The minks on Dutch fur farms first got sick in mid-April, showing symptoms ranging from runny noses to severe respiratory distress.
By Peter Rabinowitz and Greg Gray
Governments and individuals are taking unprecedented, often very austere actions to control the ongoing spread of the pandemic coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). However, they are neglecting an extremely important question that could cause the loss of millions of more lives — how do we prevent the next zoonotic respiratory virus pandemic?
We have not yet identified the source of this virus. What if a new version emerges from the original animal source to cause a second wave of this pandemic?
Are our pets at risk for COVID-19?
Recent reports of animals testing positive for the novel coronavirus—including a cat in Belgium, a dog in Hong Kong and, famously, a tiger in the Bronx Zoo—have pet owners worrying about their furry companions. Many also wonder whether pets can pass COVID-19 on to people.
Two weeks ago, Dr. Peter Rabinowitz, director of the UW MetaCenter for Pandemic Disease Preparedness, rated his concern level for coronavirus at seven or eight out of ten. On Friday, Rabinowitz said he’s now rating his concern at an eight or nine.
A viral illness spreads across Washington state, causing respiratory illness. Most cases are mild, but some are severe and even fatal. At the same time it causes many fewer illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths than the seasonal flu. So why are we obsessed with this COVID-19? Why is it that pharmacies have run out of surgical masks and hand sanitizer, and people no longer feel shy about wearing a mask in public? Why are conferences and classes getting canceled and governors declaring states of emergency when we don’t do that with seasonal flu?
The news seemed to be positive: The number of new coronavirus cases reported in China over the past week suggested that the outbreak might be slowing — that containment efforts were working.
But on Thursday, officials added more than 14,840 cases to the tally of the infected in Hubei province alone, bringing the total number to 48,206, the largest one-day increase so far recorded. The death toll in the province rose to 1,310, including 242 new deaths.
A new coronavirus outbreak, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has spread throughout Asia and globally, has prompted people around the world to buy medical face masks in hopes of preventing infection.
Japan already had several confirmed coronavirus cases when a giant cruise ship arrived at the port of Yokohama last week.
Now, with the disclosure that 64 people from that ship have tested positive for the virus, Japan is scrambling to prevent a larger outbreak even as it prepares to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for the Summer Olympics starting in Tokyo in July.
Jan. 21, 2020
A respiratory virus has spread from China to at least a dozen other countries, including the U.S. Here’s what you need to know.
An international outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus has killed at least 132 people and sickened about 6,000, according to the Chinese health authorities.
A new tool for the design and authorship of One Health studies is available to researchers after publication in the journal One Health. One Health is a growing discipline that looks at the linkages between the health of people, animals, and the changing ecosystems we share.