https://www.travellens.co recommend you to zoom through In Trains. Within the cities, travelers can avail of the subway trains that ply routes all over the surrounding metropolitan areas. These are usually the fastest, easiest and cheapest ways to go around cities like New York, not to mention that the colorful variety of characters definitely makes for a memorable experience. When going on a cross-country trip, however, the best train option is the national rail system – Amtrak. Keep in mind that it can be a comparatively expensive option than flying on an airplane although the passing scenery more than makes up for it. Think of Amtrak as a good way to get a glimpse of the cities and the countryside without the hassles of being in a cramped car for hours on end or the hassles of going through stringent security after flying.

In your first day in USA, i.e. at the US entrance/border control, the first thing on your list in USA will be detailed medical check conducted by the proper US authorities ... 'cause you are arriving from China-women&men ... site of the novel corona virus outbreak (Wuhan) ... it was also detected in Thailand by the infected patient traveling from Wuhan.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/novel-coronavirus-2019.html

This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated information as it becomes available, in addition to updated guidance in the coming days on how to investigate possible infections with this new coronavirus.

https://www.who.int/csr/don/12-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-china/en/

World Health Organisation - Novel Coronavirus – China

Among the 41 confirmed cases, there has been one death. This death occurred in a patient with serious underlying medical conditions.

China shared the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus on 12 January, which will be of great importance for other countries to use in developing specific diagnostic kits.

The cluster was initially reported on 31 December 2019, when the WHO China Country Office was informed. The Chinese authorities identified a new type of coronavirus (novel coronavirus, nCoV), which was isolated on 7 January 2020. Laboratory testing was conducted on all suspected cases identified through active case finding and retrospective review. Other respiratory pathogens such as influenza, avian influenza, adenovirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) were ruled out as the cause.

According to information conveyed to WHO by Chinese authorities on 11 and 12 January, 41 cases with novel coronavirus infection have been preliminarily diagnosed in Wuhan City. Of the 41 cases reported, seven are severely ill. This is when the one death, mentioned above, was reported, in a patient with other underlying health conditions. Six patients have been discharged from hospital. Symptom onset of the 41 confirmed nCoV cases ranges from 8 December 2019 to 2 January 2020. No additional cases have been detected since 3 January 2020.

The clinical signs and symptoms reported are mainly fever, with a few cases having difficulty in breathing, and chest radiographs showing invasive pneumonic infiltrates in both lungs. National authorities report that patients have been isolated and are receiving treatment in Wuhan medical institutions.

 Did I mention it ... or what ...? 

https://www.zerohedge.com/health/second-patient-sars-pneumonia-dies-china

US Begins Airport Screenings After Second Patient With SARS-Like Pneumonia Dies In China

Fri, 01/17/2020 - 18:05

The US will begin screening airline passengers beginning Friday after a SARS-like pneumonia outbreak in central China has claimed a second life after a 69-year-old man died on Wednesday, according to the Straits Times. 

"To further protect the health of the American public during the emergence of this novel coronavirus, CDC is beginning entry screening at three ports of entry," said CDC official Martin Cetron, adding "We're expecting that the screening over the next couple of weeks could include as many as 5000 people" starting Friday night.

The three airports are; San Francisco International, New York's JFK, and Los Angeles International.

The second death from the new coronavirus occurred at the Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital in the Hubei province. He had been ill approximately two weeks before experiencing multi-organ system failure, according to Bloomberg, citing a Thursday statement by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission.

As of Friday, the city has reported 45 cases of the coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV. According to the report, five patients are in critical condition, twelve have been cured and discharged, and two have died.

Authorities in Japan reported a case Thursday in a resident of Kanagawa prefecture aged in his 30s, who had spent time with an infected person in Wuhan. That’s the second time someone outside China was found to be infected with the novel coronavirus, which has captured international attention because of similarities with the one that sparked Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, 17 years ago.

Unlike SARS, which killed almost 800 people, the new virus doesn’t appear to spread easily between people. Much remains to be understood about the new coronavirus, which was first identified in China earlier this month, the World Health Organization said in a statement Thursday in response to the case in Japan. -Bloomberg

It is unknown how the virus is spread, however it is believed to be concentrated among a Wuhan fish market which carries other meat as well.

Staring in me mirror ... and ...:

".. am so ... well connected ...! .. he he"

• Rapidly spreading: Chinese authorities confirm 136 NEW cases of deadly virus in 2 days Health officials in Wuhan, China have revealed that 136 new cases of a mysterious new strain of the coronavirus have been diagnosed over just two days, bringing the total in the city to 198.Jan 19, 2020 20:44            Health officials in Wuhan, China have revealed that 136 new cases of a mysterious new strain of the coronavirus have been diagnosed over just two days, bringing the total in the city to 198.

  In a statement detailing the latest escalation in figures for the major viral outbreak, Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said a third person has died from the illness, while two more are in critical condition. A further 33 cases among the newly diagnosed patients are classified as “severe.” All of the patients are being kept in isolation.

  “The first symptoms were mostly fever, cough or chest tightness, and shortness of breath,” the agency said, advising anyone coughing or sneezing to wear a face mask to prevent the spread of germs.

  “Pay close attention to symptoms such as fever and cough,” they added. “Seek immediate medical attention when such symptoms occur.”

  Health officials said they’ve been carrying out medical observations on hundreds of people who came into close contact with those diagnosed to date, and no human-to-human transmission has been found. So far, the outbreak appears to be centered on Wuhan, but a small number of cases have been reported outside of China – two in Thailand and one in Japan. 

  Infectious disease experts at Imperial College London have calculated that the number of cases in Wuhan alone is approaching 1,700.

  On Saturday, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention denied claims that the new outbreak is actually Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome), an outbreak of which killed more than 700 people around the world in 2002 and 2003, after cases were first reported in southern China.

   

  https://www.rt.com/news/478574-india-coronavirus-travel-advisory/

   India issues travel advisory out of ‘abundant caution’ as new coronavirus takes hold in China      

   

   

   

6 fatalities so far ... human-to-human transmission confirmed ... travelling season in China is approaching fast ... it's getting serious ...

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/xi-warns-party-officials-anyone-w...

Xi Warns Party Officials: Anyone Who Covers Up Coronavirus Will Be "Nailed To Pillar Of Shame"

Tue, 01/21/2020 - 06:15

Now that the Chinese government has finally confirmed that the coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan can be spread between humans, international investors are grappling with the worst-case scenario: Another global SARS-like outbreak that could leave hundreds dead around the world.

As of Tuesday morning in the US, nearly 300 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed, according to Reuters.

As the Communist Party leaders panic, an edict has been handed down from Beijing warning local officials that, when it comes to this virus, the usual corruption, fraud and dissembling endemic to China's political system will not be tolerated.

According to the South China Morning Post, Beijing on Tuesday warned party functionaries not to lie about the spread of the coronavirus, warning that anyone caught withholding information would be severely punished and "nailed on the pillar of shame for eternity."

Chang An Jian, the official social media account of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission – Beijing’s top political body responsible for law and order – ran a commentary on Tuesday telling cadres not to forget the painful lessons of SARS and to ensure timely reporting of the current situation.

More than 700 people were killed around the world by the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2002-03, which originated in China.

"Anyone who puts the face of politicians before the interests of the people will be the sinner of a millennium to the party and the people," the commentary read.

"Anyone who deliberately delays and hides the reporting of [virus] cases out of his or her own self-interest will be nailed on the pillar of shame for eternity," it added.

The official party edict came straight from President Xi Jinping himself. Xi said on Monday that the virus must be "resolutely contained," and that the Party must make "the safety of people’s lives and their physical health" the top priority. It stressed that transparency remained the best defense against rumors and public panic.

It might sound strange coming from Xi, considering that the Communist Party is one of the least transparent ruling parties in the world, and Chinese media is constantly subjected to government-mandated manipulation, but the president insisted that "transparency" is the best way forward.

"Only by making information public can [we] reduce [public] fear," it said. "People don’t live in a vacuum and [we] will only provide a breeding ground for rumours to grow if we keep them in the dark and strip them of their right to [know] the truth."

Beijing has already learned hard lessons about the coronavirus family's potential for devastation (SARS killed some 800 people around the world). Ultimately, the biggest threat to the regime's credibility would be failing to contain the controllable natural disaster.

"Deceiving ourselves will only make the epidemic worse. It will turn a controllable natural disaster into an extremely costly man-made disaster," the commentary said.

In what appears to be a PR stunt meant to calm the public, Beijing said it had appointed Dr Zhong Nanshan, the same doctor who led the fight against SARS 17 years ago, to lead the charge against the virus that originated in Wuhan.

Still, the virus, which was first detected in December before being officially identified earlier this month, appears to be spreading rapidly. Chinese provinces reported a combined 77 new cases of the virus to the National Health Commission on Jan. 20, according to the government.

As the Chinese New Year holiday travel season begins, the international community has finally taken notice: As we noted last night, fears about a repeat of the SARS disaster ushered in a risk-off mood in markets around the world, with equities in Asia and Europe sinking into the red, and stock futures indicating a lower open in the US.

As millions of Chinese prepare to travel for the Chinese New Year holiday on Saturday, deaths are piling up at a steady but alarming rate from the virus, which claimed its sixth victim on Monday, according to the mayor of Wuhan, the central-Chinese city where the virus was initially detected, before spreading to Shanghai, Beijing and elsewhere around the country.

Laowai  was in Wuhan ... and Coronavirus off-we-spread ...

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/stocks-slide-cnn-report-suggesting-cor...

Chinese Officials Warn Of "Virus Mutation Spreading" - 440 Cases Confirmed, 9 Dead

Tue, 01/21/2020 - 14:08

Update (1335ET): The CDC has confirmed that a traveler from China has been diagnosed in Seattle with the Wuhan Coronavirus.

The patient, who was hospitalized with pneumonia last week, recently had traveled to Wuhan, China, where the outbreak appears to have originated, federal officials have found.

Officials declined to identify the patient, who was said to be quite ill.

Additionally, on a conference call, the CDC confirmed it expects more US cases to come.

Broadly speaking, stocks are getting hammered on this but there is one silver lining however, prices for flu-shot manufacturers are soaring: Nanovaricides +240%, Novavax +53%, Inovio Pharma +10%, and Vaxart +14%.

"The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to announce this afternoon that the first case of Wuhan coronavirus has been reported in the United States, in Washington state, a federal source outside the CDC tells CNN."

 Wall might come back up, again ....

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/coronavirus-infections-climb-473-...

 Wed, 01/22/2020 - 13:52 Update 4 (1350pmET): Almost exactly an hour after we tweeted a flight tracking map showing dozens of departures from Wuhan's International Airport ... Chinese authorities have reportedly suspended all outbound air and train travel from the city, expanding on their edict that nobody leave, and nobody enter, the city in central China, which has a population of 11 million people, making it larger than New York City.   

No flights have taken off from that airport for the last 40 minutes.

Screenings for the virus have been expanding to airports in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and elsewhere. Russia has tightened its border for Chinese travelers, and other countries have also stepped up screening efforts.

As the outbreak worsens, the people of Wuhan are feeling increasingly isolated.

Update 2 (1030amET): Just as we suspected, Chinese authorities have revised the death toll for the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak to 17 on Wednesday, meaning that in under 24 hours, the death toll has practically doubled.

Meanwhile, Russia media reports claim that a passenger from Shanghai has been hospitalized, a sign that the virus may now have spread to Russia.

• PASSENGER FROM SHANGHAI HOSPITALIZED IN ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

• NOVEL CRONAVIRUS DEATHS RISE TO 17 IN HUBEI PROVINCE:CHINA NEWS

US stocks are rebounding from yesterday's virus-driven dip as authorities around the world, including President Trump, insist that the outbreak is under control.

But does this really sound "contained"?

Update (1000amET): So much for being 'contained'.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador - better known as AMLO - said Wednesday morning that two cases of coronavirus are suspected in Mexico, and that health officials are scrambling to confirm. He added that one of the patients is under observation in Tamaulipas.

The virus has already spread to Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai, as well as to the US, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, Japan and beyond.

Earlier, we reported that China had launched a nation-wide screening effort to detect any remaining cases of the virus, suggesting that there could be many more cases yet to be uncovered. Screeners are looking for symptoms including fever, cough and difficulty breathing, all pneumonia-like symptoms. In addition to the autonomous regions, the virus has been confirmed in at least 13 Chinese provinces.

The WHO is meeting on Wednesday to decide whether the outbreak warrants the most serious categorization for global pandemics.

Meanwhile, some experts are warning that on Wednesday the virus has taken a "step closer to full-blown epidemic."

Media reports have been warning people in China and around the world about steps they can take to avoid being infected. Basic steps include frequently washing hands, avoid touching ones eyes, mouth or nose with unwashed hands, clean and disinfect objects, and covering one's mouth and nose during a sneeze, per CNN.