Baby diagnosed with coronavirus
A baby born on Feb. 2 in Wuhan, China has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the youngest person to contract the disease. The mother of the child tested positive for the virus, but it is still unclear if the disease was transmitted through the womb or after birth. According to Business Insider, Stephen Morse, an epidemiologist at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, believes that “the baby picked it up very conventionally — by inhaling virus droplets that came from the mother coughing.” As of Wednesday, the baby is in stable condition and under observation.
Brazil appoints anthropologist to lead agency that protects isolated tribes
On Wednesday, Brazil’s government appointed Ricardo Lopes Dias, an anthropologist and evangelical preacher, to oversee the protection of isolated Indigenous tribes, leading the National Indian Foundation. Brazil’s Indigenous affairs agency has advised in a letter of protest that this decision could cause “irreparable damages” to the tribes because of Dias’ missionary work. Dias has defended his new title stating, “I understand there is a lot of apprehension regarding what the work of missionaries entails. I don’t see this as a mission or an opportunity to find new converts. I have no interest in going there with a Bible in hand.”
Cruise ship quarantined
Between Wednesday and Thursday of last week, 20 cases of coronavirus were confirmed on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, causing the ship to be quarantined for the following two weeks. According to The New York Times, “As Japanese health officials continued to screen 273 passengers who were potentially exposed to the virus, they said that 20 of the 102 tested so far had been found to be positive.” The positive cases have included Japanese, American, Canadian, New Zealander and Taiwanese passengers, all of whom were transported to medical facilities on Thursday.
Train in Italy derails
Before dawn on Thursday in northern Italy, a passenger train traveling at over 180 mph derailed and crashed, killing two railroad employees and injuring at least 31 others. Local reports and authorities have said the engine of the train slammed into a railroad building and the railways had a maintenance check done the night before. The cause of the crash is still unknown and is being investigated. Given in 2018 multiple trains derailed, this crash has prompted more concerns in regards to the country’s transportation infrastructure.
Photo: CDC
