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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.

From Bangkok Post Price control for face masks The government is putting face masks and alcohol-based hand sanitiser on the state price control list as part of efforts to deal with the deadly virus outbreak. Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, who chaired the central committee on prices of goods and services on Monday, said the committee approved inclusion of face masks and alcohol-based hand sanitiser on the list and will propose the move to the cabinet Tuesday. Once on the price control list, manufacturers, distributors, exporters and importers have to inform the Internal Trade Department the production cost, sales prices, production volume, export and import volume and stocks as wells as price labels. Those who export more than 500 pieces need to gain prior approval from the department. Similar measures are applied to hand sanitiser, except for the limit on export volume as there are still adequate quantities for domestic demand. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1849949/price-control-for-face-masks

This is a good case in point. It's not exactly "fake" news but it is "manipulated" news. Hence my lead-in note preceding my original post. What first caught my attention was what appears to be highly questionable methods used by a researcher at the University of Southampton to arrive at his conclusions. But no bad deed goes unrewarded: the Daily Mail has the third highest circulation of UK newspapers and triple that of The Times. I wasn't surprised that the Daily Mail gave it the treatment but I was more than a bit surprised when The Bangkok Post took it off the wire and ran with it. Worse, they used in its weekly Learning from News educational offering. (The original source of the story is listed as Bloomberg News). From the Bangkok Post Bangkok ‘most at risk’ for virus spread https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/advanced/1849749/bangkok-most-at-risk-for-virus-spread

NOTE -- I'd take the following with a grain of salt. It appears that the principal criteria of the research was the number of Chinese visitors. It fails to take into consideration screening efficacy, prevention practices of the populace or other mitigating factors. From The Daily Mail Bangkok is the city most in danger of deadly coronavirus because it gets so many travellers from China, as scientists warn LA, New York and London are all at risk Academics at University of Southampton mapped global threat using travel data Bangkok, in Thailand, is most at risk. One case has been confirmed there so far Sydney, Melbourne, LA, New York, Dubai and London are in the top 20 It comes as European and American citizens stranded in Wuhan wait to escape Bangkok faces the greatest threat of the killer coronavirus spreading there from China, scientists have warned. Academics at the University of Southampton today used travel data to work out which cities around the world are most likely to see cases in the future. Los Angeles and New York place in the top 20 and London is more at risk than any other city in Europe, researchers warned. Paris was 27th on the list and Frankfurt was 30th, despite cases having been confirmed in France and Germany already. Bangkok faces the greatest threat of the killer coronavirus spreading there from China, scientists have warned. Academics at the University of Southampton today used travel data to work out which cities around the world are most likely to see cases in the future. Los Angeles and New York place in the top 20 and London is more at risk than any other city in Europe, researchers warned. The report by the University's WorldPop team found Bangkok in Thailand is under the biggest threat, based on the number of air travellers predicted to arrive there from the worst-affected cities in mainland China. Paris was 27th on the list and Frankfurt was 30th, despite cases having been confirmed in France and Germany already. Bangkok faces the greatest threat of the killer coronavirus spreading there from China, scientists have warned. Academics at the University of Southampton today used travel data to work out which cities around the world are most likely to see cases in the future. Los Angeles and New York place in the top 20 and London is more at risk than any other city in Europe, researchers warned. Paris was 27th on the list and Frankfurt was 30th, despite cases having been confirmed in France and Germany already. Continues with charts at https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7938847/Bangkok-faces-greatest-threat-killer-coronavirus-LA-New-York-London.html

Thanks for a comprehensive and current report. You made great use of your time. Although I'm not a regular Moonlight customer, I recall from prior visits that the non-models represented a good cross section of guy-next-store and twink types. It offered something for every taste. Is this is a change in ML selection criteria or a random event?

The French, the Chinese, the Burmese. You find them all wanting. And you haven't got much respect for readers with your contrived--and often incomprehensible--writing. You cite "recent reports" without any attribution.

From NY Times As New Coronavirus Spread, China’s Old Habits Delayed Fight At critical turning points, Chinese authorities put secrecy and order ahead of openly confronting the growing crisis and risking public alarm or political embarrassment. WUHAN, China — A mysterious illness had stricken seven patients at a hospital, and a doctor tried to warn his medical school classmates. “Quarantined in the emergency department,” the doctor, Li Wenliang, wrote in an online chat group on Dec. 30, referring to patients. “So frightening,” one recipient replied, before asking about the epidemic that began in China in 2002 and ultimately killed nearly 800 people. “Is SARS coming again?” In the middle of the night, officials from the health authority in the central city of Wuhan summoned Dr. Li, demanding to know why he had shared the information. Three days later, the police compelled him to sign a statement that his warning constituted “illegal behavior.” The illness was not SARS, but something similar: a coronavirus that is now on a relentless march outward from Wuhan, throughout the country and across the globe, killing at least 304 people in China and infecting more than 14,380 worldwide. The government’s initial handling of the epidemic allowed the virus to gain a tenacious hold. At critical moments, officials chose to put secrecy and order ahead of openly confronting the growing crisis to avoid public alarm and political embarrassment. A reconstruction of the crucial seven weeks between the appearance of the first symptoms in early December and the government’s decision to lock down the city, based on two dozen interviews with Wuhan residents, doctors and officials, on government statements and on Chinese media reports, points to decisions that delayed a concerted public health offensive. In those weeks, the authorities silenced doctors and others for raising red flags. They played down the dangers to the public, leaving the city’s 11 million residents unaware they should protect themselves. They closed a food market where the virus was believed to have started, but didn’t broadly curb the wildlife trade. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/world/asia/china-coronavirus.html

Hanoi would be one recommendation. Going there with a Vietnamese friend would be ideal (I went there twice with my regular guy), I think anyone you’d meet in Thailand would enjoy it because it’s so unlike Bangkok, HCMC, KL and Singapore. The French influence is heavily felt in its architecture and food, and it has an intimate feel about it. It’s not unusual for some guys from certain parts of Laos, Cambodia and Thailand to have some familiarity with the language and vice versa. So communicating shouldn’t be a big issue. English, of course, is spoken in the hotels and most restaurants. It’s a very young city, which I think is among the reasons guys from other ASEAN countries travel there (as Divine Madman points out in another thread) on their own for a quick getaway. And it’s less expensive than bkk and Sinapore. Flights there are frequent on Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet (both our of BKK) and Air Asia out of DMK. The best time to go is on weekends when the area surrounding a small lake (Hoan Kiem, aka Sword) on the edge of the Old Quarter becomes a pedestrian mall (locals refer to it as the park). Performers of all types appear anywhere around it. Young and old, locals and visitors, share the space. You certainly won’t feel out of place. I found that although my friend was familiar with the layout of the town (his sister works there), he was wholly unfamiliar with its cultural attractions which abound. Over the course of a few visits we covered all of the major museums and historical spots. I was taken aback by his enthusiasm to learn more about the real history of his country and its culture. (Divine Madman was kind enough to provide us a list of spots he thought we’d both enjoy and my guide followed it scrupulously!). There’s a huge range of accommodations to fit any budget. Although public transportation is the city’s weak spot, the bus system is improving and a BTS-like rapid transit is in development. The airport is easy to navigate and, unlike most, the food options are inexpensive and satisfying. You’d have to try hard not to enjoy yourself—and your partner—in Hanoi.

From Bangkok Post Thai doctors say two drug groups help cure patient Anti-flu, AIDS medications speed up recovery, say Rajavithi doctors Thai doctors have declared the use of anti-flu and AIDS drugs a success in treating coronavirus patients after using them on a Chinese woman with severe symptoms. Two doctors from Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok — Dr Kriangsak Atipornwanich, an expert physician, and Assoc Prof Dr Subsai Kongsangdao, a specialist — said at a briefing in Bangkok that improvements were seen in the 71-year-old woman 48 hours after administering the two groups of medications. The woman was admitted first to Hua Hin Hospital and then transferred to Rajavithi Hospital on Jan 29. After finding she had severe symptoms, the doctors decided to use oseltamivir, an anti-flu drug used to treat the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), as well as lopinavir and ritonavir, two AIDS drugs. Dr Kriangsak acknowleged that the Chinese had already been using AIDS medications to treat the novel coronavirus. "We checked related information and found MERS had been effectively treated by anti-flu drugs so we combined both groups of medications with effective results. “After poor lab tests for 10 days, the test finally turned positive after 48 hours of administering the medications. The treatment, as well as the recovery, is fast,” he said. They noted they had reported the discovery to a medical journal and would use the drugs on additional patients. The two groups of drugs are effective on patients with serious symptoms, they said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1849024/thai-doctors-say-two-drug-groups-help-cure-patient

From South China Morning Post China reports outbreak of deadly bird flu among chickens in Hunan province, close to coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan Bird flu outbreak in Hunan province, which lies on the southern border of Hubei province, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak Bird flu is much deadlier than either Sars or the coronavirus, but as of yet no human cases have been reported in this outbreak China has reported an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu in Hunan province, which lies on the southern border of Hubei province, the epicentre of the rapidly spreading coronavirus. “The outbreak occurred in a farm in the Shuangqing district of Shaoyang city. The farm has 7,850 chickens, and 4,500 of the chickens have died from the contagion. Local authorities have culled 17,828 poultry after the outbreak,” according to a statement by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Saturday. No human cases of the Hunan H5N1 virus have been reported. The Hunan H5N1 outbreak comes even as the Chinese authorities continue to scramble to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, further stretching the nation’s already heavily strained resources needed to combat the health threats. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3048566/china-reports-outbreak-deadly-bird-flu-among-chickens-hunan

From Vietnam News Hotel clerk becomes sixth Vietnam coronavirus case KHÁNH HOÀ — A receptionist at a hotel in the popular beach city of Nha Trang has become the sixth confirmed coronavirus patient in Việt Nam. The Ministry of Health on Saturday confirmed the 25-year-old is the sixth person to test positive for the pneumonia-like virus and the first Vietnamese to catch the virus via human-to-human transmission in the country. The woman works at a hotel in the south-central province of Khánh Hoà, a popular destination for Chinese and Russian tourists. The health ministry has subsequently declared a coronavirus epidemic in Khánh Hoà Province in light of this new case. On January 17, the patient had reportedly come into close contact with the first confirmed cases of nCoV infection in Việt Nam – a Chinese father and son from the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, China’s Wuhan city. Two days later, she suffered from light coughing and a fever but did not go to the hospital and only bought over-the-counter medicines, which relieved her fever. On January 24, when the father and son’s test results returned positive, her clinical samples were collected and sent for further analyses at the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang. https://vietnamnews.vn/society/591717/viet-nam-announces-sixth-coronavirus-case.html

Hope it wouldn't be too much trouble if a frequent poster like yourself could commit to informing members of the pharmacy where you were able find face masks in Bangkok.

From Bangkok Post Coronavirus explained: why we shouldn't panic A scientist at Mahidol University explains Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov) and predicts the likelihood of a pandemic. Cases of a new coronavirus in China have jumped to over 9,600, with 213 deaths, local health authorities said on Friday, after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global public health emergency overnight. — Video by Patpon Sabpaitoon https://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/thailand/1848434/coronavirus-explained-why-we-shouldnt-panic#cxrecs_s

From Bangkok Post Pattaya hotels suffer as Chinese stay home Occupancy as low as 10% in wake of virus-linked ban on group tours PATTAYA: Hotel bookings in the resort city have plunged in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that has forced the Chinese government to keep its citizens at home in a bid to contain the outbreak. Agents from China had cancelled rooms in Pattaya after Beijing imposed a ban on tour groups from travelling abroad, said Pakmon Wongyai, the president of the Thai Hotels Association’s Eastern Region. Tour groups account for about 40% of all Chinese travellers to Thailand, who numbered nearly 11 million, or 28% of all foreign arrivals last year. Trips abroad by individual Chinese travellers are also being discouraged, and in any case many could face screening or quarantine in destination countries. The week-long Chinese New Year holiday, which began this year on Jan 25, is normally one of the peak periods for the hotel business in Pattaya, but there has been nothing to celebrate this year. Last year, Thailand received 1 million Chinese visitors in January and again in February. Chinese New Year last year fell on Feb 5. Ms Pakmon, who operates the Brighton Pattaya Hotel, said some member hotels were seeing occupancy of 10% or lower because of virus worries and the ban on Chinese group tours.

From Bangkok Post PHUKET: The narrow laneways and pastel-coloured shophouses of Phuket Old Town are usually bustling with Chinese tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday, but travel bans and local fears about coronavirus have largely emptied the streets this year. Just a handful of tourists, many wearing face masks, strolled through the area during daylight hours this week. In the evening, foot traffic increased a little under the glow of the red lanterns strung across the thoroughfare, but remained far below normal levels. Tour bus operators say 300 of their coaches have been idled because there are no passengers. "The impact is tremendous," 45-year old Ausana Akaradachakul told Reuters as she waited behind the counter for shoppers in her store selling postcards, straw bags, clothing and jewellery. "Only a few days after the news broke about the virus, the Chinese tourists were visibly few," Akaradachakul said. "I think about 70% of them are gone." The beach resort of Phuket is Thailand's second most visited destination after Bangkok and is usually a big draw for visitors from China, who accounted for 11 million visitors last year, particularly around the Lunar New Year holiday.

NOTE -- This is among the most objective and comprehensive articles I've come across on this topic. From NYTimes How Bad Will the Coronavirus Outbreak Get? Here Are 6 Key Factors How contagious is the virus? It seems moderately infectious, similar to SARS. How deadly is the virus? It’s hard to know yet. But the mortality rate is probably less than 3 percent, much less than SARS. How long does it take to show symptoms? Possibly between 2 to 14 days, allowing the illness to go undetected. How much have infected people traveled? The virus spread quickly because it started in a transportation hub. How effective will the response be? The W.H.O. has praised China’s efforts, but critics fear lockdown measures may not be enough. How long will it take to develop a vaccine? A vaccine is still a year away — at minimum. Continues with supporting data and graphics https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/asia/china-coronavirus-contain.html

From Bangkok Post Human transmission of coronavirus confirmed in Thailand Thailand has seen its first case of human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus inside the country, a senior Public Health official said on Friday. The patient is a Thai taxi driver, Tanarak Pipat, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said on Friday. "The Thai person who was infected does not have a record of travelling to China and it is likely that he was infected by a sick traveller from China," Dr Tanarak said.Previous cases in Thailand have all been either Chinese tourists or Thais who had visited China, where the virus originated. This raised the number of confirmed infections in Thailand to 19. Dr Sopon Iamsirithavorn, director of the Bureau of General Communicable Diseases, earlier told reporters on Friday morning that two cabbies who had picked up Chinese tourists later fell ill and sought treatment two days ago. The tourists had arrived in Thailand before the Chinese government suspended outbound trips by its citizens, he said. Human-to-human transmission of the virus has also been confirmed in other countries - including Germany, Japan, South Korea and the United States, Dr Sopon said. Dr Sopon Iamsirithavorn, director of the Bureau of General Communicable Diseases, earlier told reporters on Friday morning that two cabbies who had picked up Chinese tourists later fell ill and sought treatment two days ago. The tourists had arrived in Thailand before the Chinese government suspended outbound trips by its citizens, he said. ======================================================= From South China Morning Post Singapore closes borders to all Chinese travellers to stem spread of coronavirus The island nation is the first Southeast Asian country to bar all visitors from the mainland It has also reported three new cases of the virus, bringing its total to 16, including the first Singaporean to be infected https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3048441/singapore-closes-borders-all-chinese-travellers-stem https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1847884/human-transmission-of-coronavirus-confirmed-in-thailand

From Bangkok Post Two held for sharing fake news on virus Two people were arrested on Thursday in a crackdown on misleading information being posted on social media in relation to the new coronavirus, Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said. He said officials from the DES Ministry and the Royal Thai Police’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) obtained court warrants to search 15 locations and found six suspected cases related to fake news that have been causing fear and confusion. Of the six suspects, two were charged under the 2017 Computer Crime Act’s Section 14 (2), he said. The charges were in relation to a false report about infections in Pattaya and an edited video clip of a Chinese man collapsing. Section 14 (2) concerns the “uploading of false information into the computer system, which is bound to damage national security and cause public disorder”. The minister said the Anti Fake News Centre, supervised by the DES Ministry, has received 7,587 items of suspected fake news from Saturday to Wednesday. Most of them involved fake patients, the alleged scrapping of thermal screening at airports, allegations of the number of infections being covered up and claims that some products can kill the virus. To counter the spread of fake news, he said the ministry was working with health authorities to produce easy-to-understand infographics for public distribution. “When it comes to health, people will believe and share anything,” he said, urging people to check facts before they forward any content. The minister said the Anti Fake News Centre, supervised by the DES Ministry, has received 7,587 items of suspected fake news from Saturday to Wednesday. Most of them involved fake patients, the alleged scrapping of thermal screening at airports, allegations of the number of infections being covered up and claims that some products can kill the virus. To counter the spread of fake news, he said the ministry was working with health authorities to produce easy-to-understand infographics for public distribution. “When it comes to health, people will believe and share anything,” he said, urging people to check facts before they forward any content. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1847099/two-held-for-sharing-fake-news-on-viru

Do you have any info on the Vietnam locations, please?

From Coconuts Bangkok Beijing talks Thailand out of evacuating Wuhan as virus transmissions reported outside China Thailand has shelved plans to evacuate its citizens from the Chinese city where a viral outbreak was first detected at Beijing’s urging as confirmed infections in the kingdom rose to 14. Tana Weskosith of the Foreign Affairs Ministry told reporters that China is confident it can look after the students and workers trapped inside the Wuhan exclusionary zone that has expanded to essentially quarantine at least 50 million people. “China has absolute restrictions on entry and exit from Wuhan and does not allow anyone to travel in and out in order to strictly control the spread of the coronavirus. Thailand has to strictly comply with such a measure. Therefore, we cannot fly the C-130 plane to pick up our people, but, what we have to do is to rehearse the guidelines and prepare measures to be ready if and when the evacuation plan is allowed by China,” Tana said. Somehow those strict measures didn’t stop Japan and the United States from evacuating their citizens. About 200 Japanese evacuees landed safely in Tokyo this morning; the Americans airlifted 240 people. The Thai response has invited strong criticism and calls for tighter travel restrictions. Five million residents of Wuhan, China, left the city for Chinese New Year travel before travel was cut off, according to that city’s mayor. The government and military had announced a rescue plan following a viral plea from one of the students trapped there, who said they had insufficient food and wanted to come home. Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong airlines have announced they would halve the number of flights to mainland China. The former will do so progressively starting tomorrow. Rival Hong Kong airlines said it would cut more than 200 of such flights until Feb. 11. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/beijing-talks-thailand-out-of-evacuating-wuhan-as-virus-transmissions-reported-outside-china/

If you intend to wear a face mask, it would indeed be wise to bring them with you. As of yesterday, they were unavailable in many Bangkok outlets, including the Chula Pharmacy on Rama 4 that ranks among the better suppliers to locals and the nearby medical community. They told a friend that they were awaiting delivery of new supplies. In many US cities, they are also unavailable as the Corona virus scare multiplies.

Point well taken: it's easy to get fixated on the Corona virus because it dominates the news cycle. The common flu (and associated pneumonia) claims a huge number of lives world-wide each year. The World Health Organization chart and map (see link below) plots deaths from flu and pneumonia world wide as of 2017. Here's a sampling of the rankings of nations that may be of interest to readers of this forum: 24 - Philippines 53 - Laos 54 - Malaysia 56 - Singapore 57- Thailand 62 - India 67 - Cambodia 78 - Myanmar 90 - Japan 101 -Russia 117 - Vietnam 119- U.K. 131- S. Korea 147- U.S. 148- China 162- New Zealand 163- Germany 169- Australia 170- Canada See complete chart and map at https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/influenza-pneumonia/by-country/

The link provides a lot of interesting data but the number of infants killed by the flu this year is actually 54. From link above: "To put the risk in more context, the current US flu season has killed 54 infants so far, according to CDC. And in the first two weeks of 2020, the flu has killed more than 5,000 people in the US, mostly through associated pneumonia."