Skip to main content

New story in Health from Time: Hong Kong Records Its Biggest Rise in Coronavirus Cases as New Wave of Infections Crashes Into Asia



Hong Kong recorded what is by far its biggest daily jump in coronavirus cases on Friday—the latest in a new phase of infected travelers, many of whom are returning to the city from Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia.

The city is not alone in facing the increasing threat of imported cases. Taiwan, which also saw a daily record increase in the number of new cases, reported 27 additional infections on Friday—most of which are travel-related. In Singapore, 24 out of 32 newly infected patients had a history of travel to Southeast Asia, Europe and North America.

All three places managed to fend off the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak, when it was spreading across mainland China—despite having close economic ties and a large number of travelers from the mainland.

The new wave is crashing across the region as the number of officially reported new cases in the mainland has dropped to just a handful. On Thursday, Chinese officials reported zero new domestic coronavirus infections.

Read more: What We Can Learn From Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong About Handling Coronavirus

In Hong Kong, 36 of the 48 COVID-19 cases reported Friday had overseas travel records, Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection, said during an afternoon press conference. The cases involve travel to over a dozen countries, including Singapore, the Philippines, Austria, Portugal, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. The newly confirmed cases brings the total in Hong Kong to 256.

Among the infected is a four-year-old girl whose father is believed to have contracted the virus during a trip to London. A taxi driver who did not travel abroad recently, but takes one or two trips to and from the airport daily, has also been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Experts are concerned that the wave of sick travelers returning to Asia could mean a surge in local infections and the risk of a community outbreak.

Read more: A Silent Epidemic? Experts Fear the Coronavirus Is Spreading Undetected in Southeast Asia

“We’re moving into a new phase,” Ben Cowling, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong, tells TIME.

“In one or two weeks time, we could see outbreaks where we don’t really know where people got [the virus]. Maybe someone who came in with the infection wasn’t identified, spreads it to a family member, who spreads it to the community. That’s going to happen in Hong Kong, and in other parts of Asia,” Cowling adds.

In Hong Kong, over 90% of the new cases in the past two weeks had links to overseas travel, according to the South China Morning Post.

Globally, almost 245,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed, according to John Hopkins University’s virus tracker. Earlier this week, the total number of infections outside mainland China surpassed the number in the country. On Thursday, the death toll in Italy, which has more than 41,000 cases, exceeded the number of fatalities in China. Worldwide, the virus has killed more than 10,000 people.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

New story in Health from Time: COVID-19 Has Been ‘Apocalyptic’ for Public Transit. Will Congress Offer More Help?

While trying to get to work over the past few months, Brittany Williams, a Seattle home care worker, has often been passed by two or three buses before one stops to let her board. Buses in her area that once carried anywhere from about 50 to 100 passengers have been limited to between 12 and 18 to prevent overcrowding in response to coronavirus, and Williams’ commute, typically a half-hour ride, now takes more than double that time. Other Seattle transit riders have described budgeting as much as an extra hour per trip to account for the reduced capacity, eating into their time at work, school or with family. Even with the ridership limits in place, Williams, 34, doesn’t feel safe on public transit. Some passengers don’t wear face coverings, and bus drivers sometimes ignore capacity limits, she says. On one ride with her seven-year-old son, she decided to get off at a stop far from her home after a driver allowed a crowd of people to board. “It’s very trying. I’ll put...
Read more

New video by blogilates on YouTube

Day 8 - 14 | Blogilates 2020 Challenge You guys are CRUSHING the #2020Challenge so far! Idk about you but my abs are soooooore! This week, we're doing 20 reps of abs every day + 20 reps of another new exercise every day! If you need a little extra motivation, text my number (510-692-4556) and tell me all about it so we can come up with a solution together! This link also works: https://ift.tt/2Qjqw7G This week's moves are: Jan. 8th (starts 0:48) - 20 butterfly bridges + 20 criss cross (butt + abs) Jan. 9th (starts 2:43) - 20 oil riggers + 20 rollovers (arms + abs) Jan. 10th (starts 8:29) - 20 lunges + 20 leg outs (legs + abs) Jan. 11th (starts 11:03) - 20 walnut crushers + 20 single leg drops (back + abs) Jan. 12th (starts 13:41) - 20 sprinters + 20 crunches (obliques + abs) Jan. 13th (starts 16:27) - 20 squat jumps + 20 russian twists (cardio + abs) Jan. 14th (starts 18:57) - 20 plank jacks + 20 butt ups (total body + abs) Here is where I get all of my music! Epidemic Sound: ...
Read more

New story in Health from Time: Why You Should Add Rest to Your Workout Routine

Most fitness advice urges people to squeeze in more workouts. That’s reasonable, considering government data show that only about a quarter of American adults meet the current guidelines for adequate physical activity : 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, plus two bouts of muscle-strengthening exercise. Meeting these guidelines is important, since getting enough exercise can improve an individual’s physical and mental health . But when it comes to exercise, it is possible to have too much of a good thing . In fact, research suggests taking strategic time off from your workout routine can maximize the benefits of physical activity, and minimize the risks. “Rest and recovery absolutely are necessary,” says Hunter Paris, an associate professor of sports medicine at Pepperdine University in California. “Fatigue, to a degree, is beneficial [because it signifies progress]. But there comes a point where fatigue can accumulate and ove...
Read more