THE coronavirus death toll continues to rise reaching at least 64,606 worldwide today (5.4.2020) and we should all pray for the victims and do our best to cooperate with our government in fighting this deadly virus wreaking havoc everywhere.
The grim data circulated by Johns Hopkins University as of 9 a.m. Beijing time (8 a.m. in Thailand and 9 p.m. Saturday in US) which CNBC published shows that there are at 1,197,405 cases globally with the top five countries with the most patients being : United States (308,850), Spain (126,168), Italy (124,632), , Germany (96,092), and France (90,848).
Here in Thailand, there were 102 new Covid-19 cases with three more deaths, taking the total number of patients to date to 2,169, Bangkok Post reported.
The spike today is higher than 89 reported yesterday but significantly lower than the peak of 188 cases on March 22.
US President Donald Trump honestly warned Americans that there will likely be a big spike in coronavirus fatalities in the coming days, as the country faces what he called the toughest two weeks of the pandemic, Reuters reported.
“There’s going to be a lot of death,” Trump said at a briefing with reporters.
Trump also said that thousands of military officers will be sent to help states battle coronavirus
White House medical experts have forecast that between 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could be killed in the pandemic, even if sweeping orders to stay home are followed.
Disturbingly a report published by ChannelNewsAsia reveals that after Chinese officials disclosed the outbreak of this scary disease on New Year’s Eve, at least 430,000 people arrived in the United States on direct flights from China, including nearly 40,000 in the two months after President Trump imposed restrictions on such travel, according to an analysis of data collected in both countries
The bulk of the passengers, who were of multiple nationalities, arrived in January, at airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Newark and Detroit. Thousands of them flew directly from Wuhan, the center of the coronavirus outbreak, as American public health officials were only beginning to assess the risks to the United States.
Flights continued this past week, the data show, with passengers traveling from Beijing to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, under rules that exempt Americans and some others from the clampdown that took effect on Feb 2. In all, 279 flights from China have arrived in the United States since then, and screening procedures have been uneven, interviews show.
However it is important to remember that not all air travel can be put off and those who absolutely have to fly and have been checked that they are healthy enough to do so plus can actually find an airline to take them to their destination could follow the following tips published by American website Fm100.com to stay safe:
Major airlines have been doing their part in keeping the plane clean for those traveling. However, some prefer to know their space is clean before their long flight takes off.
- Keep your hands clean and don’t touch your face
The number one thing to remember is to wash your hands frequently. Your hands touch many objects throughout the day that others have also had their hands on.
However, most people tend to touch their faces more often than they realize. Doing so after touching a surface where there are droplets from when someone sneezed or coughed can lead to the virus being passed on.
So first things first: Wash your hands especially when traveling through crowded spaces.
- Disinfect hard surfaces
When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and armrest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seatback pocket, and the tray table.
Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.
- Bring Your Own Blanket and Pillow
You will want a fresh pillow and blanket to use. The ones on your flight could be used already by other travelers. However, airlines are advising travelers to bring their own blanket and pillow to further avoid the spread of coronavirus.
- Consider booking your flight earlier in the day
The flights leaving earlier in the day are usually cleaner than the ones leaving late afternoon. The cleaning services have just been through the flight so chances are higher they are more germ-free.
- The restroom on your airline
As long as you wash your hands on the way out, you’ll be fine. Of course, the lavatory door latch is most likely covered in germs, too, so use the old paper towel on the doorknob trick.
Take a towel, open the door, then toss it on your way out
Obviously, every good germaphobe comes armed with hand sanitizer, so stock up on the Purell, too.
CAPTION:
US President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on Wednesday April 1, 2020 as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley listens. Photo: AP Photo/ Alex Brandon
