Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Coronavirus Death Toll, Number Of Cases Climb As Chinese Officials Try To Contain Outbreak During Busy Travel Time
The New York Times: The Test A Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak Poses To China’s Leadership
Facing growing pressure to contain a deadly viral outbreak that has spread halfway around the world, China’s ruling Communist Party raced on Tuesday to confront the disease, slapping restrictions on the city where it started and warning that anyone who hides infections will be “forever nailed to history’s pillar of shame.” The response by the Chinese leadership, which has come under intensifying criticism that it has been slow to acknowledge the severity of the outbreak, came as fatalities from the disease tripled to at least nine. (Hernandez, 1/21)
Reuters: China Virus Deaths Rise To Nine, Heightening Global Alarm
The death toll from a new flu-like coronavirus in China rose to nine on Wednesday with 440 confirmed cases, Chinese health officials said as authorities stepped up efforts to control the outbreak by discouraging public gatherings in Hubei province. (Cadell and Stanway, 1/22)
The Wall Street Journal: China Coronavirus Death Toll Rises To Nine, Confirmed Cases Pass 400
Nine people have died in China from the coronavirus, which causes pneumonia, Li Bin, vice minister of the National Health Commission, said Wednesday, with 440 confirmed cases as of the end of Tuesday. Authorities said they are still trying to understand the virus. But “right now, the main transmission route of the virus is the respiratory tract,” said Mr. Li. (Deng, 1/22)
The New York Times: China Warns Holiday Travel Surge Could Spread Deadly Coronavirus
Every year, Chinese travelers embark on the world’s biggest annual human migration for the Lunar New Year, a weeklong holiday. That begins on Friday, when the country says farewell to the Year of the Pig and welcomes the Year of the Rat. Dr. Li said the huge tide of travel during the holiday could worsen the spread of the virus and make it more difficult to contain. Already, though, the new virus has spread from Wuhan, a city of 11 million, across many parts of China — and abroad, including to the United States — aided by China’s vast rail network and growing numbers of international travelers. (Buckley, 1/22)
The Washington Post: China Virus: Expert Says It Can Be Spread By Human-To-Human Contact, Sparking Concerns About The Massive Holiday Travel Underway
Under the best of circumstances, the Spring Festival in China is a logistical exercise of mind-blowing proportions: hundreds of millions of people traveling via planes, trains, buses and taxis to return to their hometowns to ring in the new lunar year with their families. It’s the biggest human migration on the planet. And that’s without mentioning the bursting bags of gifts, clothing, food and liquor that travel with them. (Fifield, 1/20)
CNN: Life Inside Ground Zero Of Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak
In the city's center, the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market sits empty, its rows of stalls shuttered. Police and security officers in face masks stand guard outside, prohibiting anyone from filming or entering a cordoned off area. The market has always been a popular spot at this time of the year, packed with shoppers stocking up on fish and seafood for Lunar New Year feasts with family and friends. But this year, Chinese authorities and scientists say wild animals sold at this market are the likely source of the new strain of coronavirus, which is in the same family of viruses as the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).(Culver, Xiong and Gan, 1/22)
The Washington Post: Chinese Officials Try To Contain Virus Outbreak As First Case Confirmed In U.S.
Traffic police began conducting random checks on vehicles traveling in and out of the city to ensure they were not transporting live birds or wild animals. Some airlines and travel agencies began offering refunds to people traveling out of Wuhan or people with the virus, and some hotels have allowed people to cancel their reservations without penalty. At least two airlines flying to Wuhan have stocked their planes with masks. Wuhan’s three major hospitals have 800 beds, but authorities said they would add 1,200 beds to deal with the rising number of pneumonia cases. They also said they would foot the hospital bills for those infected. (Fifield, Sun and Bernstein, 1/21)
Reuters: China Takes More Measures To Protect Healthcare Workers In Virus Outbreak
China is taking more strict measures in hospitals to protect healthcare workers in the new coronavirus outbreak, and will increase training for healthcare workers nationwide, officials from the country's health commission said on Wednesday. (1/21)
The Wall Street Journal: As Virus Spreads, Isolated Taiwan Risks Being A Loophole In War On Epidemics
Taiwan’s first reported case of a patient infected by a deadly coronavirus spreading across Asia turns a spotlight on Beijing’s attempts to exclude the self-governing island from the World Health Organization, which Taiwanese officials say hinders an effective global response to public-health crises. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has in recent years squeezed the island’s ability to participate in international affairs, including by blocking its representatives from United Nations agencies overseeing global health and aviation. (Cheng and Wong, 1/22)
The Associated Press: What's New Today In The China Virus Outbreak
The World Health Organization is holding an Emergency Committee meeting in Geneva to determine whether to declare the outbreak a global health crisis. Previous emergencies have been declared for the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo and the Zika virus in the Americas in 2016. (1/22)
Los Angeles Times: China Coronavirus Shadows Travel Plans For Lunar New Year
North Korea had stopped receiving foreign tourists as of Wednesday as a precaution against the virus, according to China-based tour operator Young Pioneer Tours. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea come from China, a rare source of foreign currency for the isolated country that is not subject to international sanctions. (Chang, 1/21)
Bloomberg: Coronavirus News: China Death Toll Rises To 9 With 440 Infected
After volatility Tuesday, financial markets showed signs of calming Wednesday as China’s National Health Commission detailed actions to contain the disease. Asian stocks recovered some of Tuesday’s sell-off, while haven assets steadied following previous gains. (Bloomberg News, 1/21)
