{"id":154045,"date":"2020-02-17T12:00:18","date_gmt":"2020-02-17T12:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=154045"},"modified":"2020-12-02T10:29:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-02T10:29:16","slug":"outside-china-coronavirus-transmission-iceberg-may-not-be-as-big-as-feared","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2020\/02\/outside-china-coronavirus-transmission-iceberg-may-not-be-as-big-as-feared\/","title":{"rendered":"Outside China, Coronavirus Transmission \u2018Iceberg\u2019 May Not Be as Big as Feared"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/un-news-logo-e1568706362531.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-109474\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/un-news-logo-e1568706362531.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>13 Feb 2020 &#8211;<em> As infections from COVID-19 coronavirus continue to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/who.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/opsdashboard\/index.html#\/c88e37cfc43b4ed3baf977d77e4a0667\" >rise<\/a>, a senior UN health expert today said that there were some indications that disease transmission outside China might not be the tip of the \u201ciceberg\u201d that had been feared.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em>\u201cWe\u2019re not seeing a dramatic increase in transmission outside China,\u201d Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization\u2019s (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.who.int\/en\/\" >WHO<\/a>) Health Emergencies Programme chief, said, while urging against making hasty assessments.<\/p>\n<p>As of 4pm on Thursday in Geneva, there were 46,550 infections from COVID-19, the overwhelming majority in China, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/emergencies\/diseases\/novel-coronavirus-2019\/situation-reports\" >WHO<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p>Of the 1,369 deaths from the coronavirus to date,\u00a0all but two have been in China.<\/p>\n<p>In Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, 13,332 cases have been clinically confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>Outside China, there have been 447 cases from 24 other countries and two deaths; one in the Philippines and another in Japan.<\/p>\n<p>The biggest cluster outside China is on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is in quarantine in Yokohama port, Japan.<\/p>\n<p>To date, 218 passengers on board have tested positive for COVID-19, Dr. Ryan said.<\/p>\n<p>Other cruise ships in the South China Sea continue to be affected by fears that they may be carrying the virus.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I&#39;m really grateful to all the laboratory <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/healthworkers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#healthworkers<\/a> around the world, including those in \ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\udded in this photo, who are conducting <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#COVID19<\/a> tests with such great care. Their expertise &amp; humanity are fundamental to stop <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#coronavirus<\/a> from spreading further. <\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcf7: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PasteurCambodia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >@PasteurCambodia<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EGxubIadZN\" >pic.twitter.com\/EGxubIadZN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DrTedros\/status\/1228010743028736001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >February 13, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>Routine Testing \u2018Showed No COVID-19 Activity\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Speaking to journalists, Dr. Ryan explained that routine winter testing of patients with chest ailments in hospitals in China, Singapore and Hong Kong had not indicated widespread COVID-19 transmission.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn emergency rooms and as part of normal winter respiratory disease surveillance, they\u2019ve been actively testing thousands of samples that are not suspect cases of COVID,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the moment, we\u2019re just not seeing COVID activity amongst those samples, and that would give an indication that the iceberg may not be that great \u2013 [but] it\u2019s not a guarantee.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, fears that only a fraction of cases were being detected were \u201cas valid as speculations in the other direction\u201d, Dr. Ryan insisted, before adding that no specific treatments existed for patients, beyond \u201cstandard antivirals\u201d used for previous coronavirus outbreaks, such as during the SARS epidemic in 2003.<\/p>\n<p>Vaccines and new drugs would take a long time and require a huge investment \u00a0of hundreds of millions of dollars, Dr. Ryan explained, before urging public and private investment to spread the risk.<\/p>\n<p>httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ded_AxFfJoQ<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jump in Infections Explained by New Protocol<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Dr. Ryan said that the latest data showing a jump in infections reflects a change in how cases are being diagnosed and reported by Chinese authorities.<\/p>\n<p>From now on in Hubei province only, trained medical professionals are authorized to classify a suspected case of COVID-19 as a clinically diagnosed case based on chest imaging, rather than having to have a laboratory confirmation, the WHO official said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis allows clinicians to move and report cases more quickly, not having to wait for lab confirmation, which means that people get clinical care more quickly, and also allows public health responses in terms of contact tracing and other important public health measures to be initiated.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_154046\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/china-coronavirus.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-154046\" class=\"wp-image-154046\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/china-coronavirus-1024x461.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/china-coronavirus-1024x461.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/china-coronavirus-300x135.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/china-coronavirus-768x346.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/china-coronavirus.jpg 1178w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-154046\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Passengers wearing face masks and disposable ponchos get their passports checked at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. UN News\/Jing Zhang<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Cambodian Cruise Ship Gesture Welcomed<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Confirmation of the latest infection tally comes after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the Cambodian authorities\u2019 decision to allow a cruise ship to dock there.<\/p>\n<p>It had been reportedly denied entry elsewhere because of fears that its passengers may have contracted the virus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople with mild respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms are being treated on the Westerdam by cruise doctors &amp; 20 of those are being tested for COVID19,\u201d the WHO chief tweeted earlier in the day.<\/p>\n<p>He noted that the samples have been transported to laboratories via helicopter at Sihanoukville Seaport and that all passengers and crew remain on board in quarantine.<\/p>\n<p>Three cruise ships had either experienced delayed port clearance or been denied entry to ports. Often, said the WHO chief, without an evidence-based risk assessment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWHO stands ready to provide any additional support to the Government, especially in building preparedness capacities for COVID19,\u201d he added, before noting that he was \u201cdeeply grateful to the Government, particularly Prime Minister Hun Sen\u201d, for their gesture.<\/p>\n<p>In an earlier tweet, the he also thanked Germany\u2019s health authorities after Health Minister Jens Spahn called for more support from fellow European Union members to fight the epidemic.<\/p>\n<p>To date, Germany has reportedly identified 16 cases of COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI fully agree agree that we need to work as one to keep the world safe from this virus,\u201d WHO chief tweeted.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2020\/02\/1057331?utm_source=UN+News+-+Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=15575ae22b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_02_14_01_05&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_fdbf1af606-15575ae22b-105796125\" >Go to Original \u2013 news.un.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>13 Feb 2020 &#8211; As infections from COVID-19 coronavirus continue to rise, a senior UN health expert today said that there were some indications that disease transmission outside China might not be the tip of the \u201ciceberg\u201d that had been feared.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":109474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[180,52,2236,145],"tags":[239,244,1829,1698,710,1102,304,1447,124,1836],"class_list":["post-154045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brics","category-health","category-covid19-coronavirus","category-science","tag-brics","tag-china","tag-coronavirus","tag-epidemics","tag-health","tag-public-health","tag-science","tag-science-and-medicine","tag-united-nations","tag-who"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154045","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154045"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154045\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}