Category: Coronavirus

Saudi Arabia will suspend all domestic flights, buses, taxis and trains for 14 days amid the coronavirus outbreak, an Interior Ministry official told the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The new measures will go into effect on Saturday and are a part of the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to fight the spread of the new coronavirus.

Early Friday morning, Saudi Arabia announced it would halt entry and prayers in the outer courtyards of the two holy mosques in Mecca and Medina.

Saudi Arabia has 274 coronavirus infections as of Friday but no deaths, according to the health ministry. The new coronavirus pandemic has killed nearly 10,000 globally and infected over 240,000.

The United States is looking at the use of chloroquine and another version of the treatment, hydroxychloroquine, to treat patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus, Food and Drug Commissioner Stephen Hahn said on Thursday.

The anti-malarial treatment has shown promise in treating patients and is already being studied as a possible COVID-19 treatment by researchers at the University of Minnesota.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fast-tracked the approval process, cutting a process that would normally take a long time down to a short time period, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday.

He said the drug, which is also used to treat arthritis, has shown “encouraging—very, very encouraging—early results.” The president promoted chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as being able to be used in treating COVID-19 patients.

Hahn told reporters that the drug is approved to treat malaria and arthritis but not for use in patients with the new illness.

“In the short term, we’re looking at drugs that are already approved for other indications,” he said.

“Many Americans have read studies and heard media reports about this drug chloroquine, which is an anti-malarial drug. It’s already approved, as the president said, for the treatment of malaria, as well as an arthritis condition. That’s a drug that the president has directed us to take a closer look at, as to whether an expanded use approach to that could be done to actually see if that benefits patients.”

The agency wants to look at the drug in a clinical trial, he added.

Some pharmaceuticals are prescribed by doctors even if they’re not approved for specific uses by the FDA in what’s known as off-label use.

“From the FDA perspective, once the FDA approves a drug, healthcare providers generally may prescribe the drug for an unapproved use when they judge that it is medically appropriate for their patient,” the FDA states on its website.

Off-label use includes using a drug for a disease or medical condition that it’s not approved to treat.

Trump spoke before Hahn, saying because the drug has been around “we know that if things don’t go as planned it’s not going to kill anybody.”

Americans will be able to obtain chloroquine by prescription, he said. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told the president late Wednesday that he wants the drug to be prescribed in New York.

Trump also mentioned another drug, Gilead Sciences’s remdesivir, saying it and chloroquine are “very powerful.”

Remdesivir is close to being approved by the FDA, he added. Hahn said remdesivir is in the approval process and emphasized that the FDA is responsible for making sure drugs are safe and work.

No drugs are approved for the treatment of the new virus, which also has no vaccine at present.

Another treatment in the works, Hahn said, is using plasma from blood taken from patients who have recovered from the CCP virus.

“If you’ve been exposed to coronavirus and you’re better, you don’t have the virus in your blood. We could collect the blood now this is a possible treatment. This is not a proven treatment, I just want to emphasize that.”

Researchers would collect the blood, concentrate it, and, after verifying it’s virus-free, give it to other patients.

“The immune response could potentially provide a benefit to patients,” Hahn said.

The new virus started in China last year. The Epoch Times refers to it as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO), meanwhile, said this week that it’s launching a multicountry trial for potential CCP virus treatments.

Canada, France, Spain, and Thailand are among the countries that have already joined the effort, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva.

“Multiple small trials with different methodologies may not give us the clear strong evidence we need about which treatments help to save lives,” he said.

“This trial focuses on the key priority questions for the public. Do any of these drugs reduce mortality? Do any of these drugs reduce the time a patient is in hospital and whether or not the patients receiving any of the drugs needed ventilation or intensive care units,” Ana Maria Henao-Restrepo, who leads the WHO’s research and development group, added.

The trials will examine four potential treatments: remdesivir, chloroquine, a combination of lopinavir and ritonavir, and a combination of those two plus interferon beta.

Chlorquine will be tested in some places, while hydroxychloroquine will be tested in others, Henao-Restrepo said.

Original version of this article first appeared on Epoch Times.

Detectives tracked down a prominent businessman suspected to have coronavirus.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said the man who arrived from Lisbon, Portugal on Sunday was found at Serena Hotel where he was staying and taken to Mbagathi Hospital isolation unit for testing.

Since his arrival, he is said to have been to at least three high-end hotels in Nairobi County.

Serena Hotel however sought to distance themselves from the incidence by claiming that the man from Lisbon, who was picked at its lobby and sent to Mbagathi Hospital, was not a resident guest at the hotel.

CS Mutahi Kagwe said 8 suspected cases tested in the last 24 hours are all negative and the persons were being processed for discharge. The numbers still remain at 7.

CS Kagwe also announced the government’s plan of randomly screening of members of the public at targeted areas to start Saturday. He said that over 600,000 travellers have been screened at all points of entry countrywide amid coronavirus outbreak.

(Reuters) – The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy rose in the last 24 hours by 427 to 3,405, overtaking the total number of deaths so far registered in China, officials said on Thursday.

Thursday’s figure represented a slight improvement on the day before, when Italy recorded 475 deaths.

Some 3,245 people have died in China since the virus first emerged there late last year. Italy’s outbreak came to light in the north of the country on Feb. 21.

The total number of cases in Italy rose to 41,035 from a previous 35,713, up 14.9%, a faster rate of growth than seen over the last three days, the Civil Protection Agency said.

Of those originally infected, 4,440 had fully recovered compared to 4,025 the day before. There were 2,498 people in intensive care against a previous 2,257.

The whole world is literally going on a lockdown from Spain to France to Italy and likely Kenya in the next coming days. The ravaging Coronavirus is pushing nations to come up with stringent measures to curb the spread as it seems merciless.

Self Quarantine is one of the key measures being adapted by the health officials for one to clean their system and also protecting others from getting infected. Like in the case of Italy, the virus seem to be tearing down the old generation and this scientists attribute to their low immune system to fight the COVID-19.

Young people have higher chances of recovering from the virus as compared to the old people a reason why Italy which has a considerably higher old population is reporting the outrageous number of deaths.

While many people are now left to stay indoors with not so much to do, a UK doctor has an idea that will not only leave you relieved but healthy.

According to a Dr Jennifer Landam, a specialist in hormone therapy, she suggests that masturbation might be exactly what you need to strengthen your body’s natural defence forces.

Self-pleasuring is known to boost your immune system and raise your white blood cell count which in turn helps to fight infection in the body.

Now, this might not be the first time you’ve heard that time alone with your favourite toy will help with more than just relieving stress after a tough day at work- and that’s because it’s back by science.

Dr Landom’s views are also reflected in a small study conducted by the Department of Medical Psychology at the University Clinic of Essen in Germany which closely looked at the effects of orgasm through masturbation on white blood cell count.

It was confirmed that sexual arousal and orgasm increased the number of white blood cells and boosted the immune system – so thank you volunteers.

More than that, though, orgasms in general help you relax and sleep better, too – and more sleep means more time for your body to repair and recover.

The Government of Canada is taking strong and quick action to protect our economy, and the health, safety, and jobs of all Canadians during the global COVID-19 outbreak.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced a new set of economic measures to help stabilize the economy and help Canadians affected by the impacts of this challenging period.

These measures, delivered as part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, will provide up to $27 billion in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses, plus $55 billion to meet liquidity needs of Canadian businesses and households through tax deferrals to help stabilize the economy. Combined, this $82 billion in support represents more than 3 per cent of Canada’s GDP. This wide-ranging support will help ensure Canadians can pay for rent and groceries, and help businesses continue to pay their employees and their bills during this time of uncertainty.

This plan builds on coordinated action taken since the beginning of this outbreak, including the more than $1 billion COVID-19 Response Fund, which provided funding to provinces and territories to strengthen critical health care systems. It represents over $500 billion in credit and liquidity support for people and businesses through cooperation between financial Crown corporations, the Bank of Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), and commercial lenders to ensure businesses can continue to operate.

The actions announced today are part of Canada’s whole-of-government response to COVID-19. As a first step, this plan aims to stabilize our economy through targeted measures to address immediate challenges faced by workers and businesses alike. It will help ensure that workers have the money they need while they are sick or in isolation, or due to loss of work or a significant reduction in work income, and help support people and businesses experiencing financial hardship because of the outbreak.

Canadians should not make health decisions based on their financial needs. As the situation continues to evolve, further measures will be announced to support Canadians, stimulate the economy, and protect peoples’ jobs and livelihoods..

Support for workers

Canadians should not have to worry about paying their rent or mortgage or buying groceries because of the COVID-19 crisis. To support workers and their families, the Government of Canada is taking action to:

• Provide additional assistance to families with children by temporarily boosting Canada Child Benefit payments. This measure would deliver almost $2 billion in extra support.
• Introduce an Emergency Care Benefit of up to $900 bi-weekly for up to 15 weeks to provide income support to workers who must stay home and do not have access to paid sick leave. This measure could provide up to $10 billion to Canadians, and includes:

• Workers, including the self-employed, who are sick, quarantined, or who have been directed to self-isolate but do not qualify for Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits.
• Workers, including the self-employed, who are taking care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19, such as an elderly parent or other dependents who are sick, but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits.
• EI-eligible and non EI-eligible working parents who must stay home without pay because of children who are sick or who need additional care because of school closures.

• Introduce an Emergency Support Benefit delivered through the Canada Revenue Agency to provide up to $5 billion in support to workers who are not eligible for EI and who are facing unemployment.
• Provide additional assistance to individuals and families with low and modest incomes with a special top-up payment under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) credit. This measure would inject $5.5 billion in the economy.
• Waive, for a minimum of six months, the mandatory one-week waiting period for EI sickness benefits for workers in imposed quarantine or who have been directed to self-isolate, as announced on March 11.
• Waive the requirement for a medical certificate to access EI sickness benefits.
• Extend the tax filing deadline for individuals to June 1, and allow all taxpayers to defer, until after August 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after today and before September 2020. This relief would apply to tax balances due, as well as instalments, under Part I of the Income Tax Act.  No interest or penalties will accumulate on these amounts during this period. This measure will result in households having more money available during this period.
• Provide eligible small businesses a 10 per cent wage subsidy for the next 90 days, up to a maximum of $1,375 per employee and $25,000 per employer. Employers benefiting from this measure would include corporations eligible for the small business deduction, as well as not-for-profit organisations and charities.  This will help employers keep people on their payroll and help Canadians keep their jobs.
• Provide increased flexibility to lenders to defer mortgage payments on homeowner government-insured mortgage loans to borrowers who may be experiencing financial difficulties related to the outbreak. Insurers will permit lenders to allow payment deferral beginning immediately.

In addition, to provide targeted support for vulnerable groups, the Government is investing to:

• Reduce minimum withdrawals from Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) by 25 per cent for 2020 in recognition of volatile market conditions and their impact on many seniors’ retirement savings.
• Implement a six-month, interest-free, moratorium on Canada Student Loan payments for all individuals who are in the process of repaying these loans.
• Provide $305 million for a new distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund, to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation communities.
• Support women and children fleeing violence by providing up to $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities. This includes funding for facilities in Indigenous communities.
• Provide an additional $157.5 million to address the needs of Canadians experiencing homelessness through the Reaching Home program.

Support for businesses

In the face of an uncertain economic situation and tightening credit conditions, the Government is taking action to help affected businesses. To support Canadian businesses and help them retain their workers during this difficult time, the Government is announcing measures to:

• Allow all businesses to defer, until after August 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after today and before September 2020. This relief would apply to tax balances due, as well as instalments, under Part I of the Income Tax Act. No interest or penalties will accumulate on these amounts during this period. This measure will result in businesses having more money available during this period.
• Increase the credit available to small, medium, and large Canadian businesses. As announced on March 13, a new Business Credit Availability Program will provide more than $10 billion of additional support to businesses experiencing cash flow challenges through the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada. The Government is ready to provide more capital through these financial Crown corporations.
• Further expand Export Development Canada’s ability to provide support to domestic businesses.
• Provide flexibility on the Canada Account limit, to allow the Government to provide additional support to Canadian businesses, when deemed to be in the national interest, to deal with exceptional circumstances.
• Augment credit available to farmers and the agri-food sector through Farm Credit Canada.
• Launch an Insured Mortgage Purchase Program to purchase up to $50 billion of insured mortgage pools through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). As announced on March 16, this will provide stable funding to banks and mortgage lenders and support continued lending to Canadian businesses and consumers. CMHC stands ready to further support liquidity and the stability of the financial markets through its mortgage funding programs as necessary. The Government will enable these measures by raising CMHC’s legislative limits to guarantee securities and insure mortgages by $150 billion each.

The six largest financial institutions in Canada have made a commitment to work with personal and small business banking customers on a case-by-case basis to provide flexible solutions to help them manage through challenges, such as pay disruption due to COVID-19, childcare disruption due to school or daycare closures, or those suffering from COVID-19. As a first step, this support will include up to a six-month payment deferral for mortgages, and the opportunity for relief on other credit products. The Government of Canada will continue to monitor evolving economic conditions and seek greater relief measures should it be necessary.

In order to move forward with implementing these new measures needed to provide timely support for Canadians and to ensure the Government has every tool at its disposal to address potential challenges that may arise, the Government intends to introduce special legislation and seek the approval of Parliament.

The Government of Canada will continue to take further action as required to prioritize the health and safety of Canadians, stabilize the economy, and mitigate the economic impact of this pandemic.

Italy has had its highest number of deaths from coronavirus in a day with 475 more fatalities.

The deaths an increase of 19% in the last 24 hours brings the country’s total to 2,978.

Italy also had a large rise in coronavirus cases, with 4,207 confirmed on Wednesday, bringing the total to 35,713, the Civil Protection Agency said.

The hardest hit nation outside China has been on total lockdown since 9 March.

It is fast approaching the number of people who have died in China, which as of Wednesday was 3,241 – although at 81,102 China has far more confirmed cases.

Experts are warning the peak of the spread may not arrive until mid-April in the north, so far the country’s hardest hit area, and possibly later in other regions.

“Citizens must know that this is not about changing their lifestyle just for one or two weeks,” said the head of the Italian national centre for epidemiology, Stefania Salmaso.

She told the ANSA news agency that the restrictions “will likely have to be kept for a long time”.

(Reuters) – The highly contagious novel coronavirus that has exploded into a global pandemic can remain viable and infectious in droplets in the air for hours and on surfaces up to days, according to a new study that should offer guidance to help people avoid contracting the respiratory illness called COVID-19.

Scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, attempted to mimic the virus deposited from an infected person onto everyday surfaces in a household or hospital setting, such as through coughing or touching objects.

They used a device to dispense an aerosol that duplicated the microscopic droplets created in a cough or a sneeze.

The scientists then investigated how long the virus remained infectious on these surfaces, according to the study that appeared online in the New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday – a day in which U.S. COVID-19 cases surged past 5,200 and deaths approached 100.

The tests show that when the virus is carried by the droplets released when someone coughs or sneezes, it remains viable, or able to still infect people, in aerosols for at least three hours.

On plastic and stainless steel, viable virus could be detected after three days. On cardboard, the virus was not viable after 24 hours. On copper, it took 4 hours for the virus to become inactivated.

In terms of half-life, the research team found that it takes about 66 minutes for half the virus particles to lose function if they are in an aerosol droplet.

That means that after another hour and six minutes, three quarters of the virus particles will be essentially inactivated but 25% will still be viable.

FILE PHOTO: A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus linked to the Wuhan outbreak, shared with Reuters on February 18, 2020. NEXU Science Communication/via

Reuters

The amount of viable virus at the end of the third hour will be down to 12.5%, according to the research led by Neeltje van Doremalen of the NIAID’s Montana facility at Rocky Mountain Laboratories.

On stainless steel, it takes 5 hours 38 minutes for half of the virus particles to become inactive. On plastic, the half-life is 6 hours 49 minutes, researchers found.

On cardboard, the half-life was about three and a half hours, but the researchers said there was a lot of variability in those results “so we advise caution” interpreting that number.

The shortest survival time was on copper, where half the virus became inactivated within 46 minutes.