The news regarding a Japanese cruise ship docked at the port in Yokohama is looking more and more grime every day. When it was determined last week that several passengers were presenting with the coronavirus, the ship was quickly quarantined. S
Since those first cases, Japanese health authorities are considering testing every passenger on board.
The Diamond Princess now has a reported 130 passengers that have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Japan Times first reported the increase from the previous report of only 66 being positive.
Those who are being quarantined aboard the ship will reportedly be able to disembark once there is confirmation of the results from the tests being given.
For six days, the cruise participants have been confined on board the ship, with little to no outside activities being permitted. A report posted on the New York Times confirmed that the cruise ship is currently the “host to the highest concentration of the coronavirus cases outside of mainland China.”
A total of 2,600 individuals are reportedly quarantined on the ship and are being confined to their small, tiny cabins. As a result, reports are increasing of the passengers exhibiting and suffering from increased anxiety.
In an interview with the Japan Times, one passenger stated: “My whole thing is just to stay calm because no matter what, I’m here. But every day, it’s anxiety-provoking when we see the ambulances lined up on the side of the ship.”
On Monday, the cases reported by the China health ministry jumped up another 3,062, in only 24 hours. This pushed the number past that of the SARS outbreak In 2002-2003 to make this global health emergency more concerning and on a grander scale.
As many may recall, the SARS scare of 2002-2003 was being reported as possibly becoming a pandemic. However, that outbreak did not get to make it quite that far.
However, with this more recent novel virus, and the reports of those falling victim spreading all over the globe, it may well reach the level of pandemic sooner rather than later.
As of this writing, the China mainland infection toll is estimated at 40,171, with the number to deaths now at 908.
Is the 2019-nCov on track to being a major worldwide pandemic?