“Our focus at this point is to try and understand who potentially this person may have had close, prolonged contact,” Park said
...
In other words, it’s not as easily transmissible as some people fear.
They might also want to check the guy’s sanitary sewer system.
From Hong Kong:
“Health officials called it a precautionary measure after a 62-year-old woman diagnosed with the virus Tuesday was found living 10 floors directly below a man who was earlier confirmed with the virus. The woman’s son and daughter-in-law who live with her were among seven new cases reported Thursday, raising the city’s total tally to 49.
As in 2003 [SARS], officials suspect the building’s plumbing may be to blame.
The 34 households evacuated live vertically above or below the woman and share the same sewage system. A modified toilet drainage pipe in her unit may have helped spread the virus and officials are checking if any other units have made such alternations while they disinfect the building.”
In other words, it’s not as easily transmissible as some people fear.
Very politically incorrect question but absolutely imperative to answer if this disease is to be truly understood. Have the non Chinese Westerners who live and work in Wusan become infected and die at the same rate of genetic Chinese? So far, even though data has not been forthcoming , it would appear that Caucasians and Africans have a much lower susceptibility to this virus than genetic Asiatics. There was much travel between Wusan, the US and Europe between Dec 15 thru Jan 15. No doubt infected people travelled to Europe and North America. Thus far there has been no widespread out breaks in the predominantly non Asiatic endemic populations. Surely where concentrations of Asiatics congregate in North America and Europe special surveillance is necessary.
It would be WHO’s worse nightmare if this particular coronavirus actually infected mostly Asians and not Caucasians. It would be feared that Europe and America, despite pieties, would not mobilize in the way necessary to overcome or check this disease as it dis with HIV.
This disease will have catastrophic consequences for the world economy. Trade will suffer, there will be less air travel especially to the Pacific. Companies heavily invested in China will suffer badly. There will also be pharmaceutical shortages in the US. Many drugs are manufactured in China. Also its a likelihood that the summer Olympics in Japan will be cancelled.
No, in other words, we're afraid to quarantine two islands while we find out how bad it spread. So we're hoping for a best case scenario.
Nope. It’s airborne and that’s what the authorities are trying to downplay. Why do you think the airliners are in quarantine at Heathrow or the cruise ship in Japan.