01-31

Friday, January 31

Jan 31: Trump declares the coronavirus outbreak to be a public health emergency and bans travel from China, with some exceptions. Many on the political left criticize the president for the ban, seeing it as racially motivated. There are now 12,000 cases and 250 deaths from coronavirus in China. Senate prepares to vote on witnesses in the Trump impeachment trial. *

Google Search Trends for Corona and Flu

https://trends.google.com/

Google Search Trends for flu over the last 2.5 years

https://trends.google.com/

Timeline of exposure to index patient before symptoms originally published in New England Journal of Medicine

New England Journal of Medicine 382, no. 10 (March 5, 2020): 970–71

Transmission of 2019-NCoV Infection from an Asymptomatic Contact in Germany

New England Journal of Medicine 382, no. 10 (March 5, 2020)

*If the pdf thumbnails are not appearing, please reload the page.

Rothe, Camilla, Mirjam Schunk, Peter Sothmann, Gisela Bretzel, Guenter Froeschl, Claudia Wallrauch, Thorbjörn Zimmer, et al. “Transmission of 2019-NCoV Infection from an Asymptomatic Contact in Germany.” New England Journal of Medicine 382, no. 10 (March 5, 2020): 970–71. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc2001468.

Some of the most wonderful friends I've made and some of the most talented students I've taught since coming to America have roots in Sudan, Nigeria, Eritrea, and Tanzania.

The extension of the travel ban to these countries is as stupid as it is inhumane.https://t.co/f3bSKF9fUB
— Yascha Mounk (@Yascha_Mounk) January 31, 2020

The Trump administration has announced an expansion of the travel ban — one of President Trump's signature policies, which has been derided by critics as an attempt to ban Muslims from the US — to include six new countries https://t.co/opxAwhlH79 pic.twitter.com/qKEq711Hi3
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 31, 2020

Trump administration unveils expanded travel ban https://t.co/9qA2g8XgJP
— The Guardian (@guardian) January 31, 2020

And here it comes…demands to ban China flights into U.S. This virus has already spread to at least 20 other countries, including the US — would you ban flights from Germany, Japan, the UK? Ban flights from Chicago (where human-2-human transmission has occurred) to your state? https://t.co/f0gNEaoa0B
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) January 31, 2020

A Trial without witnesses is NOT a Trial. That's the stuff they do in Russia, China, and North Korea. #QAnonLies
— mark allen (@area51elvis) January 31, 2020

Ted Cruz calls for coronavirus travel ban on China https://t.co/gEBoCcZMws
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) January 31, 2020

I’m a Florida voter. Please vote for witnesses. Congressional oversight is essential to preserving our democracy. You advocate for democracy in Venezuela, Cuba, and China. Please vote to preserve it here. Don’t let Trump continue to use Chavez’s playbook to stifle opposition.
— Dr. Caroline (@IAmCarolineMc) January 31, 2020

Garrett, Laurie. “Trump Has Sabotaged America’s Coronavirus Response.” Foreign Policy (blog), January 31, 2020. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/31/coronavirus-china-trump-united-states-public-health-emergency-response/.
Levenson, Eric. “The TSA Is in the Business of ‘Security Theater,’ Not Security.” The Atlantic, January 31, 2014. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/01/tsa-business-security-theater-not-security/357599/.
Cohen, Elizabeth, and John Bonifield. “‘There’s No Doubt’: Top US Infectious Disease Doctor Says Wuhan Coronavirus Can Spread Even When People Have No Symptoms.” CNN, January 31, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/31/health/coronavirus-asymptomatic-spread-study/index.html.
ECDC. “Update: Cluster of Pneumonia Cases Associated with Novel Coronavirus – Wuhan, China – 2019.” European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, January 14, 2020. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/update-cluster-pneumonia-cases-associated-novel-coronavirus-wuhan-china-2019.
LKS Faculty of Medicine University of Hong Kong. “First Images of the Virus,” January 31, 2020. http://www.med.hku.hk/en/covid-19/downloads/-/media/EC1C3CDB9C9343B89730123CA99B55A7.ashx.
Nedelman, Michael. “New Report on First US Case of Novel Coronavirus Details Mild Symptoms Followed by Pneumonia.” CNN, January 31, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/31/health/washington-coronavirus-study-nejm/index.html.
Parks, Peter. “Novel Coronavirus: Australian Authorities Refute Hoax about ‘contaminated’ Foods and Locations.” AFP Fact Check, January 31, 2020. https://factcheck.afp.com/china-coronavirus-australian-authorities-refute-hoax-about-contaminated-foods-and-locations.
Walker, Joseph. “Gilead Sciences Offers Experimental Drug for Coronavirus Treatments, Testing.” Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/gilead-sciences-offers-experimental-drug-for-coronavirus-treatments-testing-11580511519.
Timeline of exposure to index patient before symptoms originally published in New England Journal of Medicine. Camilla Rothe et al., “Transmission of 2019-NCoV Infection from an Asymptomatic Contact in Germany,” New England Journal of Medicine 382, no. 10 (March 5, 2020): 970–71, https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc2001468.
Google search trends for “flu” and “corona*” from Jan 1, 2020 to Jan 31, 2020. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2020-01-01%202020-01-31&geo=US&q=corona,flu
Google search trends for “flu” from September, 2017 to Jan 31, 2020. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2017-09-01%202020-01-31&geo=US&q=flu
Centers for Disease Control, “Estimated Influenza Illnesses, Medical Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths in the United States — 2017–2018 Influenza Season | CDC,” November 22, 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2017-2018.htm
Camilla Rothe et al., “Transmission of 2019-NCoV Infection from an Asymptomatic Contact in Germany,” New England Journal of Medicine 382, no. 10 (March 5, 2020): 970–71, https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc2001468

* Timeline summaries at the top of the page come from a variety of sources:, including The American Journal of Managed Care COVID-19 Timeline (https://www.ajmc.com/view/a-timeline-of-covid19-developments-in-2020), the Just Security Group at the NYU School of Law (https://www.justsecurity.org/69650/timeline-of-the-coronavirus-pandemic-and-u-s-response/), the “10 Things,” daily entries from The Week (theweek.com), as well as a variety of newspapers and television programs.

Friday, January 31

© 2021 Margaret Peacock and Erik L. Peterson