Update (1600ET): Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Zhejiang, Henan, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, Brisbane, Taipei – and now Washington State.
The viral pneumonia-like lung illness first discovered late last year in Wuhan, a mid-sized Chinese city in the center of the country, has Beijing’s leadership – who are already grappling with slowing economic growth and continuing trade pressure from the US – very much on edge.
It’s clear now that Beijing’s initial response to reports of a new SARS-like virus was to dissemble. After initially insisting that there was no evidence that the virus could be spread by humans, health officials have now admitted that they were “wrong”, and that human-to-human transmission is possible, meaning that there’s no telling yet just how contagious this thing really is.
It’s already spread rapidly: In just a few weeks, it’s gone from a few isolated cases in Wuhan to nearly 300 confirmed cases, not just in Greater China, but also across the Asia-Pacific region, and now in the US. The fact that the CDC has already identified the first case in Washington State suggests that this is an aggressive pathogen, and health officials are duly concerned.
It has already confounded expectations. The fact that 139 cases – roughly half the total number reported – were only just identified over the weekend is especially unnerving, because now infected hosts have had time to scatter back to wherever they’re from, potentially spreading the virus across the planet.
According to Bloomberg, the US case has been revealed to be a man in his 30s who returned to the US last week, but not before visiting a public market in Wuhan…
The sudden spike in cases has prompted airports in the US, Australia and elsewhere to tighte illnesses has prompted tightened borders and a rapid attempt to trace contacts of those who have become ill.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization will decide whether this crisis qualifies as a public health emergency of international concern, a label signifying only the most complex pathologies with the potential to cross borders. The WHO could recommend that travel be restricted, or that global governments take other drastic measures.
With global health officials on high alert, local authorities in Wuhan have announced that the city has 800 hospital beds ready in three separate designated care hospitals, and it’s ready to have 1,200 prepared at short notice, according to local media reports.
With the Chinese New Year travel season about to begin, many fear that millions of Chinese traveling abroad or internally for vacation will help the virus spread at an exponential rate. Chinese health officials have played down the possibility of this. But they also say they don’t want to underestimate it. After all, the last major outbreak, SARS in 2003, killed 800 people.
* * *
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.
The outbreak began at a market in China and now has spread to at least four other countries, and has killed at least six people and sickened hundreds more in Asia.
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%.
* * *
CNN’s AnneClaire Stapleton (@AnneClaireCNN) tweeted an ominous warning:
“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.”
And the market reacted rapidly…
Transports are the worst hit on the day, already suffering from coronavirus fears overnight…
Can The Fed just print up some anti-virus?
As we detailed earlier, the global risk-off wave had started in the overnight hours of Monday as the full extent of the Chinese coronavirus scare became apparent to traders, has rolled into the cash session Tuesday with airline, casino and gaming, hotel, and travel stocks, taking a leg lower.
Delta Air -3.50%, United Airlines Holdings -3.20%, Southwest Airlines -1.5%, and American Airlines Group -2.50%, were all sold as the outbreak may crimp global air travel during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday period.
Investors dumped Wynn Resorts -4.45%, Las Vegas Sands Corp -4%, and MGM Resorts International -3%, as the virus threatens to decrease foot traffic.
Hotels were also sold, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts -1%, Choice Hotels International -1%, and Extended Stay America -1%.
Travel stocks were dumped, Expedia Group -1%, Booking Holdings -2.20%, TripAdvisor Inc -1%, and Trip.com -10%.
Investors are unloading sensitive travel stocks because confirmed cases of coronavirus have tripled since Monday and spread to other countries around China with the risk of spreading across the world.
Fears of a 2002-03 outbreak of SARs has been on everyone’s mind to start the week – and with a Lunar New Year holiday fast approaching – the spread of the virus could broaden in the days ahead.
Travel sensitive stocks have taken a beating in Asia, Europe, and the US – basically across the world on Tuesday, as investors brace for new cases of the virus that is quickly spreading.
Could this mean world stocks are due for a pullback?
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The next pandemic, or zombie apocalypse, always starts in China and spread by airports.
It starts at Ft. Detrick, Maryland and is then spread to wherever the government/deep state says it should be spread.
First it was lead paint on children’s toys then it was toxic pet treats then SARS then bird flu swine flu then tons of illegal fentanyl and now this from guess who “CHINA” !
Just great come on corporate America you got rich crushing American jobs and workers pensions now your favorite labor market has set us up for a possible biblical plague !
Well done circle jerk of Wall Street to K- Street to Capitol Street , hope the maid service blows infected snot on your sheets , sleep well !
Watch “Contagion”.
That was a scary ass movie…
Hey, if they can’t take the guns. . . expect pandemic.
(edit)
I should say, if we won’t obey and give up our guns like good peasants . . . expect pandemic
niebo- I think you could be right. My opinion is a little different, could be that if we don’t volunteer to shoot each other en masse to thin the population, they will send a virus that will. Who died and appointed them god? Does money give you the right to decide who needs to be offed?
Martial law confiscation…..
Wonder if the chicoms spread it on purpose.
I doubt it. They’re stacked on top of each other and just naturally function as a petri dish to breed new germs. Apparently, their intensive animal agriculture helps by keeping people and livestock close together where germs can mutate and hop species. It doesn’t help their rivers are giant sewers. They gave us the SARS, Swine Flu, etc. They even gave us the Black Death centuries ago. Every year CDC and the vaccine industry focus on them to guess what the coming flu season bugs will be.
They also have a pretty gross habit of spitting everywhere and not just a little saliva I-got-something-on-the-tip-of-my-tongue spit, but that really nasty lung cheese HIV The Exorcist Holy-Shit-I’m-Dying! kind spit.
It’s kind of like the Chinese are the gift that keeps on giving.
FWIW, stock up on Zicam. I’ve found it works wonders if you use it the first moment you feel the slightest bit odd. If you can get it in your throat and sinuses at the first hint of an illness, you have a shot at disrupting the infection. I used to fly for work every other week and I invariably got sick 2-3 days after flying until I started taking Zicam.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
Six dead in China, a country of 1.8 billion people…. I’m more worried I might actually win Powerball and subsequently kill myself with good drink and bad women.
Up to 9…
GMO round-up ready mono-crop soybean raising farmers in panic, fear massive farm foreclosures, congress drops impeachment to make new subsidies bill, screaming its an election year By God!
OMG global pandemic killing millions of people just like the one in 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!
They keep getting my hopes up for nothing.
Wonder if this is the same coronavirus that was patented: https://patents.justia.com/patent/10130701. Vaccines are already out there.
At least North Korea does not have to worry about exposure as they are truly isolationists.
OMG! If only someone had thought of this happening and had done something to prepare!
Oh wait, lookie here
Looks like even Bill and Melinda were involved back in October.
I have said for years a pandemic is overdue and needed to thin out this liberal herd…..