March 4 coronavirus news

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the mortality rate for novel coronavirus is about 2% if "you just do the math."

On Tuesday, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said globally the rate is about 3.4%.

Speaking about the WHO’s higher number, Fauci said, “What we're hearing right now, on a recent call from the WHO this morning is that there aren't as many asymptotic cases as we think. Which made them elevate, I think, what their mortality is.”

Fauci warned, “You know as well as anybody that the mortality for seasonal flu is .1% so even if it goes down to 1% it's still 10 times more fatal."

A total of six people across New York are infected with coronavirus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today. 

The state's first case is a healthcare worker who had recently returned from Iran. She has been isolated at her home in Manhattan along with her husband. As of Wednesday, the husband does not have coronavirus, Cuomo said.

The 5 other cases include the city's first case of community spread -- meaning the source of infection is unknown.

That patient, an attorney in his 50s, is in critical condition at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The man has an underlying respiratory condition which made him more vulnerable to the virus, said Dr. Howard Zucker, commissioner of the New York State Department of Health. 

Now the man's wife, son, daughter, and a neighbor who drove the sick man to the hospital are all infected with coronavirus, Cuomo said.

His 20-year-old son attends Yeshiva University in Manhattan and his 14-year-old daughter attends SAR Academy and High School in the Bronx. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the United States should be proactive when it comes to testing for the coronavirus.

On Wednesday, during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on a budget request for the National Institutes of Health, Fauci was asked by Rep. Mark Pocan if we should be proactive with testing for novel coronavirus in hospitals, rather than waiting for people to come and be tested. 

Fauci definitively replied, "Yes. The answer is yes and I feel strongly about that."

Earlier in the hearing, Fauci explained that the new guidelines for testing are a good thing.

The government of France is taking control of the stocks and production of surgical masks in the country in response to the coronavirus outbreak, Health Minister Olivier Véran announced today. 

He added that the children of people with the virus would not go to school.

“There is little health risk for children but it is a measure to limit the propagation of the virus,” he said, adding: “The President [Emmanuel Macron] is in contact with the President of the European Council [Charles Michel] and his counterparts in other countries to prepare a concerted strategy.” 

The United Auto Workers union announced it has suspended all travel by staff members, both internationally and domestically.

"This is a precautionary action not meant to elicit concern, but to help in dealing with the spread of this epidemic,” said UAW President Rory Gamble. Road travel by staff is still permitted.

In addition, the union has canceled a conference scheduled to be held in San Antonio, Texas from March 8 to 13 that had been expected to draw 1,000 of the union's financial officers.

The US Department of Homeland Security recommends on its website that, before a pandemic strikes, to store a two-week supply of water and food, as well as over-the-counter medications you tend to take.

"Have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins," according to the department.

"In general for emergency preparedness, we encourage all households to have an emergency response kit," which could be used during any public health or severe weather emergency, said Jennifer Kertanis, president-elect of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.

Starbucks will hold a virtual annual meeting on March 18 as the state of Washington battles a coronavirus outbreak.

Starbucks had been planning on holding the annual meeting in Seattle. It has set up a website where shareholders can register to participate in the meeting.

There are 130 cases of the novel coronavirus, including nine deaths, in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local governments. 

According to the CDC, there are 48 cases from repatriated citizens. According to CNN Health’s tally of US cases that are detected and tested in the United States, there are 82 cases in 13 states. Bringing the total of coronavirus cases to 130.

This includes presumptive positive cases that tested positive in a public health lab and are pending confirmation from the CDC, and confirmed cases have received positive results from the CDC.

Here's a state-by-state breakdown of the US cases:

Delta Airlines has announced that it will scale back their flights to Japan in response to “reduced demand due to COVID-19 (coronavirus),” a statement from the company said.

The company says it will reduce its weekly flying schedule to Japan through April 30 and suspend summer seasonal service between Seattle and Osaka for 2020, according to the statement.

This announcement is the latest in a series of schedule changes for the carrier. Delta previously announced it will suspend its US flights to Milan and temporarily reduce the number of weekly flights it operates between the US and Seoul-Incheon. Both moves were in response to coronavirus-related developments.