And, wasn't that lab set up by the three Chinese researchers at Harvard that were arrested by the FBI a couple weeks ago?

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
And, wasn't that lab set up by the three Chinese researchers at Harvard that were arrested by the FBI a couple weeks ago?

... along with this guy?

quote:

Charles Lieber, the chair of Harvard University's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, has been arrested and criminally charged with making "false, fictitious and fraudulent statements" to the U.S. Defense Department about his ties to a Chinese government program to recruit foreign scientists and researchers.

The Justice Department says Lieber, 60, lied about his contact with the Chinese program known as the Thousand Talents Plan, which the U.S. has previously flagged as a serious intelligence concern. He also is accused of lying about about a lucrative contract he signed with China's Wuhan University of Technology.

In an affidavit unsealed Tuesday, FBI Special Agent Robert Plumb said Lieber, who led a Harvard research group focusing on nanoscience, had established a research lab at the Wuhan university — apparently unbeknownst to Harvard.

"China did have an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or Sars, due to a leak from a laboratory in 2004, killing one person and infecting nine others, according to state media."


Chinese research lab denies rumours of links to first coronavirus patient

https://www.scmp.com/news/chin...ks-first-coronavirus

The Wuhan Institute of Virology was set up to treat infectious diseases such as Ebola. Photo: WeiboThe Wuhan Institute of Virology was set up to treat infectious diseases such as Ebola. Photo: Weibo
The Wuhan Institute of Virology was set up to treat infectious diseases such as Ebola. Photo: Weibo
A Chinese virus research institute located at the epicentre of a coronavirus outbreak
has denied links to the first patient diagnosed with the disease, amid speculation about the source of the virus.

In a statement on Sunday, the Wuhan Institute of Virology denied that one of its employees was the outbreak’s “patient zero”.

“Recently there has been fake information about Huang Yanling, a graduate from our institute, claiming that she was patient zero in the novel coronavirus,” the institute said.

It said it had verified that the claim was not true.

It said Huang was a graduate student at the institute until 2015, when she left the province and had not returned since. Huang was in good health and had not been diagnosed with disease, it added.

The disease, now known as Covid-19, has sickened some 60,000 people around the world and killed more than 1,500, most of them in Hubei province in central China.

So far, the first patient with the illness has not been publicly identified.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology was set up to treat infectious diseases such as Ebola. Photo: WeiboThe Wuhan Institute of Virology was set up to treat infectious diseases such as Ebola. Photo: Weibo
The Wuhan Institute of Virology was set up to treat infectious diseases such as Ebola. Photo: Weibo
A Chinese virus research institute located at the epicentre of a coronavirus outbreak
has denied links to the first patient diagnosed with the disease, amid speculation about the source of the virus.

In a statement on Sunday, the Wuhan Institute of Virology denied that one of its employees was the outbreak’s “patient zero”.

“Recently there has been fake information about Huang Yanling, a graduate from our institute, claiming that she was patient zero in the novel coronavirus,” the institute said.

It said it had verified that the claim was not true.

It said Huang was a graduate student at the institute until 2015, when she left the province and had not returned since. Huang was in good health and had not been diagnosed with disease, it added.

The disease, now known as Covid-19, has sickened some 60,000 people around the world and killed more than 1,500, most of them in Hubei province in central China.
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So far, the first patient with the illness has not been publicly identified.
https://www.scmp.com/news/chin...114/coronavirus-wea…
22 Jan 2020
While Chinese researchers and officials say the coronavirus is probably linked to wild animal consumption – “mostly likely” bats
, according to Wu Yuanbin, from the Ministry of Science and Technology – there have been claims that the virus is associated with a state lab in the city.

While there is no evidence to support the claims, new central government regulations covering state biotechnology laboratories have helped fan the speculation.

On Saturday, the ministry issued a directive calling for improved management of viruses by all biological labs, and for the facilities to ensure biological safety.

Chinese authorities have said the virus is believed to be from a seafood market in Wuhan, after a cluster of patients linked the market were identified in December.
But the first patient diagnosed by the virus never visited the market
, according to a study

published January 24 in The Lancet medical journal.

In the paper, the researchers, seven of whom work at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, said the first patient had no exposure to the market and there was also no epidemiological link between the first patient and the later cases.

The research was based on data from the first 41 patients with confirmed infections.

Daniel Lucey, an infectious disease specialist at Georgetown University in Washington, said it was possible that the virus “came into that marketplace before it came out of that marketplace”, according to Science magazine.

Frustrated and angry at the authorities’ response to the outbreak, some members of the public have been unwilling to accept the official line about the probable source. Much of the speculation has been focused on the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the only laboratory to be graded Biological Security Level 4, the highest level of biosafety precautions, on the Chinese mainland. The laboratory was designed to treat infectious diseases such as Ebola.

The unverified theory of a biological leak from the institute so widely shared online that Shi Zhengli, a lead researcher at the institute on bat-related viruses, said on her social media account that she “guaranteed with her own life” that the outbreak was not related to the facility.

China did have an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or Sars, due to a leak from a laboratory in 2004, killing one person and infecting nine others, according to state media.

Chinese authorities said that the leak was a result of negligence and five senior officials at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention were punished.

My wife is flying to Panama today for work. Her plane out of Atlanta made an emergency landing in Miami for a medical emergency. She was in the back of the plane and no idea what the emergency was. I'm not usually a conspiracy person, but her traveling has me worried.

Para always keeps a level head about stuff like this, anyone know his take on it?

quote:

Originally posted by Killer:
I'm not usually a conspiracy person, but her traveling has me worried.

My wife also travels frequently. At the moment risks are low, but I hope her company soon decides to reduce travel.

Add me as another worried about my wife

Different reason though


She is a primary care pediatrician. We already have masks for our whole practice. Living just outside DC and 3 major airports definitely has me paying attention

quote:

Originally posted by Fenris:

quote:

Originally posted by Killer:
I'm not usually a conspiracy person, but her traveling has me worried.

My wife also travels frequently. At the moment risks are low, but I hope her company soon decides to reduce travel.

When my wife gets back from Panama she leaves for India two weeks later.

quote:

Originally posted by Killer:... When my wife gets back from Panama she leaves for India two weeks later.

Coronavirus: 40 Americans on Diamond Princess cruise ship infected, will not be evacuated

https://www.scmp.com/news/worl...es-outlines-plan-end

Some 400 American passengers on board the ship were evacuated from Japan on Monday

The evacuation comes days before the
required two-week quarantine is supposed to end
on February 19

Two US government-chartered planes carrying hundreds of American citizens evacuated from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan
left Tokyo’s Haneda airport early on Monday morning.

Evacuees left Yokohama Port at around 1.40am Monday on 10 buses belonging to Japan’s Self-Defence Forces, with drivers in protective suits.
Of some 400 US citizens who were aboard the Diamond Princess docked in Yokohama, 40 tested positive for the new coronavirus
, a senior US health official said.

Those infected would not be part of the evacuation effort, according to Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Fauci told CBS news that those who tested positive were “going to be in hospitals in Japan”, and said that “the degree of transmissibility on that cruise ship is essentially akin to being in a hot spot”.

Asked about the severity of the infected Americans’ illness, Fauci said it varied.

“You could be infected and have minimal symptoms, but you still have the possibility of transmitting it to someone else,” he said. “Or you could be infected and have some significant lung disease that would require hospitalisation and perhaps even some serious intervention.”

Fauci added that anyone showing potential symptoms of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, would also not be able to get on evacuation planes.

“If people on the plane start to develop symptoms, they’ll be segregated within the plane. So there’s a very firm plan with this 747 that is going to take these passengers now who have been there,” Fauci said.

The US evacuees will be quarantined for 14 days and housed at Travis Air Force Base in California, or Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.

Buses carrying US passengers leave Yokohama port on Monday, February 17, 2020. Photo: Kyodo News via APBuses carrying US passengers leave Yokohama port on Monday, February 17, 2020. Photo: Kyodo News via AP
Buses carrying US passengers leave Yokohama port on Monday, February 17, 2020. Photo: Kyodo News via AP
Two US government-chartered planes carrying hundreds of American citizens evacuated from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan
left Tokyo’s Haneda airport early on Monday morning.

Evacuees left Yokohama Port at around 1.40am Monday on 10 buses belonging to Japan’s Self-Defence Forces, with drivers in protective suits.
Of some 400 US citizens who were aboard the Diamond Princess docked in Yokohama, 40 tested positive for the new coronavirus
, a senior US health official said.

Those infected would not be part of the evacuation effort, according to Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Japan confirms first death of person with new coronavirus
13 Feb 2020

Fauci told CBS news that those who tested positive were “going to be in hospitals in Japan”, and said that “the degree of transmissibility on that cruise ship is essentially akin to being in a hot spot”.

Asked about the severity of the infected Americans’ illness, Fauci said it varied.

“You could be infected and have minimal symptoms, but you still have the possibility of transmitting it to someone else,” he said. “Or you could be infected and have some significant lung disease that would require hospitalisation and perhaps even some serious intervention.”

Fauci added that anyone showing potential symptoms of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus
, would also not be able to get on evacuation planes.
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“If people on the plane start to develop symptoms, they’ll be segregated within the plane. So there’s a very firm plan with this 747 that is going to take these passengers now who have been there,” Fauci said.

The US evacuees will be quarantined for 14 days and housed at Travis Air Force Base in California, or Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.
More than 1,700 people have died from the coronavirus in China
since it was first detected in the central city of Wuhan, and five others have died outside China.
The US has enacted a temporary travel ban
on foreign nationals who have visited China and quarantine measures for its own citizens returning from the province at the epicentre of the outbreak.

In a video posted on Twitter on Saturday, Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz addressed passengers and crew aboard the Diamond Princess and outlined preliminary steps for the end of the quarantine. The information was also shared in a letter to passengers and crew.

“While the final plans have not been confirmed to us, the Japanese government has informed us that they may start a new testing process for guests beginning February 18,” Swartz said in the video, noting testing could take a few days to complete and that it should take at least three days individual test results back.

“So guests who are tested on February 18 and have negative test results may be able to disembark beginning February 21,” she said.
Passengers who test positive for the coronavirus
will be transferred to a medical facility, but it was unclear if more screening would be needed for those whose tests were negative.

“We do not know if any country or airlines may have additional requirements,” Swartz said.
Coronavirus: US passenger from Westerdam ship tests positive in Malaysia
16 Feb 2020

She also said anyone who shared a cabin or was in close contact with a person who tested positive may have to restart their quarantine from the date the close contact ended.

But even when passengers are allowed to disembark, crew members may face “a more formal quarantine”.

“I know this is disappointing news for all of our teammates,” Swartz said. “It’s disappointing for all of us.”

She reiterated Princess’ previously announced commitment to give crew members two months of paid time off after their quarantine ended.

“The health and safety of everyone on board has been our priority throughout this entire period while acting under the direction of the Japanese Ministry of Health,” Swartz said as she thanked passengers and crew for their “continued patience in this ever-changing situation”.

Canada, Hong Kong, South Korea and Israel have also said they were preparing to send chartered flights to Japan to evacuate their citizens from the vessel, where 355 infections are confirmed. Currently, the ship houses around 3,000 passengers and crew.
Australia was planning to evacuate up to 200 citizens as well as 11 New Zealanders still on board the Diamond Princess. The evacuation was expected to happen within days, local media reported.


Of the Australian passengers, 16 citizens had tested positive for the coronavirus. Two New Zealanders were also confirmed to be infected, and had been hospitalised.

Meanwhile, Japan’s fifth chartered flight to evacuate its nationals from the central Chinese city of Wuhan arrived at Haneda airport on Monday morning. On board the Boeing 767 were 36 Japanese citizens and 29 of their family members who were Chinese.

A total of 763 people returned to Japan on the four previous flights.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:

quote:

Originally posted by Killer:... When my wife gets back from Panama she leaves for India two weeks later.

Always one asshole.

Right, I and others express concern for our spouses that are out of the country and I get a shitty reply from Sigmonkey. He's an asshole.

quote:

Originally posted by Killer:
Right, I and others express concern for our spouses that are out of the country and I get a shitty reply from Sigmonkey. He's an asshole.

Boy, are you ever barking up a wrong tree

Member for a little over four years and a post count of 256. One would think you'd know the lay of the land a bit better than that.

quote:

Originally posted by Killer:
Right, I and others express concern for our spouses that are out of the country and I get a shitty reply from Sigmonkey. He's an asshole.

I am no expert, but it seems I can always count on sigmonkey for a smartass, funny answer. While I understand your concern, and I damned sure wouldn’t want my wife or kids traveling out of the country, I laughed. I suspect I would have laughed if I were in your shoes. Of course, I probably would have called him an asshole too if I were in your shoes. I only hope I wouldn’t have had any heat or anger in the comment.

ETA: Sometimes we find ourselves in a shitty situation. Sometimes one has to decide whether to laugh at it or cry about it. I’ve always tried to do the former. It doesn’t always help, but I have yet to see the latter help.

I'm just a very worried husband and I didn't see any humor in it.

If it helps.
The company I work for monitors things very closely.
China travel is RED. No travel
S.E. Asia , Australia , New Zealand , is YELLOW. Essential business travel only , V.P. approval needed.

No other restrictions or bans

quote:

Originally posted by Killer:
I'm just a very worried husband and I didn't see any humor in it.

My reply, pure jest. And yes, sometimes we have to laugh in the face of death.

My post should in no way, affect your concern for your wife's health and well being. (I do understand that concern.)

BTW, I am not a complete asshole, some parts are missing.

Back to our regularly scheduled broadcast. This is not Ebola. It is not Lassa. It is not MERS. It appears to be very transmissible, but not especially lethal. Certainly not as lethal as the regular, seasonal flu. For now. It is permissible to chill. For now.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:

quote:

Originally posted by Killer:
I'm just a very worried husband and I didn't see any humor in it.

My reply, pure jest. And yes, sometimes we have to laugh in the face of death.

My post should in no way, affect your concern for your wife's health and well being. (I do understand that concern.)

BTW, I am not a complete asshole, some parts are missing.

Thank you, Sigmonkey, I understand the need for humor and I agree. we, I need to laugh. I apologize for calling you an asshole, I have been coming to this board for ten years and should have know you meant no harm.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc H.:
Back to our regularly scheduled broadcast. This is not Ebola. It is not Lassa. It is not MERS. It appears to be very transmissible, but not especially lethal. Certainly not as lethal as the regular, seasonal flu. For now. It is permissible to chill. For now.

Last month our 5yr old got sick and I shortly after. She had lots of coughs and 3 or 4 nights of fever breaking heavily during her sleep (waking up drenched with sweat). I had a minor fever one day and that was it, I have sinus issues far worse at least twice a year. Well, then my wife got it also, again very minimal symptoms and by the next week our 2yr old and 7yr old had it. The 7yr old stayed home sick 3 days, it really hit him hard. We finally took him to the doctor because he was coughing so much, he and the 2yr old tested positive for Influenza A. During this whole time, I had this super hero energy and kept waiting to get sick, I think I had some sort of antibody response and felt amazing, it was weird. People really react differently to stuff.

It turns out our 5yr old was the Tymphoid Mary for the family, someone in her class had it and she was one of the early cases. The whole class and a teacher ended up getting it.

Last week our 7yr old's teacher was out because her son was home sick with Influenza B...

quote:

Originally posted by Scuba Steve Sig:

quote:

Originally posted by Doc H.:
Back to our regularly scheduled broadcast. This is not Ebola. It is not Lassa. It is not MERS. It appears to be very transmissible, but not especially lethal. Certainly not as lethal as the regular, seasonal flu. For now. It is permissible to chill. For now.

Last month our 5yr old got sick and I shortly after. She had lots of coughs and 3 or 4 nights of fever breaking heavily during her sleep (waking up drenched with sweat). I had a minor fever one day and that was it, I have sinus issues far worse at least twice a year. Well, then my wife got it also, again very minimal symptoms and by the next week our 2yr old and 7yr old had it. The 7yr old stayed home sick 3 days, it really hit him hard. We finally took him to the doctor because he was coughing so much, he and the 2yr old tested positive for Influenza A. During this whole time, I had this super hero energy and kept waiting to get sick, I think I had some sort of antibody response and felt amazing, it was weird. People really react differently to stuff.

It turns out our 5yr old was the Tymphoid Mary for the family, someone in her class had it and she was one of the early cases. The whole class and a teacher ended up getting it.

Last week our 7yr old's teacher was out because her son was home sick with Influenza B...

So far this flu season (which began 1 October) in the US, 14,000 people have died from influenza, including over 90 children (with most fatalities having comorbidites), and over 250,000 people have been hospitalized. That's about 3,500 deaths monthly, with over 26 million people actually infected, according to the CDC. In the US. To establish some perspective.