“Coronavirus Update.”
The number of Coronavirus cases doubles every five days. In comparison to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic of 2003 which affected 8,100 during its eight-month outbreak; the number of reported Coronavirus cases as of 5 February has hit over 24,500, up from around 250 two weeks before. The concentration of victims is within China, but there have been more than 200 confirmed cases outside of the country. Although the virus causes severe lung disease, leaving patients with pneumonia, it has become fatal for those who already have immune system issues. So far it has led to the deaths of just over 490 people.
Protective Measures
The port of Wuhan, in the province in which the outbreak started, handles some 1.5M containers a year, and thousands of tons of coal, steel and crude oil. Commodities that need to use the Yangtze river as the only means of logistics has been affected, with large bulk products such as iron ore, coal and steel seeing an immediate impact on movement.
Many countries have increased their own precautionary measures for ships calling from China, including but not limited to Singapore, S. Korea, Indonesia, France, Kuwait, UAE, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Gibraltar and many ports in the USA. The ease at which the virus has spread internationally has …
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