Saturday 29 February 2020

Are you sure you're okay?! Man just released from coronavirus quarantine COUGHS his way through an interview and SHARES a water bottle with his three-year-old daughter

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/coronavirus-dad-coughs-splutters-tv-21601762

  • Frank Wucinski and his three-year-old daughter Annabel were evacuated from Wuhan to San Diego on February 4
  • His wife was forced to remain in China as she tended to her sick father who was hospitalized with the coronavirus
  • Her father has since died and she has pneumonia that may be virus-related
  • Wucinski and Annabel were separated and isolated when they landed because of their proximity to a confirmed coronavirus case
  • They spent 14 days in quarantine but tested negative for the deadly virus 
  • Wucinski could not stop coughing during a Fox News appearance
  • He was forced to grab a water bottle from his daughter and hand it back
A U.S. citizen who was evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, could not stop coughing as he gave a TV interview of his experience of going through the quarantine process.  
Frank Wucinski and his three-year-old daughter Annabel were evacuated from Wuhan on February 4 and immediately placed in a 14-day quarantine in the MCAS Miramar military base in San Diego.
They were finally released on February 20. He gave a TV interview to Fox News on Friday but Wucinski appeared to be struggling with a cough that at times prevented him from speaking clearly. 
He was forced to take a bottle of water from his daughter sitting on his lap but handed it straight back to her, despite mentioning how the deadly virus seemed to be contagious. 
A father and daughter who have been released from quarantine after being evacuated from China appeared on Fox News but he could not stop coughing through the interview
A father and daughter who have been released from quarantine after being evacuated from China appeared on Fox News but he could not stop coughing through the interview
Frank Wucinski with his daughter and wife before the coronavirus outbreak separated them
Frank Wucinski with his daughter and wife before the coronavirus outbreak separated them
Frank Wucinski's wife remained in China to tend to her father who has since died
Frank Wucinski's wife remained in China to tend to her father who has since died
Frank Wucinski and his daughter Annabel pictured as they left their 14-day quarantine
Frank Wucinski and his daughter Annabel pictured as they left their 14-day quarantine
Wucinski racked his cough up to 'nerves' during his appearance on the weekday show 'America's Newsroom'. 
His wife, who is not a U.S. citizen, is still stuck in Wuhan and now suffering with pneumonia which may be coronavirus related. 
She had stayed in China to aid her father, who was hospitalized with the virus and passed away while Wucinski and Annabelle were in the California quarantine center. 
The family has lived in China for the past 15 years. They have spent two-thirds of that time in Wuhan, where his wife's family lives. 
The father and daughter were evacuated from Wuhan to San Diego on February 4
The father and daughter were evacuated from Wuhan to San Diego on February 4
Frank Wucinski documented his time in quarantine with his daughter Annabel on Twitter
Frank Wucinski documented his time in quarantine with his daughter Annabel on Twitter
 'I mean, I know just from my experience being in Wuhan when it all first started it was scary. You just didn't know what was happening and what was going on,' Wucinski told Fox News as he battled through stunted coughs. 
'I think as time goes forward, hopefully, doctors and scientists will get a better handle on the whole situation.  
'Fortunately, from what I understand, it is contagious, but the death rate is pretty low,' he added. 
As he clearly struggled to continue, Wucinski was forced to take the water bottle Annabel was eagerly drinking from in an attempt to regain his composure. 
He continues to explain the cough away, reiterating that he was tested and cleared of the coronavirus and that his mystery cough had nothing to do with it.
'They said I'm fine. I got tested twice, negative both times. The cough, probably just nerves,' he added.   
Frank Wucinski, freed from 14-day quarantine, coughed as he spoke about the coronavirus
Frank Wucinski, freed from 14-day quarantine, coughed as he spoke about the coronavirus
Frank Wucinski was forced to take his daughter's water bottle as he coughed continuously
 Frank Wucinski was forced to take his daughter's water bottle as he coughed continuously
Man who finished quarantine coughs next to daughter during TV interview


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Wucinski and his daughter were immediately separated and isolated as soon as they reached MCAS Miramar military base as a result of their contact with Wucinski's father-in-law who had the virus. 
'A few days later, Annabel just coughed in front of some staff,' he told Fox News. 
'They suggested we go to the medical tent. The medical tent contacted the CDC and they said that we should go back to isolation at the children's hospital. So, we stayed there for about three days.' 
When her test came out negative they were moved to the base on February 14 to complete the remainder of their 14-day quarantine.   
They were both released on February 20 after testing negative for the disease but now face large medical bills for their stay. 
 'Well, we're meant to go for follow-up checkups at the hospital or with a doctor, So, we're looking into trying to get some insurance because my insurance for work doesn't work in America. So, we're applying,' he told Fox. 
'Although I assumed all medical bills from our time in quarantine would be paid by the government, it turns out that I am financially responsible for the six days Annabel and I spent in isolation at the hospital,' Wucinski explained on a GoFundMe page he has established for the family. 
'Secondly, since I do not know how long we will be in the United States, I am looking into getting health insurance for the two of us, since my insurance in China does not cover American doctors. While it looks like my daughter might be eligible for free healthcare, I am not.'  
Frank Wucinski's daughter Annabel coughed in front of medical staff and was brought to the local children's hospital for isolation and further tests. She tested negative for the virus
Frank Wucinski's daughter Annabel coughed in front of medical staff and was brought to the local children's hospital for isolation and further tests. She tested negative for the virus 
Frank Wucinski celebrates his release from quarantine with his daughter Annabel, aged 3
Frank Wucinski celebrates his release from quarantine with his daughter Annabel, aged 3
The family now faces medical fees to cover their six-day hospital stay in quarantine
The family now faces medical fees to cover their six-day hospital stay in quarantine
The coronavirus has reached more than 57 countries with more than 84,000 deaths and more than 2,800 deaths. 
There are now 60 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. 
Experts admit they have no way of knowing the true figure because access to testing at present is severely limited.
The first U.S. case of coronavirus where the origin of the disease is unknown was confirmed on Wednesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the person, a resident in Northern California, had not recently returned from a foreign country, and had not been in contact with another confirmed case.
It later emerged that evening that the CDC had taken four days to test the woman, despite requests from medical staff, because 'the patient did not fit the existing CDC criteria for COVID-19'.
As many as 100 healthcare workers may have been exposed to the woman in the four days that she went untested. The doctors and nurses are from the University of California Davis Medical Center, where the woman is being treated, and from NorthBay VacaValley Hospital.
Shoppers wearing protective face masks buying toilet paper at a wholesale store in Mountain View, California, as people stock up on supplies due to increasing panic about the virus
Shoppers wearing protective face masks buying toilet paper at a wholesale store in Mountain View, California, as people stock up on supplies due to increasing panic about the virus
Shoppers wearing protective face masks walking in a wholesale store in Mountain View, California, with 60 cases now confirmed in the United States
Shoppers wearing protective face masks walking in a wholesale store in Mountain View, California, with 60 cases now confirmed in the United States
All of the 59 other cases in the U.S. have been for people who had traveled abroad or had close contact with others who traveled.
Earlier U.S. cases included 14 in people who returned from outbreak areas in China, or their spouses; three people who were evacuated from the central China city of Wuhan; and 42 American passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
So far, the U.S. strategy has focused almost exclusively on testing infected travelers, using a test that looks for genetic material from the virus in saliva or mucus. As of February 23, fewer than 500 people from 43 states had been or are being tested for the virus.
Currently, just seven state and local health departments have the ability to screen for the virus.

Over China, coronavirus coincides with plummet in nitrogen dioxide

https://www.foxnews.com/science/china-cornvirus-coincides-plummet-nitrogen-dioxide


The coronavirus is coinciding with "significant decreases" in nitrogen dioxide over China, according to NASA, as authorities there continue to place more people under quarantines and some businesses remain closed amid the outbreak.
Pollution monitoring satellites operated by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) detected the decreases over a two-month span, according to a news release. The drops coincided with the outbreak and the Lunar New Year, which was unusually tame because many decided to stay indoors rather than risk becoming infected.

“This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event,” said Fei Liu, an air quality researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
Nitrogen dioxide levels over China decreased dramatically as China continues to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak. 
Nitrogen dioxide levels over China decreased dramatically as China continues to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak.  (NASA)
In January, Chinese authorities locked down several cities and shut down all transportation going into and out of the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.
The pollution reduction is shown in two maps released by the space agencies. The first shows large concentrations of nitrogen dioxide levels over Beijing and near Wuhan from Jan. 1 through 20, before mandated quarantines were issued.
The second is dated from Feb. 10 to 25 in the same area. Almost no nitrogen dioxide is shown.
Additional maps showing Wuhan compared January and February 2019 to the same months this year. Large concentrations of nitrogen dioxide are shown over the city in 2019. Virtually none appears in the updated image.
Nitrogen dioxide levels over China decreased dramatically as China continues to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak. 
Nitrogen dioxide levels over China decreased dramatically as China continues to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak.  (NASA)
Barry Lefer, a NASA scientist, said pollution levels usually decrease around the Lunar New Year holiday because many businesses and factories are closed. Levels usually increase after the celebration.

“This year, the reduction rate is more significant than in past years and it has lasted longer,” Liu said. “I am not surprised because many cities nationwide have taken measures to minimize [the] spread of the virus.”

Coronavirus in Iran prompts US to extend olive branch amid claim country's death toll far higher than reported

https://www.foxnews.com/world/coronavirus-iran-us-help-death-toll-higher


The U.S. State Department extended an olive branch to Iran Friday amid a report that more than 200 people in the country have reportedly been killed by the coronavirus, a figure six times higher than the officially released number.
"The United States stands with the people of Iran during the public health crisis caused by the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).  The U.S. Government is prepared to assist the Iranian people in their response efforts," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. "This offer of support to the Iranian people, which has been formally conveyed to Iran through the Government of Switzerland, underscores our ongoing commitment to address health crises and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Supporting the Iranian people is and will remain among our top priorities."

Pompeo is also calling on Tehran to "cooperate fully and transparently with international aid and health organizations," amid growing international concern that Tehran's leadership is purporting to coverup the extent of the problem and lacks the resources necessary to contain the spread of the illness.
Iranian government officials have said that the death toll in the country is 34. But a report by BBC Persia, citing sources in the country's health system, claims that number is at least 210, with the vast portion of the victims residing in the capital Tehran and the holy city of Qom, which is where the first case was recorded last week.

A worker disinfects a public bus against coronavirus in Tehran, Iran, in early morning of Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. Iran's government said Tuesday that more than a dozen people had died nationwide from the new coronavirus, rejecting claims of a much higher death toll of 50 by a lawmaker from the city of Qom that has been at the epicenter of the virus in the country. 
A worker disinfects a public bus against coronavirus in Tehran, Iran, in early morning of Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. Iran's government said Tuesday that more than a dozen people had died nationwide from the new coronavirus, rejecting claims of a much higher death toll of 50 by a lawmaker from the city of Qom that has been at the epicenter of the virus in the country.  (AP)
Among those known to have contracted Covid-19 – according to state media – include Masoumeh Ebtekar, the highest-ranking woman in the Iranian government and the vice president for women and family affairs who also served as the spokesperson for the Iranian students who seized U.S. hostages in 1979, and two members of parliament, including the deputy health minister.
Modest measures have been taken to squash further spread – Friday prayers were called off in the capital and 22 other cities, and schools and universities have been shuttered.

While Tehran has vowed that they are being transparent in the handling of the virus, skepticism pervades.
"(Coronavirus) came unseen and undetected into Iran, so the extent of infection may be broader than what we may be seeing," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's emergencies program, stated Thursday.