How Dangerous Is Coronavirus? Trump Tries To Downplay Fears

President Trump Monday attempted to downplay the severity of the coronavirus outbreak as the number of cases surged in Europe and the contagion gained a more secure footing in the United States.

The outbreak roiled stock markets around the world and triggered a plunge in oil prices. Trump accused the media of fueling fears of the virus, which has killed 3,900 and sickened more than 111,000. More than 101 countries have confirmed cases. The World Health Organization has raised the global risk to “very high,” but has yet to declare a pandemic.

Trump tried comparing the coronavirus outbreak to the flu, noting influenza kills tens of thousands annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the current flu season will kill 20,000 to 52,000 Americans. Worldwide, the estimate is 290,000 to 650,000. The 1918-19 Spanish flu, which swept the world, killed 675,000 Americans and as many as 50 million worldwide in two seasons.

The number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases climbed to 566, with nearly two dozen deaths – 16 of them linked to a suburban Seattle nursing home.

“Nothing is shut down. Life and the economy go on,” he tweeted, praising the job Vice President Mike Pence has done in coordinating the U.S. response and calling media coverage of the contagion fake news.

The tweets followed his retweet of an image showing him playing violin, a la Roman emperor Nero, not seeming to understand the implications.

Trump’s effort to allay fears came as 34 states and the District of Columbia confirmed cases. There are also at least 21 cases aboard the Grand Princess, which is supposed to dock Monday at Oakland, California.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said people should not panic but “you’re going to see more deaths.” On CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Adams said the government has shifted its focus from containment to mitigation, “which means that we’re helping communities understand you’re going to see more cases.”

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo identified New Rochelle as a “significant hotspot” for the virus with 106 cases so far. He also confirmed Rick Cotton, the head of the Port Authority for New York and New Jersey, had tested positive. Cotton had been overseeing arrivals at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In the District of Columbia, hundreds of people were exposed to the virus at Christ Church Georgetown and have been asked to self-quarantine.

In St. Louis, the father and sister of a COVID-19 patient broke a voluntary quarantine to attend a school dance during the weekend. The decision to go to the dance came before the sister’s test results came back.

European cases surged, especially in Italy, where the total stood at 7,375, with 366 deaths, prompting the government to lock down the country’s north and triggering fears the economy could tip into recession and bring the rest of Europe with it.

Cases in France surged to 1,209 and in Germany to 1,151 while Spain reported 979. Switzerland reported 374 cases; the United Kingdom, 280; Netherlands, 265; Belgium, 239; Sweden, 203; Norway, 176; Austria, 112; Denmark, 35; Czech Republic, 31; Finland, 30; Portugal, 30; Ireland, 21; Russia 17; Slovenia, 16; Poland 16; Romania, 15, Georgia, 15; Croatia, 12; Estonia, 10; Hungary, 9; Latvia, 6; Belarus, 6; Bulgaria, 4; Bosnia-Herzegovina, 3; North Macedonia, 3; Slovakia, 3; Albania, 2; Faroe Islands, 2; Lithuania, 1; Monaco, 1; Armenia, 1; Ukraine, 1; Vatican City, 1; Liechtenstein, 1; Andorra, 1; Gibraltar, 1, and Serbia, 1.