A Virus Diary

Observations of an Infection in the Information Age

 
 
Initiated: January 23, 2020 
 

A compilation of daily updates during the early emergence of the 2019‐nCoV coronavirus (COVID‐19), as 
told through Facebook posts. I have left the content of these posts intact and unedited, including the 
speculation and unconfirmed reports deemed noteworthy or relevant at the time of posting.  
 1 
 

January 23, 2020

8:34 AM

Virus watch 2020:

China has quarantined three cities of over 20 million people. No travel in or out of these
cities, and unconfirmed reports of armed soldiers forming barricades to prevent
movement.

Saudi Arabia is thermoscanning all airport travelers from China... meanwhile Pearson
has “added a question on their questionnaires” for incoming passengers. Some people
are reporting that bottles of antipyretics are being passed around flights to keep
possible fevers at bay and bypass any quarantines.

Unconfirmed reports of the virus suspected in Montreal, BC and possibly Toronto.

Can’t tell what’s a real threat and what is conspiracy theory, but this is like a live-action
adaptation of World War Z.

Also, it seems the virus has a prolonged incubation period, meaning containment will be
far more difficult.

9:41 AM:

A nurse in Saudi Arabia with no known ties to Wuhan has tested positive. Two
unconfirmed cases in Glasgow are being monitored and tested. The first confirmed
patient in Singapore, with multiple contacts on a flight and at a resort being contacted.
Two confirmed cases in Vietnam - a person from China traveled to both North and
South Vietnam and are now in hospital.

The World Health Organization is confirming second and third generation spread
through contact and droplets (coughing or sneezing directly on someone), but no
evidence that it's airborne yet.

1:58 PM

The Saudi nurse tested positive for MERs, not this virus (being referred to as WARs by
some.)

China has shut down two more cities.

Five people in Scotland are being tested, one in Ireland. Italy has the first suspected
case.
 2 
 

Another death - 80 y/o male patient. First death outside Hubei province.

Reports that not all patients exhibit fevers, making it potentially harder to track.

CDC issues travel advisory.

January 24, 2020

1:39 AM

Since I already started this thing...

Bedtime virus watch update:

881 confirmed cases (of over 1,000 suspected). 26 deaths, two of which are outside
Wuhan. 34 “cured” - meaning patients have recovered. The previous youngest reported
death was a 48-year-old. Most recent is a 36-year-old. Indications are still that the
deceased have underlying health conditions contributing to their decline. Unconfirmed:
bodies of the deceased are being immediately cremated. Also unconfirmed: CT scan
results of a deceased patient’s lungs are circulating, showing aggressive “glass-like”
opacity - far more severe than typical pneumonia infiltrates.

More cities in China added to travel restrictions - essentially attempting to quarantine 35

million people.

Suspected cases in San Francisco (5+), New Jersey, Tennessee and Wisconsin are
awaiting test results. Italy suspected case is cleared. Australia and Mexico have
suspected cases. South Korea has a second confirmed case. The first confirmed US
case of a Seattle man in his 30s is being treated mostly by robots.

People who fled Wuhan area to Hong Kong for medical treatment are crippling Hong
Kong hospitals. Isolation units are over 60% full. HK medical unions are calling for
complete travel bans (including land and sea) from the rest of China. People presenting
to HK hospitals with symptoms or suspected or confirmed virus are attempting to flee
the hospital (two successfully detained and isolated.)

China’s reporting of the official numbers is being questioned. Unconfirmed reports from
family members of infected state there is no further testing being done of family contacts
or suspected cases. Some reports say they are running out of testing supplies. News
agencies are reporting that earlier in the month the government was more focused on
arresting and detaining journalists and internet users who were trying to disseminate
information about the virus.
 3 
 

Unconfirmed images and videos of people collapsing in the streets. Videos of hospital
hallways show hundreds of people packed into narrow corridors - standing room only.
15 confirmed cases are health care workers, but hospital staff claim number is much
higher. Staff report that protective equipment is running out and they’re working without
proper protection.

China has shut down 70,000 movie theatres, cancelled new year celebrations. Drone
footage of Wuhan (which is normally a very busy travel hub) shows streets that are
practically desolate, as many people are staying home. No reports of an official curfew.

Australia researchers are working towards a vaccine, but are ~16 weeks from human
trials. WHO confirms 4th generation spread.

Researchers are estimating an R0 (reproductive number) of 1.4-2.5 for the virus, similar
to the 1918 flu pandemic. This could change. SARS had a lower R0 if I recall, but a
higher mortality. 25% of the 2019-nCoV patients experience severe symptoms, with
approximately a 4% fatality. Keep in mind that the mostly elderly and otherwise ill
patients will have succumbed in the earlier stages of the virus. We don’t really know yet
how fatal it will be in younger, healthier populations as those patients are going to hang
on longer before either succumbing or recovering.

Noon update (1:30 PM)

Finland and Scotland cases are cleared. US has a 2nd confirmed case in Chicago,
possibly a third to be announced (Wyoming?)

No updates to numbers, but Number of officially reported infected is above 900.

Video taken by a nurse in a Wuhan Hospital shows a corridor full of patients, with three
deceased patients on stretchers. Unconfirmed reports that no one is collecting the
bodies and they’ve been there for four days.

4:00 PM

Disneyland Shanghai is closed. Starbucks is suspending operations in China.

Unconfirmed reports that all schools and universities have shut down.

15 cities now on travel lockdown, affecting 41 million people (or more).

2 confirmed cases in France. The UK are trying to track down 2,000 passengers who
flew in from China in the past 2 weeks. Texas has an unconfirmed case.
 4 
 

Six of the first 41 people infected (prior to January 2) have died. These 41 are the only
known cases being tracked from the onset of the infection and throughout the
progression.
 5 
 

January 24, 2020

5:34 PM
Latest Novel Coronavirus update:

180 new cases confirmed on January 24. Death toll in China is now 41 (up from 26 last
night.) 57 are critically ill, 100 are in serious condition. 32 patients have recovered. 658
confirmed cases remain in hospital. The youngest fatality was 36 years old. Today’s 15
new deaths were 50+ years old. All in Hubei province.

A third confirmed case in France.

Suspected new cases in Michigan, Texas (a Baylor student), Minnesota and North
Carolina.

9:40 PM
A doctor infected in Hubei Xinhua Hospital has died. Infected on January 16.

Bedtime update: 1:08 AM

Asymptomatic carriers are possible.
 6 
 

A family of seven were admitted to hospital January 10-15. Six members are confirmed
infected. A 10-year-old boy showed no outward symptoms, but a CT scan showed the
ground-glass pneumonic changes associated with the virus. (“Walking pneumonia” -
when you have no outward symptoms of infection, but do actually have pneumonia.)

It’s been reported that other cases have exhibited no fever, but this seems to be the first
confirmation that asymptomatic carriers may be spreading infection

Apparently more cities are added to the travel lockdown. Unclear which ones, but 56
million people are not on lockdown.

January 25, 2020

3:40 AM
Insomnia update:

Malaysia confirms its first case. Japan confirms a third.

New South Wales, Australia confirms three more cases. Total confirmed in Australia is
now 4. (Come on!!! Massive fires, giant hail, flooding and now a plague??? Give Oz a
fucking break!)

McDonald’s is closing restaurants in Wuhan.

AIDS medications have been used effectively in Shanghai (this was also done to
combat MERS.)

Hubei Health Commission held a press conference at about 1 PM local time. Called this
an “epidemic of major scale.” This admission would seem to be in contradiction to the
official numbers of 1,387 infected and 41 dead.

450 army medics are deployed.

All private vehicles are banned in Wuhan city centre as of January 26 at midnight local
time.

In related but unconfirmed news: audio of phone calls and transcripts of WeChat
conversations with doctors and nurses inside hospitals are alleging tens of thousands of
infected at a minimum. (One said at least ten doctors each treated at least 100 infected
patients yesterday.) Videos of nurses crying uncontrollably in a break room while others
try to sleep sitting up. Staff are claiming they’ve been abandoned by their government,
pleading for people not to come to the hospital because they can’t treat them.
 7 
 

Also unconfirmed: videos showing excavators digging up roads in and out of cities with
lines of cars of people trying to leave. (More photos are surfacing of dump trucks
creating dirt walls on roads to block cars. ready to accept this as confirmed.)

Hong Kong news is posting phone interviews with people in Wuhan. One claims that his
father-in-law fell ill, was in hospital and died January 7 with pneumonia. No official
diagnosis of 2019-nCoV. The man and his wife are now sick, have breathing difficulties
and bloody sputum. Imaging shows pneumonia, but there is no room for them to be
admitted. No testing done.

There’s a live-count web site with a news aggregator : thewuhanvirus.com

5:40 AM
A second field hospital is to be built.

Suspected cases in Belgium and Pakistan.

2:30 PM
UK test results in 31 people are negative.

Malaysia confirms 4th case. Thailand confirms 7 cases.

Hong Kong closes schools.

The U.S. has ordered all embassy staff to return home. Are sending a private plane to
evacuate all U.S. citizens from Wuhan. The CDC is assisting. Jordan is also aiming to
evacuate Jordanians from Wuhan. Sri Lanka is evacuating 30 students.

Chinese President Xi Jinping says the spread of the disease is accelerating.

January 26, 2020

12:20 AM
2019-nCoV update (picking up steam)

Current tally of official numbers surpasses 2000 infected. 56 deaths (another 15 added
in the past 24 hours.) 49 have successfully recovered.

Toronto has Canada’s first official case.

Coastal provinces in China are now shutting down public locations, barring people from
entering by car or ship.
 8 
 

Reports of 130 new infections confirmed in one city shows multiple children and
younger adults (under 40)

(I’m looking for metrics on the 15 new fatalities.)

South Korea is evacuating its citizens from China.

Medical staff are reportedly wearing diapers so they don’t have to remove biohazard
suits. Supplies are running low.

Hong Kong hospital staff are threatening to strike if HK borders remain open.

Hong Kong Disneyland is now closed. McDonald’s closes in 5 more cities.

US citizens being evacuated by charter flight to San Francisco.

3:02 AM
Orange County, CA confirms California’s first case.

Hong Kong confirms a sixth case.

Guangdong Province in China mandates that all citizens must wear face masks in
public, states that refusing to do so may constitute a crime.

7:30 AM
Australia has a 5th suspected case. Berlin and Vienna announce their first suspected
case.

Unconfirmed videos emerging from hospital workers who claim protective gear provided
by the health authority are counterfeit or substandard - demonstrating differences in
packaging and weights (compared to the equipment the hospital already had) and suits
ripping at the seams or tearing across the body while putting them on.

Taiwan is suspending Visas and denying entry to Chinese nationals from Hubei
province at the border.

Unconfirmed report of a suspected case at Southlake Regional Health Centre in

Newmarket.

10:00 AM
Taiwan has a fourth confirmed case.
 9 
 

Hong Kong protestors clashing with police over a proposal to use a social housing block
as a quarantine area.

Japan confirms a fourth case.

BBC Journalists removed from Hubei province by police while documenting border
measures and desolate streets in towns inside the border.

Samples taken from the Huanan wet market before its shutdown and disinfection show
“massive presence” of 2019-nCoV. 31 of 33 positive samples came from west market
wildlife area.

Unconfirmed report from affected patients: one family member died 3 weeks ago, not
tested. Two household members have imaging results showing probable pneumonia.
Neither have a fever so they were sent home. Coughing up blood, condition
deteriorating, no test done to confirm virus. (These reports are becoming more common
and covered on local cable news reports in Wuhan.) Family lives just blocks away from
the market.

January 26, 2020

3:33 PM
2019-nCoV update: (I cant believe it’s only day four).

First Canadian confirmed cases was symptomatic on flight after all. Public health will be
interviewing contacts.

Los Angeles confirms California’s second case.

Arizona confirms the 5th US case.

The youngest known infected is a 9-month old baby.

A woman suspected to be infected delivered an apparently healthy baby in a Hubei

hospital.

Reports from CCP state media indicate that 14 hospital workers infected while operating
on an undiagnosed patient have “fully recovered” and all tested negative. Many discount
this as propaganda intended to ease panic among healthcare workers who aren’t being
provided proper protective equipment.
 10 
 

Unconfirmed video from Markham shows four ambulances arriving to a residence in

hazmat gear. Translation of the narrator indicates that her neighbor called her in a panic
because she was on the flight from China with the first infected Canadian, and had
since developed symptoms. She called 911, advised them of her exposure.

6:00 PM
 

Hubei announces 24 new deaths, and 371 new cases.

This brings the China toll to 2,454 cases and 80 deaths. (over 2,500 cases worldwide)

Wuhan mayor says there are 2,200 suspected cases being treated in hospital (in
addition to 671 confirmed cases.) 221 cases are serious, 69 are in critical condition.

Texas A&M Student suspected case tests negative. Southwest Airlines flight from Las
Vegas to Baltimore removed an ill passenger from the flight, met by EMS.

7:30 PM
It’s morning in China. More provinces are reporting in. Total worldwide cases now sits at
a reported 2,799 infected.

January 26, 2020

10;56 PM
Bedtime virus watch update: (unless I stay up for 90 Day Fiancé)

As of midnight tonight, Hong Kong will ban entry to anyone from Hubei province, or
anyone who has travelled to Hubei in the past 14 days.

Macau is banning entry to anyone from Hubei. 1,300 visitors already there must leave
or be isolated.

Mongolia is closing borders to mainland China, canceling public gatherings and closing
schools.

The first state official, a 62-year-old male, had died. He was the former Wuhan Citizens’
Commission director.

China’s Centre for Disease control says 2019-nCoV has a higher pandemic risk than
SARS. The demographics of the infected are now trending towards younger, healthier
populations.
 11 
 

The State Council Information Office PRC states that there are 5,700+ suspected
cases, mostly close contacts of 2,700+ confirmed cases.

The France Minister of Health states that there is no need to buy masks, the virus is
“much less lethal” than originally feared. France is NOT performing health checks to
passengers of arriving flights. Passengers are puzzled by the absence of health
screening, but are given an information brochure.

Quick addendum: a fourth confirmed case in South Korea has had contact with 74
people before identification. A hotel employee has since developed symptoms. If
confirmed, this will be only the second or third human to human transmission to
someone who was not in China (the first was Vietnam.)

Current figures are 2819 confirmed infections, 80 deaths reported.

11:30 PM
Reuters journalist David Stanway (who had been documenting the situation in Wuhan)
is quarantined in home in Shanghai for 14 days, with instructions not to have contact
with anyone.

Three tour group members were taken to hospital in New Zealand with suspected
infections. NZ news reports no passengers arriving in Auckland from China submitted to
the voluntary health screening (and the employees currently have no authority to
compel them to do so.)

12:30 AM

Australia confirms a 5th case. Student at UNSW Sydney.

Conflicting / unconfirmed reports: Australia is planning to evacuate its nationals from
Wuhan. UK media is reporting that the UK’s request to evacuate Brits are denied, and
no further repatriation efforts will be permitted to bypass the quarantine.

Six suspected cases in Fiji.

Unconfirmed suspected case in Alabama.

Infant isolated in Hong Kong with fever. Father did not initially tell medical staff he had
worked in a mainland hospital that was taking in suspected cases. Infant had not been
out of Hong Kong.

1:30 AM
 
 12 
 

The World Health Organization will hold a special meeting in Beijing today after the
recent surge in the death toll.

January 27, 2020

3:29 PM

2019-nCoV update:

Toronto has a second presumptive positive case - the wife of the first case (who was
travelling with him.) 19 other people are being assessed, 22 other suspected cases
tested negative. Test results on both initial cases are positive, but tests need to be
confirmed in a Winnipeg lab for the official result.

Beijing reports it's first death from the virus.

Sri Lanka confirms a positive case.

Mumbai is monitoring four suspected cases.

A 14-year-old Mongolian student has died from pneumonia. Test results for the virus are
pending.

The US CDC confirms the 5 positive cases, and is currently tracking 73 - 110 others. All
cases in Minnesota have been cleared.

A child in California had a positive coronavirus test, but it is not the novel coronavirus.

12 people hospitalized in Turkey with suspected cases.

The mayor of Wuhan admits to withholding information about the spread of the disease
in the early stages, wants to resign.

Current standings are 2,902 infected, 82 deaths reported.

You can live stream the building of the first new hospital (due for completion February 3)
here:

6:30 PM
Bavaria and Germany declare first confirmed cases.

The first Toronto infection is confirmed by the lab in Winnipeg.

 13 
 

Ryerson University addressed a fake screenshot of an alert about two allegedly infected
student - the images shared are fake, they have no confirmed cases among the student
population at this time.

Morning briefings from Hubei province should be forthcoming shortly with updated
numbers. Monitoring them in the next hour or so.

8:00 PM
 

1291 new cases confirmed. 24 new deaths, bringing the total dead to 106.

The current number of confirmed cases is now 4295 worldwide.

Hubei province is reporting 127 hospitalized cases are in critical condition, 563 are in
serious condition. Remaining provinces report a cumulative 126 in serious condition, 10
in critical condition.

Various countries are working to evacuate their citizens from China and are working
with authorities to plan: Germany, Japan, France, Morocco, Spain, Britain, Russia,
Myanmar, Netherlands. Canada has no planned evacuation but is providing consular
assistance on a case-by-case basis. The U.S. consulate staff and a limited number of
private citizens (on paid seats) will be departing Wuhan on Tuesday to return to the U.S.
(Previous reports of arrival in San Francisco are not current. They will be landing in
California at an as yet undisclosed location.)

11:00 PM
China’s National Health Commission states the virus can be transmitted via touch, in
addition to the close range droplet transmission.

January 28, 2020

3:33 AM
 

Virus Diary: Day Six, post number Eight, update number Twenty-Seven.

Buckle up, this is going to be bumpy.

Confirmed cases just hit 4,600. (On January 22 there were 480.)
 14 
 

A confirmed case on the island of Hainan with no travel to mainland China affirms
Human to Human transmission (previously only believed to occur in the Vietnam cases.)

The confirmed case in Bavaria had no recent travel. The infected is an employee of a
convertible roof manufacturer. A colleague from one of the several large branches in
China visited Stockdorf for a few days on or about January 19. Other colleagues are
now being tested. This would be the most recent case of Human to Human transmission
outside China, and does not involve close familial contacts.

Pending confirmation:

George Mason University in Virginia has alerted faculty and staff of an infection.

USC in Los Angeles has alerted students that a Lorenzo resident is infected.

Suspected cases reported/undergoing testing in the last 24 hours: (I haven’t been

diligent in updating suspected cases because most seem to end up testing negative, but
there seem to be more announced by media globally. So here we are.)

San Diego, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Wisconsin,
Colorado, Santa Barbara, Philadelphia

3 in Delhi, 1 in Punjab, 281 in Kerala (India), 6 in New South Wales, 1 in Brazil, 4 in

Peru, 1 in Colombia, 1 in Spain, 1 in Ecuador, 1 in Romania, 19 in Turkey, 1 in Ireland,
1 in France, 2 in Poland, 3 in the Philippines, 2 in Switzerland, 4 in Perth, 4 in Czech
Republic, 1 in Africa (Ivory Coast),

5 in Quebec. Unverified reports that testing was not done on a Burnaby, BC resident
who is symptomatic and recently returned from China.

6 new confirmed cases in Thailand.

1 new confirmed case in Cambodia (first)

There was a sudden unexpected death in New Zealand of a person who returned home
from China recently. No specific dates of travel or vital information of the deceased
provided, but authorities are investigating for 2019-nCoV based on recent travel.

A 22-year-old Beijing man was arrested after posting on social media that he is infected
and planned to go to crowded places to intentionally infect other people. Police said he
is not actually infected.

China demands an apology after a Danish newspaper printed a satirical drawing of the
Chinese flag with the stars replaced with virus molecules.
 15 
 

Signing of at 3:30 AM, unless more shit hits the fan tonight.

4:20 AM :

Japan reports two confirmed cases - one of the cases had no travel to China, he’s a bus
driver who was transporting a group of Chinese tourists in Japan.

This is the third human to human transmission outside mainland China that did not
include any travel announced today (Bavaria, Hainan, Japan) and the forth overall
(Vietnam).

4:30 PM
Germany has confirmed three more employees were infected by their Chinese
colleague, or by the man who was initially infected. 4 Germany employees are
confirmed positive.

January 28, 2020

6:35 PM
2019-nCoV update:

Hubei province (which includes Wuhan) have reported 840 new cases and 25 new
deaths today. Other provinces have not reported in yet.
 16 
 

The current tally is 5,572 confirmed cases, 131 deaths. The number of critically ill in
Hubei rose to 228.

New confirmed cases reported in British Columbia, France, Japan and Singapore.

The number of suspected cases in Kerala is up to 436.

Air Canada is cancelling select flights to China. The US tells airlines it may suspend
China to US flights.

The World Health Organization reports that 17-21% of the infections are serious or life
threatening, with 2-3% fatality. (This is in line with early estimates from experts and is
based only on confirmed cases.) These statistics make 2019-nCoV roughly 30 times
deadlier than influenza, but only 1/3 as deadly as SARS. (Again, based only on
confirmed cases.)

Addendum: China’s National Health Commission will begin releasing updates twice
daily, instead of just in the morning.

These will be available at 7:00 PM and 2:00 AM Eastern Time.

8:00 PM
All provinces reported in China. Current count is 6,062 infected, 132 deaths.

The second Toronto case (wife of the first) has been confirmed.

German manufacturer has closed the office where 4 employees were infected. 40 other
employees are being tested. The school that the first employee’s child attends is being
monitored.

The White House will not suspend flights from China.

Australia will evacuate citizens who are in Wuhan. Evacuees will spend 14 days in
quarantine on Christmas Island.

There are unconfirmed reports of civil unrest in various provinces in China.

Villages in Hubei province are constructing makeshift walls and blockades on roads to
keep out outsiders.

1:00 AM
Tibet and the United Arab Emirates each confirm their first cases.
 17 
 

Chinese government closes Samsung and Foxconn (iPhone) factories.

First flight evacuating citizens to Japan reports four people on board with symptoms.
Taken to hospital in quarantine. Second planned flight cancelled.

Flight evacuating US embassy staff and families was destined for Ontario, California.
Re-routed to military base in Riverside, CA.

Australia’s chief medical officer confirms reports that virus is contagious before
symptoms appear. Instructs all those who travelled from China or have had contact with
anyone infected to quarantine themselves in their homes.

2:30 AM
Melbourne, Australia announces confirmed case. Total confirmed in Australia is now 6.

British Airways suspends all flights to and from mainland China.

United Airlines announces flight cancellations.

Current case tally is 6,106 infected, 132 dead. There are 249 listed in critical condition,
899 in serious condition.

Confirmed cases in the city of Wenzhou doubled today, making it the first city outside of
Hubei province to report more than 100 cases.

The US evacuees have landed in Anchorage for refueling and to check passengers for
new symptoms.

January 29, 2020

4:37 PM
Currently 7,186 infected, 169 dead.

2019-nCoV stuff

{Personal detail redacted}

There are a few small updates in the meantime:

Finland has a confirmed case. The United Arab Emirates case is a now a family of four.
Queensland, Australia reports it's first case. There's another case in France.

Canada is sending a charter to retrieve Canadians from the affected areas.

 18 
 

There are unverified/unconfirmed videos circulating that show CCP police barricading
people in their apartments by nailing doors shut and bracing them with metal and wood
to prevent quarantined occupants from leaving their homes.

In the meantime - while everyone is watching what's happening, and worried about
whether this will affect us here (and the western media is rife with reports of racism
towards local Asian communities) it's important to remember that people shouldn't be
vilified based on the geography of a viral outbreak. There are people - real, actual
people, not just numbers and statistics - that are suffering loss of life, loss of loved ones,
and loss of freedom.

I've been saving a few of the stories I've come across. Linking them here as a reminder
of the human toll of this event. (Use Google translate. I've also copied a PDF of each of
these if you want it - just message me.) {See Appendix}

An Infected Doctor in Wuhan: https://www.weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show…

Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward: https://news.ifeng.com/c/7tbwSrNY0Tw

A child with Cerebral Palsy dies of starvation at home after his father is isolated in
hospital: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/SBEprNCnqygInRWWXbywEw

5:30 PM
The daily stats haven’t been released yet, but Hubei province reports 37 deaths today.

January 30, 2020

4:36 AM
It's 5:00 AM This is your "fire alarm went off because something on the 11th floor was
burning" update on the current 2019-nCoV reports

I really had planned on being asleep by now, but fire alarms are loud and I'm awake,
and there's news.

Not great news though.

There are currently 7,914 infected. 170 fatalities.

Confirmed new cases:

 19 
 

2 in South Korea. One of these new cases is a result of direct human-to-human

transmission in the country. (This brings the total to five countries with direct
transmission.)

Taiwan announces 9th case - human-to-human transmission. (Oops. make that six
countries with direct transmission.)

3 more in Melbourne. (There are now 8 in Australia)

First reported case in the Philippines.

3 more in Vietnam.

3 people who were evacuated from Wuhan to Japan on the first charter flight are
confirmed. Two had no symptoms.

Kerala province in India reports its first positive case. This region is being closely
monitored - with a reported 600 people under investigation yesterday (up from 400 the
day before.)

Unconfirmed reports:

A second Japanese charter flight landed with 9 people showing symptoms. 2 Chinese
nationals who were leaving Japan were detected by screening at the airport - test status
confirmed.

7 people aboard an Air Canada flight from China to Toronto were reportedly
symptomatic.

There are unconfirmed reports that a 23-year-old Indian man living in Malaysia has died
from the virus. No further details provided.

Initium Media is reporting that China has been secretly cremating bodies of deceased
without identification or any indication they were victims of the virus since early January.
{See Appendix}

More images are appearing from villages where doors are barricaded with metal bars,
chains. Signs reading "These people came back home from Wuhan, please avoid
contact" are posted on the doors. City officials reportedly establish contact with
residents and food/necessities are reportedly delivered. One image shows the main
doors of an entire apartment complex barricaded.
 20 
 

A man collapsed in the street outside a Chinatown restaurant in Sydney, NSW. He died
from a suspected cardiac arrest - no bystanders administered CPR or assistance out of
fear that he had the coronavirus.

A dispute over the coronavirus in a "mommy group" on Facebook devolved into real-life
violence, sending both women to hospital in New South Wales.

Human rights lawyer and citizen journalist Chen Qiushi posted video claiming his social
media accounts have been banned. He has been documenting the situation in China.
Link to the video and a summary of his talking points is in the comments (translated by
a redditor.) The video contains images inside hospitals, including a woman holding her
deceased husband upright in a wheelchair in a crowded hospital hallway while they wait
for transport for the body.

1:00 PM
Chicago reports a second case - the wife of the first case. First human to human
transmission in the US.

January 30, 2020

2:56 PM
 

2019-nCoV Breaking News:

The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak a Public Health
Emergency of International Concern (aka a Global Health Emergency) in a news
conference happening now. The WHO chief states that the coronavirus has "escalated
into an unprecedented outbreak."

France reports a 6th case - a doctor who was not working in the hospitals with other
cases. He saw a patient in his office who later tested positive after returning to China.
(first human to human transmission in France.)

The previously announced H2H transmission in South Korea was the 6th case, who had
contact with the 3rd case in a restaurant. (The 3rd case had been contact with at least
95 people between January 20-25.)

One person who was evacuated from Wuhan to the U.S. attempted to leave the military
base in California has been ordered into quarantine.
 21 
 

6000 people are locked down on a cruise ship outside Italy while two suspected cases
on board are tested.

The current number of cases has surpassed the number of SARS cases (that occurred
in 9 months.)

5:45 PM
There have been 1,220 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, and 42 new deaths.

Currently, 9,171 confirmed cases worldwide, 213 deaths.

Another 12,000+ cases are currently suspected. There are 1,370 people in serious
condition, with 332 of those being considered critical. (Edit: 1,527 serious now, 332 of
those are critical.) 124 people have recovered.

129 cases outside of China. 26 new cases - the single biggest increase in one day.

Italy confirms 2 cases.

Germany confirms a 5th case - another colleague of the previous four.

7:00 PM :

CNHC reports from other provinces outside Hubei add another 622 cases. 9,821
infected total.

The cruise ship off the coast of Italy tested two passengers for coronavirus - test results
negative. Confirmed influenza.

10:38 PM:

South Korea reports Human to Human transmission.

Aukland, New Zealand reports its first confirmed case.

The first Korean charter flight landed. One passenger was refused boarding due to
fever. 18 people symptomatic on landing have been transported to hospital.

Germany confirms that the man who contracted the virus from his Chinese colleague
transmitted the infection to two of his coworkers (they had no contact with the woman
from China.) Based on the timeline, the male patient contracted it on January 20 and
 22 
 

was contagious on January 21 (infecting his colleague on this day) The male patient did
not develop symptoms until January 24.

The Lancet a clinical report of the first 99 people identified as infected. 11 of them have
died, 31 had been discharged and 57 were still in hospital as of January 25. This
represents an 11% mortality of that sample size (does not account for unreported
infections during that period, and the actual mortality rate is expected to be lower overall
with more data and time.)

January 31, 2020

2:40 AM
The stories out of Wuhan and China are terrible.
There’s only so much even I can handle, reading posts by people sick, grieving,
isolated. Seeing videos and photos in news outlets of people lying dead on the street,
lining up at hospitals begging for help. People quarantined and running out of food.
Then something breaks the monotony of sadness. Glimpses into how some manage to
cope.
This quarantined woman created art. Out of pistachio shells and sunflower seeds.
 23 
 

5:14 AM

Virus Diary Day Nine

This is just a short update on the overnight developments to start a new post
The United Kingdom announced their first two confirmed cases - members of the same
family.
Thailand has 5 more confirmed cases, including a Thai taxi driver who acquired it
domestically.
South Korea has 4 new cases. One of these cases is a 3rd generation infection - the
virus was transmitted from someone who acquired it domestically (aka Human to
Human outside China).
This brings the locations of Human to Human transmission to 8 countries besides
China. Including evidence of 3rd generation transmissions in South Korea and
Germany.
There are 9,920 confirmed cases worldwide, with 213 deaths.
When I first started this thing nine days ago, there were 881 confirmed cases and 26
deaths.
The included graphic is a cartoon
circulating in China.
The description of the image is as follows:
"The isolated patient is a hot, dry noodle -
the signature dish of Wuhan. Outside the
window are specialty foods from other
regions in China sending well wishes and
urging them to keep fighting." The person
who shared this image is asking for other
artistically-inclined people to respond in
kind, with regional foods like tacos and
cheeseburgers, pasta, sushi etc. on the
other side of the glass.

 
 24 
 

10:00 AM
Germany reports a 6th case. The child of an employee who was infected by his co-
worker (who was infected by a visiting colleague from Shanghai, who it turns out was
infected by her parents who were from Wuhan.)
This case is several generations removed now.
Russia announced its first two positive cases.
Chinese health officials state they cannot confirm how long the antibody resistance
remains after infection. This is important to learn, as it could have serious implications: if
there is limited or no antibody resistance, a recovered patient can get re-infected with
the virus, and a vaccine would potentially be ineffective.

4:00 PM
Sweden confirms its first case.
Germany confirms another case (another employee)
London, Ontario announces a case (initially tested negative, a second test was
positive.)
Toronto's first case was discharged from hospital; to continue self-isolation.
New York City has a confirmed case. No it doesn't. Yes it does. No it doesn't. No one
really knows at this point.
There are 2 more asymptomatic cases in Japan.
India is ceasing export of all Personal Protective Equipment.
The U.S. is holding a press conference: They've declared a public health emergency,
are banning entry to all people who have visited Hubei province within 14 days, and all
of the evacuees that arrived by charter are now detained under a mandatory 14-day
quarantine.
Unconfirmed: A woman in the U.S. concerned for her daughter in China (not Hubei
province) was told by the embassy that she should be on the next charter out of China
or risk being stranded there for months.
Delta Airlines and American Airlines are suspending all flights to/from China.
Unconfirmed reports that Chinese citizens have been warned not to share any
information on the pandemic that does not come from the CCP state media. Doing so is
punishable by up to 7 years in prison.
The current toll is 9,953 infected, 213 dead.
 25 
 

5:30 PM
California reports another case in Santa Clara county (San Francisco/Bay Area), the 7th
in the U.S.
Spain confirms its first case - patient had contact with a Germany case.
Hubei province reports 1,347 new cases, with 45 new deaths.
The current tally is:
11,301 confirmed cases. 258 fatalities.

7:10 PM
 

China's NHC reports 611 new cases (in addition to the reports from Hubei earlier)

1 additional death outside Hubei.

273 people overall have been treated and released (recovery is established after two
negative test results following the illness.)

1795 people are in serious condition. 397 of those are in critical condition.

There are 11,948 confirmed cases worldwide, in 24 countries. 259 deaths. Another
17,988 suspected cases.

Details on the first U.S. case in Seattle have been released. A 35-year-old male
returned from visiting family in Wuhan on January 15. On January 19 he visited an
urgent care clinic, complaining of a cough x 4 days. X-rays were normal but swabs were
sent to the CDC. Diagnosis confirmed on January 20. He was experiencing a fever,
cough, runny nose, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. On infection day nine (5th
day in hospital) his x-ray showed pneumonia in his left lower lobe. The following day an
x-ray showed opacities in both lung bases. On hospital day 8 his condition started to
improve, and he has not had a fever since January 30. Cough starting to improve.

Far right conspiracy site Zero Hedge published the personal information of (doxxed) a
scientist at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, alleging that this was a bioweapon created
by the scientist. Something, something, Resident Evil umbrella logo...
Twitter suspended their account.

 
 26 
 

February 1, 2020
4:41 AM
 

2019-nCoV update - February edition.

There are currently 12,002 cases worldwide. 259 deaths.
(One week ago there were 1,400 infected and 40 deaths.)
There are 3 new cases in Australia, including the first in South Australia and another
one in Victoria.
A school-teacher's assistant in Singapore is under quarantine. His in-laws are confirmed
cases. The assistant was in class following exposure.
Vietnam confirms a 6th case: A receptionist at a hotel who was exposed to a confirmed
patient while working.
Suspected case in Ecuador has been in hospital for a week, has a "high probability of
death." Ecuador is awaiting confirmation of test results from the CDC in Atlanta.
Huanggang (near Wuhan, population 6 million) bans people from leaving their homes.
One person may leave every other day to procure supplies for the household.
Wenzhou in Zhejiang province is showing steadily increasing numbers. Government
officials are barricading bridges.
Australia will be restricting entry to only citizen and permanent residents. No other
arrivals from China will be allowed to enter.
Vietnam bans all China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau flights.
The eight people who were arrested in January for spreading rumors about the virus
have been confirmed to be doctors who were alerting people (colleagues, family)
through WeChat. One of these doctors is now infected.
Various sporting events planned in China have been cancelled.
"Non essential" businesses have been ordered shut down until at least February 10 in
several provinces.
Transportation shutdowns have resulted in animal feed supplies and raw materials.
There are reports that 300 million chickens are "on the verge of death."
More videos are being posted by Chen Qiushi. In a February 1 video he indicates that
there are not enough hospital beds for the infected, leading to people dying at home.
A doctor made statements on China Central Television that domestic pets in contact
with infected should be quarantined. While some viruses can be contracted by domestic
 27 
 

animals, there isn't any evidence that this virus can. The result of those statements is
tragic: people are throwing their cats and dogs from high floors of apartment blocks.
(DO NOT GOOGLE THESE IMAGES. For the love of god. Just don't.)
The infographic demonstrating the difference in growth between 2019-nCoV and SARS
is a few hours out of date now (based on yesterday's numbers.)

February 2, 2020

1:20 AM
2019-nCoV update:
There are currently 14,556 confirmed cases. 305 deaths. There are currently 2,210
people in serious condition, 510 of those are in critical condition. 328 people have
recovered.
Boston, MA confirms its first case. New York City has a suspected case awaiting
confirmation.
A U.S. tourist in Vietnam has been hospitalized. He had a 2-hour layover in the Wuhan
airport en route to Vietnam.
India confirms a second case, South Korea confirms 3 more.
The first death outside of China - a Wuhan man who traveled to the Philippines has
died.
An unverified case in Mexico city: A traveler from China who traveled from Los Angeles
to Mexico from Jan 20-22, stayed in hotels and used Uber to travel around the city, was
tested and confirmed after he left.
 28 
 

The virus is confirmed to be transmitted through feces and vomit.

The China NHC directs that bodies of the deceased must be immediately cremated
after death. No burial or funeral services.
The city of Huanggang has a sharp increase in confirmed cases. Residents are under
lockdown. In a press conference yesterday, the mayor stated that limited availability and
capacity to perform tests has affected their ability to confirm cases. She stated that
currently the number of confirmed cases accounts for only about 18% of the suspected
cases. All of the suspected cases are people who are receiving treatment and are
symptomatic with pneumonia.
Construction has been completed on the new hospital. It will open Monday. The second
one is under construction.
A man uploaded a video he took at a hospital in Wuhan: Outside the hospital, a bus was
piled with 8 bodies (in body bags) destined for cremation. Inside the hospital, the son of
a man who died is distraught. His body is still on the stretcher while workers prepare to
remove the body to the bus outside. An doctor is upset about another death.
Shortly after uploading this video, another video surfaced: The videographer was in his
home while officials banged on the door. During the exchange, the officials (police
dressed as medical personnel) claimed they were from the CDC and that he had to go
with them to the hospital because he's infected. The man kept denying he was sick,
saying he has no symptoms. The video ends with the officials breaking down the door
and arresting him.
The man was later released (and has been interviewed by media.) He states the reason
for his release was because of the attention that his video received online and by
western and international media.
There is currently an H5N1 bird flu epidemic in Hunan Province. 4500 chickens have
died and over 17,000 have been culled.
 

6:30 AM
 

There are now 14,642 confirmed. 19,544 suspected in China.

2 new cases confirmed in Germany. Unrelated to the workplace exposure of the
previous cluster and were identified and quarantined after the extradition flight from
China.
There are unverified reports that Paddington Station in London, UK was cordoned off
when two people became ill and were taken to hospital for assessment by first
responders in full isolation gear.
 29 
 

The U.S. military compound in South Korea will quarantine all personnel returning from
China.
The confirmed case of a man who visited Mexico City and was detected (symptomatic)
upon return to Los Angeles resulted in the temporary suspension of 240 drivers and
users from Uber. The man stayed at a Hilton hotel, visited the Cathedral and the
Museum of art, but could not remember the names of the restaurants he visited
between January 20-22.
A Chinese man who was confirmed as infected while in Russia learned of his diagnosis
from the television news. He is currently in isolation in hospital with only a mild cough,
but he claims no information regarding his infection or test results have been provided
to him. He is concerned for his 2-year-old child (who is Russian) that is displaying fever
and diarrhea. He reached out to Russian media and apologized for having visited China
and returning to Russia with the virus.
In a non-peer-reviewed scientific study, researchers are speculating that a required
ACE2 receptor for the novel coronavirus is higher in men than women, and Asians have
a higher concentration of this receptor than Caucasians or Africans.
Unconfirmed reports that passengers arriving from China were sprayed with disinfectant
while be-boarding a plane in Indonesia.
Unconfirmed reports that a Wuhan man, infected with the virus, was forced to rent an
apartment away from his family to prevent transmitting it to them. He was turned away
from a hospital because they had no room to admit him, and was running out of food.
He committed suicide by jumping off an overpass.
A government official in Japan who was involved in the screening and isolation of
returnees committed suicide. Local media reports indicate his death may have been the
result of pressure from his employment. Unverified reports that Japanese officials and
employees screening incoming passengers have been the target of abuse and threats
from citizens to want borders shut down to incoming Chinese travelers.
Unverified reports that a man who tried to leave the quarantine in Huanggang was killed
by police. Video shows his body in the street with obvious signs of trauma.
Unverified reports regarding the videos of body bags and the arrest of Yang Bin: Wuhan
Yi funeral home was contacted and confirmed that there are 7-8 bodies being
transported per vehicle trip, with approximately 10-15 trips per day.
The construction of the second new hospital in Wuhan is scheduled for completion on
February 5.
 30 
 

6:07 PM
 

Virus Diary - February 2

There are 16,768 confirmed cases. 361 deaths (56 announced today in Hubei
province.) 2,210 people in serious condition, 570 of those are critical.
One new case confirmed in the United States - San Francisco area.
20 French citizens aboard the evacuation plane are symptomatic and being tested. 16
other passengers with symptoms are in transit to their own countries.
The Canadian government is working on a plan for Canadians trapped in Wuhan. The
Health Minister also stated that people can't be contagious without showing symptoms.
(This information has been proven false and is in direct contradiction to other health
agencies including the WHO.)
The U.S. Pentagon is preparing to house 1,000 quarantined people in military housing
installations in California, Colorado and Texas as needed.

7:50 PM
17,386 confirmed cases. 362 deaths. There are 21,558 suspected cases.
475 people have recovered.
Two new cases confirmed in California (San Benito County).

February 3, 2020

7:00 PM
2019-nCoV update:
20,626 infected, 426 dead. 21,558 suspected. 632 recovered.
2,788 serious, with at least 690 of those in critical condition. 171,329 under medical
observation in China.
The National Institute of Health reports that 25% of the infections in China are very
serious, requiring Intensive care.
2 cases in San Benito, California that were previously stable are now hospitalized after
their condition worsened on Sunday night. (Update at 7:45 PM - they are now
transferred out of San Benito county to a hospital more equipped to provide a higher
level of care.)
 31 
 

Canadians in Wuhan will be evacuated to CFB Trenton. Those showing symptoms will
not be permitted to board flights in China.
Kerala, India declares a state of emergency after a third case was confirmed.
Germany reports 2 more cases.
Chinese embassy compares border closures to the Holocaust. Later apologizes.
Tests conducted on doorknobs and common areas in residential buildings in China
show the Coronavirus present. New information that contaminated smooth surfaces
may remain infectious for up to 5 days.

February 4, 2020
12:10 AM
A 39-year-old man died in Hong Kong. This is the second death outside mainland
China.
Asymptomatic transmission is being called into question as the woman from Shanghai
who infected her German colleagues admits symptoms began earlier than reported and
she was masking them. However there is still evidence that Patient 1 in Germany
transmitted the virus to Patient 3 in Germany before symptoms appeared, and other
cases of asymptomatic children (in Korea I think?) who may be infectious.
Shenzhen in Guangdong province has alerted the community that it is cutting off water
to all residents from Hubei province. Everyone from Hubei or who had contact with
people in Hubei must register upon return to Shenzhen before service will be restored to
their residences.
Taiwan reports 56 deaths from H1N1 influenza during the 2019-nCoV outbreak.
Macau reports its first case of human to human transmission. Will close its gambling
industry for half a month.
South Korea reports one new case - a woman who traveled to Thailand. No travel to
China was noted.
The San Benito couple who were hospitalized Sunday and worsened Monday were
reportedly transferred to San Francisco for a higher level of medical care. (This is not
unusual in severe medical cases, as smaller hospitals like the 62-bed San Benito
County hospital are often not equipped to handle complex intensive care patients. But it
speaks to the potentially fragile condition of the couple.)
 32 
 

8:55 AM
Day 13 of my virus diary:
Queensland confirms a 3rd case - an 8-year-old child.
A one-month-old infant in China is infected.
Singapore reports 6 new cases and local human to human transmission.
Thailand reports 6 new cases, bringing the reported total to 25.
Japan reports one new case - a woman in her 30s, bringing the total to 22.
Belgium confirms its first case - a passenger on the plane of evacuees to the
Netherlands. The Dutch passengers were sent home for isolation with no tests
performed.
Kerala, India has 2,500 people being monitored. They report 2 people from China fled to
Saudi Arabia.
A Cruise Ship with 3,700 people is quarantined in Yokohama Bay, Japan. 8 people
aboard have symptoms.
Cuba reports its first suspected case. 3 suspected cases in Bulgaria.
3 suspected cases in New York City over the weekend are pending test results.
2 cases in Italy that were stable in home isolation are now in Intensive Care with
respiratory failure.
A Seattle man hospitalized with pneumonia is stable and has been discharged from
hospital.
China Global Television Network reports that 80% of deaths in China have been >60
years old. 75% had other health issues.
The average hospital admission stay in Hubei is 20 days.
In addition to the 2 new hospitals being built (2600 beds total), a stadium and 2 other
facilities are being converted to house infected patients. (>3000 additional beds.) See
photo below.
The United Kingdom advises all citizens who are in China to leave if they can.
Consulates in Wuhan and Chongqing are closed.
US Army Fort Carson in Colorado is confirmed to be a quarantine site.
American Airlines suspends Hong Kong flights.
 33 
 

A man aboard a WestJet flight from Toronto to Jamaica claimed he was infected. Flight
returned to Toronto, where he was arrested for his hoax.
More (unverified) videos appear to show a hospital waiting room and treatment area
with four bodies awaiting transport to the crematorium, and a long corridor of a funeral
home/ crematorium building with >15 bodies awaiting cremation.
The current statistics are:
20,673 infected
427 dead
23,212 suspected in China
171,329 under observation
2,792 in serious condition, with 702 of those critical.
647 recovered.

7:20 PM
There are 24,550 confirmed cases worldwide. 492 deaths.
3,223 in serious condition, including 837 critical.
10 new cases confirmed aboard the quarantined cruise ship in Japan.
1 new case in British Columbia - Canada’s first human-to-human transmission.
Regions in China are offering financial incentives to residents who report neighbors who
are not isolating themselves, or who have returned from Wuhan.
70 people who are “possibly infected” to be quarantined at Camp Ashland, Nebraska.
No indication of their origin.
 34 
 

February 5, 2020
6:25 AM

2019-nCoV Virus Watch Day 14:

Queensland, Australia confirms a fourth case.

Wuhan Children's Hospital reports two cases of neonatal pneumonia. The second
confirmed is a 30-hour-old infant of an infected mother, indicating mother-to-child
transmission in utero is possible. The infant is currently stable.

The Philippines Department of Health is unable to locate potentially infected passengers

from a Wuhan flight. Only 17% of the passengers have been contacted.

The cruise ship "Diamond Princess" had a passenger on board between January 20 -
25 (while symptomatic). It is currently under quarantine near Tokyo. 31 passengers
tested, 10 confirmed positive (remaining tests pending.) The 10 cases were transferred
to hospital. The original passenger did not seek treatment until January 30. The
remaining of the 3,700 passengers and crew are quarantined aboard the ship in
Yokohama, Japan. Passengers report that they have been without food for 17+ hours,
were notified that all services have been stopped (suspected transmission of nCoV via
food/food handling on board.)

Hong Kong is investigating a cruise ship after 3 former passengers were confirmed
positive. 30 crew members are symptomatic. 1800 people on board.

The two confirmed cases in Italy (from China) are in critical condition on ventilators. An
employee of the Verona hotel that they stayed at for one night is symptomatic and being
tested.

A suspected case in Austria escaped quarantine. She was retrieved by officials and
returned to hospital - test results are pending.

Suspected case at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts was on the plane with
the infected UMass student from Boston.

A Canadian citizen is under observation in Malaysia with a suspected coronavirus

infection.
 35 
 

5 health care workers in San Jose, California were exposed to a previously confirmed
case.

A U.K. man with from Wuhan (who lives near the wet market believed to be an original
source of infection) says officials with the NHS have not tested him despite his pleas.
The teacher, currently in Buckinghamshire, fears he is contagious and "spreading the
disease everywhere."

Two more flights evacuating US Citizens departed last night from Wuhan, destined for
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Travis Air Force Base in California. Passengers
will be subject to the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has not appeared in public since January 28, leading to
speculation by media that he is ill.

Apple's suppliers aim to resume operations on February 10. Foxxcon (a major supplier)
is in Zhengzhou city, which has initiated strict travel restrictions as of yesterday.

Airline Cathay Pacific has asked

all 27,000 employees to take
rotating unpaid time off (3 weeks
for each employee.)

Unverified videos show bodies

being removed from barricaded
apartment blocks in Wuhan.

Image: Officials barricade the

doors of an apartment building.
Metal bars, boards and chains
are used to block doors of
apartments. If the occupants of
an entire building are ordered to
quarantine, community officials
will barricade the entrances to the
entire building. Other methods
include piling gravel, dirt and
boulders to obscure the
doorways.
 36 
 

February 6, 2020
9:50 PM

2019-nCov update: February 6.

Those of you following may have noticed I missed yesterday. I took a sanity break.
There's only so much suffering one can watch unfold before one starts to lose it.

I wish there were any glimmer of better news to report today. But that's obviously not
going to happen for a while.

There are currently 31,481 confirmed cases, 639 fatalities. 26,359 suspected cases.
4,826 people are in serious condition, 979 of those are critical.

The "Diamond Princess" cruise ship off Japan reports 41 more confirmed cases, for a
total of 61 confirmed. The infected patients are Japanese (25), American (11),
Australian (7), Canadian (7), Chinese (3) and one each from Philippines, New Zealand,
Argentina, Taiwan and the UK.

British Columbia, Canada confirms 2 new cases.

1 new case in England confirmed. 1 new case in Italy confirmed. 1 new case in the
United States confirmed (now 12 confirmed cases.) New cases confirmed in Australia
(now at 15 confirmed.)

Shenzen is reportedly locked down - cargo ships are unable to return to port, there are
travel restrictions and roadbloacks. However the government denies that a lockdown is
in place or planned for the city. Liaoning and Jiangxi provinces join Hubei in lockdown -
65 cities total.

5 suspected cases in Santo Domingo are in isolation.

Dr. Li Wenliang, the 34-year-old Ophthamogist who was arrested and detained along
with 7 other doctors in early January for "spreading rumors" about a new viral infection,
died in an intensive care unit in hospital today. He tested negative 3 times, and positive
on the final test.

Citizen journalist and Human Rights lawyer Chen Qiushi, who has been reporting on the
situation in Wuhan and uploading videos from hospitals showing the devastating toll of
the virus, is missing. His mother reported on his Youtube channel that he was planning
 37 
 

to visit the Fang Cang Shelter Hospital (in Wuhan) (one of the mass quarantine sites) to
report on the situation here. He has not been heard from in over 14 hours.

Several quarantine sites have been opened in various Wuhan buildings, including an
arena, abandoned hotels and other facilities. Reports from patients in one (the Fang
Cang Shelter Hospital) indicate that there is no hot water, no toilets, no medications, no
doctors. The site is operated by Army personnel. The toilet is 200 meters away, outside
of the building. There are no isolation procedures.

There are reports from Wuhan that citizens suspected of having the coronavirus are no
longer permitted to isolate at home. They are being forcibly removed from their homes
by officials and transported to one of the mass quarantine sites. Videos uploaded today
show people being forcibly confined in large metal boxes on the back of trucks and
transported. If someone fails a temperature check by officials, or has any indication of
symptoms, they are detained and moved to a mass quarantine site.

There are reports and videos of riots, fires and possible gunshots inside the quarantine
areas in Wuhan.

There are unverified reports that WeChat and Weibo user accounts have been banned,
and any discussion of the coronavirus is being actively censored by the platforms.

Wuhan crematoriums have been ordered to be available 24/7. There are unverified
reports of these crematoriums running day and night. There are eight crematories in
Wuhan, with at least 80 cremators.

Image descriptions:

A box containing a woman forcibly quarantined.

Still from the video showing her apprehension.
After complying and willingly climbing in she is
heard screaming and banging on the sides of
the enclosed box.

The "confession" Dr. Li Wenliang was forced to

sign after sharing information with his
colleagues in a WeChat group about the SARS-
like virus spreading in Wuhan.
 38 
 

February 11, 2020

8:19 PM
 

Sorry for the brief delay. But I'm back with the Virus Watch:
The coronavirus has a new official name: COVID-19
There are currently 44,793 confirmed infections. 1,112 fatalities. 8,242 cases are in
serious and critical condition.
21,675 suspected cases in China. The CNHC has not yet reported the new cases for
today outside of Hubei province.
 39 
 

China’s National Health Commission has changed their criteria for reporting confirmed
infections. Any positive test results will not be included in the confirmed cases if the
patient is showing no symptoms.
Reports have emerged that over 500 health care workers in Wuhan were infected with
COVID-19 by mid-January (when there were only 41 confirmed cases reported.)
China confirms transmission of COVID-19 via aerosols. Singapore CDC disputes this,
stating there is no evidence of airborne aerosol transmission. Hong Kong evacuated an
apartment building after two residents, 12 floors apart, were confirmed infected. They
are investigating environmental transmission through the building vents and plumbing.
174 people aboard the quarantined “Diamond Princess” cruise ship are confirmed
infected. Four of the newly confirmed cases have severe symptoms.
A quarantine officer of Japan’s Ministry of Health was infected while carrying out an
inspection on the Diamond Princess.
Princess Cruises is refunding everyone aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess.
2 new confirmed cases in Germany, related to the same company as most of the prior
infections.
The United Arab Emirates has confirmed 8 cases.
The UK has confirmed 4 new cases, doubling the total infected to 8. England approves
new powers to forcibly quarantine people at risk of having the virus. One of the new UK
cases is an Emergency Room employee.
2 new cases in British Columbia were confirmed.
Two top officials of the Hubei Province Health Commission have been removed from
office for undisclosed reasons.
The US reports one confirmed case in the San Diego quarantine. There are currently 13
confirmed cases in the US.
The US 2021 budget proposal seeks to cut the WHO funding by 50%.
Cities in China are spraying disinfectant on the streets at night to curtail the spread of
the virus.
Three cities in China have stopped pharmacies from selling cough and fever medicine
to prevent citizens from treating at home and avoiding quarantine camps.
In a media interview with a Wuhan crematorium employee, the employee stated that the
cremators are operating day and night, and that 60% of the bodies processed are
coming from the community, not hospitals.
Citizen journalist and human rights lawyer Chen Qiushi has been missing since
February 6. He was reportedly detained in a quarantine camp. No official statement has
 40 
 

been provided, his whereabouts are unknown, his family has not received any
notification or contact. The Committee to Protect Journalists is appealing for this
release.
USPS is not longer accepting letters or parcels destined for China or Hong Kong.
March Air Force Reserve Base employees complain that they have been harassed by
residents of Riverside, California who are upset by the location being used as a
quarantine facility for US evacuees.

February 14, 2020

12:42 AM
COVID-19 Update:

There are 64.438 confirmed cases. 1,383 Deaths. 10,221 people in serious or critical
condition.
Hubei province is now reporting clinically diagnosed cases, resulting in the largest
single jump in cases on February 12, with 14,840 added.
There are now 500+ confirmed cases outside China.
The confirmed cases aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess is now at 218. Japan
will be allowing some passengers with chronic illness to leave the ship, and will house
them in a quarantine facility instead. The quarantine officer who tested positive was in
violation of procedures and may have re-used face masks. Reports that ten passengers
removed from the ship for treatment in hospital are in serious or critical condition.
London, UK reports its first confirmed case.
Japan reports its first coronavirus-related death.
A doctor in Japan is confirmed positive, as well as a patient who was operated on by the
infected doctor.
The United States reports two more cases. A second one under quarantine in
California, and another under quarantine in Texas. Both were among the evacuees who
are under quarantine at military facilities.
Quinte News reported that a quarantine patient from CFB Trenton (Ontario, Canada)
was transferred to Bellville General Hospital for care. The outlet later removed the story,
responding “We had some feedback that the article may have been causing unneeded
worry to people, so the decision was made to take it down. I can tell you that the patient
has not experienced any symptoms. Local healthcare officials won’t be releasing any
 41 
 

other information about patients unless they test positive for the virus. Let me know if
you have any more questions” to a concerned reader. Reports from inside CFB Trenton
indicate there are no special quarantine procedures, and Red Cross workers are
wearing the minimum of protective equipment. (Photos show only a surgical mask, no
gloves, no suits, no eyewear.)
North Korea has extended its quarantine period to 30 days.
Yunmeng County and Dawu County in Hubei province announces a “wartime”
lockdown. Anyone who leaves their home will be detained. The city of Huanggang bans
anyone from leaving their home. Basic needs will be provided by the local government.
Huangzhou District is offering a reward (equivalent to $71 USD) to anyone who reports
a person suffering from fever.
Sơn Lôi village in northern Vietnam is under lockdown for 20 days.
The head of Hong Kong and Macau affairs office has been removed. The Party
secretary of Hubei province has been removed.
Schools in Hong Kong will remain closed until March 16.
The Dalai Lama has canceled all public engagements until further notice.
Generic drug manufacturers in India are facing a shortage of pharmaceutical supplies
from China.
After being denied by six countries, the Westerdam cruise ship will be allowed to dock in
Cambodia.
The whereabouts of Chen Qiushi are still not known.
Fang Bin, the man who was arrested and released after his videos of body bags piled
up in a van and inside hospital hallways went viral, is now missing and presumed
detained or forcibly quarantined.
 

9:30 AM
The Good:
Plasma immunotherapy has been used to treat 11 seriously/critically ill patients with
good effect.
The blood plasma of recovered patients contains antibodies against COVID-19. 12-24
hours after treatment, the critical patients showed decreased indicators of inflammation,
increased lymphocytes and increased blood oxygen saturation, and decreased viral
load. Ten more critically ill patients will also be receiving the treatment.
The Bad:
 42 
 

China reports that 1,716 health care workers have been infected, and six have died,
since the onset of the coronavirus epidemic.
The Worse:
Many recent reports indicate that the PCR test for COVID-19 is not very reliable,
showing multiple negative results before a positive confirmation in infected patients.

February 21, 2020

6:41 PM
 

COVID-19 Update (Way overdue, my apologies. If you don't see any updates for a few
days, just assume it's bad news. Because there's nothing but bad news these days.)
There are currently 77,272 confirmed cases worldwide. 2,250 fatalities.
11,684 people in serious or critical condition.
Recovered cases still have detectable virus load can be contagious and spread the
virus to others. Patients who seem to recover may then have sudden worsening of
symptoms requiring hospitalization or respiratory support.
634 confirmed cases aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. 2 of the passengers
have died from the virus. Several US citizens aboard the ship are being treated in Japan
and are seriously ill.
The United States has 35 confirmed cases, 18 of those were aboard the Diamond
Princess and were evacuated.
A US woman evacuated from the ship admitted on national news that she lied about
having symptoms to board the plane to Omaha.
Sacramento County in California confirms its first case.
Canadians evacuated from the Diamond Princess have been flown to CFB Trenton for
quarantine.
The US CDC recommended against evacuating 14 confirmed patients among other
uninfected passengers but were overruled by the US State Department.
There are indications that clusters outside of China have been going undetected until
some patients become seriously ill.
There have been 18 cases confirmed in Iran, 4 deaths. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have
banned travel to Iran. (First presumptive case in Iran on Feb 19. First two deaths on Feb
19. 18 total cases and 4 deaths on Feb 21.)
 43 
 

Canada confirmed a new case in a woman who had travelled to Iran.

Codongo, Italy confirmed 6 cases (bringing Italy’s total to 20.) The town has closed all
schools, bars, eateries and sporting facilities. 10 cities in Italy (50,000 people) are in
isolation.
All 6 of the new cases are in hospital in serious or critical condition. Another case
confirmed near Milan is a 39-year-old who is in serious condition with respiratory failure.
Another confirmed patient has died – Italy’s first death. The hospital where the man was
admitted for 15 days before being tested will be closed for disinfection.
(First 2 cases in Italy on Jan 30, 1 case on Feb 6, 17 new cases and one death
confirmed Feb 20-21.)
A 4-year-old child has fallen to her death in Hong Kong. She was left alone at home
over coronavirus fears.
Hong Kong police confirmed its first case within the force. 59 officers will be
quarantined.
A 54-year-old woman in South Korea has died. She was a patient at the same hospital
where the first death occurred.
South Korea has 204 confirmed cases, with 48 new infections reported this morning. 98
cases are associated with the Daegu church of a "doomsday cult."
(South Korea had 28 cases on Feb 16, 84 new cases Feb 17-20, 93 new cases Feb
21.)
The head of the Wuhan Women’s Prison has been fired following 230 confirmed cases
at the prison.
8 CCP leaders, including the head of the Shandong Province Justice Department, have
been removed from their positions following 207 confirmed cases at Rencheng prison.
A guard and the warden at Shilifeng Prison, Zhejiang have been fired after the guard hid
his travel to Wuhan and returned to work, infecting several dozen prisoners.
Another Wuhan doctor, Peng Yinhua, has died. China confirms that 6 doctors have
died, and more than 3,000 health care workers are infected.
Human Rights Lawyer and citizen journalist Chen Qiushi will reportedly be released on
March 2, 2020 after spending 24 days in quarantine.
There are no updates on the whereabouts of missing man Fang Bin who documented
the conditions in hospitals and the piles of body bags.
Wuhan announced plans to build another 19 makeshift hospitals to house patients.
 44 
 

China is reporting that hundreds of animals are being found dead in areas where
disinfection crews are spraying chemicals in the streets to curb the spread of the virus.

9:00 PM
South Korea just announced another 142 cases, bringing the total to 346 Addendum
edit: South Korea just reported a second death.

February 22, 2020

6:00 AM
 

Italy has reported a second death and 13 new cases. Of the 33 cases in Italy, 10 were
in the same hospital as an undiagnosed patient.
Iran confirms 10 new cases and another death.
South Korea confirms 87 more cases, for a total of 433. Most of the new cases are
affiliated with the church in Daegu.
British man David Abel, the Diamond Princess passenger who was uploading video
updates from the quarantined cruise ship, is in serious condition in a Japan hospital. He
and his wife are both infected and have developed Pneumonia. David may require a
ventilator as his condition is deteriorating.
Costa Mesa, CA has filed a restraining order against the US Department of Health to
prevent the relocation of up to 50 infected patients from Travis Air Force Base to the
unsecured residential community. (Considering there are supposedly only 35 reported
cases nationwide this is... interesting.)
Unverified: a teenager released text messages between a CDC official and the teen’s
father in which Nancy Messonnier claims there have been more than 1000 cases in the
US that were not reported to prevent panic. The texts were unconfirmed and unverified,
but media outlets contacting the CDC doctor on social media were immediately blocked.

10:00 PM
 

South Korea reports 123 new cases and a 4th death. Total is now up to 556.
Italy now has 79 cases - 46 more reported today.
 45 
 

A judge in Costa Mesa granted a temporary restraining order barring the US department
of health from relocating up to 50 confirmed positive cases to a residential area.
Arguments will be heard in court Monday morning.

February 23, 2020

5:56 PM
 

COVID-19 Update:
There are currently 78,987 confirmed cases and 2,470 deaths. 11,559 people are in
serious or critical condition.
Italy has reported 76 more cases and a third death today, bring the total to 155. (Nearly
doubled in the past 20 hours.) Schools are closed in Milan, Venice Carnival has been
cancelled, Fashion Week events are cancelled. All trains between Austria and Italy were
suspended then reinstated (?)
Canada reports a positive case - an Air Canada passenger from Iran, on a flight from
Vancouver to Montreal.
57 new cases in Japan from the Diamond Princess (bringing the total to 691 from the
cruise ship.) 55 of the new cases today are ship employees.
South Korea reports 46 more cases, for a total of 602, and 2 more deaths today.
Iran reports 15 new cases and more deaths - bringing the total to 43 infected and 8
dead.
Two more doctors in China have died today. 42-year-old Huang Wenjun and 29-year-
old Xia Sisi are the latest doctors who have died from infection.
The UK reports 4 new cases among the evacuated Diamond Princess passengers.
Isreal is reportedly sending all South Koreans in their country home.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is monitoring hundreds of
people for suspected coronavirus infections. No quarantines in place.
Unverified video from Iran allegedly shows workers in protective equipment burying the
body of an infected patient on February 12 (7 days before the country acknowledged
any potential cases.)
Photo: Grocery store shelves in Italy are being emptied as people swarm to the stores
to stockpile supplies. Videos and images show empty shelves - unless you're planning
to survive on toilet bowl cleaner or chocolate bars (the only two items in abundance on
shelves in one video) you're out of luck.
 46 
 

7:00 PM
 

Toronto has a new presumptive confirmed case. A passenger from China arrived on
February 21, attended North York General Hospital for symptoms of the virus and is at
home in self-isolation.

February 24, 2020

6:27 AM
 

COVID-19 Update:
It’s been 33 days since I started this Virus Diary. In 33 days there have been nearly
79,000 infections and 2,600 deaths reported. That’s nearly 2,400 people infected each
day, and 79 deaths every day.
By the time you read this, these numbers will probably already be outdated.
There are 79,685 confirmed cases, 2,625 deaths. 11,559 patients reported in serious
or critical condition.
South Korea reports a total of 833 infected, 8 deaths – 231 cases confirmed in the past
12 hours. 11,631 people are currently being tested, in addition to the 20,000 tests
already conducted.
 47 
 

Italy reports 212 infected, 5 deaths. 57 new infections in the past 12 hours. 25 are in
serious condition. The mayor of Bertonico, Italy was symptomatic during a live media
interview, and was advised by a virologist in studio to be tested – mayor stated that
there are no test kits available to do so.
Iran has 47 confirmed cases and 12 deaths, however an Iranian MP is reported as
stating that there have been 50 deaths in the city of Qom alone since February 13 (7
deaths in the city overnight), blames the Minister of Health for being secretive about the
infections and not quarantining the city.
A Ministry of Health official and another quarantine officer in Japan have been infected
while monitoring the quarantine on the Diamond Princess.
Bahrain has reported its first case.
Kuwait reports its first 3 cases.
Afghanistan reports its first case.
Iraq reports its first case.
US Forces Korea reports a confirmed case in the family member of a soldier stationed
there.
California health officials have advised 7,600 people who returned to the US from China
on or after February 2 to remain home and isolate themselves. To date, the US CDC
has only tested about 400 people for the virus.
Hawaii reports that the CDC supplied them with damaged and faulty test kits and will
not be able to provide replacement kits until mid-March.
The Red Cross has been granted an exemption from UN sanctions to provide aid in
North Korea.
Reports emerging that incubation periods may exceed the established 14 days. A
quarantined family in China tested positive after 27 days and previous negative test
results.
Reports that recovered patients may continue to be contagious after recovery from the
virus and capable of infecting other people.

February 28, 2020

12:58 AM
COVID-2019 Update:
There are 83,370 confirmed cases, 2,858 deaths. 8,058 people in serious or critical
condition.
 48 
 

South Korea reports 2,022 cases and 13 deaths (nearly 1,200 new cases and 5 new
deaths in the past 3 days.)
Italy reports 655 cases and 17 deaths (443 new cases and 11 new deaths in the past 3
days.) Pope Francis cancels Mass, respiratory illness cited.
Iran reports 245 confirmed cases and 26 deaths (+198 cases and +21 deaths in 3
days.) Reports that several Iranian officials are infected. The former ambassador to the
Vatican died earlier today.
The confirmed cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship is now 705, with 4 deaths.
New cases reported in the past 3 days (first cases in these areas):
Lithuania (1), Quebec, Canada (1) San Marino (1), Netherlands (1), Northern Ireland
(1), Zurich, Switzerland (1), Oman (5), Estonia (1), Denmark (1), Romania (1), North
Macedonia (1), Pakistan (2), Greece (3), Brazil (1), Austria (2), Croatia (2), Norway (4),
Algeria (1), Switzerland (8), Belarus (1), New Zealand (1), Mexico (1), Nigeria (1)
New cases reported in regions already affected (excluding Asia, Iran and Italy):
Kuwait (40), Germany (30), Bahrain (32), France (25 - second death reported), Spain
(17), Sweden (5), United Arab Emirates (6), Ontario, Canada (1) Israel (1), England, UK
(2), Iraq (2), California, USA (1), USA (4 – quarantine from Diamond Princess), Lebanon
(1), Finland (1), Australia (1)
Re-infection has been confirmed in 14 cases in China, showing that there may not be
any residual immunity after recovering from the illness. Recovered patients have been
quarantined again.
Japan confirms previously recovered patients have tested positive on subsequent tests.
First report of re-infection earlier today.
The dog of an infected owner in Hong Kong has tested positive (with weak viral load) for
the coronavirus.
The U.S. Stock Market is looking to have its worst week since the 2009 financial crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump appoints Mike Pence to gatekeep coronavirus
information. Health officials and scientists in the U.S. are not permitted to speak with
media without approval.
Suspected cost of coronavirus testing on U.S. patients could be $3,000 out of pocket.

10:15 AM
South Korea reports 571 new cases today.
Iran reports 143 new cases and 8 new deaths.
Two new deaths of Diamond Princess passengers in Japan, including one British man.
 49 
 

Unverified reports that North Korea executed their first confirmed infected patient.
Azerbaijan, Amsterdam, Wales, Iceland report their first cases. There are now 60
countries / regions affected.
Korea joins China and Japan in reporting cases of reinfection in recovered patients.
Unverified reports from within China that reinfection cases are more severe and deadlier
than the initial infection.
2 hotels in Abu Dahbi are on lockdown after 2 Italian guests tested positive.
Switzerland bans all events with more than 1000 people. Geneva Motor Show
cancelled.
Moscow is deporting 88 foreign nationals who defied quarantine protocols.
8,400 people in California are being monitored for the virus. California has 28 confirmed
cases (20 from evacuees in quarantine.) News reports state there were 33 cases, but 5
"moved out of state." The most recent California patient was transferred to UC Davis on
a ventilator on February 19, but was not tested until February 23. Officials are tracing
contacts of the woman, who was in a Northern California community for several days.

12:30 PM
Italy reports 166 new cases and 4 new deaths.
Toronto reports a new case - 7th in Ontario.
Iran’s official death toll is 34. The BBC is reporting that hospital sources inside Iran
indicate that number is at least 210.

3:00 PM

Italy reports an additional 67 cases.

France reports 19 new cases. French health minister indicates several new clusters
have been located, advises people not to shake hands.

A Google employee in Zurich is confirmed positive.

England reports the first human-to-human transmission in the latest confirmed case
today.

New York City states that they cannot reliably test for the virus, citing test kits with
performance issues.

CBS suspends production on "The Amazing Race" - all contestants and staff are being
returned home.
 50 
 

In a surprising turn of events, Iran denies the death toll of 210 claimed by BBC reports.
(/sarcasm in case I really needed to point it out.)

11:00 PM
 

594 new cases in South Korea today (overnight local time) and a 17th death.
423 new cases in Hubei province, and 45 new deaths.
A Diamond Princess passenger who had recovered and was released from quarantine
has tested positive again back home in Israel. Another Japanese passenger from the
ship was recovered and released from quarantine and has again tested positive.
Toronto, Ontario reports an 8th case (second today) - an 80-year-old male returned
from Egypt on Feb 20, reported to a Scarborough Hospital with symptoms today.
Toronto Public Health sends notices to people who may have been exposed at ESL &
LINC Centre (90 Eglinton Ave. E) up to February 25.
California reports a second case today - no travel history, no known contacts with prior
cases.
Washington State reports two new cases - one is a high school student in Snohomish
County, the other is a Seattle woman who recently returned from Korea.
A Queensland, Australia beautician tested positive after traveling to Iran. Authorities are
looking for facial clients who may have been exposed.
Oregon reports its first case. Human-to-Human transmission.
Monaco reports its first case.
Unconfirmed reports circulating online that the virus did not originate in the wet market,
and is - in fact - an alien virus transported here from Mars. Also unconfirmed - an
Iranian cleric says applying violet leaf oil anally at bedtime will kill the virus.
And, if that didn't give you a much needed chuckle amidst the bad news... people online
are preparing to name the next baby boom wave (expected in 9 months or so, after all
these weeks of quarantine boredom.) The leading choice seems to be "Baby Doomers,"
who will eventually grow to become "Quaran Tweens" and "Quaran Teens".
New post in the morning.
 
 51 
 

February 29. 2020

2:00 PM
 

COVID-19 update:
I’m watching the 1:00 PM White House briefing currently. 3:00 PM CDC update to
follow.
There are 85,968 confirmed infections. 2,943 deaths.
7, 861 in serious or critical condition.
Italy reports 239 new cases, 8 new deaths. 105 patients in intensive care.
Iran reports 205 new cases, 9 new deaths.
South Korea reports 813 new cases.
Washington state reports multiple new cases, first death. Washington will provide full
details at 4:00 PM. Death was a woman in her 50’s. (Edit - maybe not. WA governor
reports a man died.)
New cases in: Switzerland (10), Iraq (5), Netherlands (2), Bahrain (3), Croatia, Pakistan
(2), England (3), France (43), Spain (8), Germany (4), Austria (3)
First cases in Ecuador and in Qatar.
Human rights lawyer Chen Qiushi will supposedly be released from quarantine on
March 2.
Citizen journalist Fang Bin remains missing. Another citizen journalist, Li Zehua from
Wuhan, is missing after being chased by police. An Australian journalist reporting for the
NYT from Wuhan is also notably absent from social media.
US president Donald Trump claims coronavirus is a hoax perpetuated by the
Democratic Party at a political rally on 2/28. Begins a coronavirus-related press
conference on 2/29 talking about war and Afghanistan.

4:10 PM

Update: a Washington Long Term care facility has 2 positive cases - an elderly woman
and a nurse at the facility. Multiple other residents and staff at that facility are
experiencing symptoms.
A 3rd new case is A man in his 50s who died at Evergreen Health. He had no ties to the
facility. No known travel.
Washington governor declares state of emergency.
 52 
 

3 new cases reported in the Greater Toronto Area - in Ajax and York region. 1 new case
in British Columbia.

March 1, 2020

10:18 PM
 

COVID-19 Update day 39 : The TL;DR is that things are bleak.

There are 89,065 confirmed cases worldwide. 3,045 deaths. 7,357 in serious or critical
condition.
The United States has 81 confirmed cases (including repatriated quarantined evacuees)
and 2 deaths. 2 are in serious condition, 6 in critical condition.
10 new cases in Washington state reported today, 1 new death. 4 of the cases are
located in the Long Term Care facility in King County, including a man who died
yesterday. 1 of the new cases is a postal carrier.
New York State reports its first case. Rhode Island reports its first (edit: and second!)
case. One new case in Illinois.
2 health care workers in California are infected.
Florida reports 2 new cases in the Tampa Bay area. Public Health emergency declared.
Oregon reports a second case.
4 new cases reported in Ontario, Canada.
South Korea reports 476 new cases of coronavirus and 1 new death.
China reports 202 new cases and 42 new deaths. One of the deaths is Yuan Yangyang,
36, a doctor in Central China's Henan Province who has worked 39 consecutive days to
treat COVID-19 patients. He died of virus-related cardiac arrest.
Italy reports 566 new cases of coronavirus and 5 new deaths.
Iran reports 385 new cases and 11 new deaths.
San Marino (one of the world's smallest countries, population <34,000) reports 7 new
cases and the first death.
New cases also reported in Egypt, Ecuador, Israel, Iceland, Spain, Mexico, France,
Bahrain, Iraq, Netherlands, Algeria… you know what? Just assume everywhere that
already had cases has new cases today.
Czech Republic reports its first case.
 53 
 

Scotland reports its first case.

Domincan Republic reports its first case.
Berlin reports its first case – one of the 50 new cases in Germany today.
Unconfirmed reports that the genome testing on the current Washington state
community transmission outbreak links the new cases to the initial WA patient,
confirmed on January 21. This means the virus has been spreading insidiously in the
Seattle area for nearly 6 weeks.
Unverified reports that the CDC facility where the US test kits are handled has been
contaminated.
Citizen Journalists Chen Qiushi, Fang Bin and NYT reporter Chris Buckley remain
missing from social media.
Buckley last reported on February 14. Qiushi was due to be released from quarantine
today. Fang Bin disappeared on February 10.
Journalist Li Zehua resigned from CCTV (Chinese national media) and was reporting
via videos from Wuhan. He was last heard from on February 26 when he was reportedly
being chased by police.
Lombardy, Italy reports indicate that hospitals are “close to collapse” with barely any
ICU beds available.
At this point, Mike Pence being in charge of the US response team makes sense.
Seems like the only hope might actually be thoughts and prayers.

March 2, 2020
4:00 AM
 

Think before you repost.

For the past 7 weeks I’ve been watching the COVID-19 news spreading like wildfire.
Everything from fear-mongering doomsayers to apathetic people minimizing the impact
of the virus and spreading massive misinformation, with a complete disregard for the
scientific facts.

So here’s some statistics to keep in mind. These are based on the current situation, but
have remained pretty consistent throughout the spread of the virus.

(COVID-19 is the common name for the illness caused by the virus identified as SARS-
COV-2)
 54 
 

Myth: “Influenza is far deadlier! Why is everyone worried about this, when the flu kills X
number of people every year!”

Fact: Influenza kills many more people per year, because it infects many more people
per year.
Of all of the people infected with influenza, about 0.05 – 0.1 % will die. That’s 1 out of
every 1000 people. This is what’s called the Case Fatality Rate, or CFR.

The CFR for SARS-COV-2 is somewhere between 2 – 3 %. This means that 1 out of
every 40-50 people will die. Depending on how far spread this virus will be, the potential
is that it will kill 20 – 30 times more people than influenza.

This means that in a year when 45 million people are infected with influenza, about
45,000 will die. If those 45 million people are infected with this virus, 1.35 million would
be dead.

Myth: “The Flu kills 10% of the people who catch it! Coronavirus only kills 1%!

Fact: False. See the CFR stats above.

However, many people seem to quote somewhere between 6 and 10% as the mortality
rate for influenza, because a Google search told them so. (And they can’t ever respond
with sources for their numbers when asked.)

So here’s the fact: Anyone citing a 6%, 9%, 10% etc. mortality rate for influenza is citing
the mortality rate based on vital statistics. The CDC reports vital statistics every year.
Major causes of death are reported based on the percentage of all deaths that occurred
that year.

So here are the rough numbers (2017, United States, via the CDC): 23% of all deaths
are caused by heart disease. 21% by cancer. 6% by accidents and unintentional
injuries. 5.6% by chronic lower respiratory disease. 5% by stroke. And so forth… 1.88 %
by influenza and pneumonia. Worldwide, lower respiratory infections cause about 5-6%
of all deaths.

Note that worldwide there is no statistic for Influenza. And in the US it is influenza and
pneumonia. In other words, that 6-10% mortality rate cited by people who don’t know
what the numbers actually mean is the number of people who die from all respiratory
infections. There’s no distinguishing between influenza, coronavirus, viral pneumonia,
bacterial pneumonia or any other lower respiratory infection. So in the scheme of
“influenza vs. COVID-19” arguments, that mortality rate citation means absolutely
nothing.
 55 
 

Myth: “The Fatality Rate isn’t accurate because not everyone with mild symptoms
gets tested.”

Fact: This is partly true.

Some conspiracy theories carry a nugget of truth, and the truth is that determining the
numbers of those infected is difficult when governments aren’t transparent with testing
protocols.

There are indications that China did not reveal the existence of the virus for several
weeks. As a result, a lot of people infected were not tested. However, on the same
token, a lot of deaths that occurred were not reported as well. Several members of
families died without a diagnosis of coronavirus, so their deaths will never be part of the
official numbers.

Until the end of February, The United States had only tested around 500 people. We
know now that the virus was spreading in communities silently during this time, and
there are reports that deaths occurred from pneumonia that will not be considered
coronavirus related.

As clusters appear in other countries, and testing becomes more widespread, we will
get a clearer picture of the true impact. In the meantime, we only have the official
reported numbers to extrapolate from. If there are unreported infections, there are also
unreported deaths. Therefore the CFR is probably not going to be impacted much by
those who aren’t tested and reported.

Myth: “The Flu is easier to catch.”

Fact: The transmissibility of a virus is called the Basic Reproductive Number (R0). This
is basically how many people every infected person will infect, on average. The R0 is an
estimate based on current knowledge. Until an outbreak is over, the R0 won’t really be
able to be firmly established. The R0 is an average. There are people who are
considered “super-spreaders”. These are the people who can be traced as the source of
infection for larger clusters – such as a patient who infected an entire operating room
staff, or the woman who infected a church congregation.

Influenza has an R0 of 1.3 (but sometimes cited as between 2-3.) Every person with
influenza will infect 1-3 people.

SARS-COV-2 has an R0 of 2.5 – 4. Every person infected will infect 2-4 people.

This means that SARS-COV-2 is slightly more contagious than seasonal influenza,
 56 
 

about twice as contagious as the H1N1 pandemic, and less than half as contagious as
Measles.

Myth: “You can’t spread the virus if you don’t have symptoms.”

This has been proven to be false.

The incubation period is the period of time in which a person is infected with a virus, and
the appearance of symptoms. The virus is replicating in your body, and depending on
the virus is can be possible to infect others.

The incubation period for Influenza or the common cold is 1-3 days. For up to 3 days
before you get symptoms, you could be infecting others.

The incubation period for COVID-19 is 2 – 24 days. While most people will show
symptoms by day 6-9, some people may not show symptoms for up to 24 days. This
means that for 3 weeks before you get symptoms, you are spreading the virus to others.

The extended incubation period makes it difficult to control the spread of the virus, and
to trace people who might have been exposed. There have been documented cases of
people infecting others within 24 hours of their own infection, several days before they
showed symptoms.

Myth: You’re only going to catch it from people you’re in direct contact with.

Fact: False.

COVID-19 is transmissible via direct contact with an infected person – kissing, hugging,
holding hands all put you at risk.

It is also transmissible through airborne droplets. This means that everyone who
coughs, sneezes or speaks is releasing the virus into the air. If you’re within 2 meters of
someone breathing, you’re at risk.

And finally, it is also transmissible via fomites – this is the virus being left on surfaces by
someone infected. You then touch that surface, and touch or nose, mouth or eyes –
transferring the virus to yourself. The length of time a virus can remain infectious on a
surface depends on the virus and the surface. On a smooth doorknob, a virus may
remain infectious for as little as a few hours, or as long as several days. How long
COVID-19 remains on surfaces is unknown at this point. Early estimates indicated 3-5
days, but more recent reports have found the virus on smooth surfaces up to 14 days
after contamination.

COVID-19 is not airborne. There is a difference between airborne, and airborne

droplets. The difference is the size of the droplet needed to spread the infection.
 57 
 

An airborne infection is smaller in size. Imagine holding a dustpan of dust – the particles
vary in size from very large and heavy, to very fine and light. If you throw that dust in
front of you in a sunlit room, you can see the large particles settle on the surfaces in
front of you, and anyone within the range of the particles is now infected. But there are
still some very fine particles in the air. If someone walks into the room after you threw
the dust, they can still get these fine particles on them, and breathe them in.

Airborne droplets are larger in size. They’re more like a cup of salt. If you throw the salt
in front of you, it settles immediately on surfaces, and on anyone within the range of the
particles. Airborne droplets do not remain in the air to infect someone who wasn’t in the
room when they were released.

Myth: “You’re not at risk if you aren’t old / sick / immune-compromised.”

Fact: This is false. The population who are older, with pre-existing health conditions (like
cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, immune disorders etc.) are at
greater risk of being sick from most infections. But that doesn’t mean that anyone
younger and relatively healthy is not at risk.

There have been many documented deaths of people in their 20s and 30s with no pre-
existing medical conditions. Many of them have been health care workers, but others
have been community-acquired. .

COVID-19 causes pneumonia. Pneumonia is the inflammation and accumulation of fluid

in the lungs.

A healthy individual with a strong immune system can have what is called a cytokine
response. This “storm” is caused by a strong immune response. It is believed that a
cytokine response played a large role in the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Picture your immune system like an army. A large number of white blood cells is called
to the front to fight off a pathogen. The “front” is your lungs, and the pathogen is a virus.
The immune cells produce cytokines to activate even more white blood cells. They are
calling for backup, and more troops are sent to the front. Those troops call for backup
and even more troops are sent. Now, as the white blood cells in the lungs are dying in
battle, they’re causing fluid and pus to build up in the lungs. As more die, they signal for
more to come, and the fluid fills the lungs and doesn’t leave any room for oxygen – your
army is drowning you.

In a cytokine storm response, the only treatment is to try to weaken the immune system
with drugs. So essentially, it might be more helpful to not have a really strong immune
system. People who are immune-compromised (through medications such as
 58 
 

corticosteroids) are at lower risk for the cytokine response, and might have a better
outcome because their pre-existing condition keeps their army from drowning them.

Believing you’re not at risk because you’re young and healthy is a false sense of
security.

Besides, every time you say “it only affects the old and sick people” you’re basically
saying “I’ll be fine, everyone else is expendable.” Nice. Real nice. I guess you don’t
have parents or grandparents, or friends who have diabetes, or who are asthmatic. Or
who survived cancer. Saying “there’s no need to worry. It only affects the old and sick”
makes you sound like a psychopath. Quit it.

Myth: Most people will only get a mild cold. Only the old and sick will actually get
sick.

Fact: 75-80% will experience a mild form of the illness.

For statistical purposes, a “mild form” means not requiring hospitalization. It does not
mean they’re only going to have a mild cold. It could be nothing more than a mild,
annoying cold. But it could be a severe cold. Pneumonia that doesn’t require
hospitalization is also considered a mild form of the illness, it doesn’t mean it’s not
pneumonia, or absolutely horrible to experience. It could be as mild as “I can’t stop
sneezing as my nose is chapped but I’m still okay enough to eat soup and watch Netflix”
or as severe as “everything hurts and every time I cough I feel like I’m about to re-enact
that scene in Alien as every muscle in my chest separates from my rib cage.”

Meanwhile, 1 out of every 5 people who gets COVID-19 is going to experience a more
serious illness. This means that- at a minimum - they will require hospitalization with
intravenous fluids and supplemental oxygen to keep them from becoming hypoxic and
turning blue. It could also mean that they will require a breathing tube (intubation) and
mechanical ventilation to breathe for them. In some cases is means their blood is
removed from their body to be oxygenated by ECMO (extra corporeal membrane
oxygenation) machines.

1 out of every 5. For comparison, less than 2 out of every 100 cases of influenza require
hospitalization.

If 1 out of every 5 people infected require hospitalization, it will quickly overwhelm the
capacity for our health care system to provide treatment.

Myth: The symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Fact: The symptoms of COVID-19 vary. Not everyone who has it will have a fever. Not
everyone will experience all symptoms.
 59 
 

The following symptoms have been reported in infected patients:

Fever
Cough
Shortness of Breath
Headache
Fatigue
Rhinorhea (stuffy, runny nose)
Sore throat
Diarrhea
Nausea
Vomiting
Myalgia (body aches)
Hemoptysis (bloody sputum)
Chest Pain
Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
Pneumonia
Kidney Failure
Liver Failure
Death

Myth: “It’s better to get the virus early on, before hospitals become overwhelmed.
That way you’re immune to it.”

Fact: We don’t know that for sure. In fact some people have been re-infected with the
virus after recovery, indicating that there may be no immunity gained by contracting the
infection. In some cases, the re-infection is worse than the initial infection.
Wash your hands. Practice good hygiene. Minimize contact.

Don’t lick doorknobs.

Don’t take that risk intentionally.

Myth: This will all blow over soon. Everyone’s panicking for no reason and the
media is just trying to spread fear.

Fact: Spreading fear doesn’t benefit anyone. Spreading information does.

If you feel the media is spreading fear, it’s because there is inherent fear of the
unknown. And this is a “novel coronavirus”. Novel means new. It means we don’t know
a lot about it, because we haven’t seen it before. We’ve seen viruses similar to COVID-
 60 
 

19. The original SARS infection was closely related to COVID-19, except we managed
to stop the spread of SARS and limit the impact. However people who survived SARS
are still dealing with the long term effects from damage caused by that virus.

Until more information is known, there is a lot of speculation. Scientists are working hard
to find out more about COVID-19, and to develop a vaccine. However new, and
frightening, information is being learned every day. And there’s going to be a turning
point, where the new information is reassuring and positive. We just don’t know when
that will be.

2:30 PM
 

COVID-19 Update:
There are 90,259 confirmed cases, 3,085 deaths.
7,396 people are in serious or critical condition.
The number of confirmed cases outside China has now exceeded 10,000.
South Korea reports 4 new deaths and 123 new cases.
Iran reports 523 new cases and 11 new deaths, including a member of Iran's
Expediency Discernment Council.
Italy reports 18 new deaths, 340 new cases.
There are now 75 countries affected:
Tasmania reports its first case.
Andorra reports its first case.
New Delhi reports its first case.
Sardinia reports its first case.
Portugal reports its first 2 cases.
Moscow reports its first case.
Tunisia reports its first case.
Latvia reports its first case.
Senegal reports its first case.
Saudi Arabia reports its first case.
Jordan reports its first case.
Rome reports its first case.
Indonesia report its first 2 cases.
7 new cases reported in the United States, including the first case in New Hampshire,
new cases in Illinois and Oregon, 3 in Santa Clara Country, California, and a new case
among the Diamond Princess evacuees.
 61 
 

Washington state reports 4 new cases and 3 new deaths in King County. 3 of the new
deaths were related to the LifeCare facility, 1 was a previously reported infection, also
from LifeCare. The fourth reported case is a man in his 50s with no known travel or
exposure.
Officials in King County have announced the pending purchase of an area hotel to
house virus patients.
A quarantined evacuee was released from isolation on Saturday into San Antonio,
Texas after two negative tests. A 3rd test (that was pending at the time of release) was
positive. Among other community contacts, more than 1 dozen people at an area hotel
were in contact with the evacuee. The person also spent 2 hours at an area mall.
Ontario reports 3 new cases in the Greater Toronto Area. Press conference at 3:00 PM
today.
New cases also reported in:
France (61, and 1 new death), Lebanon (3), Sweden (1), Bahrain (2), Norway (6),
Austria (2), Qatar (4), Iraq (7), Austria (1), England (4), Spain (36), Netherlands (8),
Singapore (2), Japan (18), Belgium (6), Germany (20), India (2, including the first in
Delhi), Croatia (1), Kuwait (10), Thailand (1)
The number of cases being announced outside China is now nine times more than the
number of new infections within China.

3:10 PM

A Sixth person in Washington has died. No information regarding their age or location.
Edited again: The 6th death was a male in his 40s who was hospitalized at Evergreen
Health in Snohomish County.
 

8:00 PM
Morocco reports its first case.
125 new cases and 31 new deaths in China.
15 new cases in Germany, 3 in Iceland, 2 in Algeria.
1 new case reported in Sonoma County, CA - the patient returned from a cruise ship
that departed from San Francisco to Mexico and has been in Sonoma County for 10
days.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo announces "a new directive requiring NY health
insurers to waive cost sharing associated with testing for #coronavirus, including
emergency room, urgent care and office visits."
 62 
 

Five police officers in Dallas, Texas have been ordered not to work after arresting a
person who may be infected.
Unconfirmed videos from inside Qom, Iran show over 50 bodies in one facility awaiting
disposal. Iran's official death toll nationwide is only 66. This video is very similar to those
posted from inside Wuhan, showing a death toll significantly higher than reported.
Unconfirmed videos from Wuhan in recent weeks showed people being welded into
their apartment buildings, with loud cries and wails audible from behind the barricades.
New videos reportedly show disposal teams in hazmat suits removing bodies from units
inside those same buildings.

10:30 PM
Georgia reports its first 2 cases in Fulton County.
Massachusetts reports its first case.
Placer County, CA reports its first case - a healthcare worker at NorthBay VacaValley
Hospital.
Reports that a Florida woman returned from Italy and was told by doctors at Jackson
Memorial Hospital she is likely infected, but state and federal authorities refused to
authorize testing.
Dozens of workers at Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro, Oregon
have been quarantined.
25 firefighters and two police officers who had responded to and transported patients
from Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington have been quarantined. Some are
symptomatic.
Unconfirmed reports that 25 staff at Chandler Hospital in Arizona have been
quarantined.
The Governor of California states they are monitoring 8,400 people for the virus, but
only have 200 test kits available. N95 masks are also in short supply for healthcare
workers.
477 new cases in South Korea.
China reports that 7 of their new cases were imported into China from Italy.
2 suspected cases on a German cruise ship outside Norway.
 63 
 

March 3, 2020
8:35 PM
 

COVID-19 Update (aka Stupidity and Selfishness will doom us all):

There are 92,819 confirmed cases. 3,163 deaths.

7,901 people are in serious or critical condition.

The World Health Organization now states that the global fatality rate of COVID-19 is
3.4%, higher than the previously believed 2%.

Scientists report that the fatality rate for people age 70-79 is 8%, and for patients 80+ is
15.4%.

Italy reports a 23% increase in infections over 24 hours – 466 new infections, 27 new
deaths during that period. 55 of the country’s total 79 deaths are in Lombardy. Reports
that one of the recent deaths in Italy occurred in-home because there was no hospital
bed available for the patient.

South Korea reports 516 new cases, 4 new deaths.

Iran reports 855 new cases and 11 new deaths. Unverified sources from inside Iran are
reporting that there are over 2,000 deaths.

7 new cases reported in King County, Washington. 3 deaths occurred on February 26

but have just now been established as infections. One of the deceased (80 y/o woman)
died in her family home – was never hospitalized. Another was a male in his 50’s who
was a resident of the facility and died in hospital.

The 7 new reported cases include 2 men in their 20s who are hospitalized, and the 3
deaths. Of the previously reported 14 cases: 6 are deceased, 4 are in critical condition
in hospital, 3 are hospitalized and 1 is recovering at home.

12 of the quarantined first responders in Kirkland, WA are showing symptoms.

North Carolina reports its first case, a person who had visited the Washington Life Care
facility.

Arizona reports 2 positive cases.

2 new cases reported in Santa Clara, California.

 64 
 

New Hampshire reports that its first confirmed case – an employee of Dartmouth-
Hitchcock Medical Center – defied orders to self-isolate and attended an event on
Friday evening. The state’s second confirmed case is a close contact of the first,
however it is unclear if he was infected as a result of the first case breaking isolation.

The 2nd confirmed case in New York is a man in his 50s who works for a Manhattan law
firm. He is the city’s first confirmed case, and is hospitalized with severe pneumonia. His
infection is community-acquired, with no known exposure to previous cases and no
travel history.

A California woman visiting her sister in Hillsborough County , Florida has tested
positive. The sister was the state’s second confirmed patient.

U.S. states are now performing their own testing. These positive results are being called
“presumptive positive” until tested by the CDC.

Ontario, Canada reports 2 new cases – Toronto (North York) and York Region
(Richmond Hill)

British Columbia reports 4 new cases.

One of the recent confirmed cases in Australia is a 50-year-old woman in Sydney who is
an employee at a nursing home in Sydney’s west end. Her infection is community-
acquired.

The National Health Service has ordered all 135 acute care hospitals to test all
Intensive Care Unit patients with respiratory illness for the virus.

First cases reported in:

Ukraine, Gibraltar, Argentina, Chile, Liechtenstein

New cases reported in:

Czech Republic, Belgium, Malaysia (7), Sweden (17), Belgium (5), Netherlands (6),
Singapore, Germany (38), United Kingdom (10), Austria (6), Oman (6), Switzerland (7),
Iceland (5), France (21, plus 1 new death), Iraq (5), Norway (8), Japan (19), Spain (31,
plus the country’s first death from February 13 diagnosed posthumously), Australia (2),
Romania (asymptomatic – sat next to an infected woman on an flight from Italy), New
Zealand, Ireland
 65 
 

Wuhan doctor Mei Zhongming, 57, has died. He was a colleague of whistleblower Li
Wenliang – the ophthalmologist who was arrested early in January for warning his
colleagues about the virus. Wenliang died on February 7. A third doctor at Wuhan
General Hospital, 55-year-old Jiang Xueqing, died 2 days ago.

Xia Sisi and Peng Yinhua, both 29, died in February after becoming infected while
working at two other Wuhan hospitals.
 

9:10 PM
 

A Seattle Amazon employee has tested positive.

2 new cases in Orange County, CA
Los Angeles County announced a press conference for 8:30 AM tomorrow to make
“major announcements.)
Addendum: unverified reports from the community in Trenton, Ontario that an employee
of a fast food restaurant has suddenly died of pneumonia. The employee had contact
with quarantine personnel and employees monitoring the isolated evacuees being
housed at CFB Trenton.

March 4, 2020
11:30 PM
 

COVID-19 Update:

There are 95,382 confirmed cases, 3,285 deaths.

53,304 have recovered. 6,453 are in serious or critical condition.

South Korea reports 438 new cases, 1 new death.

Iran reports 586 new cases, 15 new deaths.

Italy reports 587 new cases, 28 new deaths.

There are 159 cases in the United States (including evacuees), 11 deaths, 9
recovered, 2 in serious condition and 6 in critical condition:
 66 
 

Placer County, CA reports another positive case, from The Grand Princess Cruise ship.
The governor of California has said that the ship is currently being held off the coast. A
number of staff and passengers are displaying symptoms, and test kits are being
deployed. He has also declared a state of emergency for California.

The Grand Princess sailed from San Francisco to Mexico between February 11-21. A
passenger confirmed positive in Placer County following that voyage is California’s first
death, announced earlier today. The current cruise was scheduled to return to California
this week, but was called back to port early because of the confirmed infections in
passengers on the prior voyage.

Los Angeles County reports 5 new cases. The county declared a state of emergency in
a press conference this morning.

Santa Clara County, CA reports 3 new cases.

The Department of Homeland Security reports that a medical professional who was
screening incoming passengers at LAX has tested positive.

New York reports 4 new cases (wife, 2 kids and neighbor of the second case.)

A New York City school teacher is symptomatic following a vacation in Italy and
subsequent return to the public school classroom. Her test is pending.

Westchester county, NY reports 5 new cases.

Fort Bend County, Texas reports 1 case.

Bergen County, NJ reports 1 case.

Washington State reports 10 new cases and 1 new death in King County, 2 new cases
in Snohomish County. 5 of the new cases are in hospital, condition not stated. 9 of the
new cases are linked to the Life Care facility, 1 (a male in his 30’s) has unknown
exposure.

British Columbia, Ontario reports 1 new case.

Another cruise ship, the MSC Opera, is quarantined near Greece after a former
passenger tested positive.

First cases reported in:

Poland, Hungary, Slovenia

New cases reported in:

 67 
 

India (22), Japan (25), Spain (51), Switzerland (43), Australia (9), Malaysia (14),
Sweden (22), Scotland (2), Germany (59), Belarus (2), Iceland (12), Austria (5), Greece
(1), Portugal (2), Belgium (10), Iraq (4), Netherlands (15), San Marino (6), Romania (1),
Norway (23), United Kingdom (32), Denmark (5), Chile (1), Czech Republic (3),
Lebanon (2), Saudi Arabia (1), France (73), Senegal (2), Brazil (3), Algeria (9), Chile (1),
Ecuador (3), Ireland (4),

New deaths reported in:

Australia (1), Spain (1), Iraq (2)

101 year-old “Grandpa Zhou” has recovered from the coronavirus after being
hospitalized on February 25 at the Guanggu District Third Hospital of Wuhan City.

Another case – a 98-year-old woman at Leishenshan Hospital, recovered after receiving

anti-viral medications.

A Chinese doctor reportedly injected herself and six colleagues at the Wuhan Institute
of Virolgy with an untested vaccination to “prove her loyalty to the Communist Party of
China.”

While researchers are still trying to determine the extent of the effects of COVID-19,
there is evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is 80% identical to SARS-CoV, indicating that the
widespread inflammation can cause effects similar to SARS. These include
encephalitis, orchitis, and pulmonary fibrosis.

What does this mean? Firstly, SARS-CoV-2 may be neuro-invasive, meaning that
respiratory function is not just impacted by the presence of pneumonia in the lungs, but
rather the virus affects the brain function that controls your ability to breathe. Orchitis is
an inflammation of the testes, which can render male patients infertile. Pulmonary
Fibrosis is scarring in the lungs – resulting in thickened tissue that impacts respiratory
function. These are in possible complications in addition to the previously reported liver
and kidney failure that occurs in some critically ill patients.

A study on the National Science Review is examining the molecular divergence of

SARS-CoV-2. The virus is evolved into two major types – L type and S type.

L type is more prevalent than S type, accounting for 70% of the infections. L type was
more prevalent in the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan, but the frequency has
been decreasing since January. (It is probable that the current outbreak in Iran is L
type.) L type is more aggressive and spreads more quickly.

S type is “evolutionarily older” and is less aggressive.

 68 
 

The long term implications of this study are not known. It could mean that China’s
aggressive quarantine measures successfully limited the spread of the deadlier L type,
allowing the milder S type to become the predominant strain outside of China? It could
account for the reports from China (and now Iran) of people succumbing quickly,
collapsing in the streets from myocarditis caused by the infection, but the lack of those
same occurrences in other areas. It could also mean following the first phase of
infection with S type, we could have a second wave of L type, spending on the source.
It’s all very scientific and speculative and I’m just not strong enough in microbiology to
fully grasp the all the techno-jargon this late in the day.

March 5, 2020
 

6:50 PM

Virus Diary day 43: COVID-19 Update

There are 97,748 confirmed cases, 3,352 deaths.

1,123 people are in serious or critical condition.

Iran reports 591 new cases and 15 new deaths. All schools and universities will be
closed for a month.

Italy reports 769 new cases and 41 new deaths.

South Korea reports 332 new cases, 7 new deaths.

United States:

Washington state reports 31 new cases and 1 new death.

New York reports 13 new cases – 11 in Westchester County, 2 in New York City

Tennessee confirms the first case.

San Francisco reports first 2 cases.

Colorado reports first case.

Harris County, Texas reports first 2 cases.

Los Angeles County reports 4 new cases.

 69 
 

Santa Clara County, CA reports 6 new cases.

Middlesex County, Massachusetts reports 1 new case.

New Jersey reports another case.

Canada:

Quebec, Canada reports 2 cases.

Ontario, Canada reports 2 cases. (Grand River Hospital in Kitchener and Sunnybrook
Hospital in Toronto)

First cases reported in:

Bosnia and Herzegovina (2), Palestine (4), South Africa (1),

New cases reported in:

Germany (138), Belgium (27), Greece (42), Netherlands (44), England (25), Hong Kong
(4), Georgia (6), Morocco (1), Russia (1), Norway (6), Portugal (2), Finland (5), Scotland
(3), India (1), Germany (87), Estonia (3), Spain (46). Sweden (38), Belgium (27),
Australia (4), Malaysia (5), Iceland (8), Egypt (1), Slovenia (4), Saudi Arabia (3),
Singapore (7), Azerbaijan (3), Norway (10), Lebanon (1), Wales (1), Ireland (1), France
(138), Brazil (4), Ireland (6), Japan (19)

New deaths reported in:

Switzerland (first), UK (first – Berkshire, England), Spain, France (3),

Delhi, India closes all primary schools for March.

European parliament will be meeting in Belgium instead of France next week, due to the
outbreak.

Bethlehem is on lockdown as of midnight.

Moscow mayor puts the city on high alert.

Iranian diplomat and former member of parliament and former ambassador to Syria has
died.

French lawmaker Jean-Luc Reitzer is seriously ill with the virus.

 70 
 

9:30 PM
 

British Columbia, Canada reports 8 new cases. First community spread patient.
Calgary, Alberta reports first case - a woman who was on board the Grand Princess
returned home to Canada on February 21, began isolating herself at home on February
28.
Maryland reports the first 3 case.
I think I forgot to mention before: Tennessee confirmed first case. A Williamson County
man has recent travel history to Boston, through Nashville airport.
California reports 1 new death in Sunnyvale. A former passenger of the Grand Princess.
Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital in California orders 30 employees into quarantine.
4 new cases in Beijing were imported from Italy.
China reports 137 new cases and 30 new deaths.
King County, Washington will no longer be providing details on cases - only numbers.
196 new cases in South Korea.
German media is reporting 595 cases - up from the 400 cases known about earlier
today.
California and Washington state order insurers to waive costs for testing.
An Australian from the Diamond Princess tests positive after recovery and negative test
results.
The fourth New Zealand case attended the Tool concert on Friday night.

March 6, 2020

7:00 PM
 

COVID-19 Update:

There are 101,493 confirmed cases. 3,456 deaths. 55,648 recovered. 6,384 people in
serious or critical condition.
 71 
 

South Korea reports 309 new cases.

Italy reports 778 new cases and 49 new deaths.

Iran Reports 1,234 new cases and 16 new deaths.

United States:

21 new cases on board the Grand Princess – 19 staff and 2 passengers. 42 people
aboard have been tested.

Puget Sound, WA reports 2 new cases – employees of Microsoft and LinkedIn.

Washington State reports 7 new cases.
King County, WA reports 1 new death
Harris County, TX reports 1 new case.
The Washington cases include a resident at Ida Culver House Ravenna retirement
home in Seattle, and a University of Washington staff member who works at Roosevelt
Commons East in the Seattle campus.
Houston, TX reports first two cases.
Pennsylvania reports first 2 cases in Wayne County and Delaware County.
Floyd County, GA reports 1 new case.
Washoe County, NV reports 1 new case, linked to the Grand Princess cruise ship.
Chatham County, NC reports 1 new case.
Marion County, Indiana reports 1 case – travel history to Boston.
Massachusetts reports 5 new cases.
New York state reports 11 new case, linked to original case in New Rochelle.
Westchester County, NY reports 8 new cases.
Nassau County, NY reports 3 new cases.
Contra Costa, CA reports 3 new cases, including 2 former Grand Princess passengers.
Yolo County, CA reports 1 new community acquired case.
Placer County, CA reports 3 new cases – former Grand Princess passengers.
Santa Clara County, CA reports 4 new cases.
Pinal County, AZ reports first case – suspected community transmission.
Lexington, KY reports first case.
Douglas County, Nebraska reports first case.
Colorado reports 2 new cases.
Montgomery County, Maryland reports 3 cases in press conference (unclear if any of
these were previously announced.)
Tulsa County, Oklahoma reports first case.
 72 
 

Canada:

Ontario reports 27 total cases. 5 new cases today (at least 3 I posted previously.)

Case details are: 20s, male, returned from Italy on March 3. Presented to Mount Sinai
emergency department. 60s female, returned from Iran March 2, presented to
Mackenzie Richmond Hill emergency department. Both discharged home to self-isolate.

The Royal Bank is reporting possible exposure at a branch in Meadowvale,

Mississauga.

A man who contracted the virus in Las Vegas travelled on the TTC daily between March
3 – 5, he was at: Bathurst TTC station westbound to Islington TTC station around 8:50
a.m. and the 108 N MiWay express bus from Islington station. At around 6:10 p.m. he
was on the 27 Milton GO bus to Yorkdale station, Line 1 subway to St. George station,
and Line 2 to Bathurst station. On March 4 he was on the Bathurst streetcar as well.

Peel Public Health is asking passengers who were on the couple's flight on West Jet
flight 1199 on Feb. 28 and in rows 18 to 22 to self-isolate.after possible exposure to 2
cases on that flight.

Unverified video of first responders in biohazard protection transporting a patient from

First Canadian Place at King and Bay.

New deaths reported in:

Netherlands (first), France (2), United Kingdom (second)

First cases reported in:

Bhutan, Cameroon, Serbia, Vatican City, Colombia, Peru, Slovakia, Costa Rice (case is
a U.S. citizen who arrived Sunday and is quarantined in a hotel in San Jose. Spouse of
a direct contact of New York case.)

New cases reported in:

 73 
 

Philippines, Austria (18), Germany (239), Norway (31), Taiwan, Indonesia (2), Australia,
Malaysia (28), Spain (48), Belgium (59), Greece (14), Singapore (13), Sweden (46),
Netherlands (46), Chile, Romania, Brazil (5), Czech Republic (11), United Kingdom
(47), Hong Kong (3), Switzerland (123), Poland (4), France (190), Switzerland (29),
Ireland (6), Argentina (6),

Emerald City Comic Con (Seattle) has been cancelled.

University of Washington cancels all in-person classes until March 20.

SXSW (South By Southwest) festival has been cancelled.

The Toronto District School Board announced the cancellation of all March break trips
to Europe.

Chinese Authorities have been warned to avoid the China-North Korea border. Signs
posted state that the border is under guard by North Korean guards and “violators will
be shot”.
 

March 7, 2020

9:45 AM
 

Covid-19 Mini Update:

Iran reports 1,076 new cases, 21 new deaths.
China reports 99 new cases and 28 new deaths.
South Korea reports 448 new cases and 2 new deaths.
Alberta, Canada reports 1 new case.
The 21 new cases on the Grand Princess were announced by Vice President Pence in
a press conference before passengers were notified of the test results.
Hawaii reports first case - in a former Grand Princess cruise passenger.
Utah reports its first case (Davis County), also a former cruise ship passenger.
Florida reports 3 new cases, first 2 deaths.
Colorado reports 6 new cases.
Rhode Island reports 1 new case.
 74 
 

Bergen County, New Jersey reports 1 new case.

South Carolina reports 2 cases – Kershaw County and Charleston County.
Victoria, Australia reports 1 new case in a patient who recently returned from U.S. travel
(Los Angeles and Denver, CO)
Pierce County, WA reports 1 new case.
Houston, TX warns of exposure at an Ash Wednesday mass.
A Seattle Starbucks employee is among the infected.
New cases in:
Ecuador, Japan (68), Norway (24), Austria (11), India (3), Russia (4), Netherlands (60),
Belgium (60), Germany (14), Poland (1), Singapore (8), South Africa, Vietnam (2),
Somerset, UK (1-4), United Arab Emirates (15) Georgia, Sweden (21), Russia (4),
United Kingdom (63),
First cases in:
Malta
New deaths:
A Diamond Princess passenger in Japan.
A hotel in Quanzhou, China that was being used as a quarantine site has collapsed. 26
people rescued, 70 remain buried in the rubble.
Two of the makeshift hospitals in Wuhan will be closed today.
Iraqi Shia muslim leader is infected during visit to Qom.
The leader of Italy's co-ruling Democratic Party is infected.
The Governor of Lazio, Italy is infected.
An Iranian MP and a conservative party deputy have both died.
Protective equipment has been stolen from a children’s cancer ICU in Berlin.
17 people under mandatory quarantined attempted to flee Hong Kong.
Nile river boat MS River Anuket with 150 crew and passengers is quarantined in Egypt
after 12 positive cases aboard.
A doctor in Melbourne is infected. He saw 70 clinic patients and visited 2 in a nursing
home while symptomatic. He is the father of an Australian musician.
France cancels the Tomorrowland Music Festival.
SARS-CoV-2 infection may cause permanent cardiovascular damage as seen in SARS-
CoV patients.
 75 
 

9:40 PM
 

Virus Diary Day 45: There's a lot of bad news, and a dead terrorist.
COVID-19 Update

There are 106,007 infected, 3,599 dead. 5,895 in serious or critical condition.
367 new cases and 6 new deaths in South Korea.
1,247 new cases and 36 new deaths in Italy.
1,076 new cases and 21 new deaths in Iran
Canada:
British Columbia – 6 new cases. Two are connected with a care home in North
Vancouver
United States:
King County, WA – 13 new cases and 3 new deaths.
Snohomish County, WA – 8 new cases
Clark County, WA – 1 new case
Kittitas County, WA – 1 new case
New York - 45 new cases (13 in Westchester County.)
Massachusetts – 5 new cases
Pinal County, AZ – 2 new cases
Cobb County, GA – 1 new case
Gwinnett County, GA – 1 new case
Oregon – 4 new cases
Okaloosa County, FL – 1 new case
Volusia County, FL – 1 new case
Charlotte County, FL – 1 new case
Los Angeles County, CA – 1 new case
San Francisco, CA – 6 new cases
Santa Clara County, CA – 8 new cases
Montgomery County, PA – 2 new cases
Johnson County, KS – first case in Kansas
Fairfax County, VA – first case in Virginia (U.S. Marine)
Missouri – first case reported

Washington, D.C. – first case reported

 76 
 

The outline from a press briefing by Life Care Center of Kirkland shows the following
stats:
120 residents on February 19.
54 transferred to hospital since 2/19
15 deaths in hospital since 2/19 (13 tested positive)
11 deaths in LifeCare since 2/19 (no post-mortem results)
63 residents currently in the facility
6 current residents have symptoms of Covid-19
Tests ongoing - 45 test kits received, no results returned of those tests.
18 tests have been positive, including those in hospital
180 employees on February 19
70 employees showing symptoms, not currently working.
First Cases reported in:
Maldives (2), Paraguay, Moldova, Bulgaria (2),
New Cases reported in:
Australia (10), Qatar, Germany (156), Vietnam (4), Romania (34Kuwait (3), Malaysia
(10), Finland (6), Bahrain (6), Belgium (60), Switzerland (54), Portugal (8), Spain (98),
Cambodia, Sweden (3), Saudi Arabia (2), Singapore (8), Slovakia (2), Russia (4),
France (336), Netherlands (60), India (3), Austria (13), Slovenia (6), United Kingdom
(42), Sweden (21), Japan (43), Norway (9), Iceland (5), Luxembourg, Moscow, Egypt
(33), Ireland, Phillipines, Northern Ireland (3), Greece (21), Brazil (6), Peru (5), China
(41), Afghanistan (3), Costa Rica (5),
New Deaths reported in:
France (7), Japan (1), Spain (5), China (27), Argentina (1)
An infected man who was being tested for coronavirus and was instructed to self-isolate
worked several shifts at a major hotel in Hobart, Australia
A Grand Princess crew member was transferred to another ship, The Royal Princess,
before the quarantine. The Royal Princess is being held in dock at Long Beach.
One of the 19,000 attendees of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)
conference in National Harbor, Maryland is infected. Anyone at the conference is
considered at risk.
Italy plans to put Lombardy and 14 provinces on lockdown until April 3.
The head of the Lombardy's intensive care crisis unit says the health system is on the
brink of collapse.
Italy has published a proposal that limited ICU beds will be rationed to those patients
who have the best chance of survival.
 77 
 

2 resorts in the Maldives are on lockdown. 2 positive infections at one resort, doctor and
guests showing symptoms at the second resort.
A 36-year-old Nebraska woman who returned from the U.K. is the first case in the state.
The Omaha woman – who became ill on Feb. 25 - is in a biocontainment unit and is
now suffering from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
Japan reports a male patient in his 20s is in critical condition in the ICU. He presents
with pneumonia and meningitis, with the presence of the virus in his cerebrospinal fluid.
This is a rare occurrence, but is in line with other reports of the virus crossing the blood-
brain barrier and causing encephalitis.
The “Butcher of Tehran” – leader of Basij Forces, affiliated to Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – has died from the virus.
 

March 8, 2020
 

8:00 PM
 

COVID-19 Update: I don’t even know if I managed to cover everything, but I had to stop.
I just… had to.
There are 109,651 cases worldwide. 3,801 deaths. 60,646 have recovered. 5,840 are
in serious condition, 61 in critical condition.
Italy reports 1,492 new cases, 133 new deaths.
Iran reports 743 new cases and 49 new deaths.

Canada:
Quebec reports 1 new case.
Alberta reports 2 new cases – 1 in Calgary, 1 in Edmonton
Ontario reports 1 new case – Female, 40s, returned from Colorado on March 2,
presented to Sunnybrook.

United States:
Pierce County, Washington reports 2 new cases.
Grant County, Washington reports 1 new death.
Washington State reports 18 new cases and 2 new deaths.
 78 
 

New York reports 16 new cases.

Ulster County, NY reports first case.
Oregon reports 7 new cases.
Fresno County, California reports 1 new case – former Grand Princess passenger.
Riverside County, California reports 1 new case.
Contra Costa County, California reports 5 new cases.
Santa Clara County, California reports 5 new cases.
Wilton, Fairfield County, CT reports first case.
Grafton County, NH reports 1 new case.
Rockingham County, NH reports 1 new case.
Shelby County, TN reports 1 new case.
Davidson County, TN reports 1 new case.
Fairfax County, VA reports 1 new case.
Hendricks County, IN reports 1 new case.
Iowa reports first 3 cases.
St. Louis County, Missouri reports 1 new case.
Manatee County, Florida reports 1 new case.
Broward County, Florida reports 2 new cases.
New Jersey reports 2 new cases.
Chicago, IL reports 1 new case.
Montgomery County, PA reports 2 new cases.
South Carolina reports 4 new cases.
Massachusetts reports 15 new cases.
Kentucky reports 3 new cases.
Carver County, MN reports 1 new case.
Harford County, MD reports 1 new case.
Montgomery County MD reports 1 new case.

First cases reported in:

Bangladesh (3)

First deaths reported in:

Egypt (1 – a German tourist)

New deaths reported in:

Netherlands (2), Spain (7), France (3), Switzerland (1), Iraq (2), United Kingdom (1)
 79 
 

New cases reported in:

Netherlands (77), Vietnam (9), Spain (158), Germany (240 – 67 in Bavaria alone),
France (260), Australia (3), India (5), Kuwait (1), South Korea (179), Austria (25),
Bulgaria (2), Norway (18), Indonesia (2), Portugal (9), Finland (4), Saudi Arabia (4),
South Africa (1), Latvia (1), Belgium (31), Malaysia (6), Qatar (3), Switzerland (68),
Kuwait (2), Chile (1), Poland (2), Singapore (12), Sweden (42), United Kingdom (64),
Romania (1), Iceland (6), Algeria (1), Hong Kong (5), Philippines (4), Bahrain (17),
Lebanon (4), Luxembourg (1), Chile (2), Ireland (2), Iraq (6), Greece (7), Slovenia (4),
Maldives (2), Tunisia (1), Israel (14), Argentina (3), Brazil (6), Egypt (6)
Saudi Arabia locks down Qatif in the Eastern Province.
Saudi Arabia closes all schools and universities.
Saudi Arabia bans travel to and from the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, South
Korea, Egypt, Italy, and Iraq
Italy locks down 14 provinces of 16 million people.
Malaysia and India ban all entry of cruise ships
Romania bans public and private events with more than 1,000 people
France bans gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
Washington state Governor Inslee says he's considering "mandatory measures" to stop
the spread of coronavirus.
U.S. Sentator Ted Cruz will be staying at home this week after interacting with a positive
case at the CPAC conference.
The head of Al-Razi Hospital in Rasht city, Northern Iran has died from the virus.
Unverified video reports that the hospital has erected tents to house infected patients as
the hospital is full.
A Doctor in Brooklyn, NY reports that his 30-year-old colleague is experiencing “sudden,
rapidly progressing respiratory failure.”
Video reports show doctors from Jilin City returning home from Wuhan, carrying the
urns of their colleagues who were killed by the virus while working at the front lines.
Content warning: A family in Italy is locked in their home with their deceased sister. Link
to video in comments (so it doesn’t autoplay in your newsfeed.)
 80 
 

March 9, 2020
11:10 PM

COVID-19 Update:
There are 114,066 confirmed cases, 4,018 deaths, 5,691 in serious condition, 63 in
critical condition. 63,974 recovered.
Italy reports 1,797 new cases and 97 new deaths.
Iran reports 595 new cases and 43 new deaths
Spain reports 558 new cases and 13 new deaths.
France reports 203 new cases and 11 new deaths.
Germany reports 184 new cases and 2 new deaths.
Canada:
Ontario reports 6 new cases – seen at North York General Hospital (3), Brampton Civic
Hospital (2), Scarborough General (1)
United States:
Washington state (39, plus 3 deaths)
King County WA (1 death)
Harris County, TX (1)
Hawaii (1)
Georgia (4)
Ohio (3)
New York (34)
New York City, NY (3)
Kentucky (2 – Fayette and Harrison)
Virgina (2 - Spotsylvania and Fairfax Counties)
Volusia County, FL (1)
Prince George’s County, MD (1)
Los Angeles County, CA (2 – first community transmission)
Long Beach, CA (3)
Santa Clara County, CA (6, plus first death*)
Wake County, North Carolina (5)
The death in Santa Clara County is a woman in her 60s. She was the first confirmed
case of community transmission in the county. She died after spending “several weeks”
in hospital.
First cases reported in:
Albania (2), Mongolia (1), Panama (1)
New deaths reported in:
China (21), San Marino (1)
 81 
 

New cases reported in:

Peru (1), Costa Rica (4), China (36), Saudi Arabia (4), Ecuador (1), Australia (10),
Japan (9), Norway (53), Latvia (3), India (3), Georgia (2), Austria (27), Philippines (10),
Finland (7), Hungary (2), Nigeria (1), Malaysia (18), Qatar (3), Bahrain (24), Switzerland
(42), Belgium (39), Poland (5), Indonesia (13), Switzerland (42), United Arab Emirates
(14), Vietnam (1), Sweden (45), Iceland (7), Netherlands (56), Hong Kong (1), Colombia
(2), San Marino (13), Singapore (10), United Kingdom (39), Greece (11), Romania (2),
Ireland (3), Portugal (9)
CNN begins using the term “Pandemic” for COVID-19.
U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar and 3 staff are under quarantine after CPAC exposure.
U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar is infected.
Santa Clara County, CA bans all gatherings of 1,000 people or more.
Boston cancels St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio and Rhode Island declare state of emergency.
Washington Elementary School and Mira Vista K-8 School in Contra Costa, CA have
been warned of possible exposure.
A teacher in Fulton County, GA fell ill at school and has been hospitalized.
An EMS worker in NYC is infected.
A priest at Christ Church Episcopal in Georgetown is hospitalized. Approximately 500
worshippers – many who shook his hand – may be exposed.
Life Care Center of Kirkland announces they have no test kits to test 65 symptomatic
employees.
A St. Louis, MO family broke quarantine to attend a party and father-daughter dance at
the Ritz Carleton.
New York State has released its own brand of hand sanitizer.
More temporary hospitals in Wuhan close as patients recover.
Israel will quarantine anyone entering the country for 2 weeks.
Belfast, Northern Ireland cancels St. Patrick’s Day festival.
7 Britons contracted the virus a fellow passenger aboard a flight to from Heathrow to
Hanoi on March 2. 2 passengers became “super spreaders” in Vietnam.
A Vietnam businessman ordered into quarantine sent an employee in his place. (That’s
not how this works… that’s not how any of this works.)
Italy premier puts the entire country (60 million people, slightly more than the Chinese
province of Hubei) on lockdown.
Italy is rationing hospital beds to those with the greatest chance for survival. Reports
that the elderly and those with “only a few years left” will not be treated.
 82 
 

New Jersey’s first case – 32-year-old physician assistant James Cai – spoke out about
his treatment in a NJ hospital and made a plea for access to medication before he
requires intubation. Link to video in comments.

March 10, 2020

5:37 AM
 

Li Wenliang, doctor and whistleblower who was arrested with 7 other doctors on
December 31 for spreading “rumors” about a new SARS outbreak died February 6 from
the infection.
Chen Qiushi, human rights lawyer and citizen journalist, has been missing since
February 6, allegedly forced into quarantine and to be released on March 2 (9 days
ago). He is still missing, and social media accounts have been deleted.
Fang Bin, citizen of Wuhan documenting conditions with videos has been missing since
February 4.
Li Zehua, former CCTV host and independent journalist covering the situation in Wuhan
has been missing since live streaming his presumed arrest on February 26.
Chris Buckley, a China-based reporter for the New York Times has been silent on social
media since February 12, whereabouts unknown. On February 14, CCP media
published an inflammatory article criticizing the NYT for being a “base camp of
liberalism” and accusing Buckley of creating rumors to undermine the CCP and defame
China.

11:46 PM
 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publishes a list
of the hospital beds per 1,000 people as an important indicator of the health care
system of a country.
China is number 19 on the list at 4.34. They built two hospitals from scratch in 10 days,
and commandeered another 12 facilities to create temporary field hospitals for the sick
and infected. And people still died at home waiting for a hospital bed that never came
available.
Italy is number 26 on the list, with 3.18. Their health care system is in chaos. People are
dying at home. Infected patients 60 years or older, or with pre-existing conditions, will
not be hospitalized. Beds are being rationed for those younger and who have the best
chance of survival.
 83 
 

The United States is number 32, with 2.77 beds per 1,000 people. Canada is number 36
with 2.52. And this is just hospital beds - this doesn’t account for ventilators and life
support machines.
20% of people infected with #covid-19 will likely need to be hospitalized. At least 6% will
need life support and respiratory support. That’s 200 people out of every 1,000. Fighting
for less than 3 beds.
This is not a game of musical chairs you want to be playing. Take this virus seriously.

March 12, 2020

7:00 AM
 

COVID-19 Update:
There are 127,172 infected. 4,635 deaths. Over 5,600 reported in serious/critical
condition.
68,122 have recovered.
Italy reports 2,313 new cases and 196 new deaths, over 1,000 people in intensive care.
Iran reports 958 new cases and 63 new deaths
France reports 555 new cases and 15 new deaths
Spain reports 527 new cases and 18 new deaths.
South Korea reports 356 new cases and 12 new deaths.
Germany reports 451 new cases and 1 new death
Canada
Alberta (12)
Ontario (6)
British Columbia (14)
Quebec (2)
New Brunswick (1)
Ontario’s new cases include a doctor at Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton. Other
cases are located in Sudbury (attended mining conference in Toronto), Ottawa, York
region, and Toronto. Three are in their 30s, two in their 40s, one in their 50s. Three had
recent travel to the U.S.A.
 84 
 

United States
Washington (205)
Illinois (8)
Kershaw County, SC (2)
Multnomah County, CO (1 – community acquired)
South Dakota (5)
Arizona (4)
Harrison County, KY (2)
Michigan (2) – first in the state, Wayne County and Oakland County
Florida (8)
Georgia (5)
New Jersey (8)
New York (43)
Wisconsin (3)
Iowa (1)
Mississippi (1)
New Deaths:

Washington (7), South Dakota (1), Sacramento County, CA (1)

World:
First Cases Reported in:
Turkey (1), Bolivia (2), Honduras (2), French Polynesia (1),
New Deaths reported in:
Morocco (1), Panama (1), China (22), Indonesia (1), Lebanon (2), Belgium (3), Albania
(1), Netherlands (1), Philippines (1), Bulgaria (1), Iraq (2), Switzerland (1), Ireland (1),
England (2), Sweden (1), Japan (6), Greece (1), Algeria (1), Austria (1)
New Cases reported in:
Norway (352), Denmark (273), Qatar (238), Sweden (174), Switzerland (151),
Netherlands (121), Austria (96), Bahrain (85), Denmark (78), United Kingdom (73),
Australia (73), Japan (57), Czech Republic (54), Belgium (47), China (39), Israel (38),
Brazil (27), Slovenia (26), Saudi Arabia (25), Romania (25), Poland (24), Malaysia (20),
Finland (19), Portugal (18), Thailand (17), Philippines (19), Singapore (12), Luxembourg
(12), Kuwait (11), Greece (10), Ireland (9), Lebanon (9), Wales (9), Hong Kong (9),
Costa Rica (9), Egypt (8), Russia (8), India (8), Indonesia (7), Serbia (7), Panama (7),
Chile (6), Colombia (6), Croatia (6), Vietnam (6), South Africa (6), Mexico (5), Iraq (5),
 85 
 

Algeria (5), Argentina (4), South Africa (4), Bosnia and Herzegovina (4), Iceland (4),
Cyprus (4), Peru (4), Belarus (3), Slovakia (3), Morocco (3), Bulgaria (3), Albania (3),
Paraguay (3), Albania (2), Lithuania (2), Ecuador (2), Taiwan (2), Malta (2), Peru (2),
Latvia (2), Maldives (2), Jamaica (1), Georgia (1), Tunisia (1), Hungary (1), England (1),
Sri Lanka (1)
The World Health Organization declares a pandemic.
Actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are infected in Queensland, Australia.
U.S. State Department issues travel advisory warning against travel abroad.
U.S. bans travel from Europe for 30 days (except U.K.) as of midnight.
U.S. President Trump cancels upcoming events in Colorado and Nevada
NBA suspending all games after player Rudy Gobert tests positive.
Saudi Arabia bans travel to several European and African locations.
El Salvador declares national quarantine – bans entry to all foreigners, closes all
schools.
Arizona declares state of emergency.
Washington, D.C. declares state of emergency.
Italy orders closure of all non-essential businesses.
2 CBS News employees in New York City test positive.
Denmark closes all schools and universities. All public sector employees with non-
critical jobs will be sent home.
Washington state to ban events and social gatherings with more than 250 people in
Snohomish, King and Pierce counties
Sunday's Democratic presidential debate in Phoenix will not have an audience.
British member of parliament Nadine Dorries is infected.
U.S. Congressman Don Beyer will self-isolate after a friend tests positive.
Apple cancels iPhone9 launch event.
Madonna postpones tour.
Coachella postponed until October.
Research shows the virus can live in the air for several hours, and on surfaces for up to
3 days.
Italy may pursue criminal charges for those who refuse to quarantine.
 86 
 

Social media posts from Italian doctors demonstrate the dire circumstances of their
health care system. Patients over 60 or with pre-existing conditions will not receive
treatment due to bed shortages.
I’ve probably missed a few newsworthy updates in the past 36 hours. I will try to compile
a larger list of those later today.
 

March 14, 2020

3:07 PM
 

Virus Diary Day 52

COVID-19 Update:
There are 153,333 confirmed cases, 5,787 reported deaths. 73,962 recovered. 5,776
reported in serious/critical condition.
Italy reports 8,695 new cases and 614 new deaths
Iran reports 3,729 new cases and 267 new deaths.
Spain reports 3,766 new cases and 156 new deaths.
Germany reports 2,251 new cases and 5 new deaths
France reports 1,130 new cases and 31 new deaths
Canada:
Ontario (64) (Toronto, Ottawa, London, Waterloo, Haliburton, Halton, Durham, Peel,
Hamilton, Perth)
British Columbia (18)
Quebec (9)
Alberta (10)
Manitoba (4)
Saskatchewan (2)
Sophie Trudeau, wife of Canada’s Prime Minister, tests positive.
USA:
New York (205)
Washington (111)
California (70)
Colorado (44)
 87 
 

Florida (43)
Massachusetts (28)
New Jersey (27)
Michigan (23)
Louisiana (23)
Illinois (21)
Pennsylvania (20)
Tennessee (17)
Texas (16)
Wisconsin (13)
Oregon (11)
Georgia (11)
Minnesota (9)
Rhode Island (9)
Ohio (9)
Connecticut (8)
Arkansas (8)
North Carolina (7)
Kentucky (6)
New Mexico (6)
Virginia (6)
Maryland (5)
Kansas (5)
Mississippi (5)
Alabama (5)
Nebraska (4)
Montana (4)
Utah (3)
South Carolina (3)
Iowa (3)
Missouri (3)
Maine (2)
Virginia (2)
Oklahoma (2)
New Hampshire (2)
Indiana (1)
Maine (1)
Alaska (1)
South Dakota (1)
 88 
 

Idaho (1)
Wyoming (1)
US Deaths:

Georgia (1), California (2), Kansas (1), Colorado (1), Washington (6)
Worldwide:
First cases reported in:
Puerto Rico (3), U.S. Virgin Islands (1), Uruguay (4), Venezuela (2), Guatemala (1),
Kenya (1), Sudan (1), Ethiopia (1), Gabon, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Kazakhstan,
Kosovo, Suriname, Aruba, Guadeloupe, Cayman Islands
New Deaths reported in:
Poland (1), Philippines (6), San Marino (3), Azerbaijan (1), England (2), Japan (2),
Egypt (1), Norway (1), India (1), Switzerland (9), China (20), South Korea (6), Hong
Kong (1), Indonesia (3), Netherlands (2), United Kingdom (10), Sweden (1),
New Cases reported:
Costa Rica (1), Belgium (85), Pakistan (2), Vietnam (5), Palestine (1), Finland (105),
Iceland (21), Singapore (22), Georgia (1), Portugal (19), Liechtenstein (1), Cambodia
(2), Malaysia (9), Cyprus (8), Netherlands (456), United Arab Emirates (11), Slovakia
(11), Estonia (1), United Kingdom (476), Chile (10), San Marino (15), Albania (8),
Austria (120), Israel (9), Poland (17), Hong Kong (2), Peru (5), Bahrain (2), Bulgaria (9),
Oman (1), Russia (6), Iraq (12), Serbia (5), South Africa (-1), Slovenia (39), Jamaica (6),
Senegal (5), Belarus (9), Lebanon (7), Sweden (361), Moldova (3), Ireland (27), Japan
(87), Egypt (13), Tunisia (6), Croatia (9), Greece (18), Denmark (59), Bulgaria (7),
Czech Republic (22), Brazil (24), Latvia (1), Romania (16), Monaco (1), Ukraine (2),
Hungary (3), Argentina (10), Paraguay (1), Norway (217), Luxembourg (7), Ecuador (2),
Saudi Arabia (17), China (31), South Korea (217), Panama (13), Turkey (1), Thailand
(5), Taiwan (1), Estonia (24), Serbia (6), Hungary (3), Malta (3), Norway (196), Denmark
(176), Indonesia (35), Kuwait (20), Switzerland (446), Australia (47), Philippines (47),
Russia (14)

Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland in California close.

School districts across Canada and the US close early for an extended March break.
Estonia declares state of emergency, closes schools, and bans public gatherings due to
coronavirus.
 89 
 

Belgium closes all schools, bars, and restaurants due to coronavirus and bans all
recreational events regardless of size.
Catalonia orders lockdown of Igualada and several other municipalities in northeast
Spain.
New York City declares state of emergency.
Catholic churches in Rome will be closed until April 3.
France closes schools and universities.
New York bans gatherings of 500 people, closes theatres.
Los Angeles Unified School District in California announces the closure of all schools.
Denmark closes borders to all foreigners.
Brazil's ambassador to the U.S., Nestor Forster, has tested positive for coronavirus –
met with US President Trump last week.
Saudi Arabia suspends international flights for at least 2 weeks.
Colombia will deny entry to foreigners who have been in Europe or Asia in the last 14
days.
Metro Manila to impose curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Jordan closes border, suspends international flights and bans gatherings.
Berlin bans all gatherings with more than 50 people and closes cinemas, casinos,
museums, and other entertainment venues.
France to close non-essential public places, including restaurants, bars, and cinemas.
Toronto cancels upcoming events and conventions (Toronto Comicon, Sportsman’s
show, One of a Kind Show, St. Patrick’s Day parade and more.) Art Gallery of Ontario,
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Zoo closed to the public. Live theatres close down.
Cineplex cinemas reduce capacity by at least 50% to encourage social distancing.
Canadian Parliament in Ottawa shuts down.
Cough Syrup is plentiful on store shelves in Toronto. Toilet paper is not.
People who didn’t pay attention to what was happening in China 55 days ago because
“it could never happen here” are now discovering that it is, indeed, happening here.
   
 90 
 

March 15, 2020

1:00 AM
 

New cases reported:

Canada:
Alberta (10)
British Columbia (9)
Quebec (3)
Prince Edward Island (1 – first)
Newfoundland and Labrador (1-first)
Total cases in Canada: 247, 1 death
USA
New York (89)
Washington (80)
Louisiana (41)
Colorado (24)
Illinois (18)
Massachusetts (15)
Florida (15)
Texas (12)
Virginia (11)
Connecticut (9)
Wisconsin (8)
Tennessee (6)
Oregon (6)
South Carolina (6)
New Mexico (3)
Idaho (3)
Kentucky (2)
Maine (2)
Montana (2)
Puerto Rico (1)
Iowa (1)
New deaths:
 91 
 

Louisiana (1), Florida (2), Washington (3), New Jersey (1),

Total cases in the USA: 2,808, 57 deaths.
Worldwide
Bahrain (15), Egypt (17), Lebanon (16), Israel (67), United Arab Emirates (1), India (19),
Czech Republic (12), Estonia (6), Ireland (39), Poland (1), Romania (34), Iceland (5),
Brazil (21), Spain (348), China (20), South Korea (76), Germany (404), Norway (67)
New deaths:
Ireland (1), Spain (5), China (10), South Korea (3), Germany (1), Norway (1)
Hoboken, New Jersey announces daily 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew
A man who died during a flight from Dubai to Boston will be tested for the virus. He had
no underlying health issues.
France reports 300 people are currently in ICU. Most are under 60.
The Netherlands reports that half of their ICU patients are under 50.
A 16-year-old girl in the Netherlands is in ICU, intubated and on a ventilator.
The first Italian patient on a ventilator was reportedly a 38-year-old otherwise healthy
man who ran marathons. He was ventilated for 18 days.
Police in Lansing, MI will not be responding in person to most property crime reports.
New York state suspends visitation at prisons.
Several of the recent confirmed infections in Ontario had recent travel to the USA as the
suspected origin of infection.
 

6:54 PM
 

COVID-19 Update:
There are 164,236 confirmed cases. 6,473 deaths. 5,748 reported in critical or serious
condition. 75,911 recovered.
Italy reports: 3,590 new cases and 368 new deaths
Spain reports 1,452 new cases and 96 new deaths.
Germany reports 1,632 new cases and 4 new deaths.
Iran reports 1,209 new cases and 113 new deaths.
France reports 924 new cases and 36 new deaths.
United Kingdom reports 232 new cases and 14 new deaths
 92 
 

Canada:
There are 308 total confirmed cases reported in Canada, 1 death.
New cases reported:
Ontario – 42 (Toronto, Hamilton, Waterloo, Durham, Peel, Ottawa, Haliburton, Niagara,
Simcoe, Peterborough)
Alberta – 17 (community transmission)
Manitoba – 3
Nova Scotia – 3
Quebec – 4

USA:
There are 3,621 total cases reported in the US, 63 deaths.
New cases reported:
Florida (39)
Alabama (7)
Hawaii (2)

Worldwide:
First cases reported:
Uzbekistan (1)
New deaths reported:
Philippines (3)
New cases reported:
Pakistan (3), Afghanistan (5), Maldives (1), Norway (11), Indonesia (21), Thailand (32),
Kuwait (8), Austria (145)

California urges people 65+ to stay home and isolate. Orders closures of all bars and
nightclubs.
Illinois and Ohio order all bars and din-in restaurants closed.
Massachusetts bans gatherings with more than 25 people, limits restaurants to offering
take-out only and closes schools.
Scandinavian Airlines suspends most operations.
 93 
 

Schools, bars, restaurants, gyms and coffee shops ordered closed in the Netherlands.
Puerto Rico closes non-essential stores, cinemas, and gyms at 6 p.m daily, curfew in
effect from 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
Quebec orders bars and theatres to close, restaurants to limit customers.
Via Rail cuts services between Quebec City and Windsor by 50%.
Ontario has ordered casinos shut down.
Ontario has requested all hospitals decrease and postpone elective surgeries.

March 16, 2020

11:37 AM
 

COVID-19 Update:

There are 173,955 cases, 6,686 deaths. 6,646 in serious and critical condition.

The number of cases and deaths worldwide now exceeds the number within China.

Iran reports 1,053 new cases and 129 new deaths.

Spain reports 900 new cases and 5 new deaths.
Switzerland reports 845 new cases and 1 new death.
Germany reports 435 new cases and 1 new death.

Canada:

Ontario – 32 new cases (Hamilton, Guelph, Ottawa, Sudbury, Durham, York, Niagara,
Peel, Halton, 11 in Toronto.)

USA: 196 new cases.

World:

First cases reported:

Somalia (1), Greenland (1)

 94 
 

New deaths reported:

Sweden (1), Netherlands (8), Greece (1), China (14), Belgium (1), Bahrain (1)

New cases reported:

Malaysia (315), Belgium (369), Portugal (76), Switzerland (845), Sweden (71), Denmark
(39), Netherlands (176), Austria (159), Qatar (64), Greece (103), Estonia (56), Brazil
(97), Norway (136), China (16), South Korea (74), Israel (50), Bahrain (7), Jordan (6),
Wales (30)

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland close all movie theatres, gyms, bars
and restaurants. Pennsylvania closes dine-in restaurants and bars in 5 counties.

Statewide school closures in 32 states currently.

Vaccine trial begins in Seattle.

Finland closes schools and declares state of emergency.

Apple, Nike and several other retailers close stores.

Ontario superior court closes to most business. Ontario suspends Landlord Tenant
Board tribunals, eviction enforcement.

Ontario closes all schools until April 6. Announces funding for economic impact, public
awareness campaign.

Ontario expands lab test capacity and opens 17 dedicated testing facilities.

Ontario orders long term care homes to limit visitors and increase screening for entry to
facilities.

Ontario announces draft legislation to support workers, guarantee job safety to those
quarantined or self-isolating, or to care for children, retroactive to January. Removes
requirement for doctor’s notes for self-isolating individuals.

No mandated restaurant or bar closures in Ontario yet, but it’s “on the table”; When the
chief medical officer orders a shutdown, the government will do so.
 95 
 

Canada expected to announce international travel restrictions at 1 p.m. Will divert flights
to Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary.

March 17, 2020

 

3:08 AM
 

Covid-19 Update:

There are 182,866 cases, 7,159 deaths, 79,624 recovered. 5,777 in serious or critical
condition.
Italy reports 3,233 new cases and 349 new deaths.
France reports 1,210 new cases and 21 new deaths.
Germany reports 1,024 new cases and 4 new deaths.
Spain reports 1,198 new cases and 45 new deaths.
The Netherlands reports 278 new cases and 4 new deaths.
United Kingdom reports 171 new cases and 20 new deaths.
Switzerland reports 130 new cases and 5 new deaths.
Canada:
British Columbia reports 30 new cases.
Alberta reports 18 new cases.
Saskatchewan reports 1 new case.
Manitoba reports 3 new cases.
New Brunswick reports 1 new case.
Nova Scotia reports 5 presumptive cases.
USA:
King County, WA reports 68 new cases and 6 new deaths
Washington (67)
California reports 57 new cases and 5 new deaths.
Maine (5)
Arizona (18)
Hawaii (3)
Wyoming (7)
World:
 96 
 

New deaths reported in:

Portugal (1), Belgium (5), Sweden (4), South Korea (6), India
New cases reported in:
Denmark (47), Sweden (89), Pakistan (85), Austria (57), Portugal (86), Chile (81),
Ireland (54), South Korea (84), Monaco (1), Brazil (62), Norway (91), India (?), Ukraine
(2), Turkey (29), Honduras (2), Thailand (30)
Prime minister of Monaco tests positive.
Actor Idris Elba tests positive.
Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju is positive.
Venezuela, Honduras and Costa Rica order nationwide lockdowns.
More than 1,350 inmates escape from Sao Paolo prisons, several guards held hostage.
San Francisco and 6 other Bay Area counties on lockdown, shelter in place orders in
effect.
France postpones local elections. Institutes lockdown.
Russia will deny entry to foreign visitors.
Canada closes borders to foreigners who are not citizens, permanent residents and
their families.
Sudan closes all ports, land crossings and airports.
Toronto, Ontario closes all bars, restaurants. Cineplex closes all theatres.
Sephora, Nordstrom, Bath and Body Works and others join Apple and Nike in closing all
north American stores.
Rumored: Australia plans pending lockdown. Ban on all religious, sporting, social and
cultural gatherings. Grocery stores and markets to remain open. Nationwide travel
restrictions. All tourists and visitors banned. All schools to close. Non-essential services
to close.
Ohio orders presidential primary polls to be closed.
A former Diamond Princess passenger in Japan tests positive less than three weeks
after recovering from infection. He was recovered and tested negative on March 2. 5
days ago he developed symptoms and fever and was confirmed infected again.
China confirms the presence of virus in fecal matter after respiratory samples show no
virus.
Infected cruise ship MS Braemar is permitted to dock in Cuba.
U.S. CDC reports infected employee.
 97 
 

21-year-old Spanish football coach Francisco Garcia dies of the virus. He was
diagnosed with leukemia after becoming infected and developing pneumonia.
Mexico comic convention “La Mole” holds packed event in Mexico City. Organizers
posted a homophobic tirade directed at an artist who had to cancel due to travel
restrictions. (Image)
 

 
 98 
 

March 18, 2020

2:20 PM
 

There are 214,796 cases worldwide. 8,774 deaths. 83,574 are recovered. 6,359 in
serious or critical condition.
171 countries are affected.
All European countries have confirmed cases.
All 50 US states have confirmed cases.
Hot Spots:
Italy reports 7,733 new cases and 820 new deaths.
Germany reports 4,627 new cases and 9 new deaths.
Spain reports 2,068 new cases and 281 new deaths.
Iran reports 1,178 new cases and 135 new deaths.
France reports 1,097 new cases and 27 new deaths.
The United Kingdom reports 676 new cases and 32 new deaths.
Switzerland reports 370 new cases and 8 new deaths.
Austria reports 455 new cases.
The Netherlands reports 292 new cases and 19 new deaths.
Canada:
British Columbia (83)
Ontario (27)
Quebec (44)
Alberta (23)
Manitoba (1)
New deaths:
British Columbia (3), Ontario (1), Quebec (1 – in an “institution for the elderly”)
USA:
The USA reports 7,553 cases and 117 deaths to date. Daily updates by state are not
necessarily reported separately unless notable (by quantity or location). Consult your
local public health resources for cases in your area.
New York City (695)
New York (313)
Washington (108)
Los Angeles County, CA (50)
California (10)
 99 
 

West Virginia (1)

North Dakota – first suspected community transmission.
New Deaths:
Washington (4), New York (8), Michigan (first – Wayne County)
World:
First cases reported in:
Gambia (1), Montserrat (1), Montenegro (2), Kyrgyzstan (3), Djibouti (1)
New deaths reported in:
Malaysia (2), Brazil (first), Sweden (1), Denmark (3), Japan (7), Turkey (1), China (11),
South Korea (3), Luxembourg (1), Moldova (first), Norway (1), Pakistan (first)
New cases reported in:
Luxembourg (122), Malaysia (120), Portugal (117), Belgium (185), Norway (158),
Sweden (75), Denmark (92), Japan (45), Ireland (69), Czech Republic (51), Turkey (51),
China (13), South Korea (93), Ecuador (53), Saudi Arabia (67)
Nevada closes down Las Vegas – all casinos closed.
WHO reports that Ibuprofen may worsen COVID-19, urges people not to use it.
Australia declares human biosecurity emergency, advises against all international
travel, and bans non-essential gatherings with more than 100 people indoors.
Schools across England will be closed Friday.
Canada and the USA close border to non-essential travel.
Two Federal Bureau of Prisons officers have tested positive – one in New Hampshire,
one in Texas.
Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler will close all of their factories.
A new study from Germany reports that the peak viral load of COVID-19 is 1000 times
that of SARS, possibly accounting for how infectious this virus is in comparison.
Ohio reports that a 2-year-old has tested positive.
A 1-year-old child who died in New York of a respiratory infection has tested negative
for the virus.
Italy’s youngest death reports is 32-year-old bar owner Fabrizio Marchetti.
549 cases in New York are hospitalized, or 23% of those confirmed infected in the state.
The US is sending the USNS Comfort, a US Navy hospital ships with 1,000 rooms and
operating rooms, to New York.
 100 
 

Amazon announces suspension of items from third-party marketplace sellers who use
the Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) warehousing. They will be prioritizing PPE, supplies,
diapers etc. but will not warehouse non-essential items. This will not affect items already
in warehouse, or items sold by Amazon themselves – only third party FBA sellers.
People with A blood type may be more vulnerable to the virus.
Dillon's Small Batch Distillers and Limited Distilling in Niagara, and Spirit of York
Distillery and Reid's Distillery in Toronto are using their facilities to make hand sanitizer
for health care workers and first responders.
 

March 19, 2020

 

5:00 PM
 

COVID-19 Update: Diary day 57

(On January 19, China had 200 confirmed cases.)
There are 241,514 cases, 9,848 deaths. 85,292 recovered. 7,232 in critical or serious
condition.

Italy reports 5,322 new cases and 427 deaths.

Spain reports 3,237 new cases and 43 new deaths
Iran reports 1,046 new cases and 149 new deaths
Germany reports 1,110 new cases and 3 new deaths.
France reports 1,404 new cases and 89 new deaths
Switzerland reports 821 new cases and 3 new deaths.
The Netherlands reports 409 new cases and 18 new deaths
The United Kingdom reports 643 new cases and 29 (or 44?) new deaths.
Austria reports 372 new cases and 3 new deaths.

Canada
Ontario (45)
Saskatchewan (18)
Nova Scotia (11)
New Brunswick (10)
 101 
 

Quebec (27)
Prince Edward Island (1)
Canada currently has 804 cases, 10 deaths.
USA
New York (1,238)
New York City, NY (532)
New Jersey (160)
Washington (131)
Illinois (128)
Florida (98)
California (233)
Lousiana (67)
Georgia (51)
King County, WA (44)
New US Deaths:
New Jersey (2), Michigan (first), California (6), Washington (12), Connecticut (first),
Pennsylvania (first), Maryland (first), Oklahoma (1),
The USA currently has 11,597 cases, 171 deaths.
World:
First cases reported in:
Nicaragua (1), El Salvador (1)
New Deaths reported in:
Portugal (1), Cuba (first), Turkey (1), Sweden (2), Ireland (1), Burkina Faso (first),
Jamaica (first), Brazil (1), Costa Rica (first), South Korea (7), China (8), Mexico (first),
Japan (3), Norway (2), Indonesia (6), Luxembourg (2), Russia (first), Belgium (7),
Northern Ireland (first), Scotland (3)
New cases reported in:
Portugal (194), Cuba (3), Turkey (93), Czech Republic (108), Sweden (83), Ireland (74),
Burkina Faso (7), Brazil (137), South Korea (152), China (34), Ecuador (57), Japan (89),
Norway (112), Denmark (24), Malaysia (110), Israel (102), Indonesia (82), Thailand
(60), Luxembourg (132), Belgium (309), Iceland (80), Scotland (39), Wales (24),
Pakistan (70),
U.S. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart is infected.
Prince Albert of Monaco is infected.
 102 
 

The U.S. urges citizens to return immediately or be prepared to remain abroad for an
extended period of time.
Reports that between 25-50% of infected patients have gastrointestinal symptoms.
Reports that those with O blood type are more resistant to infection, A blood type are
more susceptible.
The death toll in Italy surpasses China’s.
New Brunswick declares state of emergency.
Ontario’s second death was a case of community transmission.
CVS opens its first drive-up testing site in Massachusetts – limited to first responders.
Adults under age 44 make up a big part of coronavirus hospitalizations in the US

10:28 PM
 

Covid-19 Mini Update

There are now 246,722 cases worldwide, 10,178 deaths.

Canada:
Alberta reports first death and 27 new cases.
Vancouver reports death (8th in British Columbia)
British Columbia reports 39 new cases.
Ontario reports 13 additional cases not included in earlier post today.

USA:
New York: 1,146 new cases and 11 new deaths
New York City: 339 new cases and 4 new deaths
New Jersey: 315 new cases, 4 new deaths
Michigan: 224 new cases
Washington: 189 new cases and 6 new deaths
Illinois: 134 new cases and 3 new deaths
Florida: 103 new cases
California: 83 new cases and 2 new deaths
Connecticut: 63 new cases and 1 new death
Tennessee: 56 new cases
 103 
 

Massachusetts: 72 new cases

Colorado: 61 new cases
World:
First case reported in Chad.
First 2 cases reported in Haiti.
Germany: 2,226 new cases and 13 new deaths
France: 1,861 new cases and 108 new deaths
Spain: 930 new cases and 64 new deaths
Switzerland: 276 new cases and 9 new deaths
Norway: 184 new cases
Denmark: 108 new cases, 2 new deaths
Czech Republic: 122 new cases
Japan: 32 new cases and 1 new death
Israel: 44 new cases
Austria: 1 new death
Brazil: 106 new cases and 3 new deaths
South Korea: 87 new cases and 3 new deaths
California orders state-wide Shelter in Place order, but won’t be enforced by police.
Argentina orders lockdown until March 31.
An Ontario doctor in Perth hospital MacGyvers a solution to double ventilator capacity
after watching a Michigan doctor’s DIY video online.
All of my Virus Diary entries since January 23 are compiled in one PDF document. I've
included select articles in the Appendices. Link below.
I will try to update the file every couple of days with recent updates.

March 20, 2020

 

10:01 PM
 

COVID-19 Update:
There are 277,500 cases worldwide, 11,485 deaths, 8,002 in serious and critical
condition, 89,711 recovered.
30,655 new cases reported today, and 1,315 new deaths.
 104 
 

Italy reports 5,986 new cases and 627 new deaths

Germany reports 4,528 new cases and 16 new deaths.
Spain reports 3,494 new cases and 260 new deaths
France reports 1,617 new cases and 78 new deaths
Iran reports 1,237 new cases and 149 new deaths
Switzerland reports 1,175 new cases and 13 new deaths
United Kingdom reports 714 new cases and 33 new deaths
The Netherlands reports 534 new cases and 30 new deaths

Canada:
Canada reports 212 new cases and 1 new death, including:
British Columbia (77 new cases, 1 new death)
Ontario (59)
Alberta (49)
Saskatchewan (6)
Newfoundland (1)
Quebec (18)
Nova Scotia (1)

USA:
The US reports 5,519 new cases and 44 new deaths, including:
New York (2,136)
New York City (743)
Michigan (215)
Illinois (163)
Washington (148)
New Jersey (148)
Georgia (198)
Florida (131)
Texas (125)
Louisiana (145)
Massachusetts (85)
Pennsylvania (83)
California (236)
Tennessee (74)
Wisconsin (51)
Ohio (50)
 105 
 

New deaths:
Texas (2), Washington D.C. (first), New York (8), Ohio (1), New Jersey (2), Wisconsin
(1), Georgia (3), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (first), Washington (9), Florida (2), Georgia
(1), California (4), Louisiana (2)

World:
First cases reported:
Madagascar (3)
New deaths reported:
Pakistan (1), Portugal (3), Indonesia (7), Luxembourg (1), Denmark (3), Turkey (5),
Israel (first), Iraq (4), Brazil (4), United Arab Emirates (first 2), Ecuador (4)
New cases reported:
Norway (6), Japan (11), Israel (104), Thailand (50), Pakistan (84), Austria (190),
Portugal (235), Indonesia (60), Iceland (79), Luxembourg (149), South Africa (52), Hong
Kong (48), Ireland (126), Czech Republic (139), Chile (92), Finland (50), Denmark
(112), Turkey (311), Israel (28), Iraq (16), Brazil (257), Ecuador (227), Russia (54)

President Trump declares major disaster in New York state, orders assistance.
Illinois orders all residents to shelter in place.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered the closure of bars, clubs, restaurants,
leisure centers, theaters and gyms
Saudi Arabia shuts down public transportation, including passenger flights
China apologizes to the family of Li Wenliang. Wenliang was a doctor and whistleblower
who was arrested with 7 other doctors on December 31 for spreading “rumors” about a
new SARS outbreak. He died February 6 from the infection.
Reminders:
Chen Qiushi, human rights lawyer and citizen journalist, has been missing since
February 6, allegedly forced into quarantine and to be released on March 2 (9 days
ago). He is still missing, and social media accounts have been deleted.
Fang Bin, citizen of Wuhan documenting conditions with videos has been missing since
February 4.
Li Zehua, former CCTV host and independent journalist covering the situation in Wuhan
has been missing since live streaming his presumed arrest on February 26.
 106 
 

Chris Buckley, a China-based reporter for the New York Times has been silent on social
media since February 12, whereabouts unknown. On February 14, CCP media
published an inflammatory article criticizing the NYT for being a “base camp of
liberalism” and accusing Buckley of creating rumors to undermine the CCP and defame
China.
 

March 22, 2020

8:05 PM
 

Virus Diary Day 60:

Today is the 4th anniversary of the first day of infection for the absolute worst flu I have
had in my life. In 2016 I became infected, and spent over 6 weeks sick. I honestly felt
that I was going to die – I had my final instructions prepared, all of my financial
information compiled in a document for my next of kin. Every time I closed my eyes I
didn’t know if I’d open them again. I coughed so much I didn’t get to sleep more than 15
minutes at a time for weeks. I couldn’t walk to the bathroom without nearly passing out,
and every attempt left me breathless and gasping. I didn’t seek treatment – I didn’t go to
hospital. I didn’t see a point. I listened to my lungs and didn’t think I had pneumonia (but
I will never know), and I’m not going to consent to intubation or ventilation. I have a
living will with a Do Not Resuscitate.
I never want to experience that again. I never want anyone else to experience that. I
don’t want others to have to make hard decisions about their own wishes for advanced
directives (though it is a good idea to have this planned.)
Please – practice social distancing, isolate yourself, wash your hands. Do not get sick,
do not spread this. Use whatever hashtags you want (#flattenthecurve etc.) to get the
message out.
Do not take unnecessary risks.
60 days ago, when I started these posts, there were less than 1,000 cases.

Covid-19 Update (numbers reflect time since last post – 45 hours):

There are 343,018 cases worldwide. 14,721 deaths. 97,343 recovered. 8,806 in
serious and critical condition. 190 countries are affected.
Italy reports 12,117 new cases and 1,444 new deaths
Spain reports 7,252 new cases and 680 new deaths
France reports 3,406 new cases and 224 new deaths
United Kingdom reports 1,760 new cases and 104 new deaths
 107 
 

Iran reports 1,994 new cases and 252 new deaths

Netherlands reports 1,210 new cases and 73 new deaths
Belgium reports 1,144 new cases and 38 new deaths
Germany reports 4,949 new cases and 34 new deaths
Switzerland reports 1,340 new cases and 40 deaths

Canada:
Canada now has 1,422 cases and 19 deaths.
British Columbia (152)
Ontario (151)
Alberta (112)
Quebec (97)
Saskatchewan (31)
Manitoba (3)
Nova Scotia (14)
Newfoundland (6)
New Brunswick (6)
Prince Edward Island (1)
Northwest Territories (first)
New Deaths:
British Columbia (1), Quebec (3), Ontario (3 – first in Toronto)

USA:
The United States now has the third highest number of cases worldwide, at 35,125, with
411 deaths.
New York (7,261)
New Jersey (1,015)
Washington (472)
Michigan (486)
Illinois (466)
Florida (444)
Texas (270)
Louisiana (252)
California (353)
Massachusetts (233)
Pennsylvania (211)
Ohio (182)
Wisconsin (175)
Tennessee (134)
Mississippi (121)
Colorado (116)
Connecticut (104)
 108 
 

Indiana (75)
North Carolina (71)
Georgia (70)
Virginia (67)
Maryland (54)
Utah (45)
New Deaths:
New York (80), New Jersey (9), Ohio (2), Illinois (4), Michigan (2), Wisconsin (1), Florida
(3), Pennsylvania (1), Washington (11), Georgia (6), Louisiana (4), Guam (1), California
(5), Virginia (1), Indiana (2), Utah (first), Texas (1), Connecticut (3), Colorado (1)

World:
First cases reported:
Uganda, Gaza Strip (2), Syria
New deaths reported:
South Korea (10), China (13), Japan (7), Singapore (first 2), Austria (9), Malaysia (3),
Finland (first), Luxembourg (3), Portugal (8), Denmark (4), Indonesia (6), Turkey (21),
Brazil (14), Sweden (5), Cyprus (first), Columbia (first), Philippines (6), Czech Republic
(first), Pakistan (2), Ireland (1), Ecuador (7), Greece (2), Egypt (4), Romania (first)
New cases reported:
South Korea (147), China (87), Japan (94), Norway (584), Brazil (641), Thailand (89),
Malaysia (276), Austria (496), Philippines (150), Israel (240), Finland (176), Romania
(59), Hong Kong (61), Luxembourg (314), Portugal (650), Poland (67), Czech republic
(287), Chile (198), India (57), Denmark (175), Indonesia (83), Turkey (587), Ireland
(223), Sweden (283), Cyprus (9), Pakistan (280), Ecuador (363), Australia (359), Russia
(114), Colombia (52), Iceland (95), Greece (94), Egypt (33), Honduras (2), New Zealand
(36)

The World Health Organization walks back the recommendation to avoid Ibuprofen.
Senator Rand Paul is infected. Mitt Romney has been exposed and is isolating.
German Chancellor Merkel is in self-quarantine after contact with an infected person.
Italy bans internal travel.
Ontario reports at least 13 doctors, nurses and long term care workers are infected.
Harvey Weinstein in infected. Weinstein is in prison at Riker’s Island, which is currently
experiencing and outbreak.
Designer Christian Siriano is using his facilities to manufacturer masks for health care
workers.
 109 
 

Hospital workers in New York resort to wearing trash bags in lieu of protective
equipment as supplies run out.
US President Trump activates National Guard for Washington, New York and California.
Spain reports that 8 of the deceased are under age 39.
Video footage from Spain shows hospitals over capacity, patients lying on hallway
floors, lining corridors.
A 17-year-old in South Korea died of sudden pneumonia despite testing negative for the
virus. Health officials are investigating whether the pneumonia is COVID-related.
An 18-year-old in England has become the country’s youngest death from the virus.
China recently released statistics showing their youngest fatalities in a 14-year-old and
a 10-month-old. The infant had an unrelated bowel obstruction.
 

March 25, 2020

12:43 AM
 

Covid-19 Update (52 hours since last update):

There are 424,049 cases worldwide. 18,993 deaths. 105,808 recovered. 11,126 in
serious or critical condition.

Spain reports 13,357 new cases and 1,221 new deaths

Italy reports 10,038 new cases and 1,344 new deaths
Germany reports 8,564 new cases and 65 new deaths
France reports 6,284 new cases and 426 new deaths
Iran reports 3,173 new cases and 249 new deaths
Switzerland reports 2,632 new cases and 32 new deaths.
United Kingdom reports 2,394 new cases and 141 new deaths
Netherlands reports 1,356 new cases and 97 new deaths

Canada:
There are 1,313 new cases in Canada, 7 new deaths.
Quebec (793)
Ontario (293)
British Columbia (192)
Alberta (98)
 110 
 

Saskatchewan (21)
Yukon (first 2)
Manitoba (1)
New Brunswick (1)
Nova Scotia (22)
Newfoundland (24)
New Deaths:
Ontario (3), British Columbia (3), Alberta (1)

USA:
There are 18,926 new cases in the USA, 311 new deaths.
New York (8,681)
New Jersey (1,761)
Louisiana (1,551)
New York City (1,110)
Michigan (754)
California (617)
Los Angeles County, CA (119)
Massachusetts (513)
Illinois (486)
Washington (473)
Florida (405)
Georgia (378)
Pennsylvania (372)
Colorado (321)
Connecticut (291)
Ohio (213)
Texas (199)
Arizona (174)
Indiana (164)
Tennessee (162)
Missouri (125)
South Carolina (103)
North Carolina (87)
Utah (76)
Mississippi (71)
Minnesota (66)
Maryland (61)
Nevada (55)
 111 
 

North Carolina (52)

Wisconsin (35)
New Deaths:
New York (34), Indiana (6), Ohio (5), Louisiana (26), Wisconsin (2), New Jersey (23),
Nevada (2), Illinois (7), Michigan (15), California (5), Connecticut (4), Florida (5),
Washington (27), Texas (4), Massachusetts (6), Missouri (5), Hawaii (1), Arizona (3),
Georgia (6), Maryland (1), Pennsylvania (4), Los Angeles County, CA (3), Iowa (first),
New York City (61), Colorado (1)

World:
First cases reported:
Grenada, Mozambique, Belize, Myanmar (2), Libya
New Deaths:
China (14), South Korea (20), India (3), Philippines (8), Gambia (first), Indonesia (1),
Romania (5), Portugal (9), Slovenia (2), Ecuador (13), Austria (12), Sweden (12),
Colombia (2), Norway (3), North Macedonia (2), Turkey (14), Brazil (21), Australia (1),
Thailand (3). Afghanistan (first), Denmark (19), Saudi Arabia (first), Ireland (1), Poland
(2)
New cases reported:
Mexico (65), China (171), South Korea (140), India (66), Thailand (228), Philippines
(149), Brazil (368), Israel (711), Austria (1,632), Australia (607), Russia (79), Serbia
(51), Indonesia (172), Denmark (207), Romania (329), Portugal (460), Singapore (103),
Panama (68), Slovenia (59), Ecuador (301), Chile (114), Pakistan (71), Sweden (110),
Colombia (67), Norway (180), Dominican Republic (133), Croatia (61), South Africa
(128), North Macedonia (60), Luxembourg (301), Turkey (636), Brazil (287), Czech
Republic (53), Mexico (51), New Zealand (53), Malaysia (106), Iceland (60), Saudi
Arabia (205), United Arab Emirates (50), Ireland (204), Poland (152), New Zealand (50)

Los Angeles County, CA reports the first death of a child under the age of 18. No further
details provided.
A New Jersey man has been charged with terroristic threat after coughing on
supermarket employee and telling her that he had coronavirus.
There are reports emerging from Spain that military are finding seniors in retirements
home who were abandoned, many of them deceased.
Military personnel are reportedly erecting temporary morgues outside New York City
hospitals.
 112 
 

11:53 PM
 

Covid-19 Update:
I suspect today is the last day we will have fewer than half a million infected. :(
There are 475,271 confirmed cases. 21,430 deaths. 110,498 recovered. 11,881 in
serious and critical condition.

Spain reports 7,457 new cases and 656 new deaths

Italy reports 5,210 new cases and 683 new deaths
Germany reports 3,547 new cases and 47 new deaths
France reports 2,931 new cases and 231 new deaths
Iran reports 2,206 new cases and 143 new deaths
United Kingdom reports 1,452 new cases and 43 new deaths
Netherlands reports 852 new cases and 80 new deaths
Switzerland reports 1,020 new cases and 23 new deaths

Canada:
Canada has 3,409 cases and 35 deaths.
Quebec (315)
Ontario (100)
Alberta (61)
British Columbia (41)
Saskatchewan (13)
Manitoba (12)
Yukon (1)
Prince Edward Island (2)
New Brunswick (7)
Newfoundland (31)
Nova Scotia (16)
New deaths:
Ontario (5), Quebec (2), British Columbia (1)

USA:
The United States has 68,347 cases and 1,037 deaths.
 113 
 

In the past 24 hours, they’ve reported 14,024 new cases – the single largest daily
increase in one country so far.
New York (4,463)
New York City (2,155)
New Jersey (727)
Massachusetts (679)
Michigan (503)
Louisiana (407)
Illinois (330)
California (443)
Florida (565)
Connecticut (257)
Georgia (221)
Colorado (174)
Alabama (144)
Wisconsin (128)
Tennessee (117)
Texas (105)
Arizona (75)
Maryland (74)
Oregon (57)
Idaho (50)
King’s County, WA (82)
New deaths:
New York City (81), Texas (2), New York (14), Louisiana (19), Michigan (19), New
Jersey (18), Illinois (3), Florida (5), Georgia (8), Massachusetts (4), California (15),
Oregon (2), King’s County WA (6), Alabama (first), Colorado (8), Connecticut (7),
Arizona (1), Tennessee (1)

World:
First cases reported:
British Virgin Islands (2)
New deaths:
South Korea (7), Israel (2), Pakistan (1), Philippines (3), Indonesia (3), Guyana (first),
Camaroon (first), Dominican Republic (7), Iraq (4), Argentina (4), Slovenia (1), Finland
(2), Japan (4), Czech Republic (4), Sweden (3), Portugal (10), Belgium (56), Austria (3),
Ireland (2), Norway (2), Poland (4), Romania (6), Bahrain (1), Chile (1), Morocco (1),
 114 
 

Brazil (13), Ecuador (2), Mexico (1), China (6), Panama (2),
New cases reported:
South Korea (204), Israel (414), South Africa (155), Pakistan (110), Philippines (84),
Russia (163), Indonesia (104), Andorra (55), Lithuania (68), Dominican Republic (214),
Serbia (54), Iraq (50), Argentina (203), Colombia (72), Panama (98), Slovenia (86),
Finland (92), Japan (162), Czech Republic (208), Sweden (494), Singapore (73),
Portugal (633), Belgium (668), Austria (684), Ireland (235), Norway (209), Poland (150),
Romania (144), Luxembourg (234), Iceland (89), Saudi Arabia (133), Bahrain (27), Peru
(64), Chile (396), Morocco (55), Brazil (354) New Zealand (78), Ecuador (129), Mexico
(70), China (67), Panama (114),
Prince Charles tests positive.
Lupus sufferers are reporting that they are unable to obtain prescriptions for Plaquenil,
as the drug is being used to treat patients of the virus.
COVID-19 has surpassed the official death toll from Swine Flu.
The US Army puts out a request for voluntary return to active duty by retirees.
Leaked documents show General Directorate for Social Health Coordination of Madrid
instructing nursing homes not to send patients to hospital if they have cognitive or
physical impairments.
US hospitals are debating the merits of universal Do Not Resuscitate orders for COVID-
19 patients.
More than 40 Boston hospital employees have tested positive.
A 42-year-old Georgia mammogram technician died of the virus in her home. Her body
was discovered after 12-18 hours, with her 4-year-old child by her side. Another 48-
year-old Georgia health care worker had previously died in hospital.
A Manhattan Four Seasons Hotel is providing free accommodations to medical staff
working in NYC hospitals.
A New Jersey nursing home housing 94 residents is deemed to be entirely infected – 24
confirmed positive so far.
The Philippine Medical Association says 9 doctors have died from the virus so far.

 
 115 
 

March 27, 2020

 

COVID-19 Update:

There are 543,418 confirmed cases, 24,423 deaths, 125,875 recovered, 19,224 in
serious and critical condition.

Germany reports 10,083 new cases and 75 new deaths

Spain reports 8,271 new cases and 721 new deaths
Italy reports 6,153 new cases and 712 new deaths
France reports 3,922 new cases and 365 new deaths
Iran reports 2,389 new cases and 157 new deaths
United Kingdom reports 2,129 new cases and 113 new deaths
Belgium reports 1,298 new cases and 42 new deaths
Turkey reports 1,196 new cases and 16 new deaths.
Netherlands reports 1,019 new cases and 78 new deaths
Switzerland reports 364 new cases and 32 new deaths

Canada:

Quebec (289)
Ontario (267)
British Columbia (65)
Alberta (66)
Saskatchewan (9)
Manitoba (4)
Nova Scotia (23)
Newfoundland (15)
New Brunswick (7)
Prince Edward Island (4)

New Deaths:

Quebec (2), Ontario (5), Manitoba (1)

USA:

The United States now has the most infections worldwide, with 85,498 confirmed cases,
1,297 deaths.
 116 
 

New York (4,772)

New York City (1,249)
New Jersey (2,474)
Illinois (673)
Massachusetts (579)
Michigan (562)
Pennsylvania (560)
Louisiana (510)
Florida (378)+129
Colorado (344)
Washington (627)
Tennessee (314)
Ohio (163)
Maryland (157)
Texas (339)
Georgia (256)
Connecticut (137)
Missouri (133)
North Carolina (234)
Wisconsin (122)
Mississippi (108)
Arizona (107)
California (870)
Oklahoma (84)
Nevada (84)
Idaho (66)
Alabama (63)
Minnesota (59)
Utah (56)
Arkansas (55)
Alabama (52)
Kentucky (50)
Oregon (50)
South Carolina (32)

New Deaths:

Nevada (4), Florida (6), New York (19), Georgia (9), New Jersey (19), Ohio (5),
Louisiana (18), California (16), Texas (6), Michigan (17), Idaho (first 3), Arkansas (1),
Illinois (5), Wisconsin (1), Massachusetts (10), Connecticut (2), South Carolina (2),
 117 
 

Arizona (2), Minnesota (1), Washington (15), Colorado (4), Oregon (1), New York City
(84), Montana (first)

World:

First cases reported:

St. Kitts and Nevis (2)

New deaths reported:

South Korea (1), Pakistan (2), Philippines (7), Australia (4), Austria (18), Israel (3),
Sweden (24), Algeria (4), Ecuador (5), Honduras (first), Kenya (first), Luxembourg (1),
Portugal (17), Czech Republic (3), Poland (2), Brazil (18), Ireland (10), Greece (4),
Denmark (7), Romania (6), Venezuela (first), Morocco (4), Argentina (4), Panama (1),
Mexico (2), South Korea (7), Thailand (1), Uzbekistan (first)

New cases reported:

Thailand (111), Pakistan (168), Finland (88), Israel (496), Japan (54), Russia (182),
Philippines (71), Australia (676), Austria (838), Estonia (134), Denmark (135), Romania
(123), Norway (233), Ghana (64), Sweden (296), Saudi Arabia (112), Singapore (52),
Chile (164), South Africa (218), Algeria (65), Ecuador (171), Peru (100), Luxembourg
(120), Portugal (549), Czech Republic (150), Poland (58), Brazil (360), Ireland (255),
Greece (71), Iceland (65), Denmark (26), Venezuela (16), Morocco (50), Pakistan (75),
New Zealand (85), Argentina (87), Panama (116), Dominican Republic (96), Mexico
(110), South Korea (91), Thailand (91)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is infected.

James Dyson designed a new ventilator – the CoVent - in 10 days, and is

manufacturing 10,000 for the UK and donating 5,000 for international use.
Ford is working with 3M and GE Healthcare to produce ventilators.

New York school closures are extended to April 15.

RAMMSTEIN Singer Till Lindemann is in intensive care.

Massachusetts governor tells everyone entering the state to quarantine for 14 days.
 118 
 

442 NYPD officers have tested positive for the virus.

China shuts down all movie theatres again. 600 theatres had re-opened over the past
week.

March 30, 2020

 

Covid-19 Update: 75 hours since last update.

There are:

778,264 cases, 37,155 deaths, 165,079 recovered, 26,204 in serious and critical
condition.

Italy reports 20,200 new cases and 3,376 new deaths

Spain reports 27,226 new cases and 3,077 new deaths
France reports 15,395 new cases and 1,328 new deaths
Germany reports 18,148 new cases and 276 new deaths
Iran reports 9,163 new cases and 379 new deaths
United Kingdom reports 10,483 new cases and 837 new deaths
Turkey reports 5,494 new cases and 93 new deaths
Netherlands reports 4,319 new cases and 430 new deaths
Belgium reports 5,664 new cases and 293 new deaths
Austria reports 2,336 new cases and 59 new deaths
Switzerland reports 3,683 new cases and 133 new deaths

Canada:

Quebec (1797)
Ontario (733)
British Columbia (157)
Alberta (173)
Saskatchewan (78)
Manitoba (57)
Newfoundland (62)
Nova Scotia (50)
New Brunswick (36)
Prince Edward Island (8)
Yukon Territories (1)
 119 
 

New deaths:

Saskatchewan (2), Newfoundland (1), Quebec (17), Alberta (1), Ontario (17), British
Columbia (3), Manitoba (1)

USA:

The United States has reported 73,676 new cases in the past 75 hours. There are
currently 159,174 infected, 2,920 deaths.

New York (22,245)

New Jersey (9,760)
New York City (6,127)
Massachusetts (3,335)
Michigan (3,642)
Florida (2,989)
Georgia (1,166)
California (2,141)
Pennsylvania (2,400)
Washington (1,666)
Illinois (2,478)
Louisiana (1,720)
Indiana (890)
Colorado (877)
Connecticut (981)
Ohio (1,066)
Texas (1,182)
Indiana (251)
Maryland (840)
Arizona (649)
North Carolina (558)
Missouri (539)
Virginia (560)
Wisconsin (413)
Nevada (570)
Alabama (165)
Tennessee (720)
Oregon (290)
Mississippi (362)
South Carolina (318)
 120 
 

Utah (404)
San Diego County, CA (76)
Oklahoma (233)
Iowa (119)
New Mexico (55)
Kentucky (146)
Minnesota (187)
Erie County, NY (153)
Washington, D.C. (59)
Kansas (57)
New Hampshire (56)
Rhode Island (169)
Northern Mariana Islands (2)

New deaths:

Indiana (18), New York (341), New Jersey (117), California (43), Washington (48),
Michigan (123), Virginia (9), Oregon (5), Oklahoma (12), Illinois (43), New York City
(360), Mississippi (11), Maryland (11), Florida (34), Massachusetts (31), Minnesota (7),
Louisiana (102), Pennsylvania (37), Texas (18), Georgia (31), Colorado (23),
Tennessee (7), Connecticut (13), South Carolina (7), Ohio (24), North Carolina (5),
Wisconsin (8), Alabama (2), Missouri (6), Arizona (12), San Diego County, CA (3),
Rhode Island (2), Kansas (1), Nevada (1), Washington, D.C. (4), Virginia (3)

World:

First cases reported:

Botswana (3)

New deaths reported:

Niger (first), Nicaragua (first), Cape Verde (first), Jersey (first), Andorra (first 3), Armenia
(first), South Africa (first 2), Iraq (9), Philippines (44), Finland (8), Lithuania (3), Israel
(7), Dominican Republic (29), Greece (12), Sweden (80), Romania (16), Norway (16),
Denmark (32), Croatia (2), Luxembourg (12), Chile (2), Ecuador (23), Ireland (132),
Indonesia (36), Togo (first), Morocco (13), Egypt (12), Panama (15), Pakistan (6), Brazil
(84), Argentina (7), China (14), South Korea (19), Australia (9), Japan (10), Mexico (12),
Thailand (4), India (11), Russia (3), Saudi Arabia (7), Portugal (64), Serbia (4), Sri
Lanka (first), Chile (3), Qatar (first), Poland (12), Brunei (first), Czech Republic (13),
 121 
 

New Zealand (first), Monaco (first), Tunisia (1), Hungary (2), Malaysia (7), Uruguay
(first), Armenia (2), Peru (2), United Arab Emirates (1), Algeria (6), Colombia (6)

New cases reported:

United Arab Emirates (322), Iraq (66), Hong Kong (124), Philippines (846), Russia
(196), Finland (433), Lithuania (110), Iceland (218), Israel (1,229), Dominican Republic
(371), Greece (264), Saudi Arabia (441), Sweden (1,222), Peru (344), Czech Republic
(967), South Africa (336), Romania (923), Poland (870), Norway (1,004), Denmark
(537), Croatia (224), Ukraine (154), Luxembourg (497), Chile (1,143), Ecuador (487),
Ireland (1091), Indonesia (392), Morocco (70), Egypt (71), Panama (227+88), Pakistan
(352), Uruguay (57), Brazil (1,664), Argentina (156), China (130), South Korea (329),
Australia (933), New Zealand (223), Japan (367), Mexico (408), Thailand (384), India
(390), Taiwan (16), Tokyo (131), Russia (900), Malaysia (309), Estonia (65),
Kazakhstan (54), Slovenia (52), Portugal (1694+446), Singapore (70), Serbia (214),
Qatar (58), Colombia (255), Tunisia (51), Bosnia and Herzegovina (55), Hungary (65),
Armenia (52), Algeria (130), Azerbaijan (64)

March 31, 2020

 

Covid-19 Update

There are 864,690 confirmed cases, 42,233 deaths, 176,403 recovered, 28,690 in
serious and critical condition.

Spain reports 10,641 new cases and 1,025 new deaths

France reports 7,578 new cases and 499 new deaths
Italy reports 4,389 new cases and 873 new deaths
Iran reports 3,111 new cases and 141 new deaths
Turkey reports 2,704 new cases and 46 new deaths
Germany reports 6,192 new cases and 208 new deaths
Portugal reports 1,035 new cases and 20 new deaths
Belgium reports 876 new cases and 192 new deaths
Netherlands reports 845 new cases and 175 new deaths
Switzerland reports 740 new cases and 61 new deaths

Canada
 122 
 

Canada has 8,591 cases, 101 deaths. 1,297 considered recovered.

New cases reported:

Quebec: 731
Ontario: 260
British Columbia: 128
Alberta: 92
Manitoba: 7
Saskatchewan: 14
New Brunswick: 2
Prince Edward Island: 3
Newfoundland: 4
Nova Scotia: 19
Yukon: 1

New deaths:

Newfoundland (first), Saskatchewan (2), Quebec (5), British Columbia (7), Alberta (6)

USA

29, 261 cases since last update, for a total of 188,435 infected. 1,091 new deaths,
4,011 total.

New cases reported:

California: 2,112
New Jersey: 2,060
Louisiana: 1,212
Connecticut: 1,135
Michigan: 1,117
Georgia :1,116
Florida: 1,037
Illinois: 923
Texas: 721
Colorado: 659
New York City: 634
Tennessee: 421
Washington: 406
 123 
 

New York: 355

South Carolina: 309
Ohio: 266
Missouri: 256
Iowa: 249
Florida: 231
Idaho: 183
North Carolina: 191
Wisconsin: 130
Pennsylvania: 118
Kentucky: 111
Washington, D.C.: 94
Oregon: 84
Utah: 81
Rhode Island: 80
Nevada: 69
Kansas: 68
Puerto Rico: 65
Arkansas: 59
Delaware: 55
Kentucky: 41

New deaths:

Connecticut (35), South Carolina (6), Florida (8), Georgia (22), New York City (288),
California (46), Washington (16), Colorado (22), Tennessee (13), North Carolina (2),
Kentucky (6), Idaho (3), Iowa (1), Texas (15), Puerto Rico (2), Louisiana (54), New
Jersey (69), Rhode Island (4), Ohio (16), Utah (1), Illinois (26), Oregon (2), Florida (16),
Michigan (75), Kentucky (6), Delaware (3), Hawaii (first), Kansas (2), Pennsylvania (4)

World:

First cases reported:

Sierra Leone

New deaths reported:

Romania (32), Denmark (18), Japan (3), Russia (8), Tunisia (2), Brazil (42), Israel (5),
Iraq (4), Panama (6), Argentina (4), Mexico (9), China (1), South Korea (4), Myanmar
 124 
 

(first), Pakistan (6), Czech Republic (6), Norway (4), Thailand (1), Congo (1), Malaysia
(6), Indonesia (14), Austria (20), Philippines (10), Belarus (first), Poland (2), Tanzania
(first), Saudi Arabia (2), Ecuador (13), Luxembourg (1), Ireland (17), Ukraine (4), Chile
(4), Moldova (2), Algeria (9), Colombia (4), Senegal (first),

New cases reported:

Romania (293), Denmark (191+239), Japan (297), Tunisia (50), Brazil (1,138), Israel
(1,038), Iraq (83), Panama (192), Argentina (146), Mexico (222), China (48), New
Zealand (58), South Korea (125), Ukraine (68), Australia (150), Pakistan (243), Czech
Republic (59), Norway (202), Thailand (127), Poland (233), Russia (501), Malaysia
(140), Indonesia (114), Austria (302), Philippines (538), Croatia (77), Saudi Arabia
(110), Serbia (115), Bahrain (52), Luxembourg (190), Ireland (325), Ukraine (96), Chile
(289), Moldova (55), Algeria (132), Peru (115), Ecuador (274), Colombia (108),

Former president of the Republic of Congo has died.

A 12-year-old girl in Belgium has died.

China has disclosed 1,541 asymptomatic cases that are not included in official statistics.
Washington State Department of Health has not released a statewide update since
Sunday.

Country music singer Joe Diffie has died.

April 2, 2020
 

COVID-19 Update:

On January 2, 2020 the first 41 hospital-admitted cases were confirmed. China arrested
and detained 8 “rumormongers”, later identified as physicians and colleagues of Li
Wenliang, for sharing information about the spread of an unknown virus.

On February 1, 2020 there were 11,953 cases and 259 deaths.

On March 1, 2020 there were 87,137 cases and 2873 deaths.

 125 
 

On April 1, 2020 there are 940,739 cases worldwide, 47,174 deaths, 190,878
recovered and 31,679 in serious and critical condition.

Spain reports 8,195 new cases and 918 new deaths

Germany reports 5,846 new cases and 125 new deaths
France reports 4,861 new cases and 509 new deaths
Italy reports 4,782 new cases and 727 new deaths
Iran reports 2,987 new cases and 138 new deaths
Turkey reports 2,148 new cases and 63 new deaths
Belgium reports 1,189 new cases and 123 new deaths
Brazil reports 1,113 new cases and 28 new deaths
Netherlands reports 1,019 new cases and 134 new deaths
Portugal reports 808 new cases and 27 new deaths
Switzerland reports 646 new cases and 10 new deaths

Canada:

There are 9,731 cases in Canada. 111 deaths total.

New cases reported:

Quebec: 449
Ontario: 426
British Columbia: 53
Alberta: 117
Saskatchewan: 9
Manitoba: 23
Nova Scotia: 25
New Brunswick: 11
Newfoundland: 23
Yukon: 1
Northwest Territory: 2

New deaths reported:

Ontario (4), Quebec (2), Saskatchewan (1), Alberta (2), British Columbia (1)
 126 
 

USA:

There are 215,271 cases in the US, with 26,727 new cases reported today. 1,022 new
deaths, for a total of 5,061.

New cases reported:

New York: 7,729

New Jersey: 3,559
Michigan: 1,719
Louisiana: 1,187
Massachusetts: 1,118
California: 1,169
Florida: 1,032
Illinois: 986
Pennsylvania: 844
Georgia: 819
Texas: 805
Tennessee: 444
Connecticut: 429
Ohio: 348
Washington: 335
Missouri: 254
Virginia: 234
South Carolina: 210
Wisconsin: 199
Nevada: 166
Oklahoma: 154
Mississippi: 136
North Carolina: 132
Utah: 125
Arizona: 124
Washington, D.C.: 91
Kentucky: 89
Rhode Island: 78
Alabama: 61
Minnesota: 60
Iowa: 52

New deaths reported:

 127 
 

Georgia (47), Nevada (9), Northern Mariana Islands (first), Pennsylvania (7), New York
(227), Florida (14), Louisiana (34), New Jersey (88), California (30), Iowa (2), Oklahoma
(7), Arizona (5), Michigan (78), Tennessee (1), Ohio (10), Wisconsin (6), Missouri (4),
Virginia (7), Alabama (4), Mississippi (2), Utah (2), Minnesota (5), Connecticut (16),
Illinois (42), Massachusetts (33), South Carolina (4), New York City (235), Washington
(20), Washington, D.C. (2), Texas (12), North Carolina (2), Kentucky (3)

World:

New deaths reported:

China (7), South Korea (3), Argentina (3), Israel (1), Pakistan (1), Thailand (2), India (9),
Dominican Republic (15), Australia (1), Philippines (8), Czech Republic (15), Russia (7),
Norway (8), Indonesia (21), Malaysia (2), Romania (4), Sweden (59), Denmark (14),
Ecuador (18), Japan (1), Saudi Arabia (6), Chile (4), Serbia (12), Qatar (1), Egypt (5),
Iraq (4), United Arab Emirates (3), Kazakhstan (first), Ivory Coast (first), Belarus (1),
Afghanistan (1), Northern Cyprus (first), El Salvador (first), St. Maarten (first), Mauritania
(first), Ireland (14), Moldova (1), Luxembourg (6), Poland (7), Colombia (1), Isle of Man
(first), Ukraine (3), Algeria (14), Romania (6), Cyprus (1), Panama (2), Bahamas (first)

New cases reported:

China (35), South Korea (101), Argentina (88), Israel (206), Pakistan (163), Thailand
(120), India (583), Dominican Republic (373), Australia (302), Philippines (227), Czech
Republic (587), Russia (440), Austria (581), Norway (245), Indonesia (149), Malaysia
(142), Romania (215), Sweden (512), Denmark (108), Ecuador (508), Japan (259),
Saudi Arabia (157), Chile (293), Finland (62), Iceland (85), Serbia (160), Croatia (96),
Qatar (88), Egypt (54), New Zealand (61), Iraq (64), United Arab Emirates (53), Armenia
(89), Belarus (65), Afghanistan (51), Cameroon (91), Hong Kong (51), Peru (258),
Ireland (212), Singapore (74), Moldova (70), Luxembourg (141), Poland (134),
Colombia (159), Ukraine (149), Algeria (131), Cyprus (58), Panama (136), Bahamas (6),

A 6-week-old Connecticut infant is the youngest victim of the virus.

New Orleans nurse Larrice Anderson, 44, has died.

A New York nurse claims to have worked at two hospitals for 10 days while infected.
Stating that hospital staff are not being tested, she begged a friend on duty in the ER to
perform the test and waited 5 more days for the positive result.
 128 
 

New Orleans jazz musician Ellis Marsalis Jr. has died.

Fountains of Wayne musician Adam Schlesinger has died.

2:00 PM

Ontario Covid-19 Update:

401 new cases, 2,793 total. 53 reported deaths.

405 people are in hospital. 167 in Intensive Care. 112 are on a ventilator.

(Local public health agencies are reporting a combined 83 deaths, unsure why the
discrepancy in officially reported numbers.)

April 4, 2020
 

Virus Diary day 73

Covid-19 Update (55 hours since last update):

There are 1,121,844 confirmed cases, 60,331 deaths, 238,982 recovered, 36,014 in
serious and critical condition.

Canada:

Canada has 12,549 cases, 187 deaths, 1,108 people hospitalized, 406 in Intensive
Care Units. 303,021 tests have been completed.

New cases reported:

Quebec: 1,490
Ontario: 863
British Columbia: 108
Alberta: 204
Saskatchewan: 27
Manitoba: 55
New Brunswick: 14
 129 
 

Nova Scotia: 34
Newfoundland: 20
Prince Edward Island: 1
Northwest Territories: 2

New deaths reported:

British Columbia (10), Alberta (7), Manitoba (1), Quebec (28), Ontario (30)

U.S.A:

The U.S. has 277,621 cases, 7,393 deaths, 5,181 in serious and critical condition.

New cases reported:

New York: 19,151

New Jersey: 7,640
Louisiana: 3,873
California: 3,837
Michigan: 3,410
Florida: 3,313
Massachusetts: 2,664
Pennsylvania: 2,564
Texas: 2,322
Illinois: 1,924
Washington: 1,531
Connecticut: 1,357
Georgia: 1,312
Colorado: 1,207
Maryland: 773
Ohio: 765
North Carolina: 720
South Carolina: 617
Virginia: 528
Indiana: 474
Indiana: 398
Alabama: 394
Tennessee: 384
Wisconsin: 362
Idaho: 344
 130 
 

Missouri: 324
Mississippi: 285
Oklahoma: 269
Washington, D.C.: 262
Kentucky: 240
Nevada: 235
Utah: 234
Arizona: 185
Oregon: 163
New Hampshire: 125
Kansas: 113
New Mexico: 92
Nebraska: 78
Iowa: 66
Puerto Rico: 62
Minnesota: 53
Vermont: 51

New deaths reported:

New York City (683) New York (594), New Jersey (291), Michigan (142), California
(101), Massachusetts (70), South Carolina (12), Colorado (42), Washington (57),
Washington, D.C. (6), Florida (83), Georgia (59), Texas (44), North Carolina (16),
Kentucky (3), Indiana (13), Maryland (9), Nevada (9), Oklahoma (8), Pennsylvania (23),
Louisiana (97), Minnesota (1), Kansas (7), Ohio (26), Arizona (3), Virginia (12),
Mississippi (7), Tennessee (12), Wisconsin (13), Illinois (69), Connecticut (46), Oregon
(3), Iowa (2), New Hampshire (3), Kentucky (17), Indiana (24), Alabama (4), Missouri
(37), Puerto Rico (3), New Mexico (3), Idaho (1),

World:

Spain reports 20,866 new cases and 2,575 new deaths

Germany reports 19,040 new cases and 531 new deaths.
Italy reports 14,035 new cases and 2,253 deaths
United Kingdom reports 13,018 new cases and 1,816 deaths
France reports 12,210 new cases and 2,513 deaths
Iran reports 8,150 new cases and 416 new deaths
Turkey reports 5,242 new cases and 148 new deaths
Belgium reports 4,467 new cases and 455 deaths
Brazil reports 3,372 new cases and 147 new deaths.
 131 
 

Netherlands reports 3,113 new cases and 479 new deaths

Switzerland reports 1,907 new cases and 116 new deaths
Portugal reports 1,635 new cases and 59 new deaths

First cases reported:

Falkland Islands

New deaths reported:

Algeria (36), Romania (47), Cyprus (1), India (37), Thailand (7), Pakistan (11), Poland
(24), Russia (19), Philippines (48), Hungary (12), Sweden (94), Saudi Arabia (9),
Estonia (8), Malaysia (12), Chile (6), Finland (3), Belarus (2), Luxembourg (2), Czech
Republic (16), Ecuador (22), Ireland (35), Indonesia (13), Algeria (25), Qatar (4), Israel
(8), Denmark (19), Greece (9), Egypt (14), Ukraine (6), Moldova (3), Dominican
Republic (11), Peru (148), Colombia (8), Armenia (3), Norway (7), Panama (5),
Argentina (11), China (8), South Korea (8), Mexico (23), Australia (5), Japan (6),
Singapore (1), Serbia (8), Austria (10), United Arab Emirates (1), Bosnia (2), Tunisia (6),
Kyrgyzstan (first), Democratic Republic of Congo (5), Congo Republic (first 2), Libya
(first), Croatia (1), Cameroon (2), Suriname (first), Morocco (3), Georgia (first), Kuwait
(first)

New cases reported:

Algeria (467), Cyprus (58), Panama (294), Czech Republic (829), Denmark (188), Israel
(1,998), Bahamas (6), New Zealand (242), Australia (627), Argentina (300), Mexico
(473), Austria (1,195), India (994), Thailand (207), Pakistan (488), Poland (832), Russia
(1954), Philippines (783), Hungary (115), Iceland (99), Bahrain (66), Lithuania (68),
Sweden (1,131), Saudi Arabia (319), Estonia (182), Malaysia (575), Chile (706), Finland
(436), Romania (722), Belarus (87), Luxembourg (293), Ecuador (405), Ireland (826),
Indonesia (113), United Arab Emirates (210), Qatar (240), Denmark (283), Greece
(188), Egypt (206), South Africa (82), Ukraine (278), Moldova (168), Dominican
Republic (204), Peru (272), Colombia (202), Armenia (165), Norway (415), China (164),
South Korea (180), Japan (705), Kuwait (75), Singapore (65), Serbia (305), United Arab
Emirates (240), Bosnia (61), Croatia (68), Cameroon (203), Morocco (83), Lithuania
(75), Kuwait (62)

The U.S.A. has invoked the Defense Production Act, prohibits manufacturer 3M from
selling N95 masks made in the US to Canada and Mexico.
 132 
 

France, Germany, Cuba, Quebec and others allege that U.S. officials have seized
shipments of medical supplies destined for several nations and re-routed them for
domestic use.

The U.S.A. is facing a shortage of medications required for ventilated patients – such as
fentanyl, propofol, and paralytic medications.

Reports indicate stray cats in Wuhan are infected with the virus.

Refrigerated trucks are parked outside New York hospitals to serve as makeshift
morgues.

Vocal Communist Party member Ren Zhiqiang is missing. His friends say he penned an
essay critical of the Chinese government prior to his disappearance.

Doctor Ai Fen, head of the emergency department at Wuhan Central Hospital, alerted
colleagues of the virus in December. She was a colleague of Dr. Li Wenliang, another
whistleblower who died from the virus. She had a now-deleted essay published in
China’s People (Renwu) magazine titled “The one who supplied the whistle,” about the
efforts to silence her. Dr. Fen has been missing since that publication in March.

Detroit bus driver Jason Hargrove, who took to social media to express anger about a
coughing woman who failed to cover her mouth, has died of coronavirus.

Anyone who comes in close proximity to Trump and Pence will be given a rapid
coronavirus test.

April 9, 2020

Covid-19 Update (118 hours since last update):

There are: 1,532,110 cases, 89,663 deaths, 349,933 recovered, 39,043 in serious and
critical condition.

Canada:

Canada has 19,291 cases, 435 deaths, 4,652 in serious or critical condition.

New cases reported:

 133 
 

Quebec: 5,709
Ontario: 2,532
British Columbia: 270
Alberta: 552
Saskatchewan: 87
Manitoba:94
New Brunswick: 27
Nova Scotia: 147
Newfoundland: 57
Prince Edward Island: 4
Northwest Territories: 3
Yukon: 2

New deaths reported:

British Columbia (13), Alberta (11), Quebec (118), Ontario (101), Manitoba (1), Nova
Scotia (1), Newfoundland (1)

U.S.A:

The U.S. has 432,759 cases, 14,770 deaths, 6,670 in serious and critical condition.
New cases reported:

New York: 38,126

New Jersey: 13,394
Pennsylvania: 7,994
Michigan: 7,602
Massachusetts: 6,388
Florida: 5,188
Illinois: 5,168
California: 4,800
Louisiana: 4,504
Connecticut: 3,467
Georgia: 3,392
Texas: 3,243
Indiana: 2,506
Maryland: 2,287
Washington: 2,086
Los Angeles County, CA: 1,635
Virginia: 1,633
 134 
 

Ohio: 1,409
Tennessee: 1,295
Missouri: 1,269
Colorado: 1,077
Arizona: 957
North Carolina: 860
South Carolina: 852
Wisconsin: 840
Alabama: 674
U.S. Military: 632
Rhode Island: 623
Delaware: 586
Nevada: 561
Washington, D.C.: 538
Utah: 537
Kentucky: 477
Oklahoma: 461
Mississippi: 374
Oregon: 291
New Mexico: 241
Nevada: 228
Iowa: 180
Minnesota: 161
Kansas: 153
Puerto Rico: 134
Nebraska: 120
Arkansas: 77
South Dakota: 73
West Virginia: 71
Idaho: 69
Vermont: 51
New Hampshire: 41

New deaths reported:

Puerto Rico (5), Indiana (101), Maryland (69), Washington (140), Virginia (29), Alabama
(22), New York (2,456), Mississippi (26), Florida (139), Georgia (149), Arizona (39),
Pennsylvania (208), Oklahoma (36), Illinois (189), Michigan (480), South Carolina (29),
California (154), Massachusetts (241), Connecticut (179), Texas (72), Tennessee (42),
Colorado (68), Los Angeles County, CA (65), New York City (349), Oregon (12), New
 135 
 

Jersey (660), Rhode Island (13), Minnesota (7), Utah (6), Kentucky (31), North Carolina
(24), Missouri (50), Wisconsin (62), Louisiana (243), Nevada (33), Ohio (91), Vermont
(2), Washington, D.C. (8), Kansas (7), Iowa (4), Delaware (5), U.S. Virgin Islands (first),
Idaho (3), U.S. Military (2), New Mexico (4), Nebraska (4), New Hampshire (5)

World:

Spain reports 27,710 new cases and 3,494 new deaths.

Germany reports 22,626 new cases and 1,221 new deaths.
United Kingdom reports 22,565 new cases and 3,492 new deaths.
France reports 21,984 new cases and 3,309 new deaths.
Italy reports 20,158 new cases and 3,041 new deaths.
Turkey reports 14,292 new cases and 411 new deaths.
Iran reports 8,843 new cases and 541 new deaths.
Netherlands reports 2,922 new cases and 597 new deaths.
Brazil reports 6,218 new cases and 397 deaths.
Belgium reports 5,390 new cases and 844 new deaths.
Portugal reports 3,255 new cases and 134 new deaths.
Sweden reports 2,.341 new cases and 354 new deaths.

First cases reported:

South Sudan, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh

New deaths reported:

Switzerland (208), Austria (155), Saudi Arabia (16),Indonesia (87), Serbia (5), Denmark
(64), United Arab Emirates (3), North Macedonia (6), Japan (19), Greece (18), Poland
(86), Chile (26), Algeria (100), Moldova (170), Ecuador (68), Ireland (115), Czech
Republic (46), Egypt (30), South Africa (10), Peru (148), Colombia (16), Dominican
Republic (40), Argentina (10), South Korea (17), Mexico (98), Australia (28), Thailand
(11), Pakistan (23), Honduras (7), Hungary (21), Israel (20), Ukraine (28), Philippines
(59), Malaysia (10), Serbia (21), Russia (33), Iraq (12), Luxembourg (10), Morocco (32),
Qatar (3), Romania (82), Norway (39), India (99), Haiti (first), Barbados (first), Panama
(13), China (6), Belarus (5), Kyrgyzstan (2), Benin (first), Bermuda (first 2), Malawi
(first), Bangladesh (4), Finland (6), Somalia (first), Cuba (1)

New cases reported:

 136 
 

Switzerland (2,334), Austria (1,437), Saudi Arabia (876), Iceland (53), Indonesia
(1,060), Serbia (148), Denmark (1,634), United Arab Emirates (1,395), North Macedonia
(125), India (3,268), Japan (1,478), Greece (251), Poland (1,520), Luxembourg (383),
Chile (1,609), Algeria (401), Moldova (484), Ecuador (834), Ireland (1,781), Czech
Republic (1,062), Egypt (472), South Africa (309), Peru (2,354), Colombia (614),
Dominican Republic (623), Argentina (275), South Korea (181), Mexico (1,147),
Australia (496), Thailand (318), Pakistan (1,598), Honduras (4), Hungary (218), Israel
(1,471), Ukraine (658), Philippines (984), Malaysia (745), Kuwait (376), Serbia (1,042),
Russia (5,400), Singapore (334), Iraq (233), Morocco (330), Qatar (732), Romania
(1,148), Norway (461), Cameroon (141), Panama (578), New Zealand (171), China
(464), Finland (249+179), Belarus (138), Kyrgyzstan (69), Uzbekistan (178), Ghana
(73), Bahrain (55), Bangladesh (166), Cuba (61)

At least 699 health care workers in Romania are infected. One death.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is infected.

May 25, 2020
 

Virus Diary day 124: Covid-19 Update

There are 5,439,599 cases worldwide. 345,589 deaths. (an increase of ~ 4 million
cases and 255,000 deaths in 47 days)

There are 1,646, 495 cases in the United States. 97,794 deaths.

The United Kingdom reports 260,916 infections and 36,875 deaths.

Canada has 86,106 cases and 6,534 deaths.

Ontario has 25,500 cases and 2,073 deaths.

Toronto has 10,035 cases and 759 deaths.

It’s been 47 days since my last update. I didn’t mean to abandon this, but I felt it was
running its course.
 137 
 

My intent behind tracking the outbreak since January was awareness. My intent was to
make people open their eyes to what was approaching. And it did. Some maintained
denial – refuting every post I made with their own “It’s just the flu! The media is fear-
mongering!” posts. Many of those people are now appropriately concerned for their own
safety as they sit in a hotbed of infection. This isn’t an “I told you so”, it’s a plea to not
diminish the concerns of others or refute science with copy and paste arguments that
aren’t valid. It’s a plea to do better next time.

A combination of the increasing numbers and the overwhelming response of our

population to fight for their rights to lick statues and toilet seats at the expense of others’
safety drove me away from monitoring the headlines. My fascination and concern when
reading the news every day turned into anger and resentment.

We’re all fucked. We’re all fucked because of the actions of a few. And there’s nothing
we can do about it.

So I’m going to continue self-isolating. I’m going to stay in my safe little bubble, and
away from my friends and family. I’m going to avoid the news as much as I can, and
watch horror movies and read. And I’m going to hope for a day when we get to actually
be together again, but realistically this day is not going to arrive for quite some time. I
implore you to do the same. Protect yourselves, don’t take unnecessary risks, and look
after your physical and mental well-being.
 A Virus Diary
Observations of an Infection in the Information Age
 
 
 
 

 The enclosed documents were accessed and translated via browser where necessary. No changes to 
content or corrections to translation or format were made. Some images could not be copied inline and 
others were resized from original for layout.  
 [An Infected Doctor in Wuhan]
 

Li Pingping, who worked at a designated hospital in Wuhan, described that 1

the medical staff fighting the new type of pneumonia had a difficult night
with a shortage of supplies and lack of manpower. After 13 hours of
continuous consultation, Li Pingping also fell ill. Since then, Li Pingping
has not been included in the confirmed diagnosis because there is no kit.

Li Pingping OralMedical staff of a designated hospital in WuhanTelling time:

January 25, 2020

On the eve of becoming a designated hospital

Beginning on January 20, a week before I became ill, I successively

accepted and underwent several suspicious patients in bed.The first
was a 73-year-old male patient who was admitted to an outpatient
clinic with anorexia. The patient had not eaten for 5 days at home, and
had no fever or cough. I have a history of close contact with this
patient, because he couldn't stand up when he came, and I worked
with several other doctors, nurses, and family members to lift him to
bed.I immediately arranged a blood draw and gave him a chest CT. At
that time, his condition was more serious. It was a typical sign of viral
lung CT. According to the latest diagnosis and treatment plan issued
by the National Health and Medical Commission at that time, he could
be identified as a suspected case. Because there was no bed in the
respiratory department, he waited until there was a bed in the
respiratory department before turning around.The second case was a
woman who said she had abdominal pain. She said it was abdominal
pain, but it was actually a symptom of gastrointestinal
indigestion. The patient knew that she had a lung infection. Before
coming to me, she went to the respiratory department. After the CT,
the doctor gave her an admission card. Because she didn't have a bed,
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 [An Infected Doctor in Wuhan]
 

she wanted to save the country by curve and lived in our department
2
first.In fact, she had a few days of fever and cough, but she didn't say
when I asked about her medical history, and she didn't tell me until I
checked her outpatient medical records and test results.There is also a
patient transferred from our hospital's ICU. The cause of jaundice is
yet to be investigated. He had fever during the hospital stay and had
symptoms of lung infections. After a week's review, there was no
significant improvement. The patient was later transferred to another
designated hospital.When I was receiving these three patients, I had
no level three protection, so I wore a white coat, two surgical masks,
and a surgical disposable hat. At that time, supplies in our hospital
were already scarce. Only the respiratory, emergency and critical care
departments were equipped with tertiary protection. We are secondary
protection.On January 21, our hospital was notified and became the
designated hospital.

First night at the designated hospital

The next day after receiving the transfer order, we vacated the entire
hospital to treat patients with viral lungs. That afternoon, the hospital
gave us a meeting to talk about how to carry out tertiary
prevention. However, at the time when the hospital supplies were not
fully equipped, it was difficult for us to do all three levels of
protection.On January 22, some departments of the hospital were
transformed into infusion rooms, and a large number of outpatients
were infused and watched. An infusion room can accommodate about
eight people and can accommodate more than 50 patients at one
time.At 7 pm, we started the consultation. At that time, the ward was
not open, and a large number of patients poured in and stayed in the
outpatient and infusion rooms. On the night of the 22nd, there were
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 [An Infected Doctor in Wuhan]
 

200 patients on my side. In order to inject patients with infusions, the

3
nurses worked on the assembly line and were exhausted. Some doctors
and nurses, who wear only two layers of ordinary surgical masks,
begin to see patients.A dad and grandma don't know yet that we have
changed to a designated hospital here, holding their children and
hurriedly running here, saying that the child has a fever of 40 degrees
and wants to infusion. At that time, all patients in our ward were
infected with viral lungs. I was afraid that the three of them would
contract the virus and rushed to drive them out. I said, there are no
children here, all are viruses, you go quickly and go to
pediatrics. They said that the pediatric building was sealed, how can I
get there. Due to the lack of guidance, no one told them that the
pediatrics had been closed and where to go next. I also have children. I
understand their feelings and want to take them there, but so many
patients have to deal with it, I ca n’t get away. After explaining the
situation to them, they hurried away.Without guidance signs and
guidance staff, patients sometimes go wrong in hospitals. Some
patients, doctors know that they have viral lungs when they watch
their videos, but they feel that they are not, but others are, afraid that
others will walk around and infect them.Due to the large number of
patients, we couldn't get too busy. The nurses gave the patients almost
no injections, nor did they help us maintain order, so the patients and
their families waited impatiently. That night, a nurse gave an injection
to a patient and asked the patient to sit on a stool with a hanging
bottle. The patient was dissatisfied and scolded him. He asked the
nurse to lift the bottle and take him to the seat. The patient was noisy
and led him to a stool to soothe.My colleagues and I noticed that the
disease was in early January. Documents from the Health and Family
Planning Commission came at the time, saying that they wanted to
investigate unidentified pneumonia in Wuhan. The director of the
department in our hospital suggested that a special isolation ward be
needed. Unfortunately, this opinion was not accepted. Clinical doctors
were nervous and cautious, but at that time the hospital supplies were
scarce. It is not a first-line department, and it is not equipped with
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 [An Infected Doctor in Wuhan]
 

three levels of protection for medical personnel. The first-line

4
departments are like emergency department, respiratory department
and intensive care unit, and their supplies are also tight.In order to
save, when we wear protective clothing, a surgical gown is put on the
outside, so that the surgical clothing is lost and the protective clothing
can still be used. For a while, one protective suit and three nurses were
alternately worn. In case one was a potentially infected person, it
would be troublesome. No money now, we need to protect
ourselves. If the lack of supplies continues, there will only be more
medical care for the infection, which will also affect the diagnosis and
treatment.These days, we encountered some inconveniences. Starting
at 10 o'clock on January 23, Wuhan was closed and buses in the city
were shut down. Many doctors were unable to go to work. The doctor
is also a potential infected person and it is not suitable to walk on the
road. For this we contacted some hotels, and the hotels were not
willing to live with us. Fortunately, good people have been assisting
us in recent days, so my colleagues stayed in the hotel. Some people
have special difficulties. For example, a couple must be on the front
line, and the child does not have the help of the elderly. The husband
asks if he can put his wife's class on and let the wife bring the child at
home.The outside world donated some materials to Wuhan. For some
reason, my colleagues and I haven't got it yet. The directors of some
departments, for the sake of the people below them, contacted the
donated materials themselves. Our director got us a batch that can last
for about a week, and the other departments are not clear. The director
said, hold on and wait until you have the supplies.Some patients fell to
the clinic and the corpses were left untreated for some time. Later, the
colleague who went to the scene told me that the people in the funeral
parlour came to the scene and said that this kind of corpse should be
handled specially so that we could wrap the corpse ourselves. Some
people on the Internet said that it was a rumor to delay processing the
body, and I was very angry when I saw it.This is not the case during
normal times. The patient declares dead and telephones the funeral
home. The funeral home will handle it directly.A few of the patients I
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 [An Infected Doctor in Wuhan]
 

contacted that day were not good when I saw them. Some were
5
because the disease developed rapidly, and the oxygen saturation was
only 40. This patient was a respiratory failure and the oxygen
saturation was not. Oxygen inhalation is useless and requires a
ventilator. The intensive care unit cannot accept it. The ventilator is
not available in our department. Even if it is, it is not a respiratory
doctor or nurse, and it will not be used without prior guidance and
training.

No kit, stop at "suspected case"

Unexpectedly, after only one day of work in such a situation, I

fell.January 22 became the first day of the designated hospital. I
started working at 7 pm in the evening, and I was busy all night. I got
off the night shift at 8 am the next day and started to feel sore throat
and chest tightness. I was resting at home that day. From noon I
started to have fever and low fever, which caused my vigilance, so I
went to the nearby hospital to see a doctor. At the time, I was lucky,
thinking that it was just a respiratory infection. Then go to our hospital
for CT, where the virus density is relatively high, but there is a risk of
infection. As a result, I got an inspection report. According to the CT
results, I was "hit".This is the third day of my illness. I still have
intermittent fever and fatigue, but I have no symptoms of chest
tightness. Judging from my CT results, the focus of the infection is not
large and should be the initial stage. It may be related to the fact that I
had more patients at the time, worked harder, and decreased

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 [An Infected Doctor in Wuhan]
 

resistance. Now, I am in isolation at home for treatment. My mother

6
makes chicken soup for me every day, and sends my husband to
deliver it to me.I want to be on the front line, and I need to be isolated
from my family, because even if I am not sick, it is a potential source
of infection, and I am afraid of transmitting it to them. The child was
sent away long ago. When I was in contact with the 73-year-old, I
showed him a CT, which is a typical CT manifestation in the
diagnostic criteria, and I knew he was a suspected case. After
watching him, I called my mother and asked her to take the baby away
and go to live with the baby's grandparents. Now, my mother sends
me some children's videos every day to encourage me.My baby will
now say: Mom, love you. Very cute, I hope I recover soon and grow
up with him.My situation is not in the official number of infected
people. According to the standards of diagnosis and treatment at that
time, only confirmed by the reagent test can be determined as a
confirmed case. I consulted in our hospital and another designated
hospital, but I didn't get the chance to do the reagent test. Without the
test results of the kit, there is no basis to say that you have been
diagnosed, no matter what the situation is, at best it can be considered
suspicious. I do n’t know if it ’s true, but if it ’s not diagnosed, it ’s not
a work injury. Many medical staff should have the same confusion as
me.How long the special situation will last, I don't know. Wuhan's
"Little Tangshan" (referring to the "Vulcan Mountain" hospital in
Wuhan) is under construction and supplies are being transported to
Wuhan. Today, Wuhan informed that motor vehicles will not be on
the road from January 26. The number of patients should decrease,
and it may end soon, and I hope it will end soon.* Party information is
blurred Written by Wen Lihong  

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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

Oral: Qianqian Author: Li Yuan Mu interview: Li Yuan Mujie Keni Editor: Mark internship:
Wenchang

Phoenix News client Phoenix Network produced in the human studio

Contact Qianqian is the 29th of the lunar month. At 10 am on the same day, Wuhan was
blocked by the new coronavirus pneumonia. She was anxious, her mother and father were
isolated in different hospitals, the mother was serious, and the father was mild. My brother did a
CT scan and showed infection, but the hospital did not accept it and was isolated in a hotel
room. She was worried about the frail mother's lack of care in the ward.

On New Year's Eve, we talked again, and her mood was clearer. Earlier, her mother told
her that a caregiver was found in the isolation ward. She ran for a day and helped her father buy
immunoglobulin. She galloped all the way and ran home from Hankou, where she bought
medicine. At 12 o'clock that night, Wuhan wanted to lock the river.

At noon on the New Year's Day, she sent a WeChat to inform her of her mother's
death. She cried and shouted, "I don't have a mother, I don't have a mother, what should I do?"

Jiangcheng is cold in winter and often rains. On the first day of the Lunar New Year,
Qianqian ran around and said goodbye to her mother. The outbreak hit the family suddenly. The
most guilty is her father. Worried about a small tubercle in his wife's lungs, he had her undergo
an operation in mid-January. She was then infected with the new coronavirus at the hospital.

In just a few days and nights, the epidemic was suddenly severe, and the noisy Wuhan
stopped gradually. According to official statistics as of January 28, 100 people in Hubei have
died.

The following is Qian Qian's dictation.

One,

Mom left. Everything is too unreal.

On the morning of the Chinese New Year, my father called and asked me to give him
medicine. I took 10 bottles of immunoglobulin to go out and wanted to send some to my parents.

I put the medicine in a place in the lobby of the isolation building and walked away. Dad
came and took the medicine. Before leaving, he shouted "Mom may not be able to do it." I was
shocked. Later, he sent a text message and said that the hospital called ten minutes ago to
inform his mother that his organ was failing and he was being rescued. I was anxious and
wanted to contact my mother's nurse, but I couldn't reach it.

I texted my dad again to comfort him, "Where is the failure, no, I can definitely rescue it.
Mom is so strong, we have to believe her."

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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

He replied: "No, now the rescue is just a formality."

On January 17, my mother finished her

lung surgery and I bought her flowers. My
mother was very happy.

I asked my dad for the phone number to

tell him the news, and the other party always
hinted that his mother would die. I could only
cry and begged him, "I can do nothing, I don't
care how much money, please use the best
medicine and the best equipment to save my
mother. I can't live without my mother."

Within a few minutes, the phone rang

again. The doctor solemnly introduced his
identity. I knew it was over. The doctor said
that the funeral home had been notified and
the mother's body would be pulled away in a
moment. I begged the doctor to wait for me,
and I'll be right there. He agreed, but kept me
away from my mother.

After calling the hospital for the first time,

I called my brother, pretending to be relaxed,
and inquiring about his progress as
usual. Brother went to the hospital for a check-
up at 5 am, this is the third day. The elder
brother spoke at half past two before he could see the doctor. I resisted telling him about the
rescue. Brother loves mom most.

After receiving the second call from the hospital, I cried for a few minutes and thought for
a few more minutes. I felt that my brother should know about this. Besides, I was embarrassed
myself. I didn't know how to deal with it. I was afraid I couldn't carry it.

I called my brother and asked him, "Would you like to come to mom?" He asked what's
wrong. After lining up all morning, he was afraid that he would be in vain now.

I told him word by word, "Brother, you have to be calm, you must not be impulsive. We
have no mother." Brother was frightened, he didn't believe it. I don't speak anymore. I can't open
my mouth, I cry when I open my mouth. For a moment, my brother collapsed and wept
terribly. He never cried like this. I also want to cry, but my brother is already like this, I dare not
cry. I keep soothing him.

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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

We want to see the mother for a last look. Along the way, Bitch and Dad kept calling me,
let's not go, it's too dangerous. But we can't help but go.

The low-rise building on the right is the

place where my mother is isolated.

I arrived at the hospital first, shaking my

hands and feet. After a while, my brother
arrived. He only wore a mask and rushed to
the ward. I couldn't catch it. Mom still has
temperature. My elder brother twitched on his
mother's chest and shouted, "There is still
heartbeat, doctor, and heartbeat." The doctor
looked at the monitor and there were two 0s
on it. There were three aunts in the ward, all of
whom were wiping tears. There were so many
days on our mother's table where we brought
the meal, as if it hadn't moved.

My brother cried out of breath. It was an

infectious disease ward. I was worried about
his safety and could only pull him out.

The doctor was reluctant to say anything

to us. He gave us a death certificate stating
that the direct cause of death was "respiratory
failure", caused by "new coronavirus
infection". He said that if he had a problem, he would return to the hospital, and now he should
send the person to the funeral home.

We can only leave, waiting in an empty parking lot downstairs. It started to rain. After half
an hour, someone pushed out a corpse bag. After confirming that it was my mother, we followed
to the morgue. My brother and I have been kneeling at the door and scratching their
heads. That place hasn't been disinfected. I worry about my brother and can only take him
away.

The funeral home then called. I begged them to wait for us. We accelerated all the way
and arrived in twenty minutes. They handed in a promise to dispose of the remains, which said
"the deceased was suspected or died of severe pneumonia."

The people in the funeral parlour did not allow us to go in. Let us sign and leave. He was
also complaining, saying that there were already people there, and the situation was much
worse than we thought.

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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

Several cars parked there. We confirmed the mother's car, knelt down, and headed
towards the car. There were three or four men beside, also kneeling and crying.

The car drove away, and I kept running behind. It went faster and faster, I couldn't catch
up, stopped, stood there, panting. It's cold and I feel helpless and desperate.

My brother couldn't stop crying. I calmed down and said calmly to him, let's go now, we
must quickly send my father's medicine over. I've been telling him that the rest of us must live
better and we can't lose anyone anymore.

two,

In mid-January, Dad worried about her mother's body and called her back for surgery. My
mother was with my grandmother in the field. I did not expect to be infected with the virus after
the operation, but the hospital did not give her special care. We are anxious.

During the half-hour drive to find my dad, I kept telling my brother that you can cry here,
but you can't cry to dad and bitch You also can't drill the horns. If you say blame, dad will blame
yourself even more. All of us are right, we just let her do the surgery for her body. The news has
not been reported before, and we have no idea that the infection will be so serious.

Dad came down, far away from us, and didn't talk. I guess he would cry and collapse
when he spoke. Brother kept shouting, Dad, take off your mask and see. Dad ignored him.

We put things on the table and walked away before Dad came to pick things up and
left. After his mother's diagnosis, he kept me away from him. The two of us should meet 20
meters apart. I took a step closer and he stepped back. He would call me away fiercely. If I don't
leave, he will be in a hurry. He will growl when he is anxious, let me hurry. I've always been
sticky to Dad, he never did that to me before.

Mom and dad are in love, and I often get jealous. After the operation on the 17th, my
mother was in pain every day and could not sleep well day and night. In addition to doing
inspections and getting reports, Dad and Mom stayed together. During the day, my father
helped his mother feed water, feed, freshen up, and soothed her mother who couldn't sleep
because of pain all night. Every day, my mother would play a lot of small bottles of dangling
bottles. My dad didn't dare to sleep. He kept staring at the potion, and immediately called the
nurse to change medicine.

On January 21st, my brother and I drove for a long time to see my grandmother. As soon
as I arrived, I received a call saying that my mother was suspected to be infected with the new
coronavirus. We were surprised that my mother's hospital was not in Hankou and our family had
never been to the South China Seafood Market.

We quickly drove another two hundred kilometers and returned to Wuhan. But Dad was
tough and didn't let us go to them. That afternoon, they moved from a triple room in the inpatient
department to a single room. The diagnosis was confirmed on the 22nd. At noon, the doctor
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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

said that he would be transferred to Jinyintan Hospital. But after three hours, I went to him
again, and he said that he couldn't turn around. The side of Jinyintan was full. I was particularly
panicked. The doctor comforted me and said that this hospital will also be supported by experts
from across the country.

I'm still very anxious and want to go to them. There was a mood at the time, and I wanted
to see my parents and make sure they were there. Because I don't know what happened, we
will be away for a day, and how things will be like this now. I can't see my mother when I think of
isolation. I'm scared. I'm afraid I won't see it again in the future.

Mother's bed

I begged the nurse if I could get closer and glance

through the glass. The nurse was kind. She kept reminding
me that I can't go in, I can't stay long, and I need to be well
protected. I saw my dad across the glass door, he was very
angry at the time, and gestured to let me go quickly. Mom's
bed was against the wall, and I couldn't see her clearly. The
nurse helped her up, and she beckoned with me especially
weakly.

I keep crying, my father keeps driving me. I can only go,

crying and telling them to take good, eat, and see a doctor.

We later learned that Dad had not been diagnosed at

that time, and he took the initiative to accompany his
mother. During this time, we face cruel choices every day. If
dad was not infected at the time, let dad not take care of
mom? How to choose. As soon as the mother has finished the
operation and the father does not take care of it, she may not
be able to go to the toilet or eat. After the mother was
quarantined, the hospital stipulated that it could not take out
food or provide food. If you send your brother meal, he will be
at risk of infection. If you do n’t, the mother will be hungry
again.

On January 20, we gave our parents meals and a bucket of chicken soup. My brother took
the trophy of the year, and the mother-in-law in the two beds next to her mother said that she
was envious of our family.

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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

We don't have time to think about

this. We can only give our brother maximum
protection. He would wear a disposable
raincoat, meal masks, shoe covers, and
medical rubber gloves when he went to deliver
meals, and then taped all the gaps in his body.

In Mom's ward, Dad sat in this chair

overnight.

There were four patients in my mother's

ward, and my dad had nowhere to sleep, so we
bought a stool that was integrated with a
commode, and he sat on it overnight. On the
night of the 22nd, Dad did the test.

But the next morning, the ward of the

Infectious Diseases Ward would not let my
dad accompany him. Dad took the test results
and sat in the hospital building without wanting
to leave his mother. I said then I went to the
hospital and opened a room directly
opposite. From there, you can directly see the
mother's isolated building, with a straight
distance of two or three hundred meters. I
went to the hotel and they said they were not
open anymore.

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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

On the evening of the 23rd, my dad and I sat in two cars and called. I photographed him in
another car across the window.

Dad read the test report and said the result was negative. I want to drive him home to
rest. He didn't want to take my car because he was afraid of a virus. We can only drive one after
the other. On the way, he sent me a message saying he was dazzled and turned out to be
positive.

He was very sad, and even more afraid to live with me. He kept asking me what to do and
where to go. I was also panicked and didn't know where we should go.

I first gave him a 500 ml bottle of alcohol that I bought at the pharmacy that morning. I
also bought a bottle of spray toilet water, and my father poured the toilet water and poured
alcohol into it, and then I could use it as a watering can. But I only bought one bottle, and my
dad insisted that I share some alcohol. Our car was parked in a dark alley, one left and one
right. When I walked over, he shook the window down and didn't speak, making his eyes imply
that I reached out my hand. I guessed what he meant and took off the rubber gloves. He
sprayed alcohol into my two hands and handed me the remaining alcohol bottle. The bottle was
sprayed all over. After handing it to me, he sprayed the alcohol on the place he had pinched
again. He made his eyes make me hurry.

Back in the car, we continued to talk on the phone and discussed what to do for a while,
where to go, and just over half an hour. I later told my friends that we were so close to each
other and we could only sit in two cars. I did n’t know where to go.

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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

Dad finally decided to go to the hospital. He lined up at another hospital overnight,

checking in until early in the morning. After delivering breakfast to his mother the next morning,
he went to the hospital to wait in line.

three,

Dad took medicine and a bucket of salted mineral water and walked away. My brother and
I shouted at him, dad cheer, be strong.

He looked back at us and still didn't speak.

On the way back from the hospital, I was embarrassed. My brother reminded me to brake
many times. We decided to let him check out the hotel and return to my house. Mom is gone,
we need each other.

When we got home, we lost all the clothes we wore that day. Fearing that someone would
pick it up, I took the scissors and cut them. At 9:30 in the evening of the mother's diagnosis, my
brother went for a check alone. He drove home at 3 am and slept in the parking lot overnight,
fearing to infect his sister-in-law and nephew.

The olive oil that my mother made for me,

I want to keep it.

My brother and I said that we live together,

I can cook for you, and I can eat well, we must
be strong and not fall down.

My mother came to my house in

November, helped me clean up the house, left
me a note, and let me live a life carefully.

The next day I cooked for my brother.

There was no more oil in the oil drum. I
rummaged out a bottle of olive oil that my
mother gave me. I live alone and she often visits
me. In November of this year, she bought me a
lot of spices, wrote a note, and told me to live
my life carefully. She also helped me throw out
expired flour for cakes.

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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

My mother is really beautiful. She is a

very famous lady in the courtyard. My friends
envy me that I have such a beautiful and
loving mother.

I want to keep this bottle of olive oil and

go to the supermarket to buy other oils. On a
shelf, I saw my mom's favorite hot and sour
powder, crouching down and crying.

On the evening of the 23rd, her mother

sent a WeChat message saying she wanted
to eat torn bread and hot and sour noodles. I
went out immediately to find it, but the
supermarket was closed. I was very broken
at the time. My mother was so weak that I
had to ask for something to eat, but I couldn't
satisfy her.

All I can do every day is to constantly

call the Mayor's hotline to reflect my mother's
special situation. But no matter how many
times I make a call, they will only say that
they will reflect to it and reply as soon as
possible. I called for three days without any
response.

After my mother died, I learned that she said that finding a caregiver was a lie to us. After
she was isolated, we were worried and were asking for help everywhere. Once I called my
mother, she was moaning, crying that the wound hurt, and begged the nurse to help her open
the lunch box. The nurse had a harsh tone. My mother is very kind, but she has been
persuading me that more than 20 patients are a doctor and a nurse, and they have also suffered
a lot of grievances and pressure.

I didn't think my mother was having anything before, but when I never got it again, it felt
like I was suddenly taken off from the quilt in the dark cold night and exposed to endless
snowstorm.

I took my mother's phone back, disinfected it, and kept it in my pocket until I was fine. I
thought about my mother calling and kept my phone on my face for a while. The screen of the
mobile phone was slippery, and her mother's skin was also known for being white and delicate. I
seem to be next to my mother's face.

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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

These two days, I often secretly listen to my mother's voice. One time my elder brother
walked by behind him and found out that he took a hard shot to the back of my head. But I know
that he was crying secretly at night.

On the night of my mother's death, my dad kept sending me and my brother messages
telling us the bank card password, mobile phone password, and what insurance they bought.
The mess was explained very carefully. Sometimes when he suddenly remembered it, he sent a
long voice. I really crashed. I'm particularly afraid of Dad's blame. They are really in love.

They also loved me very much. After my mother was diagnosed, she would not let me
approach her isolation ward. On the morning of January 24th, I wanted to give my mother torn
bread and hot and sour noodles. My sister-in-law was very excited. She was determined not to
let me go. She said that she already had some symptoms of discomfort, and if I was isolated, I
had to help her take care of her children. What if my five adults are infected?

Finally I told her that I also burned to over 37 degrees. She collapsed in a flash and kept
crying. I started calling various places to find out what the government has to do to help. The
mayor's hotline finally managed to get through. They said that they made a record and would
reflect upwards. They called the Women's Federation and there was only one on duty. He was
not sure. The Red Cross phone could not be reached. Rights and permissions. They all asked
me to call the mayor's hotline. We were so panicked that we even hit 120 and 110. No phone
call is useful all morning.

My sister-in-law disinfected with 84 sterilized water at home from morning till night, and
sprayed alcohol at home all the time. To get food for my nephew, be sure to take an alcohol
spray. The allergy on the back of the hand became red.

The little nephew, who is only six years old, knows nothing. He is very happy for the winter
vacation. My sister-in-law used to be very strict with him and didn't allow him to watch TV. But
these days he can watch TV at will. If the child comes over, the sister-in-law avoids and keeps
saying you go farther, farther away.

I have been petted since childhood. This is the first time I feel that this family needs me to
support me. I think I am the last line of defense, and I want to protect my sister-in-law and
nephew. If I fell, my sister-in-law and nephew would have to stand up. I don't want them to face
these things. Bitch is really thin.

When speaking to them, I will pretend to be relaxed or tell them some good information,
such as what experts came to Wuhan and how many people were cured. But after hanging up
the phone, I often cry alone at home to collapse.

On the evening of January 24th, I put hot and sour noodles and bread downstairs in my
brother's hotel, and he gave them to his mother. I drove to Hankou to buy immunoglobulins. A
bottle on the market has risen to 800 yuan.

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 Mom Dies in Wuhan Isolation Ward 

Time is running out. I drove fast and rushed home in front of Suojiang. On the way back, I
called my brother and asked him where he was. We were both above and below a
viaduct. Looking at the watch, it is exactly zero. I just realized that the year of the rat is here.

Wuhan has no Chinese New Year atmosphere at all.

I told my brother Happy New Year. I look at the back seat of the car and am very happy. I
think we have also counted a good year. My dad used so hard to buy medicine. I bought a lot,
and my mother said she had a caregiver.

I think our family will reunite soon.

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 Death of a Special Needs Child 
 

Family suspected of new coronary pneumonia was

isolated, 17-year-old cerebral palsy in Hubei died alone
at home 6 days later

On the afternoon of January 29, Huang Xiaowen, a farmer in Huanggang, Hubei, received a
notice from the village committee that his 17-year-old son, Cheng Cheng, had just
died. Since January 23, Tong Xiaowen and his 11-year-old autistic youngest son have been
isolated for epidemic prevention and control, leaving Cheng Cheng with cerebral palsy
alone at home and entrusting the village committee to take care of him.

Isolated from returning home from Wuhan

Xi Xiaowen is a 49-year-old man from Shejia Village, Huahe Town, Hong'an County,
Huanggang City. He was a cook in a canteen in a middle school in Wuhan . His 17-year-old
son, Cheng Cheng, suffered from cerebral palsy. His wife found that his second son was
obvious when he was one year old. Sudden crash and suicide. The younger son was later
diagnosed with autism, and Xiaowen resigned to take the child to intervene.
On January 17, Xi Xiaowen and his two sons took a bus from Hankou, Wuhan, and returned
to their home village to prepare for Chinese New Year.

Cerebral Palsy Elder Brother (in Wheelchair) and Autistic Brother Xiao Wei [image not
copied]

According to Xiao Xiaowen, the editor of rice and millet, on the third day after the father
and son returned home, he initiated a low fever, "thinking of a cold," and infused in the
village clinic. On January 23, the news of Wuhan's "closing the city" due to epidemic
prevention and control reached the Jiajia Village, and Xiao Xiaowen, who was still feverish,
became a key observation subject. The town health center checked and found that Xiao
Xiaowen was suspected to be infected. On January 24, Xiaowen Wen and his youngest son
were sent to Xinghua Township Health Center, a centralized treatment place in Hong'an
County.

Wu Xiaowen lived in the same ward as another patient with suspected pneumonia, and his
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 Death of a Special Needs Child 
 
youngest son who had no symptoms of infection also slept with them. "He doesn't have a
bed. He sits next to a chair and plays with his fingers during the day, and sleeps on my feet
at night."

Isolation of Xiao Xiaowen and autistic son Xiao Wei [image not copied]

What worries Xiao Xiaowen, in addition to the youngest son in the isolation ward is likely
to be infected, but also the eldest son at home alone Cheng Cheng. He is paralyzed and
needs to be fed and cared for throughout the day. To this end, he turned to the snail home
for the mentally handicapped group in Wuhan, who reported the incident to the Disabled
People's Federation of Hubei Province.

Yan Xiaowen said, and when his own son was brought home, the eldest son Yan
into healthy and have no fever and other abnormalities.

Cerebral Palsy

Zhu Wenqin, the person in charge of "Snail Home", said that under the inquiry of the
Provincial Disabled Persons 'Federation, the local Disabled Persons' Federation in Hong'an
found the Lujia Village Village Committee and asked the village to send Lucheng a meal
every day. However, she was worried about Cheng Cheng's situation. "It's been 5 days. How
can the child not clean up?"

Since Xiao Xiaowen is a key member of "Snail Home", Zhu Wenqin is very familiar with the
father and son of the family. He also lived in Zhu Wenqin's house for a while. "He can't
speak except paralyzed, he can only shout 'Mom'."

According to Zhu Wenqin, the village committee cadre told her that from January 23 to 28,
Wu Cheng ate dinner in the afternoon on the 24th, and had some egg yolk pie in the
evening on the 26th, and was fed by two village doctors on the 28th. Two cups of amino
acids.

Part of the scene map sent by the village committee director Chen Jingyou to
volunteers [image not copied]

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 Death of a Special Needs Child 
 
Wu Cheng ’s second aunt told Rice and Xiaomi that on January 23, she went to visit Wu
Cheng and fed him a meal. On January 24, she went back to her uncle's house to feed her
nephew a meal and changed her urine. In the next 3 days, she didn't go because of her
discomfort, and on January 28, she saw her nephew again, "The situation is very bad."
"He was lying on a lounger, his head was suspended, and his mouth and face were dirty, as
was the inside of the quilt. I brought boiling water, wiped his mouth and face clean,
changed his urine, and fed half a glass of boiling water. He ate a small cup of rice and
stopped eating it, " said Cheng Cheng's second aunt.

On January 28, Xiaowen Wen, with the assistance of volunteers, sent a Weibo
for help. However, according to doctors, Wu Xiaowen has not been diagnosed
with new coronary pneumonia so far. [image not copied]

Village committee: child died after being carried away

"Cheng Cheng is gone." At 15:32 this afternoon, Zhu Wenqin sent a WeChat voice to rice
and Xiaomi editors, relaying the death news of Chen Cheng.

At 15:40, Xi Xiaowen confirmed on the phone that at 2: 3 pm, the village committee notified
him of Cheng Cheng's death. Xiaowen, who had been coughing during the call, expressed
his wishes intermittently, and wanted to end the isolation as soon as possible, go home to
see the child's last side, handle the funeral, and he also wanted to donate the body of his
son.

Screenshot of Xiao Xiaowen talking with Director Chen of the village committee [image
not copied]

At around 12.35 noon today, Zhu Wenqin also saw on WeChat several photos sent by the
director of the Huajiahe Town Health Center, which showed that two people in protective
clothing were lying on a stretcher while carrying Li Chengcheng.

Zhu Wenqin also learned through Wu Xiaowen that the village committee had found an
isolation hotel in the county seat and wanted to send Lucheng to centralized resettlement,
which made Zhu Wenqin thank him again and again.
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 Death of a Special Needs Child 
 
"I didn't expect to receive news of death again just two hours later." Zhu Wenqin said that
these days, she hasn't saved her life by looking for the Disabled Persons 'Federation,
parents' organizations, and all relationships she can find. "How can a child who is paralyzed
and unable to take care of himself survive the cold weather?"

The past few days, rice and millet have been trying to contact the editor Yan village
committee responsible person, interview isolated resettlement Yan family of three, but as
of tonight before press time, the other party has not answered the phone.
We will continue to pay attention to the cause of Pan Cheng's death.

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 Secret Cremations 
 

Diagnosed Deaths on the List ｜

Initium Media
Contributing reporter Wang Yanduan Media reporter Men Yueyue Intern reporters
Zhang Meiyue and Li Ruiyang from Wuhan, Hong Kong
Forty-year-old Zhao Yang (pseudonym) attended several funerals, but he did not expect
that when his mother's turn came, he would be so hasty and so "decent."

His mother Liu Rong (pseudonym) developed symptoms of infection on January 6, and
was admitted to the fever clinic of Tongji Hospital of Wuhan on the 13th. He died two
days later. The doctor requested that he be immediately sent to Hankou Funeral Home
for cremation that night. The funeral was completed on January 18.

The funeral home stipulates that in special periods, farewell rituals are not allowed, and
the body is cremated quickly after it is ushered in. Makeup, grooming, farewell to friends
and relatives and other routine links, all are not there. Zhao Yang waited for two hours,
got the ashes, and immediately rushed to the Piandan Mountain Cemetery, 30
kilometers away. When it arrived, it was more than four in the afternoon. The staff
members had already left work, leaving behind a sealing mason master and two emcee
personnel to assist Zhao Yang in rushing through the burial process.

"I don't know if my mother will blame us under Jiuquan?" Zhao Yang felt really bad.
Everything happened in just ten days. "What kind of disease is it? Is it the (new type of
coronavirus)?" Too many questions remain unanswered. The only thing he got was a
death certificate, and the column of the disease or condition that caused the direct
cause of death was: severe pneumonia.

A staff member of a local funeral home in Wuhan introduced to the peer media that in
the evening of the 22nd, there were more than 30 undiagnosed and cremated remains
in time. The situation of most people is very similar-they have not been transferred to
Jinyintan Hospital for treatment and have not been tested by a kit. The deaths given by
the hospital are: severe pneumonia, viral pneumonia, community-acquired pneumonia
... (Note: Wuhan Jinyin Tan Hospital is the designated hospital for emergency medical
treatment of public health events in Hubei Province and Wuhan. In this outbreak,
patients with pneumonitis infected by a new type of coronavirus will be centrally treated
by the hospital.)

On December 31, 2019, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission for the first time
reported an unexplained pneumonia epidemic, 30 days after the first case. (Note: On
January 24, the first-line doctors in Wuhan published a paper in the internationally
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 Secret Cremations 
 
authoritative medical journal "The Lancet", stating that the first patient was diagnosed
on December 1.) On January 8, the pathogen was initially identified as a new type of
coronavirus. . The Wuhan Municipal Health and Health Commission subsequently
stated many times that no human-to-human evidence was found, resulting in the
epidemic not being valued by the public. Until January 20, Academician Zhong
Nanshan, an "SARS expert" and director of the National Respiratory Diseases Clinical
Medicine Research Center, announced that the virus was transmitted from people after
an investigation of the Wuhan epidemic; Xi Jinping gave instructions and the National
Health Commission of China began to release data daily . The number of people
infected by continuous blowouts and the expanding territory of infection only made the
Chinese immersed in the atmosphere of the Spring Festival realize that the epidemic
situation is far more serious than expected.

According to the report of the National Health Commission of China, as of 24:00 on

January 25, all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in the country have
reported a total of 1,408 confirmed cases of pneumonia and 42 deaths. However, in
addition to this constantly updated and growing list, there is a group of unstated and
confirmed patients. Some of them have died. Their families do not yet know what
exactly has taken the lives of their loved ones. .

On January 25, 2020, pharmacy staff wearing protective clothing and masks served
customers in Wuhan. Photo: Hector Retamal / AFP via Getty Images

The doctor discussing the outbreak was interviewed by the leader

Looking back today, as early as the beginning of the epidemic, frontline medical staff
noticed the unusual. In mid-December, an emergency doctor at a top three hospital in
Jianghan District, Wuhan City, found a suspicious virus similar to SARS on the
checklists of two patients. The doctor sent relevant information to the medical staff's
working group to remind them Everyone pays attention and recommends that hospitals
isolate patients and their contacts. Unfortunately, not only was this recommendation not
accepted, the doctor himself was interviewed by the leader, asking him to delete all
information and not to disseminate such information.

Guo Ruihua (pseudonym) in the ICU department of the same hospital also heard of the
incident. Zhang Minmin (pseudonym), another who understood the incident, told
Duanmedia: "This may be the typical" close-in and loose-out "policy at the time."

A doctor from the front line of Wuhan explained to Sanlian Life Weekly that "tight"
means timely detection of cases and strict quarantine and response; "loose" means that
there is no large-scale announcement to the society, so that everyone is alert to the
disease. And did not call everyone to wear masks. The system does not realize that it is
difficult to control infectious diseases of this nature without social support.
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 Secret Cremations 
 
"More and more patients, more and more." Guo Ruihua went to work through the
emergency department every day, and saw the crowds of "Wuyaoya" holding small
benches in line. "All were fevers (patients), and we felt that the situation was out of
control. Now. "

The epidemic is slowly spreading. According to Guo Ruihua, the hospital received
several patients with "lungs different from general infections" in early January, and all of
them had contact with the South China Seafood Market before the onset. The hospital
leaders immediately reported to the Wuhan Health Commission, but were ordered. The
password, "Probably there is a suspected case to be reported, but everyone is not
allowed to discuss it."

On December 8, 2019, the first case of unexplained pneumonia was officially

notified. On the 31st, the Wuhan Municipal Health and Health Commission publicly
announced for the first time that some medical institutions recently found that many of
the pneumonia cases that had been admitted were related to South China Seafood City,
and said that 27 cases had been found. Subsequently, on January 3, 5, and 11, the
Wuhan Municipal Health Commission stated three times that no clear evidence of
human-to-human transmission was found.

"I was very angry at the time, I knew it was an infectious disease," Guo Ruihua said,
and what made him even more angry was, "These doctors in our clinics are not allowed
to wear protective clothing such as gowns, because they are afraid to scare
outpatients."

During the period when no “person-to-person evidence” was found, Wuhan residents
went out to eat, go shopping, and book a New Year's Eve dinner party as usual. A
doctor at Wuhan Central Hospital told Duan Media that he took the subway to and from
work every day and saw few people wearing masks. In his department, the medical staff
only performed some basic cleaning and protection and did not make more
preparations.

On the 15th, the Wuhan Municipal Health and Health Commission rephrased that it
would not rule out the possibility of a limited number of people. On the 20th, Zhong
Nanshan declared that people passed from person to person.

The situation has deteriorated. "More and more patients, more and more." Guo Ruihua
went to work through the emergency department every day, and saw the crowds of
"Wuyaoya" holding small benches in line. "All were fevers (patients), and we felt that the
situation was out of control. Now. "

On January 25, 2020, people were wearing masks waiting in the Wuhan Red Cross
Hospital. Photo: Hector Retamal / AFP via Getty Images

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 Secret Cremations 
 
A large number of patients are detained in the respiratory department and the
emergency department. "The patient is waiting to die in the emergency department,"
Guo Ruihua said. The number of patients at the fever clinics in the hospital increased
sharply. In less than a month, the number of patients rapidly exceeded 10 times the
usual number. There were thousands of daily consultations at the Wuhan Central
Hospital. The beds in major hospitals are full, and medical resources are in short
supply, and the ability to treat them quickly reaches its limit.

Around January 10th, Guo Ruihua's hospital had to transfer the infected patients to the
ICU ward. "Because the ICU ward needs to be closed, in principle, it cannot receive
patients, but there is no way." But the beds are still very tight, he understands After CT
diagnosis, many patients can only be isolated at home because there is no bed.

Seventy-six-year-old Liu Rong was able to be hospitalized after going to three hospitals
7 days after the onset of illness. She first discovered that her body was abnormal on
January 6th. She had a cough, fever, and "headache cramps." On the same day, she
went to Hanyang Branch of Xiehe Hospital near her home for a checkup. The doctor
determined that she had a viral flu and asked her to take drugs such as cephalosporin
and ibuprofen. Two days later, she went to Hanyang District of Wuhan Traditional
Chinese Medicine Hospital for a series of tests including blood routine and chest CT. No
abnormalities were found. On the 11th, the symptoms did not resolve, and the couple
went to Tongji Hospital for consultation. The fever clinic was crowded with patients
similar to Liu Rong. Many people were worried that they were infected with the new
coronavirus and asked to be hospitalized for observation. However, the doctor said at
the time that there were only 10 beds for the fever clinic.

Liu Rong was asked to go home for observation after performing a “package” physical
examination (Note: routine examination including blood routine, chest CT, etc.). The
next day, it was the same process, "package-style" inspection, go home, take
medicine. Liu Rong's condition was getting worse and worse, reaching a maximum
temperature of 40 degrees. It was not until the morning of the 13th that the outpatient
department vacated a bed for her.

Wei Ling (pseudonym), 64, was also admitted to the hospital on January 13. Prior to
this, she had coughed and had fever for nearly half a month. Wei Ling and his 65-year-
old wife live in a home two or three kilometers away from the South China Seafood
Market. The two are married and each has a son, one in Wuhan and one in Shenzhen.

From the beginning of New Year's Day, Wei Ling felt a little uncomfortable, but it was
not good to take a cold medicine. On the 9th, he went to Wuhan Central Hospital for
inspection with his wife. CT results showed that Wei Ling's lungs were inflamed, but the

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 Secret Cremations 
 
hospital bed was full. The two elderly people could only run two ends of the hospital
home every day while giving injections and oxygen.

The symptoms of shock that appeared on the 10th made doctors aware of the
seriousness of the illness. The next day, Wei Ling was admitted to the hospital. At the
time, both her lungs were infected and she had difficulty breathing, and she had no
strength to walk. There was no bed in the hospital. Wei Ling spent almost one night in
the ward. The next day, his wife found a camp bed and stayed with him in the hospital.

Four days later, my husband also had similar symptoms. He worked in the Houhu
District of Wuhan Central Hospital for 40 years and retired 8 years ago. Relying on old
friendships and talking with the hospital many times, he was admitted to the general
ward of respiratory medicine.

On January 25, 2020, a police car was parked on the highway to restrict residents from
leaving Wuhan. Photo: Hector Retamal / AFP via Getty Images

Patients who use the kit are called "winning the lottery"

On the night of hospitalization on the 13th, Liu Rong took antipyretics and his
temperature dropped. Her husband squeezed her into a hospital bed and slept with
her. Early the next morning, the condition seemed to improve. Liu Rong got up and
washed himself, and finished eating the lean egg porridge and red bean paste that her
husband bought. At eleven o'clock, she started receiving treatment, and her condition
deteriorated again. "The nerves were a little loose, she couldn't speak clearly, and she
was completely paralyzed."

Her husband borrowed a wheelchair and held Liu Rong's hand, barely completing the
CT test. When he got the result, he panicked, "a piece of white flowers in the
lungs." Subsequently, the doctor proposed to increase the dose of medicine, give a
mask to give oxygen, and assist the ventilation through a ventilator. That night, he
asked the doctor if Liu Rong had contracted pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus.
The doctor replied, "Maybe." "Then you want to transfer to Jinyintan Hospital?" The
doctor replied, "It's the same when you transfer."

The next morning, the doctor rounded the room and made it clear that Liu Rong had to
be transferred to the Department of Infectious Diseases, but at that time, she had not
had a nucleic acid test and had not been diagnosed.

According to the government media, government documents, hospital interviews, and

media materials, the current process of patients from admission to diagnosis is roughly:
after admission, after screening suspected cases based on lung CT, etc., an expert
consultation is organized by the hospital or the disease control center of the jurisdiction.
If the case is still suspected, a case sample will be sent to the municipal CDC for
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testing, and the municipal CDC will be sent to the provincial CDC for testing or review
before the diagnosis can be confirmed. According to the Wuhan Municipal Health and
Health Commission, the provincial CDC can detect more than 200 samples per
day. Previously, Hubei Province did not have a kit for nucleic acid detection. The
samples had to be sent to the testing institution designated by the State of Beijing, and
the results returned in about 3-5 days.

In other provinces and cities outside Wuhan, the diagnosis of the first infection has been
more lengthy. According to the newly revised "Procedure for Confirming the First Case
of New Coronavirus Infected Pneumonia in the Provinces (Regions, Cities) of the
Country", which was newly revised by the National Health Commission on January 18,
the review must not only go through the provincial level, but also report to the country
and be evaluated by an expert team The diagnosis can only be confirmed after three
rounds of confirmation.

The first case of neonatal pneumonia announced in Jiangsu Province showed that the
37-year-old male patient was isolated and treated on January 10, and the specimen
was tested by the laboratory of Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and
Control, and was positive for a new type of coronavirus nucleic acid. The review was
evaluated by the expert group on January 22, and the diagnosis was finally confirmed. It
takes 12 days from admission to diagnosis and announcement.

This set of gradual reporting of over-concentration of the diagnosis process and testing
power has been questioned for its low efficiency. In the United Kingdom, the detection
and reporting of 2019-nCoV is only available at the hospital and the UK Department of
Public Health (PHE). The hospital can report suspected cases directly and submit test
samples, and PHE will conduct sample tests. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention CDC's outbreak reporting system process is to notify the hospital that
received the patient's call to the local or state health department, and then the health
department will contact the CDC and send the sample for testing. Taking the new
coronavirus in 2019 as an example, the CDC's Emergency Operations Center is on duty
24 hours a day. Japan also follows the path of hospital-public health department-
national testing department.

On January 17, 2020, medical staff sent the patient to Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital. Photo:
Getty Images

The turnaround occurred on January 16, and the first batch of nucleic acid detection kits
for the production of new coronaviruses were distributed to provincial disease control
centers. The Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention began to
conduct an etiology test on specimens of patients with unexplained viral pneumonia
sent to Wuhan for a period of 2 days.

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This speed is still not fast enough. "This patient's lung image has changed significantly
and symptoms are already present. We think this is the disease, but if you don't have a
CDC sample to analyze the virus, you can't say he is real (confirmed)." Guo Ruihua said
During the period of waiting for the results of the CDC, the hospital did not make any
restrictions on the patients, "where they fall in love, where they are in contact, who are
in contact with whom."

For "suspected patients" like Liu Rong, kit testing is still something that cannot be
expected. The message of "insufficient supply of kits" spread among patients. Patients
who were lucky enough to use the kits were called "winning lottery tickets" by other
patients.

On January 20, the Chinese government urgently notified that new kits from three
manufacturers (Shanghai Pfizer, Shanghai Jeno Bio, Shanghai Berger) were allowed to
use. After two days, the restrictions on use were lifted and both the government and the
hospital could purchase on their own.

Zhou Linfu, an associate professor at Zhejiang University School of Medicine and

chairman of Jiangsu Mole Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Mer
Jiangsu Mole") said to the opposite media: "The usual kits are certified by the State
Drug Administration, which is equivalent to three types of medical devices Those who
have a registration certificate go to the hospital through the dealer. Because infectious
diseases are more urgent, all the kits in the hospital are used without a registration
certificate. "

Zhou Linfu said that at present, more than 20 companies in the market are fully
producing kits for the detection of new coronavirus nucleic acids. His Jiangsu Merlot has
produced and delivered two batches of products totaling more than 8,000. The third
batch of 10,000 orders will be produced on January 26. According to "Interface"
previously reported, the kits provided by the two larger manufacturers can test more
than 100,000 people.

"There is definitely no shortage of kits," said Zhou Linfu. The problem is that a large
number of fever patients flock to a limited number of designated hospitals, and the
detection is too late. He explained that there must be special laboratories for nucleic
acid testing. Although some top three hospitals have standards-compliant laboratories,
the specifications of the laboratories determine the upper limit of the daily testing that
they can do, such as its size, ultra-clean bench, There are only a limited number of
biosafety cabinets. Generally speaking, there is only one PCR laboratory in a small
hospital. It may only be able to do a few rounds a day, and it is only a few hundred
people. Note: Polymerase chain reaction (polymerase chain reaction, a molecular

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 Secret Cremations 
 
biology technology that amplifies a specific DNA sequence) qualification certificate.
Although the test requirements are not high, there are few qualified personnel.

On January 24, 2020, a guard stood outside Wuhan South China Seafood Wholesale
Market. Photo: Hector Retamal / AFP via Getty Images

Another doctor from the Union Medical College Hospital of Tongji Medical College of
Huazhong University of Science and Technology also stated in an interview with "China
News Weekly" that "mainly the testing laboratory is not enough and the CDC cannot
work overtime and needs to be activated by multiple hospitals. Only by carrying out
tests in our own laboratory can we meet the needs. ”After interviewing multiple kit
manufacturers, Interface News also proposed that market access restricts the
procurement of medical institutions, insufficient funds for CDC purchases, insufficient
testing conditions and insufficient human resources have led to current reagents. The
box test "is in short supply."

According to the Wuhan Health and Medical Commission, the current detection of
samples of new coronavirus pneumonia needs to be managed in accordance with
highly pathogenic pathogenic microorganisms (type 2), and pathogen-related
experimental activities should be carried out in biosafety laboratories with corresponding
protection levels. Taking into account the possibility of leakage of the new coronavirus,
the current Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control is mainly responsible for
detection. A staff member from the hot-spot diagnosis and identification institution in
Huangshi City, Hubei Province, told Duanmedia that the kits were uniformly deployed by
the Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and his institution could not
decide.

In fact, in order to improve the speed of detection, the Wuhan Municipal Health and
Health Commission announced on January 23 that designated fixed-point treatment
hospitals, counter-assisted hospitals for fever fixed-point diagnosis and treatment
hospitals, and city disease control centers and other biological safety experiments with
corresponding protection levels The laboratory carried out the detection of pathogenic
nucleic acids of related samples (the first batch of a total of 10 institutions). It is
expected that nearly 2,000 samples will be detected every day when all of them are
running.

Guo Ruihua couldn't sleep at night. "It's all about this matter with my eyes closed. It's
just hate. How did the Wuhan Municipal Government make it look like this, we can take
action sooner."

The spread of the epidemic remains worrying, with health care workers being infected
one after the other. According to Zhang Minmin, there are more than 120 medical staff
in the emergency department of the top three hospital in Jianghan District, Wuhan City,
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and the number of infected people is currently around 20. There is a serious shortage of
medical staff. "The patient's body is too late to be treated on the bed," said Zhang
Minmin.

As of press time, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Beijing, Sichuan and 6

provinces and cities have sent medical staff to support Wuhan. Among them, medical
staff of Nanfang Hospital of Guangzhou Southern Medical University also went to
Xiaotangshan, Beijing to support SARS in 2003.

After the city was closed on January 23, the hospital's protective equipment was also
very scarce. Only the medical staff in the emergency department could be guaranteed
priority. Other departments were almost "streaking." In an interview with China News
Weekly, the deputy director of ophthalmology at a third-class hospital in
Wuhan said that protective clothing was in short supply, and front-line medical
personnel were afraid to eat, drink, and go to the toilet, because medical protective
clothing was disposable and once taken off, Replace it with a new one. "Our
anesthesiologists used goggles without goggles for intubation. Later they couldn't even
buy them."

"I have a feeling of numbness that is powerless to return to the sky." Guo Ruihua said
that he couldn't sleep at night. "It's all about this thing with my eyes closed. It's just hate,
how can the Wuhan municipal government make this look like this, it can be early Take
action. "

On the 21st, leaders including Hubei Provincial Party Committee Secretary Jiang
Chaoliang and Governor Wang Xiaodong held a visit to the Hubei Spring Festival
delegation in Wuhan Hongshan Auditorium. The participating Hubei Folk Song and
Dance Troupe wrote on their official account, "In Wuhan: Everyone wears layers of
masks, overcomes the pneumonia panic, and goes all out with dedication, dedication,
and earnestness."

On January 22, 2020, a man wearing a mask walked down the street in Wuhan. Figure:
Getty Images

"People are gone, not even a statement."

Wei Ling, who was hospitalized for 10 days, died in the intensive care unit at the Houhu
District of Wuhan Central Hospital, 18 kilometers from the Hongshan Auditorium, late at
night on the day of the group meeting. On the medical certificate of death, the cause of
death column reads "community-acquired pneumonia", but several medical staff in the
respiratory medicine department said that she was infected with a new coronavirus.

Liu Rong's doctor also inferred that she was infected with the new coronavirus, but until
the day she died, she failed to conduct a nucleic acid test to confirm the diagnosis.
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On the afternoon of the 15th, the doctor of the Department of Infectious Diseases wore
a full set of white protective clothing and treated Liu Rong, who was seriously ill. This
was her first visit to an isolation ward nine days after her illness. The doctor and Liu
Rong's husband emphasized that there is only one thousandth of hope. "Even if there is
only one ten thousandth of vitality, it is necessary to treat it by various means." He
signed the informed agreement like "signing a life and death" and entrusted all his
hopes to the doctor in the department of infectious diseases.

According to hospital regulations, the isolation ward was not allowed to accompany him.
He left the hospital, ate a meal by the roadside, and planned to take the subway slowly
to shake home, and then take a good night's sleep. "It won't be gone immediately." But
Just one stop after the subway, he received a text message from the hospital's
infectious disease department: The patient's condition is bad, please come to the
hospital quickly.

By the time he arrived at the hospital, Liu Rong was dead. He glanced at his wife's body
from a distance across the glass in the doorway of the isolation ward, just as he had
been sent in a few hours ago. Before relieving from the sadness, he found that the
funeral company had stood by.

The doctor expressed regret for Liu Rong's death, and later explained that "this disease
is contagious and requires special treatment." He suggested that Liu Rong's body
should be immediately handed over to the funeral company and sent to Hankou Funeral
Home for processing.

On January 22, 2020, at the Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, China, many
passengers wore masks on the escalators. Photo: Xiaolu Chu / Getty Images

"What kind of illness is it?" Liu Rong's heart grief suddenly turned into anger. He
resolutely opposed to immediate cremation. "For more than 50 hours in hospital, no one
was there, not even a statement."

On the evening of the 16th, his son Zhao Yang rushed back from Shanghai to Wuhan to
accompany his father to deal with the funeral. After questioning the hospital again, Zhao
Yang compromised and issued a death certificate at the hospital on the 17th. He
temporarily selected the location and specifications of the cemetery at the Biandanshan
Cemetery and hurriedly completed the funeral of his mother Liu Rong on the 18th.

Zhao Yang was always skeptical of the words "severe pneumonia" on the death
certificate and funeral certificate, but the hospital could not give the exact condition, and
he did not know where to find the answer.

The hospital informed his son and daughter-in-law far in Shenzhen that Wei Lingjing
died of ineffective treatment. They felt sad, but did not want to venture back to
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Wuhan. The son found a funeral company and handled the funeral on behalf of Wei
Ling.

Zhao Yang posted his mother's experience on Weibo, which caused a lot of retweets
from netizens. The families of infected or deceased people who had similar experiences
gathered in the comment area. A Weibo user left a message saying: His grandmother
died and was cremated with "viral pneumonia" on the 17th and was not diagnosed; a
grandfather in the same ward was diagnosed but died before being sent to Jinyintan
Hospital and was not officially Notification.

When Wei Ling's daughter-in-law contacted Zhao Yang with the same opportunity on
Weibo, she had learned that her mother-in-law was dying. On the 19th, his son rushed
from Shenzhen to the Houhu District of Wuhan Central Hospital to sign a critical illness
notice. Worried about being infected, he hurried back on his way back after half an hour
in the hospital.

At 10 pm on the 21st, the hospital informed his son and daughter-in-law far in Shenzhen
that Wei Ling died of ineffective treatment. They felt sad, but did not want to venture
back to Wuhan. Wei Ling's wife is still isolated in the ward and cannot handle the funeral
for her. Relatives living in Wuchang District did not dare to approach the hospital and
refused their commission. After many online contacts, his son found a funeral company
to handle the funeral for Wei Ling on their behalf.

At the end of January, the sky was gloomy in Wuhan. The funeral company's car carried
this strange body and headed north all the way to the Hankou funeral home. There, 14
available cremators are running all day, waiting for the dead to be delivered from
various hospitals at any time, including patients like Wei Ling.

Her death was not officially recorded, and she lacked the condolences of relatives and
friends. Only her unfamiliar Wang surnamed staff member was sent to her last journey.

Duan media reporters Yang Yu and Ning Yuanzhang also contributed to this article.
 

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 Gold Medalist Tragedy 
 

World champion family "fight

epidemic": crying for bed for son,
husband died before diagnosis
The sudden epidemic caused a huge change in the family: mother-in-law, husband, and
son were infected one after another, and Pei Jiayun also developed certain symptoms.
Among them, her husband died unfortunately during the isolation period.

(Xiaoxiang Morning News)

If not specifically asked, no one knows that she would not take the initiative to mention
that she had been a famous rower, won the championships at the World
Championships and the Asian Games, or was a "model worker in Hubei Province".

The husband was also a rower. His son was a junior in Wuhan. The mother-in-law
stayed at home. The family had three generations and four.

However, the sudden epidemic made a huge change in this family: mother-in-law,
husband, and son were infected one after another, and Pei Jiayun also developed
certain symptoms. Among them, her husband died unfortunately during the isolation
period.

She is a strong person, saying that she never asked for help, but in order to get a bed
for her child, she went to the neighborhood committee and begged the community staff,
"I can't help it."

Now, his son and mother-in-law have been diagnosed with new coronary pneumonia,
and have been admitted to the "Fangcai Hospital" in Wuzhan and the Vulcan Mountain
Hospital respectively.

In an interview with Xiaoxiang Morning News reporter on February 15th, Pei Jiayun said
that it felt that there was a change. "I will now be asked every day. How is my physical
condition? This is different from before. I am very grateful."

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Pei Jiayun, with a slightly hoarse voice and a cough, is currently observing at a
designated hotel in Hongshan District, Wuhan.

Oral | Rowing World Champion Pei Jiayun

Interview | Xiaoxiang Morning News reporter Geng Zhifang Wen Yanli Liao Ruyun

Record | Intern Tan Sihui Huang Ziwei Zhu Wenjing Yang Liying Zhao Hongjie Lin
Yingxian

[1] Mask

I used to be a kayaker. After retirement, I worked in the Water Sports Management

Center of Hubei Sports Bureau, located in Miaoling Town, Ezhou City, and my
hometown is Hongshan District, Wuhan City. The distance between the two is about 35
kilometers.

The holiday was only on January 24th. I received a notice on the evening of the 22nd
that I don't need to go to work the next day. The situation is grim, and rumors say that
the city will be closed. At the time, I thought it was impossible. A city as large as Wuhan,
a transportation hub connecting east, west, and south.
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 Gold Medalist Tragedy 
 
In fact, the day before I received the notification, I already wore a mask, which was sent
by another, three N95 masks, and someone said, "You are so cruel, wear such a thick
mask."

My husband was working in a hotel in Wuhan's Wuchang District. He was the captain of
the security team. He was still working on the 24th. There was nothing unusual when he
returned from work that night.

My son was a junior in a university in Wuhan. He had long been on vacation, including
my 84-year-old mother-in-law. After the thirtieth year of the New Year, none of our
family has ever gone out, even when we go out to the hospital or the community, we all
wear masks.

On the evening of January 28, my husband felt uncomfortable and had a fever, and
then my mother-in-law was uncomfortable.

I was worried about the infection, so the next day I took them to the community and
requested to be sent to the hospital for testing. The community was only responsible for
delivery, and later they came back from the hospital themselves.

[2] Detection

At that time, the examination was viral pneumonia. Both my mother-in-law and my
husband were unable to be hospitalized because of the results of the nucleic acid test,
and then started home isolation the next day.

Originally, my husband and I were in the same room. When they were separated, four
people in my family lived in separate rooms.

By February 1st, I was a little coughing, so I went to the hospital for examination, filming
and blood testing, and then the hospital informed me at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and
my husband, mother-in-law, and three people were doing nucleic acid testing.

It was almost 1 pm when I got home, because before I left, they said that they would
make chicken soup. When I went to check the disease, I cooked the soup at home.
When I came back, I ordered rice cakes, and we all ate a little.
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Then the old public car took us to the hospital for nucleic acid test. Many people did the
test that day.

My son also went for the test that day. His result was no infection, a little fever but not a
viral infection. Because of this, he went home alone.

At that time, my mother-in-law and my husband made a CT film after performing the
nucleic acid test. The film showed that they were infected. I saw that my husband's list
also included fatty liver.

We were back after the test, almost five o'clock.

[3] husband

After returning to the hospital, my husband's symptoms worsened, and he suffered from
sweating, diarrhea, fever, and cough because he was uncomfortable. I asked the
community and other channels for help, all saying that there was no way to be
hospitalized because there were no nucleic acid test results.

At 8 o'clock the next morning, my husband started to feel uncomfortable again, so I

called the community and the other party said that he had reported it to me.

At 10 o'clock in the evening, I called 120 and asked to hurry up and take my husband to
the hospital. The other person asked me if I could contact the bed. . I said that you only
need to send my husband to the clinic, even if you only need to inhale oxygen and give
a little bit, the other party agreed.

In special periods, it may be because the turnover of 120 vehicles is not so fast,
including community workers, I understand it, and I can't blame them.

At about two o'clock in the morning, I put a hot water bottle on his back and fed him a
glass of water. I went back to my room and planned to come and see him again. When
he came to see him again, he was gone. I regret that I left.

At two or three in the morning, the 120 issued a death certificate, which means that he
died of respiratory failure.

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At seven or eight in the evening, people from the funeral home arrived. When they left,
the funeral home did not let us go, saying that it was a national regulation. In order to
prevent cross infection, this was understandable. Regarding the ashes, they said they
would inform us to get them after the epidemic is over.

My husband just left like this. He was only 51 years old and was also a rower. He was
1.9 meters tall and won the National Games and the Asian Championships. We met in
1986 and got married in 1994. They were all from a sports team, and our bodies were
not a big deal during our lifetime.

[4] crying

On February 3rd, I took my son for a CT scan and showed that he was infected.

In fact, I now think that my son should not be allowed to do CPR for his dad that night.
He should just hide in the room. Maybe he didn't respond at all. He put on a mask and
pressed it. Infected.

The next day, my son told me, Mom, I have the same symptoms as my dad. I'm
sweating and diarrhea.

Suddenly I was so scared that I ran down the 16th floor and went to the neighborhood
committee to find someone and anxious to see my son. But the neighborhood
committee is in another community, and my community doesn't let us go out, the doors
are blocked.

I have no choice but to come out. I told the people in the community that I would go to
the neighborhood committee. My son was ill and I rushed to you without opening the
door. He opened the door for me.

When I arrived at the neighborhood committee, I asked them to take my son to the
hospital. I was so anxious that I couldn't control myself.

Later, the community sent a taxi to take my son to the hospital for a check-up and a
nucleic acid test.

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It was almost 3 o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived at Zhongnan Hospital. The
afternoon number of the hospital was gone. We had to wait until 5:30.

[5] Son

Both my son and I did a test, and at that time gave us a receipt asking us to get the
results the next day. That is, on February 5, we went to get it. As a result, my son
showed positive and I showed negative. Because our son is diagnosed, we must be
separated. That night, I went to an isolation point in Hongshan District with my mother-
in-law, a hotel, and my son was at home.

With a positive nucleic acid test result, his son went to the side cabin hospital at 10
o'clock in the evening on the 6th. From the 8th, he has no fever and has fewer coughs,
but his chest is still a little stuffy.

One day, my son suddenly called me and cried, saying that I miss my dad so much. I
said, your dad is already in the Kingdom of Heaven. You must take good care of and
protect yourself. He must be willing to see it, and he will be relieved.

I suddenly felt that he had grown up and was very sensible. He would call and mum
every day to greet mom how you are today, and would comfort me every day, saying
that mom, I am fine, how are you, and have a reaction to tell the doctor.

Speaking of my child, he is 1.97 meters tall, taller than his father, and of course weighs
100 kilograms. From an early age, I let him play badminton, basketball and football, but
he was not particularly interested in sports. After experiencing this epidemic, I think he
may understand the importance of physical strength better.

When it comes to educating children, we can't talk about success or failure, but we still
try to create a relatively relaxed environment for him, so children are more opinionated
and judgmental. He opposes finding a relationship with his parents, adding points to his
middle school or college entrance examination, saying that he will study hard to win.

His son attended a relatively good middle school in Hongshan District on his own
grades. In high school, chemistry also won the national third prize, and the senior high

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 Gold Medalist Tragedy 
 
school mock exam passed a maximum of 640 points. Despite his average performance
in the college entrance examination, he was admitted to a 211 college.

He is studying science and engineering, and his major is not sports. We think this is
also good. In the future, he will have a wider choice of jobs.

[6] Mother-in-law

After my son was admitted to the cabin hospital, our biggest worry was her mother-in-
law. She lost a son. Although she had a daughter, the psychological shock was
imaginable.

On February 9th, the isolation point informed my mother-in-law to go to the "third

hospital" and said that she could be checked and might be hospitalized.

At that time, I didn't go. My mother-in-law went alone. After she went, she came back
and told me that it was not done.

The next day, I was told to go with my mother-in-law. I said that if it was not possible,
there was no bed, the risk of going was very high, and we would not go that day.

On the 11th, the isolation point also called us to the emergency department and said
that there might be a bed. I can feel someone else's kindness.

The mother-in-law's situation was not very good. I felt that even if there was only hope, I
had to fight for it. If I couldn’t say it, my heart couldn't pass this hurdle, and I went
without a doubt.

After I went, others said, do you have a hospital notice when you come to the hospital? I
said no. The other person said, for example, do you need a notice when you go to
college? Similarly, a notice is required to be hospitalized, and we currently have no
beds here.

The "notice" they said should refer to the list with a positive nucleic acid test result, but
we don't have it.

[7] beds
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 Gold Medalist Tragedy 
 
I called the community and he said in good faith that you ask a doctor and let the doctor
give you a bed.

The doctor said you can ask me, but where can I get a bed for you? I said you gave me
an extra bed, and he said I could add an extra bed, so I didn't cover it all by myself? I
can understand the difficulties of doctors.

That night I ran upstairs and downstairs, sweating, and my mother-in-law was sitting in
the hall alone. She couldn't walk, she had no strength, she had difficulty breathing, and
she was old.

I suddenly felt very cold and cold, probably because I was sweating and could only walk
back and forth to warm up, and then called the community and said that I could only go
back.

When I came back, I really had a blocked nose and a cold. I quickly took a hot bath,
took medicine or something, and took a rest to restore my strength. The cold symptoms
disappeared the next day.

I understand the community. Maybe my mother-in-law is old, and she's afraid she might
have an accident in a quarantine hotel.

The mother-in-law only had a CT diagnosis of the infection, and the nucleic acid test
was not obtained, but around 3 pm on February 13, 120 directly took her to Vulcan
Mountain Hospital.

[8] warm

If it weren't for asking, I would never take the initiative to take the World Championships,
the Asian Games, or the National Games champions, all past tense, I always feel that
everyone is equal in the face of disaster.

My hometown is from rural Luotian County, Huanggang, and I was selected to be a

rower in the provincial team. I agreed at the time because my family was poor. At the
time I was 15 years old, 1.76 meters tall and 70 kilograms in weight, now it is 1.8

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 Gold Medalist Tragedy 
 
meters. Before that, I didn't know what rowing was. I changed my destiny through hard
work.

For a while, I was really anxious. I tried to hope that the work unit would help
coordinate, and the leader told me that it would be useless to find someone no matter
what, but to follow the procedure step by step.

Of course, they did not stand by, including with the help of epidemic prevention staff,
media reporters, volunteers, relatives, etc., I mastered the correct process. My son was
first admitted to the hospital with a bed.

During this period, the unit leaders did their utmost to help me, and organized
colleagues to condolences, how is the situation today, is there any improvement, how is
the son, there will be some greetings every day, and a colleague also bought me
medicine and gloves.

After this incident came out, the old teammates who had fought together, and the new
batches of new members, or those who didn't know, donated money to me, or sent a
phone call or WeChat condolences.

Still others sent the news to one of our "model workers" group, which got a lot of
people's attention; the child's aunt gave me chicken soup and fruit, all of which made
me feel warm.

I feel that I am still young and I want to continue my life in the future. I want to
strengthen exercise and diet. Of course, for my children, family, etc., I will give them
some kind reminders in good faith, and strive to make myself physically and mentally
strong.

[9] changes

I am still at the isolation point, my temperature is 37 degrees, which is the normal range.

I don't feel weak, I have less cough, sputum, nothing else, but I feel a little
uncomfortable inside.

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 Gold Medalist Tragedy 
 
The day before yesterday, I was notified to do another nucleic acid test. Yesterday, the
community sent the test result in WeChat, which was negative.

The doctor said to give me another observation, maybe these symptoms can go home
and quarantine after the symptoms disappeared, and the overall situation has improved.

In addition to changes in the body, other feelings have changed positively.

Watching the news said that Dr. Wenliang Li had been investigated by his superiors; the
Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee and the Secretary of the Wuhan
Municipal Party Committee had all changed; one day, more than 10,000 newly
confirmed cases of New Coronary Pneumonia were publicly announced, which should
include my mother-in-law; There are more than 25,000 medical personnel supporting
Hubei across the country, including about 20,000 in Wuhan.

There are still people who counsel me psychologically, including epidemic prevention
departments, community streets, etc. They will call me every day and ask you how you
are now. I used to call them before.

I mean, I'm very grateful for this, it made me see some sunshine.

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 Painful Suffocation 
 

First-line experts in Wuhan explain the

death cases of new coronary
pneumonia: they died of suffocation,
and the process was painful
February 27, 2020 15:10A

It has been described that the death of a patient with neo-coronary

pneumonia looks like this: he has difficulty breathing until the last few
minutes and the patient is awake. The patient would call for help,
crying and shouting, "Doctor, save me ..." With a violent struggle, until
the last breath was exhaled.

Why do patients with new coronary pneumonia die? What are the characteristics of
death?

On February 26, the preprinted journal MedRxiv published a paper "Clinical Analysis of
25 Cases of Death from New Coronavirus Pneumonia: A Retrospective Study of the
Wuhan Single Center in China" from the People's Hospital of Wuhan University. The
corresponding author of the paper is Wuhan University. Gong Zuojiong, director of the
infection department of the People's Hospital. This study aims to summarize the clinical
characteristics of deaths among patients with neo-coronary pneumonia, hoping to
detect critically ill patients early and reduce their mortality.

Of the 25 deaths, all patients died of respiratory failure. Gong Zuojiong told the author,
"They died of suffocation, because there was a large amount of mucus in the lungs,
oxygen could not enter the alveoli for gas exchange, and oxygen could not be
absorbed, and finally suffocated."

The development of the course of these death patients is related to many factors,
including the type and timing of respiratory support, and early warning. Of course, it is
more related to the severity of the underlying disease. Gong Zuojiong suggested that an
early-warning evaluation system should be established so that early and more active
intervention can reduce the mortality rate.

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 Painful Suffocation 
 
All patients died of respiratory failure
Researchers sorted out 25 deaths from January 14 to February 13, 2020, Wuhan
University People's Hospital, and analyzed their clinical records, laboratory test results,
and CT results of lungs.

Figure | General clinical characteristics of 25 dead patients. (Source: MedRxiv)

Among the 25 deaths, 10 were males and 15 were females. The average age of the
patients was 71.48 ± 12.42, and the course of disease was between 6 and 15 days. All
patients died of respiratory failure. This indicates that the lung is the most important
target organ for neocrown virus.

All patients have underlying diseases, of which 16 have hypertension, 10 have diabetes,
8 have heart disease, 5 have kidney disease, 4 have cerebral infarction, 2 have chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, and 2 have malignant disease. Of the tumors, 1 had
acute pancreatitis.

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 Painful Suffocation 
 
In addition to the lungs, the organs of the deceased are heart, kidney and liver. In the
last examination of the deceased, the total number of white blood cells increased in 17
cases, the neutrophil count increased in 18 cases, and the lymphocyte count decreased
in 22 cases.

90.5% of the dead experienced elevated PCT (procalcitonin) levels. PCT is a diagnostic
marker for bacterial infections. The percentages of CRP and SAA increased before
death were 85% and 100%, respectively, indicating a severe inflammatory cascade in
patients who died. CRP is an indicator of inflammation, which plays an important role in
the host's defense against invading pathogens and inflammation, while SAA is a plasma
protein that transports lipids during inflammation.

The researchers concluded that age and underlying disease are the most risk factors for
death in patients with new coronary pneumonia. Bacterial infection may also be an
important factor in accelerating death, and malnutrition is common in critically ill
patients.

A previous study of 4021 confirmed cases showed that nearly half of the patients were
over 50 years old, accounting for 47.7%, of which those aged 60 years and over
accounted for 26.2%. From the perspective of mortality, the mortality rate of patients
aged 60 years and over is 5.3%, which is significantly higher than 1.4% of patients
under 60 years old, and there are many comorbidities.

People with severe new-type coronavirus pneumonia progress rapidly to acute

respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), septic shock, difficult-to-correct metabolic
acidosis, and coagulopathy.

This study also confirms the conclusion that the mortality rate of elderly patients with
new coronary pneumonia is higher.

Why are older people more symptomatic? According to the "Key Points for the
Prevention and Treatment of New Coronavirus Pneumonia in the Elderly (Trial)"
published by the Chinese Journal of Geriatrics, there are many age-related changes in
the respiratory and immune systems. Changes in lung anatomy and muscle atrophy in
the elderly lead to changes in the physiological functions of the respiratory system,
reduced airway clearance, reduced lung reserve, decreased defense barrier function,
and decreased immune response. After infection with the new coronavirus, the elderly
population is more prone to inflammatory factor storms and progress to acute
respiratory failure.

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 Painful Suffocation 
 
Interview with Gong Zuojiong
 

Author: February 12 preprint website Medrxiv published a study that male

mortality in patients with new crown three times the female patients, with you the
results of (male to female ratio 10:15) are great differences?

Gong Zuojiong: Our research is to find out what caused the death of patients and what
the characteristics of death are. At present, the study is only a retrospective study of a
small sample for a specific period of time and cannot represent the probability of a large
sample.

We mainly emphasized the conclusion that in addition to the elderly, the 25 dead
patients are basic diseases. The most important basic disease is hypertension, and
then diabetes and heart disease. However, no survey of lifestyle habits such as
smoking history was conducted.

Author: these patients died of other critically ill patients and what is the
difference?

Gong Zuojiong: This is related to many factors, including respiratory support method
and timing (respiratory support method refers to invasive or non-invasive, and the timing
is the time to apply ventilator support), and also to early warning. Of course, it is more
related to the severity of the underlying disease.

Our research shows that these basic disease indicators, including cardiac and
coagulation function indicators, as well as CRP and SAA indicators can be used to
some extent as predictors of disease progression and death progression. If some
patients are severely ill at an early stage and the course of the disease is too long,
causing irreversible harm, the effect of respiratory support will be affected.

Author: Why do some young and those infected will die of it?

Gong Zuojiong: This is related to the timing of disease warning and the timing of
treatment. So now we need to establish an early-warning evaluation system. How can
we intervene earlier and more proactively in order to reduce mortality?

Author: I saw a statement that the treatment of respiratory support is divided into
four steps: First, high-flow oxygen therapy, it does not work on non-invasive
ventilator, then invalid, it is necessary endotracheal intubation. The last option is
artificial lung (ECMO). Is that right?

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 Painful Suffocation 
 
Gong Zuojiong: This is a classification of respiratory support, a gradual process. Early
oxygen therapy is definitely beneficial, but an autopsy that has not been published
recently shows that late patients have many secretions in the lower respiratory tract.
Improper positive pressure oxygenation may press viscous secretions into the alveoli
and cause alveolar ventilation. obstacle. This is a speculation, so these treatment
mechanisms need pathological results to further confirm that the pathogenesis of death
or the key cause of death in the end need to be revealed by autopsy results.

Earlier, the research of Academician Wang Fusheng in The Lancet and Respiratory
Medicine on February 17 was only a result of puncture and tissue samples obtained
after the patient's death. It cannot represent the results of autopsy. We need the results
of pathological analysis of autopsy.

(Author's note: According to media reports, after completing the autopsy of the first case
of deceased patients with new coronary pneumonia in the early morning of February 16,
Liu Liang, a professor of the Department of Forensic Medicine of Tongji Medical College
and the chairman of Hubei Provincial Forensic Association, and his team have obtained
9 cases Pathological samples of the deceased. Liu Liang believes that there are many
mucus-like secretions on the lung slices of deceased patients with new coronary
pneumonia. As long as the patient's airway mucus is not dissolved, oxygen will be
counterproductive.

Author: using ECMO is not the final option?

Gong Zuojiong: In fact, it seems that the effect of going to ECMO may not absolutely
save the lives of patients. In fact, whether it is invasive intubation or ECMO, as long as it
cannot be taken offline, the deterioration of the condition cannot be avoided. So in the
end, it depends on whether the patient's vital signs, respiratory function, and
biochemical indicators can be improved under the condition of respiratory support,
which can reflect the severity of the disease and prognosis.

Author: Some people describe the scene a new crown pneumonia death is this:
has difficulty breathing, until the last few minutes, the patient awake
throughout. The patient would call for help, crying and shouting, "Doctor, save
me ..." With a violent struggle, until the last breath was exhaled.

Gong Zuojiong: This is possible. The patient had an invasive ventilator including an
intubation. He was unable to express it, but sometimes the disease did not cause
mental disturbance or loss of consciousness. The last manifestation was respiratory
failure, so the process was painful.

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 Painful Suffocation 
 
In fact, they died of suffocation, because there was a large amount of mucus in the
lungs, oxygen could not enter the alveoli for gas exchange, and oxygen could not be
absorbed, and finally suffocated. At this time oxygen does not work. This is similar to
the final outcome of SARS patients, with a transparent film forming in the lungs and no
gas exchange.

Author: These mucus come from?

Gong Zuojiong: It is mainly an inflammatory secretion of lung inflammation, and may

contain some necrotic epithelial cells.

Author: your paper has a conclusion that the death of the patient also has a
relationship with nutritional support. why?

Gong Zuojiong: The dead patients all have different degrees of malnutrition. They have
multiple organ dysfunction, including hypoproteinemia and anemia. If you can eat
actively and maintain normal immune function, then the patient's chances of recovery
will be higher.

Therefore, patients with mild symptoms should also pay attention to it. We encourage
them to eat more, to maintain normal nutrition, and to maintain their normal immune
function. Those elderly patients may depend on the support of parenteral nutrition.

Author: bacterial infection is how it happened?

Gong Zuojiong: The total number of neutrophils before the death of the patient was
elevated. PCT (procalcitonin) is also an indicator of bacterial infection, which also
indicates that when the patient eventually dies, most of them will be accompanied by
bacterial infection. This is a bacterial infection secondary to a weakened immune
system.

Source: DeepTech
 

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 Crisis in Italy Hospitals 
 

Crisis in Italy A

Dr. Daniele Macchini posts a wrenching account of the situation inside

Italian hospitals.
March 6, 2020

7:04 PM

In one of the constant emails that I receive from my health department on a

more than daily basis now these days, there was also a paragraph entitled
"doing social responsibly", with some recommendations that can only be
supported.

After thinking for a long time if and what to write about what is happening to
us, I felt that the silence was not at all responsible. I will therefore try to
convey to people "not involved in the work" and further away from our
reality, what we are experiencing in Bergamo during these pandemic days
from Covid-19.

I understand the need not to create panic, but when the message of the
danger of what is happening does not reach people and I still feel who
cares about the recommendations and people who gather together
complaining about not being able to go to the gym or to be able to do
soccer tournaments I shudder.

I also understand the economic damage and I am also worried about

that. After the epidemic, the tragedy will start again. However, apart from
the fact that we are literally also devastating our NHS from an economic
point of view, I allow myself to raise the importance of the health damage
that is likely throughout the country and I find it nothing short of "chilling" for
example that a red zone already requested by the region has not yet been
established for the municipalities of Alzano Lombardo and Nembro (I would
like to clarify that this is pure personal opinion).

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 Crisis in Italy Hospitals 
 

I myself looked with some amazement at the reorganizations of the entire

hospital in the previous week, when our current enemy was still in the
shadows: the wards slowly "emptied", the elective activities interrupted, the
intensive therapies freed to create as many beds as possible. Containers
arriving in front of the emergency room to create diversified routes and
avoid any infections. All this rapid transformation brought in the corridors of
the hospital an atmosphere of surreal silence and emptiness that we still
did not understand, waiting for a war that had yet to begin and that many
(including me) were not so sure would never come with such ferocity .
(I open a parenthesis: all this in silence and without publicity, while several
newspapers had the courage to say that private health care was not doing
anything).

I still remember my night guard a week ago passed unnecessarily without

turning a blind eye, waiting for a call from the microbiology of the Sack. I
was waiting for the outcome of a swab on the first suspect patient in our
hospital, thinking about what consequences it would have for us and the
clinic. If I think about it, my agitation for one possible case seems almost
ridiculous and unjustified, now that I have seen what is happening.
Well, the situation is now nothing short of dramatic. No other words come
to mind.

The war has literally exploded and the battles are uninterrupted day and
night.

One after the other the unfortunate poor people come to the emergency
room. They have far from the complications of a flu. Let's stop saying it's a
bad flu. In these 2 years I have learned that the people of Bergamo do not
come to the emergency room at all. They did well this time too. They
followed all the indications given: a week or ten days at home with a fever
without going out and risking contagion, but now they can't take it
anymore. They don't breathe enough, they need oxygen.
Drug therapies for this virus are few. The course mainly depends on our
organism. We can only support it when it can't take it anymore. It is mainly
hoped that our body will eradicate the virus on its own, let's face it. Antiviral
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 Crisis in Italy Hospitals 
 

therapies are experimental on this virus and we learn its behavior day after
day. Staying at home until the symptoms worsen does not change the
prognosis of the disease.

Now, however, that need for beds in all its drama has arrived. One after
another, the departments that had been emptied are filling up at an
impressive rate. The display boards with the names of the sick, of different
colors depending on the operating unit they belong to, are now all red and
instead of the surgical operation there is the diagnosis, which is always the
same cursed: bilateral interstitial pneumonia.

Now, tell me which flu virus causes such a rapid tragedy. Because that's
the difference (now I'm going down a bit in the technical field): in the
classical flu, apart from infecting much less population over several
months, cases can be complicated less frequently, only when the VIRUS
destroying the protective barriers of the Our respiratory tract allows
BACTERIA normally resident in the upper tract to invade the bronchi and
lungs, causing more serious cases. Covid 19 causes a banal influence in
many young people, but in many elderly people (and not only) a real SARS
because it arrives directly in the alveoli of the lungs and infects them
making them unable to perform their function.

Sorry, but to me as a doctor it doesn't reassure you that the most serious
are mainly elderly people with other pathologies. The elderly population is
the most represented in our country and it is difficult to find someone who,
above 65 years of age, does not take at least the tablet for pressure or
diabetes. I also assure you that when you see young people who end up in
intubated intensive care, pronated or worse in ECMO (a machine for the
worst cases, which extracts the blood, re-oxygenates it and returns it to the
body, waiting for the organism, hopefully, heal your lungs), all this
tranquility for your young age passes.
And while there are still people on social networks who pride themselves
on not being afraid by ignoring the indications, protesting that their normal
lifestyle habits are "temporarily" in crisis, the epidemiological disaster is
taking place.

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 Crisis in Italy Hospitals 
 

And there are no more surgeons, urologists, orthopedists, we are only

doctors who suddenly become part of a single team to face this tsunami
that has overwhelmed us. The cases multiply, we arrive at the rate of 15-20
hospitalizations a day all for the same reason. The results of the swabs
now come one after the other: positive, positive, positive. Suddenly the
emergency room is collapsing. Emergency provisions are issued: help is
needed in the emergency room. A quick meeting to learn how the first aid
management software works and a few minutes later they are already
downstairs, next to the warriors on the war front. The PC screen with the
reasons for the access is always the same: fever and difficulty breathing,
fever and cough, respiratory failure etc ... The exams, radiology always with
the same sentence: bilateral interstitial pneumonia, bilateral interstitial
pneumonia, bilateral interstitial pneumonia. All to be hospitalized. Someone
already to intubate and go to intensive care. For others it is late ...
Intensive care becomes saturated, and where intensive care ends, more
are created. Each fan becomes like gold: those of the operating rooms that
have now suspended their non-urgent activity become places for intensive
care that did not exist before.

I found it incredible, or at least I can speak for the HUMANITAS Gavazzeni

(where I work) how it was possible to implement in such a short time a
deployment and a reorganization of resources so finely designed to
prepare for a disaster of this magnitude. And every reorganization of beds,
wards, staff, work shifts and tasks is constantly reviewed day after day to
try to give everything and even more.

Those wards that previously looked like ghosts are now saturated, ready to
try to give their best for the sick, but exhausted. The staff is exhausted. I
saw fatigue on faces that didn't know what it was despite the already
grueling workloads they had. I have seen people still stop beyond the times
they used to stop already, for overtime that was now habitual. I saw
solidarity from all of us, who never failed to go to our internist colleagues to
ask "what can I do for you now?" or "leave that hospitalization
alone." Doctors who move beds and transfer patients, who administer
therapies instead of nurses. Nurses with tears in their eyes because we are
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 Crisis in Italy Hospitals 
 

unable to save everyone and the vital signs of several patients at the same
time reveal an already marked destiny.

There are no more shifts, schedules. Social life is suspended for us.
I have been separated for a few months, and I assure you that I have
always done my best to constantly see my son even on the day of
disassembly at night, without sleeping and postponing sleep until when I
am without him, but for almost 2 weeks I have not voluntarily I see neither
my son nor my family members for fear of infecting them and in turn
infecting an elderly grandmother or relatives with other health problems. I'm
happy with some photos of my son that I regard between tears and a few
video calls.

So be patient too, you can't go to the theater, museums or gym. Try to

have mercy on that myriad of older people you could exterminate. It is not
your fault, I know, but of those who put it in your head that you are
exaggerating and even this testimony may seem just an exaggeration for
those who are far from the epidemic, but please, listen to us, try to leave
the house only to indispensable things. Do not go en masse to make stocks
in supermarkets: it is the worst thing because you concentrate and the risk
of contacts with infected people who do not know they are. You can go
there as you usually do. Maybe if you have a normal mask (even those that
are used to do certain manual work) put it on. Don't look for ffp2 or
ffp3. Those should serve us and we are beginning to struggle to find
them. By now we have had to optimize their use only in certain
circumstances, as the WHO recently suggested in view of their almost
ubiquitous impoverishment.

Oh yes, thanks to the shortage of certain devices, I and many other

colleagues are certainly exposed despite all the means of protection we
have. Some of us have already become infected despite the
protocols. Some infected colleagues have in turn infected family members
and some of their family members already struggle between life and death.
We are where your fears could make you stay away. Try to make sure you
stay away. Tell your family members who are elderly or with other illnesses
to stay indoors. Bring him the groceries please.
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 Crisis in Italy Hospitals 
 

We have no alternative. It's our job. In fact, what I do these days is not
really the job I'm used to, but I do it anyway and I will like it as long as it
responds to the same principles: try to make some sick people feel better
and heal, or even just alleviate the suffering and the pain to those who
unfortunately cannot heal.

I don't spend a lot of words about the people who define us heroes these
days and who until yesterday were ready to insult and report us. Both will
return to insult and report as soon as everything is over. People forget
everything quickly.

And we're not even heroes these days. It's our job. We risked something
bad every day before: when we put our hands in a belly full of blood of
someone we don't even know if he has HIV or hepatitis C; when we do it
even though we know it has HIV or hepatitis C; when we sting with the one
with HIV and take the drugs that make us vomit from morning to night for a
month. When we open with the usual anguish the results of the tests at the
various checks after an accidental puncture hoping not to be infected. We
simply earn our living with something that gives us emotions. It doesn't
matter if they are beautiful or ugly, just take them home.

In the end we only try to make ourselves useful for everyone. Now try to do
it too though: with our actions we influence the life and death of a few
dozen people. You with yours, many more.

Please share and share the message. We must spread the word to prevent
what is happening here in Italy

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 Missing Reporters 
 

Coronavirus: Why have two reporters in

Wuhan disappeared?
BBC News
February 14, 2020

They are citizen journalists, wanting to provide the "truth" of what is happening in
Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China.

They posted videos online, shared pictures and dramatic stories from inside the
quarantined city that has been virtually cut off from the rest of the country.

Now, they are nowhere to be found.

Fang Bin and Chen Qiushi were both determined to share what they could about the
crisis, reporting from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, and sending what they
found out into the world.

As a result, they racked up thousands of views on their videos. But their channels have
now gone quiet, and those who followed them online fear they may have disappeared
for good.

What do we know about Fang Bin?

Wuhan businessman Fang Bin began posting videos about the outbreak to "report on
the actual situation here", promising to "do his best" in the reporting.

He uploaded his first video on 25 January to YouTube, which is banned in China but
accessible through virtual private networks (VPN).

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 Missing Reporters 
 

His first few videos - mostly featuring him driving around the city and showing the
situation in different places - managed slightly more than 1,000 views.

Then on 1 February he filmed a video which got people to sit up and take notice. The
clip, which has been viewed almost 200,000 times, appears to show eight corpses piled
in a minibus outside a hospital in Wuhan.

Fang alleges that police barged into his home on that same night and interrogated him
about his videos. He was taken away, warned, but eventually released.

But on 9 February, he posted a 13-second video with the words "all people revolt - hand
the power of the government back to the people".

After that, the account went silent.

What do we know about Chen Qiushi?

Chen, a former human rights lawyer turned video journalist, was already relatively well
known in the activist space. He built his reputation through his coverage of the Hong
Kong protests last August.

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 Missing Reporters 
 
That coverage, he later alleged, led to him being harassed and ultimately muzzled by
Chinese authorities following his return to the mainland. His Chinese social media
accounts, which reportedly had a following of more than 700,000, were deleted.

But he could not be kept quiet.

In October, he created a YouTube account which now has some 400,000 subscribers.
He also has over 265,000 followers on Twitter.

In late January he decided to travel to Wuhan to report on the worsening situation.

"I will use my camera to document what is really happening. I promise I won't… cover
up the truth," he said in his first YouTube video.

He visited different hospitals in Wuhan, looking at the conditions and speaking to

patients.

Chen knew that this was putting him at risk. He told the BBC's John Sudworth earlier
this month that he was unsure how long he would be able to continue.

"The censorship is very strict and people's accounts are being closed down if they share
my content," he said.

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 Missing Reporters 
 
Then, on 7 February, a video was shared on his Twitter account - which is currently
managed by a friend - featuring his mother, who said he had gone missing the day
before.

His friend Xu Xiaodong later alleged in a YouTube video that he had been forcibly
quarantined.

What have authorities said?

Chinese authorities have remained tight-lipped on the issue. There has been no official
statement detailing where Fang Bin or Chen Qiushi are, or when they are likely to
emerge if they have been put into quarantine.

Patrick Poon, a researcher at Amnesty International, said it was still unclear whether
Chen or Fang "were taken away by police or placed under 'forced quarantine'".

However, he added that authorities should "at least" ensure family members were
contacted.

"Chinese authorities should inform their families and give them access to a lawyer of
their choice. Otherwise, it's a legitimate concern that they are at risk of torture or other
ill-treatment," Mr Poon told the BBC.

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 Missing Reporters 
 
Why might they have disappeared?

Beijing is known for clamping down on activists who speak out. It has also been keen to
show it is getting the outbreak under control.

It is perhaps not surprising that, according to one Human Rights Watch (HRW)
researcher, the authorities are currently "equally, if not more, concerned with silencing
criticism as with containing the spread of the virus".
One doctor, Li Wenliang, was warned not to spread "false comments" after raising the
alarm about the virus earlier in December. He eventually caught the virus and died.

His death triggered an unprecedented wave of anger, sparking an online uprising.

Chinese authorities were stunned, and reacted by attempting to censor every critical
comment about Dr Li's death.

"The authoritarian Chinese government has a history of harassing and detaining citizens
for speaking the truth or for criticizing the authorities during public emergencies, for
example, during Sars in 2003, Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, Wenzhou train crash in
2011 and Tianjin chemical explosion in 2015," HRW's Yaqiu Wang told the BBC.

However, she says China needs to "learn from experience and understand that freedom
of information, transparency and the respect for human rights facilitate disease control,
not hinder it".

"Authorities are doing themselves a disservice by [allegedly] disappearing Fang and

Chen," she added.
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 Missing Reporters 
 
On Chinese news site Weibo, there are only a handful of comments mentioning Chen
and Fang - and it seems only a matter of time before they are scrubbed away by
China's ever vigilant censors.

"[They] re-write history," said one comment. "Slowly it will be like [there never was]
someone called Chen Qiushi."

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 Two Sick Women 
 

Coronavirus: Two women in China fell

sick, only one recovered

BEIJING (NYTIMES) - The young mothers didn't tell their children they
had the coronavirus. Mama was working hard, they said, to save sick
people.

Instead, nurse Deng Danjing and Dr Xia Sisi were fighting for their lives in
the hospitals where they worked, weak from fever and gasping for breath.
Within a matter of weeks, they had gone from healthy medical
professionals on the front lines of the epidemic in Wuhan, China, to
coronavirus patients in critical condition.

The world is still struggling to fully understand the new virus, its
symptoms, spread and sources. For some, it can feel like a common cold.
For others, it is a deadly infection that ravages the lungs and pushes the
immune system into overdrive, destroying even healthy cells. The
difference between life and death can depend on the patient's health, age
and access to care - although not always.

The virus has infected more than 132,000 globally. The vast majority of
cases have been mild, with limited symptoms. But the virus's progression
can be quick, at which point the chances of survival plummet. Around
68,000 people have recovered, while nearly 5,000 have died.

The fates of Ms Deng and Dr Xia reflect the unpredictable nature of a virus
that affects everyone differently, at times defying statistical averages and
scientific research.

As the new year opened in China, the women were leading remarkably
similar lives. Both were 29 years old. Both were married, each with a young
child on whom she doted.

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Ms Deng, a nurse, had worked for three years at Wuhan No. 7 Hospital, in
the city where she grew up and where the coronavirus pandemic began. Her
mother was a nurse there, too, and in their free time they watched movies
or shopped together. Ms Deng's favourite activity was playing with her two
pet kittens, Fat Tiger and Little White, the second of which she had rescued
just three months before falling sick.

Dr Xia, a gastroenterologist, also came from a family of medical

professionals. As a young child, she had accompanied her mother, a nurse,
to work. She joined the Union Jiangbei Hospital of Wuhan in 2015 and was
the youngest doctor in her department. Her colleagues called her "Little
Sisi" or "Little Sweetie" because she always had a smile for them. She loved
Sichuan hot pot, a dish famous for its numbingly spicy broth.

When a mysterious new virus struck the city, the women began working
long hours, treating a seemingly endless flood of patients. They took
precautions to protect themselves. But they succumbed to the infection, the
highly contagious virus burrowing deep into their lungs, causing fever and
pneumonia. In the hospital, each took a turn for the worse.

One recovered. One did not.

SYMPTOMS: ONSET OF VIRUS AND HOSPITALISATION

The symptoms came on suddenly.

Dr Xia had ended her night shift Jan 14 when she was called back to attend
to a patient - a 76-year-old man with suspected coronavirus. She dropped
in frequently to check in on him.

Five days later, she started feeling unwell. Exhausted, she took a two-hour
nap at home, then checked her temperature: It was 38.8 deg C. Her chest
felt tight.

A few weeks later, in early February, Ms Deng, the nurse, was preparing to
eat dinner at the hospital office when the sight of food left her nauseated.
She brushed the feeling aside, figuring she was worn out by work. She had

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 Two Sick Women 
 

spent the beginning of the outbreak visiting the families of confirmed

patients and teaching them to disinfect their homes.

After forcing down some food, she went home to shower, and then, feeling
groggy, took a nap. When she woke up, her temperature was 38 deg C.

Fever is the most common symptom of the coronavirus, seen in nearly 90

per cent of patients. About a fifth of people experience shortness of breath,
often including a cough and congestion. Many also feel fatigued.

Medical staff treating patients infected by the Covid‐19 disease at a hospital in 
Wuhan in China's central Hubei province, on Feb 24, 2020. PHOTO: AFP

Both women rushed to see doctors. Chest scans showed damage to their
lungs, a telltale sign of the coronavirus that is present in at least 85 per cent
of patients, according to one study.

In particular, Ms Deng's CT scan showed what the doctor called ground-

glass opacities on her lower right lung - hazy spots that indicated fluid or
inflammation around her airways.
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 Two Sick Women 
 

The hospital had no space, so she checked into a hotel to avoid infecting her
husband and five-year-old daughter. She sweated through the night. At one
point, her calf twitched. In the morning, she was admitted to the hospital.
Her throat was swabbed for a genetic test, which confirmed she had the
coronavirus.

Her room in a newly opened staff ward was small, with two cots and a
number assigned to each one. Ms Deng was in bed 28. Her roommate was a
colleague who had also been diagnosed with the virus.

At Jiangbei Hospital, 29km away, Dr Xia was struggling to breathe. She was
placed in an isolation ward and treated by doctors and nurses who wore
protective suits and safety goggles. The room was cold.

TREATMENT: DAY 1, HOSPITALISATION BEGINS

When Ms Deng checked into the hospital, she tried to stay upbeat. She
texted her husband, urging him to wear a mask even at home and to clean
all their bowls and chopsticks with boiling water or throw them out.

Her husband sent a photograph of one of their cats at home. "Waiting for
you to come back," he said.

"I think it'll take 10 days, half a month," she replied. "Take care of yourself."

There is no known cure for Covid-19, the official name for the disease
caused by the new coronavirus. So doctors rely on a cocktail of other
medicines, mostly antiviral drugs, to alleviate the symptoms.

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Medical staff produce traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients infected by 
the coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province, on 
March 2, 2020. PHOTO: AFP

Ms Deng's doctor prescribed a regimen of arbidol, an antiviral medicine

used to treat the flu in Russia and China; Tamiflu, another flu medicine
more popular internationally; and Kaletra, an HIV medicine thought to
block the replication of the virus. Ms Deng was taking at least 12 pills a day
as well as traditional Chinese medicine.

Despite her optimism, she grew weaker. Her mother delivered home-
cooked food outside the ward, but she had no appetite. A nurse had to come
at 8.30am each day to hook her up to an intravenous drip with nutrients to
feed her. Another drip pumped antibodies into her bloodstream, and still
another antiviral medicine.

Dr Xia, too, was severely ill, but appeared to be slowly fighting the
infection. Her fever had subsided after a few days, and she began to breathe
more easily after being attached to a ventilator.

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 Two Sick Women 
 

In early February, she asked her husband, Wu Shilei, also a doctor, whether
he thought she could get off oxygen therapy soon.

"Take it easy. Don't be too anxious," he replied on WeChat. He told her that
the ventilator could possibly be removed by the following week.

"I keep on thinking about getting better soon," she responded.

There was reason to believe she was on the mend. After all, most
coronavirus patients recover.

Later, Dr Xia tested negative twice for the coronavirus. She told her mother
she expected to be discharged on Feb 8.

DECLINE: DAYS 4 TO 15 AFTER HOSPITALISATION

By Ms Deng's fourth day in the hospital, she could no longer pretend to be

cheerful. She was vomiting, having diarrhoea and relentlessly shivering.

Her fever jumped to 38.5 deg C. Early in the morning on Feb 5, she woke
from a fitful sleep to find the medicine had done nothing to lower her
temperature. She cried. She said she was classified as critically ill.

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Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International 
Conference and Exhibition Centre, which had been converted into a makeshift 
hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the novel coronavirus, 
in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Feb 5, 2020. PHOTO: REUTERS

China defines a critically ill patient as someone with respiratory failure,

shock or organ failure. Around 5 per cent of infected patients became
critical in China, according to one of the largest studies to date of
coronavirus cases. Of those, 49 per cent died. Those rates may eventually
change once more cases are examined around the world.

While Dr Xia appeared to be recovering, she was still terrified of dying.

Testing can be faulty, and negative results don't necessarily mean patients
are in the clear.

She asked her mother for a promise: Could her parents look after her two-
year-old son if she didn't make it?

Hoping to dispel her anxiety with humour, her mother, Jiang Wenyan,
chided her: "He's your own son. Don't you want to raise him yourself?"
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 Two Sick Women 
 

Dr Xia also worried about her husband. Over video chat, she urged him to
put on protective equipment at the hospital where he worked. "She said she
would wait for me to return safely," he said, "and go to the front line again
with me when she recovered."

Then came the call. Dr Xia's condition had suddenly deteriorated. In the
early hours of Feb 7, her husband rushed to the emergency room. Her heart
had stopped.

RECOVERY: DAY 17 AFTER HOSPITALISATION

In most cases, the body repairs itself. The immune system produces enough
antibodies to clear the virus, and the patient recovers.

By the end of Ms Deng's first week in the hospital, her fever had receded.
She could eat the food her mother delivered. On Feb 10, as her appetite
returned, she looked up photos of meat skewers online and posted them
wishfully to social media.

On Feb 15, her throat swab came back negative for the virus. Three days
later, she tested negative again. She could go home.

Ms Deng met her mother briefly at the hospital's entrance. Then, because
Wuhan remained locked down, without taxis or public transportation, she
walked home alone.

"I felt like a little bird," she recalled. "My freedom had been returned to
me."

The Chinese government has urged recovered patients to donate plasma,

which experts say contains antibodies that could be used to treat the sick.
Ms Deng contacted a local blood bank soon after getting home.

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 Two Sick Women 
 

Doctors who have recovered from the coronavirus infection donating plasma in 
Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. PHOTO: AFP

She plans to go back to work as soon as the hospital allows it.

"It was the nation that saved me," she said. "And I think I can pay it back to
the nation."

DEATH: DAY 35 AFTER HOSPITALISATION

It was sometime after 3am on Feb 7 when Dr Xia was rushed to intensive
care. Doctors first intubated her. Then, the president of the hospital
frantically summoned several experts from around the city, including Dr
Peng Zhiyong, head of the department of critical care at Zhongnan
Hospital.

They called every major hospital in Wuhan to borrow an extra-corporeal

membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, machine to do the work of her heart and
lungs.

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Dr Xia's heart started beating again. But the infection in her lungs was too
severe, and they failed. Her brain was starved of oxygen, causing
irreversible damage. Soon, her kidneys shut down, and doctors had to put
her on round-the-clock dialysis.

"The brain acts as the control centre," Dr Peng said. "She couldn't
command her other organs, so those organs would fail. It was only a matter
of time." Dr Xia slipped into a coma and died on Feb 23.

Dr Peng remains baffled about why Dr Xia died after she seemed to
improve.

Her immune system, like that of many health workers, may have been
compromised by constant exposure to sickness. Perhaps she suffered from
what experts call a "cytokine storm", in which the immune system's
reaction to a new virus engulfs the lungs with white blood cells and fluid.
Perhaps she died because her organs were starved of oxygen.

Back at Dr Xia's home, her son, Jiabao - which means priceless treasure -
still thinks his mother is working. When the phone rings, he tries to grab it
from his grandmother's hands, shouting, "Mama, Mama". Her husband,
Wu, doesn't know what to tell Jiabao. He hasn't come to terms with her
death himself. They had met in medical school and were each other's first
loves. They had planned to grow old together.

"I loved her very much," he said. "She's gone now. I don't know what to do
in the future. I can only hold on."

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 Working to Death 
 

Doctors and nurses fighting coronavirus in China

die of both infection and fatigue
ALICE SU / Los Angeles Times
BEJING —

Sudden pain pierced through the anonymity of hazmat suits and protective masks as a
woman in full medical gear chased a black funeral van, letting out a faceless howl.

Her husband, Liu Zhiming, director of Wuhan’s Wuchang Hospital and a respected
neurosurgeon who’d led the institution’s coronavirus response, was inside the vehicle.
A video of the anguished moment went viral, showing Liu’s wife, Cai Liping, a nurse
who had been on the front lines with him, staggering forward, arms outstretched,
watching as his corpse was driven away to be cremated.

A doctor is disinfected by a colleague Feb. 3 at a quarantine zone in Wuhan, China.

(AFP/Getty Images)

Cai had begged to take care of Liu after he became infected in late January, when
thousands of patients began crowding into Wuhan’s overburdened hospitals. But he
refused, fearing she would get sick too. He even kept her away when he was moved to
intensive care.

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 Working to Death 
 
“Can you see my messages? Can I come take care of you?” she texted him from
outside his ward. “If you’re scared how about if I come stay with you?”

“No,” Liu wrote.

Liu died on Feb. 18.

A spate of recent deaths at China’s coronavirus epicenter highlights how COVID-19 has
strained medical workers struggling to stem an outbreak that has killed more than 2,700
people and infected more than 80,000 worldwide. Chinese health authorities and a team
from the World Health Organization reported Monday evening that 3,387 health workers
in China had been infected with COVID-19, more than 90% of whom were in Hubei
province, the outbreak’s ground zero.

The rate of new infections and deaths overall appears to be slowing in China. But the
toll on medical workers reflects the harrowing costs of a politically delayed response
that overwhelmed Wuhan and surrounding Hubei’s healthcare systems. Hospital staffer
were left underprotected, overworked and increasingly vulnerable, even as they became
the nexus between a frightened public and a misdirected government.

State propaganda has glorified their sacrifices, and on Saturday

authorities announced measures to bolster support for medical workers, including
higher salaries and a “martyr” title for the deceased. But their deaths and infections
have sparked criticisms that the Communist Party has not taken responsibilities for
shortcomings that allowed the spread of the virus to accelerate.

A doctor talks with a patient Feb. 3 during rounds of a quarantine ward in Wuhan, China.
(AFP/Getty Images)

The Times counted at least 18 reported deaths of medical workers involved in the
COVID-19 response as of Monday, including nurses and doctors who died not because
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 Working to Death 
 
of infection but because of cardiac arrest or other ailments due to overwork and fatigue.
One victim was hit by a car while taking temperatures on a highway.
The most recent were three doctors who died in one day, all infected with COVID-19.
One of them, Xia Sisi, a gastroenterologist in Wuhan, was 29. Another physician, Peng
Yinhua, also 29, died in Wuhan of infection on Feb. 20. He had delayed his Feb. 1
wedding, promising his pregnant fiancee they’d have the ceremony after the outbreak
had passed.

Most of the infected medical workers are in Hubei, many of them part of the initial
response in Wuhan, when shortages of protective gear, understaffed hospitals and
transportation shutdowns collided with an overwhelming number of patients. The stories
of doctors and nurses tell of clever improvisation and quiet perseverance in a war
against a mysterious virus.

A doctor in Wuhan told The Times in a phone interview Jan. 29 that 12 out of 59 doctors
in his hospital were showing symptoms of the virus, including lung infections — but
continued to treat patients while wearing insufficient protective gear.

Since then, he and other medical workers have been told to stop speaking to the press.

The death of Wuhan front-line nurse Liu Fan, 49, is a diary of how cruel and ravenous
the virus is.

Liu’s brother, Chang Kai, a film director, wrote a final letter describing what had
happened to his family. All four members were infected with the virus after being
quarantined at home in close quarters. Unable to get a hospital bed amid Wuhan’s
shortage, Chang’s father died at home Feb. 3. His mother died Feb. 8.

Addressing his son in London, Chang’s letter reads: “I went to hospitals begging and
weeping, but I am too low and insignificant.... All my life I’ve been a faithful son, a
responsible father, a loving husband, an honest person. Farewell! To those I love and
those who love me.”

Chang died on Feb. 14; Liu hours later.

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 Working to Death 
 

A doctor attends to a coronavirus patient in an isolation ward at a hospital in Wuhan.

There are also deaths from overwork. They include Song Yingjie, a 28-year-old
pharmacist, who was single-handedly managing his hospital’s medicine prescriptions,
then checking temperatures at a highway stop at night. He worked until midnight on
Feb. 2, standing on the roadside in freezing wind, according to a colleague who was
with him. It was his 10th consecutive day on the virus response team.

He was found dead in his hospital dormitory the next afternoon. The cause was cardiac
arrest from exhaustion.

Another was Wang Tucheng, 37, a doctor in Henan’s Xinwangzhuang village who was
found dead on Feb. 10 in his clinic. His diagnosis was also cardiac arrest due to
overwork and fatigue.

In Nanjing, Xu Hui, leader of a hospital’s virus control group, worked for 18 days
straight, then went home after a meeting on Feb. 6, “lay down and never got up,”
according to state media. She was 51.

Exhaustion is one reason medical workers have high vulnerability to infection, said John
Nicholls, a Hong Kong University pathologist who worked on the 2003 SARS
outbreak (he never saw deaths from overwork during the fight against severe acute
respiratory syndrome, though). Others include lack of training in personal protective
equipment, contaminated surfaces, close contact with sick patients, and — perhaps
most pertinent to China’s situation — people operating outside their area of expertise.
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 Working to Death 
 
When SARS broke out, doctors from different departments were asked to join the front
lines, Nicholls said. But many medical workers weren’t properly trained for procedures
such as intubation in a high-risk infectious disease environment.

In a crisis situation without proper training, medics rushing to the front then easily
became infected, and spread infections to others. Nicholls sees a similar pattern with
COVID-19.

“I’m not surprised. I’m disappointed that people didn’t learn from SARS,” he said. “The
worse thing is once you get an infected healthcare worker, then there’s extra workload
on the others.”

“There has to be a sense that only the people trained ... should be allowed to have
access, not to allow any people who are willing but maybe not properly trained with the
skills,” he said.

China has sent tens of thousands of medical workers from all over the country to bolster
relief efforts in Wuhan. It’s a major focus of state propaganda. The narrative features
few details on whether the teams receive protective training or other safety measures.
Instead, many state videos play inspirational music as doctors and nurses pump their
fists, shout patriotic slogans, and prepare for “battle.”

Medical workers’ love for the motherland, Communist Party membership and self-
sacrifice have become major propaganda themes after the death of a whistleblower,
Dr. Li Wenliang, prompted unprecedented calls for transparency and freedom of
speech in China.

But some Chinese feel state media have turned medical workers into props.

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Li Wenliang, the doctor who was silenced by police for trying to share news about the new
coronavirus long before Chinese authorities disclosed its full threat, died Feb. 6.

(Weibo)

One article by the Wuhan Evening News praised a 28-year-old nurse who went back to
front-line work 10 days after a miscarriage, calling her a “warrior.” Many online
commenters objected.

“Stop this type of propaganda! Stop putting unprotected medical workers on the front
line,” one user wrote.

“She is willing to give of herself for the public, the public should protect her rights in
return. Our great nation should never allow a vulnerable nurse to look after the
patients,” another wrote.

State channel CCTV also aired a report about a pregnant nurse only 20 days from her
delivery date but still working in an Wuhan emergency ward, calling her a “great mother
and angel in a white gown.”

Internet users, feminists and academics were furious.

“Hospitals should not be allowing a nurse who is nine months pregnant — or the one
who’d had a miscarriage — to work. Their immune systems are weakened, and it’s
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 Working to Death 
 
highly possible that they will be infected with the virus,” feminist writer Hou Hongbin told
the South China Morning Post.

“These reports are just propaganda.... They’re humiliating these nurses, but they
present it as if they are making a sacrifice,” Hou said.

Both nurse stories were deleted after the public backlash.

The language of militaristic sacrifice is obscuring the human value and rights of each
individual, said Peking University historian Luo Xin in a recent Chinese podcast that has
since been censored online.

“Fundamental laws are broken, basic human rights are destroyed. Why? Because it’s
‘wartime,’” Luo said. “In ‘wartime,’ we can do anything. There is great danger in using
this type of language.”

“We are facing humans, not numbers,” he said. “If we can so casually tolerate a few
million people making sacrifices for some greater goal, what are we still doing as
humans?”

While state propaganda continues to praise heroic sacrifice, one front-line nurse in
Wuhan, Long Qiaoling, expressed her feelings in a poem:

Please allow me to remove my protective gear and mask

To separate my flesh from the armor
Let me lean my body down
Let me breathe quietly
Ah….

The slogans are yours

The praise is yours
The propaganda, the model workers, all are yours
I am just fulfilling my duties
Acting on a healer’s conscience
Often, we go bare-skinned into battle
No time to choose between life and death
Truly no high and mighty thoughts
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 Working to Death 
 
Please don’t give me a wreath
Don’t give me applause....

Media, reporters
Please don’t bother me
The so-called truth, the numbers
I don’t have time or heart to follow
I’m exhausted day and night
To rest, to sleep
Is more important than your praises
If you can, please go and see
Those ruined homes
Is smoke rising from their hearths?
Those scattered phones in the crematorium
Have they found their owners?

Gaochao Zhang and Nicole Liu of The Times’ Beijing bureau contributed to this report.

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 Italian Funerals 
 

'A generation has died': Italian province

struggles to bury its coronavirus dead
Coffins pile up and corpses are sealed off in homes as Bergamo’s funeral
firms are overwhelmed

Angela Giuffrida in Orvieto and Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo

Thu 19 Mar 2020 05.00 GMTLast modified on Thu 19 Mar 2020 05.05 GMT

 Funeral workers transport the coffin of a coronavirus victim into a cemetery in Bergamo. Photograph: 
Flavio Lo Scalzo/Reuters 

Coffins awaiting burial are lining up in churches and the corpses of those who died at
home are being kept in sealed-off rooms for days as funeral services struggle to cope in
Bergamo, the Italian province hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Wednesday, Covid-19 had killed 2,978 across Italy, all buried or cremated without
ceremony. Those who die in hospital do so alone, with their belongings left in bags
beside coffins before being collected by funeral workers.

In Bergamo, a province of 1.2 million people in the Lombardy region, where 1,640 of the
total deaths in the country have taken place, 3,993 people had contracted the virus by
Tuesday. The death toll across the province is unclear, but CFB, the area’s largest
funeral director, has carried out almost 600 burials or cremations since 1 March.
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 Italian Funerals 
 
“In a normal month we would do about 120,” said Antonio Ricciardi, the president of
CFB. “A generation has died in just over two weeks. We’ve never seen anything like this
and it just makes you cry.”

There are about 80 funeral companies across Bergamo, each receiving dozens of calls an
hour. A shortage of coffins as providers struggle to keep up with demand and funeral
workers becoming infected with the virus are also hampering preparations.

Hospitals have adopted more stringent rules regarding the handling of the dead, who
need to be placed in a coffin straight away without being clothed due to the risk of
infection posed by their bodies. “Families can’t see their loved ones or give them a
proper funeral, this is a big problem on a psychological level,” said Ricciardi. “But also
because many of our staff are ill, we don’t have as many people to transport and prepare
the bodies.”

A cemetery employee closes the gates behind a hearse at the Monumental cemetery of Bergamo.
Photograph: Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images

For those who die at home, the bureaucratic process is lengthier as deaths need to be
certified by two doctors. The second is a specialist who would ordinarily have to certify
the death no later than 30 hours after a person has passed away.

“So you have to wait for both doctors to come and at this time, many of them are also
ill,” added Ricciardi.

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Stella, a teacher in Bergamo, shared the story of one of the deceased with the Guardian.
“Yesterday, an 88-year-old man died,” she said. “He’d had a fever for a few days. There
was no way to call an ambulance because the line was always busy. He died alone in his
room. The ambulance arrived an hour later. Obviously, nothing could be done. And
since no coffins were available in Bergamo, they left him on the bed and sealed his room
to keep his relatives from entering until a coffin could be found.”

Adding to the torment is the fact that relatives cannot visit their loved ones in hospital,
or give them proper funerals.

“Usually you would be able to dress them and they would stay one night in the family
home. None of this is happening,” said Alessandro, whose 74-year-old uncle died in
Codogno, the Lombardy town where the outbreak began. “You can’t even see them to
say goodbye, this is the most devastating part.”

The harrowing impact of the virus on Bergamo can be gleaned from the obituary section
of the local newspaper L’Eco di Bergamo. On Friday, reader Giovanni Locatelli shared
online footage comparing the newspaper’s obituary section on 9 February, when listings
took up just one page, to a copy dated 13 March, when 10 pages were needed to
commemorate the dead. On Sunday, Il Messaggero posted a video of coffins lined up in
a church.

“We have asked for support from funeral companies nationally as deaths have risen
exponentially,” said Pietro Bonaldi, the director of Lia, a business association in
Bergamo. “We have reached capacity. And unfortunately, in recent days a lot of funeral
workers have become sick with the virus and so can’t work.”

Elsewhere in Italy, there have been cases of funeral companies refusing to take bodies,
for example in Naples, where the body of Teresa Franzese, 47, was kept at home for
almost two days before it was collected.

All religious ceremonies, including funerals, masses and weddings, are banned amid the
lockdown. However, two priests, one near Venice and another in the southern Campania
region, were charged for officiating a funeral.

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 New Jersey Family Tragedy 
 

Coronavirus Ravages 7 Members of a

Single Family, Killing 3

The matriarch of the large New Jersey family died Wednesday

night without ever knowing that her two oldest children had
died before her. By Tracey Tully March 18, 2020

Grace Fusco, center, and her 11 children in a family photo. 

Grace Fusco — mother of 11, grandmother of 27 — would sit in the same pew at church
each Sunday, surrounded by nearly a dozen members of her sprawling Italian-American
family. Sunday dinners drew an even larger crowd to her home in central New Jersey.

Now, her close-knit clan is united anew by unspeakable grief: Mrs. Fusco, 73, died on
Wednesday night after contracting the coronavirus — hours after her son died from the
virus and five days after her daughter’s death, a relative said.
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 New Jersey Family Tragedy 
 
Four other children who contracted coronavirus remain hospitalized, three of them in
critical condition, the relative, Roseann Paradiso Fodera, said.

Mrs. Fusco’s eldest child, Rita Fusco-Jackson, 55, of Freehold, N.J., died Friday; after
her death, the family learned she had contracted the virus. Her eldest son, Carmine
Fusco, of Bath, Pa., died on Wednesday, said Ms. Paradiso Fodera, the family’s lawyer
who is Mrs. Fusco’s cousin and is serving as a spokeswoman.

Mrs. Fusco, of Freehold, died after spending Wednesday “gravely ill” and breathing with
help from a ventilator, unaware that her two oldest children had died, Ms. Paradiso
Fodera said.
THE LATEST

Nearly 20 other relatives are quarantined at their homes, praying in isolated solitude,
unable to mourn their deep collective loss together.

“If they’re not on a respirator, they’re quarantined,” Ms. Paradiso Fodera said.

“It is so pitiful,” she added. “They can’t even mourn the way you would.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, five New Jersey residents had died after contracting the
virus, which has infected at least 427 people statewide. Nationwide, at least 7,047 people
across every state, plus Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories, have tested positive
for coronavirus, and at least 121 have died, according to a New York Times database.

But the virus’s devastating toll on a single family is considered as rare as it is perplexing.

“They’re young and they don’t have any underlying conditions,” Ms. Paradiso Fodero
said.

Mrs. Fusco and four of her children were being treated at CentraState Medical Center in
Freehold, about an hour south of Manhattan, relatives said. Mr. Fusco died at a
Pennsylvania hospital near his home, Ms. Paradiso Fodera said.

The family has deep ties to the horse-racing industry near Freehold Raceway. Some
trained horses. Others raced them. The children’s father, Vincenzo L. Fusco, did both,
according to his obituary.

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Ms. Fusco, with her son, Carmine Fusco, who died on Wednesday after contracting coronavirus.
She died hours later. 

A person who had contact with a man who died in New Jersey on March 10, becoming
the state’s first coronavirus-related fatality, had attended a recent Fusco family
gathering, the state’s health commissioner, Judith M. Persichilli, has said.

The first New Jersey man to die has been identified by a close friend and the harness
track where he worked, Yonkers Raceway, as John Brennan.

Ms. Paradiso Fodera said the gathering was a routine Tuesday dinner.

“A party to most people was a regular dinner to them,” she said before counting names
on a family tree that listed 27 grandchildren.

The gathering is believed to be the source of the virus, and information about the
number of people infected there led to a new intensity in Ms. Persichilli’s warnings over
the weekend against even small get-togethers with friends or relatives.

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“I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to take personal responsibility and to
avoid even small gatherings,” Ms. Persichilli said during a press briefing on Sunday.
THE LATEST

Dr. James Matera, chief medical officer of CentraState Medical Center, said he had
discussed the uniqueness of treating so many members of the same family with the
state’s health commissioner and officials at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.

He said officials are in the process of evaluating the patients’ medical histories to look
for clues about why the disease might have progressed so rapidly, and been so potent.

“I don’t know if it’s a strain thing,” Dr. Matera said. “I would consider these particular
people to be unusual.”

Ms. Fusco-Jackson died a day before her test for coronavirus came back positive on
Saturday evening.

Her relatives are urging officials at CentraState or the C.D.C. to conduct an autopsy to
learn more about how the virus killed Ms. Fusco-Jackson. She had been in good health,
they said, and taught religious education classes at the Roman Catholic church where
many members of the large extended family worshiped, St. Robert Bellarmine in
Freehold.

Ms. Fusco-Jackson, a mother of three, also sang in the choir, coordinated parish
weddings and volunteered in the church’s gardening club, the pastor, Msgr. Sam
Sirianni, said.

She had attended a retreat for students preparing for the sacrament of confirmation on
Feb. 29, but her contact with participants was minimal, the church said on Facebook.

“I can’t tell you enough about her,” Monsignor Sirianni said on Wednesday in an
interview. “She was always willing to assist and to lead.”

The family was among the founding members of the church, he added.

“Until this virus came, they were still the family that would gather for Sunday dinner,”
Monsignor Sirianni said. “If grandma was there, everybody came.”

The church has since been deep-cleaned, and Monsignor Sirianni, like all members of
the parish staff, is operating under quarantine based on possible exposure.

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“It means I turn to the Lord even more,” Monsignor Sirianni said. “What came to mind
last week was. ‘Lord save your people.’ And that’s been one of my mantras when I go to
pray.”

He said he was struggling to come to terms with being unable to visit the sick at
CentraState.

In addition to those who have tested positive for coronavirus at CentraState, a midsize
hospital that operates as a nonprofit, 27 community members who have been tested for
the virus but are awaiting results are hospitalized under observation, Dr. Matera said on
Wednesday.

He said the lengthy turnaround time for test results leaves patients in the dark and
burdens the hospital’s limited resources. Patients who might ultimately test negative for
coronavirus, and be healthy enough to leave the hospital, are instead being kept in
isolation.

If tests were returned more quickly, more patients could be discharged.

“That opens up beds,” Dr. Matera said. “It lowers the anxiety of the staff.”

Ms. Fusco-Jackson’s relatives also believe that speedier test results could have made a
difference in her care.

“They didn’t treat her as a confirmed case because everything is so delayed,” Ms.
Paradiso Fodera said. “It’s a big bureaucracy. The testing result time is important.”

Susan C. Beachy contributed research.

 

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 A Chronicle of Infection 
 

The personal experience of Michael Bane

Posted on Facebook, March 21, 2020 at 11:55 PM at Rush University
Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois

For all those who have asked the question “Does anyone even know
anybody that has gotten the coronavirus?”, if you know me, you do now.
My positive test for COVID-19 has been relayed to me, and I wanted to
share what my experience with this illness has been. The TL;DR version?
It’s brutal, and I have no doubt it can kill you. Anyone who is saying it’s just
a bad cold has either had a far different personal experience than I have or
is parroting stuff they found on the internet. For those offended by adult
language or themes, you may way want to stop here.
I’m a 42-year-old male
who is relatively healthy. I
exercise regularly, and
generally avoid being ill.
On March 3 I went to a
routine doctor’s
appointment. My wife
works at this medical
institution, and I thought it
would be nice to surprise
her with random flowers.
On my way, I have an
exceptionally brief
encounter with someone
believed to test positive a
short time later. I don’t
see my wife, but leave the
flowers in her office after
being escorted to it.
Fast forward to March 12.
I’m at home eating spicy Chinese food (ignore any apparent irony) and my
nose starts running, very mildly. I’m assuming it’s from the hot and sour
soup. I don’t have to wipe it, blow it, or anything. It goes away within an
hour and wasn’t something that would have registered if not for the current
COVID-19 pandemic.
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Friday, March 13 - Nose is slightly runny in the morning. Clears up shortly,

nothing else. I have no need to wipe my nose or use a tissue.
Saturday, March 14 - Slight sore throat. No sniffles at the moment, but I
assume it’s from post-nasal drip or possibly due to sleeping without the
humidifier, which is normally on at night. It disappears momentarily. I cough
a little, but I figure this is also from post-nasal drip, possibly an allergy
(although to what, I have no idea). I see a post that says if you can hold a
deep breath for 10 seconds without coughing, that’s a good sign. I can, and
I venture out into the increasingly difficult-to-navigate world of grocery
shopping. I tell myself I’m being responsible, as I stay as far away from
everyone as I can, and I don’t even cough once.
Sunday, March 15 - My cough is more persistent. The sore throat is worse,
but it goes away quickly again. My nose has stopped running. My Google
searches tell me it could be COVID-19, but it could be any number of other
things. I am slightly worried and try to trace back to where I could have
been exposed. My wife works at a hospital, and there have been confirmed
cases, after false negatives. These patients were allowed to wander around
the hallways of the hospital, several floors of which my wife worked on. I
assume if I’ve gotten it, that’s how. She’s not showing any symptoms. I am
mildly annoyed but figure I should probably consider avoiding work
tomorrow. We’ve suspended all in-office operations, but senior
management was scheduled to come in to try to evaluate the first day of
working remotely as a firm.
I can’t sleep. For whatever reason I just cannot get comfortable. I keep
tossing and turning trying to alleviate this backpain on my left side, but
nothing is working. At 1 am, it occurs to me this might not be normal
backpain. I’m sleeping in the guest room at this point, because I don’t want
to keep my wife up. I take my temperature. It’s 100.5, a slight fever.
Figuring it’s better to be cautious, I email several people I work with and let
them know I will be avoiding the office on Monday. Maybe it’s COVID-19,
maybe it’s the flu. Whatever it is, I shouldn’t get other people sick, so I
grudgingly elect to stay home. My symptoms are now fever, pain, and legit
coughing.
I call Rush’s 24-hour corona-hotline and am told to schedule a video
appointment tomorrow. I download the MyChart app and attempt to do so
but realize I can’t until the morning. I can’t sleep, so I pop three Advil to
alleviate the fever and pain. It doesn’t work, and I toss and turn for hours. I
remember seeing 5:10 am on the clock. I’m woken up at 5:30 by a text from
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my wife asking if I’m going to work. I tell her I’m not. She is staying home
as well.
Monday, March 16 - Scheduling a video appointment is difficult, as I keep
getting the “we’re at capacity, please try again later” message. I finally
manage to secure one ($49, pre-paid), and find myself face to virtual face
with a physician’s assistant about two hours later. She reviews my
symptoms and circumstances (worsening cough, annoying fever, bad
pain), and due to potential for exposure, says I should get tested. She puts
a request in with the hospital and says it will be 1-5 days. I should head to
the ER if I start having trouble breathing.
I participate in a conference call with my firm and manage to get an
appointment scheduled for the morning of the 17th to be tested for COVID-
19. My mom and dad had recently been to our house, so I call them to
make sure they are okay. That may not have been the best move, as
they’re now worried, possibly needlessly.
My fever continues to worsen. I’m trying to work here and there, but
effectively got no sleep the night before. I’m freezing cold. I double up my
blankets in an attempt to stay warm. The constant pain is wearing on me. I
Google if letting fevers run helps fight germs. I find some evidence it does. I
suck it up and add more blankets. Someone posts a meme on Facebook
that masturbation boosts your immune system to stop COVID-19. I
immediately think that either:
a) This is obviously not true
b) I’ve saved myself from certain death.
I hit 101.6 on the thermometer.
My daughter is listening to I’m a Little Teapot downstairs. A verse comes
on about three little fishies. I become legitimately angry at the teapot for
announcing the presence of the fish to the world. Maybe they wanted to
stay hidden. Why is the teapot making these choices for them? I am in a
half-conscious rage. I come to and am baffled by my own thoughts. I feel
very weak.
My fever is 102.5. My left hand is tingling, my oxygen saturation is down. I
tell myself this is because of an increased respiratory rate due to the fever,
not because corona has attacked my lung function. I’m right, but the
thought still worries me. My wife tells me to take Tylenol or Advil. I tell her
no; I’m going to kill the virus off with heat. I tell the virus to buckle down,
because it’s about to burn in Hell. My wife brings me an immune booster
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 A Chronicle of Infection 
 

shot containing ginger, turmeric, cayenne and something else. They say
the worse it tastes, the better it is for you. This is undoubtedly the healthiest
stuff on the planet. I think I fall asleep again.
My wife hears me laughing at something. I don’t know what. She asks me
to take my temperature. I adjust myself on the bed and an arctic blast hits
my body. My skin is on fire. This doesn’t feel right at all. I run various death
scenarios through my mind to see if this situation fits. I feel that bad. I
check the thermometer, and my wife again presses me for the temperature.
Not wanting to admit that maybe I let this go for too long, I just say “high.”
She’s immediately at the door demanding to know, and I relay that it’s
104.4. The pain is excruciating, more due to the fact it will not let up than its
intensity, which has also been increasing. I take four Tylenol, and my wife
insists that I get in a room-temperature bath, which she draws for me. I try
to get in, but it feels like ice. Clearly my wife and the virus are working
together to kill me. After about 15 minutes, I submerge myself and stay for
another 30. I get out and feel a lot better. My temperature is 102. I pop
three Advil to attack the fever a different way. I go to bed.
I wake up at around 1:30 am with a sudden desire to use the facilities. As
I’m sitting on the commode, I smell something bad. I realize I’m also
soaking wet. The smell is me. I have sweat so much my shirt is drenched
like I’ve just done the polar bear plunge. It’s disgusting. I strip out of my
pajamas and find another pair. I return to the guest room and find half the
bed also soaked. I’m so tired I move to the other side of the bed, vowing to
do laundry tomorrow. On the bright side, my temperature is a perfect 98.6,
and I feel great. The fever has broken, so it’s possible it’s all over. I’m not
sure if I even need this test.
Tuesday, March 17 – I need this test. The fever is back, 100.8, and the
cough is worse. I feel better than yesterday, but I am dreading what’s to
come. I shower and get my daughter ready for daycare. I don a mask and
drop her off. I have 30 minutes to make my testing, which is plenty of time
to show up the required five minutes early. My wife calls me, angry, and
tells me she’s been furloughed pending the outcome of my tests. She also
let me know that she traced my contact to the day I brought her flowers.
They were very well received, and her co-workers are jealous, but a small
part of me wishes I would have just gotten a drink instead.
There is traffic on 290. We’re stopped some of the time. How is this
happening? Isn’t everyone staying home due to the national emergency?
Even if they weren’t, why is there this much traffic at 10:00 am on a
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Tuesday? Maps tells me there’s an accident up ahead, but this just seems
to be a default more than an actual reason.
Ten minutes later I discover the problem. The back gate of a Ryder truck
popped open, and hundreds of cases of liquor have spilled out the back. It
is a fantastic catastrophe. A guy is clearly trying to salvage what he can,
and there’s stacks and stacks of boxes on the side of road which clearly
can’t be saved. There’s broken glass everywhere, and the ground is
soaked. The earth itself has to be drunk from this one. I lament that I drove
by too quickly to get a picture.
I call the testing site and let them know I’m five minutes out. I tell them a
liquor truck has spilled booze everywhere, hence I’m a couple minutes
slow. They do not seem impressed. They confirm what kind of car I’m
driving, what I’m wearing, and tell me to pull in front of the security car into
a reserved spot. I arrive and do as I’ve been instructed. The security guard
outside shoots me a look, and I tell him I’m here to be tested. He nods,
satisfied with my answer. I stay in my car, as I’ve been previously told to
do.
A hospital employee steps out in a mask and motions for me to get out of
the car. My own mask is on, and I do. He immediately instructs me to put
my hands in my pocket and not to remove them. He unlocks a door, and I
follow him inside. I am again told not to take my hands out, and it’s added
that I shouldn’t touch anything either. This seems redundant, unless he is
telling me not to touch the insides of my pockets, in which case, I am not in
compliance.
The doctor at the end of the hall is dressed like she’s about to enter
Chernobyl. She asks me how I’m doing. I try to think of a clever response,
but whatever I mumbled is largely ignored as the doctor muses to herself
she should stop asking that question. I cough violently. I’m led into a room,
and the doctor points to a chair and tells me to stand in front of it, but not to
sit down. She places a paper down on an exam chair and tells me I will pick
it up before I leave.
I feel bad for her, she’s undoubtedly been exposed to people with COVID-
19 and has a high chance of getting it. She explains the nasal swab
process and says that the probe is going to go in REAL DEEP. She repeats
it for emphasis. I nod, and cough. I weigh whether knowing is worth this
nasal intrusion. I lower my mask below my nose and look up. It’s mildly
uncomfortable, but not nearly as bad as I was expecting.

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She puts my sample in a vial and opens the door while instructing me to
take the paper and put my hands in my pockets. She yells “Clear?” down
the hallway and a few seconds pass before an affirmative “Clear!” is
shouted back. I exit and try to look extremely cautious, avoiding everything
and anything that a person could possibly come in contact with. The doors
are opened for me, and I head back to my car, hearing the click of the lock
to ensure it remains a secure facility. I was in there for a few minutes at the
most. Now it’s 1-5 days of waiting. I take Tylenol before going to bed,
having seen a statement made by a WHO spokesperson against Ibuprofen.
I have a small headache.
Tuesday, March 18 – It’s been two weeks since I was exposed. I wake up
drenched in sweat again and take a 5 am shower. I go back to sleep for a
bit and am rudely woken up by an alert on my phone. My test results are
back already. That was fast. I go to the app to find out that I am negative
for Influenza A and B. Okay, not what I was expecting at all. I didn’t realize
they were also doing a flu test (makes sense) and had convinced myself I
had caught Flu A from a co-worker. No such luck.
I participate in a work conference call but feel weak and don’t contribute
anything. My wife asks me if I can keep an eye on my daughter which she
goes downstairs to cook some food. I watch her as best I can through open
doors across a hallway. My wife comes back upstairs, and I close the door.
I cry alone in my room for a while. I haven’t been able to interact with my
daughter in four days. I am heartbroken.
My temperature is going back up, but the pain isn’t as bad as the previous
days. I don’t know. The cough seems worse. I’m trying to work but keep
having to rest. I keep forgetting to eat. My wife brings me some beans and
rice in a bowl. I put spoonfuls of it in my mouth and mostly just swallow. I
don’t have the energy to chew.
Around 6 pm I have a horrible coughing fit. Every one of my shallow
breaths is met with a corresponding respiratory spasm as the air is forced
back out of my lungs. It goes on and on and on. My wife asks me if I need
to go the hospital. That seems like an overreaction, but my coughing
doesn’t allow me to reply. I wave her off and continue hacking and
wheezing. I’m fighting for air, but I believe it’s going to pass. I get enough of
a break to take two types of cough medicine, Tylenol, and use an old
rescue inhaler we found in the house. My wife brings me some hot tea,
which helps. Within an hour I feel better than I have in days. I try to watch
some Netflix but can’t concentrate. I go to bed early.
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Thursday, March 19 – It’s been a week since my first possible symptoms. I

wake up freezing cold, and in horrible pain. My left lat seizes up, feeling like
it’s trying to rip itself in half. As I attempt to figure out how to relax it, my
foot cramps painfully as well. I am massively dehydrated. I’m drinking a lot
of water, but the lack of food is keeping me from retaining much. There’s
water next to my bed on the floor. I need to drink, but the continued pain
and lack of energy is keeping me from acting. I begin processing the
movements necessary in my mind to reach down and take a sip.
Twenty minutes later I still haven’t moved. I feel broken, I don’t know how
much fight is left in me. It’s like I’ve gone ten rounds with a heavyweight
and he’s throwing all the punches. I can’t defend anymore, can’t do
anything to lessen the blows. All I can do is get hit and hope that my natural
vitality outlasts his ability to keep swinging. I eat shot after metaphorical
shot. I consider the hospital again. Maybe they can put me on a morphine
drip, buy me a few hours of comfort so I can fight some more. I think about
all the people in Italy who may have died alone this way and begin to sob
uncontrollably. Then the entirety of my arms, as well as the muscles around
my eyes and lips soon begin to contract and tingle as I hyperventilate.
When am I going to turn the corner? When is this all going to end? To
everyone who said it was just a bad cold or like the flu, or that people were
far more likely to be asymptomatic: fuck you. You have no idea what you’re
talking about. This is not the cold. This is worse than the worst flu I’ve had.
This is the Grim Reaper knocking on my door. I imagine him floating
outside my window and flip him the bird. There’s more fear than bravado
behind it. I cry some more, until a coughing episode forces me to get it
under control.
Two weeks ago, I did 13 pullups and ran a sub-seven mile. I ran 6 miles of
a marathon with a partially torn tendon in my foot. I fractured my ankle and
walked around on it for two weeks before bothering with the doctor. I am in
shape. I am a tough guy. I tell myself these things as I gear up for my next,
big challenge. I grit my teeth and roll to my side. I grab the water and take
several large gulps. The icy liquid hitting my empty stomach is a shock, but
I keep drinking. Okay. I did it. I have something to build on. Not dead yet.
12:00 pm – I feel great. I think I’ve turned a corner.
2:00 pm – I have not turned a corner. The drugs have worn off. I cough
through some work phone conferences before realizing I’m going to have to
call it a day. My fever is returning, and I find out it’s Thursday and not
Wednesday. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I pile on blankets and put on
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a sweater. I hit 103 on the thermometer. My wife demands I get into a

lukewarm bath. I object like a petulant child, but in end submerge myself for
a good 40 minutes. She’s much smarter than me, and currently, probably
quite a bit stronger. I spare myself the humiliation of being dragged into the
bathroom by my ears, and spend my time trying to figure out when my
breathing is labored enough to warrant going to the hospital. This is not a
fun thought.
Friday, March 20 – I’ve kind of found my stride. When I feel a fever/pain
coming on, I take Tylenol. When I start coughing, I take benzonatate and
use an inhaler. I can deal with the fever to a certain extent, but the
coughing has gotten to the point where if I don’t take something it’s difficult
to get air. There’s a slight crackling sound happening when I’m breathing in
and out. I am worried, but I’m keeping myself more comfortable than I’ve
been for a while.
I get into a few arguments with people on social media regarding the term
“Chinese Virus” and the inherent racism behind it. My opinion as an Asian-
American is quickly and skillfully invalidated with well-crafted lines of
reasoning such as “Just another snowflake” and “KISS MY ASS” (caps not
mine). Clearly, the only thing I have proven is that I still haven’t learned
what a waste of time arguing on social media is.
Saturday, March 21 – Breathing is getting harder. I don’t exactly feel near-
death, but more like life-adjacent. My arms and neck are tingling all the
time due to a decrease in oxygen. I haven’t eaten much for three days
because the food is making me nauseated. Showering and shaving have
become more of an optional thing due to my weakness. My wife yells at me
to go to the hospital. I don’t want to; I haven’t gotten my test results. She
sends me a story about a 39-year-old who died waiting for hers. Okay, that
does seem scary. I concede and pack a bag to head to the ER.
I reach my exit to get onto 290 and find it blocked off by a police car. Of
course it is. I’m going to have to take some backroads to get over to the
next entry point. My light turns green and I press down on the accelerator.
A homeless man decides to jump into the street in front of my car. I slam on
the breaks and lay on the horn. Is this even reality anymore, or is it reality’s
cruel joke? I find my way onto the freeway and continue my journey as my
control over my hands diminishes with my oxygen level.
Some jackass is tailgating me. I’m sick you asshole. I floor it. 70. 80. 90. I
am reckless. I switch to sport mode and tectonic shifting. I am out of fucks
to give. Maybe if a cop sees me, I’ll get a police escort. The Tucson purrs
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along with more get-up-and-go than I expected it had as I weave between a

couple of slow pokes to exit. I pull into the emergency receiving area and
check in.
Triage is weird. I’m told to go sit in a chair in a barren, cement room. The
woman across the way does not look good at all. A man I can only assume
isn’t mentally stable tries to check his dog in with him. He’s screaming a lot.
There’s a couple of tents set up, and an area you can go stand in (6 feet
away from the desk) to complete registering.
My phone rings. The Illinois Department of Health calls to tell me I’m
positive for COVID-19. I laugh and reply that I could have told them that.
Thankfully I’m already at the hospital because I feel like I’m going to die. I
try to think of the last time I was this sick. It was probably 40 years ago
when I had meningitis. The doctors thought it was going to kill me. We’ll
see what they think about this one. The hospital calls a few minutes later to
give me the same report.
I text my family, a few close friends, and my boss. Everyone is very kind.
My boss lets me know they’re going to have to inform the office someone
tested positive, but they’ll keep my anonymous. I tell him to use my name.
It’s a scary message to get, and if people have questions maybe I can help.
People may take social distancing protocols more seriously if there’s a face
to associate with the illness. By the way work people, expect a message
sometime soon.
I get into the ER and they take a chest X-ray. I have bilateral pneumonia.
This explains the crackling sounds I’ve been hearing when I breath. My
fever is 102. I’m admitted, stuck with an IV, and a host of medications are
prescribed to me both intravenously and otherwise. They hook me up to the
heart monitor and take my blood pressure every 30 minutes. It spikes when
I hear I have pneumonia. The doctor is surprised I haven’t traveled
anywhere. Unfortunately, we’re beyond that now. He thinks I'm about
halfway through it.
So here I am, in the hospital on the 13th floor with a lovely view of the city.
Take that isolation! The coughing won’t stop, and I’m waiting for the drugs
to arrive. My prognosis seems reasonably good, I don’t need oxygen yet,
and the monitors will keep an eye on my levels.
The point of all this? It’s not real for some of us until it happens to us or
someone we know. I appreciate the well-wishes I’ve gotten and am bound
to get, and don’t want your sympathy. Please please PLEASE take this
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 A Chronicle of Infection 
 

seriously. This could kill me. Practice social distancing. Our office shut
down and I became homebound when the national emergency was
declared. I wish it had happened weeks sooner. I wouldn’t have gotten this,
and I wouldn’t have exposed countless other people to it while I was at
work and other places asymptomatic. There is a high degree of guilt
associated with that. I’m worried about my wife and child.
People have died. People will die. It might be people you love. Please stay
inside. This is horrible, brutal, devastating and it feels l might be cashing
my chips in. Protect the people you care about as best you can. I love you
all.

Update: March 25, 2020 at 8:29 AM

I’ve been working on a detailed

update, but haven’t had the
energy to finish it. I’ve largely
stopped responding to texts,
calls, messages and emails
because communication has
become exhausting.
Unfortunately I haven’t started
getting better, and seem to be
going the other direction. I’m
hopeful that is going to change
soon. I was put on
supplemental oxygen last
night, which has helped. The staff here are amazing, and are doing
everything they can to keep me comfortable and get me healthy. I plan on
walking out of here, and being with my wife and child again.
Thank you for all the support and encouragement. It helps so much.

[A Virus Diary]
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