Coronavirus News (Feb 4) More Closures but There's Good News Too

For those still in China, leaving is becoming more and more difficult; however, news on the ground is improving day by day. Here's a summary from official sources of the latest coronavirus-related news.

General Virus Updates:

2019 nCoV Can Survive Up to 5 Days

During a press conference on February 3rd to report the epidemic situation of new crown pneumonia and the situation of prevention and control, Jiang Rongmeng, a member of the expert group of the National Health and Health Commission and the chief physician of the Second Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, stated that studies have now found that the virus can survive for hours on smooth surfaces, and that it can survive for several days if the temperature and humidity are appropriate. For example, in a 20-degree environment with a humidity of 40%, studies have shown that the new coronavirus can survive for up to five days. 

Source: “新冠病毒在适宜环境下能存活5天”

People Exposed to the Virus can Fight it Off on their Own

At the same conference, Qiu Haibo, a member of the expert group of the National Health and Medical Commission, deputy dean of the Zhongda Hospital affiliated to Southeast University, and a famous expert in critical medicine explained that they have seen people who have been exposed to the virus and have had sufficient resistance and are able to clear themselves of the virus on their own. There have been others who have had the virus reproducing in their upper respiratory tract, but showed no symptoms; many patients who have shown mild symptoms of fatigue, low fever, fever, and thirst; and only a few patients who develop severe or mildly severe symptoms. In other words, although the body is susceptible, most of the body's immune system responds to the virus, and only a few abnormal reactions or large numbers of the virus can develop into severe or critical illness.

Source: “新冠病毒在适宜环境下能存活5天”

Clinical Trials for Coronavirus Drugs Begin

The China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing is running clinical trials from February 3rd to April 27 on 270 mildly and moderately ill patients infected with the novel coronavirus using the experimental drug, remdesivir, developed by US biotech company Gilead Sciences from the United States. The medicine is claimed to have successfully treated a case in the US of a 35-year old man who tested positive for the virus. His pneumonia symptoms appeared to improve within a day with no obvious side effects after the drug was administered. The drug is "not yet licensed or approved anywhere globally and has not been demonstrated to be safe or effective for any use". However, the drug was approved for use on compassionate grounds and the request of physicians.

Source: 治疗新冠肺炎药物将在中国试验 | Coronavirus drug to begin clinical trials

For those Traveling

Airlines Increasing Cancelling Flights To/From China. More Countries Restricting Entry

An increasing number of airlines have announced new restrictions, suspensions, cancellations, etc., not only out of mainland China but also from Hong Kong; either on their own accord or due to new restrictions put in place by destination country governments. There are just too many of these announcements to list here; however, if you're considering traveling, you may want to visit websites like flightstats.com to get an idea of flight activity in your area and or to see where you could possibly hop on a plane to. Of course, most online ticket buying sites will be updated with this information as well.

Hong Kong Closes More Borders with China

The Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong issued a notice yesterday stating that as of 00:00 February 4th, passenger transportation services at the Luohu Port, Huanggang Port, Futian Port and Hong Kong and Macau Ferry Terminals are suspended indefinitely; effecitvely cutting off all land borders between Mainland China and Hong Kong except for Shenzhen Bay Port and the HK/Zhuhai/Macau bridge.

Source: 2月4日零时起！暂停罗湖、皇岗、福田口岸及港澳码头客运服务

This comes as thousands of medical workers are on strike for the first in Hong Kong history. The strike, initiated by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, has had 6,700 members join so far, with the principal demand being that the government prohibit non-Hong Kong visitors from entering via Mainland of China. Those striking could be heard chanting the slogan: "Strike to save Hong Kong! Strike to save Hong Kong!" Among those striking so far, 80% were nurses and 7% were doctors.

Source: 今天，这群香港"医护人员"的可耻表现载入历史

The Hong Kong International Airport Ferry between Shekou, Shenzhen is still operating; albeit on a reduced schedule.

Hotels Refusing Accommodation to Chinese

We've been receiving first hand reports from various Chinese travellers that some hotels in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines are refusing to allow them to stay in their hotels even if they've never been to Wuhan or show no signs of infection.

Shanghai requires registration to enter

The Municipal Health and Health Commission of Shanghai has developed and deployed a "Health Cloud" platform to assist in the health observation of people entering Shanghai. Everyone now entering Shanghai will be asked to scan a code and fill in the health registration form asking for their name, mobile phone number and ID number.

Source:  节后来上海，请提前填写！入沪人员必须及时做好健康信息登记

On the Brighter Side

Cruiseship Passengers Released from Quarantine 

Of the 148 passengers that were put into quarantine at the Vienna Hotel in Shekou, after their cruise ship docked at Prince Bay Port on January 26th, 131 were released from medical observation yesterday and the remaining 17 are expected to be released today. Click here for the original quarantine announcement.

Source: 最新！威尼斯邮轮乘客陆续解除医学观察，留下一封信......

Wuhan Discharges 8 Patients

Good news from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital. The first batch of patients infected with the new coronavirus and cured by traditional Chinese medicine or traditional Chinese and western medicine in Wuhan, eight in total, were discharged from the hospital yesterday. 

Source: 湖北再次延长假期的第一天，他们在……

China Vows to Speed up Mask Production 

The mask shortage has been mitigated but more time is still needed to fully solve the problem as manufacturers are returning to work, said Tian Yulong, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) at a press conference in Beijing on Monday. "China's overall production capacity of masks is more than 20 million pieces per day, the largest production capacity in the world. The production capacity of N95 masks and medical-surgical masks still needs some time to recover," Tian added. Amid a shortage, China is encouraging mask factories to increase production, according to Lian Weiliang, a National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) official. Addressing concerns about oversupply, Lian said any extra would go into central reserve.

Source: 口罩买不到怎么办？国家回应来了！

Wuhan International Convention & Exhibition Center Converted into a 1,000-bed Hospital

At 6 p.m. February 3rd, 110 sanitation workers in Jianghan District entered the Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center and began clean-up work in preparation of the conversion of the center into a hospital with 1,000 beds. Jianghan District Urban Management Law Enforcement Team sent 60 members to move in the beds and Jianghan Chengguan moved in 10 mobile public toilets. 

Source: 武汉国际会展中心也将改成医院

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