Results tagged “h1n1”

• Wow, that's a huge amount: 1.5 million people per day are getting innoculated with the swine flu vaccine. [AP]
• This year's Chinese Blogger Conference was held in an ancient cave in Lianzhou, Guangdon. Why? You'll have to watch this video to find out. [WSJ]
• A government report has said that China's Three Gorges Dam has doubled in cost and has been plagued with multiple problems. Here's a summary of them. [Al Jazeera (on Youtube)]

Since up until now, we've only seen the third case of serious swine flu emerged in Shanghai, you may well be wondering, “how bad could all this hullabaloo get anyway?"

Shanghai has now recorded its third serious case of swine flu - a 43-year-old local man who is now in stable condition at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. According to Shanghai Daily, the city has detected 1,538 cases of H1N1 since the first patient in the city was reported in May. So far, there have been no deaths directly related to the flu, but experts expect an increase in serious cases soon. Altogether, China has recorded 43 deaths and 67,000 infections related to H1N1 thus far, which actually isn't bad when compared to the toll the flu's taken on the United States.

Xinjiang has been through a lot of political and social trauma in the last couple of months, what with the riots in July, syringe attacks in September, the executions that followed, continuous H1N1 scares, and an internet blackout throughout the province.

Two months after the first swine flu-related death in China, Shanghai has been hit with its own number one serious victim. A 35-year-old migrant worker is currently comatose and suffering from multiple organ failure in Shanghai No. 1 People's Hospital thanks to the A/H1N1 virus. He fell ill on Thursday and was confirmed to have the flu on Friday. His status comes as over 100 people across China were infected with A/H1N1, which according to Xinhua means that the peak season for flu has begun. Better start reviewing that PSA we wrote up about preventing, identifying and treating this dastardly disease.

Just like they warned, China's now reported its first death related to swine flu - though they're not sure if the death was actually caused by the virus. A 34-year-old female patient in Zhejiang province had been recovering from H1N1 when she was found dead on her toilet yesterday morning. The hospital said her temperature had been normal for a week, she was coughing only occasionally and her other symptoms were disappearing. The death was ruled as accidental, though police are still investigating. The total number of mainland infections is currently at 867. Source: SCMP

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Welp, they tried. Despite the makeshift hazard suit wearing airplane temperature checkers, the proposals for ever more stringent visa regulations, and everything else the government has done to try and stop swine flu, it looks like localized "cluster outbreaks" of H1N1 just can't be avoided. As Guangdong struggles with the mainland's first community outbreak, the Ministry of Health has warned that there will likely be "serious cases or even deaths." Guangdong currently has 233 known infections, the most in China. Health officials are predicting that it may be the first place in the country to experience a swine flu-related death as well. Source: SCMP

• Baskin-Robbins just opened two new stores in Shanghai, bringing the total of the chain-with-31-flavors up to six in the city. [China Retail News]
• NPO Roots and Shoots' Tori Zwisler talks to Danwei about charity in Shanghai. [Danwei]
• The Shanghai Health Bureau reported four new cases of swine flu yesterday, bringing the total of cases here up to 84. [Eastday]

• The Seven People You’ll Meet in Hotel Quarantine [A Product Guy] "Having now spent almost 3 days here in Hotel Quarantine, and adjusted to life in the Big House, I’ve noticed some common patterns among the types of people I’m encountering and sharing these experiences with. Generally, they fall into one of seven categories."
• Police fatally wound man during protest in China's Xinjiang [AFP] "Police in China's western-most Muslim region of Xinjiang fired warning shots to disperse a crowd protesting against a real estate project Tuesday, fatally wounding a man, state media said. The incident occurred in the regional capital Urumqi when a policeman identified as Kudelet Kurban accidentally fired his gun into a crowd of about 60 people, Xinhua news agency reported."
• U.S. may be within N. Korea missile range in 3 years, official warns [LA Times] "North Korea may be able to overcome technical difficulties and assemble a missile capable of hitting West Coast cities within three years, a top Defense Department official said Tuesday, but it is unlikely to be able to deliver a nuclear warhead in that time frame. The U.S. assessment came as North Korea's rulers show signs of preparing for additional weapons tests in the face of international condemnation and new United Nations sanctions."

• China halts £18bn hydropower dam project over environmental concerns[guardian.co.uk] "China's environment ministry sought to reassert its authority on Friday by blocking a 200bn yuan (£18bn) cascade of hydropower dams near Shangri-la that would generate as much electricity as the Three Gorges Dam. Despite pressure from local governments that want to push ahead with big ticket development projects to offset the financial downturn, the ministry suspended approval of the project along the Jinsha iver in Yunnan province for failing to carry out adequate assessment of the environmental impact."
• All Eyes Inward [Newsweek] "Until recently, the way Chinese artists got famous was to talk politics. The generation that grew up during the Cultural Revolution and the difficult years that followed was highly politicized and gained global recognition for its tongue-in-cheek images of Mao Zedong and Tiananmen Square, often rendered in eye-popping color... Though still hot, those new-wave artists are giving way to a very different group: the "me-first" generation, whose members talk about each other and themselves."
• New tax plan sparks China protest [BBC] "Protesters in the south-eastern Chinese city of Nankang have overturned police cars and blocked roads over plans to more strictly enforce payment of taxes. Officials in Nankang said several hundred protesters blocked a major road while others delivered a petition to a local government office."

• James Fallows puts the spotlight on a writer currently quarantined in Shanghai, who is experiencing a nightmare of helpless frustration in the face of such illogical preventative measures (current Shanghaiist editors hope they won't be facing something similar on entry). [The Atlantic]
• Schools around Shanghai are now being ordered to equip computers with the Green Dam software, effectively guaranteeing that they'll be infected by malware. [Shanghai Daily]
• China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines might be merging soon, which means that over 50% of air travel in the city will soon be under one company. [Bloomberg]

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Donald Tsang announced today that beginning tomorrow all kindergartens, primary schools, and care centers in the city will be closed for 14 days. It was decided after it had been determined that the recent H1N1 flu cases had been transmitted within the local community. From Bloomberg.com: "The government is well prepared and will monitor developments closely," Tsang said. "There's no need to panic."

• In China, a new breed of dissidents [WSJ] "Political consciousness is beginning to spread," says Merle Goldman, professor emerita of history at Boston University and associate at Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. "Ordinary people use the term 'rights' now," she says. "The problem is, of course, that there's not much they can do about it at this point. But the concept is there."
• Nine cases added to mainland total [Shanghai Daily] "The Guangdong Health Department said last night that three new cases in Shenzhen had been confirmed. They were two Chinese sisters aged 18 and 20 who flew in from New York on Thursday and a 13-year-old Canadian girl who arrived in Shenzhen from Canada on Saturday."
• 'Mass hysteria' in Jilin: Fair call, or fog? [Caijing] "More than 1,000 workers at the Jilin Chemical Fibre Group Co. Ltd. in the northeastern city of Jilin reported dizziness, nausea and other symptoms during a three-week health crisis that so far has defied clear explanation."

Shanghai confirmed its fifth case (already!) of swine flu over the weekend. This time, the patient was a 23-year-old female college student who had been studying in the U.S. She had taken a flight from New York to Hong Kong on Thursday. On Saturday, she developed a fever and was quarantined at Shanghai No.1 People’s Hospital. Eight family members and friends are under medical observation for the week. Shanghai’s first case, a businessman who had flown in from Melbourne, has recovered and is now out and about town.

Despite China's strident attempts to protect itself from the A/H1N1 virus, a domestic case was discovered yesterday in Guangdong province. The patient had been in direct contact with another suspected flu patient, one who was confirmed to be a carrier of the virus on Thursday.

Those two suspected cases we told you about this morning have now been confirmed! That means that Shanghai has now gotten its first swine flu victim. The 30-year-old who arrived from Australia on Saturday was hustled straight to the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center after registering at 38.8 degrees upon getting off the plane. He had first started experiencing symptoms, including runny nose and fever, three days before his flight. 24 people who were in close contact with him on the plane are now under quarantine and the Shanghai government is on the look out for 20 more passengers that ought to be under observation as well. If you were on or know anyone who was on the Air China CA178 flight from Melbourne on Saturday, please contact authorities now by calling 12320. Source: Shanghai Daily

There have now been nine confirmed cases of H1N1 on th Chinese mainland, with two new patients cropping up in Beijing and Fujian province over the weekend. In Fujian, a two-year-old girl tested positive for swine flu after returning from the U.S. with her family via Hong Kong. Meanwhile, in Beijing, the confirmed was a 46-year-old man surnamed Zhang who had flown over from Canada. Unfortunately, he took the subway several times before showing symptoms, possibly contaminating all of Beijing. Meanwhile, there are two suspected cases in Zhenjiang province and Shanghai. The Zhenjiang patient is a 19-year-old boy who came to New York. The Shanghai case is a 30-year-old Chinese man working for an Australian company who flew in from Melbourne. So far, swine flu has claimed no casualties in this country. Source: China Daily

Yet another swine flu patient has been found in Beijing, making it the third case to be discovered this week and China's fifth case overall. The latest patient is a 21-year-old Chinese Canadian male who came over from Toronto. He arrived in Beijing on May 16 and sought treatment for a fever on the 19th. It seems like there really is an uptick in H1N1 discoveries recently, which makes us really worry about our plans to head out of the country this summer. It also brings up the question: how many more cases before we stop reporting them individually and start in bulk? Source: Economic Observer Online

Is it just us or does it seem like China's starting to rack up the swine flu cases faster? A man who returned to Guangdong from a tour in the U.S. and Canada was confirmed to be the country's fourth case of swine flu. He began to display symptoms en route from Hong Kong to Guangdong and was immediately put into quarantine. Meanwhile, an Italian tourist with swine flu symptoms is being treated at a hospital in Tibet. The 23 people traveling with her are now staying at a local hotel under observation. Source: Xinhua

The swine flu count stands at China:3, Hong Kong:3 after each region confirmed its third case of H1N1 over the weekend. In China, the afflicted is an 18-year-old student in Beijing who was admitted to the hospital a few days after returning from the U.S. For her troubles, she got a visit from Grandpa Wen, who warned her and other overseas students to learn more about protecting themselves. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong case was a 23-year-old male who returned from New York. He was picked up by an infrared temp screener and immediately sent to the hospital. Even though he had worn a mask on the flight, his fellow passengers may still need to be quarantined. Source: SCMP (behind paywall)

"When I set off to cover the Sichuan earthquake last May, I did not know my life and the lives of the families of quake victims would acquire a strange symmetry: of lost hopes, and the struggle to find a space to mourn. Three days after the quake struck, I found a group of migrant workers in the Beijing West railway station. They carried all they had -- bedrolls, thermos flasks, plastic basins, cooking oil -- to travel a distance equivalent to that between California and Minnesota, on badly damaged roads and rails."

China is now reporting a second suspected case of swine flu located in Shandong Province. A man, surnamed Lv, had flown from Canada to Beijing before taking a train to Jinan, Shandong's capital on May 8. Three days later, he checked himself into the Jinan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, complaining of fever, sore throat and a headache. Tests showed he was "suspected positive" of the A/H1N1 virus, though the virus specimens need to be sent to a main office for further testing. This follows two days after China's first suspected case, a man surnamed Bao who was quarantined in a Chengdu contagious disease control hospital. Source: China Daily

• In Memory: 1 Year Anniversary Of The 5.12 Sichuan Earthquake [CN Reviews] "As expected, the Chinese media and internet is crawling with content commemorating the one-year anniversary of the devastating 2008 May 12th Sichuan Earthquake (often also referred to as the Beichuan/Wenchuan Earthquake) that killed a reported 68,712 people, including 5,335 students, with around 18,000 people still listed as missing. We’ve compiled six of the most popular “512″ videos on Youku."
• The Eight Star Government Office Building [Netease - translated by ESWN] "Linyi city has three districts and nine counties, of which five of those counties are classified as "impoverished." But under the leadership of the Linyi city Party Committee and Government, a world-class government office building has been constructed. This building has an area of 120,000 plus square meters spread over 23 floors (including two basement levels) serviced by 18 elevators. The building was constructed for 38.2 billion RMB at an average cost of 3,200,000 RMB per square meter. Today it was announced by Guinness (China) proclaimed that this to be the only eight-star government office building in the world."
• China should release a critical earthquake preparedness document [China Media Project] "In early 2005, more than three years before the Wenchuan earthquake struck, a number of cities and provinces, including Sichuan and Shaanxi, participated in a wide-scale action for earthquake preparedness. That action responded to a series of central government demands, including the strengthening of dangerous and old school buildings. The time has come for China’s government to make public the critical national document behind that 2005 push."

Thought the swine flu fears were ebbing? Think again! Beijing reported the mainland's first suspected case of H1N1 (if you don't count the Hong Kong patient that was transferred over from Shanghai) after a 30-year-old male Sichuan student developed flu-like symptoms. The patient, surnamed Bao, had traveled from St. Louis to Tokyo, and then boarded Northwestern Airlines flight NW029 to Beijing. Then, on the transferring flight to Chengdu, he began exhibiting hints of the swine flu. He has tested mildly positive for H1N1 and is now quarantined in a Chengdu contagious disease control hospital. Those in direct contact with him during the diagnosis have also been placed under observation. Source: SCMP. (Photo by benchau)

• China cracks down on foreign journalists [FT.com Video] "Foreign journalists trying to conduct interviews in the Sichuan earthquake zone in western China are being attacked and detained as Beijing ratchets up security in preparation for the first anniversary of the devastating quake on May 12. Jamil Anderlini, FT Beijing correspondent, traveled to Sichuan and was the target of such attacks. He reports on how officials used violence and threats to suppress his coverage."
• From gold farmers to kings: online gaming in china [US China Today] "Apparently the virtual world has not been hit by the financial crisis. In early April, Changyou, the online gaming division of the popular Chinese portal site Sohu.com, had its initial public offering on the Nasdaq exchange. The stock jumped 25% by the day’s end, raising over US$128 million in company proceeds."
• Love, lust and time to party as hotel 'captives' scent freedom [SCMP] "Dozens of people partied in the lobby of the quarantined Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai last night to celebrate their impending release today, as guests told tales of love, lust and laughter from the week-long internment. Sheets that had covered the windows of the locked-down hotel for days were ripped down amid the festivities, revealing smiling guests raising glasses of wine, beer and other liquor and kissing one another."

You know that pig who managed to survive under the rubble of the Sichuan Earthquake for 36 days and became a hero (even though, if you think about it, lord knows what horrors he was eating to keep alive)? With the outbreak of swine flu, we guess it was high time that somebody started wondering how China's most famous pig, “Strong Willed Pig” was doing.

Yes, we're sick of the scaremongering, paranoia and misinformation. While we're already cringing every time someone sneezes in the office or metro, we've realized what real paranoia is after spending the weekend in Hong Kong: doormats being disinfected every half hour, people talking through masks, masks being sold at every convenient store and an entire hotel being put under quarantine.

Despite their draconian health measures at the airport, swine flu managed to enter Hong Kong anyway. On Friday, a 25-year-old Mexican national who had come to Hong Kong via a flight from Shanghai (sigh) was found to have Asia's first confirmed case of H1N1. So Hong Kong authorities decided to extend their draconian health measures to the rest of the island and have now quarantined tourists and employees at the hotel where he was staying.

• Lest we have those twin luxury towers (which were to hold the Conrad Hilton) rot in the middle of the city, the Shanghai government is now trying to orchestrate a buyout of the stalled project. [WSJ]
• Thanks to the Expo, wait times are going to be slashed to 4 minutes or less on the No. 7 subway line. We just have to wait til next year before it goes into effect. [Shanghai Daily]
• Foreign firms are allowed to list on the Shanghai stock exchange for the first time ever in an attempt to turn the city into a financial center like New York or London. [Telegraph]