INDIANA TAKES ACTION TO ADDRESS NOVEL CORONAVIRUS

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) is leading the state’s efforts to educate Hoosiers about the 2019 novel coronavirus that originated in China, ensuring that the public, healthcare providers and local health departments have the latest information available to keep themselves and their communities healthy.

“There continues to be no confirmed cases of 2019 novel coronavirus in Indiana at this time,” Governor Eric J. Holcomb said.

 “At my direction, the Indiana State Department of Health is working in close coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other federal, state and local partners, to share information and monitor this evolving public health situation. While there is no need for immediate concern, the state will remain on alert to ensure Hoosiers are protected.”

Indiana currently has no suspected cases of novel coronavirus under investigation. One Hoosier who recently traveled to China is on self-quarantine in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. That individual is not symptomatic, and all appropriate measures are being taken. No additional information about the individual will be provided due to privacy laws.

State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, said information about the novel coronavirus outbreak is changing rapidly and encouraged Hoosiers to check the ISDH website for the most current information.

“We learn something new every day about this illness,” Box said. “While the news reports are concerning, I want to reassure Hoosiers that the majority of the patients under investigation in the U.S. so far have tested negative for novel coronavirus and remind them that seasonal influenza poses a greater health risk at this time.”

Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:

• Respiratory droplets released into the air by coughing and sneezing;
• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands;
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands; and
• Rarely, fecal contamination.

The best way to protect yourself from any respiratory illness, including the flu, is to:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

If you are a healthcare provider with a patient who is experiencing symptoms of novel coronavirus or an individual who has symptoms and recently traveled to China, please contact the ISDH Epidemiology Resource Center at 317-233-7125 [317-233-1325 after hours] or email epiresource@isdh.in.gov.

Visit the Indiana State Department of Health at www.StateHealth.in.gov or follow us on Twitter at @StateHealthIN and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StateHealthIN.

What & Where #Novelcoronavirus FYI

What are the symptoms of coronavirus? 

Confirmed 2019-nCoV infections have ranged little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying. Symptoms are described as pneumonia-like: coughing, fever, sore throat and shortness of breath.
Infection heat map

Below are a series of screenshots illustrating where the outbreak began. It has since spread to other continents. The last screenshot is of a press release tweeted in Japanese and transcribed with Google transcription services. Below those screenshots is a long but comprehensive video about the issue.

symptoms of 2019-nCoV may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposure. Click here for more from CDC. 

Coronavirus outbreak: 2nd U.S. case confirmed in Chicago

Coronavirus outbreak: Public Health Agency of Canada provides update

CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATE: CDC confirm second U.S. case

By Julie Steenhuysen

(Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday confirmed a second U.S. case of the new coronavirus from China in a Chicago woman, and said as many as 63 potential cases were being investigated as the sometimes deadly illness continues to spread around the globe.
Of the 63 people under investigation from 22 states, 11 have so far tested negative, CDC said on a conference call with reporters.
News of the woman in Chicago infected with the virus that originated in Wuhan, China, followed the announcement earlier this week of a man from Washington state who was diagnosed with the virus after returning from Wuhan.
The newly discovered virus has killed 26 people and infected more than 800.

Most of the cases and all of the deaths so far have been in China, where officials have imposed severe restrictions on travel and public gatherings.
The virus has created alarm, but there are a still many unknowns surrounding it, such as just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can lead to pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.
The 60-year-old woman from Chicago had traveled to Wuhan in December and returned Jan. 13.
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said on a conference call that the woman is in stable condition and remains in an unnamed Chicago hospital primarily for infection control purposes.
The woman had not taken public transportation and was not ill when she traveled, Arwady said.
A few days after arriving home, the patient began to feel unwell and called ahead to alert her doctor to her illness. The physician asked about her travel history, quickly put a mask on the patient, and directed her to a hospital with infection control capabilities, Arwady said.
Hospital staff performed a full clinical examination and worked with public health officials to arrange testing for the novel coronavirus at the CDC.
The CDC said it believes the immediate threat is low, but added that there are likely to be more patients under investigation in coming days.
The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the virus an "emergency in China", but stopped short of declaring it a global health emergency.

(Reporting by Saumya Sibi Joseph in Bengaluru and Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Bill Berkrot)

Takata recalls replacement air bag parts

Recall Alerts Home Page Takata recalls 10 million U.S. replacement air bag inflators (Our product safety information is produced by our editors and some content sourced from information provided by the respective company directly and government regulatory agencies. If this is a recall we encourage you to contact the company directly for complete information.) By David Shepardson (Reuters) - Takata is recalling 10 million replacement air bag inflators in the United States, the largest ever auto safety recall in history, as U.S. regulators consider whether to make it even wider. The 10 million inflator recall made public Wednesday covers inflators that were a temporary fix. The figure includes some inflators never installed. Several automakers have already initiated additional recalls to replace the recalled inflator with an alternative final part. Separately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is assessing whether to compel the recall of tens of millions of additional Takata air bag inflators that have a drying agent. It is also reviewing petitions from General Motors Co to avoid recalling more than 6 million vehicles with Takata inflators. GM has said it could cost $1.2 billion if it had to recall the vehicles. Prior to Wednesday, 41.6 million U.S. vehicles equipped with 56 million defective Takata air bags have been recalled because the inflators can explode when deployed. At least 25 deaths worldwide and more than 290 injuries have been linked to faulty Takata inflators. The Takata recalls cover about 100 million inflators among 19 major automakers worldwide. NHTSA says the cause of the inflator explosions that can emit deadly fragments is propellant breaking down after long-term exposure to high temperature fluctuations and humidity. The vehicle inflators recalled to date do not have a drying agent. Under a 2015 consent order, Takata had to provide data to U.S. regulators by Dec. 31 about whether tens of millions of additional so-called desiccated inflators need to be recalled. Acting NHTSA Administrator James Owens told Reuters the agency was reviewing data on the desiccated inflators and talking to automakers. "We are going to lean in on safety and if we detect a safety problem we will immediately take action," Owens said, adding that the agency could make a decision early in 2020. An independent group after five years of testing inflators told NHTSA in October there was "no immediate safety risk" to the inflators with a drying agent but added "out of an abundance of caution, we recommend a well-designed monitoring program." Owens said NHTSA may announce new monitoring. (Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Nick Macfie)

What does impeachment mean? Who is King Saul?

Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body levels charges against a government official.  In the United States, for example, impeachment at the federal level is limited to those who may have committed "Treason, Bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." However, it does not mean the president will immediately be removed from office.

#NotJesus

#LesslikeJesusmorelikeSaul
The Israelites asked for a king but God makes clear the reason their request was evil in 1 Samuel 8:7: “They have rejected me from being king over them.”
But God in his kindness, allowed Saul to be king. He told them it would be hard.
Saul planned military action against the Philistines. When Samuel, God's prophet, learns that Saul has not obeyed God's instructions in full, he informs Saul that God has rejected him as king due to his disobedience.