the course of 808 trials as its founder, Nam, sought a way to stimulate enzymes in the liver to break down acetaldehyde, the substance produced when consuming alcohol, more quickly.
We are now available on GoGet! Just scan our QR code to send us a WhatsApp message with your 1) Name 2) Address and 3) Order quantity to have Dawn808 delivered right to your doorstep in time for your night out! * Some delivery charges may apply depending on location. Please scan the QR code to find out more.
A post shared by Dawn 808 ( @ dawn808mys) on Jan 11, 2020 at 9:54pm PST
Dawn 808 is one of three brands that command over 90% of the steadily-growing hangover drinks market, the others being Heotgae Condition, the sales leader, and Dong-A Morning Care. Dozens of other smaller brands fight it out for the remainder. Altogether, the hangover category, including beverages, pills and chewy treatments, generated revenue of more than US $ 170m last year following consistent annual growth of around 15%.
Sales at this time of year, due to an increased number of Christmas parties and family get-togethers, tend to spike by up to 30%.
Dawn 808, known as Yeomyung in Korean, is made from natural ingredients including hazelnut, liquorice root, gourd and honey. The drink can be consumed anytime before, during or after drinking, though its strong flavour makes many over-hung people vomit—its flavour draws heavily on the Korean saying, “ good medicine is bitter to the mouth ”. Other brands call on ingredients such as raisin extract, red ginseng, milk thistle, lotus and Korean pear juice.
Korea’ s boom in hangover drinks has been prompting a series of copycat brands to launch in other countries.
Potions such as Before Elixir, Resqwater and First Aid Shot Therapy have become established in the United States market, though they haven’ t reached anywhere near the popularity their Korean counterparts have achieved. This is understandable in the face of homegrown hangover remedies, namely greasy breakfasts, lemon tea and paracetamol.
Korean-American entrepreneur Sisun Lee, sensing a market worth over US $ 110m, managed to secure backing for Morning Recovery, which last year was financed by venture capital firms to the tune of US $ 8m. The drink is meant to be consumed before bed after a night out, and was conceived after a visit by Lee to Seoul.
Another visitor to Korea who came back with an idea for a hangover remedy was Australian Tim O’ Sullivan, who launched Bae Juice, named after the Korean word for pear, earlier this year.
There is evidence that pear can act on key enzymes involved in metabolising alcohol, helping the body feel better after too much drinking. In one study by Australian state research organisation Csiro, pears were shown to “ speed up alcohol metabolism and elimination or inhibition of alcohol absorption ” and reduce blood acetaldehyde levels.
Back in Korea, a new generation of youthful and relatively cheap products promising relief from hangovers are popping up on shelves and making waves in the market. Among them, mango flavoured jelly is catching on among young drinkers in the country.
Whereas in the past, the majority of hangover remedy consumers used to be men in their thirties and forties, these days far more younger people have been showing an interest, prompting these new products to target consumers of their generation.
Since its launch in 2014, Ready Q hangover cure jelly has also become one of the must-buy items for Chinese tourists when they visit Korea.
Thanks to the uptick in popularity, the company has been exporting some 80,000 packs a month to China, which it has eyes on for exports.
From herbal drinks to chewy sweets and therapeutic pills, the hangover cure market in Korea is continuing to thrive. It has become such a part of the national culture that those who can not sleep away the pain of a thudding head can still find new ways to dull it the morning after. | general |
Lam courts Davos elite with dim sum, as Hong Kong scrambles to contain virus | With dim sum, cocktails and gold chocolate coins, Hong Kong wrapped up its Davos charm offensive confident the financial hub is back on track, even as officials fly home to tackle a deadly flu-like virus.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam arrives back to Hong Kong on Saturday, the first day of the Year of the Rat, to face with what could be a perfect storm - an outbreak of coronavirus, lingering protests and an economic downturn.
Wearing a dress and pink jacket, Lam appeared unfazed as she mingled with some of the 200 business and political leaders on the Hong Kong Night of her trip, which her deputy Matthew Cheung described as a “ very important diplomatic visit ”.
Flanked by her commerce secretary Edward Yau, Lam listened as HKEX chairwoman Laura Cha reinforced a message that “ Team HK ” delivered to A-list global investors, corporate and political leaders at the World Economic Forum this week.
“ Last year we had experienced one of the global, big black swans that captured world attention, ” Cha said, referring to anti-government protests that plunged the Chinese-ruled city into its biggest crisis in decades.
“ Every time we came out of a crisis... we became stronger. We are resilient and we will come out of the current one as well, ” she said. “ Our message tonight is clear. Hong Kong is open for business. ”
Cha’ s message was echoed by Hong Kong officials including commerce secretary Yau, HKEX chief executive Charles Li and Beijing-backed Lam, whose approval rate is around 14%, the lowest of any post-colonial Hong Kong leader.
As the delegation spoke in a conference room decorated with red lanterns at the Ameron Hotel in the Swiss mountain resort, officials in Hong Kong were scrambling to contain the spread of a coronavirus that threatens to inflict even more pain.
There are two confirmed cases of the virus in Hong Kong, where events have been canceled and authorities are considering extending school holidays to contain the infection, which has killed 26 people in mainland China.
The rapid spread of coronavirus has rattled global markets and prompted travel warnings, with authorities concerned it could spread rapidly as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel to be with relatives over the Lunar New Year.
Some social media posts slammed Lam for going to Davos amid the health crisis, with one reading: “ Clearly going to Davos to promote herself is more important than staying in Hong Kong to fight # WuhanCoronavirus. ”
The protesters are now also calling for a ban on all mainland Chinese travelers into Hong Kong.
Lam acknowledged in Davos that the rapid flow of people across the border with mainland China made Hong Kong vulnerable, although the government has not yet implemented controls.
She said on Thursday in Davos that Hong Kong had learned valuable lessons from an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS), which killed nearly 300 people in the former British colony in 2003.
“ I am cautiously confident that the system we have built up over these years and well tested over these years, will take us out of this current problem, ” Lam said.
In Hong Kong, the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance said incompetent handling by the government was responsible for the confirmed cases in the city and slammed authorities for not implementing border controls.
Reporting by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Alexander Smith | business |
Unions call for fresh strikes against expedited pension reform bill | The `` intersyndicale '' umbrella group led calls for the day of national action, with the hardline CGT union denouncing the prime minister's attemp to `` shut down parliamentary debate... and use the confusion around the coronavirus epidemic to circumvent a major social conflict.
On Tuesday, the National Assembly will hear two motions of censure against Philippe's use of Article 49-3 of the constitution, which he employed to push the draft bill through parliament, after opposition MPs filed tens of thousands of amendments.
Macron loyalists branded the mountain of revisions a cynical ploy to stall the bill's passage through parliament.
The motions of censure, filed by the conservative Les Républicains and a bloc of leftist MPs, have almost no chance of passing, as Macron's LaRem party has a majority in the lower house.
Pension reform was one of Macron's key campaign promises. His proposals have brought millions out onto the streets during a record transport strike and ten days of general strike between 5 December and 20 February.
The project aims to merge 42 sector-specific pension regimes into a single points-based system, which the government says would be more transparent while also ensuring a more sound financial footing as the population ages. | general |
Coronavirus death toll in China hits 41 as medical staff struggle to cope | Authorities in China have imposed indefinite travel restrictions on tens of millions of people across 11 cities in an unprecedented effort to contain the spread, as hospitals at the epicenter of the outbreak struggle to handle a surge in new patients.
The virus, which was first discovered in the city of Wuhan in December, has spread to every province in China, except the remote autonomous regions of Qinghai and Tibet.
Another 180 cases of the virus were confirmed in Hubei, said the provincial health authority. This raises the total number of confirmed Wuhan coronavirus cases to more than 1,200 in mainland China.
The weeklong Lunar New Year holiday, which began Friday, has led to concerns that the outbreak could quickly accelerate, as hundreds of millions of people travel across the country to visit friends and relatives.
Wuhan, the largest and most populous city in central China, was placed under lockdown Thursday, while public transport has been suspended in 10 neighboring cities. Numerous other measures and restrictions on public gatherings have also been implemented in the region. More than 30 million people could be affected.
Posts on social media show an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among those inside Wuhan, amid rising uncertainty over the ability of authorities to handle the potential epidemic.
People spoke of sick family members turned away from hospitals due to a lack of beds, or wards packed with feverish patients and limited screening or quarantine.
Video from Chinese social media appears to show hospitals in the city totally overwhelmed. In one video, a hospital corridor appears to be flooded with patients waiting for test results. In another, medical workers tend patient wearing full protective suits. CNN has not been able to independently verify the videos.
The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission acknowledged in a statement that there were a shortage of beds and long outpatient queues in the city. In response, it said seven hospitals will now be used solely for fever patients and more than 3,000 beds will be made available for suspected and confirmed cases of the virus.
Speaking to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, medical workers in Wuhan have described an incredibly intense environment, where they must balance dealing with the overload of patients and suspected patients while also keeping themselves safe.
`` Today, I heard one of my colleagues say that she has got blisters on her face, '' Wang Jun, a nurse at Jinyintan Hospital, told the broadcaster. `` It happened because she had to keep the face mask on tight for a long time. ''
On Friday, Chinese authorities announced they would construct a 1,000-bed dedicated pneumonia hospital in the city within six days to help treat the hundreds of people affected by the virus. According to state-backed newspaper Beijing News, the hospital will be a prefabricated, box-type model that can be built in the short time frame.
A similar hospital was built during the SARS epidemic in 2003 in Beijing. According to the paper, the dedicated SARS hospital treated almost 700 patients, and had a mortality rate of 1.18%, far below the national average.
In the meantime, hospitals have asked for donations of medical supplies, including masks, medical gloves and protective suits.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization ( WHO) moved to declare the new coronavirus an emergency within China but has refrained from classifying the outbreak as an epidemic of international concern.
Mounting evidence suggests the virus is spreading outside mainland China, however, with various countries and territories reporting their first cases, including the United States and Europe.
Health officials in France confirmed two cases of coronavirus on Friday. French Health Minister Agnès Buzyn told reporters one patient is in Paris and another one in Bordeaux.
Cases of the virus have been confirmed in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam.
Three people were tested for suspected coronavirus in Scotland, `` as a precautionary measure only '' after traveling from Wuhan, a government spokesperson said. Cases are also under investigation in Canada and Australia, health officials said.
Third generation spread
On Thursday, David Heymann, the chairman of a WHO committee gathering data on the outbreak, said the virus spreads more easily from person to person than previously thought. `` We are now seeing second and third generation spread, '' Heymann said.
Coronaviruses are transmitted by animals and people, and the Wuhan strain has been linked to a market in the city that was selling seafood and live animals, including wild species.
Third generation means that someone who became infected after handling animals at the market spreads the virus to someone else, who then spreads it to a third person. The announcement marks a development in the progress of the spread of the virus.
It initially appeared to spread only by very close contact that would typically occur within a family -- such as hugging, kissing, or sharing eating utensils -- but now evidence is accruing that shows more distant contact could spread the virus, such as if a sick person were to sneeze or cough near someone else's face.
Heymann said there is no evidence at this point that the virus is airborne and could be spread across a room, as happens with the flu or measles.
On Friday, an 80-year-old man died of the Wuhan coronavirus in Hebei province, near Beijing -- the first death outside of the outbreak's epicenter, according to the provincial health authority.
The man had visited Wuhan and stayed with relatives for over two months, health authorities said.
In a press conference on Thursday, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that of those infected, a quarter of patients have experienced severe disease, Ghebreyesus added.
He acknowledged that there is `` still a lot we don't know '' about how -- and how quickly -- the virus spreads.
`` We don't know the source of this virus, we don't understand how easily it spreads and we don't fully understand its clinical features or severity. ''
As officials race to slow the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus, containment efforts are being put in place.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) raised its travel notice to the highest level `` warning '' for Wuhan from level 2 to level 3, which recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to the city.
CDC advisors are concerned about the lack of data coming out of Wuhan and worry that Chinese health officials still have not released basic epidemiological data more than three weeks into the outbreak.
Lunar New Year celebrations canceled
Saturday marks the first day of the Lunar New Year, as countries across Asia greet the Year of the Rat.
But celebrations will be considerably smaller in China than in previous years, as authorities move to cancel many large public gatherings in order to help contain the Wuhan coronavirus.
In Beijing, officials have canceled all large-scale New Year celebrations `` in order to control the epidemic, '' including the city's traditional temple fairs. In Shanghai, the popular Disneyland theme park announced it would close from Saturday until further notice.
Celebrations have also been canceled in Hong Kong, and many other cities have issued guidance to citizens to avoid large public gatherings.
On Friday, China's two most important cities launched a Level 1 emergency response -- the highest level for a public health emergency -- to combat the outbreak, according to state broadcaster CGTN.
A total of 29 cases of the virus were confirmed in Beijing, according to CGTN, with more than 20 cases confirmed in Shanghai.
Hubei, the province at the center of the virus outbreak, declared a Level 1 response earlier Friday. | business |
China heads into Lunar New Year on shutdown as virus spreads to Europe | A new coronavirus that has killed 26 people in China was confirmed in Europe for the first time on Friday as it spreads despite Chinese attempts to quarantine the city at the heart of the outbreak.
China closed Shanghai Disneyland and part of the Great Wall and suspended public transportation in 10 cities as it rushed to contain the virus, stranding millions of people at the start of the country’ s Lunar New Year holiday.
France reported two cases on Friday evening, the first ones discovered in Europe. More were likely, Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said.
Wuhan, a city of 11 million where the virus was first identified, is in virtual lockdown. Nearly all flights at Wuhan’ s airport have been canceled and checkpoints block the main roads leading out of town.
As the city slides into isolation, pharmacies have begun to run out of supplies and hospitals have been flooded with nervous residents. The city is rushing to build a 1,000-bed hospital by Monday, state media said.
Despite the lockdown, the virus is already spreading further afield.
The vast majority of the cases and all of the deaths have been in China, but it has also been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Nepal and the United States. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the new virus.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it had 63 patients under investigation, with two confirmed cases, both in people who had traveled to Wuhan.
Following a congressional briefing by health officials, Republican U.S. Senator John Barrasso, a former physician, said people in the United States with the virus may have been infected up to 14 days ago in China.
“ We want to try to stop and prevent people from coming to the United States if they have it, ” Barrasso told reporters, without providing details of how that might be accomplished.
Airports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers from China.
The newly identified coronavirus has created alarm because there are still many unknowns surrounding it such as how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people.
It can cause pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.
Symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing and coughing. Most of the fatalities have been in elderly patients, many with pre-existing medical conditions, the World Health Organization said.
As of Thursday, China’ s National Health Commission said there were 830 confirmed cases and 26 deaths.
Most cases have been in Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated in a market that traded illegally in wildlife.
As China scrambles to contain the outbreak, it has suspended transportation in 10 cities in the central province of Hubei, where Wuhan is located, the Hubei Daily reported.
The country will take further, more targeted measures, state television reported, citing a State Council meeting on Friday. It did not give further details.
“ Local authorities should take more responsibility and have a stronger sense of urgency, ” state broadcaster CCTV said.
Week-long celebrations to welcome the Year of the Rat began on Friday, raising fears that the infection rate could accelerate as hundreds of millions of people travel to see family at home and abroad.
In Wuhan, a handful of people got off a high-speed train that pulled into the city’ s station on Friday but nobody boarded.
“ What choice do I have? It’ s Chinese New Year. We have to see our family, ” said a man getting off the train who gave his family name Hu.
As part of the restrictions, some sections of the Great Wall near Beijing will be closed from Saturday, state media said.
Beijing’ s Lama Temple, where people traditionally make offerings for the new year, has closed, as have some other temples and the Forbidden City, the capital’ s most famous tourist attraction.
Shanghai Disneyland will close starting on Saturday. The theme park has a 100,000 daily capacity and sold out during last year’ s new year holiday.
Film premieres have been postponed and McDonald’ s suspended business in five cities in Hubei province.
“ There’ s so much news, so much data, every 10 minutes there’ s an update, it’ s frightening, especially for people like us in a severely hit area, ” Lily Jin, 30, a resident of Wuhan, told Reuters by phone.
The WHO said on Thursday it was a “ bit too early ” to designate the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, which would require countries to step up their response.
That decision could well be reassessed in coming days as the situation evolves, said Anthony Fauci, the U.S. National Institutes of Health’ s top infectious disease official, adding that it was “ open to question ” whether shutting down travel would have a major effect.
“ The mass involuntary quarantine in Wuhan and its neighboring cities is counterproductive, ” added Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown University Law School in Washington. “ A lockdown of Wuhan will drive the epidemic underground, provoking fear and panic. ”
Some experts believe the virus is not as dangerous as the one that caused the 2002-03 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS), which also began in China and killed nearly 800 people, or the one that caused Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( MERS), which has killed more than 700 people since 2012.
Three international research teams - using different approaches - have begun work on vaccines, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said.
Markets have been roiled this week on fears that the outbreak will curb travel and hurt economic demand. Shares in luxury goods companies have been particularly hard hit on fears of a drop in demand from China.
Reporting by Roxanne Liu, David Stanway, Martin Pollard, Tony Munroe, Muyu Xu, Engen Tham, Cate Cadell, Judy Hua and Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington, Writing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel and Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Alison Williams, Bill Berkrot and Will Dunham | business |
Biggest deals of 2019 had BlackRock, Vanguard on both sides | The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.
People enter BlackRock Inc. Park Avenue Plaza in New York, Jan. 11, 2019. Bloomberg/Gabriella Angotti-Jones
Overlapping ownership in companies participating in some of last year’ s biggest mergers and acquisitions may be prodding regulators to pose a new set of questions.
The Federal Trade Commission is asking businesses that seek to merge to identify who their largest shareholders are, reveal what communications they’ ve had and show how much influence they exert, Bloomberg News reported this week. The new line of inquiry could add another hurdle to regulatory approval for mergers.
The interest comes as academics and economists raise concerns about the world’ s largest asset managers — BlackRock Inc., Vanguard Group Inc. and State Street Corp. — and their growing power in corporate America.
The stakes held by the so-called Big Three fund managers give them an increasingly important voice inside the companies whose shares they own. But the big question is whether that’ s harming competition: Do corporate executives engage in more mergers, invest less in R & D, fail to expand capacity or otherwise compete less aggressively because their largest shareholders — the index fund companies — prefer it?
The sheer size of index fund houses merits regulatory attention, said James Woolery, a partner at King & Spalding, where he leads the M & A and corporate governance practices. Though he did not comment specifically on the FTC, he said concentration of power among the three firms deserves more scrutiny.
“ That is the issue regulators need to deal with, across regimes, ” he said.
Take some of the largest proposed mergers of the past year: The Big Three, at the time the deals were announced, on average owned about 20 per cent of the acquiring companies and their targets.
For example, when Raytheon Co. and United Technologies Corp. announced their merger, BlackRock held about 8.1 per cent of the former and 6.3 per cent of the latter, while Vanguard owned 8.1 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. State Street’ s stake was 4.4 per cent and 10.5 per cent, the data show.
The asset managers argue those holdings don’ t come close to tipping the outcomes of mergers. They say their influence is overstated because they don’ t cast votes as a bloc, and also highlight the difference between a company’ s largest shareholders — which could add up to a relatively small stake — and a controlling shareholder that owns a majority of shares.
Some academics, however, have found that existing levels of common ownership increase the likelihood of companies merging and reduce the premiums that sellers receive. The authors conclude that cross-ownership gives the acquirers in deals an information advantage about their targets’ true value. And the parties involved have “ superior two-sided information ” compared with those who operate only on one side of the deal.
The FTC questions could help antitrust enforcers understand companies’ motives for doing deals. It may also yield more information about how index fund companies wield their influence, said Erik Gordon, clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
“ That is why the FTC is asking about communications between asset managers and their portfolio companies, ” he said. “ If the FTC finds a push, or even a nudge, it could make a case. ”
—With assistance from Denise Cochran and Chloe Whiteaker.
David Rosenberg says the BoC will be “ playing with fire if they raise rates more than a few times ” and risk inverting the yield curve — which would flash warning signals about a looming economic contraction.
Canadian consumer price inflation accelerated to a new three-decade high in January, adding to pressure on the Bank of Canada to start raising interest rates as early as March 2.
The two-year COVID crisis put many markets on a wild ride—just look at U.S. treasuries—but few have had a crazier time than crude oil: from total collapse in 2020 to the brink of US $ 100 a barrel today.
A Bank of Canada deputy may have signaled the central bank is on track to raise interest rates in two weeks’ time. | general |
Disney closes Shanghai park as deadly coronavirus spreads | Shanghai Disney Resort made the announcement on its official website on Friday, saying the closure was `` in response to the prevention and control of the disease outbreak. ''
The resort said it will refund guests for admission fees, hotel bookings and other pre-purchased entertainment tickets. It did not say when the park would reopen.
The disease, which originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, has already left dozens of people dead and more than 800 infected as it spreads throughout Asia and as far as the United States. At least 10 cities in central Hubei province are facing travel restrictions, including Wuhan. Major cities including Beijing have canceled some or all major Lunar New Year celebrations — a rare, drastic step to reign in the spread of the virus.
Disney ( DIS) opened its $ 5.5 billion Shanghai resort in 2016 with much fanfare, including speeches from top Chinese officials.
But the mega theme park has struggled to win over China's cost-conscious consumers, and there have reportedly been several complaints about its ticketing policy and food and beverage prices.
Disney said in November that the Shanghai resort saw an uptick in revenue in its fiscal fourth quarter, but higher average ticket prices resulted in `` lower attendance '' compared to the same period a year earlier.
The closure comes less than two weeks after Shanghai Disney Resort unveiled a series of events tailored for China's Year of the Rat. The park had completed a `` festive makeover '' to usher in what it called the `` Year of the Mouse. '' It launched new holiday festivities, new merchandise, Lunar New Year dining options and made new outfits for Mickey, Minnie and other Disney mascots.
Other popular tourist attractions, such as the Forbidden City in Beijing, have been shut down in China due to concerns over the Wuhan virus.
More entertainment venues will also feel the hit as people stay indoors and avoid crowded areas.
China's National Center for the Performing Arts announced on Friday that all performances scheduled between Jan 26th to 30th were canceled. Other venues followed. Beijing People's Art Theater said it would close on the 24th and did not give a date when it would reopen. Nanjing Jiangsu Theater canceled 9 performances.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday that blockbuster movies that were set to release during China's lucrative Lunar New Year holiday have been pulled.
Producers and distributors canceled or postponed all seven Chinese movies — many of them big franchise series films — that were due to hit theaters this weekend, citing the lack of ventilation in movie theaters and the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus.
Ticketing platforms, such as Maoyan, Damai, and Taopiaopiao, said they will refund all tickets that had been pre-purchased by customers.
Leading cinema chain brands, including Jinyi, CGV, Bona, announced before Lunar New Year's eve that they would be shutting down during the peak holiday season in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Wanda Cinema, China's largest film distributor with over 500 cinemas across the country, said it would refund tickets for those who chose not to go the movies.
The holiday is a big draw for moviegoers. Last year, China's Lunar New Year box office pulled in more than 5 billion yuan ( $ 720.8 million), according to Xinhua.
— Yuli Yang and Hannah Zhang contributed to this report. | business |
Coronavirus: second confirmed US case identified in Chicago | A Chicago woman who returned from a trip to China has been identified as the US’ s second confirmed case of the coronavirus. The Illinois department of health has confirmed the latest diagnosis to local news radio station WBBM.
According to health officials, the 60-year-old displayed symptoms shortly after returning to the US. After calling her doctor, the woman was quickly treated in a local hospital. She later tested positive for the virus.
Chicago health officials confirm the woman travelled from the Wuhan region of China, believed to be the virus’ s epicenter. Chinese authorities have since barred people from entering and leaving the quarantined Wuhan area.
The coronavirus has killed nearly 30 people, affecting more than 800 across five countries including Japan, Thailand and South Korea. Most were 60 or older. Some also had a previous medical condition or flu-like symptoms.
The US is the fifth country to report a case of the illness and began screening air passengers at airports nationwide.
The woman did not have contact with anyone outside of her home, and had limited exposure to the general public. She also did not use Chicago’ s public transportation system, American’ s third largest.
No instance of human-to-human transmission has been reported in the US, and Dr Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago department of public health, insisted that the woman’ s diagnosis is an isolated case that is “ not a local emergency. ”
Arwady said: “ We obviously take emerging viruses very seriously and there are still many unanswered questions about this novel virus, but I can reassure you that even with this Chicago case, the health risk to the general public from novel coronavirus remains low at this time. ”
She added: “ Chicago has been building its public health preparedness systems for years and we have a solid response plan in place. There is no need for the general public to change their behavior in any way based on this news. ”
Arwady said the woman is “ clinically doing well and in stable condition ”.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) began distributing educational pamphlets to passengers flying to and from China at Chicago’ s O’ Hare international airport this week.
The airport instituted mandatory screenings of travelers beginning Wednesday, becoming fully operational on Friday.
The CDC announced the first known case of the new coronavirus strain at a press conference earlier this week. A US citizen, also traveling from central China had been diagnosed in Seattle is in currently receiving treatment.
“ The risk to the US public remains low but more cases will likely be confirmed in the coming days, ” said Nancy Messonnier, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC.
Health officials in China first began reporting new cases of a viral pneumonia. Hospitals in central China began reporting patients with symptoms such as fever, cough and difficulty breathing. Officials eventually connected the confirmed cases to a food market in Wuhan.
Although the virus most likely originated from animal-to-people contact, Chinese officials this week confirmed their first case of person-to-person contraction.
Still, the World Health Organization is yet to categorize the coronavirus outbreak as a global health crisis, insisting there is no evidence of human-to-human infection outside China.
The US state department issued its most severe travel advisory – level 4: do not travel – for the central Chinese province of Hubei, home to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Illinois and Chicago public health departments announced they are currently investigating specific locations locally where the woman went after returning to the US. | general |
How lessons learned from SARS could apply to the coronavirus outbreak | OSAKA – With the arrival of the Lunar New Year, Japan and other international destinations are bracing for an annual influx of tourists.
But as the deadly new coronavirus spreads from the site of its first detection in Wuhan, international concern is mounting that the world may face an epidemic similar to the 2002-2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS).
SARS killed 774 of the 8,098 people worldwide who got infected, according to the World Health Organization. Below are details of the responses taken at the time, and the lessons learned that are being applied to the current outbreak:
The existence of a new viral respiratory illness caused by what was labeled the SARS virus was first reported to the WHO in February 2003 by the Chinese government.
China said it had identified five deaths among 305 cases, mostly in Guangdong province, which borders Hong Kong. By the next month, the WHO had issued a global alert about a deadly unknown virus with respect to Hong Kong, and a travel advisory for Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, and China.
Over the next few months, SARS cases would spread to 29 countries and regions, including the Philippines, Canada, Taiwan, India and the United States. Japan had several suspected SARS cases but no fatalities. The SARS virus appeared to have been contained by the summer of 2003.
The Japanese government ordered that visa applicants in China and Taiwan be interviewed and, if necessary, that the applicant present a doctor’ s certificate stating they were not infected with SARS.
Quarantine systems at airports were strengthened, including random temperature checks on all passengers, regardless of their point of departure. Similar measures were put into place at ports where cruise and cargo ships from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan docked.
Japan also sent medical teams to Vietnam and China to help stem the spread of the virus. According to the Foreign Ministry, medicine and medical equipment worth ¥387.8 million had been provided to China, Mongolia and other Southeast Asian countries by June 2003.
Experts say a big difference between 2003 and today is the Chinese government’ s attitude and rapid response.
China was slow to react to the danger 17 years ago and attempted to conceal it, even hiding cases from WHO inspectors. But the Chinese government subsequently upgraded its infectious disease facilities and reporting systems.
This time, the WHO has praised the Chinese response, with Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus telling media earlier this week that Beijing was quicker to identify the pathogen and share information about it, thus allowing South Korea, Japan, and Thailand to quickly diagnose their own cases.
For Japan, two major differences are that bilateral political and economic relations with China are deeper than they were in 2003, including a vast increase in the number of Chinese tourists here.
In 2003, according to figures from the Japan National Tourism Organization, there were about 449,000 visitors to Japan from mainland China.
That figure had increased to nearly 8.9 million in the first 11 months of last year, making a coordinated response and information sharing between the two countries particularly critical during a virus outbreak. | tech |
Virus Scare Shakes Canada Market Pillars as Airline, Energy Drop | The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.
( Bloomberg) -- A corner of Canada’ s stock market has been hit by the spread of a deadly virus that originated in China.
While the nation hasn’ t reported any cases, the coronavirus that’ s sickened hundreds of people and prompted travel lockdowns comes at a delicate time for the slowing Canadian economy. Air Canada, the country’ s airline giant, is poised for its worst week since January 2016, while two of the nation’ s market pillars -- energy and mining -- took a beating.
Markets have been jittery all week as health authorities around the world attempt to halt the disease’ s spread. The coronavirus has the potential to slow growth, just as the SARS outbreak did 17 years ago, said Frances Donald, Toronto-based global chief economist at Manulife Investment Management. Bank of Canada officials have recently expressed heightened concern about an economic slowdown, and revised near-term growth projections.
Air Canada plunged about 9% on the week. During the outbreak from 2002-2003, travelers avoided Toronto, the airline’ s main hub, after the World Health Organization imposed a travel advisory due to an outbreak in the nation’ s biggest city.
Oil and gas stocks including Baytex Energy Corp. and Enerplus Corp. tumbled as oil sold off amid fears that the virus will cripple fuel demand from China just as markets struggle with adequate supplies. Lundin Mining Corp., Taseko Mines Ltd. and Teck Resources Ltd. paced losses in industrial metal miners as the price of copper sinks as concerns that global growth could slow heighten.
Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz said the door is open for interest rate cuts if the current economic slowdown persists. While the central bank left the key rate unchanged at 1.75%, Poloz said growing slack in the economy threatens to damp inflation pressures. He added that borrowing costs remain “ appropriate ” for the time being.
Still, retail sales numbers released Friday helped ease some concerns about recent weakness in household spending. About 0.9% more goods were sold in November, largely offsetting October’ s 1.1% decline:
“ The beat on expectations looks less impressive in the details: auto sales revived, but most everything else was pretty weak. This print doesn’ t change our view that momentum significantly weakened in Q4 and portends rate cuts from the BOC. ” -- Brett House, deputy chief economist at Bank of Nova Scotia.
Up next, November gross domestic product and December industrial product price data are due on Jan. 31.
Parliament resumes Monday after Christmas break, with ratification of the new Nafta the first order of business. Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said on a Bloomberg Television interview in Davos, Switzerland, the new Nafta is a priority in parliament and the nation can achieve cross-party support for the legislation.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau also said in a Bloomberg interview in Davos that the choice of the next Bank of Canada governor will be made in the “ not-too-distant future ” and whoever replaces Stephen Poloz will need to continue to invoke confidence in markets.
A Winnipeg bakery blasted critics after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped by the store to purchase donuts during a government retreat in the province. Twitteratis lambasted Trudeau for paying for pricey donuts when he could have spent less at Tim Hortons.
-- With assistance from Aoyon Ashraf, Shelly Hagan, Michael Bellusci and Esteban Duarte.
To contact the reporter on this story: Divya Balji in Toronto at dbalji1 @ bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kyung Bok Cho at kcho7 @ bloomberg.net,; Jeremy Herron at jherron8 @ bloomberg.net, Rita Nazareth, David Scanlan
This U.S. legislation is a game changer: Curaleaf executive chairman
U.S. democratic senators to unveil draft cannabis reform bill on Wednesday: Report | general |
Mexico seeks US extradition of drug lord's son for reporter murder | Hi, what are you looking for?
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Mexico is seeking the extradition from the United States of the son of a Sinaloa cartel drug lord over the 2017 murder of acclaimed journalist Javier Valdez, the attorney general's office said Thursday.
Damaso Lopez Serrano, the son of former top `` El Chapo '' lieutenant Damaso Lopez Nunez `` El Licenciado '', is accused of being the mastermind behind the killing of Valdez.
An arrest warrant for Lopez Serrano was approved Thursday afternoon after prosecutors interviewed members of the Sinaloa cartel who testified against him, the attorney general's office said in a statement.
Valdez was gunned down on May 15, 2017 in Culiacan outside the offices of the Riodoce weekly, which he co-founded in 2003 and was dedicated to reporting on organized crime and corruption in Sinaloa.
Members of the Sinaloa cartel have been implicated in the killing.
Valdez, a respected crime reporter and expert on Mexico's multi-billion-dollar drug trafficking industry, published an article shortly before his death in which Lopez Serrano was referred to as `` Sir Nobody. ''
Lopez Serrano turned himself into the US Drug Enforcement Administration in July 2017 and, together with his father, has been cooperating with US authorities in exchange for reduced sentences.
Known as `` El Mini Lic, '' Lopez Serrano was a godson of former drug kingpin Joaquin `` El Chapo '' Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the United States.
El Chapo's arrest in January 2016 triggered a war for control of the Sinaloa cartel, pitting two of his sons against another faction led by Lopez Nunez.
Lopez Nunez -- a former prison director who once helped El Chapo escape from jail, then teamed up with him -- was himself arrested in Mexico City in May 2017 and extradited to the US the following year on drug charges.
Valdez, who was 50 when he was killed, was a winner of the prestigious International Press Freedom Award and a longtime contributor to Agence France-Presse.
Reporters Without Borders, which regularly ranks Mexico alongside war-torn Syria and Afghanistan as the world's most dangerous countries for news media, said 10 journalists were killed in Mexico in 2019.
Violence linked to drug trafficking and political corruption is rampant, and many murders go unpunished.
Mexico is seeking the extradition from the United States of the son of a Sinaloa cartel drug lord over the 2017 murder of acclaimed journalist Javier Valdez, the attorney general’ s office said Thursday.
Damaso Lopez Serrano, the son of former top “ El Chapo ” lieutenant Damaso Lopez Nunez “ El Licenciado ”, is accused of being the mastermind behind the killing of Valdez.
An arrest warrant for Lopez Serrano was approved Thursday afternoon after prosecutors interviewed members of the Sinaloa cartel who testified against him, the attorney general’ s office said in a statement.
Valdez was gunned down on May 15, 2017 in Culiacan outside the offices of the Riodoce weekly, which he co-founded in 2003 and was dedicated to reporting on organized crime and corruption in Sinaloa.
Members of the Sinaloa cartel have been implicated in the killing.
Valdez, a respected crime reporter and expert on Mexico’ s multi-billion-dollar drug trafficking industry, published an article shortly before his death in which Lopez Serrano was referred to as “ Sir Nobody. ”
Lopez Serrano turned himself into the US Drug Enforcement Administration in July 2017 and, together with his father, has been cooperating with US authorities in exchange for reduced sentences.
Known as “ El Mini Lic, ” Lopez Serrano was a godson of former drug kingpin Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the United States.
El Chapo’ s arrest in January 2016 triggered a war for control of the Sinaloa cartel, pitting two of his sons against another faction led by Lopez Nunez.
Lopez Nunez — a former prison director who once helped El Chapo escape from jail, then teamed up with him — was himself arrested in Mexico City in May 2017 and extradited to the US the following year on drug charges.
Valdez, who was 50 when he was killed, was a winner of the prestigious International Press Freedom Award and a longtime contributor to Agence France-Presse.
Reporters Without Borders, which regularly ranks Mexico alongside war-torn Syria and Afghanistan as the world’ s most dangerous countries for news media, said 10 journalists were killed in Mexico in 2019.
Violence linked to drug trafficking and political corruption is rampant, and many murders go unpunished.
With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
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Chinese city plans to build coronavirus hospital in days | The Chinese city of Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, has begun the ambitious task of building a 1,000-bed hospital in just 10 days to treat victims of the epidemic.
To speed construction, the hospital is being built with prefabricated buildings around a holiday complex originally intended for local workers, set in gardens by a lake on the outskirts of the city.
Although the timescale is ambitious, China has form for constructing hospitals at short notice in response to major health crises. In 2003, during the Sars outbreak 7,000 workers in Beijing built the Xiaotangshan hospital in the northern suburbs in just a week. Wuhan authorities said the Xiaotangshan hospital, also built using prefabricated buildings, was the template for the new facility in Wuhan, being built on a 25,000 sq metre site.
It is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization ( WHO) has declared it a pandemic.
According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment.
About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
In the UK, the National health Service ( NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either:
As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system.
Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities.
In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
China’ s national health commission confirmed human-to-human transmission in January. As of 6 April, more than 1.25m people have been infected in more than 180 countries, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
There have been over 69,500 deaths globally. Just over 3,200 of those deaths have occurred in mainland China. Italy has been worst affected, with over 15,800 fatalities, and there have been over 12,600 deaths in Spain. The US now has more confirmed cases than any other country - more than 335,000. Many of those who have died had underlying health conditions, which the coronavirus complicated.
More than 264,000 people are recorded as having recovered from the coronavirus.
The hospital in the Chinese capital featured individual isolation units that looked like rows of tiny cabins. Within two months, it treated a seventh of all the country’ s Sars patients, the Changjiang Daily said, describing it as “ a miracle in the history of medical science ”. The facility closed less than two months after it was judged that a decisive victory had been won against Sars in China.
Building machinery, including 35 diggers and 10 bulldozers, arrived at the Wuhan site on Thursday night, with the aim of getting the new facility ready by Monday 3 February, state media reported. Earlier reports had suggested the hospital would be completed in under a week.
China State Construction Engineering, one of the companies building the hospital, said on Friday it had more than 100 workers on the site.
Images on state television showed a flurry of activity at the muddy site with dozens of diggers painted in various colours hard at work preparing the ground, as a stream of trucks ferried in materials and equipment.
Using temporary buildings not only facilitates swift construction but it also keeps the cost down.
Xinhua said the new facility was aimed at “ alleviating the shortage of medical treatment resources and improving the ability to care for patients ”.
Construction in Wuhan began as reports surfaced of bed shortages in hospitals designated for dealing with the outbreak, which has infected 830 people across China and killed 26. People who sought treatment in the city this week told the Guardian they had been turned away from hospitals, which have been inundated with patients. Facilities are reportedly running out of beds and diagnostic kits for patients who present with fever-like symptoms. At least eight hospitals in Wuhan issued public calls for donations of masks, googles, gowns and other protective medical gear, according to notices online.
Administrators at Wuhan university people’ s hospital set up a group chat on the popular WeChat messaging app to coordinate donations.
Sars, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, killed 349 people in mainland China and 299 in Hong Kong in 2002-2003. | general |
What we know so far about the coronavirus outbreak | The official death toll stands at 26 people, most of them in Hubei province in central China, but two people have died outside of that zone – one man just outside of Beijing, and the other in the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang, which borders Russia.
More than 800 people in China have been confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus so far.
The Chinese government has restricted the movement of about 33 million people with an unprecedented and indefinite lockdown after the virus originated in the city of Wuhan.
A new 1,000-bed hospital is being built in Wuhan specifically to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, and authorities there expect to have it completed next week.
Thailand has confirmed five cases, with Japan and South Korea confirming two cases each and one confirmed case in the US and Nepal.
14 people in the UK have been tested for the virus; so far, five have been cleared.
In Australia, at least six people are being monitored for signs of the virus, while public health authorities warn the world is likely to see more cases confirmed in countries outside of China in the coming days.
The World Health Organization’ s emergency committee has concluded it’ s “ too early ” to declare an international public health emergency, but says the situation is still to be considered an emergency in China. “ It has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one, ” said the WHO director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
A first version of a vaccine could start trials in the summer, but it will be close to year before vaccines are available publicly from drugs companies, one expert said at he World Economic Forum in Davos.
The Chinese government has suspended flights going out of Wuhan. | general |
Coronavirus: death toll reaches 41 in China with first cases in Europe | China has expanded an unprecedented lockdown during the country’ s most important holiday to 13 cities and at least 36 million people, as efforts to contain the deadly new coronavirus were stepped up around the world and the first cases were reported in Europe.
Restrictions on movement were widened on Friday in China in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. Late on Friday, authorities confirmed a further 15 deaths and 180 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of fatalities to 41 people and more than 1,000 affected.
Cases have been reported across South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the United States, Thailand and Vietnam. On Friday the first cases were reported in Europe with France saying it had identified three cases. The French health minister, Agnès Buzyn, said it was likely there would be other cases.
It is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization ( WHO) has declared it a pandemic.
According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment.
About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
In the UK, the National health Service ( NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either:
As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system.
Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities.
In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
China’ s national health commission confirmed human-to-human transmission in January. As of 6 April, more than 1.25m people have been infected in more than 180 countries, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
There have been over 69,500 deaths globally. Just over 3,200 of those deaths have occurred in mainland China. Italy has been worst affected, with over 15,800 fatalities, and there have been over 12,600 deaths in Spain. The US now has more confirmed cases than any other country - more than 335,000. Many of those who have died had underlying health conditions, which the coronavirus complicated.
More than 264,000 people are recorded as having recovered from the coronavirus.
Buzyn added that the cases involved people who had travelled to China and two of them were from the same family.
Chinese officials shut part of the Great Wall and suspended public transport in the affected cities, stranding millions of people at the start of the lunar new year holiday amid growing anger about the government’ s handling of the crisis. Beijing’ s famous temple fairs, a tradition during lunar new year celebrations, will not go ahead, while Shanghai Disneyland announced it would also close indefinitely. McDonald’ s announced that it has also suspended its businesses in five affected cities.
The developments came as:
The virus claimed its first victims outside Hubei as well as its youngest victim, a 36-year-old man who was admitted to hospital in the central province earlier this month but died following a sudden cardiac arrest on Thursday.
Authorities in China were racing against the clock to build a new 1,000-bed hospital dedicated to the disease within days.
The US, South Korea and Japan detected their second cases, and Singapore reported two more, for a total of three.
In the UK, tests for the virus on 14 people were reported to have come back negative as the government sought to calm public concern. With tests still in process on several other possible cases, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, chaired a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee to ensure appropriate measures were in place should the virus reach the UK.
Leaving Whitehall after the meeting, he told reporters that the risk remained low.
However chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty cautioned that it was “ highly likely ” that cases would be seen in the UK. But he stressed that contingency plans were ready for that eventuality.
British universities meanwhile began taking measures to stop the spread of the virus warning students considering travelling home to China that they risk being quarantined on their return. Medical experts also remained at every UK airport with information on the virus being given to passengers returning from China.
Elsewhere, private schools were also gearing with contingency plans for overseas pupils who were unable or unwilling to return home for upcoming holidays. China sends more pupils to UK fee-paying schools than any other country.
In Wuhan, the city in Hubei that is the epicentre of the disease, hospitals were struggling with an overflow of patients and a lack of supplies. At least eight hospitals in the city made pleas for donations of masks, goggles, gowns and other protective medical gear. Administrators at Wuhan University People’ s hospital set up a group chat on the popular WeChat messaging app to coordinate donations.
It is feared that the lunar new year holiday, when hundreds of millions of people travel across the country and abroad, could fuel the spread of the virus. A growing number of airports are introducing screening for passengers who arrive from China.
China says the virus, which is from the same family of viruses as Sars, is mutating and can be transmitted through human contact.
Some have questioned if the closures of airports and train stations in Wuhan on Thursday morning were introduced too late, since many residents will already have set off for the holiday. On Friday, the People’ s Daily, the Chinese Communist party’ s main newspaper, called for people who have recently been to Wuhan to isolate themselves at home, even if they don’ t have symptoms.
Beijing is to take stricter and more targeted measures in the coming days, state television reported, without giving further details. “ The spread of the virus has not been cut off … Local authorities should take more responsibility and have a stronger sense of urgency, ” state broadcaster CCTV said.
The World Health Organization stopped short of declaring the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern, but called on the global community to work together to fight the virus.
Other cities, including Ezhou, Huanggang, Chibi, Qianjiang, Zhijiang, Jingmen and Xiantao have introduced similar measures.
In Zhijiang city, all public venues have been shut down except hospitals, supermarkets, farmers’ markets, gas stations and drug stores. Indoor entertainment venues in Enshi city have also been shut down.
There is suspicion among many in China that officials may be downplaying the number of cases recorded over recent weeks, recalling the government’ s reluctance to disclose the full scale of the 2002-03 Sars outbreak, which killed almost 800 people.
Some residents have set up volunteer groups to escort medical staff to and from hospitals, she said. All public transport has been suspended and taxi drivers are often reluctant to drive people to medical facilities, fearing they might be infected.
People who sought treatment in Wuhan this week told the Guardian they had been turned away from hospitals, which have been inundated with patients. Facilities are reportedly running out of beds and diagnostic kits for patients who present with fever-like symptoms, which means many people do not know for sure if they have the virus.
The initial symptoms are similar to those of a cold and flu, and include a cough or fever. Most of the people who have died in the outbreak have been older men, but on Friday it was confirmed that a 36-year-old man had died, the youngest person yet.
Footage posted on Weibo that appeared to be taken inside Wuhan’ s hospitals, showed overcrowded facilities that are struggling to cope. One video, apparently taken at Hankou People’ s hospital, showed long queues of patients wearing masks, waiting to be checked. The man filming claimed there were only four doctors on duty and that people had been waiting for several hours for treatment. Another video showed a patient lying on the floor, apparently having fainted.
A British man in Wuhan, who only gave his first name, Paul, said his family were well but anxious to leave. He was mostly staying indoors, he said, but friends who lived nearby had been round to visit. The family were due to fly to Japan for a holiday but are now stuck in Wuhan after all flights were cancelled.
“ Wearing masks is the main thing security people at our complex insist, ” he said. “ We are getting temperature checked coming and going from where we live. ”
In the US, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said it had 63 patients under investigation, with the second confirmed case diagnosed in a 60-year-old woman from Chicago who had traveled to Wuhan in December.
Agencies contributed to this report | general |
China virus death toll rises to 41, more than 1,000 infected | China said 41 people have now died from a new coronavirus that has infected more than 1,300 people globally, as health authorities around the world scramble to prevent a global pandemic.
The total number of confirmed cases in China now stands at 1,287, the National Health Commission said in a statement on Saturday.
The death roll has risen from 26 reported on Friday. All the latest deaths occurred in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak that has been in virtual quarantine as China scrambles to contain the virus spread.
The vast majority of the cases and all of the confirmed deaths to date have been in China, but the virus has also been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Nepal, France and the United States.
Human-to-human transmission has been observed in the virus, which health authorities believe to have originated in a market in Wuhan that traded illegally in wildlife.
The World Health Organization ( WHO) declared the new coronavirus an `` emergency in China '' this week but stopped short of declaring it of international concern. The virus continues to spread globally, however: French authorities reported Europe's first confirmed cases on Friday evening.
Wuhan, a city of 11 million and the capital of central Hubei province, is in virtual lockdown. Nearly all flights at Wuhan's airport have been cancelled and checkpoints block the main roads leading out of town. Authorities have since imposed similar lockdowns on more than 10 cities near Wuhan as part of the ongoing containment effort.
As Wuhan slides into isolation, pharmacies have begun to run out of supplies and hospitals have been flooded with nervous residents. The city is rushing to build a 1,000-bed hospital by Monday, state media said.
Hubei's health authority said on Saturday there were 658 patients affected by the virus in medical care, 57 of whom were critically ill.
`` It must be confusing and infuriating that on the weekend the government reassured citizens that the virus did not spread between humans and was under control, and then, only four days later, to initiate an unprecedented lockdown of Wuhan and other cities, '' said Mary Gallagher, director of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan.
The newly-identified coronavirus has created alarm because there are still many unknowns surrounding it, such as how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can cause pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.
Symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing and coughing. Most of the fatalities have been in elderly patients, many with pre-existing conditions, the WHO said.
Airports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers from China, though some health officials and experts have questioned the effectiveness of such screenings and of the lockdown.
Health officials fear the transmission rate could accelerate as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad during week-long holidays for the Lunar New Year, which began on Saturday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it had 63 patients under investigation, with two confirmed cases, both in people who had traveled to Wuhan.
Following a congressional briefing by health officials, Republican U.S. Senator John Barrasso, a former physician, said people in the United States with the virus may have been infected up to 14 days ago in China.
`` We want to try to stop and prevent people from coming to the United States if they have it, '' Barrasso told reporters, without providing details of how that might be accomplished.
Most cases have been in Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated in a market that traded illegally in wildlife.
As China scrambles to contain the outbreak, it has suspended transportation in 10 cities in the central province of Hubei, where Wuhan is located, the Hubei Daily reported.
The country will take further, more targeted measures, state television reported, citing a State Council meeting on Friday. It did not give further details.
`` Local authorities should take more responsibility and have a stronger sense of urgency, '' state broadcaster CCTV said.
Week-long celebrations to welcome the Year of the Rat began on Friday, raising fears that the infection rate could accelerate as hundreds of millions of people travel to see family at home and abroad.
In Wuhan, a handful of people got off a high-speed train that pulled into the city's station on Friday but nobody boarded.
`` What choice do I have? It's Chinese New Year. We have to see our family, '' said a man getting off the train who gave his family name Hu.
As part of the restrictions, some sections of the Great Wall near Beijing will be closed from Saturday, state media said.
Beijing's Lama Temple, where people traditionally make offerings for the new year, has closed, as have some other temples and the Forbidden City, the capital's most famous tourist attraction.
Shanghai Disneyland will close starting on Saturday. The theme park has a 100,000 daily capacity and sold out during last year's new year holiday.
Film premieres have been postponed and McDonald's suspended business in five cities in Hubei province.
`` There's so much news, so much data, every 10 minutes there's an update, it's frightening, especially for people like us in a severely hit area, '' Lily Jin, 30, a resident of Wuhan, told Reuters by phone.
The WHO said on Thursday it was a `` bit too early '' to designate the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, which would require countries to step up their response.
That decision could well be reassessed in coming days as the situation evolves, said Anthony Fauci, the U.S. National Institutes of Health's top infectious disease official, adding that it was `` open to question '' whether shutting down travel would have a major effect.
`` The mass involuntary quarantine in Wuhan and its neighboring cities is counterproductive, '' added Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown University Law School in Washington. `` A lockdown of Wuhan will drive the epidemic underground, provoking fear and panic. ''
Some experts believe the virus is not as dangerous as the one that caused the 2002-03 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS), which also began in China and killed nearly 800 people, or the one that caused Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( MERS), which has killed more than 700 people since 2012.
Three international research teams - using different approaches - have begun work on vaccines, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said.
Markets have been roiled this week on fears that the outbreak will curb travel and hurt economic demand. Shares in luxury goods companies have been particularly hard hit on fears of a drop in demand from China. | business |
Asian stocks quiet on Lunar New Year's eve after a turbulent week -- Asian market latest | Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index ( HSI), closed up nearly 0.2% Friday during a shortened trading session. Japan's Nikkei 225 ( N225) closed up 0.1%.
Chinese markets were closed, and won't reopen until late next week.
The relative calm came a day after China's Shanghai Composite ( SHCOMP) posted its worst single-day percentage drop in more than eight months as the deadly coronavirus spread across the country, causing officials to place Wuhan, the central Chinese city where it originated, and two of its neighboring cities, under a partial lockdown.
The sell-off Thursday was `` the most significant pre- [ Lunar New Year ] stock market rout on record, '' said Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at AxiTrader, in a note to clients this week.
The shortened trading week was the Shanghai Composite's worst since early August, when China allowed for a surprise devaluation of its currency, stoking fears about the US-China trade war.
The Hang Seng, meanwhile, lost 3.8% this week, its worst since mid-November when the city was rattled by violent, escalating protests.
China's coronavirus problem is getting worse. As of Friday, the death toll from the disease had jumped to at least 26. More than 800 people have been infected, mostly in mainland China, though the disease has spread as far as the United States.
The World Health Organization said Thursday that it would not yet declare a global public health emergency over the virus.
That helped soothe traders ' jitters and provided markets with a sense of calm, Innes wrote Friday.
Still, investors are nervous that the crisis could stick around for a while.
`` There are rising concerns that the economic impact could extend beyond the '' Lunar New Year, analysts at Jefferies, wrote in a note Thursday.
Companies with headquarters or significant business in Wuhan and the surrounding area `` may suffer the most, '' they added.
According to Jefferies research, Chinese companies that are most exposed to fallout from the spread of the virus include Dongfeng Motor ( DNFGY), a large Chinese auto group based in Wuhan. The company's Hong Kong-listed shares fell 1.2% Friday.
Correction: An earlier version of this report incorrectly included South Korean markets, which are closed. | business |
' I felt like ET ': UK man describes surreal coronavirus quarantine | When Michael Hope returned to the UK from Wuhan in China and started to feel unwell, his first thought was that he had jet lag.
Four days later he was struggling to breathe and coughing continuously. His family urged him to seek medical advice. From the moment he picked up the phone to his GP, his experience went from mundane to surreal.
The 45-year-old art teacher ended up in quarantine for 28 hours, kept in a sealed room and being tested by medics in what he described as “ spaceman suits ”.
“ I felt like ET, to be honest, ” he said. “ It was totally, totally surreal. ”
Hope phoned the GP on Tuesday after his symptoms had worsened to “ a really bad chest – coughing to the point of vomiting ”. Having explained his condition, Hope was told there were no appointments available and to call back in the morning. The next day Hope told his GP during a telephone consultation that he had been unable to leave his house since returning from China – and events suddenly sped up.
“ I told them I had flu-like symptoms and that I had travelled back from Wuhan, ” he said. “ At first the GP told me to come to the surgery and said we could both wear masks and I could stand outside the door – but then things quickly changed and I was told to stay at home, not to leave, and I would be visited instead. ”
Hope then received two phone calls in quick succession – one from Public Health England and another from medics at Newcastle’ s infectious diseases unit in the Royal Victoria Infirmary ( RVI) – telling him to remain indoors.
“ They told me that they were preparing a room for me in isolation and an ambulance would soon be at the house. They said not to be frightened of the people and that they would be wearing masks. I couldn’ t quite believe it – I just thought it would be OK for me to grab a taxi with a scarf around my face, ” he said.
Early on Wednesday evening, when Hope opened his front door to be greeted by a scene straight out of a sci-fi film. Two medics in white suits with helmets and visors escorted him into an ambulance before attaching a nebuliser to his face. Hope was raced to hospital with the sirens on.
“ They put this nebuliser on me and I was sat in the back of this ambulance with the ‘ spacemen’ and steam coming out of my face as we zoomed through the city, ” he said.
On arrival, Hope was met by another medic in protective clothing and taken to an air-locked isolation unit where he met a consultant. He remained quarantined in the room for the next 28 hours with samples of his blood, urine and phlegm being taken.
“ They would come in through one sealed door and leave through another. Every time they left they had to dispose of their clothing. It was a typical hospital room but I was in complete isolation. This guy came in with a chocolate mousse but he was in the full gear – it was so strange, ” he said.
“ I was worried but I just tried to stay calm and focus on the fact that it was probably just flu and not the virus. ”
It is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization ( WHO) has declared it a pandemic.
According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment.
About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
In the UK, the National health Service ( NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either:
As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system.
Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities.
In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
China’ s national health commission confirmed human-to-human transmission in January. As of 6 April, more than 1.25m people have been infected in more than 180 countries, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
There have been over 69,500 deaths globally. Just over 3,200 of those deaths have occurred in mainland China. Italy has been worst affected, with over 15,800 fatalities, and there have been over 12,600 deaths in Spain. The US now has more confirmed cases than any other country - more than 335,000. Many of those who have died had underlying health conditions, which the coronavirus complicated.
More than 264,000 people are recorded as having recovered from the coronavirus.
Hope was discharged on Thursday night after test results showed he indeed had the flu. Having returned home, Hope says he is concerned about the friends he left behind in the capital of Hubei province.
“ I am worried about the people in Wuhan and my friends who are still out there. They are just being told to stay in their houses and they can’ t leave. ”
Hope first heard about the illness when he returned to China on New Year’ s Day following a Christmas break in the UK.
“ My friend said to me that there had been an illness in the market and that seven people were ill but it was just a passing comment and I forgot about it, ” he said.
As the days wore on Hope started to notice a change. “ I got the sense that something was beginning to happen – the atmosphere had got stranger. My Mandarin isn’ t great but I started to notice more and more people wearing masks and so I decided to book a last-minute flight and leave, ” he said.
Hope got the train to Shanghai the next day to catch his flight to Heathrow.
He said he now realised he made a wise choice, with the city of 11 million in complete lockdown.
“ When I arrived in Shanghai I knew I’ d made the right decision as there were just thousands and thousands of people in masks – I knew it was really bad then. ”
Hope said he was not screened on his return to the UK on Sunday, having travelled for more than 40 hours from Hubei province, where he taught at an international school, to his home in Newcastle.
“ I didn’ t get checked at all because my flight was from Shanghai, but there must be lots of people like me who have come from Wuhan but travelled from different airports in China. It is really worrying. ”
For now, Hope is concentrating on recovering from what is, at least, not as serious an ailment as it might have been.
“ I have had a rough few days, ” he said. “ But the NHS seem very prepared. They have done the utmost to create a calm environment in quite an intense situation. Everyone at the hospital was amazing. ” | general |
UK seeks 2,000 air passengers from Wuhan amid coronavirus fears | Health officials have teamed up with Border Force agents and airlines to try to track down around 2,000 people who have recently flown into the UK from Wuhan, the Chinese province at the centre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
So far, tests on 14 people in the UK have come back negative as the government seeks to calm concerns over the spread of the virus.
The announcement from the country’ s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, came as minsters convened for crisis talks during an emergency Cobra meeting. Chaired by the health secretary, Matt Hancock, it was called to ensure appropriate measures were in place to deal with the virus if it does spread to Britain.
However Whitty said that the threat of the virus entering the UK has not been totally eradicated as medics were still waiting for the results of checks on several other people.
Samples of between 10 and 20 other suspected carriers of the virus are being analysed, the Guardian understands.
On Friday night the first cases were reported in Europe with France saying it had identified three instances of the virus. All had visited China.
UK government officials are systematically working through every passenger who has arrived from Wuhan over the past 14 days – the incubation period for the virus – and checking up on their health.
The complex task involves cooperation between airlines, the Department of Health and the Border Force: and the most recent arrivals will be checked first.
While the government emphasised that the risk to the public was limited Prof Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director at Public Health England ( PHE), said it was still “ early days ” in the course of the virus, and that it is “ highly likely ” that cases would be seen in the UK.
But he stressed that most of those affected abroad are making a good recovery. In an earlier interview with the Today programme, Cosford said that contingency plans were ready should cases be detected.
“ I think it’ s highly likely that we will have cases in the UK, and of course every so often we do get new infections coming from the animal kingdom such as this one, ” he said.
Some public health experts privately fear that the public is at risk of becoming unduly worried about the virus and believe that the government or PHE should take steps to provide reassurance.
There is also concern that some media outlets are exaggerating the risk posed by Chinese students.
From Saturday the Department of Health and Social Care will publish figures every day for the number of suspected cases across the UK. But if a positive case is identified, the chief medical officer of whichever of the four home nations it emerges in will make that announcement.
The Scottish government confirmed later on Friday afternoon that results for two of the five patients in Scotland tested for Coronavirus have come back negative, while it was understood that another patient was tested at Belfast’ s Royal Victoria hospital.
Two of those tested in Scotland had been diagnosed with flu after travelling to Wuhan in China – the origin of the global outbreak. Downing Street said four out of five suspected cases in Scotland were believed to involve Chinese nationals. Late on Friday the official death toll in China rose to 41 with more than 1,000 confirmed cases.
A crucial question for how the outbreak will unfold is how contagious the virus is. Scientists around the world are trying to establish how many people, on average, each infected person will pass the virus on to, a number known as R0 in epidemiology. If this number is more than one, an epidemic will grow and if less than one it will fizzle out.
An analysis posted online on Friday by scientists from Lancaster University, puts R0 for the new coronavirus at 3.8 and estimates that should the epidemic continue unabated, there could be 191,529 infections by 4 February.
The paper also suggests that travel restrictions from and to Wuhan city are unlikely to be effective in halting transmission across China.
In the UK universities began taking measures to stop the spread of the virus warning students considering travelling home to China to celebrate Chinese new year that they risk being quarantined on their return. Medical experts also remained at every UK airport with information on the virus being given to passengers returning from China.
Elsewhere, private schools were also gearing with contingency plans for overseas pupils who were unable or unwilling to return home for upcoming holidays. China sends more pupils to UK fee-paying schools than any other country.
While there is “ no immediate cause for concern ” the situation needs to be closely monitored, independent school groups said, adding that schools should “ err on the side of caution ” to minimise risks to staff and students.
This came as a British grandmother, Veronica Theobald, told how she was trapped in Wuhan and had been unable to return home.
The 81-year-old from Lancaster, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, had not been able to go outside for more than a week for fear of falling ill.
Her grandson, Kharn Lambert, who has lived in the city for five years, said she was due to fly back to the UK on Monday. However, her return was cancelled after the city was placed on lockdown.
Lambert, a PE teacher, said: “ There is no knowing how long she will have to stay here.
“ I do worry if I have to go out for whatever reason that I will bring something back into the house and she will become infected and fall ill.
“ My family at home are extremely concerned about her, but I’ m trying hard to reassure them that I am taking the best care of her as I can. ” | general |
Coronavirus: UK universities issue quarantine warning to Chinese students | British universities have warned students considering travelling home to China to celebrate Chinese new year that they risk being quarantined on their return.
The University of Chester said it had warned its Chinese students in the UK that if they returned to their homeland they may not be readmitted without a suitable quarantine period.
Universities across the UK are closely monitoring the coronavirus outbreak and have followed Foreign Office advice warning people not to travel to the affected region.
The vice-chancellors’ group Universities UK said: “ Ensuring the safety and welfare of their students is a top priority for universities. UK universities have been monitoring the coronavirus situation as it unfolds and universities with students in affected areas are working to identify appropriate actions.
“ Universities will continue to follow the latest FCO advice and to monitor the situation, which is evolving rapidly. ”
Chester has a China Centre based on its campus whose aim is to increase growth of trade and educational links between the UK and China.
It is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization ( WHO) has declared it a pandemic.
According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment.
About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
In the UK, the National health Service ( NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either:
As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system.
Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities.
In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
China’ s national health commission confirmed human-to-human transmission in January. As of 6 April, more than 1.25m people have been infected in more than 180 countries, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
There have been over 69,500 deaths globally. Just over 3,200 of those deaths have occurred in mainland China. Italy has been worst affected, with over 15,800 fatalities, and there have been over 12,600 deaths in Spain. The US now has more confirmed cases than any other country - more than 335,000. Many of those who have died had underlying health conditions, which the coronavirus complicated.
More than 264,000 people are recorded as having recovered from the coronavirus.
It is planning a cultural and economic exchange forum next week for people and organisations to learn more about potential business growth in China. The university’ s website says the event will include Chinese delegations and partners of the institution.
Wuhan University, in the Chinese city where the outbreak began, has international partnerships with Aberdeen, Glasgow, Birmingham and Leeds universities and Edinburgh university has international partnerships with 42 universities across China.
Meanwhile, two police stations were temporarily closed amid fears that a Chinese detainee was displaying flu-like symptoms.
Avon and Somerset police said the decision to close Patchway police station, near Bristol, and Trinity Road police station in Bristol city centre on Wednesday night was taken as a precaution.
The force said a man being detained had fallen ill and there were fears he may have had contact with people who had travelled from Wuhan. But following investigations it emerged the man did not have the virus.
Hospitals in Wuhan have been thrown into chaos and the movement of about 20 million people has been restricted by an unprecedented and indefinite lockdown imposed to halt the spread of the deadly new coronavirus.
At least 10 cities in central Hubei province have been shut down in an effort to stop the virus, which by Friday had killed 26 people across China and affected more than 800. Cases have been reported in the US, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
The World Health Organization described the outbreak as an emergency for China, but stopped short of declaring it to be a public health emergency of international concern.
There are no known cases in the UK, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, said, which was “ well prepared ” to deal with an outbreak.
Fourteen people in the UK have now been tested for the virus, according to figures released by Public Health England ( PHE). Five tested negative for the virus, while nine are still awaiting results.
Earlier, it emerged six people were being tested in hospitals in Scotland and Northern Ireland after showing symptoms. All the patients had been in Wuhan, which can cause lung disease such as pneumonia, first emerged, in the last 14 days.
The Scottish patients all travelled from Wuhan, where the outbreak is thought to have originated, within the past two weeks and were showing symptoms of respiratory trouble – a red flag for the virus.
While there remain no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Scotland, the Scottish government has set up a daily incident management team with Health Protection Scotland, to continue monitoring the situation.
On Thursday night, it was confirmed that two people diagnosed with flu were being tested for the virus in Scotland. Three others were also being tested on a precautionary basis. At least three of the patients are believed to be Chinese nationals.
While the Scottish government would not confirm where the patients were being treated, on Friday morning the Courier newspaper reported that two were from the Tayside region, two from Glasgow and one from Lothian.
Dundee University, in Tayside, has a joint education partnership with Wuhan University: it said five members of staff had returned from a visit to Wuhan last week but that no health concerns had been raised.
Aberdeen University said five of its staff members had also visited Wuhan during the outbreak, and one of those – who has a non-teaching role – was working from home as a precautionary measure.
On Wednesday, PHE began carrying out enhanced monitoring of direct flights from China. On Thursday, Hancock told the Commons the UK was one of a few countries to have developed a test for the latest coronavirus, so any suspected case could be diagnosed quickly. However, the symptoms do not develop for five to seven days, and sometimes even up to 14, meaning the virus can circulate undetected.
The UK has advised against all but essential travel to Wuhan. While the UK has put in place measures to check passengers at Heathrow airport arriving from Wuhan, the Chinese government has stopped flights out of the city.
“ The chief medical officer has revised the risk to the UK population from very low to low and concluded that while there is an increased likelihood that cases may arise in this country, we are well-prepared and well-equipped to deal with them, ” Hancock told MPs. | general |
Lessons from Sars outbreak help in race for coronavirus vaccine | There are no vaccines or treatments approved for the new coronavirus, but the race is on to develop one.
This week the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations ( Cepi) announced it would commit $ 11m ( £8.4m) to three programmes led by the companies Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Moderna and the University of Queensland.
Cepi, which is funded by several countries and philanthropic donors, was set up three years ago in the wake of the Ebola epidemic, which killed 11,000 people. Despite an Ebola vaccine ( later shown to be almost 100% effective) having been in development for a decade, it was not deployed until more than a year into the epidemic.
This time the aim is to have a viable vaccine in production within as little as 16 weeks – although testing for safety and efficacy will take longer.
One advantage is that the new coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, belongs to the same family as the severe acute respiratory syndrome ( Sars), for which a vaccine was developed following the 2002 outbreak. “ Certainly that information will give us a head start, ” said Prof Brendan Wren, dean of the faculty of infectious and tropical diseases at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine ( LSHTM).
According to Wren vaccine technology has also advanced significantly since the Sars outbreak. Traditional vaccines work by developing an attenuated version of a virus – one that looks similar enough that the body’ s immune system will recognise the real version in the future. But the latest efforts will use entirely different approaches. “ They’ re all new technologies and have a lot of promise for being able to do things very rapidly, ” said Richard Hatchett, CEO of Cepi.
One of the teams is working on a so-called DNA vaccine. The aim is to find the specific stretch of DNA that codes for the receptor on the virus’ surface that allows the immune system to target it. In theory, if this DNA is injected into a person, it should enter their cells, which would start churning out proteins that look exactly like the receptor on the surface of the virus. These little floating receptors would then trigger the immune system without causing any illness.
Even if a viable vaccine is found quickly, it will still need to go through further months of testing, careful decisions would need to be made about who should be vaccinated – health workers are typically the first in line. “ Even if you’ ve got a relatively rare side effect you have to worry about that if you’ re vaccinating millions of people, ” said Prof Peter Smith, an epidemiologist at LSHTM.
Whether a vaccine will ever need to be deployed is an open question. Sars was brought under control with public health measures, and possibly because it mutated into a less virulent strain. The vaccine was shelved and never licensed.
“ When you have a new outbreak that moves as quickly as this one has you have to use the precautionary principle, ” said Hatchett. “ You don’ t want to wait until you’ re in a situation where you know you need a vaccine to begin making one. ” | general |
Wuhan scientists: What it’ s like to be on lockdown | Most people who venture outside in Wuhan, China, are wearing face masks.
Credit: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty
Chinese authorities have closed off travel into and out of the virus-hit city of Wuhan in an attempt to stop the outbreak’ s spread. The mass quarantine, announced on 23 January, pens in more than 35 million people across the nation — and comes on the eve of China’ s most important holiday, the Lunar New Year.
China virus: latest news on spreading infection
Flights and trains into and out of Wuhan are suspended, and public transport within the city has been stopped. Travel restrictions have also been announced for several nearby cities.
Nature
spoke to three researchers about what it’ s like to be inside Wuhan right now — and talked to one who is trying to get back in.
Fei Chen
Materials scientist, Wuhan University of Technology
“ The novel coronavirus is really severe and [ has ] spread very fast, ” says Chen, adding that since the lockdown began, Wuhan has been very quiet. “ The street is near empty, ” he says, and those who do venture out are all wearing surgical masks.
China coronavirus: Six questions scientists are asking
People who are thought to be infected are being isolated for 14 days, he says. But he’ s not too worried about catching the virus himself. “ My family is fine and currently most of time we stay at home. ”
As a result of the lockdown, Fei had to change his plan to attend a ceramics conference in Florida in early February. “ The organizers have replied to me and they can totally understand the current situation and my trip cancellation, ” he says.
Liqiang Mai
Materials scientist, Wuhan University of Technology
Mai has also been forced to cancel travel plans, and will be unable to attend the International Conference on Energy and Environmental Materials 2020 in Queensland, Australia. “ We can understand the closing of public transport in Wuhan to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, ” he says. “ I can continue my research in my lab and office, for example proofread my new book, revise my papers based on the suggestions and comments by the reviewers. ” He is worried about catching the virus, and says he and his colleagues are wearing masks when they go outside. “ I was planning to invite my parents to come to Wuhan ” for the festival, he adds, “ but had to change my plan. ”
Zhang Yu-Hui
Biomedical engineer, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan
For others, the lockdown has had little effect on their work; many faculty members and students take leave over the Lunar New Year. Zhang is on holiday at home at the moment, and says that the lockdown has not affected her research. “ All is well, ” she says. For the time being, however, she is not leaving the house, to avoid infection.
Guan Jianguo
Materials engineer, Wuhan University of Technology
Guan left Wuhan for the holidays three days before the lockdown, and is now unsure whether he will be able to return on 26 January as planned and continue his research. He says it’ s possible to work on some of his projects remotely, but it would make collaborating with his team in Wuhan difficult. | science |
Second coronavirus case confirmed in U.S. according to CDC | Hi, what are you looking for?
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Published
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC), the patient is a 60-year-old Chicago resident. She is in isolation at a hospital in Chicago and is in stable condition, reports CNN News.
The woman had visited in Wuhan, China in December and flew back to Chicago on January 13. She was not symptomatic on the flight home. It is believed she was not a danger to other passengers on the flight from Wuhan to Chicago.
Health authorities say she has had limited close contacts since returning to Chicago; she has not used public transit, attended large gatherings or had extended close contact with anyone outside her home.
Health officials also say the woman did the right thing by calling her doctor to report she was ill, rather than physically going to a hospital or urgent care facility, according to NBC News.
“ We ask that any individual who begins to experience symptoms and has recently traveled to Wuhan, or had contact with someone diagnosed with the novel coronavirus to call their health care provider or hospital before seeking treatment so that appropriate infection control measures can be put into place, ” Dr. Jennifer Layden, chief medical officer at the Illinois Department of Public Health, said during a call with journalists Friday.
The first coronavirus case in the U.S., a 30-year-old man in Washington State is said to be recovering, but remained hospitalized at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington on Friday.
The CDC is monitoring 63 people from 22 states as of Friday. Eleven of the 63 tested negative for the virus and two, the Chicago patient and the Washington patient, tested positive. The CDC says there are likely to be many more under investigation in the coming days.
Karen Graham is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for environmental news. Karen's view of what is happening in our world is colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in man's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, `` Journalism is merely history's first draft. '' Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.
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Leftovers: Halo Top does keto; craft beer taps into the oat milk craze | The ice cream pint that revolutionized the category is at it again for dieters who want to indulge, and Silk whips the dairy alternative market with its new heavy cream offering.
Leftovers is our look at a few of the product ideas popping up everywhere — some are intriguing, some sound amazing and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can't write about everything that we get pitched, so here are the leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
Everyone’ s getting into the keto diet these days, it seems — including Halo Top.
The low-calorie ice cream brand that first disrupted the frozen dessert case a few years ago is the latest food to make its way into keto eating — the high protein and fat and low carbohydrate diet designed for quick weight loss.
Halo Top has seven flavors in its new Keto Series: Peanut Butter Chocolate, Jelly Donut, Caramel Butter Pecan, Berry Swirl, Chocolate Cheesecake, Banana Cream Pie, and White Chocolaty Macadamia Nut. Each pint has 5 to 10 net carbs and 410 to 630 calories per pint.
And because the number of carbs matters most on the keto diet, the number printed on each pint’ s ice cream scoop is carbs per pint — not calories, like regular Halo Top.
`` Our brand is focused on making delicious dessert that everyone can feel good about eating, and these new flavors allow us to do that for our fans looking to limit their sugar intake, '' Meg Graeff, senior brand manager for Halo Top, said in the press release.
As consumers’ calendars turned to 2020, interest in the keto diet surged. According to Google Trends, searches for the term more than doubled between the last week of 2019 and the beginning of January. Given the perpetual resolution to lose weight in the new year, the newfound interest in the eating plan makes sense.
If any brand would be bringing the ice cream category to a weight loss diet, it’ s Halo Top. After all, it built its brand around creating good tasting, low-calorie, high-protein and low-sugar ice cream that is often perceived as healthier than traditional varieties of the treat. That combination led Halo Top’ s sales to skyrocket 2,500% between 2016 and 2017, when it became the No. 1 selling pint of ice cream in the United States. It also inspired copycat pints of ice cream from other brands, including Breyers, Ben & Jerry’ s and Unilever’ s launch of Culture Republick.
Halo Top isn’ t the only sweet treat being reimagined to fit in the keto diet. Duncan Hines, the Conagra-owned baking brand, recently launched keto-friendly cake mixes. Considering that the keto diet is marked by eating high nutrient, low carb whole foods — like green vegetables, meat, nuts and cheese — it’ s apparent CPG manufacturers feel people on the regimen still want to indulge.
This is the first big launch from Halo Top since it was bought by Blue Bunny maker Wells Enterprises last year. Wells, which is the largest privately held ice cream maker in the United States, picked a splashy first line extension for Halo Top. But if the brand’ s history is any indication of its performance, expect to see many keto-friendly ice cream pints crowding the freezer section next year.
— Megan Poinski
With yogurt and milk dominating the oat craze, it’ s only fitting that beer should tap into the trend too.
DuClaw Brewing is rolling out Oatshake Double IPA and The PastryArchy Oat Milk imperial stout. Both are made with oat milk instead of the lactose traditionally used in beers for creaminess. The Baltimore-based brewer said it plans to distribute the drinks to the 19 states where its product is distributed. A 4-pack of 16-ounce cans is expected to sell between $ 11.99 and $ 13.99.
“ Putting oat milk into beer sounds new, but it’ s really just extracting the liquid from soaking oats in water, ” Chris Wood, DuClaw’ s director of brewery operations, said in a statement. “ Those are two ingredients we use frequently. ''
A company spokeswoman said in an email creating the beer “ was a journey ” because DuClaw couldn’ t purchase oat milk in large volumes. In addition to making the brew, they needed to figure out how to make enough oat milk in-house at the brewery, which included scraping concrete-like oats out of brewing tanks.
The popularity of oats has grown as consumers look to eat healthier and are attracted to the ingredient's halo. In the last year, Chobani introduced oat-based yogurts and oat milk for coffee shops. And Nestlé's Nesquik recently introduced a new beverage brand called GoodNes, which debuts with the release of Chocolate Oat Milk this month. And Endangered Species Chocolate has a new chocolate bar line using oat milk rather than dairy.
For beer companies such as DuClaw, experimenting with oat milk allows them to try something new that differentiates themselves from the other more than 7,300 craft beer companies throughout the country. At the same time, it allows the brewer to harness an ingredient increasingly popular with U.S. consumers.
With so many brewers around, it's no longer enough just to be a maker of craft beers. While tapping into a trendy ingredient like oat milk is not a surefire way to guarantee success, it gets consumers talking — and that’ s a marketing win for any business.
— Christopher Doering
At this rate, it seems like there will be a dairy-free alternative for everything.
Danone-owned brand Silk is launching the first plant-based alternative to dairy-based heavy whipping cream. The heavy cream — a blend of coconut and sunflower oils, faba bean protein, and sunflower lecithin — is now available in grocery stores nationwide, according to a release.
The plant-based product is keto-friendly, gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified. According to the release, Silk Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative can be used in various recipes for desserts, sauces, soups and more.
David Robinson, senior brand manager for Silk, said in a statement that the company is introducing this product because they saw an opportunity for it in the market and wanted to “ provide an easy swap for those looking to incorporate more dairy-free options into their diet. ”
More people are looking to eat and drink less animal-based products. U.S. sales of plant-based foods grew 11% last year, bringing the total plant-based market value to $ 4.5 billion, according to figures released by The Good Food Institute and the Plant Based Foods Association, and that growth is expected to continue.
Dairy products have seen more innovation in the plant-based category in recent years as traditional products from cows have struggled. In an Innova Market Insights report on top trends for 2020, the group predicted the plant-based dairy sector will diversify as consumer interest increases.
To accommodate that diversity, Silk already debuted dairy-free half and half coffee creamer made with oat and coconut milk, so it could have consumers who are ready for another alternative cream.
But other companies are also launching plant-based cream products. In 2018, Conagra Brands’ Reddi-Wip released a coconut- and almond-based vegan whipped cream. And last year, Trader Joe’ s relaunched its vegan Coconut Whipped Topping under the brand name Sweet Rose.
While those other products are already created to top a coffee, pie or ice cream sundae — unlike this launch of an ingredient waiting to be turned into dessert, used to make a complex sauce or turned into biscuits — it's likely Silk will have direct competition soon. That will continue as more dairy alternatives take a bigger piece of the market.
— Lillianna Byington
As consumers turn to other beverages, Gavin Hattersley has moved aggressively into energy drinks, diet soda and tequila to revive his company's portfolio — all while combating challenges like COVID-19 and a security breach.
With its products in public school cafeterias and a teen-focused website that connects animal agriculture to global warming, the company aims to feed and educate the next generation.
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With its products in public school cafeterias and a teen-focused website that connects animal agriculture to global warming, the company aims to feed and educate the next generation. | general |
'Just the two of us ': a bleak New Year in China's virus-hit Wuhan | Hi, what are you looking for?
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Wang Yanhong and her husband prepared a family feast for their Lunar New Year celebrations -- but only two will be eating this time in their apartment in China's virus-struck Wuhan.
The holiday is normally a joyous occasion for family reunions across China, but the couple's 25-year-old son could not join them this year.
Wuhan is under strict quarantine, with flights and trains banned from leaving the city of 11 million people and residents told to stay home to contain the spread of a virus that has killed 26 people and sickened hundreds.
`` This is the first time he doesn't come home to celebrate New Year's Eve with us, '' his mother told AFP reporters in their small apartment on Friday.
`` We are just the two of us, '' said the retired supermarket worker, who has not set foot outside for days for fear of the SARS-like virus.
Their son, Andy, stayed in his home 750 kilometres ( 450 miles) to the east in Hangzhou, where he works.
Nonetheless, the couple, both 53, prepared their traditional feast in their apartment complex, surrounded by deserted streets on a day that many worried residents rushed to hospitals to check if they had caught the virus.
Wang's husband Pen Lixin toiled in the kitchen since the morning to whip up local specialities: fish, meatballs and lotus pancakes.
A full bottle of red wine sat on the table -- but nobody will have it this year without their son, as neither of them drink alcohol.
But the wine remained on the table nonetheless, because it is still the most important night on the Chinese calendar.
- 'Everything we need ' -
With the news playing on a TV screen in the background, the pair have heeded advice to stay in and avoid contact with other people.
`` I am very happy to have guests, '' Wang said, opening her door to AFP journalists.
Pen, a driver, wore an apron over thick pyjamas as he made the final food preparations.
`` We don't have to go out, we already have everything we need at home, '' he said.
`` This year is special. ''
It is not just Wuhan residents who have been affected, with 12 other cities in Hubei province facing various restrictions on travel affecting an area of more than 40 million people.
A range of Lunar New Year festivities across the country have been cancelled to prevent the disease from spreading further, with Wuhan cancelling an annual prayer-giving that attracts hundreds of thousands of people at the Guiyuan Temple.
There's no heating in Wang and Pen's neat apartment in Wuhan, but they have been following advice and keeping it well-ventilated, even if it is cold.
`` Every morning, I clean and disinfect the apartment and open the windows wide, '' Wang said.
- Good health -
Their quiet street with shuttered stores is a reflection of the understated holiday celebrations in the city, where all public festivities have been cancelled.
On Saturday, the first day of the Lunar New Year, they have cancelled plans to meet friends at a local restaurant.
`` Of course I am sad about it, but I have to overcome that, '' said Pen.
`` Because it is a time of great mobilisation for the country. ''
Fortunately, in anticipation of the Spring Festival, the couple stocked up well before the city was placed under lockdown this week.
But Wang said they will force themselves to enjoy the New Year evening as they normally would.
The cookies and snacks are ready on a low table for watching the traditional Lunar New Year's Eve extravaganza broadcast on state televisions and watched by hundreds of millions of Chinese.
And they remain resilient.
`` Whether he is with us or not, what is important is that the whole family is in good health, '' she said.
`` We are all in good health, we are really lucky. ''
Wang Yanhong and her husband prepared a family feast for their Lunar New Year celebrations — but only two will be eating this time in their apartment in China’ s virus-struck Wuhan.
The holiday is normally a joyous occasion for family reunions across China, but the couple’ s 25-year-old son could not join them this year.
Wuhan is under strict quarantine, with flights and trains banned from leaving the city of 11 million people and residents told to stay home to contain the spread of a virus that has killed 26 people and sickened hundreds.
“ This is the first time he doesn’ t come home to celebrate New Year’ s Eve with us, ” his mother told AFP reporters in their small apartment on Friday.
“ We are just the two of us, ” said the retired supermarket worker, who has not set foot outside for days for fear of the SARS-like virus.
Their son, Andy, stayed in his home 750 kilometres ( 450 miles) to the east in Hangzhou, where he works.
Nonetheless, the couple, both 53, prepared their traditional feast in their apartment complex, surrounded by deserted streets on a day that many worried residents rushed to hospitals to check if they had caught the virus.
Wang’ s husband Pen Lixin toiled in the kitchen since the morning to whip up local specialities: fish, meatballs and lotus pancakes.
A full bottle of red wine sat on the table — but nobody will have it this year without their son, as neither of them drink alcohol.
But the wine remained on the table nonetheless, because it is still the most important night on the Chinese calendar.
– ‘ Everything we need’ –
With the news playing on a TV screen in the background, the pair have heeded advice to stay in and avoid contact with other people.
“ I am very happy to have guests, ” Wang said, opening her door to AFP journalists.
Pen, a driver, wore an apron over thick pyjamas as he made the final food preparations.
“ We don’ t have to go out, we already have everything we need at home, ” he said.
“ This year is special. ”
It is not just Wuhan residents who have been affected, with 12 other cities in Hubei province facing various restrictions on travel affecting an area of more than 40 million people.
A range of Lunar New Year festivities across the country have been cancelled to prevent the disease from spreading further, with Wuhan cancelling an annual prayer-giving that attracts hundreds of thousands of people at the Guiyuan Temple.
There’ s no heating in Wang and Pen’ s neat apartment in Wuhan, but they have been following advice and keeping it well-ventilated, even if it is cold.
“ Every morning, I clean and disinfect the apartment and open the windows wide, ” Wang said.
– Good health –
Their quiet street with shuttered stores is a reflection of the understated holiday celebrations in the city, where all public festivities have been cancelled.
On Saturday, the first day of the Lunar New Year, they have cancelled plans to meet friends at a local restaurant.
“ Of course I am sad about it, but I have to overcome that, ” said Pen.
“ Because it is a time of great mobilisation for the country. ”
Fortunately, in anticipation of the Spring Festival, the couple stocked up well before the city was placed under lockdown this week.
But Wang said they will force themselves to enjoy the New Year evening as they normally would.
The cookies and snacks are ready on a low table for watching the traditional Lunar New Year’ s Eve extravaganza broadcast on state televisions and watched by hundreds of millions of Chinese.
And they remain resilient.
“ Whether he is with us or not, what is important is that the whole family is in good health, ” she said.
“ We are all in good health, we are really lucky. ”
With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
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The Chinese city of Xi'an, where 13 million residents are currently confined to their homes, announced tightened restrictions on Sunday.
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US and Europe clash over climate crisis threat on last Davos day | The US and Europe have clashed over the threat posed by global heating as Donald Trump’ s finance minister downplayed the risks of a climate crisis during the final session of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Steve Mnuchin, the US Treasury secretary, said the debate should be about “ environmental issues ” rather than climate change, that the costs were being over-estimated and that climate was only one of several concerns that needed to be discussed.
He reacted strongly after the president of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, said it was vital to include climate risks into economic forecasts and Germany’ s finance minister, Olaf Scholz, said his country was stepping up its fight to reduce the use of carbon.
“ We don’ t know how to price these risks and so we are over-estimating the costs ”, Mnuchin said. “ If you want to put taxes on people go ahead and put a carbon tax. That is a tax on hardworking people. ”
Mnuchin said technology would provide the solution to reducing carbon emissions and that the costs of action would be lower in 10 years time.
“ Environmental issues have an impact on the economy but it is one of many important issues. ”
In June 2017 Trump announced his plan to pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement saying '' “ I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris ”. He claimed the agreement promising to cut greenhouse gas emissions to keep global heating below 2C, unfairly disadvantaged the US and negatively impacted jobs and factories.
In December 2017 Trump announced plans to slash the size of two national monuments in Utah. Bears Ears was cut from 1.5m acres to 228,784 acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante almost halved from approximately 2m acres to 1,006,341 acres – marking the biggest elimination of public lands protection in America’ s history. In late 2018 the administration then announced plans to remove key provisions from the Endangered Species Act – prompting conservationists to warn it could put vulnerable plant and animal species in more danger.
The Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of finalizing plans to dismantle the Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era rule intended to cut emissions from power plants and encourage them to move towards natural gas and renewable power.
The Trump administration plans to remove protections from thousands of America’ s streams and millions of acres of wetlands, which is feared will harm wildlife and enable pollution to enter drinking water. Currently, protected waterways provide drinking water to approximately 117 million people.
In September 2018, the Trump administration announced its plans to repeal rules that aim to restrict methane leaks on public and tribal lands. The Obama administration tried to cut leaks by forcing oil and gas companies to capture methane ( a key gas involved in global heating), but Trump's Department of the Interior has branded the rule 'flawed ' and 'unnecessarily burdensome on the private sector '.
Miranda Bryant
Mnuchin cited the Coronavirus health emergency, Iran’ s nuclear ambitions and the possibility of oil prices hitting $ 120 ( £92) a barrel, and the need to power development in poor countries as other problems that policy makers needed to be concerned about.
“ There are way too many people in the developing world who don’ t have access to electricity. We need to create an environment where they have better lives, ” he said.
Mnuchin found himself in a minority of one on a panel that included the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, and the Bank of Japan governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, as well as Lagarde and Scholz.
Georgieva said the investments that would be needed to transform economies could be the “ silver bullet ” that would lift the world economy from four lows: low productivity, low growth, low inflation and low interest rates.
“ We need to think of policies that are good for the economy, good for the environment and good for people ” she said. Green investment could provide a use for the world’ s big pool of unused savings. “ Not everything is doom and gloom. ”
Lagarde said that pricing the cost of making the transition to a low carbon economy coupled with pressure on companies to disclose their exposure to climate crisis risk would persuade companies to move faster.
The ECB head said that, according to the marketing industry, there were three things that made people move: sex, fear and greed.
“ I don’ t want to talk about the first but the fear factor is there. Look at the complete disasters that are going on around the world. ”
Turning to greed, Lagarde said the recent announcement from Larry Fink, the executive director of BlackRock, that the world’ s biggest asset manager was moving to sustainable investment was an indication that companies were starting to worry about the impact of the climate emergency on their bottom line.
Scholz said Germany’ s decision to pay out more than €40bn to coalmining regions and power companies to phase out coal plants was justified by the scale of the threat. “ There is climate change and it will hurt us. It will have negative effects on the economy.
Britain’ s departure from the EU next week had not entirely lifted the threat from Brexit, Lagarde said, noting that the negotiations this year over the new EU-UK trading arrangement had the potential to cause trouble.
“ Brexit is a little bit less uncertain, but we still have that possible cliff edge in December of 2020. We don’ t’ know exactly what the trade relationship will be. And it’ s a big partner for the euro area, so that’ s certainly a question mark. ”
Scholz expressed relief that there had not been a “ hard Brexit ” and predicted that Germany would not take an economic hit from Britain’ s departure.
“ It will be more difficult for the UK because it needs its business model to be reorganised ” Scholz said. He added that the City of London would be affected by Brexit.
“ I think we will find solutions ”, Scholz said, while warning the UK that there might not be a “ special, competitive advantage of being outside ” the EU.
| general |
US briefing: China's lockdown grows, wildfires and American neo-Nazis | Good morning, I’ m Tim Walker with today’ s essential stories.
At least 10 cities in central China’ s Hubei province have been locked down and the movement of about 33 million people restricted as Beijing seeks to slow the spread of the coronavirus that has killed 26 people and infected at least 830 more. In Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak, a new, 1,000-bed hospital is being built in just six days to deal with the virus. Yet President Xi Jinping and China’ s state media have sought to downplay the severity of the crisis.
Virus spread. The World Health Organization has called the outbreak an emergency for China, but stopped short of declaring it an international crisis. So how far has the virus spread, and how worried should the rest of the world be?
Republicans apparently remained unmoved by the stirring oration of the Democratic congressman Adam Schiff, the lead prosecutor in the president’ s impeachment, as the Senate trial reached the end of its third day on Thursday. “ You know you can’ t trust this president to do what’ s right for this country, ” said Schiff. “ You can only trust this president to do what’ s right for Donald Trump. ” Far from riveted, senators passed notes back and forth, doodled, stifled yawns and laughter, and even twirled fidget spinners.
Muzzling Bolton. Former justice department officials and legal scholars have warned that Trump’ s threat to assert executive privilege in blocking testimony from his former national security adviser, John Bolton, would undermine the constitution.
No limits. The behaviour of GOP senators at this sham of a trial will tear up any restraints on presidential abuses of power, argues Andrew Gawthorpe.
The Trump administration’ s political appointees at the US interior department sought to craft a narrative that played up the climate impact of California’ s wildfires – and played down fossil fuel emissions – in a bid to promote further logging of the nation’ s forests, internal emails obtained by the Guardian reveal. Experts have long refuted Trump’ s claim that thinning California forests by harvesting more timber would reduce the risk of fires.
Australian crisis. The ongoing bushfire crisis is expected to contribute significantly to one of the largest ever annual increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Kate Lyons reports on Australia’ s apocalyptic weather.
Floods and storms. A study has found that the climate crisis could help cause a doubling in the frequency of intense floods and storms around the world over the next 13 years.
The FBI recently carried out raids targeting the American neo-Nazi group the Base, after uncovering its members’ plans to try to incite a race war in the US. Given the group’ s culture of internal secrecy, many of those members do not even know the true identity of their leader, who goes by the aliases “ Norman Spear ” and “ Roman Wolf ” and maintains almost no public profile. But after a lengthy investigation, the Guardian can reveal that “ Norman Spear ” is in fact US-born Rinaldo Nazzaro, 46. Jason Wilson reports.
Intelligence contractor? Nazzaro has billed himself online as an intelligence, military and security contractor. Previously based in New York and New Jersey, he is now thought to live in Russia with his wife.
The former Sopranos actor Annabella Sciorra on Thursday recounted her alleged rape by Harvey Weinstein, as the first of six women set to testify at the disgraced film producer’ s trial in New York.
The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has denied the UK’ s extradition request for Anne Sacoolas, the American diplomat’ s wife accused of causing the death of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn in a road accident last August.
North Korea has appointed a former army officer with a reputation for being a hardliner as its new foreign minister, suggesting Pyongyang may take a tougher stance in its nuclear talks with the US.
The former PBS NewsHour host Jim Lehrer, a frequent moderator of televised presidential debates known for his thoughtful take on current events, has died aged 85.
Is Florida’ s iguana-geddon actually a culinary windfall?
A Florida cold snap left iguanas littering the ground in the Sunshine State this week. Wildlife officials hailed it as a welcome cull of an invasive species. But for some, it was also an opportunity to dust off old recipes for iguana tacos, as Richard Luscombe reports.
How I stopped time by sitting in a forest for 24 hours
With two young children and regular deadlines making his life ever busier, Mark O’ Connell felt constantly short of time. The remedy: a day and night spent alone in a remote woodland corner of southern England – a practice commonly referred to as a “ wilderness solo ”.
Why inmates are still giving birth cuffed and bound
Despite a federal law prohibiting the shackling of expectant mothers, Lori Teresa Yearwood finds that the 85% of the US’ s incarcerated women in state prisons or county jails often remain at the mercy of guards, who may not even understand their legal rights.
Good news for Harry and Meghan: Canada respects privacy
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are fleeing the UK for Canada, where they hope to escape the attentions of the British tabloid press. The good news, writes Selena Ross, is that Canadian media tends to turn a blind eye to intrusive stories about its public figures.
Popular unrest exploded last year in Hong Kong, Chile, Lebanon and elsewhere. Though a common thread may not be immediately obvious, Michael Massing says these protest movements all share a root cause: the soaring inequality generated by global capitalism.
Just as the Iraq war undermined the authority of the US foreign policy establishment, so did the financial crisis discredit the bankers, asset managers, ratings agencies, and regulators responsible for running the world economy.
Serena Williams’ bid to match Margaret Court’ s record of 24 majors has once again escaped her, after she was defeated in three sets by the Chinese number one Wang Qiang at the Australian Open. But at 15, rising star Coco Gauff has truly arrived, beating the defending champion Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round.
ESPN and its commentary team of Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy have been accused of body-shaming the NBA’ s star rookie, Zion Williamson, suggesting during his debut for the New Orleans Pelicans – when he scored 17 unanswered points in one three-minute stretch – that he ought to “ trim down ”.
The US morning briefing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’ re not already signed up, subscribe now. | general |
Trump thanks China's Xi Jinping for handling of coronavirus | President Donald Trump thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his country's handling of the coronavirus, shortly after American health officials confirmed a second case of the flu-like virus in the United States.
`` China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus, '' Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. `` The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi! ''
Experts have said that the Chinese response to the outbreak of coronavirus, which was first diagnosed late last month, has been more robust and transparent than the country's handling of the SARS outbreak, which it sought to conceal in late 2002 and 2003.
The death toll escalated to dozens on Friday, authorities in the country said, with more than 800 known cases on the mainland. As part of the response, authorities were rushing on Friday to complete construction of a new 1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan, the city where the outbreak began.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first instance of the virus in the United States earlier this week. There are 63 cases being monitored across 22 states, according to the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
The second patient diagnosed with the virus is a woman in her 60s who recently returned from Wuhan, health officials said Friday. The first U.S. patient, whose diagnosis was confirmed on Tuesday, had also recently traveled to Wuhan.
In an interview on Wednesday, Trump said that he believed the virus was under control. He also said he had confidence in the Chinese government to be transparent.
`` We have it under control. It's going to be just fine, '' Trump told CNBC's Joe Kernen.
The major stock market indexes declined on Friday amid fears that the virus could damage global growth. | business |
A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster | BackgroundAn ongoing outbreak of pneumonia associated with a novel coronavirus was reported in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China. Affected patients were geographically linked with a local wet market as a potential source. No data on person-to-person or nosocomial transmission have been published to date.MethodsIn this study, we report the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and microbiological findings of five patients in a family cluster who presented with unexplained pneumonia after returning to Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, after a visit to Wuhan, and an additional family member who did not travel to Wuhan. Phylogenetic analysis of genetic sequences from these patients were done.FindingsFrom Jan 10, 2020, we enrolled a family of six patients who travelled to Wuhan from Shenzhen between Dec 29, 2019 and Jan 4, 2020. Of six family members who travelled to Wuhan, five were identified as infected with the novel coronavirus. Additionally, one family member, who did not travel to Wuhan, became infected with the virus after several days of contact with four of the family members. None of the family members had contacts with Wuhan markets or animals, although two had visited a Wuhan hospital. Five family members ( aged 36–66 years) presented with fever, upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms, or diarrhoea, or a combination of these 3–6 days after exposure. They presented to our hospital ( The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen) 6–10 days after symptom onset. They and one asymptomatic child ( aged 10 years) had radiological ground-glass lung opacities. Older patients ( aged > 60 years) had more systemic symptoms, extensive radiological ground-glass lung changes, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, and increased C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase levels. The nasopharyngeal or throat swabs of these six patients were negative for known respiratory microbes by point-of-care multiplex RT-PCR, but five patients ( four adults and the child) were RT-PCR positive for genes encoding the internal RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and surface Spike protein of this novel coronavirus, which were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of these five patients ' RT-PCR amplicons and two full genomes by next-generation sequencing showed that this is a novel coronavirus, which is closest to the bat severe acute respiatory syndrome ( SARS) -related coronaviruses found in Chinese horseshoe bats.InterpretationOur findings are consistent with person-to-person transmission of this novel coronavirus in hospital and family settings, and the reports of infected travellers in other geographical regions.FundingThe Shaw Foundation Hong Kong, Michael Seak-Kan Tong, Respiratory Viral Research Foundation Limited, Hui Ming, Hui Hoy and Chow Sin Lan Charity Fund Limited, Marina Man-Wai Lee, the Hong Kong Hainan Commercial Association South China Microbiology Research Fund, Sanming Project of Medicine ( Shenzhen), and High Level-Hospital Program ( Guangdong Health Commission).
An ongoing outbreak of pneumonia associated with a novel coronavirus was reported in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China. Affected patients were geographically linked with a local wet market as a potential source. No data on person-to-person or nosocomial transmission have been published to date.
In this study, we report the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and microbiological findings of five patients in a family cluster who presented with unexplained pneumonia after returning to Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, after a visit to Wuhan, and an additional family member who did not travel to Wuhan. Phylogenetic analysis of genetic sequences from these patients were done.
From Jan 10, 2020, we enrolled a family of six patients who travelled to Wuhan from Shenzhen between Dec 29, 2019 and Jan 4, 2020. Of six family members who travelled to Wuhan, five were identified as infected with the novel coronavirus. Additionally, one family member, who did not travel to Wuhan, became infected with the virus after several days of contact with four of the family members. None of the family members had contacts with Wuhan markets or animals, although two had visited a Wuhan hospital. Five family members ( aged 36–66 years) presented with fever, upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms, or diarrhoea, or a combination of these 3–6 days after exposure. They presented to our hospital ( The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen) 6–10 days after symptom onset. They and one asymptomatic child ( aged 10 years) had radiological ground-glass lung opacities. Older patients ( aged > 60 years) had more systemic symptoms, extensive radiological ground-glass lung changes, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, and increased C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase levels. The nasopharyngeal or throat swabs of these six patients were negative for known respiratory microbes by point-of-care multiplex RT-PCR, but five patients ( four adults and the child) were RT-PCR positive for genes encoding the internal RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and surface Spike protein of this novel coronavirus, which were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of these five patients ' RT-PCR amplicons and two full genomes by next-generation sequencing showed that this is a novel coronavirus, which is closest to the bat severe acute respiatory syndrome ( SARS) -related coronaviruses found in Chinese horseshoe bats.
Our findings are consistent with person-to-person transmission of this novel coronavirus in hospital and family settings, and the reports of infected travellers in other geographical regions.
The Shaw Foundation Hong Kong, Michael Seak-Kan Tong, Respiratory Viral Research Foundation Limited, Hui Ming, Hui Hoy and Chow Sin Lan Charity Fund Limited, Marina Man-Wai Lee, the Hong Kong Hainan Commercial Association South China Microbiology Research Fund, Sanming Project of Medicine ( Shenzhen), and High Level-Hospital Program ( Guangdong Health Commission).
The Health Commission of Hubei province, China, first announced a cluster of unexplained cases of pneumonia on Dec 31, 2019.1Centre for Health Protection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region GovernmentCHP closely monitors cluster of pneumonia cases on Mainland.https: //www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201912/31/P2019123100667.htmDate: Dec 31, 2019Date accessed: January 21, 2020Google Scholar 27 patients were initially reported, which was subsequently revised to 41 on Jan 11, 2020, with seven severe cases and one death.2Centre for Health Protection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region GovernmentCHP provides further information on cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan.https: //www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202001/12/P2020011200710.htmDate: Jan 12, 2020Date accessed: January 21, 2020Google Scholar Some patients were reported to have radiographic ground-glass lung changes; normal or lower than average white blood cell lymphocyte, and platelet counts; hypoxaemia; and deranged liver and renal function. Most were said to be geographically linked to the Huanan seafood wholesale market, which was subsequently reported by journalists to be selling freshly slaughtered game animals.3Juan D Wuhan wet market closes amid pneumonia outbreak.ChinaDaily. Jan 1, 2020; https: //www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202001/01/WS5e0c6a49a310cf3e35581e30.htmlDate accessed: January 21, 2020Google Scholar To date, no evidence of person-to-person transmission or affected health-care workers has been published in the scientific literature. The Chinese health authority said that the patients initially tested negatively for common respiratory viruses and bacteria, but later tested positive for a novel coronavirus.2Centre for Health Protection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region GovernmentCHP provides further information on cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan.https: //www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202001/12/P2020011200710.htmDate: Jan 12, 2020Date accessed: January 21, 2020Google Scholar The virus was soon isolated and its genome sequenced by a number of Chinese scientists.4Cohen J Chinese researchers reveal draft genome of virus implicated in Wuhan pneumonia outbreak. American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DCJan 11, 2020https: //www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/01/chinese-researchers-reveal-draft-genome-virus-implicated-wuhan-pneumonia-outbreakDate accessed: January 21, 2020Google Scholar The virus was tentatively named by WHO as the 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV). Here, we report the epidemiological, clinical, radiological, laboratory, and genomic findings of a family cluster of five patients in Shenzhen who had a history of travel to Wuhan, and one other family member who has not travelled to Wuhan.
Research in contextEvidence before this studyWe searched PubMed on Jan 13, 2020, with no starting date limitations, using the terms “ family ”, “ pneumonia ”, “ Wuhan ”, “ coronavirus ”, and “ novel ” for articles in English. Our search did not reveal any reports of novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan before 2020. We only noted family clusters of pneumonia due to the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) coronavirus in 2003, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in 2012.Added value of this studyThe epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and microbiological findings of unexplained pneumonia in a Shenzhen family cluster connected to a Wuhan hospital were presented. The diagnostic tests from relevant clinical samples confirmed the presence of a novel coronavirus in five of six patients with radiological changes of viral pneumonia. The phylogenetic analysis of this novel coronavirus suggested its linkage to a possible animal source.Implications of all the available evidenceAlthough this novel coronavirus might have first originated from animals and now jumped into humans, the possibility of person-to-person transmission could not be excluded, as seen in this family cluster with no known history of exposure to markets or animals, and rapid intercity spread might be possible by air travel. Vigilant epidemiological control in the community and health-care facilities is important to prevent another SARS-like epidemic.
We searched PubMed on Jan 13, 2020, with no starting date limitations, using the terms “ family ”, “ pneumonia ”, “ Wuhan ”, “ coronavirus ”, and “ novel ” for articles in English. Our search did not reveal any reports of novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan before 2020. We only noted family clusters of pneumonia due to the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) coronavirus in 2003, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in 2012.
The epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and microbiological findings of unexplained pneumonia in a Shenzhen family cluster connected to a Wuhan hospital were presented. The diagnostic tests from relevant clinical samples confirmed the presence of a novel coronavirus in five of six patients with radiological changes of viral pneumonia. The phylogenetic analysis of this novel coronavirus suggested its linkage to a possible animal source.
Although this novel coronavirus might have first originated from animals and now jumped into humans, the possibility of person-to-person transmission could not be excluded, as seen in this family cluster with no known history of exposure to markets or animals, and rapid intercity spread might be possible by air travel. Vigilant epidemiological control in the community and health-care facilities is important to prevent another SARS-like epidemic.
On Jan 10, 2020, we initially enrolled two patients who initially presented to The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital ( Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China) with fever, respiratory symptoms, and pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiographs. Subsequently, between Jan 11, and Jan 15, 2020, five other members of this family also presented to our hospital for the assessment of their health conditions.
We recorded and analysed the history, physical findings, and haematological, biochemical, radiological, and microbiological investigation results. All laboratory procedures for clinical samples have been previously reported.5To KK Chan KH Li IW et al.Viral load in patients infected with pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza A virus.J Med Virol. 2010; 82: 1-7Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 163) Google Scholar Briefly, nasopharyngeal and throat swabs and stool and urine samples were taken and put into viral transport media. Plasma was separated from EDTA bottles and serum were separated from clotted blood bottles.
This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital ( number [ 2015 ] 90). We obtained written consent from the patients.
Respiratory samples of the patients were tested for influenza A and B viruses and respiratory syncytial virus using the Xpert Xpress Flu/RSV assay ( GeneXpert System, Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) according to the manufacturer's instructions.6To KKW Yip CCY Lai CYW et al.Saliva as a diagnostic specimen for testing respiratory virus by a point-of-care molecular assay: a diagnostic validity study.Clin Microbiol Infect. 2019; 25: 372-378Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus ( 80) Google Scholar To detect the presence of 18 respiratory virus targets and four bacteria ( including adenovirus, coronaviruses [ HCoV-229E, HCoV-Nl63, HCoV-Oc43, HCoV-HKU1, and MERS-CoV ], human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, human rhinovirus or enterovirus, influenza A viruses [ H1, H1-2009 and H3 ], influenza B virus, parainfluenza viruses [ types 1–4 ], Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae), samples were tested using BioFire FilmArray Respiratory Panel 2 plus ( bioMérieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France) according to the manufacturer's instructions.7Chan KH To KKW Li PTW et al.Evaluation of NxTAG Respiratory pathogen panel and comparison with xTAG respiratory viral panel fast v2 and film array respiratory panel for detecting respiratory pathogens in nasopharyngeal aspirates and swine/avian-origin influenza A subtypes in culture isolates.Adv Virol. 2017; 20171324276PubMed Google Scholar The two faecal samples were taken from the patients who had diarrhoea as part of their symptoms, and the samples were tested by BioFire FilmArray Gastrointestinal panel ( bioMérieux) for 22 diarrhoeal pathogens.
Reverse transcription was done using the SuperScript IV reverse transcriptase ( Invitrogen, Carlsbad, USA) as previously described.8Peiris JS Lai ST Poon LL et al.Coronavirus as a possible cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome.Lancet. 2003; 361: 1319-1325Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus ( 2144) Google Scholar The reaction mixture ( 10 μL) contained 5·5 μL of RNA, 2 μL of 5 ×SuperScript IV buffer, 0·5 μL of 100 mM dithiothreitol, 0·5 μL of 10 mM deoxynucleotide triphosphate ( dNTP) mixture, 0·5 μL of 50 μM random hexamers, 0·5 μL of SuperScript IV reverse transcriptase ( 200 U/μL), and 0·5 μl of RNase-free water. The mixtures were incubated at 23°C for 10 min, followed by 50°C for 10 min and 80°C for 10 min. The PCR mixture ( 25 μL) contained 1 μL of cDNA, 2·5 μL of 10X PCR buffer II, 2 μL of 25 mM MgCl2, 0·5 μL of 10 mM dNTP mix, 2·5 μL of each 10 μM forward and reverse primer, 0·125 μL of AmpliTaq Gold Polymerase ( Applied Biosystems, Foster City, USA; 5 U/μL), and nuclease-free water.
The first set of primers was the forward primer ( 5′-CAAGTGGGGTAAGGCTAGACTTT-3′) and the reverse primer ( 5′-ACTTAGGATAATCCCAACCCAT-3′) targeting 344 bp of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase ( RdRp) gene of all severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) -related coronaviruses. The second set of primers was designed after our first 2019-nCoV genome sequence by Nanopore sequencing from the positive clinical samples: the forward primer ( 5′-CCTACTAAATTAAATGATCTCTGCTTTACT-3′) and the reverse primer ( 5′-CAAGCTATAACGCAGCCTGTA-3′) targeting the 158 bp of Spike ( S) gene of this novel coronavirus. These sets were used for PCR using an automated thermocycler ( Applied Biosystems) with a hot start at 95°C for 10 min, followed by 50 cycles of 94°C for 1 min, 55°C for 1 min, and 72°C for 1 min, and a final extension at 72°C for 10 min. The PCR products were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. The PCR products with correct target size were purified using QIAquick Gel Extraction Kit ( Qiagen). Both strands of PCR products were sequenced with an ABI 3500xl Dx Genetic Analyzer ( Applied Biosystems) using the PCR primers. During the set up of the assays, we initialy used SARS-CoV cDNA as a positive control for RdRp assay and gene-synthesised fragment for Spike assay. Thereafter, diluted samples from positive patients were used as the positive control for both assays. All positive results were confirmed by Sanger sequencing.
A total of 140 μL of respiratory, urine, stool, serum, or plasma samples from each patient was subjected to RNA extraction into 50 μL elutes using QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit ( Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). Forward ( 5′-CCTACTAAATTAAATGATCTCTGCTTTACT-3′) and reverse ( 5′-CAAGCTATAACGCAGCCTGTA-3′) primers targeting the S gene of this novel coronavirus were used for the assay. Real-time RT-PCR assay was done using QuantiNova SYBR Green RT-PCR Kit ( Qiagen) in a LightCycler 480 Real-Time PCR System ( Roche, Basel, Switzerland), as previously described.9Chan JF Zhang AJ Chan CC et al.Zika virus infection in dexamethasone-immunosuppressed mice demonstrating disseminated infection with multi-organ involvement including orchitis effectively treated by recombinant type I interferons.EBioMedicine. 2016; 14: 112-122Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus ( 65) Google Scholar Each 20 μL reaction mixture contained 10 μL of 2 ×QuantiNova SYBR Green RT-PCR Master Mix, 0·2 μL of QN SYBR Green RT-Mix, 1 μM of each 10 μM forward and reverse primers, and 5 μL of RNA and nuclease-free water. Reactions were incubated at 50°C for 10 min and 95°C for 2 min, followed by 45 cycles at 95°C for 5 s and 60°C for 30 s, and then subjected to melting curve analysis ( 95°C for 5 s, 65°C for 1 min, followed by a gradual increase in temperature to 97°C with continuous recording of fluorescence).
Whole-genome sequencing was done using Oxford Nanopore MinION device ( Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Oxford, UK) supplemented by Sanger sequencing. RNA was extracted from host cell-depleted nasopharyngeal and sputum samples using a QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit, as described previously.10To KKW Chan WM Li KSM et al.High prevalence of four novel astrovirus genotype species identified from rodents in China.J Gen Virol. 2017; 98: 1004-1015Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 13) Google Scholar, 11Woo PC Lau SK Teng JL et al.Metagenomic analysis of viromes of dromedary camel fecal samples reveals large number and high diversity of circoviruses and picobirnaviruses.Virology. 2014; 471–73: 117-125Crossref Scopus ( 55) Google Scholar, 12Tse H Tsang AK Tsoi HW et al.Identification of a novel bat papillomavirus by metagenomics.PLoS One. 2012; 7e43986Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 38) Google Scholar Whole-genome amplification of the coronavirus was done using a sequence-independent single-primer amplification approach, as described previously.13Lewandowski K Xu Y Pullan ST et al.Metagenomic nanopore sequencing of influenza virus direct from clinical respiratory samples.J Clin Microbiol. 2019; 58: e00963-e01019Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 43) Google Scholar Bioinformatics analyses were done using an in-house pipeline. Details on the library preparation and bioinformatics analysis are described in the appendix ( pp 1–2). The consensus sequence of HKU-SZ-002a ( accession number MN938384) and HKU-SZ-005b ( accession number MN975262) have been deposited into GenBank. Raw reads, after excluding human reads, have been deposited into BioProject ( accession number PRJNA601630).
Phylogenetic trees were constructed using MEGA X software using the RT-PCR amplicons of partial RdRp and S gene regions of the strains detected in this study and other related coronaviruses.14Lau SK Feng Y Chen H et al.Severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) coronavirus ORF8 protein is acquired from SARS-related coronavirus from greater horseshoe bats through recombination.J Virol. 2015; 89: 10532-10547Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 100) Google Scholar The trees of the amplicons were constructed using maximum likelihood methods with bootstrap values calculated from 1000 trees, with human coronavirus 229E as outgroup. The phylogenetic tree of the full-length genome was constructed by use of the neighbour-joining method using the Tamura-Nei model with a gamma distribution. The bootstrap values were calculated from 1000 trees and values only greater than 70 were displayed.
The funders of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.
The family cluster of six patients ( patients 1–6) flew from Shenzhen to Wuhan on Dec 29, 2019, and flew back to Shenzhen on Jan 4, 2020 ( figure 1). This travel period overlapped with the time period after the announcement of the first case of Wuhan pneumonia ( symptom onset on Dec 12, 2019) according to the Chinese health authority.2Centre for Health Protection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region GovernmentCHP provides further information on cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan.https: //www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202001/12/P2020011200710.htmDate: Jan 12, 2020Date accessed: January 21, 2020Google Scholar They had no history of contact with animals, visits to markets including the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, or eating game meat in restaurants. The family stayed in the same hotel throughout their travel. Patients 1 and 2 stayed in one room and patients 3–6 stayed in another room. After patient 4 developed fever and diarrhoea on Jan 1, 2020, patients 5 and 6 stayed in the same room as patients 1 and 2, and patient 3 stayed with patient 4. Patients 1–6 had met with their relatives ( relatives 2–5: one female cousin and three aunts of patient 3) every day during their stay in Wuhan for meals. Relative 4 made frequent visits to the wet market but not the Huanan seafood wholesale market, which had been implicated by the health authority to be the epidemic centre. Relatives 2–5 have developed fever, cough, and weakness since Jan 4, 2020. Patients 1 and 3 had visited relative 1, aged 1 year, and the son of relative 2, on Dec 29, 2019, in a Wuhan hospital, who had been treated in hospital for febrile pneumonia ( relative 2 accompanied relative 1 in the hospital overnight; relative 1 later recovered and was discharged home on Dec 31, 2019). Patient 3, but not patient 1, had worn a surgical mask during the hospital visit. The incubation period was estimated to be between 3 and 6 days. Patients 1–4 were symptomatic, and they only presented to our hospital ( The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen) 6–10 days after symptom onset. For the two asymptomatic children ( patients 5 and 6), patient 5 had ground-glass lung opacities identified by CT scan. Unlike patient 5, who was aged 10 years and non-compliant to parental guidance, patient 6, who was aged 7 years and reported by her mother to wear a surgical mask for most of the time during the period in Wuhan, was not found to be infected by virological or radiological investigations. The blood tests and CT scan of patient 6 were normal. After they returned to Shenzhen on Jan 4, 2020, patients 3–6 stayed in the same household of patient 7 ( mother of patient 4) until Jan 11, 2020. Patient 7, who did not go to Wuhan or visit Shenzhen markets in the preceding 14 days, developed back pain and generalised weakness and attended the outpatient clinic at another local hospital on Jan 8, 2020. She was given cefaclor for 3 days with no improvement. She developed fever and dry cough and attended the same outpatient clinic and was treated with intravenous cefazolin ( two doses) on Jan 12, 2020. She was admitted to our hospital on Jan 15, 2020, due to persistent symptoms.Figure 1Chronology of symptom onset of the Shenzhen family cluster and their contacts in WuhanShow full captionDates filled in red are the dates on which patients 1–6 had close contacts with their relatives ( relatives 1–5). Dates filled in yellow are the dates on which patients 3–6 stayed with patient 7. The boxes with an internal red cross are the dates on which patients 1 and 3 or relatives 1, 2, and 3 had stayed overnight ( white boxes) at or had visited ( blue boxes) the hospital in which relative 1 was admitted for febrile pneumonia. The information of relatives 1–5 was provided by patient 3. No virological data were available.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download ( PPT)
Dates filled in red are the dates on which patients 1–6 had close contacts with their relatives ( relatives 1–5). Dates filled in yellow are the dates on which patients 3–6 stayed with patient 7. The boxes with an internal red cross are the dates on which patients 1 and 3 or relatives 1, 2, and 3 had stayed overnight ( white boxes) at or had visited ( blue boxes) the hospital in which relative 1 was admitted for febrile pneumonia. The information of relatives 1–5 was provided by patient 3. No virological data were available.
Of the six patients with pulmonary infiltrates ( patients 1–5 and patient 7) on CT scans, three were male and three were female, with ages ranging 10–66 years ( table 1). Four had chronic comorbidities and five had history of fever. The three older patients ( aged > 60 years: patients 1, 2, and 7) had dry cough and generalised weakness. Patient 4 had productive cough. Patients 3 and 4 were younger adults and had diarrhoea and upper respiratory tract symptoms including sore throat, nasal congestion, and rhinorrhoea. Patient 3 also had pleuritic chest pain. Except for patient 4, all six had normal or lower than average total white blood cell counts. The three older patients ( patients 1, 2, and 7) all had substantially increased C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Patients 1 and 2 also had lymphopenia, mild thrombocytopenia, and extended activated thromboplastin time. All six patients showed multifocal patchy ground-glass opacities, especially around the peripheral parts of the lungs on CT scans, which were compatible with changes seen in viral pneumonia ( figure 2). No other clinical or radiological changes of lung congestion, fibrosis, or cancer to explain these ground-glass lung changes, or any concomitant radiological changes of dense consolidation, pleural effusion, lymphadenopathy, or pneumomediastinum were seen.Table 1Summary of clinical features and laboratory results of the family cluster infected with 2019 novel coronavirus, at presentationPatient 1Patient 2Patient 3Patient 4Patient 5Patient 7RelationshipMother of patient 3Father of patient 3Daughter of patients 1 and 2Son-in-law of patients 1 and 2Grandson of patients 1 and 2Mother of patient 4 in ShenzhenAge ( years) 656637361063SexFemaleMaleFemaleMaleMaleFemaleOccupationRetiredRetiredOffice workerArchitectStudentRetiredChronic medical illnessHypertension; benign intracranial tumour treated by gamma knifeHypertensionNoneChronic sinusitisNoneDiabetesInterval between symptom onset and arrival at Wuhan ( days) 5 ( hospital exposure) 64 ( hospital exposure) 3NANAInterval between admission to hospital and symptom onset ( days) 76910NA7Presenting symptoms and signs............ Fever++++−+Cough+ ( dry) + ( dry) −+ ( productive) −+ ( dry) Generalised weakness++−−−+Nasal congestion−−+−−−Rhinorrhoea−−−+−−Sneezing−−−+−−Sore throat−−+−−−Pleuritic chest pain−−+−−−Diarrhoea−−+ ( 3 days, 5–6 times per day) + ( 4 days, 7–8 times per day) −−Body temperature ( °C) 39·039·036·236·536·539·0Oximetry saturation (%) 94% 96% NANANANAHaemoglobin ( g/dL); ( male normal range 13·3–17·1; female normal range 11·5–14·8) 13·115·615·015·214·613·0White blood cell count ( × 109 cells per L); ( normal range 3·9–9·9) 4·84·25·611·4 ( ↑) 6·54·3Neutrophil count ( × 109 cells per L); ( normal range 2·0–7·4) 4·03·23·18·1 ( ↑) 3·22·7Lymphocyte count ( × 109 cells per L); ( normal range 1·1–3·6) 0·6 ( ↓) 0·7 ( ↓) 2·22·72·81·2Platelet count ( × 109 cells per L); ( normal range 162–341) 157 ( ↓) 118 ( ↓) 224196197205Prothrombin time ( s); ( normal range 11·0–14·5) 12·612·513·013·013·112·9International normalised ratio1·01·01·01·01·01·0Activated partial thromboplastin time ( s); ( normal range 26·0–40·0) 45·4 ( ↑) 45·3 ( ↑) 36·031·434·035·8D-dimer ( μg/mL); ( normal range 0·0–0·5) 0·6 ( ↑) 0·3NANANA0·6 ( ↑) Fibrinogen ( g/dL); ( normal range 2·0–4·0) 6·2 ( ↑) 5·1 ( ↑) 3·83·82·94·5 ( ↑) C-reactive protein ( mg/L); ( normal range 0·0–5·0) 55·6 ( ↑) 34·2 ( ↑) 0·54·90·244·9 ( ↑) Albumin ( g/L); ( normal range 35·0–52·0) 39·438·550·448·149·141·2Bilirubin ( μmol/L); ( normal range 0·0–21·0) 6·95·99·38·93·610·4Alkaline phosphatase ( U/L); ( normal range 35–105) 68565648211 ( ↑) 66Alanine aminotransferase ( U/L); ( normal range 0·0–33·0) 14·213·925·920·223·917·3Aspartate aminotransferase ( U/L); ( normal range 0·0–32·0) 20·523·327·418·128·227·6Urea ( mmol/L); ( normal range 2·8–8·1) 3·55·73·15·25·64·9Creatinine ( μmol/L); ( normal range 44–80) 5393 ( ↑) 6787 ( ↑) 5155Sodium ( mmol/L); ( normal range 136–145) 136133 ( ↓) 142141141139Potassium ( mmol/L); ( normal range 3·5–5·1) 3·2 ( ↓) 3·73·73·73·93·8Creatine kinase ( U/L); ( normal range 0–170) 421095013778143Lactate dehydrogenase ( U/L); ( normal range 135–214) 286 ( ↑) 232 ( ↑) 192176194252 ( ↑) Amylase ( U/L); ( normal range 28–100) NANA706161NANA=not available. +=positive. –=negative. ↑=above normal range. ↓=below normal range. Open table in a new tab Figure 2Representative images of the thoracic CT scans showing multifocal ground-glass changes in the lungs of patient 1 ( A), patient 2 ( B), patient 3 ( C), and patient 5 ( D) View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download ( PPT)
NA=not available. +=positive. –=negative. ↑=above normal range. ↓=below normal range.
All respiratory samples were negative on two point-of-care multiplex PCR systems for 18 respiratory viral and four bacterial targets. The two faecal samples from patients 3 and 4 who had preceding diarrhoea were negative on a multiplex PCR assay for common diarrhoeal viruses, bacteria, and parasites ( table 2). The respiratory samples of patients 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 were positive for both RdRp and S genes by conventional RT-PCR, and for the S gene by real-time RT-PCR, which were confirmed by Sanger sequencing of all amplicons ( appendix pp 3–5). Although the respiratory samples of patient 3 were negative for both RdRp and S gene ( collected 9 days after symptom onset), she was still regarded as an infected case because she was strongly epidemiologically linked to the Wuhan hospital exposure and radiologically showing multifocal ground-glass lung opacities. Only the serum sample of patient 2 was positive and all other patients ' serum, urine, and faecal samples were negative for this novel coronavirus. Phylogenetic analysis of the PCR products showed that the amplicon sequences of both RdRp and S genes from these five patients were novel ( figure 3) and different from other known human or animal coronaviruses, including the SARS and bat SARS-related coronaviruses.Table 2Microbiological findings from clinical specimens collected from the family cluter infected with 2019 novel coronavirus, at presentationPatient 1Patient 2Patient 3Patient 4Patient 5Patient 7Interval between sample collection and symptom onset ( days) 76910NA7Conventional RT-PCR............ Nasopharyngeal swab............ RdRp++ND+ND+Spike++ND+++Throat swab............ RdRpNANANDNDND+SpikeNANAND+++Serum............ RdRpNDNDNANANANASpikeND+NANANANAPlasma............ RdRpNANANDNDNDNASpikeNANANDNDNDNAUrine............ RdRpNDNDNDNDNDNASpikeNDNDNDNDNDNAStool............ RdRpNANANDNDNDNASpikeNANANDNDNDNAReal-time RT-PCR ( spike gene)............ Nasopharyngeal swab+ ( Ct 31) + ( Ct 27) ND+ ( Ct 31) ND+ ( Ct 27) Throat swabNANANDND+ ( Ct 40) + ( Ct 33) SputumNANANANA+ ( Ct 27) + ( Ct 25) SerumND+ ( Ct 40) NANANDNAPlasmaNANANDNDNDNDUrineNDNDNDNDNDNAStoolNANANDNDNDNDFilmArray RP2 plus ( nasopharyngeal swab only) NDNDNDNDNDNDXpert Xpress Flu/RSV ( nasopharyngeal swab only) NDNDNDNDNDNDFilmArray GI panel ( faecal sample only) NANANDNDNANACt values for real-time RT-PCR presented in parentheses. Ct=cycle threshold. NA=not available. +=positive. ND=not detected. RdRp=RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. RP2=respiratory panel 2. Flu=influenza. RSV=respiratory syncytial virus. GI=gastrointestinal. Open table in a new tab Figure 3Phylogenetic trees of genetic sequencesShow full caption ( A) Amplicon fragments of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of patients 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. ( B) Amplicon fragments of Spike gene of patients 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. ( C) The full genome sequences of strains from patients 2 and 5. Red text indicates the coronavirus ( CoV) strains detected in the patients in the present study. 2019-nCoV is 2019 novel coronavirus. HKU-SZ-001 refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 1; HKU-SZ-002a refers to strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 2; HKU-SZ-002b refers to strain detected in the serum sample of patient 2; HKU-SZ-004 refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 4; HKU-SZ-005 refers to the strain detected in the throat swab of patient 5; HKU-SZ-005b refers to the strain detected in the sputum sample of patient 5; HKU-SZ-007a refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 7; HKU-SZ-007b refers to the strain detected in the throat swab of patient 7; and HKU-SZ-007c refers to the strain detected in the sputum sample of patient 7 ( appendix p 6). The NCBI GenBank accession numbers of the genome sequences are MN938384 ( HKU-SZ-002a), MN975262 ( HKU-SZ-005b), MG772934 ( Bat SL-CoV ZXC21), MG772933 ( Bat SL-CoV ZC45), AY274119 ( hSARS-CoV Tor2), AY278491 ( SARS coronavirus HKU-39849), AY278488 ( hSARS-CoV BJ01), AY390556 ( hSARS-CoV GZ02), AY515512 ( Paguma SARS CoV HC/SZ/61/03), KY417146 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs4231), KC881005 ( Bat SL-CoV RsSHC014), KC881006 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs3367), MK211377 ( Bat CoV YN2018C), MK211378 ( Bat CoV YN2018D), KY417149 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs4255), FJ588686 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs672), NC014470 ( Bat SARS-related CoV BM48-31), EF065513 ( Bat CoV HKU9-1), AY391777 ( hCoV OC43), NC006577 ( hCoV HKU1), NC019843 ( hMERS CoV), NC009020 ( Bat CoV HKU5-1), NC009019 ( Bat CoV HKU4-1), and NC002645 ( hCoV 229E).View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download ( PPT) Figure 3Phylogenetic trees of genetic sequencesShow full caption ( A) Amplicon fragments of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of patients 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. ( B) Amplicon fragments of Spike gene of patients 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. ( C) The full genome sequences of strains from patients 2 and 5. Red text indicates the coronavirus ( CoV) strains detected in the patients in the present study. 2019-nCoV is 2019 novel coronavirus. HKU-SZ-001 refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 1; HKU-SZ-002a refers to strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 2; HKU-SZ-002b refers to strain detected in the serum sample of patient 2; HKU-SZ-004 refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 4; HKU-SZ-005 refers to the strain detected in the throat swab of patient 5; HKU-SZ-005b refers to the strain detected in the sputum sample of patient 5; HKU-SZ-007a refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 7; HKU-SZ-007b refers to the strain detected in the throat swab of patient 7; and HKU-SZ-007c refers to the strain detected in the sputum sample of patient 7 ( appendix p 6). The NCBI GenBank accession numbers of the genome sequences are MN938384 ( HKU-SZ-002a), MN975262 ( HKU-SZ-005b), MG772934 ( Bat SL-CoV ZXC21), MG772933 ( Bat SL-CoV ZC45), AY274119 ( hSARS-CoV Tor2), AY278491 ( SARS coronavirus HKU-39849), AY278488 ( hSARS-CoV BJ01), AY390556 ( hSARS-CoV GZ02), AY515512 ( Paguma SARS CoV HC/SZ/61/03), KY417146 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs4231), KC881005 ( Bat SL-CoV RsSHC014), KC881006 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs3367), MK211377 ( Bat CoV YN2018C), MK211378 ( Bat CoV YN2018D), KY417149 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs4255), FJ588686 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs672), NC014470 ( Bat SARS-related CoV BM48-31), EF065513 ( Bat CoV HKU9-1), AY391777 ( hCoV OC43), NC006577 ( hCoV HKU1), NC019843 ( hMERS CoV), NC009020 ( Bat CoV HKU5-1), NC009019 ( Bat CoV HKU4-1), and NC002645 ( hCoV 229E).View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download ( PPT)
Ct values for real-time RT-PCR presented in parentheses. Ct=cycle threshold. NA=not available. +=positive. ND=not detected. RdRp=RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. RP2=respiratory panel 2. Flu=influenza. RSV=respiratory syncytial virus. GI=gastrointestinal.
( A) Amplicon fragments of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of patients 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. ( B) Amplicon fragments of Spike gene of patients 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. ( C) The full genome sequences of strains from patients 2 and 5. Red text indicates the coronavirus ( CoV) strains detected in the patients in the present study. 2019-nCoV is 2019 novel coronavirus. HKU-SZ-001 refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 1; HKU-SZ-002a refers to strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 2; HKU-SZ-002b refers to strain detected in the serum sample of patient 2; HKU-SZ-004 refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 4; HKU-SZ-005 refers to the strain detected in the throat swab of patient 5; HKU-SZ-005b refers to the strain detected in the sputum sample of patient 5; HKU-SZ-007a refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 7; HKU-SZ-007b refers to the strain detected in the throat swab of patient 7; and HKU-SZ-007c refers to the strain detected in the sputum sample of patient 7 ( appendix p 6). The NCBI GenBank accession numbers of the genome sequences are MN938384 ( HKU-SZ-002a), MN975262 ( HKU-SZ-005b), MG772934 ( Bat SL-CoV ZXC21), MG772933 ( Bat SL-CoV ZC45), AY274119 ( hSARS-CoV Tor2), AY278491 ( SARS coronavirus HKU-39849), AY278488 ( hSARS-CoV BJ01), AY390556 ( hSARS-CoV GZ02), AY515512 ( Paguma SARS CoV HC/SZ/61/03), KY417146 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs4231), KC881005 ( Bat SL-CoV RsSHC014), KC881006 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs3367), MK211377 ( Bat CoV YN2018C), MK211378 ( Bat CoV YN2018D), KY417149 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs4255), FJ588686 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs672), NC014470 ( Bat SARS-related CoV BM48-31), EF065513 ( Bat CoV HKU9-1), AY391777 ( hCoV OC43), NC006577 ( hCoV HKU1), NC019843 ( hMERS CoV), NC009020 ( Bat CoV HKU5-1), NC009019 ( Bat CoV HKU4-1), and NC002645 ( hCoV 229E).
( A) Amplicon fragments of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of patients 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. ( B) Amplicon fragments of Spike gene of patients 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. ( C) The full genome sequences of strains from patients 2 and 5. Red text indicates the coronavirus ( CoV) strains detected in the patients in the present study. 2019-nCoV is 2019 novel coronavirus. HKU-SZ-001 refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 1; HKU-SZ-002a refers to strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 2; HKU-SZ-002b refers to strain detected in the serum sample of patient 2; HKU-SZ-004 refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 4; HKU-SZ-005 refers to the strain detected in the throat swab of patient 5; HKU-SZ-005b refers to the strain detected in the sputum sample of patient 5; HKU-SZ-007a refers to the strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 7; HKU-SZ-007b refers to the strain detected in the throat swab of patient 7; and HKU-SZ-007c refers to the strain detected in the sputum sample of patient 7 ( appendix p 6). The NCBI GenBank accession numbers of the genome sequences are MN938384 ( HKU-SZ-002a), MN975262 ( HKU-SZ-005b), MG772934 ( Bat SL-CoV ZXC21), MG772933 ( Bat SL-CoV ZC45), AY274119 ( hSARS-CoV Tor2), AY278491 ( SARS coronavirus HKU-39849), AY278488 ( hSARS-CoV BJ01), AY390556 ( hSARS-CoV GZ02), AY515512 ( Paguma SARS CoV HC/SZ/61/03), KY417146 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs4231), KC881005 ( Bat SL-CoV RsSHC014), KC881006 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs3367), MK211377 ( Bat CoV YN2018C), MK211378 ( Bat CoV YN2018D), KY417149 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs4255), FJ588686 ( Bat SL-CoV Rs672), NC014470 ( Bat SARS-related CoV BM48-31), EF065513 ( Bat CoV HKU9-1), AY391777 ( hCoV OC43), NC006577 ( hCoV HKU1), NC019843 ( hMERS CoV), NC009020 ( Bat CoV HKU5-1), NC009019 ( Bat CoV HKU4-1), and NC002645 ( hCoV 229E).
Two complete virus genomes ( HKU-SZ-002a and HKU-SZ-005b) were sequenced using Nanopore technology and showed a novel coronavirus that is most closely related to those of the bat SARS-like coronavirus bat-SL-CoVZXC21 ( NCBI accession number MG772934) and bat-SL-CoVZC45 ( NCBI accession number MG772933). Their genome organisation is typical of a lineage B betacoronavirus. The size of the virus genomes from patient 2 ( HKU-SZ-002a) and patient 5 ( HKU-SZ-005b) are around 29·8 kilobases with GC content of 38% ( appendix p 6). HKU-SZ-002a and HKU-SZ-005b differ from each other by only two bases. One of them is a non-synonymous mutation at amino acid position 336 of non-structural protein 4 ( Ser336 for HKU-SZ-002a; Leu336 for HKU-SZ-005b; figure 4). Although amino acid sequence of the N-terminal domain of Spike subunit 1 of this novel coronavirus is approximately 66% identical to those of the SARS-related coronaviruses, and the core domain of the receptor binding domain of this novel coronavirus has about 68% amino acid identity with those of the SARS-related coronavirus, the protein sequence of the external subdomain region of receptor binding domain of Spike subunit 1 has only 39% identity, which might affect the choice of human receptor and therefore the biological behaviour of this virus ( figure 4).Figure 4Genome organisation of 2019-nCoV and the amino acid identities of different subunits and domains of the Spike between human 2019-nCoV strains ( HKU-SZ-002a and HKU-SZ-005b) and bat-SL-CoV-ZC45Show full caption2′-O-MT=2′-O-ribose methyltransferase. 3CLpro=3C-like protease. DMV=double-membrane vesicles. E=envelope. EndoU=endoribonuclease. ESD=external subdomain. ExoN=exonuclease. FP=fusion peptide. Hel=helicase. HR1=heptad repeat 1. HR2=heptad repeat 2. M=membrane. N=nucleocapsid. NSP=non-structural protein. NTD=N-terminal domain. ORF=open reading frame. PLpro=papain-like protease. RBD=receptor binding domain. S=spike. S1=subunit 1. S2=subunit 2. SP=signal peptide. TM=transmembrane domain.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download ( PPT)
2′-O-MT=2′-O-ribose methyltransferase. 3CLpro=3C-like protease. DMV=double-membrane vesicles. E=envelope. EndoU=endoribonuclease. ESD=external subdomain. ExoN=exonuclease. FP=fusion peptide. Hel=helicase. HR1=heptad repeat 1. HR2=heptad repeat 2. M=membrane. N=nucleocapsid. NSP=non-structural protein. NTD=N-terminal domain. ORF=open reading frame. PLpro=papain-like protease. RBD=receptor binding domain. S=spike. S1=subunit 1. S2=subunit 2. SP=signal peptide. TM=transmembrane domain.
All six patients were admitted to hospital under isolation, supportive care, and remained stable as of Jan 20, 2020.
We report here a familial cluster of unexplained pneumonia due to 2019-nCoV. Six of seven family members had radiological changes of viral pneumonia, among whom five ( patients 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7) tested positive for 2019-nCoV by RT-PCR. Five patients ( patients 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7) had associated symptoms at the time of presentation. Complete genome sequences of the two strains from patients 2 and 5 showed almost complete nucleotide identity with each other, and were closest to the bat SARS-related coronaviruses reported in 2018. Several possible scenarios of transmission exist. The first and most likely scenario is that one virologically documented patient with pneumonia ( patient 1) acquired the infection from a Wuhan hospital while visiting their relative ( relative 1) and then patients 1–5 transmitted the virus to patient 7 on returning to Shenzhen. The second scenario is that patients 1–5 have directly acquired the infection from relatives 2–5 and transmitted it to patient 7 on returning to Shenzhen. But this scenario is less likely because patients 1–5 developed symptoms before relatives 2–5. The third scenario is that patients 1–5 acquired the infection from an unknown common source in Wuhan and transmitted it to patient 7 when back in Shenzhen. For the patients ' relatives ( relatives 2–5), they could have acquired the infection from the hospital or the community, although no virological confirmation was possible and they had no animal contacts, game food, or visits to the Huanan seafood wholesale market. Notably, patient 1 or patient 3 who had visited Wuhan hospital might have been infectious before symptom onset because patient 5 was shedding virus without symptoms. These findings suggested that person-to-person transmission and intercity spread of 2019-nCoV by air travel are possible, supporting reports of infected Chinese travellers from Wuhan being detected in other geographical regions.
Many of the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological features of this novel coronavirus pneumonia were similar to those of SARS patients in 2003.8Peiris JS Lai ST Poon LL et al.Coronavirus as a possible cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome.Lancet. 2003; 361: 1319-1325Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus ( 2144) Google Scholar, 15Peiris JS Chu CM Cheng VC et al.Clinical progression and viral load in a community outbreak of coronavirus-associated SARS pneumonia: a prospective study.Lancet. 2003; 361: 1767-1772Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus ( 1651) Google Scholar, 16Cheng VC Lau SK Woo PC Yuen KY Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus as an agent of emerging and reemerging infection.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2007; 20: 660-694Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 561) Google Scholar The incubation period of the Wuhan pneumonia appeared similar to that of SARS. The attack rate is rather high, up to 83% if we included the five patients ( patients 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) with unexplained ground-glass radiological changes of the lungs on CT scan as the case definition in this family outbreak after visiting Wuhan. A rather unexpected finding from the lung CT scan of patient 5, which was done on the insistence by the nervous parents, also showed ground-glass pneumonic changes. Patient 5 was later confirmed virologically to have an asymptomatic infection. Although asymptomatic patients with SARS were uncommon, they were documented in our retrospective study in the minor 2004 SARS outbreak after reopening of the wildlife market in Guangzhou.17Che XY Di B Zhao GP et al.A patient with asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) and antigenemia from the 2003–2004 community outbreak of SARS in Guangzhou, China.Clin Infect Dis. 2006; 43: e1-e5Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 36) Google Scholar Notably, patients 3 and 4 were afebrile at presentation to our hospital. These cryptic cases of walking pneumonia might serve as a possible source to propagate the outbreak. Further studies on the epidemiological significance of these asymptomatic cases are warranted.
The symptoms of this novel pneumonia were also non-specific. The three oldest patients in this family with comorbidities had more severe systemic symptoms of generalised weakness and dry cough. As expected, they might have decreased total white blood cell, lymphocyte, or platelet counts, with also extended activated thromboplastin time and increased C-reactive protein level. The multifocal ground-glass changes on lung CT scan were typical of viral pneumonia. Their lung involvement was also more diffuse and extensive than those of the younger patients, whose blood test results were largely normal. Patient 4, who had a history of chronic sinusitis, might have a bacterial superinfection because he had a productive cough instead of a dry cough. He also had a high white blood cell count, although the bacterial test was negative.
Interestingly, the two younger adults ( patients 3 and 4) initially had diarrhoea, which was also reported in 10·6% ( 15 of 142) of our SARS patients at presentation; 18Cheng VC Hung IF Tang BS et al.Viral replication in the nasopharynx is associated with diarrhea in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.Clin Infect Dis. 2004; 38: 467-475Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 77) Google Scholar however, the subsequent faecal samples of patients 3 and 4 that were collected 9–10 days after symptom onset were negative for the virus after the diarrhoea had long subsided. Up to 30% of patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( MERS-CoV) also have diarrhoea.19Chan JF Lau SK To KK Cheng VC Woo PC Yuen KY Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus: another zoonotic betacoronavirus causing SARS-like disease.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2015; 28: 465-522Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 486) Google Scholar Subgenomic RNA indicating viral replication was seen in faecal samples of patients with MERS.20Zhou J Li C Zhao G et al.Human intestinal tract serves as an alternative infection route for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.Sci Adv. 2017; 3eaao4966Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 199) Google Scholar Moreover, MERS-CoV was shown to survive in simulated fed gastrointestinal juice and the ability to infect intestinal organoid models.20Zhou J Li C Zhao G et al.Human intestinal tract serves as an alternative infection route for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.Sci Adv. 2017; 3eaao4966Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 199) Google Scholar Diarrhoea and gastrointestinal involvement are well known in coronavirus infections of animals and humans.21Leung WK To KF Chan PK et al.Enteric involvement of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus infection.Gastroenterology. 2003; 125: 1011-1017Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus ( 406) Google Scholar
On microbiological testing, we did not find any evidence of other known respiratory viral or bacterial infections, but specific RT-PCR assays for two widely separated genome targets—the highly conserved RdRp and the highly variable S genes—were positive for this novel 2019-nCoV. Two complete genome sequences of this novel coronavirus were recovered from the nasopharyngeal swab of patient 2 and the sputum sample of patient 5 with an earlier cycle threshold value indicating a higher viral load. Patient 2 had more underlying comorbidities and clinical features and radiological findings of more severe disease than the other patients included here. Moreover, the serum sample of patient 2 was also positive for 2019-nCoV, which might indicate some virus spillover from the more severely infected lung into the systemic circulation, as previously reported in patients with SARS.22Hung IF Cheng VC Wu AK et al.Viral loads in clinical specimens and SARS manifestations.Emerg Infect Dis. 2004; 10: 1550-1557Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 158) Google Scholar Sputum samples were available for testing from patients 5 and 7. The cycle threshold values of the sputum samples were 8–13 cycles earlier than those of throat swabs, indicating higher viral loads detected in the lower respiratory tract. This finding is consistent with the observations in patients with MERS who had higher viral loads in lower respiratory tract samples than in upper respiratory tract samples.23Memish ZA Al-Tawfiq JA Makhdoom HQ et al.Respiratory tract samples, viral load, and genome fraction yield in patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome.J Infect Dis. 2014; 210: 1590-1594Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 112) Google Scholar Thus, repeat testing of upper respiratory tract samples or testing of lower respiratory tract samples are warranted in clinically suspected cases with an initially negative result in nasopharyngeal or throat swab. Unlike our patients in the 2003 SARS outbreak,22Hung IF Cheng VC Wu AK et al.Viral loads in clinical specimens and SARS manifestations.Emerg Infect Dis. 2004; 10: 1550-1557Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 158) Google Scholar we found no evidence of viral shedding in urine and faeces in these six patients. However, improved systematic serial collection and testing of an increased number of such samples is warranted.
Coronaviruses are enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses, capable of rapid mutation and recombination. They are classified into alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses, which both have their gene source from bats and are mainly found in mammals such as bats, rodents, civets, and humans; and gammacoronaviruses and deltacoronaviruses, which both have their gene source from birds and are mainly found in birds.24Woo PC Lau SK Chu CM et al.Characterization and complete genome sequence of a novel coronavirus, coronavirus HKU1, from patients with pneumonia.J Virol. 2005; 79: 884-895Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 933) Google Scholar, 25Woo PC Lau SK Lam CS et al.Discovery of seven novel mammalian and avian coronaviruses in the genus deltacoronavirus supports bat coronaviruses as the gene source of alphacoronavirus and betacoronavirus and avian coronaviruses as the gene source of gammacoronavirus and deltacoronavirus.J Virol. 2012; 86: 3995-4008Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 723) Google Scholar, 26Lau SK Woo PC Li KS et al.Discovery of a novel coronavirus, China Rattus coronavirus HKU24, from Norway rats supports the murine origin of Betacoronavirus 1 and has implications for the ancestor of Betacoronavirus lineage A.J Virol. 2015; 89: 3076-3092Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 92) Google Scholar Phylogenetic analysis of the PCR amplicon fragments from five of our six patients and the complete virus genome of 29·8 kilobases from patients 2 and 5 showed that the virus is a novel betacoronavirus belonging to the lineage B or subgenus sarbecovirus, which also includes the human SARS coronavirus. The genome of our virus strains are phylogenetically closest to the bat SARS-related coronaviruses first found in the Chinese horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus sinicus, captured in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, between 2015 and 2017.27Hu D Zhu C Ai L et al.Genomic characterization and infectivity of a novel SARS-like coronavirus in Chinese bats.Emerg Microbes Infect. 2018; 7: 154Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 111) Google Scholar Notably, the first SARS-related coronavirus was also discovered in the R sinicus found in Hong Kong, and central and south China in 2005.28Lau SK Woo PC Li KS et al.Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-like virus in Chinese horseshoe bats.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2005; 102: 14040-14045Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 994) Google Scholar, 29Li W Shi Z Yu M et al.Bats are natural reservoirs of SARS-like coronaviruses.Science. 2005; 310: 676-679Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 1446) Google Scholar The full virus genome had about an 89% nucleotide identity with bat-SL-CoVZC45, which makes it a new species. Moreover, the Spike protein of our virus has an 84% nucleotide identity with the bat-SL-CoVZC45 coronavirus and an 78% nucleotide identity with the human SARS coronavirus. Although substantial genetic differences exist between this and other betacoronaviruses, cross reactions in RT-PCR or antibody assays for SARS or other betacoronaviruses are possible if the primers and antigenic epitopes are not carefully chosen, as previously reported.30Che XY Qiu LW Liao ZY et al.Antigenic cross-reactivity between severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus and human coronaviruses 229E and OC43.J Infect Dis. 2005; 191: 2033-2037Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 99) Google Scholar Further studies on the optimal diagnostic tests are warranted.
In summary, an outbreak of novel coronavirus is ongoing at Wuhan in the winter of 2019–20. Similar to the 2003 SARS outbreak in Guangzhou, Wuhan is also a rapidly flourishing capital city of the Hubei province and the traffic hub of central China. Moreover, both outbreaks were initially connected to wet markets where game animals and meat were sold. In the case of SARS, person-to-person transmission was efficient and super-spreading events had led to major outbreaks in hotels and hospitals. Learning from the SARS outbreak, which started as animal-to-human transmission during the first phase of the epidemic, all game meat trades should be optimally regulated to terminate this portal of transmission. But as shown in this study, it is still crucial to isolate patients and trace and quarantine contacts as early as possible because asymptomatic infection appears possible ( as shown in one of our patients), educate the public on both food and personal hygiene, and alert health-care workers on compliance to infection control to prevent super-spreading events. Unlike the 2003 SARS outbreak, the improved surveillance network and laboratory capability of China was able to recognise this outbreak within a few weeks and announced the virus genome sequences that would allow the development of rapid diagnostic tests and efficient epidemiological control. Our study showed that person-to-person transmission in family homes or hospital, and intercity spread of this novel coronavirus are possible, and therefore vigilant control measures are warranted at this early stage of the epidemic.
JF-WC and K-YY had roles in the study design, clinical management, patient recruitment, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, literature search, and writing of the manuscript. SY, K-HK, KK-WT, HChu, CC-YY, RW-SP, H-WT, SK-FL, K-HC, VK-MP, W-MC, JDI, J-PC, VC-CC, and HChe had roles in the experiments, data collection, data analysis, and data interpretation. JY, CK-MH, FX, and JL had roles in recruitment, data collection, and clinical management. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
We declare no competing interests.
This study was partly supported by the Shaw Foundation Hong Kong; Michael Seak-Kan Tong; Respiratory Viral Research Foundation; Hui Ming, Hui Hoy and Chow Sin Lan Charity Fund Limited; Marina Man-Wai Lee; the Hong Kong Hainan Commercial Association South China Microbiology Research Fund; Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen, China ( SZSM201911014 and SZSM201612096); and the High Level-Hospital Program, Health Commission of Guangdong Province, China.
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Data sharing and outbreaks: best practice exemplifiedThe current outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV) is yet another example of the importance of infections at the animal–human interface, and the concerns that arise from the emergence of a newly identified organism as it spreads through human populations and across national and international borders. Full-Text PDF A novel coronavirus outbreak of global health concernIn December, 2019, Wuhan, Hubei province, China, became the centre of an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause, which raised intense attention not only within China but internationally. Chinese health authorities did an immediate investigation to characterise and control the disease, including isolation of people suspected to have the disease, close monitoring of contacts, epidemiological and clinical data collection from patients, and development of diagnostic and treatment procedures. By Jan 7, 2020, Chinese scientists had isolated a novel coronavirus ( CoV) from patients in Wuhan. Full-Text PDF The first 2019 novel coronavirus case in NepalIn January, 2020, the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV) in China spread progressively to other countries,1,2 with WHO declaring it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.3 Among the affected countries beyond China ( where 12 307 cases and 259 deaths were reported as of Feb 1, 2020) are others in Asia, including Nepal.4 Full-Text PDF Protecting health-care workers from subclinical coronavirus infectionHealth-care workers face an elevated risk of exposure to infectious diseases, including the novel coronavirus ( COVID-19) in China. It is imperative to ensure the safety of health-care workers not only to safeguard continuous patient care but also to ensure they do not transmit the virus. COVID-19 can spread via cough or respiratory droplets, contact with bodily fluids, or from contaminated surfaces.1 According to recent guidelines from the China National Health Commission, pneumonia caused by COVID-19 was included as a Group B infectious disease, which is in the same category as other infectious viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) and highly pathogenic avian influenza ( HPAI). Full-Text PDF | tech |
10-year Treasury yield falls below 1.7% amid coronavirus fears | The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield hit its lowest level since October on Friday amid increasing fears of the deadly coronavirus.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell 3 basis points to 1.698%, the first time it dipped below 1.7% since October. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was also lower at 2.161%. Bond yields move inversely to prices.
`` It looks like we are testing the bottom of the range, '' Jeffery Sherman, Doubleline Capital's deputy chief investment officer, said on CNBC's `` Squawk Alley. '' `` We are not going to get higher until we get to 1.95%. That seems to be the double tops that we keep seeing. What you are seeing here is people are saying the Fed is doing nothing and it's the complacency right now. ''
Yields hit their session lows after U.S. health officials said they diagnosed a second patient with the China coronavirus after a Chicago woman returned from Wuhan with the infection, and they are currently monitoring 63 other potential cases here.
The death toll in China rose to 25 and the amount of confirmed cases increased to 830. The virus originated in China, but cases have also been reported in the U.S., Japan and South Korea.
The World Health Organization on Thursday called the outbreak an `` emergency in China, '' but said it didn't yet constitute a global public health emergency, helping to slightly ease fears over the epidemic.
Yields extended their losses Friday after a gauge on U.S. manufacturing sector showed weakness. The first reading of PMIs ( Purchasing Managers Index) from IHS Markit for January came in at 51.7. Economists polled by Dow Jones were expecting a manufacturing reading of 52.2.
A reading above 50 shows an expansion in the industry.
Bond traders will closely monitor the Federal Reserve's policy meeting next week starting Tuesday. The central bank has vowed to keep interest rates steady unless it sees a significant and persistent move in inflation. The GDP data release on Thursday will also likely be market-moving. | business |
Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China | BackgroundA recent cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, was caused by a novel betacoronavirus, the 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV). We report the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics and treatment and clinical outcomes of these patients.MethodsAll patients with suspected 2019-nCoV were admitted to a designated hospital in Wuhan. We prospectively collected and analysed data on patients with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection by real-time RT-PCR and next-generation sequencing. Data were obtained with standardised data collection forms shared by WHO and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium from electronic medical records. Researchers also directly communicated with patients or their families to ascertain epidemiological and symptom data. Outcomes were also compared between patients who had been admitted to the intensive care unit ( ICU) and those who had not.FindingsBy Jan 2, 2020, 41 admitted hospital patients had been identified as having laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection. Most of the infected patients were men ( 30 [ 73% ] of 41); less than half had underlying diseases ( 13 [ 32% ]), including diabetes ( eight [ 20% ]), hypertension ( six [ 15% ]), and cardiovascular disease ( six [ 15% ]). Median age was 49·0 years ( IQR 41·0–58·0). 27 ( 66%) of 41 patients had been exposed to Huanan seafood market. One family cluster was found. Common symptoms at onset of illness were fever ( 40 [ 98% ] of 41 patients), cough ( 31 [ 76% ]), and myalgia or fatigue ( 18 [ 44% ]); less common symptoms were sputum production ( 11 [ 28% ] of 39), headache ( three [ 8% ] of 38), haemoptysis ( two [ 5% ] of 39), and diarrhoea ( one [ 3% ] of 38). Dyspnoea developed in 22 ( 55%) of 40 patients ( median time from illness onset to dyspnoea 8·0 days [ IQR 5·0–13·0 ]). 26 ( 63%) of 41 patients had lymphopenia. All 41 patients had pneumonia with abnormal findings on chest CT. Complications included acute respiratory distress syndrome ( 12 [ 29% ]), RNAaemia ( six [ 15% ]), acute cardiac injury ( five [ 12% ]) and secondary infection ( four [ 10% ]). 13 ( 32%) patients were admitted to an ICU and six ( 15%) died. Compared with non-ICU patients, ICU patients had higher plasma levels of IL2, IL7, IL10, GSCF, IP10, MCP1, MIP1A, and TNFα.InterpretationThe 2019-nCoV infection caused clusters of severe respiratory illness similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and was associated with ICU admission and high mortality. Major gaps in our knowledge of the origin, epidemiology, duration of human transmission, and clinical spectrum of disease need fulfilment by future studies.FundingMinistry of Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission.
A recent cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, was caused by a novel betacoronavirus, the 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV). We report the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics and treatment and clinical outcomes of these patients.
All patients with suspected 2019-nCoV were admitted to a designated hospital in Wuhan. We prospectively collected and analysed data on patients with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection by real-time RT-PCR and next-generation sequencing. Data were obtained with standardised data collection forms shared by WHO and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium from electronic medical records. Researchers also directly communicated with patients or their families to ascertain epidemiological and symptom data. Outcomes were also compared between patients who had been admitted to the intensive care unit ( ICU) and those who had not.
By Jan 2, 2020, 41 admitted hospital patients had been identified as having laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection. Most of the infected patients were men ( 30 [ 73% ] of 41); less than half had underlying diseases ( 13 [ 32% ]), including diabetes ( eight [ 20% ]), hypertension ( six [ 15% ]), and cardiovascular disease ( six [ 15% ]). Median age was 49·0 years ( IQR 41·0–58·0). 27 ( 66%) of 41 patients had been exposed to Huanan seafood market. One family cluster was found. Common symptoms at onset of illness were fever ( 40 [ 98% ] of 41 patients), cough ( 31 [ 76% ]), and myalgia or fatigue ( 18 [ 44% ]); less common symptoms were sputum production ( 11 [ 28% ] of 39), headache ( three [ 8% ] of 38), haemoptysis ( two [ 5% ] of 39), and diarrhoea ( one [ 3% ] of 38). Dyspnoea developed in 22 ( 55%) of 40 patients ( median time from illness onset to dyspnoea 8·0 days [ IQR 5·0–13·0 ]). 26 ( 63%) of 41 patients had lymphopenia. All 41 patients had pneumonia with abnormal findings on chest CT. Complications included acute respiratory distress syndrome ( 12 [ 29% ]), RNAaemia ( six [ 15% ]), acute cardiac injury ( five [ 12% ]) and secondary infection ( four [ 10% ]). 13 ( 32%) patients were admitted to an ICU and six ( 15%) died. Compared with non-ICU patients, ICU patients had higher plasma levels of IL2, IL7, IL10, GSCF, IP10, MCP1, MIP1A, and TNFα.
The 2019-nCoV infection caused clusters of severe respiratory illness similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and was associated with ICU admission and high mortality. Major gaps in our knowledge of the origin, epidemiology, duration of human transmission, and clinical spectrum of disease need fulfilment by future studies.
Ministry of Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission.
Coronaviruses are enveloped non-segmented positive-sense RNA viruses belonging to the family Coronaviridae and the order Nidovirales and broadly distributed in humans and other mammals.1Richman DD Whitley RJ Hayden FG Clinical virology.4th edn. ASM Press, Washington2016Crossref Google Scholar Although most human coronavirus infections are mild, the epidemics of the two betacoronaviruses, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( SARS-CoV) 2Ksiazek TG Erdman D Goldsmith CS et al.A novel coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome.N Engl J Med. 2003; 348: 1953-1966Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 2925) Google Scholar, 3Kuiken T Fouchier RAM Schutten M et al.Newly discovered coronavirus as the primary cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome.Lancet. 2003; 362: 263-270Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus ( 738) Google Scholar, 4Drosten C Günther S Preiser W et al.Identification of a novel coronavirus in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.N Engl J Med. 2003; 348: 1967-1976Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 2923) Google Scholar and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( MERS-CoV),5de Groot RJ Baker SC Baric RS et al.Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( MERS-CoV): announcement of the Coronavirus Study Group.J Virol. 2013; 87: 7790-7792Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 695) Google Scholar, 6Zaki AM van Boheemen S Bestebroer TM Osterhaus ADME Fouchier RAM Isolation of a novel coronavirus from a man with pneumonia in Saudi Arabia.N Engl J Med. 2012; 367: 1814-1820Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 2931) Google Scholar have caused more than 10 000 cumulative cases in the past two decades, with mortality rates of 10% for SARS-CoV and 37% for MERS-CoV.7WHOSummary of probable SARS cases with onset of illness from 1 November 2002 to 31 July 2003.https: //www.who.int/csr/sars/country/table2004 04 21/en/Date: Dec 31, 2003Date accessed: January 19, 2020Google Scholar, 8WHOMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( MERS-CoV).http: //www.who.int/emergencies/mers-cov/en/Date: November, 2019Date accessed: January 19, 2020Google Scholar The coronaviruses already identified might only be the tip of the iceberg, with potentially more novel and severe zoonotic events to be revealed.
In December, 2019, a series of pneumonia cases of unknown cause emerged in Wuhan, Hubei, China, with clinical presentations greatly resembling viral pneumonia.9WHONovel coronavirus – China.http: //www.who.int/csr/don/12-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-china/en/Date: Jan 12, 2020Date accessed: January 19, 2020Google Scholar Deep sequencing analysis from lower respiratory tract samples indicated a novel coronavirus, which was named 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV). Thus far, more than 800 confirmed cases, including in health-care workers, have been identified in Wuhan, and several exported cases have been confirmed in other provinces in China, and in Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and the USA.10WHONovel coronavirus – Thailand ( ex-China).http: //www.who.int/csr/don/14-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-thailand/en/Date: Jan 14, 2020Date accessed: January 19, 2020Google Scholar, 11WHONovel coronavirus – Japan ( ex-China).http: //www.who.int/csr/don/17-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-japan-ex-china/en/Date: Jan 17, 2020Date accessed: January 19, 2020Google Scholar, 12WHONovel coronavirus – Republic of Korea ( ex-China).http: //www.who.int/csr/don/21-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-republic-of-korea-ex-china/en/Date: Jan 21, 2020Date accessed: January 23, 2020Google Scholar, 13CDCFirst travel-related case of 2019 novel coronavirus detected in United States.https: //www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0121-novel-coronavirus-travel-case.htmlDate: Jan 21, 2020Date accessed: January 23, 2020Google Scholar
Research in contextEvidence before this studyHuman coronaviruses, including hCoV-229E, OC43, NL63, and HKU1, cause mild respiratory diseases. Fatal coronavirus infections that have emerged in the past two decades are severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( SARS-CoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. We searched PubMed and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database for articles published up to Jan 11, 2020, using the keywords “ novel coronovirus ”, “ 2019 novel coronavirus ”, or “ 2019-nCoV ”. No published work about the human infection caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV) could be identified.Added value of this studyWe report the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics, treatment, and clinical outcomes of 41 laboratory-confirmed cases infected with 2019-nCoV. 27 ( 66%) of 41 patients had a history of direct exposure to the Huanan seafood market. The median age of patients was 49·0 years ( IQR 41·0–58·0), and 13 ( 32%) patients had underlying disease. All patients had pneumonia. A third of patients were admitted to intensive care units, and six died. High concentrations of cytokines were recorded in plasma of critically ill patients infected with 2019-nCoV.Implications of all the available evidence2019-nCoV caused clusters of fatal pneumonia with clinical presentation greatly resembling SARS-CoV. Patients infected with 2019-nCoV might develop acute respiratory distress syndrome, have a high likelihood of admission to intensive care, and might die. The cytokine storm could be associated with disease severity. More efforts should be made to know the whole spectrum and pathophysiology of the new disease.
Human coronaviruses, including hCoV-229E, OC43, NL63, and HKU1, cause mild respiratory diseases. Fatal coronavirus infections that have emerged in the past two decades are severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( SARS-CoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. We searched PubMed and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database for articles published up to Jan 11, 2020, using the keywords “ novel coronovirus ”, “ 2019 novel coronavirus ”, or “ 2019-nCoV ”. No published work about the human infection caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV) could be identified.
We report the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics, treatment, and clinical outcomes of 41 laboratory-confirmed cases infected with 2019-nCoV. 27 ( 66%) of 41 patients had a history of direct exposure to the Huanan seafood market. The median age of patients was 49·0 years ( IQR 41·0–58·0), and 13 ( 32%) patients had underlying disease. All patients had pneumonia. A third of patients were admitted to intensive care units, and six died. High concentrations of cytokines were recorded in plasma of critically ill patients infected with 2019-nCoV.
2019-nCoV caused clusters of fatal pneumonia with clinical presentation greatly resembling SARS-CoV. Patients infected with 2019-nCoV might develop acute respiratory distress syndrome, have a high likelihood of admission to intensive care, and might die. The cytokine storm could be associated with disease severity. More efforts should be made to know the whole spectrum and pathophysiology of the new disease.
We aim to describe epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of patients confirmed to have 2019-nCoV infection, and to compare the clinical features between intensive care unit ( ICU) and non-ICU patients. We hope our study findings will inform the global community of the emergence of this novel coronavirus and its clinical features.
Following the pneumonia cases of unknown cause reported in Wuhan and considering the shared history of exposure to Huanan seafood market across the patients, an epidemiological alert was released by the local health authority on Dec 31, 2019, and the market was shut down on Jan 1, 2020. Meanwhile, 59 suspected cases with fever and dry cough were transferred to a designated hospital starting from Dec 31, 2019. An expert team of physicians, epidemiologists, virologists, and government officials was soon formed after the alert.
Since the cause was unknown at the onset of these emerging infections, the diagnosis of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan was based on clinical characteristics, chest imaging, and the ruling out of common bacterial and viral pathogens that cause pneumonia. Suspected patients were isolated using airborne precautions in the designated hospital, Jin Yin-tan Hospital ( Wuhan, China), and fit-tested N95 masks and airborne precautions for aerosol-generating procedures were taken. This study was approved by the National Health Commission of China and Ethics Commission of Jin Yin-tan Hospital ( KY-2020-01.01). Written informed consent was waived by the Ethics Commission of the designated hospital for emerging infectious diseases.
Local centres for disease control and prevention collected respiratory, blood, and faeces specimens, then shipped them to designated authoritative laboratories to detect the pathogen ( NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens and Christophe Mérieux Laboratory, Beijing, China). A novel coronavirus, which was named 2019-nCoV, was isolated then from lower respiratory tract specimen and a diagnostic test for this virus was developed soon after that.14Tan W Zhao X Ma X et al.A novel coronavirus genome identified in a cluster of pneumonia cases — Wuhan, China 2019−2020.http: //weekly.chinacdc.cn/en/article/id/a3907201-f64f-4154-a19e-4253b453d10cDate accessed: January 23, 2020Google Scholar Of 59 suspected cases, 41 patients were confirmed to be infected with 2019-nCoV. The presence of 2019-nCoV in respiratory specimens was detected by next-generation sequencing or real-time RT-PCR methods. The primers and probe target to envelope gene of CoV were used and the sequences were as follows: forward primer 5′-ACTTCTTTTTCTTGCTTTCGTGGT-3′; reverse primer 5′-GCAGCAGTACGCACACAATC-3′; and the probe 5′CY5-CTAGTTACACTAGCCATCCTTACTGC-3′BHQ1. Conditions for the amplifications were 50°C for 15 min, 95°C for 3 min, followed by 45 cycles of 95°C for 15 s and 60°C for 30 s.
Initial investigations included a complete blood count, coagulation profile, and serum biochemical test ( including renal and liver function, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and electrolytes). Respiratory specimens, including nasal and pharyngeal swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, sputum, or bronchial aspirates were tested for common viruses, including influenza, avian influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV using real-time RT-PCR assays approved by the China Food and Drug Administration. Routine bacterial and fungal examinations were also performed.
Given the emergence of the 2019-nCoV pneumonia cases during the influenza season, antibiotics ( orally and intravenously) and oseltamivir ( orally 75 mg twice daily) were empirically administered. Corticosteroid therapy ( methylprednisolone 40–120 mg per day) was given as a combined regimen if severe community-acquired pneumonia was diagnosed by physicians at the designated hospital. Oxygen support ( eg, nasal cannula and invasive mechanical ventilation) was administered to patients according to the severity of hypoxaemia. Repeated tests for 2019-nCoV were done in patients confirmed to have 2019-nCoV infection to show viral clearance before hospital discharge or discontinuation of isolation.
We reviewed clinical charts, nursing records, laboratory findings, and chest x-rays for all patients with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection who were reported by the local health authority. The admission data of these patients was from Dec 16, 2019, to Jan 2, 2020. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics and treatment and outcomes data were obtained with standardised data collection forms ( modified case record form for severe acute respiratory infection clinical characterisation shared by WHO and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium) from electronic medical records. Two researchers also independently reviewed the data collection forms to double check the data collected. To ascertain the epidemiological and symptom data, which were not available from electronic medical records, the researchers also directly communicated with patients or their families to ascertain epidemiological and symptom data.
To characterise the effect of coronavirus on the production of cytokines or chemokines in the acute phase of the illness, plasma cytokines and chemokines ( IL1B, IL1RA, IL2, IL4, IL5, IL6, IL7, IL8 ( also known as CXCL8), IL9, IL10, IL12p70, IL13, IL15, IL17A, Eotaxin ( also known as CCL11), basic FGF2, GCSF ( CSF3), GMCSF ( CSF2), IFNγ, IP10 ( CXCL10), MCP1 ( CCL2), MIP1A ( CCL3), MIP1B ( CCL4), PDGFB, RANTES ( CCL5), TNFα, and VEGFA were measured using Human Cytokine Standard 27-Plex Assays panel and the Bio-Plex 200 system ( Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) for all patients according to the manufacturer's instructions. The plasma samples from four healthy adults were used as controls for cross-comparison. The median time from being transferred to a designated hospital to the blood sample collection was 4 days ( IQR 2–5).
Each 80 μL plasma sample from the patients and contacts was added into 240 μL of Trizol LS ( 10296028; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Carlsbad, CA, USA) in the Biosafety Level 3 laboratory. Total RNA was extracted by Direct-zol RNA Miniprep kit ( R2050; Zymo research, Irvine, CA, USA) according to the manufacturer's instructions and 50 μL elution was obtained for each sample. 5 μL RNA was used for real-time RT-PCR, which targeted the NP gene using AgPath-ID One-Step RT-PCR Reagent ( AM1005; Thermo Fisher Scientific). The final reaction mix concentration of the primers was 500 nM and probe was 200 nM. Real-time RT-PCR was performed using the following conditions: 50°C for 15 min and 95°C for 3 min, 50 cycles of amplification at 95°C for 10 s and 60°C for 45 s. Since we did not perform tests for detecting infectious virus in blood, we avoided the term viraemia and used RNAaemia instead. RNAaemia was defined as a positive result for real-time RT-PCR in the plasma sample.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome ( ARDS) and shock were defined according to the interim guidance of WHO for novel coronavirus.9WHONovel coronavirus – China.http: //www.who.int/csr/don/12-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-china/en/Date: Jan 12, 2020Date accessed: January 19, 2020Google Scholar Hypoxaemia was defined as arterial oxygen tension ( PaO2) over inspiratory oxygen fraction ( FIO2) of less than 300 mm Hg.15Sanz F Gimeno C Lloret T et al.Relationship between the presence of hypoxemia and the inflammatory response measured by C-reactive protein in bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia.Eur Respir J. 2011; 38: 2492Google Scholar Acute kidney injury was identified and classified on the basis of the highest serum creatinine level or urine output criteria according to the kidney disease improving global outcomes classification.16Kidney disease: improving global outcomes ( KDIGO) acute kidney injury work groupKDIGO clinical practice guideline for acute kidney injury.https: //kdigo.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/KDIGO-2012-AKI-Guideline-English.pdfDate: March, 2012Date accessed: January 23, 2020Google Scholar Secondary infection was diagnosed if the patients had clinical symptoms or signs of nosocomial pneumonia or bacteraemia, and was combined with a positive culture of a new pathogen from a lower respiratory tract specimen ( including the sputum, transtracheal aspirates, or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, or from blood samples taken ≥48 h after admission).17Garner JS Jarvis WR Emori TG Horan TC Hughes JM CDC definitions for nosocomial infections, 1988.Am J Infect Control. 1988; 16: 128-140Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus ( 4934) Google Scholar Cardiac injury followed the definition used in our previous study in H7N9 patients.18Gao C Wang Y Gu X et al.Association between cardiac injury and mortality in hospitalized patients infected with avian influenza A ( H7N9) virus.Crit Care Med. 2020; ( published online Jan 20) DOI:10.1097/CCM.0000000000004207Crossref Scopus ( 42) Google Scholar In brief, cardiac injury was diagnosed if serum levels of cardiac biomarkers ( eg, troponin I) were above the 99th percentile upper reference limit, or new abnormalities were shown in electrocardiography and echocardiography.
Continuous variables were expressed as median ( IQR) and compared with the Mann-Whitney U test; categorical variables were expressed as number (%) and compared by χ2 test or Fisher's exact test between ICU care and no ICU care groups. Boxplots were drawn to describe plasma cytokine and chemokine concentrations.
A two-sided α of less than 0·05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analyses were done using the SAS software, version 9.4, unless otherwise indicated.
The funder of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report. The corresponding authors had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.
By Jan 2, 2020, 41 admitted hospital patients were identified as laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection in Wuhan. 20 [ 49% ]) of the 2019-nCoV-infected patients were aged 25–49 years, and 14 ( 34%) were aged 50–64 years ( figure 1A). The median age of the patients was 49·0 years ( IQR 41·0–58·0; table 1). In our cohort of the first 41 patients as of Jan 2, no children or adolescents were infected. Of the 41 patients, 13 ( 32%) were admitted to the ICU because they required high-flow nasal cannula or higher-level oxygen support measures to correct hypoxaemia. Most of the infected patients were men ( 30 [ 73% ]); less than half had underlying diseases ( 13 [ 32% ]), including diabetes ( eight [ 20% ]), hypertension ( six [ 15% ]), and cardiovascular disease ( six [ 15% ]).Figure 1Date of illness onset and age distribution of patients with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infectionShow full caption ( A) Number of hospital admissions by age group. ( B) Distribution of symptom onset date for laboratory-confirmed cases. The Wuhan local health authority issued an epidemiological alert on Dec 30, 2019, and closed the Huanan seafood market 2 days later.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download ( PPT) Table 1Demographics and baseline characteristics of patients infected with 2019-nCoVAll patients ( n=41) ICU care ( n=13) No ICU care ( n=28) p valueCharacteristicsAge, years49·0 ( 41·0–58·0) 49·0 ( 41·0–61·0) 49·0 ( 41·0–57·5) 0·60Sex...... 0·24Men30 ( 73%) 11 ( 85%) 19 ( 68%).. Women11 ( 27%) 2 ( 15%) 9 ( 32%).. Huanan seafood market exposure27 ( 66%) 9 ( 69%) 18 ( 64%) 0·75Current smoking3 ( 7%) 03 ( 11%) 0·31Any comorbidity13 ( 32%) 5 ( 38%) 8 ( 29%) 0·53Diabetes8 ( 20%) 1 ( 8%) 7 ( 25%) 0·16Hypertension6 ( 15%) 2 ( 15%) 4 ( 14%) 0·93Cardiovascular disease6 ( 15%) 3 ( 23%) 3 ( 11%) 0·32Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease1 ( 2%) 1 ( 8%) 00·14Malignancy1 ( 2%) 01 ( 4%) 0·49Chronic liver disease1 ( 2%) 01 ( 4%) 0·68Signs and symptomsFever40 ( 98%) 13 ( 100%) 27 ( 96%) 0·68Highest temperature, °C...... 0·037 < 37·31 ( 2%) 01 ( 4%).. 37·3–38·08 ( 20%) 3 ( 23%) 5 ( 18%).. 38·1–39·018 ( 44%) 7 ( 54%) 11 ( 39%).. > 39·014 ( 34%) 3 ( 23%) 11 ( 39%).. Cough31 ( 76%) 11 ( 85%) 20 ( 71%) 0·35Myalgia or fatigue18 ( 44%) 7 ( 54%) 11 ( 39%) 0·38Sputum production11/39 ( 28%) 5 ( 38%) 6/26 ( 23%) 0·32Headache3/38 ( 8%) 03/25 ( 12%) 0·10Haemoptysis2/39 ( 5%) 1 ( 8%) 1/26 ( 4%) 0·46Diarrhoea1/38 ( 3%) 01/25 ( 4%) 0·66Dyspnoea22/40 ( 55%) 12 ( 92%) 10/27 ( 37%) 0·0010Days from illness onset to dyspnoea8·0 ( 5·0–13·0) 8·0 ( 6·0–17·0) 6·5 ( 2·0–10·0) 0·22Days from first admission to transfer5·0 ( 1·0–8·0) 8·0 ( 5·0–14·0) 1·0 ( 1·0–6·5) 0·0023Systolic pressure, mm Hg125·0 ( 119·0–135·0) 145·0 ( 123·0–167·0) 122·0 ( 118·5–129·5) 0·018Respiratory rate > 24 breaths per min12 ( 29%) 8 ( 62%) 4 ( 14%) 0·0023Data are median ( IQR), n (%), or n/N (%), where N is the total number of patients with available data. p values comparing ICU care and no ICU care are from χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, or Mann-Whitney U test. 2019-nCoV=2019 novel coronavirus. ICU=intensive care unit. Open table in a new tab
( A) Number of hospital admissions by age group. ( B) Distribution of symptom onset date for laboratory-confirmed cases. The Wuhan local health authority issued an epidemiological alert on Dec 30, 2019, and closed the Huanan seafood market 2 days later.
Data are median ( IQR), n (%), or n/N (%), where N is the total number of patients with available data. p values comparing ICU care and no ICU care are from χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, or Mann-Whitney U test. 2019-nCoV=2019 novel coronavirus. ICU=intensive care unit.
27 ( 66%) patients had direct exposure to Huanan seafood market ( figure 1B). Market exposure was similar between the patients with ICU care ( nine [ 69% ]) and those with non-ICU care ( 18 [ 64% ]). The symptom onset date of the first patient identified was Dec 1, 2019. None of his family members developed fever or any respiratory symptoms. No epidemiological link was found between the first patient and later cases. The first fatal case, who had continuous exposure to the market, was admitted to hospital because of a 7-day history of fever, cough, and dyspnoea. 5 days after illness onset, his wife, a 53-year-old woman who had no known history of exposure to the market, also presented with pneumonia and was hospitalised in the isolation ward.
The most common symptoms at onset of illness were fever ( 40 [ 98% ] of 41 patients), cough ( 31 [ 76% ]), and myalgia or fatigue ( 18 [ 44% ]); less common symptoms were sputum production ( 11 [ 28% ] of 39), headache ( three [ 8% ] of 38), haemoptysis ( two [ 5% ] of 39), and diarrhoea ( one [ 3% ] of 38; table 1). More than half of patients ( 22 [ 55% ] of 40) developed dyspnoea. The median duration from illness onset to dyspnoea was 8·0 days ( IQR 5·0–13·0). The median time from onset of symptoms to first hospital admission was 7·0 days ( 4·0–8·0), to shortness of breath was 8·0 days ( 5·0–13·0), to ARDS was 9·0 days ( 8·0–14·0), to mechanical ventilation was 10·5 days ( 7·0–14·0), and to ICU admission was 10·5 days ( 8·0–17·0; figure 2).Figure 2Timeline of 2019-nCoV cases after onset of illnessView Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download ( PPT)
The blood counts of patients on admission showed leucopenia ( white blood cell count less than 4 × 109/L; ten [ 25% ] of 40 patients) and lymphopenia ( lymphocyte count < 1·0 × 109/L; 26 [ 63% ] patients; table 2). Prothrombin time and D-dimer level on admission were higher in ICU patients ( median prothrombin time 12·2 s [ IQR 11·2–13·4 ]; median D-dimer level 2·4 mg/L [ 0·6–14·4 ]) than non-ICU patients ( median prothrombin time 10·7 s [ 9·8–12·1 ], p=0·012; median D-dimer level 0·5 mg/L [ 0·3–0·8 ], p=0·0042). Levels of aspartate aminotransferase were increased in 15 ( 37%) of 41 patients, including eight ( 62%) of 13 ICU patients and seven ( 25%) of 28 non-ICU patients. Hypersensitive troponin I ( hs-cTnI) was increased substantially in five patients, in whom the diagnosis of virus-related cardiac injury was made.Table 2Laboratory findings of patients infected with 2019-nCoV on admission to hospitalAll patients ( n=41) ICU care ( n=13) No ICU care ( n=28) p valueWhite blood cell count, × 109/L6·2 ( 4·1–10·5) 11·3 ( 5·8–12·1) 5·7 ( 3·1–7·6) 0·011 < 410/40 ( 25%) 1/13 ( 8%) 9/27 ( 33%) 0·0414–1018/40 ( 45%) 5/13 ( 38%) 13/27 ( 48%).. > 1012/40 ( 30%) 7/13 ( 54%) 5/27 ( 19%).. Neutrophil count, × 109/L5·0 ( 3·3–8·9) 10·6 ( 5·0–11·8) 4·4 ( 2·0–6·1) 0·00069Lymphocyte count, × 109/L0·8 ( 0·6–1·1) 0·4 ( 0·2–0·8) 1·0 ( 0·7–1·1) 0·0041 < 1·026/41 ( 63%) 11/13 ( 85%) 15/28 ( 54%) 0·045≥1·015/41 ( 37%) 2/13 ( 15%) 13/28 ( 46%).. Haemoglobin, g/L126·0 ( 118·0–140·0) 122·0 ( 111·0–128·0) 130·5 ( 120·0–140·0) 0·20Platelet count, × 109/L164·5 ( 131·5–263·0) 196·0 ( 165·0–263·0) 149·0 ( 131·0–263·0) 0·45 < 1002/40 ( 5%) 1/13 ( 8%) 1/27 ( 4%) 0·45≥10038/40 ( 95%) 12/13 ( 92%) 26/27 ( 96%).. Prothrombin time, s11·1 ( 10·1–12·4) 12·2 ( 11·2–13·4) 10·7 ( 9·8–12·1) 0·012Activated partial thromboplastin time, s27·0 ( 24·2–34·1) 26·2 ( 22·5–33·9) 27·7 ( 24·8–34·1) 0·57D-dimer, mg/L0·5 ( 0·3–1·3) 2·4 ( 0·6–14·4) 0·5 ( 0·3–0·8) 0·0042Albumin, g/L31·4 ( 28·9–36·0) 27·9 ( 26·3–30·9) 34·7 ( 30·2–36·5) 0·00066Alanine aminotransferase, U/L32·0 ( 21·0–50·0) 49·0 ( 29·0–115·0) 27·0 ( 19·5–40·0) 0·038Aspartate aminotransferase, U/L34·0 ( 26·0–48·0) 44·0 ( 30·0–70·0) 34·0 ( 24·0–40·5) 0·10≤4026/41 ( 63%) 5/13 ( 38%) 21/28 ( 75%) 0·025 > 4015/41 ( 37%) 8/13 ( 62%) 7/28 ( 25%).. Total bilirubin, mmol/L11·7 ( 9·5–13·9) 14·0 ( 11·9–32·9) 10·8 ( 9·4–12·3) 0·011Potassium, mmol/L4·2 ( 3·8–4·8) 4·6 ( 4·0–5·0) 4·1 ( 3·8–4·6) 0·27Sodium, mmol/L139·0 ( 137·0–140·0) 138·0 ( 137·0–139·0) 139·0 ( 137·5–140·5) 0·26Creatinine, μmol/L74·2 ( 57·5–85·7) 79·0 ( 53·1–92·7) 73·3 ( 57·5–84·7) 0·84≤13337/41 ( 90%) 11/13 ( 85%) 26/28 ( 93%) 0·42 > 1334/41 ( 10%) 2/13 ( 15%) 2/28 ( 7%).. Creatine kinase, U/L132·5 ( 62·0–219·0) 132·0 ( 82·0–493·0) 133·0 ( 61·0–189·0) 0·31≤18527/40 ( 68%) 7/13 ( 54%) 20/27 ( 74%) 0·21 > 18513/40 ( 33%) 6/13 ( 46%) 7/27 ( 26%).. Lactate dehydrogenase, U/L286·0 ( 242·0–408·0) 400·0 ( 323·0–578·0) 281·0 ( 233·0–357·0) 0·0044≤24511/40 ( 28%) 1/13 ( 8%) 10/27 ( 37%) 0·036 > 24529/40 ( 73%) 12/13 ( 92%) 17/27 ( 63%).. Hypersensitive troponin I, pg/mL3·4 ( 1·1–9·1) 3·3 ( 3·0–163·0) 3·5 ( 0·7–5·4) 0·075 > 28 ( 99th percentile) 5/41 ( 12%) 4/13 ( 31%) 1/28 ( 4%) 0·017Procalcitonin, ng/mL0·1 ( 0·1–0·1) 0·1 ( 0·1–0·4) 0·1 ( 0·1–0·1) 0·031 < 0·127/39 ( 69%) 6/12 ( 50%) 21/27 ( 78%) 0·029≥0·1 to < 0·257/39 ( 18%) 3/12 ( 25%) 4/27 ( 15%).. ≥0·25 to < 0·52/39 ( 5%) 0/122/27 ( 7%).. ≥0·53/39 ( 8%) 3/12 ( 25%) * Complicated typical secondary infection during the first hospitalisation.0/27.. Bilateral involvement of chest radiographs40/41 ( 98%) 13/13 ( 100%) 27/28 ( 96%) 0·68Cycle threshold of respiratory tract32·2 ( 31·0–34·5) 31·1 ( 30·0–33·5) 32·2 ( 31·1–34·7) 0·39Data are median ( IQR) or n/N (%), where N is the total number of patients with available data. p values comparing ICU care and no ICU care are from χ2, Fisher's exact test, or Mann-Whitney U test. 2019-nCoV=2019 novel coronavirus. ICU=intensive care unit. * Complicated typical secondary infection during the first hospitalisation. Open table in a new tab
Data are median ( IQR) or n/N (%), where N is the total number of patients with available data. p values comparing ICU care and no ICU care are from χ2, Fisher's exact test, or Mann-Whitney U test. 2019-nCoV=2019 novel coronavirus. ICU=intensive care unit.
Most patients had normal serum levels of procalcitonin on admission ( procalcitonin < 0·1 ng/mL; 27 [ 69% ] patients; table 2). Four ICU patients developed secondary infections. Three of the four patients with secondary infection had procalcitonin greater than 0·5 ng/mL ( 0·69 ng/mL, 1·46 ng/mL, and 6·48 ng/mL).
On admission, abnormalities in chest CT images were detected among all patients. Of the 41 patients, 40 ( 98%) had bilateral involvement ( table 2). The typical findings of chest CT images of ICU patients on admission were bilateral multiple lobular and subsegmental areas of consolidation ( figure 3A). The representative chest CT findings of non-ICU patients showed bilateral ground-glass opacity and subsegmental areas of consolidation ( figure 3B). Later chest CT images showed bilateral ground-glass opacity, whereas the consolidation had been resolved ( figure 3C).Figure 3Chest CT imagesShow full caption ( A) Transverse chest CT images from a 40-year-old man showing bilateral multiple lobular and subsegmental areas of consolidation on day 15 after symptom onset. Transverse chest CT images from a 53-year-old woman showing bilateral ground-glass opacity and subsegmental areas of consolidation on day 8 after symptom onset ( B), and bilateral ground-glass opacity on day 12 after symptom onset ( C).View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download ( PPT)
( A) Transverse chest CT images from a 40-year-old man showing bilateral multiple lobular and subsegmental areas of consolidation on day 15 after symptom onset. Transverse chest CT images from a 53-year-old woman showing bilateral ground-glass opacity and subsegmental areas of consolidation on day 8 after symptom onset ( B), and bilateral ground-glass opacity on day 12 after symptom onset ( C).
Initial plasma IL1B, IL1RA, IL7, IL8, IL9, IL10, basic FGF, GCSF, GMCSF, IFNγ, IP10, MCP1, MIP1A, MIP1B, PDGF, TNFα, and VEGF concentrations were higher in both ICU patients and non-ICU patients than in healthy adults ( appendix pp 6–7). Plasma levels of IL5, IL12p70, IL15, Eotaxin, and RANTES were similar between healthy adults and patients infected with 2019-nCoV. Further comparison between ICU and non-ICU patients showed that plasma concentrations of IL2, IL7, IL10, GCSF, IP10, MCP1, MIP1A, and TNFα were higher in ICU patients than non-ICU patients.
All patients had pneumonia. Common complications included ARDS ( 12 [ 29% ] of 41 patients), followed by RNAaemia ( six [ 15% ] patients), acute cardiac injury ( five [ 12% ] patients), and secondary infection ( four [ 10% ] patients; table 3). Invasive mechanical ventilation was required in four ( 10%) patients, with two of them ( 5%) had refractory hypoxaemia and received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as salvage therapy. All patients were administered with empirical antibiotic treatment, and 38 ( 93%) patients received antiviral therapy ( oseltamivir). Additionally, nine ( 22%) patients were given systematic corticosteroids. A comparison of clinical features between patients who received and did not receive systematic corticosteroids is in the appendix ( pp 1–5).Table 3Treatments and outcomes of patients infected with 2019-nCoVAll patients ( n=41) ICU care ( n=13) No ICU care ( n=28) p valueDuration from illness onset to first admission7·0 ( 4·0–8·0) 7·0 ( 4·0–8·0) 7·0 ( 4·0–8·5) 0·87ComplicationsAcute respiratory distress syndrome12 ( 29%) 11 ( 85%) 1 ( 4%) < 0·0001RNAaemia6 ( 15%) 2 ( 15%) 4 ( 14%) 0·93Cycle threshold of RNAaemia35·1 ( 34·7–35·1) 35·1 ( 35·1–35·1) 34·8 ( 34·1–35·4) 0·35Acute cardiac injury * Defined as blood levels of hypersensitive troponin I above the 99th percentile upper reference limit ( > 28 pg/mL) or new abnormalities shown on electrocardiography and echocardiography.5 ( 12%) 4 ( 31%) 1 ( 4%) 0·017Acute kidney injury3 ( 7%) 3 ( 23%) 00·027Secondary infection4 ( 10%) 4 ( 31%) 00·0014Shock3 ( 7%) 3 ( 23%) 00·027TreatmentAntiviral therapy38 ( 93%) 12 ( 92%) 26 ( 93%) 0·46Antibiotic therapy41 ( 100%) 13 ( 100%) 28 ( 100%) NAUse of corticosteroid9 ( 22%) 6 ( 46%) 3 ( 11%) 0·013Continuous renal replacement therapy3 ( 7%) 3 ( 23%) 00·027Oxygen support...... < 0·0001Nasal cannula27 ( 66%) 1 ( 8%) 26 ( 93%).. Non-invasive ventilation or high-flow nasal cannula10 ( 24%) 8 ( 62%) 2 ( 7%).. Invasive mechanical ventilation2 ( 5%) 2 ( 15%) 0.. Invasive mechanical ventilation and ECMO2 ( 5%) 2 ( 15%) 0.. Prognosis...... 0·014Hospitalisation7 ( 17%) 1 ( 8%) 6 ( 21%).. Discharge28 ( 68%) 7 ( 54%) 21 ( 75%).. Death6 ( 15%) 5 ( 38%) 1 ( 4%).. Data are median ( IQR) or n (%). p values are comparing ICU care and no ICU care. 2019-nCoV=2019 novel coronavirus. ICU=intensive care unit. NA=not applicable. ECMO=extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. * Defined as blood levels of hypersensitive troponin I above the 99th percentile upper reference limit ( > 28 pg/mL) or new abnormalities shown on electrocardiography and echocardiography. Open table in a new tab
Data are median ( IQR) or n (%). p values are comparing ICU care and no ICU care. 2019-nCoV=2019 novel coronavirus. ICU=intensive care unit. NA=not applicable. ECMO=extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
As of Jan 22, 2020, 28 ( 68%) of 41 patients have been discharged and six ( 15%) patients have died. Fitness for discharge was based on abatement of fever for at least 10 days, with improvement of chest radiographic evidence and viral clearance in respiratory samples from upper respiratory tract.
We report here a cohort of 41 patients with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection. Patients had serious, sometimes fatal, pneumonia and were admitted to the designated hospital in Wuhan, China, by Jan 2, 2020. Clinical presentations greatly resemble SARS-CoV. Patients with severe illness developed ARDS and required ICU admission and oxygen therapy. The time between hospital admission and ARDS was as short as 2 days. At this stage, the mortality rate is high for 2019-nCoV, because six ( 15%) of 41 patients in this cohort died.
The number of deaths is rising quickly. As of Jan 24, 2020, 835 laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infections were reported in China, with 25 fatal cases. Reports have been released of exported cases in many provinces in China, and in other countries; some health-care workers have also been infected in Wuhan. Taken together, evidence so far indicates human transmission for 2019-nCoV. We are concerned that 2019-nCoV could have acquired the ability for efficient human transmission.19Perlman S Netland J Coronaviruses post-SARS: update on replication and pathogenesis.Nat Rev Microbiol. 2009; 7: 439-450Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 825) Google Scholar Airborne precautions, such as a fit-tested N95 respirator, and other personal protective equipment are strongly recommended. To prevent further spread of the disease in health-care settings that are caring for patients infected with 2019-nCoV, onset of fever and respiratory symptoms should be closely monitored among health-care workers. Testing of respiratory specimens should be done immediately once a diagnosis is suspected. Serum antibodies should be tested among health-care workers before and after their exposure to 2019-nCoV for identification of asymptomatic infections.
Similarities of clinical features between 2019-nCoV and previous betacoronavirus infections have been noted. In this cohort, most patients presented with fever, dry cough, dyspnoea, and bilateral ground-glass opacities on chest CT scans. These features of 2019-nCoV infection bear some resemblance to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infections.20Lee N Hui D Wu A et al.A major outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong.N Engl J Med. 2003; 348: 1986-1994Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 1693) Google Scholar, 21Assiri A Al-Tawfiq JA Al-Rabeeah AA et al.Epidemiological, demographic, and clinical characteristics of 47 cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease from Saudi Arabia: a descriptive study.Lancet Infect Dis. 2013; 13: 752-761Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus ( 839) Google Scholar However, few patients with 2019-nCoV infection had prominent upper respiratory tract signs and symptoms ( eg, rhinorrhoea, sneezing, or sore throat), indicating that the target cells might be located in the lower airway. Furthermore, 2019-nCoV patients rarely developed intestinal signs and symptoms ( eg, diarrhoea), whereas about 20–25% of patients with MERS-CoV or SARS-CoV infection had diarrhoea.21Assiri A Al-Tawfiq JA Al-Rabeeah AA et al.Epidemiological, demographic, and clinical characteristics of 47 cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease from Saudi Arabia: a descriptive study.Lancet Infect Dis. 2013; 13: 752-761Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus ( 839) Google Scholar Faecal and urine samples should be tested to exclude a potential alternative route of transmission that is unknown at this stage.
The pathophysiology of unusually high pathogenicity for SARS-CoV or MERS-CoV has not been completely understood. Early studies have shown that increased amounts of proinflammatory cytokines in serum ( eg, IL1B, IL6, IL12, IFNγ, IP10, and MCP1) were associated with pulmonary inflammation and extensive lung damage in SARS patients.22Wong CK Lam CWK Wu AKL et al.Plasma inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in severe acute respiratory syndrome.Clin Exp Immunol. 2004; 136: 95-103Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 738) Google Scholar MERS-CoV infection was also reported to induce increased concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines ( IFNγ, TNFα, IL15, and IL17).23Mahallawi WH Khabour OF Zhang Q Makhdoum HM Suliman BA MERS-CoV infection in humans is associated with a pro-inflammatory Th1 and Th17 cytokine profile.Cytokine. 2018; 104: 8-13Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 304) Google Scholar We noted that patients infected with 2019-nCoV also had high amounts of IL1B, IFNγ, IP10, and MCP1, probably leading to activated T-helper-1 ( Th1) cell responses. Moreover, patients requiring ICU admission had higher concentrations of GCSF, IP10, MCP1, MIP1A, and TNFα than did those not requiring ICU admission, suggesting that the cytokine storm was associated with disease severity. However, 2019-nCoV infection also initiated increased secretion of T-helper-2 ( Th2) cytokines ( eg, IL4 and IL10) that suppress inflammation, which differs from SARS-CoV infection.22Wong CK Lam CWK Wu AKL et al.Plasma inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in severe acute respiratory syndrome.Clin Exp Immunol. 2004; 136: 95-103Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 738) Google Scholar Further studies are necessary to characterise the Th1 and Th2 responses in 2019-nCoV infection and to elucidate the pathogenesis. Autopsy or biopsy studies would be the key to understand the disease.
In view of the high amount of cytokines induced by SARS-CoV,22Wong CK Lam CWK Wu AKL et al.Plasma inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in severe acute respiratory syndrome.Clin Exp Immunol. 2004; 136: 95-103Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 738) Google Scholar, 24He L Ding Y Zhang Q et al.Expression of elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in SARS-CoV-infected ACE2+ cells in SARS patients: relation to the acute lung injury and pathogenesis of SARS.J Pathol. 2006; 210: 288-297Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 218) Google Scholar MERS-CoV,25Faure E Poissy J Goffard A et al.Distinct immune response in two MERS-CoV-infected patients: can we go from bench to bedside?.PLoS One. 2014; 9e88716Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 157) Google Scholar, 26Falzarano D de Wit E Rasmussen AL et al.Treatment with interferon-α2b and ribavirin improves outcome in MERS-CoV-infected rhesus macaques.Nat Med. 2013; 19: 1313-1317Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 321) Google Scholar and 2019-nCoV infections, corticosteroids were used frequently for treatment of patients with severe illness, for possible benefit by reducing inflammatory-induced lung injury. However, current evidence in patients with SARS and MERS suggests that receiving corticosteroids did not have an effect on mortality, but rather delayed viral clearance.27Stockman LJ Bellamy R Garner P SARS: systematic review of treatment effects.PLoS Med. 2006; 3: e343Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 707) Google Scholar, 28Lansbury L Rodrigo C Leonardi-Bee J Nguyen-Van-Tam J Lim WS Corticosteroids as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of influenza.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019; 2: CD010406PubMed Google Scholar, 29Arabi YM Mandourah Y Al-Hameed F et al.Corticosteroid therapy for critically ill patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018; 197: 757-767Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 560) Google Scholar Therefore, corticosteroids should not be routinely given systemically, according to WHO interim guidance.30WHOClinical management of severe acute respiratory infection when novel coronavirus ( nCoV) infection is suspected.https: //www.who.int/internal-publications-detail/clinical-management-of-severe-acute-respiratory-infection-when-novel-coronavirus- ( ncov) -infection-is-suspectedDate: Jan 11, 2020Date accessed: January 19, 2020Google Scholar Among our cohort of 41 laboratory-confirmed patients with 2019-nCoV infection, corticosteroids were given to very few non-ICU cases, and low-to-moderate dose of corticosteroids were given to less than half of severely ill patients with ARDS. Further evidence is urgently needed to assess whether systematic corticosteroid treatment is beneficial or harmful for patients infected with 2019-nCoV.
No antiviral treatment for coronavirus infection has been proven to be effective. In a historical control study,31Chu CM Role of lopinavir/ritonavir in the treatment of SARS: initial virological and clinical findings.Thorax. 2004; 59: 252-256Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 972) Google Scholar the combination of lopinavir and ritonavir among SARS-CoV patients was associated with substantial clinical benefit ( fewer adverse clinical outcomes). Arabi and colleagues initiated a placebo-controlled trial of interferon beta-1b, lopinavir, and ritonavir among patients with MERS infection in Saudi Arabia.32Arabi YM Alothman A Balkhy HH et al.Treatment of Middle East respiratory syndrome with a combination of lopinavir-ritonavir and interferon-β1b ( MIRACLE trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Trials. 2018; 19: 81Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 169) Google Scholar Preclinical evidence showed the potent efficacy of remdesivir ( a broad-spectrum antiviral nucleotide prodrug) to treat MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV infections.33Sheahan TP Sims AC Graham RL et al.Broad-spectrum antiviral GS-5734 inhibits both epidemic and zoonotic coronaviruses.Sci Transl Med. 2017; 9eaal3653Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 758) Google Scholar, 34Sheahan TP Sims AC Leist SR et al.Comparative therapeutic efficacy of remdesivir and combination lopinavir, ritonavir, and interferon beta against MERS-CoV.Nat Commun. 2020; 11: 222Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 859) Google Scholar As 2019-nCoV is an emerging virus, an effective treatment has not been developed for disease resulting from this virus. Since the combination of lopinavir and ritonavir was already available in the designated hospital, a randomised controlled trial has been initiated quickly to assess the efficacy and safety of combined use of lopinavir and ritonavir in patients hospitalised with 2019-nCoV infection.
Our study has some limitations. First, for most of the 41 patients, the diagnosis was confirmed with lower respiratory tract specimens and no paired nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained to investigate the difference in the viral RNA detection rate between upper and lower respiratory tract specimens. Serological detection was not done to look for 2019-nCoV antibody rises in 18 patients with undetectable viral RNA. Second, with the limited number of cases, it is difficult to assess host risk factors for disease severity and mortality with multivariable-adjusted methods. This is a modest-sized case series of patients admitted to hospital; collection of standardised data for a larger cohort would help to further define the clinical presentation, natural history, and risk factors. Further studies in outpatient, primary care, or community settings are needed to get a full picture of the spectrum of clinical severity. At the same time, finding of statistical tests and p values should be interpreted with caution, and non-significant p values do not necessarily rule out difference between ICU and non-ICU patients. Third, since the causative pathogen has just been identified, kinetics of viral load and antibody titres were not available. Finally, the potential exposure bias in our study might account for why no paediatric or adolescent patients were reported in this cohort. More effort should be made to answer these questions in future studies.
Both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV were believed to originate in bats, and these infections were transmitted directly to humans from market civets and dromedary camels, respectively.35Cui J Li F Shi Z-L Origin and evolution of pathogenic coronaviruses.Nat Rev Microbiol. 2019; 17: 181-192Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 1761) Google Scholar Extensive research on SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV has driven the discovery of many SARS-like and MERS-like coronaviruses in bats. In 2013, Ge and colleagues36Ge X-Y Li J-L Yang X-L et al.Isolation and characterization of a bat SARS-like coronavirus that uses the ACE2 receptor.Nature. 2013; 503: 535-538Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 850) Google Scholar reported the whole genome sequence of a SARS-like coronavirus in bats with that ability to use human ACE2 as a receptor, thus having replication potentials in human cells.37Wang M Hu Z Bats as animal reservoirs for the SARS coronavirus: hypothesis proved after 10 years of virus hunting.Virol Sin. 2013; 28: 315-317Crossref PubMed Scopus ( 10) Google Scholar 2019-nCoV still needs to be studied deeply in case it becomes a global health threat. Reliable quick pathogen tests and feasible differential diagnosis based on clinical description are crucial for clinicians in their first contact with suspected patients. Because of the pandemic potential of 2019-nCoV, careful surveillance is essential to monitor its future host adaption, viral evolution, infectivity, transmissibility, and pathogenicity.
This online publication has been corrected. The corrected version first appeared at thelancet.com on January 30, 2020
This online publication has been corrected. The corrected version first appeared at thelancet.com on January 30, 2020
BC and JW had the idea for and designed the study and had full access to all data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. YWa, GF, XG, JiXu, HL, and BC contributed to writing of the report. BC contributed to critical revision of the report. YWa, GF, XG, JiXu, and HL contributed to the statistical analysis. All authors contributed to data acquisition, data analysis, or data interpretation, and reviewed and approved the final version.
All authors declare no competing interests.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Participant data without names and identifiers will be made available after approval from the corresponding author and National Health Commission. After publication of study findings, the data will be available for others to request. The research team will provide an email address for communication once the data are approved to be shared with others. The proposal with detailed description of study objectives and statistical analysis plan will be needed for evaluation of the reasonability to request for our data. The corresponding author and National Health Commission will make a decision based on these materials. Additional materials may also be required during the process.
This work is funded by the Special Project for Emergency of the Ministry of Science and Technology ( 2020YFC0841300) Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences ( CAMS) Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences ( CIFMS 2018-I2M-1-003), a National Science Grant for Distinguished Young Scholars ( 81425001/H0104), the National Key Research and Development Program of China ( 2018YFC1200102), The Beijing Science and Technology Project ( Z19110700660000), CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences ( 2016-I2M-1-014), and National Mega-projects for Infectious Diseases in China ( 2017ZX10103004 and 2018ZX10305409). We acknowledge all health-care workers involved in the diagnosis and treatment of patients in Wuhan; we thank the Chinese National Health Commission for coordinating data collection for patients with 2019-nCoV infection; we thank WHO and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium ( ISARIC) for sharing data collection templates publicly on the website; and we thank Prof Chen Wang and Prof George F Gao for guidance in study design and interpretation of results.
Download.pdf (.25 MB) Help with pdf files Supplementary appendix
Data sharing and outbreaks: best practice exemplifiedThe current outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV) is yet another example of the importance of infections at the animal–human interface, and the concerns that arise from the emergence of a newly identified organism as it spreads through human populations and across national and international borders. Full-Text PDF A novel coronavirus outbreak of global health concernIn December, 2019, Wuhan, Hubei province, China, became the centre of an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause, which raised intense attention not only within China but internationally. Chinese health authorities did an immediate investigation to characterise and control the disease, including isolation of people suspected to have the disease, close monitoring of contacts, epidemiological and clinical data collection from patients, and development of diagnostic and treatment procedures. By Jan 7, 2020, Chinese scientists had isolated a novel coronavirus ( CoV) from patients in Wuhan. Full-Text PDF Full spectrum of COVID-19 severity still being depictedChaolin Huang and colleagues1 first reported the clinical features of patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2; previously known as 2019-nCoV), which emerged in Wuhan, China. Their study will contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of 2019 novel coronavirus disease ( COVID-19). Meanwhile, the conclusions have caused a certain degree of social panic. Full-Text PDF The first 2019 novel coronavirus case in NepalIn January, 2020, the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV) in China spread progressively to other countries,1,2 with WHO declaring it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.3 Among the affected countries beyond China ( where 12 307 cases and 259 deaths were reported as of Feb 1, 2020) are others in Asia, including Nepal.4 Full-Text PDF Therapeutic and triage strategies for 2019 novel coronavirus disease in fever clinicsIn December, 2019, numerous unexplained pneumonia cases occurred in Wuhan, China. This outbreak was confirmed to be caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2), belonging to the same family of viruses responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome ( MERS).1 The SARS epidemic in 2003 was controlled through numerous measures in China. One effective strategy was the establishment of fever clinics for triaging patients. Based on our first-hand experience in dealing with the present outbreak in Wuhan, we have established the following clinical strategies in adult fever clinics ( figure). Full-Text PDF Full spectrum of COVID-19 severity still being depicted – Authors ' replyZhou Xu and colleagues point out that mortality, which should be referred correctly and more clearly as case fatality ratio, among the first 41 cases with laboratory-confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus disease ( COVID-19; previously known as 2019-nCoV) was misleading in our Article.1 Full-Text PDF The many estimates of the COVID-19 case fatality rateSince the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19) began in December, a question at the forefront of many people's minds has been its mortality rate. Is the mortality rate of COVID-19 higher than that of influenza, but lower than that of severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS)? Full-Text PDF Department of ErrorHuang C, Wang Y, Li X, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet 2020; published online Jan 24. https: //doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736 ( 20) 30183-5—In this Article, in Procedures, we have corrected the primer sequences for targeting the envelope gene of coronavirus; in the Summary and Data collection, we have corrected the text to reflect that the modified case record form for severe acute respiratory infection clinical characterisation was developed by WHO and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium ( ISARIC) together; we have updated the margin link to the ISARIC–WHO case record form; we have updated the Acknowledgments; and in the tables, we updated p values ( three in table 2 and one each in tables 1 and 3) so that they are all given to two significant figures. Full-Text PDF | tech |
How much longer will we trust Google’ s search results? | Happy Friday to you! I have been reflecting a bit on the controversy du jour: Google’ s redesigned search results. Google is trying to foreground sourcing and URLs, but in the process it made its results look more like ads, or vice versa. Bottom line: Google’ s ads just look like search results now.
I’ m thinking about it because I have to admit that I don’ t personally hate the new favicon -plus-URL structure. But I think that might be because I am not a normal consumer of web content. I’ ve been on the web since the late ‘ 90s and I parse information out of URLs kind of without thinking about it. ( In fact, the relative decline of valuable information getting encoded into the URL is a thing that makes me sad.)
I admit that I am not a normal user. I set up custom Chrome searches and export them to my other browsers. I know what SERP means and the term kind of slips out in regular conversation sometimes. I have opinions about AMP and its URL and caching structure. I’ m a weirdo.
As that weirdo, Google’ s design makes perfect sense and it’ s possible it might do the same for regular folk. The new layout for search result is ugly at first glance — but then Google was always ugly until relatively recently. I very quickly learned to unconsciously take in the information from the top favicon and URL-esque info without it really distracting me.
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... Which is basically the problem. Google’ s using that same design language to identify its ads instead of much more obvious, visually distinct methods. It’ s consistent, I guess, but it also feels deceptive.
Recode’ s Peter Kafka recently interviewed Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti, and Peretti said something really insightful: what if Google’ s ads really aren’ t that good? What if Google is just taking credit for clicks on ads just because people would have been searching for that stuff anyway? I’ ve been thinking about it all day: what if Google ads actually aren’ t that effective and the only reason they make so much is billions of people use Google?
The pressure to make them more effective would be fairly strong, then, wouldn’ t it? And it would get increasingly hard to resist that pressure over time.
I am old enough to remember using the search engines before Google. I didn’ t know how bad their search technology was compared to what was to come, but I did have to bounce between several of them to find what I wanted. Knowing what was a good search for WebCrawler and what was good for Yahoo was one of my Power User Of The Internet skills.
So when Google hit, I didn’ t realize how powerful and good the PageRank technology was right away. What I noticed right away is that I could trust the search results to be “ organic ” instead of paid and that there were no dark patterns tricking me into clicking on an ad.
One of the reasons Google won search in the first place with old people like me was that in addition to its superior technology, it drew a harder line against allowing paid advertisements into its search results than its competitors.
With other search engines, there was the problem of “ paid inclusion, ” which is the rare business practice that does exactly what the phrase means. You never really knew if what you were seeing was the result of a web-crawling bot or a business deal.
This new ad layout doesn’ t cross that line, but it’ s definitely problematic and it definitely reduces my trust in Google’ s results. It’ s not so much paid inclusion as paid occlusion.
Today, I still trust Google to not allow business dealings to affect the rankings of its organic results, but how much does that matter if most people can’ t visually tell the difference at first glance? And how much does that matter when certain sections of Google, like hotels and flights, do use paid inclusion? And how much does that matter when business dealings very likely do affect the outcome of what you get when you use the next generation of search, the Google Assistant?
And most of all: if Google is willing to visually muddle ads, how long until its users lose trust in the algorithm itself? With this change, Google is becoming what it once sought to overcome: AltaVista.
If you’ re in need of a distraction from the news, several gaming publishers and developers have made their games cheap ( or in some cases free) to lighten the mood. We’ ve pulled together all of the timely discounts on games for your phone, PC, and gaming console right here. The list includes titles like Alto’ s Odyssey ( iOS, Android), Life is Strange ( PS4, Xbox One), The Sims 4 ( PC), and more.
Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy. Prices displayed are based on the MSRP at time of posting.
└ I trained with Tonal, the ‘ Peloton for weightlifting’
Excellent review from Natt Garun.
Tonal is unique in this field for its focus on weight training instead of cardio. Think of the machine like a slimmer, low-profile Bowflex that mounts flush against the wall rather than taking up an entire corner of your room. With arms that can be adjusted and folded away, it’ s also a bit less likely to end up as an expensive coat rack.
└ Apple Watch gym partnerships give you perks for working out
└ Google I/O 2020 will kick off on May 12th
Every year Google does a little online game or coding challenge and every year it’ s solved really quickly. This year Google leaned into that and it seems to have worked.
It’ s a little too early for me to guess what we can expect at I/O this year. Google itself often doesn’ t decide until the last minute. Given everything that’ s happened in the past year, though, I’ l say this: if the entire keynote was just a frank discussion of Google’ s privacy policies and how it intends to be more transparent about what data is has on us and how we can control it, I wouldn’ t complain.
└ How to FBI-proof your encrypted iPhone backups
Barbara Krasnoff had to do way more legwork to get the full, accurate story here than you might think just by reading this. I do think Apple could do a much better job simplifying the settings for people who don’ t want Apple to have the keys for their backups. But I also think writing a similar guide for Android would be similarly complicated.
└ Samsung’ s T7 Touch puts a speedier SSD in a smaller, more secure case
└ Comcast plans price hikes for cable customers as it looks ahead to streaming Peacock launch
Price hikes? Check. Reduced investment in building out broadband infrastructure? Check. Data caps? Check. Exempting your own streaming video service from data caps? Check. Huge cable company shamelessly exploiting the fact that net neutrality is dead and doing the very thing that net neutrality opponents promised wouldn’ t happen, assuming that either nobody would notice or at the very least nobody would connect the dots between this and the lack of regulation that allowed it? Check check and check again. ( Disclosure: NBCU is an investor in The Verge’ s parent company, Vox Media.)
└ Everything you need to know about the new coronavirus in China
└ Samsung’ s next foldable may have an ‘ ultra thin’ glass display
If this turns out to be true, it’ s a huge deal. And it will be a huge problem for Motorola, whose Razr will only have been on the market for five days when Samsung announces the Z Flip on the 11th.
Maybe it’ s just because it’ s a new form factor, but I’ m getting more and more excited about folding phones. For years we’ ve watched phones get bigger and less pocketable and for whatever reason ( the reason is probably that they don’ t sell well), nobody is making high-quality small phones anymore.
Foldables aren’ t exactly that, but they’ re at least heading in the right direction. I will gladly take a little more thickness on the Z axis ( maybe THAT is why it’ s called the Z Flip!) if it means having a big-screen phone that doesn’ t stick out of my pocket.
└ Sonos CEO apologizes for confusion, says legacy products will work ‘ as long as possible’
It’ s notable that nothing actually changed here policy-wise: Sonos is still going to try to support these speakers, it is still admitting it won’ t be able to provide software updates, and it will still try to figure out a way to cordon these legacy products off so they don’ t hold newer products back in people’ s home.
Okay, one very important thing has changed: Sonos admitted it really screwed up the communication around these changes. It’ s been a mess since the recycling mode first came to light. You can’ t unring a bell, but it’ s at least good to admit you screwed up in the first place.
| tech |
Shanghai Disney shuts to prevent spread of virus | Walt Disney's Shanghai Disney Resort will be closed until further notice to help China stop the spread of a flu-like virus, costing the theme park operator revenue during the country's biggest holiday season.
China is on a seven-day Lunar New Year holiday, a period when the Shanghai Disney park would be usually packed with tourists. Last year Shanghai Disney had to stop selling tickets to visitors as the park got overcrowded.
`` In response to the prevention and control of the disease outbreak and in order to ensure the health and safety of our guests and Cast, Shanghai Disney Resort is temporarily closing Shanghai Disneyland, Disneytown... starting Jan. 25, '' the company said on its website.
`` We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and... announce the reopening date upon confirmation. ''
Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, and neighboring Huanggang, a city of about 7 million people, were in virtual lockdown, with restrictions in place elsewhere. A new coronavirus which broke out in Wuhan, central China, late last year has killed 25 people and infected more than 800.
Many businesses including retailers, airlines, travel agencies and hotel operators are on high alert, as health authorities fear the infection rate could accelerate over the Lunar New Year, when hundreds of millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad.
The outbreak has already prompted seven Chinese films that were set to premiere during the holiday to postpone screenings, forgoing what is usually the best week of the year at the Chinese box office.
Disney said it would refund tickets for admission to Shanghai Disneyland, on China's east coast, more than 800 km from Wuhan, or other services at the park as well as hotel bookings.
The estimated financial impact on the U.S. company's first theme park in mainland China, which opened in mid-2016 in its largest overseas investment at $ 5.5 billion, was not immediately clear.
The company was not immediately available to comment.
Shanghai Disney carried out a resort-wide makeover this month for a four-week event through Feb. 9 to celebrate the Year of the Rat with its characters including Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse and target China's middle class and booming domestic tourism.
Walt Disney owns a 43% stake in Shanghai Disney Resort which has Shanghai Disneyland theme park and two hotels with a total of 1,220 rooms.
The impact on businesses is set to increase as China discourages locals from gathering in crowded places. It has already stepped up measures to contain the virus, with public transport suspensions in 10 cities, the shutting of temples and closing the Forbidden City, Beijing's most famous tourist attraction.
Japan's Fast Retailing Co Ltd said on Friday it has temporarily closed 17 Uniqlo stores in Wuhan. China is a key growth market for the company which faces a saturated market and weak consumer spending in Japan. | business |
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Staff, Skift
January 24th, 2020 at 3:00 PM EST
The travel industry is starting to feel the impact from this latest global health crisis. How it responds to help contain the spread of the virus will set a new precedent while weathering an extensive disruption to its business.
Andrew Sheivachman
The coronavirus has rapidly become a serious global concern after first being detected in the final days of 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The travel industry is increasingly bracing for its impact.
Chinese officials reported Friday that there are 830 cases and 26 deaths, and there are confirmed cases in countries including the U.S., Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and others. The quarantine has been expanded to 12 cities including the epicenter of Wuhan — an area representing an astonishing 35 million people.
The World Health Organization on Thursday, called for precautions, but fell short of declaring a “ a global emergency, ” at least for now.
The travel industry may experience an outsize impact and disruption from efforts to contain the spread of the virus. Here’ s a breakdown of coronavirus’ impact so far on key travel sectors: tourism, aviation, hotels, and business travel.
When it comes to the tourism sector, the damage of the coronavirus is as much about the seriousness of the virus itself as its inauspicious timing. China’ s Lunar New Year begins on Friday, which under normal circumstances would kick off the biggest annual mass movement of people in China, and indeed the world.
An estimated 400 million Chinese travelers totaling three billion trips were expected to travel for the several-weeks-long holiday period to other areas of China and countries across the Asia-Pacific region. It can be the only time of the year that some rural Chinese workers see their families.
This creates a major challenge for the destinations bracing to receive ( and now, monitor) all those arriving tourists. In keeping with World Health Organization advice, screening for passengers arriving from China with the use of thermal scanners has been ramped up at airports across the world, the Associated Press reported. In the UK, universities warned Chinese students that they may be quarantined upon return from China if they choose to travel home.
Another challenge is the expected loss of revenue that will occur as a result of many travelers staying home. The quarantine means that millions of people are unable to leave the region, including on flights. As such, a significant drop in the volume of people traveling for the season from that region is to be expected. In other regions, it’ s likely that people will stay home or cancel trips out of fear or precaution. This could have economic implications similar to the SARS crisis of 2003, wrote Rajiv Biswas, chief economist for IHS Markit’ s Asia-Pacific region.
“ The 2003 SARS crisis created a severe negative impact on GDP growth for the Chinese economy and also hit the economies of a number of Southeast Asian nations, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. However, other economies are also vulnerable, with the SARS epidemic having also had a negative impact on the economies of Canada and Australia. Since the 2003 SARS crisis, China’ s international tourism has boomed, so the risks of a global SARS-like virus epidemic spreading globally have become even more severe. ”
He added that in addition to tourism, sectors including retail, restaurants, conferences, sporting, and aviation were at risk. Of particular concern was the effect on this year’ s Tokyo Summer Olympics if the epidemic proved to be as persistent as SARS, which in 2003 lasted for months.
On the bright side, observers have said that China’ s response time to this virus is much improved compared to the SARS crisis. European Tourism Association CEO Tom Jenkins said in a statement today that while the situation is in flux, “ we do know that the factors that led to the rapid spread of SARS are not being repeated. The Chinese authorities have been prompt in highlighting the problem, and are supplying daily updates on the situation. ” He added that precautions are in place across Europe and that while “ the virus is of major international concern, it remains a very remote threat — effectively no threat — for any traveler in Europe. ”
The foreign offices of many nations including the U.S. and the UK have advised citizens not to visit Wuhan. The U.S. State Department issued its highest alert — level four, meaning “ do not travel ” — in regards to Hubei Province and pointed to the CDC’ s guidance on the matter.
— Rosie Spinks, Global Tourism Reporter
For air travel, authorities at first were most concerned about flights to and from Wuhan, China, where the virus is thought to have originated. The airport there is now closed, but flights operated for several days after the virus was identified, including nonstops to San Francisco and New York.
Other flights in China remain active, though the country’ s aviation sector is in flux as regulators wrestle with how best to contain the virus. Air China, like all airlines, is offering free waivers and changes to customers who planned to visit Wuhan in the near future. But even in the airline’ s other markets, some customers are skittish.
“ These are trying times, as you can imagine, ” Zhihang Chi, Air China’ s vice president and general manager for North America, told Skift. “ Yes, we’ re watching it around the clock. There have been changes in our policies and procedures. … Our goal is to do our part to help stem the spread of the virus and lessen its impact on those who are affected. ”
With Wuhan on lockdown, airlines must no longer worry about carrying passengers from the source of the outbreak. Since coronavirus has spread quickly and is now no longer only in Wuhan, they must be prepared to contain it wherever they fly.
Past evidence suggests this is nearly impossible. Airlines and public health officials will end up quarantining people who are no threat — they might only have regular influenza, or a similar illness — while letting others go through. But being vigilant is their best defense, unless regulators want to shut down the world’ s air links, which seems impossible.
In a memo earlier this week, Los Angeles World Airports, operator of Los Angeles International Airport, outlined how the screening process works. First, it said, the Centers for Disease Control notifies the airline it wants to screen a passenger. Then, using a Mandarin interpreter, the CDC spends about five minutes examining the passenger. “ If someone is symptomatic at the initial screening, ” the memo stated, “ they are referred to a secondary screening to determine if the likely cause is common illness like the flu, or if tertiary screening is warranted. ” If it is, the memo stated, the fire department will transport the patient to a local hospital.
Airlines are also trying to be vigilant as they prepare flight crews for possible outbreaks.
In an internal memo this week, United Airlines told flight crews it was stocking all China flights — the carrier flies to Chengdu, Beijing, and Shanghai — with two virus response kits, one for the inbound flight and one for the return. Each kit is stocked with 100 nitrile gloves, one bottle of hand sanitizer, one bottle of hand soap, 20 sanicoms, and 20 face masks. The airline told members of the flight crew they may take face masks to use on layovers for their own safety.
While the kits could be effective in containing virus on board, it’ s also likely meant to assuage employee fears. The president of the flight attendants union at American Airlines this week urged that carrier to protect members against any chance of exposure. “ We will continue to speak out to ensure airlines are erring on the side of caution and putting our members’ health first in these dangerous times, ” Lori Bassani, the union president, said in a statement.
American has been issuing hand sanitizer wipes to its China-bound flight attendants, according to the airline. The carrier’ s medical director also has been giving information to crews about how to protect themselves. An airline spokesman said, “ The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority. ”
As the virus spreads, airlines likely will be under further pressure. In the near term, most of the panic is coming from passengers and crews headed to or from China. As more cases pop up elsewhere — a case was confirmed in Chicago on Friday — fear may expand. Eventually, passengers and crews even may have concerns about boarding domestic U.S. flights.
Longer term, there may be concern about airline finances, particularly among Asian airlines that do significant business in China. Between April 2002 and April 2003, when the SARS epidemic hit, Asian carriers in affected countries lost about 44 percent of their traffic, according to numbers published at the time by IATA, an industry trade group.
John Jackson, vice president for the Americas for Korean Air Lines, which has an enormous presence in mainland China, said he’ s watching the situation carefully. So far, he said, the airline temporarily has canceled Wuhan flights, offering refunds to passengers through Feb. 29.
“ We’ re watching it closely, but it’ s a little soon to see a big demand issue, ” he said. “ I’ m hopeful that the aggressive actions taken in Wuhan will keep it from becoming like SARS. ”
Among U.S. carriers, United has the most exposure to China, and airline officials said on last week’ s earnings call that revenue to Shanghai and Beijing had fallen 4 percent over the past 12 months, even before coronavirus. In a phone interview on Friday, a United spokesman said it’ s too soon to assess the financial affect of the coronavirus.
— Brian Sumers, Senior Aviation Business Editor
Hotels are waiving cancellation fees for travelers in affected regions.
Hilton has a waiver in place for guests who want to modify or cancel reservations at any Hilton-branded property in China. Guests traveling from China to Hilton-branded properties globally will also receive a waiver. For now, the waiver will apply to reservations through Feb. 8.
Guests are being encouraged to contact the Hilton Guest Assistance team if they have any questions. So far, Hilton has not seen any increase in questions from employees and guests, said company spokesman Nigel Glennie.
Hilton has four hotels in Wuhan and 5,980 hotels worldwide as of the third quarter of 2019.
“ Guest and team member welfare is a focus, and we are keeping a close eye on official updates from the World Health Organization, ” Glennie said.
Hyatt said it would waive cancellation or change fees for guests who have booked stays though Feb. 10 at any greater China Hyatt hotel through the company’ s official channels. That includes Hyatt.com, the World of Hyatt app, WeChat Mini Program, and the global contact center.
Guests from greater China who have booked stays through Feb. 10 at any Hyatt hotel in the Asia-Pacific region including Australia, Cambodia, greater China, Guam, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Saipan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam through official Hyatt channels will also be able to postpone or cancel reservations without paying a fee.
Those who have booked through an online booking site or other third parties will have to contact them.
“ In light of the recent cases of novel coronavirus, we are closely monitoring the situation and fully understand the concerns around traveling during this time, ” a Hyatt spokesperson said.
InterContinental Hotels Group ( IHG) said it would also waive cancellation or change fees at any IHG hotels in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, or the Taiwan region until Feb. 3. The waiver applies to bookings made directly with the hotel, through IHG.com, the IHG app, or IHG’ s central reservations center.
“ The health and well-being of our guests and employees is our top priority, ” said IHG spokesperson Jacob Hawkins. “ We are monitoring the situation and working very closely with local authorities. ”
Marriott International spokesperson Jeff Flaherty said it would waive cancellation fees until Feb. 8 for guests at its China hotels and guests from China who are traveling to other destinations globally.
The company is monitoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization’ s statements regarding the cases. A company spokesman said it would follow the guidelines from those agencies and the local health departments.
“ The well-being of our guests and associates are of paramount importance, ” the spokesperson said. “ Our hotels are following the guidelines of local authorities and reinforcing recommended measures on appropriate hygiene standards. ”
— Nancy Trejos, Hospitality Editor
Thus far, major corporations have yet to limit travel across Asia in response to the spread of the virus.
“ These infectious disease outbreaks at local, regional, and global levels are cyclical in that they happen every once in a while, ” said Dr. Robert Quigley, senior vice president and regional medical director of the Americas region for International SOS and MedAire. “ We saw similar outbreaks with H1N1, SARS, and the like. Now we have this coronavirus, and we don’ t know what the severity or the magnitude will be. This is another reminder for travelers to stay vigilant and aware of their surroundings. It is easy to become lackadaisical when it comes to personal care, but it is crucial to always practice universal health precautions when traveling. ”
If business travelers are experiencing any flu-like symptoms, continued Quigley, they should immediately contact their company and avoid traveling. Having a flexible itinerary will be key as cancellations continue to mount in the effort to contain the virus.
— Andrew Sheivachman, Senior Enterprise Editor
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Staff, Skift
January 24th, 2020 at 3:00 PM EST
Tags: aviation, china, coronavirus, lunar new year, tourism, travel
Photo credit: An advisory in Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea. Ahn Young-Joon / AP Photo
Subscribe to Skift Pro to get unlimited access to stories like these ( $ 25/month) | general |
Lunar New Year means everything in China. Canceling celebrations is a massive deal | Saturday marks the first day of the Lunar New Year, also known in China as Spring Festival. It's a time when families gather, often traveling huge distances to go home. Revelers gorge on banquets, give each other packets of money known as `` hong bao, '' wear the lucky color red, and set off firecrackers to scare off the legendary half-dragon, half-lion monster `` Nian '' who comes out of hiding during Lunar New Year.
But this year, the festive season has become a season of fear.
At a time when people would normally be enjoying New Year festivities, China is experiencing a coronavirus outbreak. In the six weeks since the outbreak began in the central city of Wuhan, 26 people have died and 830 people have fallen ill in mainland China from the virus, which is similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS).
Wuhan -- and several surrounding cities -- are in partial lockdown. Authorities in Beijing have canceled all large-scale Lunar New Year celebrations, including traditional fairs and celebrations around temples.
And there's other things that threaten to put a dampener on the holiday period, which lasts for 15 days.
Shanghai Disneyland has temporarily closed its doors. Seven blockbuster movies that were set to hit theaters this weekend have been canceled or postponed -- a big deal given the holiday period is usually a huge draw for moviegoers.
Major New Year's celebrations have also been canceled in the special administrative regions of Macao and Hong Kong, which have each reported two coronavirus cases.
It's hard to overstate the significance of this. Lunar New Year is to China what the Christmas-New Year holiday period is to the United States -- except China's 1.4 billion population is more than four times that of the US.
Earlier this month, China was bracing itself for 3 billion individual trips over the Spring Festival period -- slightly up on last year's 2.99 billion trips.
Now, hundreds of thousands of people in China are facing disrupted travel plans. On Thursday morning, travelers queued up at Wuhan's high-speed railway station, trying to leave before trains stopped running.
China's largest online travel agency announced that it would waive Wuhan cancellation policies, and pay travelers back if a hotel refuses to refund the booking fee.
Eva Kwang, 35, was at Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station on Friday to cancel her family's train tickets to Guangzhou, in southern Guangdong province.
She said she was sad that she couldn't see her family, but was worried about her two kids. `` I think the safety for us is more important than my dinner with them, '' she told CNN. `` I think I can go back and visit them after maybe one month or two months. ''
On China's social media platforms, there has been mixed reaction to what promises to be a more sedate holiday season.
One user found a positive -- rather than going from house to house visiting different family members as is traditional during the Lunar New Year period, the poster could just call them on the phone.
But another -- who claimed to be in Wuhan -- seemed more upset. Although the person's parents were only on the other side of the river, they couldn't have dinner together, the poster claimed. `` Do you guys understand the pain of people in Wuhan? '' | business |
Wuhan residents start Year of the Rat in scramble to stockpile food, medical supplies amid coronavirus lockdown | China ushered in the Lunar Year of the Rat on Saturday, which in the country’ s folklore is an animal that symbolises wealth and surplus. | business |
HSE: Coronavirus outbreak an 'emerging, rapidly evolving situation ' | The outbreak of the new coronavirus has been described as “ an emerging, rapidly evolving situation ” by the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
The outbreak of the new coronavirus has been described as “ an emerging, rapidly evolving situation ” by the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said more information was needed to evaluate the full extent of the mode of transmission.
HSE assistant national director of public health and child health, Kevin Kelleher, warned the virus could evolve rapidly.
Dr Kelleher said all deaths to date had been in older people who had other serious underlying health conditions.
The World Health Organisation said the outbreak was detected because China has a system that picks up severe lower respiratory infections.
WHO's risk assessment is that the outbreak is a very high risk in China, and a high risk regionally and globally.
HPSC director John Cuddihy said the centre had issued guidelines to Irish airports on managing travellers who might be infected.
Dr Cuddihy said the HSE's High Consequences Infectious Diseases Committee had been meeting daily since the outbreak was detected.
Testing is available at the National Virus Reference Laboratory and the current turnaround time of 24 hours is likely to be reduced in the next few days.
Dr Kelleher said that as well as devising tests to confirm the disease, experts are beginning to discover the best form of treatment.
HSE assistant national director of acute operations Robert Morton said the national ambulance service had tested procedures for working with airport authorities earlier this week.
In the event of someone arriving at an airport who is at “ high risk ” of being infected, an instant response team will go out and isolate the patient.
Mr Morton said the team would make sure there is a “ safe and controlled delivery ” of the patient to hospital.
Dr Kelleher said the pilot was obliged under international health regulations to let the ambulance service know that a passenger was ill.
Chief executive of the Irish Travel Association Pat Dawson said the coronavirus outbreak was “ worrying ” and they are keeping an eye on developments “ by the hour. ”
Mr Dawson said it could dissuade people from travelling if the outbreak was not confined.
Meanwhile, an Irish man living in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak is believed to have originated, | general |
Global carmaker and luxury brands hit as coronavirus shuts down Wuhan | Wuhan is one of China's `` motor cities, '' home to numerous auto plants supplying the world's largest market for cars.
General Motors ( GM), Nissan ( NSANF), Renault ( RNLSY), Honda ( HMC) and Peugeot owner PSA Group ( PUGOY) are among several companies that have large manufacturing plants in Wuhan — ground zero of the coronavirus outbreak that has already claimed dozens of lives.
All of the Western automakers operate the plants through joint ventures with Chinese automakers, including GM's partner SAIC and Dongfeng Motor Corporation, one of the country's largest auto groups. The GM-SAIC plant in Wuhan has about 6,000 employees, about 10% of GM's total work force in China.
The city of 11 million people, is under partial lockdown after its airport and railway stations were closed to departing passengers on Thursday as fear over the outbreak spread. All public transport services in the city have been suspended, and some of the main highways closed.
At least 10 cities and almost 30 million people in China's central Hubei district are facing travel restrictions. Beijing and Shanghai are at the highest level of alert for a public health emergency.
The transport disruptions could cause headaches for businesses, and hurt consumer spending at a time when carmakers are already struggling with falling sales. The global auto industry is in a deep recession, which shows few signs of abating. The number of cars sold in China, the world's largest market, fell by 2.3 million in 2019, according to LMC Automotive. Chinese officials have said sales could fall again this year.
Virus-related shutdowns are expected to hit spending over the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, when consumers typically spend more on travel, entertainment and gifts, ratings agency S & P Global said Thursday. If spending on services such as transport and entertainment fell by 10%, China's overall economic growth would contract by about 1.2 percentage points, it added.
Carmakers in Wuhan
French carmaker Renault sold nearly 180,000 vehicles in China last year, or about 5% of its global car sales. It manufactures its flagship SUVs — the Kadjar and Koleos 2 models — at the Wuhan plant.
In 2018, Renault produced 16,459 Kadjars and 31,299 Koleos in Wuhan to cater to the needs of the Chinese market, spokesperson Rié Yamane told CNN Business. Sales figures for 2019 will be available in March, she added.
According to Renault's website, the Wuhan factory has a workforce of 2,000 and annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles.
Renault's shares were trading 1% weaker in Paris on Friday, extending the stock's losses for the week to 7%. Shares in the company have dropped nearly 14% so far this year amid continued fallout from the scandal surrounding former chairman Carlos Ghosn.
PSA Group sells its Peugeot and Citroën brands in China. Last year, the company sold about 117,000 vehicles in the country, a 55% decline on the previous year. A company spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the size of its operations in Wuhan, but said that the firm is `` applying the recommendation of Chinese authorities. ''
Honda's Wuhan joint venture contributed about 11% to the group's revenue for the year to March 2019 and accounted for the majority of its Asian automobile revenue, financial statements show. The company opened a third plant in Wuhan in April, according to a press release.
Given the upcoming Lunar New Year, companies may not feel the effect of the lockdown for a while.
Renault and Honda said their Wuhan plants were already closed for the holidays. A spokesperson for Honda said its plant was closed from Thursday until February 2.
`` We are studying carefully the issue internally through the different departments and China, '' Renault's Yamane said. `` We are of course respecting the Chinese authorities ' regulations, '' she added.
GM says it is staying abreast of the development and advising employees who are not feeling well to not come to work.
`` The most important thing is to contain the virus - production is secondary to the health of the team and community, '' said GM spokesman Jim Cain.
Luxury firms falter
Shares in luxury goods companies, which usually benefit from increased consumer spending over the Chinese New Year, have also taken a hit this week, although they recovered a little on Friday.
LVMH ( LVMHF), which owns Louis Vuitton and Fendi, has fallen 4.5% since Monday. Gucci and Balenciaga parent Kering ( PPRUF) is down 5%, while Richemont, the maker of Cartier watches, has dropped 6%.
These companies are `` bracing themselves for a potential hit to their sales, '' said David Perrotta, the UK head of international payments provider, Planet.
Travel restrictions could have a `` significant impact on sales during this crucial two-week spending period '' when `` luxury retailers would typically be expecting a windfall in sales to Chinese shoppers, '' he added.
In 2018, Chinese consumers at home and abroad spent 770 billion yuan ( $ 115 billion) on luxury items, equivalent to a third of the global spend, according to McKinsey. The management consulting firm expects Chinese consumers to account for 40% of the world's spending on luxury goods by 2025.
Kering and Richemont declined to comment. LVMH did not respond to a request for comment.
— Charles Riley, James Griffiths and Steve George Kate Trafecante, Vanessa Yurkevich and Chris Isidore contributed reporting. | business |
What Lies in China ETFs ' Fortunes in the Year of Rat? | China’ s economy has over the years become a key gauge of the global economic and investment health. China’ s $ 13 trillion economy, second in size just after the United States, makes up about a third of global growth each year. So, if China’ s debt-ridden and trade-war-stricken economy’ s growth slows down, which actually has been the case of late, the global economy will have to pay the price for it, in some way or the other.
Against this backdrop, China is stepping into its Lunar New Year 2020 — the Year of the Rat — on Jan 25. Let’ s find out what’ s in store for China ETFs this New Year.
Recap of the Pig Year
The year brought ups and downs for China investing due to ebb and flow in trade tensions with the United States. While the first quarter went smoothly for Chinese equities thanks to the improvement in U.S.-China trade relation, things became worse in mid-2019.
Basically, the most part of 2019 was spent on negotiations and the intensification of the tariff war while the real improvement came in the final quarter with the announcement of the phase-one trade deal. Stocks started rallying from the fourth quarter of 2019.
China’ s fourth-quarter gross domestic product ( GDP) grew at 6%, unchanged from the Q3 figure. This matched the lowest quarterly growth on record. Overall, the economy’ s 2019 growth rate of 6.1% was a 29-year low, below market expectation of 6.2%.
Lackluster industrial production and wavering consumer confidence weighed on the economy. Retail sales, a key indicator of consumer spending in the world’ s most-populated nation, grew 8.0% in 2019, down from 9% in 2018.
Monetary policies have been primarily easy. The People’ s Bank of China slashed a key interbank interest rate on Nov 18, marking the first such easing since 2015. This apart, China’ s central bank announced several cuts in reserve requirement ratios ( RRRs) in 2019 to release billions of yuan for some small and medium-sized banks.
iShares China Large-Cap ETF FXI has gained 7.5% in the past year ( as of Jan 21, 2019) while Xtrackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap ETF ASHS is up more than 25%. VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF CNXT has jumped 48.9%. So, as they say, the year of the pig symbolizes wealth and prosperity, China ETFs finally did well in 2019 on an overall basis, way better than 2018 — the Year of the Dog.
What Lies Ahead in the Year of the Metal Rat?
Though the year could start on a wobbly note due to the outbreak of coronavirus, things could smoothen out as the year progresses. The spread of Coronavirus can hurt the travel industry and retail sales in the busy period of the lunar new year. But then, analysts are hopeful that the crisis will be contained soon.
Coming to the economy, Beijing is beefing up fiscal stimulus with the state planner recently approving eight fixed-asset investment projects in November worth of a combined 7.1 billion yuan. The move was to fight the pressure building from sluggish domestic demand. Meanwhile, a survey indicated continued improvement in China’ s manufacturing sector.
CLSA Limited’ s ( CLSA), Feng Shui Index ( FSI) predicts a rally in the property and resources in the rat year. With trade tensions subsiding slightly, China may see an uptick in industrial production, which in turn would boost demand for resources like copper and steel. On the other hand, low rates should benefit property stocks.
Major index providers are raising the weights of China A-shares in their global benchmarks, which will lead to inflows of billions of dollars into those stocks. The IMF recently upgraded China's 2020 growth forecast by 0.2 percentage point to 6.0% to reflect partial tariff reduction by the United States.
Against this backdrop, we would like to highlight a few China ETFs that have been the steadiest ahead of the New Year. These funds easily beat the S & P 500 ETF SPY ( up 2.7%) ( read: After a Solid 2019, 5 China ETFs to Keep Rallying in 2020).
Global X MSCI China Information Technology ETF CHIK – Up 11.9% in the past 10 days ( as of Jan 22, 2020)
KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF KURE – Up 8.6%
KraneShares MSCI China Environment ETF KGRN – Up 7.3%
VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF CNXT – Up 5.1%
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Click to get this free report VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF ( CNXT): ETF Research Reports Xtrackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap ETF ( ASHS): ETF Research Reports SPDR S & P 500 ETF ( SPY): ETF Research Reports Global X MSCI China Information Technology ETF ( CHIK): ETF Research Reports KraneShares MSCI China Environment ETF ( KGRN): ETF Research Reports KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF ( KURE): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report | business |
Health service prepared in case of coronavirus | The likelihood of a case of the new coronavirus emerging in Ireland is “ quite low ”, the director of the HSE’ s Health Protection Surveillance Centre has said.
The likelihood of a case of the new coronavirus emerging in Ireland is “ quite low ”, the director of the HSE’ s Health Protection Surveillance Centre has said.
John Cuddihy said Ireland had no direct flights to Wuhan in China where the outbreak is thought to have originated.
“ If we were to see a case in a European country the risk of a secondary case — a person transmitting to somebody else — is also low, ” said Dr Cuddihy.
HSE assistant national director of public health and child health Kevin Kelleher said there had been a “ massive ” change in how China reacted.
During the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome ( Sars) the Chinese did not talk about it and did not have the systems in place to deal with it, said Dr Kelleher.
Now they were being “ utterly open ” about the novel coronavirus outbreak and some of the measures taken were “ phenomenally ” strong, he said. | general |
Oil price falls as virus fears hit hard | The price of oil fell sharply but global stock markets were mixed as investors scrambled to assess the potential fallout to world trade and tourism should the cases of coronavirus increase over the weekend.
The price of oil fell sharply but global stock markets were mixed as investors scrambled to assess the potential fallout to world trade and tourism should the cases of coronavirus increase over the weekend.
Authorities have all but shut down China’ s Wuhan, a city of 11 million and a major transport hub, at what is normally the busiest time of year — the Lunar New Year holiday — when millions of people travel home to visit their families.
Millions of people in surrounding cities are virtually stranded after public transport networks were shut to stop the spread of the virus, believed to have originated at a Wuhan market illegally selling wildlife.
On one high-speed train carrying a Reuters journalist that stopped in Wuhan station today, about 10 passengers got off and nobody got on before the train resumed its journey to Changsha. | general |
FiercePharmaAsia—Amgen-Astellas JV; Hengrui's new chairman; coronavirus vaccine development | On the heels of a China team-up with BeiGene, Amgen is on track to run a Japanese operation independently after buying out an Astellas joint venture. Sun Piaoyang has stepped down as Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine's chairman after leading—and making a fortune from—the Chinese pharma major for 30 years. Moderna and Inovio are utilizing their novel platforms to develop vaccines against the new coronavirus that's emerged in China. And more. | tech |
2020 EU Sport Forum | Due to the current coronavirus 2019-nCov situation, the EU Sport Forum 2020 is postponed.
We will keep you informed of the new date as soon as the situation will allow it.
The EU Sport Forum is the European Commission's premiere event in support of expanding sporting activities and programmes across Europe. Hundreds of high-level participants - including representatives of sport movement, federations, sport clubs, Member States / sport ministries, local authorities, academics, athletes and various sport organisations - gather to discuss how the sport and physical activity can be harnessed to build a closer, more cohesive Europe.
The 2019 EU Sport Forum gathered almost 500 high-level delegates from across sport and public policy. Under the overarching theme “ The future of sport in the EU: challenges and perspectives for grassroots and professional sport ”, the Forum addressed a range of topics during plenary and breakout sessions
This event will be a privileged opportunity for sport organisations to share and express their views on sport integrity, as well as promote grassroots sport and healthier lifestyles across Europe. | general |
Coronavirus: we still haven't learned the lessons from Sars | The Sars outbreak in 2002-2003 was the first global pandemic of the 21st century. There were 8,422 reported cases and 11% of those infected with the virus died. Its cause was a newly identified coronavirus ( a type of virus that causes respiratory infections): Sars Co-V. Early cases were linked to wildlife markets and restaurants in Guangdong, China, where researchers found Sars-like coronaviruses in animals including masked palm civets and a racoon dog.
A Chinese government team subsequently reported that 66 out of 508 wildlife handlers tested in other markets across Guangdong were positive for antibodies to the Sars virus. The Chinese authorities responded by imposing a temporary ban on the hunting, sale, transportation and export of all wild animals in southern China. They also quarantined or culled civets reared for human consumption in the many civet farms across the area.
We happened to be working on wildlife trade and biodiversity conservation, including rare species of civets in neighbouring Vietnam, and were aware that many different species of animal were kept close to each other.
My colleagues and I suggested that civets testing positive for Sars may have secondary infections rather being than the source of the virus. They were probably infected during the “ speed dating ” of zoonotic viruses circulating among the jumble of different animal species packed together at markets or while being transported to markets, often in China.
At the Royal Society’ s international conference on “ Lessons from SARS ” in 2004 and in the related publication, we emphasised that wildlife trade was a threat to human health and a primary cause of biodiversity decline in China and South-East Asia.
But here we are again, 17 years later, with another novel zoonotic coronavirus, this time in Wuhan, China. Once again, initial human cases were linked to a market selling a variety of live animals.
A constantly changing range of species have been selected as the culprits in the past few days, including bats and snakes, ( the latter results were quickly refuted), and even crickets and wolf cubs.
But, as yet, there is no scientific evidence that the virus has been isolated from any of these, although a recent report stated that “ 15 environmental specimens collected in the western section ( of the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market) were positive for 2019-nCoV virus through RT-PCR testing and genetic sequencing analysis. ” The report continues: “ Despite extensive searching, no animal from the market has thus far been identified as a possible source of infection. ”
It is not evident what “ environmental specimens ” refers to here and a complete list of those animals present in, or available from, the market would be appropriate to release together with details of which and how many of these have so far been tested.
Wild rodents, which are often present in these markets, should also have been collected and tested as Sars-like coronaviruses have also been isolated from wild rats in China.
But we may be chasing our tails, as animals testing positive may not be the source of the current outbreak. We need to step back and learn the broader lessons here.
The perfect conditions for the emergence of human pandemics from previously unknown zoonotic pathogens has been created as a result of three things. First, the shift from subsistence hunting of wildlife to its sale into an international trade network largely driven by demand in China. Second, the extensive cross-exposure within this wildlife trade of species and species populations, which would not mix or be in contact in the wild. And, third, the exploitation of new source populations as areas become depleted of target species.
It is also important to emphasise that these wild animals are typically now more expensive to buy ( sometime a status symbol) than domestic livestock, so the demand that perpetuates wildlife trade in the region is a dietary choice and not driven by low income.
The solution is collective action to remove the demand and also the supply chains to these wildlife markets and “ farms ” ( often laundering animals from the wild rather than breeding them). The call to close wildlife markets across China – which started following the Sars outbreak – has also been echoed by experts in China and in external organisations worldwide, such as the Wildlife Conservation Society.
We have to hope that the Wuhan outbreak is a wake-up call for regulation of wildlife trade and animal health, action that is urgently needed to protect human health and the environment. | business |
Are you in danger of catching the coronavirus? 5 questions answered | Editor’ s note: As the Chinese government tries to contain the coronavirus, other cases have occurred across the globe. This raises the question: Will this spread – to me?
Not now, because currently every case of the novel coronavirus is linked to Wuhan.
There are lots of different coronaviruses that group into three types. The common cold can be caused by both alpha and betacoronaviruses.
Coronavirus was never really taken that seriously until 2003, when a coronavirus jumped species – likely from bats to humans via civets – and led to SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. This species-jumping ability of coronaviruses is being observed again, now in Wuhan at the seafood market. This coronavirus is in the betacoronavirus group. China has now put travel restrictions in place to limit spread from Wuhan.
For the novel coronavirus from Wuhan, there is no vaccine, and we’ re lacking a specific therapy. So it is key to limit spread through quarantine of infected individuals and by tracing of contacts.
This is a coronavirus that has never been seen in humans before. It likely came from bats, and it’ s much more serious than the common cold coronavirus. This is only the third time that we’ ve seen a coronavirus jump species from animals to humans. The concern is that this coronavirus is going to behave like SARS and MERS, or Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2012, both of which were serious.
Many were in older men with pre-existing conditions.
First of all, you need not be concerned about catching this right now. Practice the same precautions that you would to prevent catching a cold. Viruses that cause the common cold are on surfaces of handrails and doorknobs, so wash your hands, use sanitizers and stay home when you are sick.
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Europe markets: WHO says no 'global emergency ' yet for China virus | European stocks rebounded on Friday, breaking a four-day losing streak after the World Health Organization ( WHO) said the deadly Chinese coronavirus was not a `` global emergency '' yet.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 jumped 0.85% by the closing bell, with industrials and technology stocks leading gains.
Following a torrid week for stocks on the back of fears over the spread of the new coronavirus, which has killed 25 people in China and infected over 800 more, equity investors seem to be taking some heart from the WHO's reluctance to declare the epidemic of international concern.
Stocks in Asia edged slightly higher on Friday, with the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index climbing 0.13% while Japan's Nikkei also added 0.13%.
In the United States stocks turned negative on Friday, giving back their gains from earlier in the day after the second U.S. case of the deadly coronavirus was confirmed.
In corporate news, the U.K. competition regulator is scrutinizing Takeaway.com's proposed takeover of rival Just Eat, forcing them to delay finalization of the deal to create one of the world's largest takeout delivery firms.
German media company Axel Springer revealed on Thursday that it plans to delist from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange following its takeover by U.S. private equity firm KKR.
Friday morning saw a raft of flash PMI ( purchasing managers ' index) figures released, which showed euro zone business activity remaining weak to start the year but offered some glimmers of hope which boosted European stock markets.
IHS Markit's euro zone composite flash PMI stayed at 50.9 in January, missing the 51.2 estimate from analysts polled by Reuters. Readings over 50 indicate growth.
The industrial slowdown in Europe continued to weigh on the headline index, with the manufacturing PMI reading coming in at 47.8, but this represented a marked improvement on December's 46.3 and the January expectation of 46.8.
Optimism about the 2020 outlook increased, with the composite future output index advancing from 59.4 in December to 61.2, its highest since September 2018.
In the U.K., January data came in above forecast with the flash composite PMI hitting 52.4 against an expectation of 50.6, with both manufacturing and services exceeding expectations.
Earnings remain on the agenda, with Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson raising its full-year dividend before the bell on Friday but reporting fourth-quarter core earnings which fell short of analyst expectations, due to a slowdown in the U.S. business and higher costs. Ericsson shares were down 5.8% during afternoon trade.
Virgin Money shares gained 3.9% after the bank said its chairman Jim Pettigrew is planning to retire by September 2021.
Carrefour added 4.8% after the French retailer reported a rise in fourth-quarter sales.
At the bottom of the European benchmark, Ipsen stock plunged more than 24% after the French pharmaceutical company paused dosing in its Palovarotene trials.
Remy Cointreau shares tumbled 11.1% after the French spirits group posted a worse-than-expected 11.3% fall in third-quarter like-for-like revenues and suspended its guidance.
Finland's Nokian Tyres fell 7.6% after revising down its sales and profit guidance for 2020. | business |
Xi Jinping: Virus is the latest crisis to face China's president | `` SARS forced the whole country to pay attention to the livelihood of the people, '' he said, before adding a warning. `` We 've made huge progress, but our footsteps are slow, especially in terms of healthcare. ''
With the Wuhan coronavirus spreading across the country, killing at least 25 people so far, China is now facing a major test of just how much it has changed since 2003, both in terms of the healthcare system's ability to react to a new deadly pathogen -- and crucially, how the central government handles the developing crisis.
Speaking this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered `` all-out efforts '' to contain the virus ' spread and treat those affected. His intervention seemed to carry with it a clear message: the mistakes of SARS will not be repeated.
Wuhan is only the latest crisis to face Xi since he secured personal control of the Communist Party, joining the US-China trade war, ongoing anti-government unrest in Hong Kong, and the recent Taiwan election, in which Tsai Ing-wen, much loathed by Beijing, handily won reelection against a more pro-China candidate.
More than any leader since Mao Zedong, Xi has centralized power around himself. He is the state, and while this gives him immense control, it also means that every crisis is a test of his leadership -- Wuhan perhaps most of all, as the country looks to their leader for reassurance and confidence.
Since Xi's statement, efforts to control the virus have ramped up nationwide, with health authorities ordering the highest level response, typically used to tackle outbreaks of plague or cholera. On Thursday, Wuhan itself -- all 11 million people -- was partially quarantined, with public transport `` temporarily suspended, '' including all planes and trains departing the city.
In state media, editorials urged greater transparency and lauded the central government's quick response and that of Chinese scientists and doctors, who quickly released the virus ' genome in order to aid the work of other researchers worldwide in coming up with a vaccine.
Despite the laudatory efforts of Chinese healthcare workers, however, and forceful statements from Beijing, allegations of an initial -- and potentially even ongoing -- cover-up continue to hang over the Wuhan outbreak.
This virus could have been China's chance to exorcise the ghosts of SARS once and for all, instead it may have exposed that, for all the progress in the past 17 years, fundamental flaws remain in place when it comes to handling a crisis like this -- ones that could result in far greater danger in future.
Crisis and cover-up
The first cases of what would later be called severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) were identified in southern China in November 2002. The virus would go on to infect more than 8,000 people worldwide, the majority of them in China.
Even as the deadly pathogen spread throughout Guangdong province, however, media reports were censored and patients and their families prevented from speaking out. If they addressed the issue at all, officials downplayed it, unwilling to risk upsetting the economy or `` social stability '' -- important metrics for future promotion.
It was not until whisteblower Jiang Yanyong, a retired Chinese army doctor, came forward in early 2003 that much of China and the rest of the world became aware of the true danger -- by which time SARS had already spread widely. The virus was soon declared a `` global threat '' by the World Health Organization ( WHO) and efforts to contain its spread were put in place worldwide.
In the months that followed, China's government officially apologized for its slow reporting of the outbreak, and the country's health minister was sacked, along with the mayor of Beijing at the time. `` Never again '' was the message of the day, one that has been repeated ad nauseum regarding the Wuhan virus.
While the Communist Party's grasp on power in China has grown stronger than ever under Xi, it's popular legitimacy is much more fragile. The SARS scandal, and similarly mishandled crises such as the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, had a devastating effect on that legitimacy, greatly alarming officials who place `` stability '' above all else.
Xi's gathering of power around himself also means the Wuhan crisis will be more of a test of his personal control of the Party and country -- and of the highly-centralized system he's put in place in recent years.
Initial problems
By a number of measures, China's handling of the current crisis has been infinitely better than during SARS. Authorities in Wuhan alerted the public to the new virus in mid-December, soon after the first cases were identified. Xi's statement four weeks later drastically boosted the response and publicized the risk.
In 2003, by comparison, it was over two months after the first patients were diagnosed with SARS that the WHO was alerted -- by a whistleblower, not the Chinese authorities -- of a `` strange contagious disease '' that has `` already left more than 100 people dead. ''
But behind this outwardly competent handling of a crisis there are signs of a deeper problem.
One of the oldest cliches in Chinese politics is that `` the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. '' Despite being an intensely centralized state, provincial authorities do not always act as Beijing would prefer, nor do commandments from on high -- to crack down on corruption or reign in pollution, or to increase transparency -- always trickle down to the provinces.
While unconfirmed, there are numerous indications that officials in Wuhan downplayed the risks of the virus for several weeks, delaying proper action and potentially increasing its spread.
Though the first case was detected on December 8 -- it was not until January 14 that officials in Wuhan introduced any screening measures. In the intervening period, a major meeting of the Hubei provincial party was held in the city, and more than 40,000 families were invited to attend a banquet in an attempt to set a world record.
Speaking to state media, Wuhan officials downplayed the danger, saying the virus was unlikely to be spread from human to human. State officials initially repeated this assessment: Wang Guangfa, head of a team of researchers sent from Beijing to investigate the situation, said on January 11 that it was under control -- he has since been diagnosed with the virus.
At the same time, Wuhan authorities also tried to clamp down on discussion of the virus. State media reported that police arrested eight people in early January for spreading `` rumors '' that the virus was related to SARS, something which has since been confirmed by health authorities.
Even as researchers in the UK estimated that the initial spread of the virus could have affected at least 1,700 people, no new cases were reported in Wuhan itself, despite patients being identified in other countries. `` Does the virus only affect overseas travelers? '' people asked darkly on Chinese social media, where accusations of a cover-up quickly spread and were censored.
It was not until inspectors sent from Beijing had assessed the situation that the alarm was properly raised. In an interview with state broadcaster CCTV, Zhong Nanshan, the SARS hero, said there was `` definitely human-to-human transmission, '' and warned the infection rate was `` climbing. ''
Worst possible timing
Speaking to state media this week, Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang admitted that the city's `` warnings were not sufficient. ''
Whether because of bureaucratic incompetence or a politically-motivated cover-up, the delay could not have come at a worse time. China is currently in the middle of the Lunar New Year travel rush, in which hundreds of millions of people move across the country, packed close together on trains, coaches and planes.
Revelations about the true spread and severity of the virus only came after the four-week travel period had got underway, and restrictions on people leaving Wuhan itself did not come into place until Thursday. One woman identified as having the virus in South Korea even told health officials there that she visited a doctor in Wuhan with symptoms -- after screening measures were introduced -- but got sent on her way and was able to leave the country.
The pervasive censorship of the Chinese press and internet undoubtedly played a role in this, as did Xi's years-long crackdown on civil society groups, forcing people to rely on official accounts and the transparency of officials whose own motivations are often completely apposite.
Once Xi intervened, essentially signaling that the Wuhan virus was fair game for Chinese media, reporters rushed to the scene. Both Caixin and the Beijing News -- some of the most independently minded outlets in the country -- quickly began producing in-depth coverage, some of which exposed oversights by local officials and punched holes in their narrative. Writing on WeChat from Wuhan, Caixin reporter Gao Yu compared the situation to SARS, saying that `` the lack of transparency, public supervision and truth ( have) caused huge damage to public safety. ''
China learned hard lessons in 2003 at a terrible cost. The legacy of SARS could be seen in the central government's response this month, and that of Chinese scientists, both of which deserve a great deal of credit.
But Xi has also reversed gradual liberalization and opening up which occurred post-SARS, massively centralizing power within the Communist Party once again. At the same time, he has overseen a crackdown on the internet, the press and civil society, and an anti-corruption purge that, while it has turfed out plenty of bad apples, may also have left provincial officials more afraid of angering Beijing.
Xi is the closest China has had to an emperor since Mao, but like the old saying goes, he's often far away. The Wuhan virus shows what happens when the country has to rely on information filtering up to the top for decisive action to be taken. | business |
MTR: Axing Hong Kong Lunar New Year party essential for coronavirus 'crisis ' | A decision by the Hong Kong government to scrap major Lunar New Year celebrations due to the coronavirus outbreak is intended to ensure citizens are prepared for the `` crisis to come, '' according to Jacob Kam, CEO of majority state-owned rail operator MTR Corporation.
The virus, which originated in the Wuhan region of mainland China, has now killed 26 people and infected over 800 more. The World Health Organization on Thursday refrained from declaring a global health emergency, suggesting the outbreak was largely confined to China.
Hong Kong has canceled the Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Carnival and the Lunar New Year Cup football tournament, along with tightening its health declaration requirements for high-speed rail passengers. Speaking to CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Friday, Kam said the decisions taken by the Hong Kong government to curb Lunar New Year celebrations were intended to `` ensure our citizens prepare for the crisis that is to come. ''
`` There has been a lot of promotion about getting prepared and so on, but nevertheless these celebrations will bring a lot of people together, '' Kam told CNBC's Karen Tso.
`` We are encouraging people to make less unnecessary trips, so unless we believe it is necessary, we probably don't want to hold too many big crowd-gathering events. ''
Kam explained that MTR had implemented a contingency plan correlated to the `` serious '' alarm level issued by the Hong Kong government.
`` We have built our plans based on the experience from the SARS epidemic so we believe that we are reasonably prepared for what is coming, '' he said.
`` Among all these different measures, of course we have the enhanced cleaning of our premises, trains, all the public areas as well as our staff areas. In addition, we have our body temperature measurement for our ports. The government has put in place body temperature screening and symptoms screening arrangements. ''
Asked whether he was concerned about the impact on his business of falling demand, Kam suggested that the long-term nature of investment in the railway industry kept MTR insulated from short term fluctuations.
Hospital Authority Director Dr Chung Kin-lai said during a media briefing Friday that Hong Kong's medical bed occupancy rate was at 97% and 5,000 people had attended A & E in relation to the virus.
Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. | business |
Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Intel, Boeing, Disney & more | Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading.
Boeing — Boeing's stock turned negative on the day after CNBC confirmed the aerospace giant is considering an added cut to the production of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft. With its 737 Max line already grounded longer than expected, issues at Boeing's commercial airplanes unit continue to expand.
American Express — Shares of the payments company rose more than 2% and hit a record on the back of stronger-than-forecast quarterly numbers. American Express posted a profit of $ 2.03 per share. Analysts polled by Refinitiv expected earnings per share of $ 2.01. The company said card-fee revenues were a key driver for the quarter's bottom line.
Intel — Shares of the chip name surged more than 8% to their highest level since Sept. 2000 after the company beat fourth-quarter estimates and gave optimistic guidance for the first quarter of 2020. Revenue grew 8% year-over-year, fueled by the company's Client Computing Group.
Broadcom, Skyworks — Broadcom rose 1.5% in midday trading after announcing a pair of supplier agreements with Apple late Thursday. The chipmaker estimated the deals would be worth $ 15 billion and said they apply to wireless components that will be used in Apple products launched over the next three and a half years. Shares of rival chipmaker Skyworks fell 4.6% on Friday morning, as Broadcom's announcement seemed to outweigh its own better-than-expected results for its fiscal first quarter.
Wynn Resorts — Wynn Resorts stock fell 4% Friday as confirmed cases of the coronavirus continued to rise. Authorities in Macau, one of the locations where the casino company operates, have cancelled festivities for the Lunar New Year, and China has instituted travel bans for cities near the outbreak of the virus. There are more than 900 confirmed cases of the virus, according to Chinese state media and the United States Center for Disease Control.
Synchrony Financial — Synchrony Financial tanked more than 9% after missing analyst expectations for its fourth-quarter revenue. The company earned $ 4.029 billion in revenue, while analysts were expecting $ 4.072 billion, according to Refinitiv. Synchrony's net interest income fell 7% year-over-year. The company also expects net interest margin between 15.25% and 15.5% for 2020, below estimates of 15.71%.
Disney — Disney stock fell 1.5% Friday after it announced the Shanghai Disney resort will close until further notice as officials try to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The closure comes at what would normally be an exceptionally busy time for the resort, China's seven-day Lunar New Year holiday.
E-Trade — Investors punished the brokerage Friday afternoon despite better-than-expected earnings results. The equity dropped 2.7% in midday trading as traders focused on a drop in net interest income and higher non-interest expenses.
United Airlines — The airline stock fell more than 4% on Friday as the total number of Wuhan virus cases rose around the world. Pacific revenue as a percent of total company sales were over 10% for United in 2019, meaning that the company is likely more exposed to cancellations in commercial air traffic in the region than other airlines, according to a Bank of America analysis.
— CNBC's Michael Sheetz, Jesse Pound, Pippa Stevens, Maggie Fitzgerald and Fred Imbert contributed reporting. | business |
Power Rankings: MAX-imum impact, virus outbreak & the breakfast bull | Here are the top 5 moments from Power Lunch this week:
The Coronavirus continued to spread, and each day the number of those infected rose.
Cases have appeared in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and even the United States.
While the World Health Organization has not yet deemed the virus an international emergency, the option still remains on the table.
One expert from Johns Hopkins Center for Health said that was a mistake, and if the virus becomes a pandemic it could kill 65 million people within 18 months.
It was another wild week for Boeing.
It started off bad.
The aerospace giant announced that it does not expect regulators to sign off on the 737 MAX until June or July.
Then we saw the impact Boeing had on its customers.
Southwest Airlines ' profits fell 21% in the fourth-quarter as a result of the 737 MAX driving up costs.
But one top analyst explained that the grounding could be good thing for airline investors.
Fewer planes means fewer seats to fill, and Barclays said the strained capacity could help yields.
Then, Boeing investors finally got some good news.
The FAA said that the MAX could return before the mid-year.
It's another big week of earnings ahead -- specifically for tech stocks.
Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft all set to report.
RBC's Mark Mahaney told us why Uber could be the `` Facebook of 2020, '' and warned that expectations for Amazon could be too high.
Bernie Sanders surged in the polls this week.
The Vermont Senator saw his support in New Hampshire nearly double.
This came as a new study said that Sanders ' wealth tax might not end up being as effective as he hoped.
The plan promised to raise $ 4.35 trillion over the next ten years, but the Wharton School of Finance found the the tax would actually raise $ 1 trillion to $ 1.5 trillion less than expected.
This might be Power Lunch, but we talked a lot about breakfast.
Wendy's faces tough competition as it prepares to roll out breakfast nationwide.
But Barclays is bullish on the chain, saying one key factor could give Wendy's a leg up: it's all about location, location, location.
For more clips follow us on Twitter: @ powerlunch | business |
After virus scare, markets look to Fed rate policy to keep rally going | With stocks coming off their first losing week of the year, investors will be looking for the Federal Reserve to soothe markets by reaffirming its position that interest rates will be low for a long time into the future.
The outbreak of the coronavirus in China in the past week took the steam out of a market that has been repeatedly rallying to new highs since December. The S & P 500 fell just about 1% for the week, amid fears the virus could lead to slower growth not only in China, but across the globe.
Those concerns could continue to spook markets in the coming week, but stocks should be buffeted by the Fed's anticipated commitment to low rates and its current Treasury bill buying program. The Fed meets Tuesday and Wednesday. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is expected to emphasize that the Fed remains on a neutral policy path and that would only change if there was a significant change in the economic outlook.
There are also some major earnings reports, including from Apple, which hit an all-time high Friday morning before closing lower with the broader market. It could have a big impact on sentiment and help influence trading across the technology sector.
Stocks were choppy in the past week, and Treasury yields have been sinking on worries about the new virus. The 10-year yield sunk to a Nov. 1 low of 1.68% and investors drove gold prices higher in a flight-to-safety trade.
`` It's overshadowing everything, and what the market is looking for is that the Chinese are containing it, and the spread is minimal, '' said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial. `` The derivative of all of this is what does it do to growth? Traders and investors are hoping the stimulus that has been introduced into the Chinese economy is going to take hold, and this is not going to halt that turnaround. ''
Krosby said the market has been looking for an excuse to pull back. The S & P 500 ended the week at 3,295, off 1%, but it is still up about 2% for the year so far.
`` You could see going into the weekend the 10-year Treasury yield is down, gold is higher, the market is in a text book defensive state, '' said Krosby. `` We had a market that was poised for a bout of profit-taking and this is it. ''
There are more than 135 S & P companies reporting earnings in the week ahead, with a heavy focus on technology, industrials and consumer stocks. Apple reports Tuesday, and Microsoft and Facebook are Wednesday. Boeing and General Electric report Wednesday, while McDonald's releases results Wednesday. On Friday, big oil reports with ExxonMobil and Chevron expected.
Earnings reports so far have been mostly better than expected, with 68.2% of companies beating earnings per share estimates, according to Refinitiv. Earnings are expected to be down about a half percent for the fourth quarter, based on actual reports and estimates of companies yet to report.
`` Coming into any earnings season with stocks at all time highs is fraught with peril, '' said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Securities. `` It's precarious because you have the opportunity for outsized moves if you miss earnings, revenues or guidance. ''
Hogan said companies may be able to give a better indication of the future, now that there's a first phase trade deal between the U.S. and China. He said markets will also be looking for guidance from China and elsewhere on whether the virus appears to be containable or not.
The Federal Reserve is not likely to say much has changed in its outlook, except that it's last three interest rate cuts may have helped the economy and financial conditions.
`` The big news is just talk on the balance sheet. I think that's going to be the key messaging, '' said Jim Caron, portfolio strategist at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. `` I think the data has been okay. There's really nothing new there. The only thing that's really new or interesting is going to be what's going on with the balance sheet. ''
The Fed has been buying about $ 60 billion in Treasury bills each month to expand its balance sheet, ending a program where it was shrinking the balance sheet. The Fed is adding reserves to end a problem in the repo market, which is basically the plumbing of the financial markets where institutions go to get short term cash.
Many traders believe the program is adding liquidity to markets, and therefore driving investors into stocks.
Mark Cabana, head of short rate strategy at BofA Securiteis, said the Fed is not changing its benchmark fed funds target rate, but the fixed income market has been expecting the Fed to make a technical adjustment to another rate. He said the fed funds rate, trading at about 1.55%, has come to the lower end of the Fed's target range of 1.5 to 1.75%.
For that reason it is likely to raise the interest rate on excess reserves by five basis points. `` The intent is to affirm the bottom end of the Fed's target range, `` he said.
Besides the technical move, they `` may be will provide a little more guidance on what it would take to vote rates one way or the other, '' he said.
There's an important data calendar in the coming week, including the first look at the fourth quarter's gross domestic product on Thursday. Personal income and spending data is Friday, and that includes the personal consumption expenditure inflation deflator, watched by the Fed.
New home sales could continue the string of positive news in housing, when they are released Monday, and there are durable goods Tuesday.
Monday
Earnings: DR Horton, Whirlpool, Graco, Juniper Networks, F5 Networks, Brown and Brown, Equity LifeStyle Properties, J & J Snack Foods
10:00 a.m. New home sales
Tuesday
Earnings: Apple, 3M, Pfizer, United Technologies, Starbucks, eBay, LVMH, Autoliv, PulteGroup, Paccar, McCormick, HCA, Xilinx, Stryker, Alaska Air, Boston Properties, MicroSrategy
FOMC meeting begins
8:30 a.m. Durable goods
9:00 a.m. S & P/Case-Shiller home prices
10:00 a.m. Consumer confidence
Wednesday
Earnings: Boeing, Microsoft, Facebook, AT & T, Dow, General Electric, McDonald's, Mastercard, Tesla, PayPal, Mondelez, Cirrus Logic, Cree, Legg Mason, Corning, Novartis, Anthem, Hess, Stanley Black and Decker, Southern Co, Norfolk Southern, General Dynamics, Rockwell Automation
8:30 a.m. Advance economic indicators
10:00 a.m. Pending home sales
2:00 p.m. FOMC decision
2:30 p.m. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell briefing
Thusday
Earnings: Amazon.com, Coca-Cola, Royal Dutch Shell, Raytheon, Eli Lilly, Altria, Verizon, Unilever, UPS, Blackstone, Dupont, Hershey, International Paper, Marsh and McLennan, AmerisourceBergen, Northrop Grumman, Nintendo, Sprint, Sherwin-Williams, MSCI, Amgen, Visa, US Steel
8:30 a.m. Jobless claims
8:30 a.m. Q4 GDP 10:00 a.m. Housing vacancies
Friday
Earnings: Caterpillar, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Colgate-Palmolive, Illinois Tool Works, KKR, Honeywell, Weyerhaeuser, Blue Apron, ManpowerGroup, Booz Allen, Philips 66, Aon, Johnson Controls
8:30 a.m. Personal Income
8:30 a.m. Employment cos index
9:45 a.m. Chicago PMI
10:00 a.m. Consumer sentiment | business |
Bonds look like they are flashing a warning for global markets | A key interest rate is moving to levels last seen in the fall when markets were worried about the trade war, and that falling yield may be a warning signal.
Investors have been buying bonds big time this week amid fears the coronavirus could spread and impact the global economy. Yields move opposite price, so as investors jumped in, the 10-year note yield has dipped to 1.68%, its lowest level since the beginning of November, and it could keep moving lower.
In the past week, the yield has fallen from 1.83%, as investors fear the virus could have an immediate impact on the economy in China and broader Asia, and then ultimately chill global growth. The 10-year is important since it influences a whole slew of loans, including home mortgages.
But the spread of the virus, which has shut down transportation in Wuhan and other Chinese cities just as the Chinese new year begins isn't the only factor weighing on bond yields.
`` The question is what's the economy going to do this year, and I think right now the 10-year note is saying we don't really know, but given what we 've seen in 2020, it's telling us we should hedge the other way, '' said Gregory Faranello, head of U.S. rates at AmeriVet Securities. The softness in recent labor data and lack of inflation have also been factors, and Faranello said there are concerns that Boeing's problems could crimp U.S. GDP growth, as it cuts back on production.
Some strategists say the Fed and other central banks may be having an even bigger impact on rates and seem to be sending investors into bonds and stocks at the same time. Stocks were lower Friday on concerns about the coronavirus, but all three major stock indices are just about 1% below their recent highs.
`` We're at the low end of a recent range [ on yields ]. It's a number of factors. One is the broad fundamentals that we entered the year with are more firmly entrenched, '' said Mark Cabana, head of U.S. short rate strategy at BofA Securities. `` You have global central banks on hold. You have a growth and inflation environment which is relatively benign. We're not in a recession and won't be any time soon. ''
Investors have been bidding both corporate credit and stocks higher since the start of the year. `` You also have an environment in which risky assets have done well, '' Cabana said. `` There appears to be a thirst for yield happening across asset classes. There is still a very powerful need for duration from the insurance and pension community. ''
Many strategists had expected Treasury yields to move higher this year, just as stocks did, in part because of improved prospects for the economy due to the trade deal signed by the U.S. and China.
`` That grind lower we 've seen in rates so far this year, indicates there's a little bit of a pain trade from some who thought rates were going higher, '' said Jon Hill, senior rate strategist at BMO.
BMO strategists say a case can be made for the 10-year to fall back down to 1.427%, a level it reached in late August. After the current level, the next technical area lower would be 1.668%, an intraday low from the beginning of November. Then September's low yield of 1.503% could be in play, and after that the yield could head into the 1.40s.
The Fed is not expected to take action when it meets next week, but it is expected to signal it will continue to hold rates low and won't move on policy anytime soon. Fed Chair Jerome Powell is expected to reinforce that the Fed plans to continue building up its balance sheet with Treasury bill purchases for a while longer. Both of those things could keep pressure on yields.
The combination of the Fed's easy policy and those of other central banks has made U.S. assets particularly attractive. While the Fed keeps interest rates low, bankers in Europe and Japan have negative yields, and that is another factor pushing investors into the U.S. bond market—and also stocks.
`` That's been the question on the table. Which market is right? Is the bond market saying one thing and the stock market saying another thing? That's the tug of war, '' said Faranello. `` To me it goes back to central bank liquidity, and the market is flooded with a ton liquidity and that liquidity needs to flow somewhere. Are they saying the same thing? I think they are. ''
Hill said the diversion between stocks and bonds is notable, as stocks headed to highs recently. `` I think the bond market is listening to a combination of the data and the Fed. The data is suggesting that even after a phase one trade deal, even after 75 basis points in rate cuts from the Fed, the U.S. economy still faces headwinds, '' he said. `` They may be less than before, but they're still substantial. ''
Hill said the central banks have been emphasizing that rates aren't moving higher any time soon. `` It's going to be hard for the 10-year yield to return to 2% unless a large component of that trade is reflation. '' So far, there's no sign inflation is picking up to the Fed's 2% target, so rates may not move out of their current 1.50% to 2% range any time soon, some strategists say.
However, Jim Caron, portfolio manager at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, said he thinks the 10-year is reflecting worry about the coronavirus more than other factors.
`` I think it's a reaction to the coronavirus, '' he said. `` Most people think global growth is going to be stable and go up a little bit... I think the downside yield is limited. Right now it's hard to put a number on it. It's more of a hedge. If I want to own equities, but I 'm a little worried, then I want to own Treasurys too. '' | business |
France confirms first three cases of coronavirus in Europe | France confirmed on Friday its first three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, with two patients being hospitalized in Paris and the other in the southwestern city of Bordeaux.
Health Minister Agnes Buzyn told a news conference authorities had confirmed two cases, Europe's first, and that more cases were likely to occur in France.
In a separate statement on Friday, the health ministry announced the third case, a relative of one of the first two.
Earlier, the charity SOS Medecins said it had treated a patient of Chinese origin who was showing symptoms of a fever and who said he had been in contact with people from Wuhan province in China, epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
Buzyn said this patient was 48 years old and had returned two days ago from a trip to China which included a stop in Wuhan.
`` He's been put in an insulated room so as to avoid any contact with the outside world. He's fine '', she said.
Buzyn said she had no information yet on the second case, in Paris, which had just been confirmed.
Most of the cases and all of the deaths so far have been in China, where officials have imposed severe restrictions on travel and public gatherings.
The virus has created alarm, but there are still many unknowns surrounding it, such as just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can lead to pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.
The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the virus an `` emergency in China '', but stopped short of declaring it a global health emergency.
Health officials are trying to contain the fast-spreading illness without unnecessarily spooking global trade. WHO physicians said they needed more data before declaring a global emergency, but the virus is now spreading through close human contact and in health-care settings, they said.
Buzyn said the official advice to those suspecting they might have caught the virus was not to go to hospital - to avoid spreading it - but to call a special number where they would be told what to do.
The minister said she planned to hold daily press conferences on the issue
The flu-like coronavirus, first identified on Dec. 31, has killed at least 26 people in China and infected more than 900 worldwide.
U.S. health officials said Friday they diagnosed a second patient with the China coronavirus — a Chicago woman who returned from Wuhan with the infection, and they are monitoring dozens of other potential cases here.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that usually infect animals but can sometimes evolve and spread to humans. Symptoms in humans include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, which can progress to pneumonia.
CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace contributed to this report. | business |
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