March 3

125 new cases, 31 new deaths (all in Hubei) and 2,742 new discharges occurred in China on March 2, as reported by the National Health Commission (NHC) of China.

March 2

1. 1st case in Morocco: a Moroccan national, resident of Italy, currently in stable condition in the isolation unit of Moulay Youssef Hospital in Casablanca.
2. 21 new cases and 5 new deaths in the United States: 9 cases and 5 deaths in Washington State.

• Deaths include: one man in his 70s, at Kirkland, King County, with underlying medical conditions. Infected cases include: a man in his 40’s hospitalized in critical condition in Kirkland.
• A woman in her 70s, wife of the third case in Illinois is infected. Her health status is in good condition and is been quarantined at home.
• An adult from Grafton County, New Hampshire who had recently visited Italy is infected.
• A former passenger of the Diamond Princess cruise ship is also infected.
• A teenager from Rhode Island contact of the previous case infected. Another contact is being tested. Three people went on the same trip to Italy and hence are being so aggressive in detecting contacts, guaranteeing monitoring, and testing symptomatic people.
• 3 people in California (Santa Clara County), including a couple who has traveled to Egypt recently.
• 2 in Oregon: 1 is an adult resident from Umatilla County hospitalized in Walla Walla, WA, 1 is a contact of the first case in Oregon, recovering at home.     
• 2 new and first cases in Florida and 1 first case in New York

3. 3 new cases in Canada (Ontario)
4. 3 new cases in Iceland: 2 women, 1 man in their 60s who arrived in the country on Sat with Icelandairs flight to Keflavik Airport from Verona, Italy.
5. 335 new cases and 11 new deaths in Italy, for a total of 2,036 cases and 52 deaths to date. Amongst the 1,835 active cases, 908 (49%) are hospitalized and 166 (representing 9% of active cases) are in intensive care. Amongst the 201 closed cases, 149 (74%) have recovered and 52 (26%) have died. Lombardy region has urged people above 65 years of age to stay home and not move out for 2-3 weeks. The new cases include:  Alessandro Mattinzoli, Councilor for Economic Development in Lombardy, has been tested positive to the coronavirus. All members of the council will go through the testing. A police officer in Rome was in contact with a friend from Lombardy. The first case of coronavirus in Sardinia is currently hospitalized in Cagliari.      

6. 61 new cases and 1 new death in France
7. 1 new case in Sweden
8. 6 new cases in Norway: all 6 are linked to travel in outbreak areas.
9. 1st case in Latvia
10. 1st case in Senegal
11. 1st case in Saudi Arabia: the person had come from Iran through Bahrain
12. 2 new cases in Bahrain: 1 Bahraini citizen and 1 Saudi citizen. Both had traveled to Iran.
13. 4 new cases in Qatar.
14. 1 new case in India: an Italian national in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, a major tourist destination.
15. 1st case in Tunisia: a 40-years-old Tunisian man who traveled from Italy.
16. 3 new cases in Lebanon
17. 6 new cases in Austria.
18. 4 new cases in the UK
19. 1st case in Jordan: a Jordanian coming from Italy.
20. 36 new cases in Spain. Total now exceeds 100.
21. 2 new cases and 4 new discharges in Singapore.
22. 8 new cases in the Netherlands, almost all have traveled from northern Italy or are family contacts of a previous patient. Cases include a 45-year-old woman is infected from Helmond who had recently returned from Lombardy, Italy.
23. 1 new case in Russia (first in Moscow): a Russian citizen returning from Italy
24. First 2 cases in Portugal, both in Porto: a 60 years-old man with "an epidemiological link to the north of Italy", where he was on vacation. His first symptoms appeared on 29^th February and now he is hospitalized in stable condition at the Santo António Hospital in Porto. A 33-years-old man with "an epidemiological connection to Spain" and whose symptoms appeared on 26^th February 26 is now admitted at the Hospital de São João, in Porto.
25. 6 new cases in Belgium: all had returned from northern Italy
26. 1 new case in Taiwan
27. 18 new cases in Japan
28. 523 new cases and 12 new deaths in Iran
29. 2 new cases in Iraq detected in Baghdad’s Rassafa district: they had recently visited Iran
30. 6 new cases in Belgium: all had traveled to Italy.
31. 27 new cases in Germany
32. 2 new cases in Spain (Barcelona): a 40-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man who came in contact with a German infected person. Both are in mild condition.
33. 1st case in Andorra: a 20-year-old man who had been to Milan, Italy and was admitted to the Nuestra Señora de Meritxell Hospital on Saturday. Symptoms are light, according to the Andorran government. He will be in the hospital till two negative tests are achieved within 24-48 hours.
34. 2 new cases in India: 1 in New Delhi (first case there) with travel history from Italy and 1 in Telangana with travel history from Dubai.
35. 1 new case in Croatia: believed to be connected to another case in Rijeka
36. 10 new cases in Kuwait: all associated with travel to Iran and all in stable condition and recovering.
37. 1 new death in Iran: a 71-year-old senior Iranian official, Seyyed Mohammad Mirmohammadi , who was a member of the sixth and seventh Iranian parliaments and was appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in 2017 as a member of the Expediency Discernment Council.
38. 4 new cases in Australia: first in Tasmania: a man who had recently returning from Iran.
39. 1 new case in Thailand: a 22-year-old Thai woman who works with another Thai patient, a Thai driver for foreign tourists.
40. 599 new cases and 5 deaths in South Korea.
41. 202 new cases, 42 new deaths (all in Hubei) and 2,837 new discharges occurred in China on March 1, as reported by the National Health Commission (NHC) of China.

Dr KK Aggarwal

President CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA