# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2020 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [February 11, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758 "2020-02-11T01:16:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 169
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3371 "2020-05-31T20:52:37Z")
Today in Austria: [ul] [li] The government has indicated that there are plans for a further **easing of international travel restrictions**. Details will be given on Wednesday.[/li][li] In a further bid to increase **employment** , the government is now promising businesses a bonus of €2000 for every apprentice they hire (or have hired) between 16 March and 31 October.[/li][li] There’s been a small **spike in new cases in Vienna** , in part due to an outbreak at an Amazon distribution centre. Apart from one new case in Upper Austria, Vienna was the only federal state today to report new infections.[/li][li] The federal chancellor today promised that should a **coronavirus vaccine** become available, no one will be legally required to use it.[/li][li] Current statistics: 16,731 confirmed infections, 668 deaths, 15,593 recovered.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3372 "2020-06-01T05:28:01Z")
6,267,453 total cases 373,961 dead 2,847,557 recovered In the US: 1,837,170 total cases 106,195 dead 599,867 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 6,160,295 total cases > 371,006 dead > 2,738,284 recovered > > In the US: > > 1,816,820 total cases > 105,557 dead > 535,238 recovered ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3373 "2020-06-01T10:59:00Z")
[New Coronavirus Losing Potency, Top Italian Doctor Says](https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/05/31/world/europe/31reuters-health-coronavirus-italy-virus.html) > [@](#): > > “In reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy,” said Alberto Zangrillo, the head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan in the northern region of Lombardy, which has borne the brunt of Italy’s coronavirus contagion. Maybe a less virulent strain is emerging, which is welcome news, but who just switched off the more virulent strains out there? Won’t the entire menagerie continue to circulate around the world? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3374 "2020-06-01T14:06:19Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > [New Coronavirus Losing Potency, Top Italian Doctor Says](https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/05/31/world/europe/31reuters-health-coronavirus-italy-virus.html) > > Maybe a less virulent strain is emerging, which is welcome news, but who just switched off the more virulent strains out there? Won’t the entire menagerie continue to circulate around the world? [A response](https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-comments-reported-in-the-media-by-prof-alberto-zangrillo-about-the-covid-19-virus-in-italy/): > [@](#): > > Dr Oscar MacLean, of the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, said: > > “These claims are not supported by anything in the scientific literature, and also seem fairly implausible on genetic grounds. > > “The vast majority of SARS-CoV-2 mutations are extremely rare, and so whilst some infections may be attenuated by certain mutations, they are highly unlikely to be common enough to alter the nature of the virus at a national or global level. We know that susceptibility to the virus significantly differs across age and risk groups, and so infection outcomes will also drastically differ across individuals. As testing efforts are scaled up across the globe, asymptomatic and mild infections which previously would not have been detected, are now much more likely to be identified. It’s important not to confuse this with any weakening on the virus’s part. > > “Making these claims on the basis of anecdotal observations from swab tests is dangerous. Whilst weakening of the virus through mutations is theoretically possible, it is not something we should expect, and any claims of this nature would need to be verified in a more systematic way. Without significantly stronger evidence, no one should unnecessarily downplay the danger this highly virulent virus poses, and risk the ongoing society-wide response.” ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3375 "2020-06-01T16:55:51Z")
FWIW, there [does seem to be evidence that the fatality rate in Italy dropped significantly over time](https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.23.20110882v2), and the fact that the average age of patients who died went significantly up isn’t something that is explainable simply by more mild cases being detected, although it _could_ be explained by doctors learning how to treat it more effectively. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3376 "2020-06-01T17:24:06Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > And I see that when I wrote that, I missed the elephant in the room. The top antibody test on the list, the one with 100% success rate, got the 100% for 88 people tested \>= 14 days after symptoms. _So it’s not validated for people who are asymptomatic_ Is there reason to believe symptomatic vs. asymptomatic people would present differently? ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3377 "2020-06-01T17:33:55Z")
Since viruses normally mutate, how many mutations typically happen within a person while they are infected? If they are initially infected with 100% of strain A, how many other strains will that mutate into during the time that they are infected? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3378 "2020-06-01T19:23:25Z")
Today Panama lifted the total quarantine that has been in effect since near the end of March. People are now allowed to move freely between 5 AM and 7 PM everyday. From 7 PM until 5 AM a curfew remains in effect. Masks and social distancing are still required outside the house. Previously men were allowed to leave the house for essential shopping only 4 hours a week (during hours based on their ID) and women 6 hours a week, on different days for men and women. Today is also the opening of “Block 2” of economic activities, including public works construction, industry, and non-metallic mining. Parks, recreation areas, sport fields, and religious venues are allowed to open at 25% of capacity with social distancing in effect. While it’s a great relief to be able to move freely again - today is the first time I’ve been out of the house on a Monday for two months, I wonder what effect this is going to have. Three weeks ago they opened Block 1, which included repair workshops, plumbers, electricians, and other maintenance workers, and fishing. A week ago, two weeks after the opening of Block 1, the number of new cases per day almost tripled. It had been cruising along at 150-170 a day and apparently falling slowly, when it suddenly went up. It’s been at 400 or more the last 4 days, higher than it’s ever been. Despite the limited number of industries opening up in Block 1, I wonder if the surge was due to that, and what that will mean two weeks from today. The vast majority of cases in Panama (82%) are from the Panama City metropolitan area (which accounts for almost half the country’s population). Some of the more isolated provinces have only a handful of cases. Of the recent new cases, 58% have come from just 8 localities: a prison just east of the city, a poor district in the old part of town, and six low income suburbs east and west of the city. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3379 "2020-06-01T21:11:22Z")
Today in Austria: [ul] [li] A **survey of Austrian businesses** has revealed that 4 out of 5 of them have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and 2 out of 3 have furloughed their employees (and applied to the government’s scheme to cover their salaries). 7% of respondents say they have enough cash to continue operating for only two more months; 23% say they have enough for two to four months, 19% for four to six months, 20% for more than six months, and 31% say they have no liquidity problems at all.[/li][li] Tomorrow the city of Vienna will be reopening **pensioners’ clubs**.[/li][li] Current statistics: 16,733 confirmed infections, 668 deaths, 15,596 recovered.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3380 "2020-06-01T22:17:04Z")
There are some things about COVID that are confounding. Symptoms, length and severity of illness, ease of transmissibility, susceptibility, and a bunch of other stuff make it super scary. [ **After 6 Months, Important Mysteries About Coronavirus Endure** _Times journalists summarize some of the most critical things that scientists and public health officials have yet to understand._](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/health/coronavirus-mysteries.html) Each of the following points (accessed at the link just above) takes you to a link where that particular question is dealt with in some detail. This should not be paywalled. I don’t know if you have to “register” or something… but you should ultimately be able to read the article at no charge. > [@](#): > > Here are some of the things we don’t know yet: > > ``` > [ul] > > ``` > > [li]How many people have been infected.[/li][li] The amount of virus it takes to make you sick.[/li][li] Why some people get so much sicker than others.[/li][li] The role of children in spreading the virus.[/li][li] When or where the new coronavirus started spreading.[/li][li] How long you’ll be immune after infection.[/li][/ul] Different article: [ **Six Months of Coronavirus: Here’s Some of What We’ve Learned** _Much remains unknown and mysterious, but these are some of the things we’re pretty sure of after half a year of this pandemic._](https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-facts-history.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article) Same access as stated above. > [@](#): > > Here are some things we think we know about coronavirus: > > ``` > [ul] > > ``` > > [li]We’ll have to live with this for a long time.[/li][li] You should be wearing a mask.[/li][li] American public health infrastructure needs an update.[/li][li] Responding to the virus is extraordinarily expensive.[/li][li] We have a long way to go to fix virus testing.[/li][li] We can’t count on herd immunity to keep us healthy.[/li][li] The virus produces more symptoms than expected.[/li][li] We can worry a bit less about infection from surfaces.[/li][li] We can also worry less about a mutating virus.[/li][li] We can’t count on warm weather to defeat the virus.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3381 "2020-06-02T02:05:24Z")
> [@Trom](#): > > Is there reason to believe symptomatic vs. asymptomatic people would present differently? Yes. Firstly, immunity isn’t a black/white yes/no kind of thing (there are all kinds of different parts of an immune response), and secondly symptoms are often a symptom of immune response, not directly symptoms of infection. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3382 "2020-06-02T03:54:57Z")
NBC reported that the protest crowds in the wake of George Floyd’s death have unsurprisingly lead to coronavirus spread. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3383 "2020-06-02T04:04:02Z")
6,370,471 total cases 377,515 dead 2,904,632 recovered In the US: 1,859,323 total cases 106,925 dead 615,416 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 6,267,453 total cases > 373,961 dead > 2,847,557 recovered > > In the US: > > 1,837,170 total cases > 106,195 dead > 599,867 recovered ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3384 "2020-06-02T05:35:48Z")
From the Worldometer [USA page](https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/) > [@](#): > > NOTE from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health: > > "Today, the Department of Public Health will begin reporting both confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and deaths. This change is in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control to include “probable” COVID-19 cases and deaths in data collection and reporting efforts. This change will increase the number of cases and deaths reported in Massachusetts. Today’s newly reported totals are a result of a retrospective review of probable cases and deaths dating back to March 1, 2020. Massachusetts’ numbers had a big jump and this is the reason why. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3385 "2020-06-02T08:56:33Z")
Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Tuesday (June 2) announced zero new cases of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), marking 51 days without a new local infection. During his daily press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Minister of Health and Welfare and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced there were no new cases of coronavirus for the seventh day in a row. Taiwan’s total number of cases still stands at 443. Also: Up until now, only seven patients have succumbed to the disease, while 427 have been released from hospital isolation. This leaves only nine patients still undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in Taiwan. They haven’t declared Mission Accomplishment, but it’s pretty well under control now. The problems will only happen when the borders are reopened and more infected people will visit. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3386 "2020-06-02T11:09:42Z")
I don’t think anyone’s posted this news: [Warmer temperatures slow COVID-19 transmission, but not by much](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200601134610.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3387 "2020-06-02T14:32:10Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > NBC reported that the protest crowds in the wake of George Floyd’s death have unsurprisingly lead to coronavirus spread. How are they documenting this? I mean, it seems likely - but anyone who caught it during the protests would just now be showing symptoms, and probably not yet be at the point of being tested / confirmed. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3388 "2020-06-02T14:33:21Z")
Interesting! [This study from Brazil](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720323792) seems to suggest temperature increase slows down transmission up to 25.8 C (around 78 F), but your article (from the United States) says it doesn’t make a difference once you get over 52 F. That’s a big difference! I wonder if it’s more about behavior (e.g., how much time people are spending outside) and Americans and Brazilians differ in terms of what they consider warm weather. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3389 "2020-06-02T14:52:48Z")
CNN is reporting that Fauci hasn’t spoken to Trump in two weeks. I guess everything is all better now. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3390 "2020-06-02T21:17:09Z")
Another slow news day in Austria. The few government press conferences held today mostly just repeated information that had already been anounced in the previous days. Even the coronavirus news ticker on the Austrian news site I follow signed off four hours early today because there was nothing going on. And there’s been only one new coronavirus-related death reported in the past week. From now on I’ll just refrain from posting on days where there is no news. So if you don’t hear from me on a given day, or for several days in a row, you can just assume that it’s because things are getting back to normal in Austria, at least in fits and starts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=168) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=170)