The exotic Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has much of Asia in a panic. And, the rest of the world on alert with various public health notices and precautions. Wuhan, the massive capital of China’s Hubei province where the virus originated, has become a virtual ghost town. Now Hong Kong is in panic mode as the government continues to refuse to close the borders with mainland China.
Drone Footage Of Wuhan, China
The streets of Wuhan are empty as millions of people remain in lockdown while Chinese officials attempt to halt the transmission of the deadly virus.
Drone footage of this Chinese mega-city with 11 million residents highlights how alarming this health crisis has become in just a matter of weeks. Many wonder if this same scenario will play out around the world while scientists rush to find ways to combat the new virus.
As you view the footage in the tweet below, bear in mind that this sprawling capital city is home to around 11 million people. That’s basically the equivalent of New York City plus Chicago.
Drone footage shows Wuhan, a city with 11 million residents, starting to resemble a ghost town amid the coronavirus lockdown pic.twitter.com/8aVwHiLABg
— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) February 6, 2020
Coronavirus Whistleblower Dead
Li Wenliang, the doctor from Wuhan who tried to sound the alarm, is now dead.
He posted concerns about a SARS like virus to to fellow doctors in a chat group on December 30th. But, the Chinese government reprimanded him rather than heeding his warning signs. Police took Li Wenliang into custody and made him sign a letter confessing to “making false comments” that had “severely disturbed the social order.”
On January 10th, he began to cough. The next day he had a fever. And, just two days after that the whistleblowing doctor was ill enough to be admitted to the hospital. The symptoms continued to persist even as he was hospitalized.
The 33-year-old Opthamologist ultimately died on January 30th.
RELATED: President Trump Steps In To Help American Jailed In China!
Sad news: Li Wenliang, the Wuhan doctor who first sounded alarm about #coronavirus, has died.
Instead of listening to him, Chinese Communist authorities arrested him and forced him to write a “self-criticism,” a Maoist era method of punishing dissenting voices. pic.twitter.com/NKpdnSv6nM
— Marion Smith (@smithmarion) February 6, 2020
When news of Dr. Li Wenliang’s death was released, it began to trend on the Chinese social media site Weibo. After “Wuhan government owes Dr Li Wenliang and apology” and “We want freedom of speech” started trending, the comments were quickly censored by the Chinese government that is more concerned with stifling free speech than they are with containing the disease.
The Chinese government attempted to suppress news of his death entirely. To buy time before announcing his death, they used ECMO (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation) to keep his heart beating and blood oxygenated. This gave them almost a week to say that the doctor was in critical condition when it was long past that.
We deeply mourn the death of #Wuhan doctor Li wenliang, who unfortunately got infected with novel #Coronavirus while battling with the epidemic. After all-effort rescue, Li passed away on 2:58 am, Feb. 7. pic.twitter.com/mbYA3wB4pn
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) February 6, 2020
Hong Kong’s Open Borders
A crisis is also brewing in Hong Kong as people pour in from mainland China. Some hospital workers have gone on strike in an attempt to get the government to close the border. People fear that Hong Kong will soon face the same fate as Wuhan because the virus is not being contained as the tweeted video below details.
RELATED: Liberal Rapper Attacks North Korean Escapees for Wearing MAGA Hats
As Hong Kong faces #coronavirus, its citizens are furious that the city's borders are still open. Medics are threatening to strike and activists are back on the streets.
More on the outbreak here: https://t.co/LGpGWhoWoc pic.twitter.com/kBZy9D35R4
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 3, 2020
Coronavirus Cruise Ship Docks In United States
However, the coronavirus isn’t limited to Asia. Sick passengers on a cruise ship that arrived in New York Harbor this morning are being screened for the deadly virus. Imagine the catastrophic implications if those ill people were indeed infected aboard the ship with thousands of other people for days.
Royal Caribbean cruise ship docks in New Jersey and 'at least a dozen Chinese passengers' to be tested for coronavirus https://t.co/wlyPmjuNOC pic.twitter.com/TneQ8pFiUa
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) February 7, 2020
At least three passengers were taken off The Anthem of the Seas on stretchers. An American passenger spoke with local news in the tweeted video below about how Royal Caribbean management didn’t inform them about the ill passengers during the cruise.
Passenger aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship that just docked in NJ says she had no idea there was concern others on board may have #Coronavirus –>#LiveOnK2 pic.twitter.com/VaVvdG5hJb
— Genevieve Reaume (@GenevieveReaume) February 7, 2020
Quarantines and travel bans may halt the spread of the virus, but respiratory viruses are difficult to control. The CDC continues to give information and updates on what precautions to take.
More About:Movies