On November 21, global disease tracking organization ProMED posted about hospitals in Northeast China that are overwhelmed due to an surge of “undiagnosed pneumonia” among children, particularly in China’s capital, Beijing, and nearby Liaoning. Some parents there are expressing concern that authorities may have concealed a broader epidemic. ProMED reportedread more
Health officials in western countries have made an about-face in regards to their official policies regarding the wearing of face masks by the general public, in that they are now recommending that people do wear these items of personal protection equipment (PPE) to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Theread more
(Updated Feb 26 15:30 PST to reflect current numbers) Although it is not yet declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the world’s nations need to prepare to deal with the spread of the fast-spreading disease, now that outbreaks have occurred outside of Mainland Chinaread more
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service are predicting that the northern polar vortex is likely to split once again later this month, into not just two, but three separate vortices that are expected to bring unseasonably cold and stormy weather to parts of Europe and North America.
The polar vortex is a low-pressure area of air that resides over both of Earth’s poles, with the vortex at each pole spinning in a counter-clockwise direction, and bordered around their edges by the jet stream. Occasionally, the Northern Hemisphere’s vortex splits into a number of separate gyres that drift south, bringing colder Arctic air along with them.
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