Travel « Weekly Gravy

More Americans are expected to be evacuated from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, as U.S. health officials reported a 12th domestic case of coronavirus late Wednesday. Earlier Wednesday, two planes carrying 350 Americans landed at an Air Force base in California. Some of those passengers were then flown to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego. Both groups were put under a 14-day quarantine, U.S. health officials said. At least one more plane is expected to fly more American evacuees to military bases in Nebraska and Texas this week, The New York Times reported. In total, more than 500 Americans have already been evacuated. The first group of evacuees, who were flown out of Wuhan, China, a week ago, were moved off Travis Air Force Base in anticipation of the new arrivals, the Associated Press reported. That first group was told on Wednesday that they have all tested negative for coronavirus, health officials said. But they were to remain in quarantine for about another week, the Times reported. On the more recent evacuation flights, five people — three adults and two children — showed signs of cough or fever and were taken to hospitals for evaluation, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Times reported. “CDC staff are there meeting the planes and assessing the health of… read on >

More Americans were evacuated from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China late Thursday, as the number of cases worldwide surpassed 31,000. Two chartered planes carrying about 300 Americans have left Wuhan, the U.S. State Department said Thursday night. Both flights will stop at Travis Air Force base in northern California, the Associated Press reported. Anyone showing symptoms of illness will be quarantined there, while the planes continue on to military bases in San Antonio, Texas, and Omaha, Neb., the wire service said. But U.S. health officials said it is unlikely there will be any ill passengers on board either plane, the AP reported. These are the fourth and fifth flights to evacuate Americans from China in the past week. About 540 Americans are already quarantined at two military bases in California, NBC News reported. On Wednesday, two planes carrying 350 Americans landed at Travis Air Force base. Some of those passengers were then flown to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego. Both groups were put under a 14-day quarantine, U.S. health officials said. The first group of evacuees, who were flown out of Wuhan, China, a week ago, were moved off Travis Air Force Base in anticipation of the new arrivals, the AP reported. That first group was told on Wednesday that they have all tested negative for coronavirus, health officials… read on >

A 60-year-old man living in Wuhan, China, has become the first American citizen to die from the new coronavirus that first surfaced in the Chinese city. The man, whose name has not been disclosed, died Thursday at Jinyintian Hospital in Wuhan, the U.S. Embassy in China said Saturday. According to the Washington Post, the embassy issued a statement with “our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss. Out of the respect for the family’s privacy, we have no further comment.” It’s not clear why the man was not able to leave Wuhan on one of a number of U.S. State Department evacuation flights that brought hundreds of Americans to the United States over the past week, but he may have already been too ill to fly. In Tokyo, Japan’s Foreign Ministry also announced the death from coronavirus of the first Japanese citizen, a man in his 60s living in Wuhan, the Post reported. Only two people living outside of China have so far died of coronavirus, the Post noted — a Wuhan man in the Philippines and a man in Hong Kong. Also on Saturday, the death toll in China took it’s biggest one-day jump ever, with 86 new deaths recorded over the past 24 hours, Chinese officials said. That puts the total number of deaths from the outbreak at 723. Confirmed cases on… read on >

The coronavirus outbreak that is raging in China continued to spread Monday, with just over 40,000 cases and 908 deaths now confirmed. Those numbers far exceed the toll of the 2003 SARS outbreak, in which 8,098 were infected and 774 died worldwide, the Associated Press reported. Outside China, more than 440 cases have been reported, including two deaths. As of Monday morning, a total of 23 Americans onboard a quarantined cruise ship in Japan have also now tested positive for the virus, according to the AP. So far, a total of 136 passengers on the Diamond Princess, docked in Yokohama, Japan, have confirmed illness and 600 0f the 3,711 passengers have requested medications. Late last week, a 60-year-old man living in Wuhan, China, became the first American citizen to die from the new coronavirus that first surfaced in that Chinese city. The man, whose name has not been disclosed, died Thursday at Jinyintian Hospital in Wuhan, the U.S. Embassy in China said Saturday. According to the Washington Post, the embassy issued a statement with “our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss. Out of the respect for the family’s privacy, we have no further comment.” It’s not clear why the man was not able to leave Wuhan on one of a number of U.S. State Department evacuation flights that brought hundreds of Americans to… read on >

The coronavirus that has rapidly infected nearly 6,000 people in China is spreading across the globe, with five cases confirmed in the United States. The death toll in China so far has topped 130. Here’s what else you should know about the new coronavirus, called 2019-nCoV, which originated in the city of Wuhan: “This is a new virus that has not been previously identified in humans,” said Debra Chew, a former epidemic officer at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It belongs to a large family of viruses called coronaviruses. These viruses can cause respiratory illnesses such as the common cold, and more severe illnesses such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS),” Chew said. “Currently, a lot is unknown about the Wuhan coronavirus, but the CDC and the World Health Organization are actively investigating to learn more about this virus, the way it spreads and its severity of illness,” added Chew, a professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Should Americans be concerned? “While any new virus is a serious public health concern, the immediate health risk to the American public is deemed low at this point,” said Chew. “The virus is thought to have some limited person-to-person spread, and the CDC and WHO are conducting ongoing investigations to learn more about the degree of… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Drowsy driving was responsible for more than 72,000 vehicle crashes in 2013, according to the most recent statistics available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drowsiness slows your reaction time, affects your ability to make good decisions and distracts from the road. The CDC mentions these possible warning signs of drowsy driving: Yawning or blinking frequently. Difficulty remembering the past few miles driven. Missing your exit. Drifting from your lane. Going over a rumble strip on the side of the road.

If you travel a lot for business or pleasure, you may think that the most exercise possible is lugging your bags in and out of a car or through an airport. But it’s important to get in real exercise even when you’re away from home. If you’re a business road-tripper, look for snippets of time to move those muscles, like when you stop for gas. Any bodyweight calisthenics will do. Think: squats. There are many varieties, but the basic is a powerhouse move. Stand with feet a little more than shoulder-width apart, arms out in front of you. Bend the knees and push your hips back, lowering your body until your thighs are below your knees if possible. And then return to standing position. Do three sets of 10. At your hotel, do planks or push-ups and some crunches. If stuck in a car or on a plane for any length of time, try isometric exercises, where you can contract your muscles without needing to move around a lot. Put the palms of your hands together and press as hard as you can. That will engage your chest muscles. Contracting your gluteal muscles can help your lower back. Remember to hold each isometric exercise for 10 seconds. Do a few sets of 10 reps each. Once you get to your destination, if you don’t have… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Flying with a small child can be dangerous without the proper equipment, especially if the ride gets bumpy. Holding your little one in your arms during turbulence is not safe. If you’re taking a child under 40 pounds on a plane, USAGov urges you to keep your child safe in a government-approved car seat or harness. Car seats 16 inches or less should fit in most plane seats. USAGov recommends asking airlines for a discounted fare. Purchasing a ticket for your child is the only guaranteed way to strap the child in safely.

(HealthDay News) — Winter storms and cold temperatures can be dangerous. But if you get your car ready for cold weather, you can have a safer winter, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC suggests: Service the radiator and maintain antifreeze. Check the tread on all tires, or replace tires with all-weather or snow tires. Keep your gas tank full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines. Use a wintertime formula in your windshield washer. The CDC also encourages you to prepare a winter emergency kit for your vehicle. It should include blankets, food and water, compass and maps, a first-aid kit, plastic bags, car supplies and a flashlight.

(HealthDay News) — Black ice is an invisible winter danger for drivers, says the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). But you can help protect yourself by knowing how to deal with this seasonal hazard. The USDA give drivers advice about black ice: It tends to form at night or in the early morning. The ice also forms on roads less traveled on, or roads without much sunshine. Keep an eye out for a glossy sheen on the road. That’s probably black ice. Practice driving on slippery surfaces in an empty parking lot. If you have ABS brakes, know how they work and feel. If you hit black ice, let your car pass over it. Do not hit the brakes, and keep the wheel straight. In bad weather conditions, stay home.