Glenn gives the latest coronavirus numbers, updating YOU on everything needed to know as Americans and officials monitor China's new COVID-19 virus:
Daily Stats as of 5:30 AM CT (from John's Hopkins)
Total Confirmed Cases Worldwide 2,734,102 (up from 2,658,794 Yesterday)Total Confirmed Deaths Worldwide 191,189 (up from 185,440 Yesterday)Total Confirmed Recovered Worldwide: 751,408 (up from 730,039 Yesterday) The US has 886,709 Confirmed Cases and 50,255 Deaths, up from 849,114 cases and 47,784 deaths yesterdayThe US has now tested 4,775,625 people, with 19% of tests showing positive for SARS-CoV-2Symptoms of COVID-19 Increase https://www.foxnews.com/health/cdc-triples-number-of-possible-coronavirus-symptomsThe CDC has added muscle pain & weakness, headaches and loss of taste or smell as symptoms of COVID-19 infection.The Center's website indicated that these symptoms were added because they were occurring with 'regularity' among confirmed infected patients nationwide.Its website says fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell could all be symptoms that appear between two and 14 days after exposure.As many as 25% of victims are experiencing a loss of taste or smell. Doctors are still studying other symptoms that patients have complained about, including what are known as "COVID toes," which include small bumps or lesions on toes or feet.Here Comes The Sun: UV Light Effective Against SARS-CoV-2 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-coronavirus-sunlight-heat-and-humidityThe Trump administration confirms testing by the DHS science and technology directorate that UV light, heat and humidity all have a powerful effect in accelerating the death of the virus on exposed surfaces.The findings are consistent with research on other forms of Coronavirus and may help accelerate further preventative measures that can be undertaken to slow further spread of the disease.Doctors are now more confident that there should be a respite from the spread of the virus during warmer, sunnier months of summer.Additionally, the confirmation that UV light is effective at destroying the virus should accelerate the use of UV-C lightbulbs in public spaces.As reported by The Blaze earlier this week, UV-C light is harmless to human skin and eyes, but is still effective at destroying viruses. Virus May Have Spread Much Earlier Than Previously Reported https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/us/coronavirus-early-outbreaks-cities.htmlAccording to the Northeastern University model, there could have actually been about 28,000 infections in major cities by early February, when officially the US only had a handful of cases.The model estimates all infections, including those in people who may experience mild or no symptoms and those that are never detected in testing.Other disease researchers said the findings of Dr. Vespignani's team were broadly in line with their own analyses. The research offers the first clear accounting of how far behind the United States was in detecting the virus. And the findings provide a warning of what can recur, the researchers say, if social distancing restrictions are lifted too quickly.Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said last week that American health officials had been successful in tracking the first known cases and their contacts in the United States before the outbreak got out of control.This week, health officials in Santa Clara County, Calif., announced a newly discovered coronavirus-linked death on Feb. 6, weeks earlier than what had been previously thought to be the first death caused by the virus in the United States.Still, the model is being challenged by some who suggest that if the Virus had been that widespread in early February, more hospital visits and deaths would be apparent in medical records.The CDC is said to be reviewing the findings and has yet to comment officially.Canada the Latest Victim of China's Defective Equipment 'Gifted' by the CCP https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3081335/coronavirus-canada-says-1-million-k95-masks-chinaPublic health authority says respirators failed to meet federal standards for use by front-line health professionals.The KN95 is a Chinese model similar to the N95, a crucial type of personal protective equipment used to defend nurses, doctors and other health workers.Several other countries, including Denmark, Belgium and Italy had also reported that ventilators, respirators and other Personal Protective Equipment provided by China was defective.In one instance, ventilators provided as a gift by the Chinese government were shipped without power control units installed, meaning they couldn't be turned on.China has become the source of around 70 percent of Canada's imports of PPE, with much of the rest coming from the US, Britain and Switzerland, a senior Canadian source told POLITICO this week.Some have accused China of moving to 'corner the market' on PPEs during the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic, including massive orders of Indian cotton and Brazilian rubber in January, two key ingredients used in N-95 mask production.Study of 783 COVID-19 Patients Taking HydroxyChloroquine: No Safety Concerns https://covidpep.umn.edu/updates"On April 22, 2020, the independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for the COVID-19 post-exposure prophylaxis trial has reviewed the cumulative safety data from 783 participants in the ongoing hydroxychloroquine prevention trial. The DSMB has identified no safety concerns or efficacy concerns at this time.Testing is still ongoing to validate that patients receiving hydroxychloroquine have a 50% reduction in total hospitalization and earlier discharge rate than victims not receiving treatment.Low Oil Prices May Trigger Regime Change https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/15923/iran-struggle-oil-priceIranian President Hassan Rouhani has tried to put a brave face on the latest setback to hit the regime, claiming that Iran is unlikely to suffer as much as other countries from the oil price drop because it is less reliant than others on crude exports.If that were truly the case, then Tehran would not be asking the IMF for a bailout, and Mr Rouhani, together with Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, would not be begging Washington to remove sanctions.The truth of the matter is, for all the regime's attempts to claim it has everything under control, that the country is teetering on the brink of collapse, and the ayatollahs are fast running out of options to save themselves.Iran has requested $28 Billion in initial bailout loans from the IMF.According to recent estimates by the IMF, Iran needs global oil prices to reach the highly unlikely benchmark of $195 a barrel just in order to meet its budget requirements for 2020.Current predictions suggest oil prices are likely to remain around the $19 a barrel mark, the ayatollahs are facing the prospect of an economic Armageddon: the oil slump means there is little prospect of a revival in the country's economic fortunes for the foreseeable future.Official Inflation in Iran is running at 35%, but estimates by some analysts indicate the number is closer to 100% inflation for 2020.Other countries, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, are also heavily reliant on oil revenues and are facing massive budget shortfalls due to sustained lower oil prices.Thousands of People Still Quarantined on Cruise Ships Off Florida https://www.wesh.com/article/cruise-ships-thousands-stuck-off-florida-coast/32256662Major cruise lines are having trouble getting crew members back to homes on the other side of the world amid the coronavirus pandemic.Up to seven ships at a time are moored to Port Canaveral docks or lying at anchor off Cocoa Beach and have been for over a month.They can have up to 2,500 crew members, and no one gets off unless they're taking a flight home per official US policy."While you would think initially that you would move a couple hundred off at a time, it hasn't been that easy," John Murray, Port Canaveral's CEO said.Several destination countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, have travel bans restricting all flights from the US.Japanese Mayor Suggests Men Should Do All Grocery Shopping https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/24/asia/japan-coronavirus-osaka-mayor-hnk-scli-intl/index.htmlThe mayor of Japan's third-largest city is facing a public backlash after he suggested men are better suited to grocery shopping during the coronavirus pandemic, because women take too long and contribute to overcrowding at supermarkets.The number of confirmed cases of the virus in Japan has spiked in recent weeks -- dashing hopes that the government's initial virus response had succeeded in controlling its spread. As of Thursday,On Thursday, Osaka mayor Ichiro Matsui implied male grocery shoppers would reduce the potential spread of the virus as they would spend less time in stores."Women take a longer time grocery shopping because they browse through different products and weigh out which option is best," Matsui told reporters at a coronavirus press conference in Osaka on Thursday."Men quickly grab what they're told to buy so they won't linger at the supermarket -- that avoids close contact with others," added Matsui.