Since the Coronavirus broke out in Wuhan in December, some 2, 000+ people are deceased and over 80,000 infected are in China and across the world. Corona in Spanish means Crown. This is the third manifestation of the Coronavirus now named Covid19. The first two being SARS in 2003 and Bird flu, Avian Flu or H5N1 (all proliferating in China) has become the King of viruses. Aside from the zombie movie references, the Coronavirus is still causing global fear of a mass pandemic.
The Iranian health ministry confirmed its first two cases of Coronavirus after two elderly men in Qom, Iran passed away from on February 19th after entering hospital. The two had never been to China and were already suffering from ailments unrelated to the virus. Iranian students studying in China have returned home after 2 week quarantine. Iran has suspended flights between China and Iran on Feb 2nd. The Iranian health ministry has also worked on opening HQ to combat Covid19. In South Korea, around 40 church members belonging to Shinoheonji Church of Jesus Christ in Daegu, South Korea have been infected with the virus after a 61 year old church member to spread COVID19 after attending to church services. She originally came down with a fever that formed into the virus. She is reported to have refused testing intially until she became ill. Daegu is a city of 2.5 million and south of Seoul. South Korea was also one of the first countries to feel the immediate impact of the Coronavirus and it caused mass panic not only in Seoul, the megacity capital of but across the country. Two businessmen were infected by a Malaysian man when all three attended a business conference in Singapore on Feb 5th. New infected casea are still emerging in South Korea and other Asian countries. Thailand is also feeling the brunt of the virus in lost revenue from the drop of Chinese tourists and the 19 cases of confirmed infected citizens.
The world's attention has been on Daikoku Cruise passenger terminal in Yokohama, Japan the major port and cruising port of call directly South of Tokyo since February 5th. The Diamond Princess has been docked at the Daikoku terminal. The midsize ship owned by Princess Cruises which has been in quarantine for two weeks, has not calm the fears of the 3, 600 passangers on abroad the ship. Also keep in mind that Japanese government did not anticipate quarantining or even managing hundreds of virus infected visitors let alone some 3600 passengers being isolated on a floating petrie dish. Kentaro Iwata, a well known infectous disease doctor who has traveled and worked with for his own health after visiting the Diamond Princess. He warned media outlets that there was little to no proper medical protocol in keeping the virus from spreading around the ship when the quarantine first began. He is also concerned that all passengers including the cruise staff (who are not trained medical staff and are overwhelmed) haven't reiceved their test results but are being allowed to be evacuated to their respective countries. The Saga of the Diamond Princess cruiseship continues. Some 500 passengers have tested positive for the Coronavirus. Even the passengers who originally tested negative have now tested positive after 2 weeks.
Officials are also concerned about the virus' effect on the upcoming Tokyo Olympics that begin in July of this year.
Diamond Princess passengers are still quarantined in Yokohama hospitals. Several couples are concerned about being seperated and being left in Japanese health system while dealing with the language barrier between the passengers and Japanese doctors. Canadians have been the latest passengers to be evaucated by the Canadian government since the quarnatine finally ended yesterday Feb 18, 2020. Although hailing from British Colombia, Alberta, Ontorio and Ottawa, the 251 Canadians are also facing another round of 2 week quarantine once they arrive back in country. Their accomoations are not luxurious or sanitary contrary to the sci fi/horror movies portraying government quarantine as santizied and pristine. Most of the Canadian evacuees like their Korean, French and American counterpart are staying in military apartments, bases and old office buildings. The 400 Americans who were already tested although some test rsults are unknown have been evacuated after pleading and crying (even throwing adult temper tantrums ie Maniscolo) from the ship and sent to another 2 week quarantine at the Lackland Airbase in Texas and Travis Airbase in California. The American evacuees are from states such as California, Texas, Washington state, but were all intially sent to Texas and California as part of their quarantine. Around 44 Americans have tested positive for Coronavirus. British couple David and Sally Abel who had been giving daily updates through their interviews with British media channels Good morning Britain, Channel 4 and through David's Youtube channel, will now be facing quarantine in a Japanese hospital as both Sally and David have tested positive for the Coronavirus.
Cambodia the Good Samaritian
Cambodia was one of the few countries who allowed the passengers on another infected cruiseship Holland America Westerdam to disembark in Cambodian shores. In the same of being a Good Samaritian, the Cambodian government welcomed the 800 passengers some who were picked up in Hong Kong after the virus spread, with literal open arms and even offered tours of Phnom Pehn the cruise passengers tours of Phomn Penh, the Cambodian capital. Keep in mind the Westerdam was turned away from Thailand, Japan and Singapore because of the fear of one passenger being infected with the Corona. The Westerdam had to remind at sea for another 2 weeks before the Cambodian government opened its doors to the passengers to disembark. Now many of the hundreds of passengers have started returing to their home countries without some being tested for the virus.
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