U.S. Health Experts Say Stricter Measures Are Required to Limit Coronavirus’s Spread

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If community spread is being detected now, that means it began, unseen, weeks ago. The greatest concern is for older people, particularly those who have underlying conditions like diabetes, heart disease, lung problems and weakened immunity.

“Don’t go to crowded places, think twice before a long plane trip, and for goodness sake don’t go on any cruises,” Dr. Fauci said.

For people who are particularly vulnerable, he said: “Don’t wait for community spread. Now is the time to do social distancing, whether there is spread in your community or not.”

If community spread has already started, as in Seattle, he said, everyone should practice social distancing.

“Everybody is going to be thinking about this, and trying to adapt it to their own circumstances,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University. “‘Maybe I can attend this meeting virtually.’ A family that’s religious will think about being reverent at home rather than attending services with the rest of the congregation. Maybe we don’t go to the movies.”

One goal of mitigation is at least to slow down an epidemic, he said, adding, “If you can stretch things out long enough, you buy more time for the development of the vaccine and the research to be done for treatments.”

Three cruise ships with passengers departed Port Canaveral Monday. There are brief interviews with people from North Carolina, Mississippi, and Texas.

A Texas man said,
"There's obviously a concern with everything going on but it's one of those things that take the proper precautions, kind of leave it in God's hands,"

Heh.

"CDC recommends travelers, particularly those with underlying health issues, defer all cruise ship travel worldwide."

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Local businesses and government will probably wait until the disease is firmly entrenched before issuing proactive measures. I've been looking for Kincannon's and Kanes plans for quarantine and have yet to see anything. Mass hysteria and every man for himself seems to be the plan.

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Yeah, the city and county both are essentially deferring to the Health Department, which is what they're supposed to do. The county Health Dept is in turn taking guidance from the state and CDC. The point isn't to have lots of different separate responses, it's to have consistent and coordinated responses.

UT has set up a helpful portal with latest info: (link...)

ELI student update:

English Language Institute students self-quarantining

Per an email from Chancellor Plowman this afternoon that hasn't been posted yet to the web (https://utk.edu/coronavirus), the Provost is currently working with faculty and GTAs to prepare to move classes online. And all non-essential travel has now been suspended outside the state of Tennessee (domestic and international).

Big Ears starts in a little over two weeks. We have tickets and have been really looking forward to it, but I can’t imagine attending. Big crowds, people coming from all over. I know the organizers are monitoring closely, but I think it might be time to cancel. Sorry, Ashley. Must be heartbreaking for you.

Young people capitalize on cheap coronavirus flights

New Rochelle, NY, "coronavirus cases jumped from one to more than 100 in less than 10 days."

Kentucky’s governor asked churches to cancel services. Some pastors feel singled out.

“It was made harder that churches were singled out and commercial businesses and athletic events were not mentioned,” [Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al] Mohler said. “The state religion may turn out to be basketball after all.”

SEC Tournament canceled.

Knoxville St. Patrick’s Day Parade canceled.