From Florida to China - Coronavirus update –Have we turned the corner?
Bottom Line: Eight days ago, I provided a coronavirus update. The news was alarming. One out of every five people who had a “closed” coronavirus case had died. I’ve been tracking the virus for a couple of reasons. First, governments from China to ours have in interest in balancing a public health crisis without creating panic. Just listening to guidance paints an unclear picture about what’s real and what isn’t. I just want the facts. Second, the coronavirus had already become the deadliest virus outbreak in modern history based on death rate. The news isn’t exactly good – when it comes to the coronavirus – but we may be turning the corner.
At my previous update over a thousand people had already died from the virus, more than the SARS outbreak. The bad news is this, deaths have doubled over the past week plus to 2,012. The better news is that over 15,000 have now fully recovered. What we’ve seen is that earlier diagnosis is leading to better outcomes. The overall death rate has dropped from 20% to 12% in just over a week. Still odds no one wants when it comes to matters of life and death, but a significant improvement which illustrates the diligence to combat the threat is working.Still, the death rate remains the worst of any virus in modern history and it’s unclear if the spread of the virus has peaked, but this is the first update since the onset of the outbreak that any of the news is promising.
In Florida, no cases have been diagnosed, though Florida health officials aren’t disclosing how many people have been tested due to privacy concerns.Let’s just hope it stays that way. Meanwhile, travel into China and most of Asia is almost impossible from South Florida as airlines have ceased travel to potentially dangerous areas in the region for at least the next month or two while they reevaluate.