Health Officials Warn Americans To Plan For The Spread Of Coronavirus In U.S.

Federal health officials have issued a strongly worded statement: Americans need to start preparing now for the possibility that more aggressive, disruptive measures might be needed to stop the spread of the new coronavirus in the U.S. NPR writes here.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

The illustration alongside, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Coronavirus declared global health emergency by WHO

At least 213 people in the China have died from the virus, mostly in Hubei, with almost 10,000 cases nationally. The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51318246

If you've bought Infants' Tylenol, you could be eligible for part of $6.3 million settlement

The plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit claim that the packaging is misleading, deceiving customers into believing Infants’ Tylenol is specially formulated for babies when it actually contains liquid acetaminophen of the same concentration as Children’s Tylenol. As a result, the lawsuit claims parents overpaid for the medication. Details here.

Today I learned that Kopi Luwak is made from partially digested coffee beans

Today I learned that Kopi Luwak - which is the most expensive coffee - is made from coffee beans which have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet (or Indonesian palm civet). [Wikipedia]

Photo by ray sangga kusuma on Unsplash

Kopi Luwak is not really a type of coffee beans but rather a type of production process.

Kopi Luwak is one of the most expensive coffees in the world with prices going up to $700 per kilogram in the US. An 8.8 oz pack of Wallacea Coffee's Wild Luwak Coffee is retailing on Amazon.com for $39.99 today, January 08, 2020.

China unveils 500 megapixel camera that can identify every face in a crowd of tens of thousands

Chinese scientists have developed a 500 megapixel facial recognition camera four times more detailed than the human eye that can identify individuals from crowds of tens of thousands in streets or at sports stadiums.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/26/china-unveils-500-megapixel-camera-can-identify-every-face-crowd/

Today I learned about a place named Hindustan in Indiana

So, some time ago we were driving through Indiana along the Old State Road 37 and we were surprised to see that we were passing a place named Hindustan. 😯 Later I look up Wikipedia and it says that: Hindustan is an unincorporated community in Washington Township, Monroe County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.

While digging all that, next I discover that there's also a place called Hindostan (mark the spelling; on Wikipedia) in Indiana which is an unincorporated community in Northwest Township, Orange County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.

Quite a few surprises in a single day.

Today I learned about the Gulf Rupee

Today I learned that the Gulf Rupee, which was issued by the Government of India and the Reserve Bank of India, was the official currency between 1959 and 1966 of the areas that today form the countries of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. It was initially pegged at par with the Indian rupee. A Wikipedia page on this is here. The Reference site for Islamic Bank Notes writes about it here.