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One question you might want to explore: is there a Thai community anywhere in your vicinity? Sometimes they can be found around large universities or in major cities. Being able to talk Thai with those who share his cultural heritage would be a big help in adjusting to a strange environment. Best of luck to both of you.

From South China Morning Post Singapore ‘idiot’s guide’ to coronavirus crisis control: don’t do it like Hong Kong If you haven’t yet heard that leaked audio clip of Singaporean Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing’s recent rant against “idiots” panic buying masks and stripping store shelves of daily essentials such as rice, noodles and toilet paper, I cannot recommend it enough. It’s an appeal to common sense and a lament for the lack of it, as well as a contemptuous rebuke to mass hysteria, mob mentality and selfish, irrational behaviour triggered by the coronavirus crisis. And it’s all delivered in classic Singaporean style – thickly accented, punctuated regularly with Singlish slang, and simultaneously crude, hilarious and on point. Chan explains his government’s initial decision to distribute four masks to every household as taking a “gamble to calm the nerves”, rather than a supreme necessity and right for each citizen. “But to issue four to every family, I burn another 5 million masks from my limited stockpile. When China now asks for masks, right, China is burning at a rate of hundreds of millions a day. Which country, and even which production line, can meet China’s needs? Cannot, right?” Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s handling of the crisis provides a handy guide for Chan on how not to do it, otherwise “I can guarantee you today our hospital system would have broken down. If we issue surgical masks and give everybody surgical masks just to make them feel shiok shiok[immensely satisfied] because they say Carrie Lam wear mask, right? At the conference, right? Ah today you see newspaper. What is happening to Hong Kong now? What did South China Morning Post report about Hong Kong? They are down to less than one month’s supply of masks for their medical people. Which means that when the medical people don’t even get masks, you think they dare to go and take care of the sick people?” He goes on to lambast Singaporeans stockpiling everything from masks and alcohol swabs to rice and even condoms, go figure. Continues with video at https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3051916/singapore-idiots-guide-coronavirus-crisis-control-dont-do

From Khaosod English THAILAND’S WORST-CASE PLAN FOR CORONAVIRUS REVEALED BANGKOK — Military field hospitals and closure of facilities like schools and prisons will be introduced if the coronavirus epidemic took a turn for the worse, a government source said Thursday. The contingency plan for an uncontrollable spread of the virus was approved by the Cabinet during its Tuesday’s meeting, according to the source. The plan was drafted in case the infection rate reaches as high as 1,000 cases per day and results in deaths, a scenario named by the officials as “Phase 3.” Measures for “Phase 3” outbreak include setting up military field hospitals in schools, ordering people to work from home, postponing or canceling large public gatherings, and designating emergency disaster zones in areas that are particularly affected. Crowded facilities like schools, prisons, and military bases will also be shut down in order to contain the virus under the plan. Thailand currently reports 35 cases of coronavirus infections so far, 17 of which have already recovered and were discharged from hospital, health officials said. Another government meeting will be held to lay down preparation plans for the disease, whose official name is Covid-19, on Feb. 21. https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/02/20/thailands-worst-case-plan-for-coronavirus-revealed/

From The Guardian Vietnam police charge seven over role in trafficking Police in Vietnam have charged seven people in connection with the deaths of 39 migrants whose bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in the UK in 2019, authorities said late on Thursday. The victims, who included two 15-year-old boys, were mostly from two provinces in north-central Vietnam, where poor job prospects, encouragement by authorities, smuggling gangs and environmental issues have fuelled migration. Seven defendants, including a Vietnamese woman living in China, were charged with creating immigration profiles for 67 people in Vietnam for illegal work in Britain and Europe, Ha Tinh province regional police said in a statement. Police referred specifically to the case of 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, who was one of the victims found in the back of a lorry in Essex on 23 October last year. “They contacted the victim in late June 2019 and charged her $22,000 to create immigration profiles,” the statement said. “The victim in September was then taken to China, France and the UK.” British police last week arrested two more people over the deaths. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/21/essex-lorry-deaths-vietnam-police-charge-seven-over-role-in-trafficking

from Global Times Thailand has become a hot transit choice for Chinese travelers going abroad amid the #COVID-19 outbreak as multiple countries and regions have issued different kinds of entrance restrictions for visitors from China. Experts said that Thailand may benefit from the "entrance restriction" phase despite the overall hit to the country's tourism sector from a decline in Chinese visitors. "Many of my Chinese classmates have chosen to transfer from a third country," said Cindy, a Chinese student in the University of Melbourne in Australia. According to information from China's National Immigration Administration on Sunday, all travelers from or transferring from the Chinese mainland are now not permitted to enter Australia within 14 days of their exit from the Chinese mainland, except Australian citizens, permanent residents and their direct relatives. Those exempt individuals are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine after landing in the country. Meanwhile Chinese students account for about 30 percent, the largest part, of Australia's international students, according to data from the Australian Department of Education and Training in 2018. Western Sydney University in Australia is offering AU$1,500 to each student arriving in Australia through a third country to help cover the cost of airfares and 14 days accommodation, local news site The Australian reported Thursday, citing an email sent to a Chinese student by the university. Thailand is the hottest choice among Cindy's classmates, she told the Global Times. In addition, many students who are preparing for applications for foreign universities are choosing to take exams overseas since scheduled language exams have been cancelled in China due to the epidemic, including TOEFL exams. "On the premise of sound epidemic prevention measures, Thailand would be a better choice for students who have to take exams as soon as possible, since it offers a visa-on-arrival issuance service," an employee of a school application agency surnamed Yu told the Global Times. Chinese travelers have been the largest source for Thailand's tourism sector with rapid annual growth in previous years, Jiang Yiyi, professor of the Leisure Sports and Tourism School of the Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times. Though Thailand's tourism industry will inevitably take a hit from decreasing Chinese visitors in the short term, the number of visitors will see a rebound after the epidemic given the rapid growth in previous years, Jiang predicted. http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1180311.shtml

Wrong. It is a new idea. The Cologne facility lacks a theater and cafes. Give the Dutch some credit for including amenities.

From South China Morning Post Amsterdam is looking at moving part of its red light district indoors to an “erotic” complex where prostitutes no longer beckon customers through street-front windows that often attract rowdy tourists. In plans released Wednesday, the Dutch city said the complex could include a bed and breakfast for prostitutes as well as a sex club, sex theatre and cafes. Or the city famous for its canals will build a large hotel for sex workers. “All in all, a prostitution hotel with indoor windows or an erotic centre is the most obvious choice,” the Amsterdam city council said in a statement. “These options have the most advantages and the fewest disadvantages,” it said in the statement. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3051489/amsterdam-could-move-parts-iconic-red-light-district-indoor

From Bangkok Post Japanese cancel tours en masse Thai tourism has been dealt another massive blow after 80% of Japanese tour groups cancelled packages to Thailand, prompting tour operators to urge airlines to reduce flight frequencies as Thais travelling to Japan also dropped by 20%. Anake Srishevachart, president of the Thai-Japan Tourism Association, said 80% of Japanese groups already cancelled packages to Thailand as concerns about the pandemic in Japan spike. The Japanese market ranked third for revenue contribution to Thai tourism last year with 89.8 billion baht from 1.8 million tourists, following China and Malaysia. Tour operators catering to this market expect to see more cancellations over the next few months as Japanese tourists are highly sensitive to health issues. https://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/1861139/japanese-cancel-tours-en-masse#cxrecs_s

You may find the member responses to another newcomer looking to lose his virginity in Bangkok helpful in your quest. We don’t know if he ever succeeded because he never bothered to post again.

Prime massage has established its popularity not just Among ASEAN and Chinese visitors but with westerners as well. Many have posted in this thread and others about the consistency of its quality and value. There’s something comforting, knowing that you can visit a shop where it’s assumed that you’ve chosen it—like a favorite restaurant—for a predicable and satisfying experience—sans the sex.

From South China Morning Post Bangkok shooting: gunman kills ex-wife, wounds one more at shopping centre in Thai capital A man killed his ex-wife and wounded another person at a shopping centre in Bangkok on Tuesday, police said, 10 days after mass shooting at another mall in Thailand’s northeast The gunman then fled the Century The Movie Plaza, near the Thai capital’s Victory Monument and is still on the run, Thai police said. “One person died and another was injured,” police Colonel Kissana Pattanacharoen said. Police said in a statement they knew the suspect’s identity and were working to apprehend him The gunman entered a beauty clinic at the mall where his ex-wife worked. He opened fire, killing her and wounding a bystander, Kissana said. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3051184/bangkok-shooting-gunman-kills-one-wounds-one-more-shopping

From Bloomberg News China’s Aviation Market Shrinks to Smaller Than Portugal’s China’s aviation market, projected to overtake the U.S. this decade and become the world’s biggest, has shrunk to such an extent due to the coronavirus outbreak that it’s fallen from third to 25th, behind Portugal. Airlines have slashed capacity because of the epidemic centered in Hubei province, leaving the industry reeling. About 1.7 million seats -- almost 80% of capacity -- were dropped from China services from Jan. 20 to Feb. 17 by global carriers, according to OAG Aviation Worldwide. Meanwhile, Chinese airlines cut 10.4 million seats domestically. No event that we remember has had such a devastating effect on capacity as coronavirus,” John Grant, senior analyst at OAG, wrote in a report. “In many ways it highlights the importance of the Chinese market to aviation and the rapid globalization of air services as new markets and travelers emerge.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-18/china-s-aviation-market-shrinks-to-smaller-than-portugal

From Bangkok Post South Korea halts more Thai flights Holiday packages left hanging as coronavirus fears escalate Thailand's outbound tours have been left in limbo as South Korean airlines suspend more flights to Thailand amid coronavirus fears, a huge hit given South Korea's status as the second favourite destination for Thais, after Japan. The decrease in flights came after the South Korean government issued a travel advisory to its citizens on Thursday. The country's Health and Welfare Ministry urged South Koreans to refrain from travelling to regions0 confirmed to have infectious cases. South Korea has prioritised guarding against the entry of the virus from regions other than China, using screening measures for passengers who have travelled to Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Macau. Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, said more countries are expected to follow South Korea and Taiwan in putting Thailand on their warning lists. The flight suspensions have dampened travel sentiment for tourists to Thailand who already booked tickets or those planning trips to South Korea in March and April. Mr Thanapol said tour operators are 60-70% booked for Songkran in April, but the unfavourable conditions mean Thais are likely to defer travel dates to avoid the risks. "Many Thais are not in the mood to travel, with some still pondering their destination choices," he said. "Tour operators must try harder to offer customers less problematic routes such as Japan, which is preferred by 30% of Thais, as well as European cities." Chotechuang Soorangura, associate managing director of NS Travel & Tours, which also provides air ticket booking services, said South Korean airlines have reduced flights to Thailand to control their costs because of slowing demand, which may lead to a cabin load factor of less than 50%. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1857909/south-korea-halts-more-thai-flights

Extracted From South China Morning Post Coronavirus: cleaning your phone more effective than wearing a face mask Singapore’s health ministry said there is no evidence the coronavirus is airborne, and that face masks are not the most effective protection Smartphones are among the dirtiest items people own, and are often held up to users’ eyes, noses and lips – key points for coronavirus infection Smartphones are among the dirtiest items a person owns, due to how often they are handled, and the fact that many people bring their phones to the toilet, where faecal matter often collects. Worse, these phones are often held up to our eyes, nose and lips – key points where the coronavirus infects the human body. Various scientific studies have found that smartphones contain more germs than toilet seats – meaning a quick and immediate way to limit contamination is to avoid taking your phone to the toilet. According to a 2018 study by four researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, sanitising phones with a UV smartphone sanitiser device was the most effective method of killing germs. sanitiser device was the most effective method of killing germs. Using an alcohol solution was also effective, the study said, adding that the crevice between phones and phone cases contained significantly more bacteria than the screen.

Visited Ganymede shortly after it opened so my impressions are dated. As Marconi observed, selection was boy-next-door type and happy to hear that it still is. My most lasting impression was that the guy I chose asked me after session if I had any suggestions how he could improve his performance. Turns out he was new to business. Think I said spend less time on legs. No one before or since has ever asked me to rate their service. A few weeks later I spotted him in a massage shop on soi Tarntawan. Would not hesitate to recommend it.

Haven't noticed any reported virus deaths. Just a few of usual kind in the past 24 hours: PATTAYA: An elderly German man was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri on Saturday morning. The body of the 75-year-old man, whose name was withheld pending notification of relatives, was found inside a room at a resort in tambon Na Klua, said Bang Lamung police. CHON BURI: The body of a man of unknown nationality has been found on the ground near a luxury hotel building in Pattaya, with multiple broken bones consistent with a fall from a great height. The body of the man, aged around 50, was found near the entrance of the Grand Centre Point Hotel on Pattaya Sai Song Road i

From Bangkok Post Commander and two others slain on base before attacker headed for mall in Humvee AKHON RATCHASIMA: At least 12 people were reported killed and an unknown number injured in a shooting spree by a soldier who sprayed bullets at a commander, fellow soldiers and civilians in Muang district on Saturday. The attacker first shot dead his commander and two others inside a military camp before fleeing in a stolen Humvee. He fired at civilians along the route to Terminal 21 shopping mall in Muang district, where he was believed to have taken hostages. The attacker streamed his activities in the mall on Facebook Live and took a selfie holding a rifle. "So tired," he wrote at 7.20pm. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1853334/12-killed-as-soldier-opens-fire-in-korat UPDATE (video now posted on link) Once inside, the attacker fired at a cooking gas container inside the mall’s food court, causing it to explode and sending shoppers into a panic. Troops from a special warfare unit were dispatched to the mall, where the attacker was said to be holding 16 people hostage on the fourth floor. There were unconfirmed reports that the man had hand grenades on his body.

From Bangkok Post Seven new virus cases found The Public Health Ministry reported seven new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, including three Thais and four Chinese. The new cases brought the total reported in the country to 32, among the world's highest number of infections outside of China. "The seven new cases are all in hospital," said Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Disease Control Department. One of the cases was part of the group of 138 evacuated from China's coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan on Tuesday, Dr Suwannachai told reporters. The other two Thais had exposure to tourists, he said. One of the cases was part of the group of 138 evacuated from China's coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan on Tuesday, Dr Suwannachai told reporters. Among the four Chinese, three are members of the families of previously reported cases, while the other is a tourist from a "risky area" in China, said Suwannachai. Among the 32 cases Thailand has reported so far, 23 are Chinese while nine are Thais. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1853289/seven-new-virus-cases-found

Excerpted from Khaosod English Court Halts Controversial Chao Phraya Promenade Project BANGKOK — Opponents of the government’s plan to build a concrete promenade along the Chao Phraya River on Thursday welcomed the news that a court ordered the project to be halted. The Administrative Court on Wednesday ordered City Hall to cease development of a 57-kilometer boardwalk along the river, citing a lack of permits. Yossapon Boonsom, founder of Friends of the River which spearheaded the opposition, said he considered the ruling a tentative win. The court ordered City Hall to halt the project unless ordered otherwise after ruling that the officials have not secured appropriate building permissions for the construction. City Hall had earlier been given permission to build on the river from the Marine Department as they declared the promenade as a river pier, which spares them from the contentious process of submitting a blueprint and environmental impact assessment for approval. However, the court saw it otherwise, and regarded the project, which also includes bicycle lanes and sightseeing viewpoints, as a structure that requires a blueprint to be submitted prior to the development. The 14-billion baht project, presented by the junta government as a new landmark for the capital, has been beset with opposition since it was first approved in 2015. Activists also opposed the plan to extend concrete platforms 6 to 10 meters into the river, saying that the government has never consulted with residents who will be directly impacted by the structure, as well as criticizing its aesthetics. https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2020/02/06/court-halts-controversial-chao-phraya-promenade-project/ ======================================================= From The Thaiger Government scraps Mekong blasting project The government has officially abandoned a controversial plan to blast rapids on the Mekong river in Chiang Mai province. The Chinese-led dredging and blasting plan, initiated in 2001, met with fierce opposition from locals and environmental groups, and the Cabinet agreed to scrap it at a weekly meeting on Tuesday. The plan was to enable ships to carry goods from China’s landlocked southern Yunnan province to ports in Thailand and Laos. It was highly opposed by conservationists and communities living along the river, who feared it would harm the environment and only benefit China. A deputy government spokewoman told Reuters: The government has officially abandoned a controversial plan to blast rapids on the Mekong river in Chiang Mai province. The Chinese-led dredging and blasting plan, initiated in 2001, met with fierce opposition from locals and environmental groups, and the Cabinet agreed to scrap it at a weekly meeting on Tuesday. The plan was to enable ships to carry goods from China’s landlocked southern Yunnan province to ports in Thailand and Laos. It was highly opposed by conservationists and communities living along the river, who feared it would harm the environment and only benefit China. A deputy government spokewoman told Reuters: “The communities affected and non-profit groups were against the plan. Above all fearing it would affect the way of life, and China also had no funding for it … so we ended the project. It didn’t take off yet. We were only doing environmental and social impact assessments” The Chinese embassy in Bangkok was not available for comment. A Thai cabinet document said that China had informed involved countries last year that it would not pursue the project, but work had continued along stretches of the river in Laos and Myanmar. “China’s mistreatment of the Mekong, and its control of upstream water supplies, already shows the problem. Treating the mother of rivers like an international canal is no way to conserve and protect the environment, fishing and Thai people’s traditional lifestyle.” China’s dams on the Mekong have also become controversial, especially since China revealed it was testing equipment in the river’s upper reaches. Thai farmers say they have collapsed fish stocks. https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/environment/thai-government-scraps-mekong-blasting-project

Excerpted from Bangkok Post (7 Feb.) 615 persons being monitored for infection in Thailand; 390 hospitalised Two returnees from Wuhan have been placed in hospital isolation for thorough examination as health officials warn people of the need to protect themselves from coronavirus infection, even though the number of local cases has stabilised. The Public Health Ministry reported on Friday that the number of confirmed cases of infection with the new virus in Thailand was steady at 25, and 16 of them remained at hospitals. Most of the hospitalised people were recovering. The condition of a male coach driver who also had tuberculosis was stable. The number of patients being monitored for infection stood at 615, with 390 of them still in hospitals. To read full article go to: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1852799/two-more-wuhan-returnees-isolated The number of patients being monitored for infection stood at 615, with 390 of them still in hospitals.https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1852799/two-more-wuhan-returnees-isolated

From South China Morning Post Coronavirus: Whistleblower Dr Li Wenliang confirmed dead of the disease at 34, after hours of chaotic messaging from hospital Li, 34, was one of eight doctors who tried to share information about the coronavirus only to be reprimanded by Wuhan police Wuhan Central Hospital initially denied reports he was dead, saying he was in “critical condition”, before finally confirming he had died Li Wenliang – one of the first doctors who tried to alert the public about the coronavirus outbreak, only to be reprimanded by local police – has died, Wuhan Central Hospital confirmed early Friday morning, hours after it initially denied reports of his death. “In the fight against the pneumonia epidemic of the new coronavirus infection, our hospital's ophthalmologist, Li Wenliang, was unfortunately infected. He passed away after all the efforts we’ve taken to resuscitate him. We deeply mourn his passing,” the hospital said on its official Weibo account. Li, 34, died at 2.58am on Friday, the hospital added. The announcement capped several chaotic hours in which Chinese media first reported Li's death, only for the hospital to respond that Li was alive, though in critical condition. The earlier reports of Li’s death by multiple Chinese outlets, including Beijing News and Global Times, triggered an outpouring of mourning and tribute both on Chinese social media and at health agencies trying to stem the outbreak. “We are very sorry to hear the loss of any frontline worker who is committed to care for patients … we should celebrate his life and mourn his death with his colleagues,” said Michael Ryan, director of the World Health Organisation's health emergencies programme, said during a briefing on Thursday. Chinese social media has been awash with anger over the death of the whistle-blower – some mourning Li’s death with candles, some demanding that the authorities apologise for the way they had treated him “None of the police has ever apologised to you. You could have been a national hero, but the dereliction of duty has claimed your life, along with a few hundred innocent lives,” a user said on Weibo. On December 30, Li warned his medical school classmates in an online chat group that a Sars-like illness had stricken several patients in a Wuhan hospital and that all of them were quarantined in the emergency department. The same day that the doctor shared the message, local health authorities announced that the city had confirmed 27 cases of a new type of virus, most of them linked to a seafood market. However, Li, along with seven other doctors who shared information about the outbreak, was summoned to the local police and forced to sign a letter promising to make no further disclosures concerning the disease. On January 1, CCTV, the Communist Party’s mouthpiece, accused the eight doctors in Wuhan for spreading what the government had called “rumours”. As of Friday, according to Chinese health authorities, the deadly virus had claimed 563 lives in mainland China, plus another two in Hong Kong and Philippines. The outbreak has infected more than 28,000 in China, far exceeding the 2002-03 Sars epidemic, which killed almost 800 people worldwide. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3049411/coronavirus-li-wenliang-doctor-who-alerted-authorities-outbreak

From Reuters BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s central bank unexpectedly cut its benchmark interest rate for a third time in six months on Wednesday, taking it to a record low as a virus spreading from China puts further pressure on the struggling economy. The Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) monetary policy committee voted unanimously to cut the one-day repurchase rate THCBIR=ECI by 25 basis point to a fresh record low of 1.0%, the lowest in Asia outside of Japan. “The Committee viewed that the Thai economy would expand at a slower rate in 2020 than previously forecasted and much further below its potential,” the MPC said in a statement. The virus outbreak, a drought and a delay in passing the fiscal budget would affect a large number of businesses and employment, it said. Analysts say potential growth shocks emanating from China are raising the chances of further central bank policy easing in Asia. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-economy-rates-idUSKBN1ZZ105

NOTE -- If the article from Science magazine cited below turns out to be correct, it may be the first piece of good news about the spread of the virus. Abstracted from Science Magazine Study claiming new coronavirus can be transmitted by people without symptoms was flawed A paper published on 30 January in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) about the first four people in Germany infected with a novel coronavirus made many headlines because it seemed to confirm what public health experts feared: that someone who has no symptoms from infection with the virus, named 2019-nCoV, can still transmit it to others. That might make controlling the virus much harder. Chinese researchers had previously suggested asymptomatic people might transmit the virus but had not presented clear-cut evidence. “There’s no doubt after reading [the NEJM] paper that asymptomatic transmission is occurring,” Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told journalists. “This study lays the question to rest.” But now, it turns out that information was wrong. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the German government’s public health agency, has written a letter to NEJM to set the record straight, even though it was not involved in the paper. The letter in NEJM described a cluster of infections that began after a businesswoman from Shanghai visited a company near Munich on 20 and 21 January, where she had a meeting with the first of four people who later fell ill. Crucially, she wasn’t sick at the time: “During her stay, she had been well with no sign or symptoms of infection but had become ill on her flight back to China,” the authors wrote. “The fact that asymptomatic persons are potential sources of 2019-nCoV infection may warrant a reassessment of transmission dynamics of the current outbreak.” But the researchers didn’t actually speak to the woman before they published the paper. The last author, Michael Hoelscher of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Medical Center, says the paper relied on information from the four other patients: “They told us that the patient from China did not appear to have any symptoms.” Afterward, however, RKI and the Health and Food Safety Authority of the state of Bavaria did talk to the Shanghai patient on the phone, and it turned out she did have symptoms while in Germany. According to people familiar with the call, she felt tired, suffered from muscle pain, and took paracetamol, a fever-lowering medication. (An RKI spokesperson would only confirm to Science that the woman had symptoms.) Given how fast data are coming out amid the growing global crisis, it’s good to read even peer-reviewed papers with some extra caution at the moment, Lipsitch says: “I think peer review is lighter in the middle of an epidemic than it is at normal speed, and also the quality of the data going into the papers is necessarily more uncertain.” Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says calling a case asymptomatic without talking to the person is problematic. “In retrospect, it sounds like this was a poor choice,” he says. However, “In an emergency setting, it’s often not possible to talk to all the people,” he adds. “I’m assuming that this was an overstretched group trying to get out their best idea of what the truth was quickly rather than somebody trying to be careless.” The Public Health Agency of Sweden reacted less charitably. “The sources that claimed that the coronavirus would infect during the incubation period lack scientific support for this analysis in their articles,” says a document with frequently asked questions the agency posted on its website yesterday. “This applies, among other things, to an article in [NEJM] that has subsequently proven to contain major flaws and errors.” Even if the patient’s symptoms were unspecific, it wasn’t an asymptomatic infection, says Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto. “Asymptomatic means no symptoms, zero. It means you feel fine. We have to be careful with our words.” The fact that the paper got it wrong doesn’t mean transmission from asymptomatic people doesn’t occur. Fauci, for one, still believes it does. "This evening I telephoned one of my colleagues in China who is a highly respected infectious diseases scientist and health official," he says. "He said that he is convinced that there is asymptomatic infection and that some asymptomatic people are transmitting infection." But even if they do, asymptomatic transmission likely plays a minor role in the epidemic overall, WHO says. People who cough or sneeze are more likely to spread the virus, the agency wrote in a situation report on Saturday. “More data may come out soon. We will just have to wait,” Lipsitch says. The German cluster does reveal another interesting aspect about the new virus, Drosten says. So far most attention has gone to patients who get seriously ill, but all four cases in Germany had a very mild infection. That may be true for many more patients, Drosten says, which may help the virus spread. “There is increasingly the sense that patients may just experience mild cold symptoms, while already shedding the virus,” he says. “Those are not symptoms that lead people to stay at home.” https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/paper-non-symptomatic-patient-transmitting-coronavirus-wrong

From Channel News Asia SINGAPORE: Singapore confirmed on Tuesday (Feb 4) its first locally transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus, among six new cases of the disease detected in the country. Four Singapore residents with no recent travel history to China have tested positive for the virus, which has sickened more than 20,000 and killed more than 420 people since it was detected in Wuhan in central China. One of them was a tour guide for a group of Chinese tourists, two work at a shop the group had visited, while a fourth case of local transmission was the domestic helper of one of the cases, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said at a briefing. The tour group had arrived in Singapore from China on Jan 22 and went to Malaysia from Jan 24 to 26. They re-entered Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint at 3am on Jan 27 and flew from Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 6am. Another two new cases announced by the authorities on Tuesday are Singapore residents who had been evacuated from Wuhan. This brings the total number of cases in Singapore to 24. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/wuhan-virus-coronavirus-singapore-community-spread-tourists-12389314

Here's another option that is usually available in most pharmacies. Each small packet contains a single use alcohol-soaked pad that is usually used to wipe skin before an injection. But they have multiple other uses: (1) cleaning hands (2) wiping down contact surfaces in plane seats (3) cleaning remote control devices and other surfaces in hotel rooms (4) quick cleaning of a scratch or laceration (5) wipe down toilet seat and flush handles They are commonly sold in small boxes of 100. Easy to stuff some in pocket. Often found among diabetic supplies in pharmacies. Avoiding known vectors of transmission Based on anecdotal evidence of how some became victims in Bangkok, being in the presence of an infected person inside a confined space (i.e., tax, van) appears to more common. Several drivers have acquired the virus in this manner. It may be safer to ride with the window open. If you're traveling in a plane, train or bus, aside from wearing a mask, simple precautions include avoid touching as much as possible and surface (In a plane you can use alcohol gels or pad to wipe down everything you're like to touch with special emphasis on food trays and remotes. I do the metal seat belt releases, and that was before the outbreak). Others have written about precautions to take when using public toilets and that advice is woth repeating. Avoid touching handles, faucets and as many other surfaces as possible, using tissues. If we're traveling to Thailand we can't avoid every possible vector unless we're prepared to hole up in our rooms for the duration. I plan to enjoy my next stay but also plan to exercise due caution to avoid the the known ways of common transmission. Yes, I'll be more cautious than in any previous trip (Reuters now reports that Thailand has more coronavirus cases than any nation outside China at 25) but not lose sight of why I'm making the trip in the first place.