MWC canceled because of Coronavirus COVID-19

I was planning to write some article on the mobile trends on this year based on news-feed from MWC 2020 mobile event. It seems that I have to change those plans because of this news that was just published:

The GSMA, the organization behind MWC, the world’s largest mobile trade show, has announced that it is officially canceling the show.

“The GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event,”

Links:

https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/12/gmsa-cancels-mobile-world-congress-due-to-coronavirus-concerns/

https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/12/21127754/mwc-2020-canceled-coronavirus-trade-show-phone-mobile-world-congress-gsma-statement

531 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Coronavirus: Trump suspends travel from Europe to US
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51846923

    US President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new travel restrictions on Europe in a bid to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

    In a televised address, he said travel from 26 European countries would be suspended for the next 30 days.

    A Presidential Proclamation, published shortly after Mr Trump’s address, specified that the ban applies to anyone who has been in the EU’s Schengen border-free area within 14 days prior to their arrival in the US.

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Extraordinary Decisions Facing Italian Doctors
    https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/who-gets-hospital-bed/607807/

    There are now simply too many patients for each one of them to receive adequate care.

    But if Italy is in an impossible position, the obligation facing the United States is very clear: To arrest the crisis before the impossible becomes necessary.

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Coronavirus Is No 1918 Pandemic
    https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/were-not-facing-second-spanish-flu/607354/

    The contrast with the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, could not be greater. From the very start of the outbreak, scientists suspected a virus. Within two weeks, they had identified it as a coronavirus, sequenced its genome, and discovered that the most likely animal hosts were bats. This information, which was published by a Chinese team, was instantly shared across the scientific community, allowing research labs around the world to begin the long and complicated process of understanding the virus, and finding a vaccine and a cure. We may not have beaten the enemy yet, but we certainly know a great deal about him.

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Coronavirus Conference Gets Canceled Because of Coronavirus
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-10/coronavirus-conference-gets-canceled-because-of-coronavirus

    The Council on Foreign Relations has canceled a roundtable called “Doing Business Under Coronavirus” scheduled for Friday in New York due to the spread of the infection itself. CFR has also canceled other in-person conferences that were scheduled from March 11 to April 3

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    ”Google data suggest that interest in the term “toilet roll” — the subject of coronavirus-related panic buying in the UK — is higher now than the prospect of a potentially catastrophic “no deal” Brexit.”

    Coronavirus business update: all you need to know
    https://www.ft.com/content/ff3affea-63c7-11ea-b3f3-fe4680ea68b5?shareType=nongift

    How markets, business and the global economy are suffering.

    In most western countries the number of confirmed coronavirus cases is increasing at a similar rate of around 33 per cent a day. Rates in the UK, France, Spain and Germany are roughly the same as those in Italy, but Italy is further down the path.

    Global trade in medical equipment became increasingly fraught as national health systems raced to prepare for more cases.

    Coronavirus outbreak officially declared a pandemic

    The World Health Organization late on Wednesday finally defined the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic.

    “It doesn’t change what the WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.”

    coronavirus and the oil price crash would send the market tumbling 30 per cent from the record highs of last month before rebounding by year-end.

    Airlines continued to suffer from virus-related turbulence

    Air Transport Association estimates global passenger revenue will be cut by nearly 20 per cent in 2020.

    The coronavirus is a global crisis, not a crisis of globalisation, argues Robert Armstrong. Companies still see the advantages of global trade, consumers still benefit from it, and it still makes the world a safer place. 

    Google data suggest that interest in the term “toilet roll” — the subject of coronavirus-related panic buying in the UK — is higher now than the prospect of a potentially catastrophic “no deal” Brexit.

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    ”This is epidemiology 101. It really sucks. It is extreme—but luckily, we don’t have pandemics of this violence every year. So sit it out. Stay put. Don’t travel. It is absolutely not worth it. It’s the civic and moral duty of every person, everywhere, to take part in the global effort to reduce this threat to humanity. To postpone any movement or travel that are not vitally essential, and to spread the disease as little as possible. Have your fun in June, July and August when this—hopefully—is over. Stay safe. Good luck.”

    OPINION
    YOUNG AND UNAFRAID OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC? GOOD FOR YOU. NOW STOP KILLING PEOPLE | OPINION
    https://www.newsweek.com/young-unafraid-coronavirus-pandemic-good-you-now-stop-killing-people-opinion-1491797

    The real-life versions of this behavior are pretending this is just a flu; keeping schools open; following through with your holiday travel plans, and going into the office daily. This is what we did in Italy. We were so complacent that even when people with coronavirus symptoms started turning up, we wrote each off as a nasty case of the flu. We kept the economy going, pointed fingers at China and urged tourists to keep traveling. And the majority of us told ourselves and each other: this isn’t so bad. We’re young, we’re fit, we’ll be fine even if we catch it.

    Fast-forward two months, and we are drowning. Statistically speaking—judging by the curve in China—we are not even at the peak yet, but our fatality rate is at over 6 percent, double the known global average.

    In Milan, in Bergamo, in Padua, they are having to choose between intubating a 40-year-old with two kids, a 40-year old who is fit and healthy with no co-morbidities, and a 60-year-old with high blood pressure, because they don’t have enough beds. In the hallway, meanwhile, there are another 15 people waiting who are already hardly breathing and need oxygen.

    the flow is just too much, too many people are getting sick at the same time.

    We are still awaiting the peak of the epidemic in Europe: probably early April for Italy, mid-April for Germany and Switzerland, somewhere around that time for the UK. In the U.S., the infection has only just begun.

    But until we’re past the peak, the only solution is to impose social restrictions.

    And if your government is hesitating, these restrictions are up to you. Stay put. Do not travel. Cancel that family reunion, the promotion party and the big night out. This really sucks, but these are special times. Don’t take risks. Do not go to places where you are more than 20 people in the same room. It’s not safe and it’s not worth it.

    Here’s why: Fatality is the wrong yardstick. Catching the virus can mess up your life in many, many more ways than just straight-up killing you. “We are all young”—okay. “Even if we get the bug, we will survive”—fantastic. How about needing four months of physical therapy before you even feel human again. Or getting scar tissue in your lungs and having your activity level restricted for the rest of your life. Not to mention having every chance of catching another bug in hospital

    No travel for leisure or business is worth this risk.

    Now, odds are, you might catch coronavirus and might not even get symptoms. Great. Good for you. Very bad for everyone else, from your own grandparents to the random older person who got on the subway train a stop or two after you got off.

    My personal as well as professional view: we all have a duty to stay put, except for very special reasons, like, you go to work because you work in healthcare, or you have to save a life and bring someone to hospital, or go out to shop for food so you can survive. But when we get to this stage of a pandemic, it’s really important not to spread the bug. The only thing that helps is social restriction. Ideally, the government should issue that instruction and provide a financial fallback—compensate business owners, ease the financial load on everyone as much as possible and reduce the incentive of risking your life or the lives of others just to make ends meet. But if your government or company is slow on the uptake, don’t be that person. Take responsibility. For all but essential movement, restrict yourself.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    How do you tell if your cold or flu is actually #COVID19? Use this chart as a handy guide to common symptoms for all three.

    What to do if you have COVID-19 symptoms, and when you should talk to a doctor: pops.ci/covidcold

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    How to tell if a cold is COVID-19
    It’s probably just a cold, but you should still cover your coughs.
    https://www.popsci.com/story/health/covid-19-coronavirus-signs-symptoms-cold-flu/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    HUS:in ylilääkärin arvio: Tehohoitoa tarvitaan pian myös Suomessa.

    Video paljastaa taistelun elämästä ja kuolemasta italialaisella teho-osastolla – HUS:in ylilääkärin arvio: Tehohoitoa tarvitaan pian myös Suomessa

    https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/video-paljastaa-taistelun-elamasta-ja-kuolemasta-italialaisella-teho-osastolla-hus-in-ylilaakarin-arvio-tehohoitoa-tarvitaan-pian-myos-suomessa/7758478#gs.z6oq1b

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The COVID-19 Coronavirus Is Now A Pandemic: What Does That Mean?
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2020/03/11/the-covid-19-coronavirus-is-now-a-pandemic-what-does-that-mean/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269

    It’s official. The COVID-19 causing coronavirus (SARS-nCoV2) outbreak is no longer just an outbreak. It is officially a pandemic.

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://professorinajatuksia.blogspot.com/2020/03/pandemia.html?m=1

    Totesin helmikuun lopulla omana käsityksenäni, että “virus karkaa torjuntatoimilta ja leviää kaikkiin maihin tartuttaen huomattavan osan väestöstä – myös suomalaisista. Näin ainakin siinä tapauksessa, ettei sen leviäminen pysähdy influenssaviruksen tavoin pohjoisen pallonpuoliskon kevään ja kesän lämpenemiseen”.

    Tätä käsitystä minun ei tarvitse muuttaa, sillä viime päivien uutiset vain vahvistavat sitä. WHO julisti koronavirusepidemian pandemiaksi, Angela Merkel arveli koronaviruksen leviävän noin 60-70 prosenttiin saksalaisista ja jopa Suomessa on sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö on tunnustanut, että koronavirus aiheuttaa epidemian myös meillä.

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Tässä vaiheessa lienee selvää, että pandemia tulee aiheuttamaa lyhytaikaisen globaalin talouden sakkaamisen ja sitä seuraavan vahvan nousukauden. Tällä on monenlaisia seurauksia, joista yksi tulee – kaikkien aikaisempien lama-aikojen tavoin – olemaan rahavarojen uusjako. Tämä tarkoittaa sitä, että jotkut nopeat ja röyhkeät tulevat rikastumaan ja toiset menettävät omaisuutensa esimerkiksi omistamansa yrityksen konkurssin myötä.
    https://professorinajatuksia.blogspot.com/2020/03/pandemia.html?m=1

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Italia sulkee kaikki kaupat ja ravintolat – vain apteekit ja ruokakaupat auki https://www.is.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000006436033.html

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Kolumni: Tätä vauhtia kymmenettuhannet suomalaiset kuolevat koronaan – miksi Suomi ei yritä estää sitä?
    https://www.iltalehti.fi/koronavirus/a/c1c3e82f-58fb-430c-a619-4fb74eeb6837

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Business Insider:
    Google says it recommends its employees in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa work from home starting on March 12 — – Google will ask its UK and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) workforce to work from home starting Thursday. — This is an expansion of Google’s policy for its employees …

    Google recommends all employees in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to work from home because of coronavirus
    https://www.businessinsider.com/google-recommends-emea-employees-work-home-coronavirus-2020-3?op=1&r=US&IR=T

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Steven Overly / Politico:
    Sources: the White House sought help from Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and others to combat COVID-19 misinformation and track its spread — The Trump administration implored the companies to use their technical expertise to help those dealing directly with the fallout of coronavirus.
    https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/11/white-house-seeks-silicon-valley-help-battling-coronavirus-125794

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The New York Times is urging its staffers to work from home
    https://nypost.com/2020/03/10/the-new-york-times-is-urging-its-staffers-to-work-from-home/

    The New York Times is encouraging staffers to work from home in anticipation of a coronavirus crisis that could prevent its staffers from coming into the office.

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    THL:n asiantuntijan mukaan koronaepidemiaa Suomessa ei voi enää estää: ”Totta kai tulee kuolleisuutta”
    https://www.iltalehti.fi/koronavirus/a/29342ac7-1f4c-404c-a13b-20da225ff08b

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Beware of ‘Coronavirus Maps’ – It’s a malware infecting PCs to steal passwords
    https://thehackernews.com/2020/03/coronavirus-maps-covid-19.html

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Spectrum is covering the tech response to the coronavirus outbreak. Here’s the latest news about robots that are rolling through hospital rooms, satellite images that reveal an economic recovery in China, and more. https://buff.ly/2U0YXlk

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    If you’re in the market for new devices, then you may experience delays in shipping as factories in China temporarily close—or run a limited operation—to combat the virus.

    iPhone 12, iPhone SE 2 Delayed As Apple & Others Fight Coronavirus
    http://on.forbes.com/61801qUmO

    Tech companies are responding to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by limiting travel, cancelling major events and fighting growing misinformation on their platforms. 

    If you’re in the market for new devices, then you may experience delays in shipping as factories in China temporarily close – or run a limited operation – to combat the virus. Similarly tech companies are cancelling launch events which may change release dates of devices.

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    How soap absolutely annihilates the coronavirus
    You’re not just washing viruses down the drain. Soap destroys the coronavirus, a chemistry professor explains.
    https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/3/11/21173187/coronavirus-covid-19-hand-washing-sanitizer-compared-soap-is-dope

    As Covid-19 cases in the US surge to more than 1,000 and fear sweeps the country, there’s one consumer product critical to our great national battle to “flatten the curve,” or slow the epidemic: soap. Humble, ancient, cheap, effective soap.

    Respiratory viruses — like the novel coronavirus, the flu, and the common cold — can be spread via our hands.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands with soap and water as the top way to clean our hands. “But if soap and water are not available, using a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can help,” the CDC says.

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Norwegian Air Axes Up To 50% Of Employees As Coronavirus Layoffs Begin
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/03/12/norwegian-air-axes-up-to-50-of-employees-as-coronavirus-layoffs-begin/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269

    Norwegian Air said Thursday it would suspend around 4,000 flights and temporarily lay off up to 50% of its workers as businesses contend with sharp declines in revenue.

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now
    Politicians, Community Leaders and Business Leaders: What Should You Do and When?
    https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca

    It’s a matter of days. Maybe a week or two.
    When it does, your healthcare system will be overwhelmed.
    Your fellow citizens will be treated in the hallways.
    Exhausted healthcare workers will break down. Some will die.
    They will have to decide which patient gets the oxygen and which one dies.
    The only way to prevent this is social distancing today. Not tomorrow. Today.
    That means keeping as many people home as possible, starting now.
    As a politician, community leader or business leader, you have the power and the responsibility to prevent this.

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    In-depth, essential reading on Covid-19 pandemic and why social distancing can bend the epidemic curve and avoid massive fatalities due to overloaded health system https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca cc Risto Linturi

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Suomessa koronaviruksen kanssa ollaan vaiheessa yksi, mutta vaihe numero kaksi on todennäköisesti edessä jo pian. Seuraavassa vaiheessa pitää alkaa välttää ihmisjoukkoja eikä ruuhkabusseissa kulkemista esimerkiksi suositella.
    https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/jos-koronavirus-etenee-suomessa-seuraavalle-tasolle-arki-mullistuu-kouluja-suljetaan-tapahtumia-perutaan-ja-joukkoliikenteen-kayttoa-kehotetaan-vahentamaan/7756772#gs.zukcu1

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Näkökulma: Suomea on kohdannut rauhanajan kovin koettelemus – poikkeustoimiin ryhdyttiin viime hetkellä
    https://www.iltalehti.fi/koronavirus/a/01c6d3fb-8983-4290-9592-afff020e7c7c

    Marin painotti, että Suomessa toteutetaan vuorokauden jokaisena tuntina pandemian varalle vaadittua suunnitelmaa. Pääministeri arvioi, että pian ollaan tilanteessa, jossa terveysviranomaiset eivät kykene jäljittämään tartuntaketjuja.

    Tällöin on mahdollista, että hallitus saattaa voimaan valmiuslain. Tällä hetkellä paikallisviranomaiset vastaavat monista koronaviruksen torjuntatoimista.

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Master List Of Airline Coronavirus Change And Cancellation Policies (Includes European Airlines)
    http://on.forbes.com/61821Sk8A

    Reply
  29. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Chinese hackers and others are exploiting coronavirus fears for cyber espionage
    Headline news and global disorder are tools hackers take advantage of to make their next breach.
    https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615346/chinese-hackers-and-others-are-exploiting-coronavirus-fears-for-cyberespionage/?utm_medium=tr_social&utm_campaign=site_visitor.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1584028844

    Reply
  30. Tomi Engdahl says:

    How black swans are shaping planet panic
    A case can be made that the current financial panic will only subside when the ultimate black swan – Covid-19 – is contained.
    https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/how-black-swans-are-shaping-planet-panic/

    Reply
  31. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Iranian, Russian, Chinese Media Push COVID-19 ‘Bioweapon’ Conspiracies
    https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2020/03/iran-and-russian-media-push-bioweapon-conspiracies-amid-covid19-outbreak/163669/?oref=defenseone_today_nl

    narrative all three countries [including China] highlight is the notion that the United States is weaponizing the crisis for political gain and thus worsening its spread globally,”

    Reply
  32. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Koronavirus on kohta historiaa Kiinassa, mutta Pohjoismaissa tartunnat lisääntyvät kovaa vauhtia – katso kuvista, miksi tautia yritetään hidastaa
    Kiinassa tartuntojen määrä on kääntynyt laskuun, mutta Euroopassa piikki on vasta tulossa.
    https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11250036

    Reply
  33. Tomi Engdahl says:

    China And South Korea Models Seem Like Only Way To Contain COVID-19
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2020/03/12/china-and-south-korea-models-seem-like-only-way-to-contain-covid-19/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269

    The disease may seem benign to some. Around 95% or more of the people who get it will survive and symptoms are generally mild and far from scary. But what is scary is how fast it spreads. And there are too many unknowns about the disease to find comfort in the fact that less than 1,000 people have it.

    China went from 1,000 patients to 80,000 in a matter of roughly six weeks, mostly all of it in a self contained, quarantined state called Hubei.

    Italy went from around 20 cases two and half weeks ago to over 12,000. It is now the Hubei of the Western world.

    We are probably one sick politician, or one more circuit-breaker on the Dow away from declaring a national emergency, forcing the NYSE to close.

    Italy was about two weeks too late, but at least they are doing something to save Europe. They shut themselves off. This is literally a “stop the world I want to get off” moment. Italy took the China approach. They put themselves on lockdown.

    The U.S. has two fairly solid case studies with how to respond to COVID-19. One is the China path of lockdowns and forced quarantining, coupled with massive stimulus.

    The other model is South Korea’s massive free testing and treatment, which also corralled the disease and kept infection rates low. Mortality rates are even lower at just under 1%.

    A hybrid model of both seems to be best: lockdown clusters of the virus. Test like crazy.

    China is healing. It’s already got its stimulus plan lined up.

    Reply
  34. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The worst of SARS-2-Cov hit China around the end of January, about week 5, and by March 2nd China started going back to work. They have entered their “new normal” of having gotten past the worst impacts of overloaded hospitals, in essentially about 9 weeks after it was publicly noticed at the end of December 2019.
    https://forum.defcon.org/node/231015#post231015

    Reply
  35. Tomi Engdahl says:

    #StayTheFuckHome
    A Movement to Stop the COVID-19 Pandemic
    https://staythefuckhome.com/

    Reply
  36. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nation’s Nerds Wake Up In Utopia Where Everyone Stays
    Inside, Sports Are Canceled, Social Interaction Forbidden
    https://babylonbee.com/news/nations-nerds-wake-up-in-utopia-where-everyone-stays-inside-sports-canceled-social-interaction-forbidden

    Reply
  37. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://m.facebook.com/groups/2204579521?view=permalink&id=10158791702179522

    Corona virus:
    Officially the first time something can be solved by everyone just staying home and posting on social media.

    Reply
  38. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Microsoft moves its 2020 Build developer conference online
    https://tcrn.ch/2xu8gCM

    Reply
  39. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Hackers are jumping on the COVID-19 pandemic to spread malware
    https://tcrn.ch/2vmxpyM

    Reply
  40. Tomi Engdahl says:

    First Covid-19 case happened in November, China government records show – report
    Earliest case detected on 17 November, weeks before authorities acknowledged new virus, says Chinese media
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/first-covid-19-case-happened-in-november-china-government-records-show-report

    Reply
  41. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Concern about spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus caused organizers to cancel this years’s Geneva International Motor Show,
    https://www.designnews.com/automotive-0/auto-show-wasnt-top-10-new-cars-would-have-been-2020-geneva-motor-show?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=12664&elq_cid=876648

    Reply
  42. Tomi Engdahl says:

    South Korea Sees Coronavirus Slowdown—Without A Lockdown, But With Nearly 250,000 Tests
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2020/03/13/south-korea-sees-coronavirus-slowdown-without-a-lockdown-but-with-nearly-250000-tests/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie/#676f7264696

    Topline: South Korea reported more recoveries from coronavirus on Friday than new infections for the first time since the outbreak began in January and without any lockdowns—but through almost 250,000 virus tests, compared to reportedly fewer than 14,000 in the United States.

    Reply
  43. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Lomautuksia, asiakaskatoa, kriisisuunnitelmia, jopa konkursseja – näin korona moukaroi taloutta https://www.is.fi/taloussanomat/art-2000006438578.html

    Reply

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