Less Than 1% of Austria's Population Infected With Coronavirus, Study Findshttps://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/10/world/europe/10reuters-health-coronavirus-austria-study.htmlThe principle of “herd immunity”, at one stage touted by the UK government as a possible solution to the coronavirus outbreak, has taken an apparent blow after a study in Austria found less than 1% of the population is infected with coronavirus.
The first such study in continental Europe, led by pollster SORA which is known for projecting election results, aimed to provide a clearer picture of the total number of infections, given gaps in testing, Reuters reports.
“Based on this study, we believe that 0.33% of the population in Austria was acutely infected in early April,” SORA co-founder Christoph Hofinger told a news conference. Given the margin of error, the figure was 95% likely to be between 0.12% and 0.76%.Sebastian Kurz, Austria’s chancellor, whose government commissioned the study and saw initial findings a few days ago, said on Monday that the rate of infection was around 1%. He said that disproved the idea of herd immunity - which requires widespread infection - as a viable policy option.
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China's Wuhan to Keep Testing Residents as Coronavirus Lockdown Easeshttps://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN21S0FVWUHAN, China (Reuters) - China's Wuhan city, where the global coronavirus pandemic began, is still testing residents regularly despite relaxing its tough two-month lockdown, with the country wary of a rebound in cases even as it sets its sights on normalising the economy.
Concerns remain over an influx of infected patients from overseas as well as China's ability to detect asymptomatic patients, and the government in Wuhan has tried to reassure the public that it remains vigilant.
Feng Jing, who runs a group of community workers looking after the Tanhualin neighbourhood in Wuhan, said during a government-run tour for journalists on Friday that they would continue to carry out extensive checks on residents.
... "We carry out comprehensive health checks everyday and keep detailed records of their health condition," she said, adding that there is no likelihood of asymptomatic cases in her community.-----------------------------
Lack of Coronavirus Testing May Blunt Trump's Planned Economic Revivalhttps://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/04/10/politics/donald-trump-testing-economy-coronavirus/index.htmlPresident Donald Trump says America does not need and will never have mass coronavirus testing, despite warnings by experts that a comprehensive program is vital to getting life back to normal.The inadequacy of testing for the virus has been a constant deficiency of the government's handling of the pandemic from the start. Fixing this deficiency, as well as creating antibody testing that can identify if someone has already had the disease and may be less apt to get it again, may be the key to effectively reopening the economy while preventing a second wave of infections. It could also help identify which workers can return to work, and those who still present a risk of infection.
But the continued lack of a robust testing program, despite weeks of claims by Trump that the problem is fixed, is raising stark new questions about the White House's management of the situation. After being slow to recognize the extent of the pandemic, the testing shortfall means the administration is yet to prove it is capable of charting an effective path out of the crisis.
... Asked by CNN's Jim Acosta how the administration could contemplate reopening the economy without sufficient testing in place, Trump insisted the US system was "the best in the world."
"There are certain sections in the country that are in phenomenal shape already, other sections are coming online, other sections are going down, and we, in addition to that, are giving out millions of tests every day," the President said.
"We're doing it exponentially, we're picking up, and what we'll be doing in the very near future is going to certain areas of our country and do massive testing. It's not necessary but it would be a good thing to have," he said.
But seconds later, the President however appeared to contradict his own comment that the administration would put in place "massive testing" in some areas of the country."We want to have it and we're going to see if we have it. Do you need it? No. Is it a nice thing to do? Yes," Trump said. "We're talking about 325 million people and that's not going to happen, as you can imagine, and it would never happen with anyone else, either. Other countries do it but they do it in a limited form. We'll probably be the leader of the pack."
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