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The White House on Monday urged all Americans to follow a new set of guidelines for the next 15 days aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus that has now killed more than 70 people in the U.S. President Donald Trump, joined by members of his coronavirus task force, said the guidelines urge people across the country to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, to avoid eating at or visiting bars, restaurants, and food courts, and to avoid discretionary travel. In places "with evidence of community transmission," bars and restaurants should close, the guidelines say. Trump also, however,...

What if we compared the mortality rate of influenza and coronavirus using only confirmed cases (no estimates)? People seem to like to use a ~0.1% mortality rate for seasonal flu when comparing it to coronavirus. This 0.1% figures includes all of the estimated influenza cases in the US, using modeling, which dramatically lowers the mortality rate. The same modeling/estimating is never applied to coronavirus. What happens when we only use confirmed cases for each and eliminate the models and estimates for total cases? Per the CDC the number of CONFIRMED seasonal flu cases this year in the US is 222,552...

MILAN - The fight against death pauses every day at 1 p.m. At that time, doctors in the intensive care unit of Policlinico San Donato phone relatives of the unit’s 25 critically-ill coronavirus patients, all of whom are sedated and have tubes down their throats to breathe, to update the families. Lunchtime used to be for visiting hours at this Milan hospital. But now, as the country grapples with a coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 2,000 people, no visitors are allowed in. And no one in Italy leaves their homes anymore. When the doctors make the calls, they...

Sky News understands the UK shifted to tougher measures on Monday partly as a result of the document produced by experts. The government ramped up measures against the coronavirus epidemic following new predictions that the UK could otherwise have seen 250,000 deaths. A new document published by the COVID-19 team at London's Imperial College - which is advising the government on its coronavirus response - warns the current public health threat is the "most serious" from a respiratory virus since the Spanish Flu in 1918. They advised the UK adopts a strategy of "epidemic suppression" - for a period of...

Governments love crises because when the people are fearful they are more willing to give up freedoms for promises that the government will take care of them. After 9/11, for example, Americans accepted the near-total destruction of their civil liberties in the PATRIOT Act’s hollow promises of security. It is ironic to see the same Democrats who tried to impeach President Trump last month for abuse of power demanding that the Administration grab more power and authority in the name of fighting a virus that thus far has killed less than 100 Americans. Declaring a pandemic emergency on Friday, President...

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont claims Danbury Hospital is already at overcapacity. Two hundred nurses employed by an interstate health system in New York and Connecticut have been out of work since potentially being exposed to coronavirus patients, a report said. The health care workers from Nuvance Health will remain sidelined until they can obtain coronavirus tests to determine if they were infected, according to the Hartford Courant, citing Gov. Ned Lamont. Lamont was discussing the dire situation at Danbury Hospital, which he said was “at capacity,” on MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes” when he made the shocking revelation....

President Donald Trump on Monday released a series of coronavirus guidelines to slow the spread that calls for a lockdown of America, including the closing of restaurants and schools. 'Each and every one of us has a critical role to play in stopping the spread,' the president said in the White House briefing room. He predicted the virus would be a threat until the summer. 'People are talking about July, August, something like that,' Trump said. But Dr. Anthony Fauci stepped in to clarify the guidelines were not in affect that long. 'The guidelines are over a 15 day-trial guideline,'...

San Francisco's mayor has announced an unprecedented three week lockdown that will begin on Tuesday at midnight and which bans anyone from leaving their home for anything other than doctor's visits or trips to the supermarket. In addition to the lockdown in city parameters, six counties in the Bay Area are being told to 'shelter in place'. The lockdown is the strictest action to be taken in America. Anyone who breaks it faces legal repercussions. It will last until April 7. Mayor London Breed called it a 'defining moment' on Monday morning. 'This is going to be a defining moment...

... President Trump told a group of governors Monday morning that they should not wait for the federal government to fill the growing demand for respirators needed to help people diagnosed with coronavirus. “Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,” Mr. Trump told the governors during the conference call, a recording of which was shared with The New York Times. “We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself.” The suggestion surprised some of the governors, who have been scrambling to...

This is CNBC’s 24-hour blog covering all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak. All times below are in Eastern time. This live blog will be updated throughout the day as the news breaks. Global cases: More than 156,000, according to Johns Hopkins University Global deaths: At least 5,833, according to Johns Hopkins University U.S. cases: At least 2,952, according to Johns Hopkins University U.S. deaths: At least 57, according to Johns Hopkins University

Every Briton over the age of 70 will be told "within the coming weeks" to stay at home for an extended period to shield them from coronavirus Health Secretary Matt Hancock says. He told the BBC the rules will not come into force just yet but when it does it will last "a very long time". The government has faced pressure to do more to tackle the epidemic after the UK death toll rose to 21 on Saturday. All deaths so far have been of people over 60 or with underlying conditions. Over-70s - and younger people with certain health...

Has the Coronavirus already come and gone for most of the US? Adam Houseley, formerly of FoxNews, says that MAY be the case...

Telling people to remain calm and simultaneously forcing people to remain in their homes would seem to be a contradiction in messaging; potentially only worsening the panic. However, this is one of those, “well, yes it’s unconstitutional except when….” moments, that may have rather profound consequences. The Democrat mayor of Hoboken New Jersey has announced a mandatory curfew between 10pm and 5am where all residents are not permitted to exit their residence; and all bars must close due to the coronavirus. I don’t know if this is the first ‘mandatory’ coronavirus curfew, or even how such an effort could feasibly...

A top Ohio health department official who said Thursday that 100,000 or more people in the state have coronavirus now says she was “guesstimating” to arrive at the alarming number. “I am not saying there are absolutely for certain 100,000 people,” Dr. Amy Acton, the director of the Ohio Department of Health, said at a press conference Friday. “I’m saying I’m guesstimating. If I’m guesstimating community spread, that’s my best number.” Acton raised eyebrows Thursday when she said that because there is community spread of coronavirus in Ohio, at least 1% of residents in the state are likely to have...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A man in Nelson County who has a confirmed case of the coronavirus has refused to self isolate, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday. Beshear said that the state has taken the steps to "force a self-isolation." "It's a step I hoped I never had to take, but we can't allow one person who we know has this virus to refuse to protect their neighbors," he said. The 53-year-old man left against medical advice, according to Beshear. It's unknown what facility the man left. Nelson County Judge Executive Dean Watts said the sheriff's office is involved...

Gov. Andy Beshear announced there are 16 positive cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky in his Saturday press conference. In addition to Harrison County, Jefferson County and Fayette County, cases have been confirmed in Bourbon County, Montgomery County and Nelson County/Meade County (one case has connection to both counties). Gov. Beshear said the first instance of an individual who tested positive and refused to self quarantine has now happened as well. The Nelson County resident was forced into isolation after the person refused, according to Gov. Beshear. Gov. Beshear also said that one person who tested positive is in "bad shape"...

The Italian government has confirmed 3,497 more infections with the new coronavirus on Saturday. That's the highest daily increase in the country. The number of infections has reached 21,157, mainly in the northern region of Lombardy. The figure topped 20,000 in about three weeks since a slew of infections were first confirmed late last month.

"World War C" can be taken in two ways: a war against coronavirus (COVID-19) or a world war against China, which is now being found out as the country responsible for unleashing a pandemic on the world. In times of uncertainty and crisis, the American people look to the president of the United States. As President Roosevelt once said, "we have nothing to fear but fear itself." President Trump, in a White House Rose Garden event flanked by great captains of American private-sector companies, had his finest hour in instilled confidence that all will be well throughout America. Thoughtful, courageous...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, There are now 6 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Alabama. The cases have been confirmed out of the following counties: Elmore Jefferson Limestone Montgomery Tuscaloosa An additional individual was tested in Alabama, but is not an Alabama resident. If you recently traveled to one of these affected geographic areas within the last 14 days, visit COVID-19 Resources for Travelers. If a person has questions about being tested for COVID-19, with or without any travel history, visit COVID-19 Testing.

My email box is filled each day with spam from the various banks, vendors, financial institutions, non-profits, hospitals, doctors, and government agencies all anxious to tell me how well they are washing doorknobs and taking other precautions. Please make them stop!