Amazon confirms a Seattle employee has coronavirus

[midian182]

What just happened? Amazon has confirmed that one of its employees at the company’s Seattle, Washington, headquarters has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. In an email to employees in Seattle and Bellevue, the company’s health and safety office said the infected worker was based in the Brazil (SEA53) building, part of the South Lake Union Campus.

The email states that the individual went home feeling unwell on Tuesday, February 25, and has not entered the Amazon offices since then. The person tested positive for COVID-19 on March 3.

A spokesperson said Amazon is “supporting the affected employee who is in quarantine.” The firm has notified workers who have been in close contact with the infected person, advising anyone experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus to stay at home and seek medical attention. It’s also conducting “enhanced deep cleaning and sanitization” at the office.

"The risk of transmission for employees who were not in close contact with this individual is assessed to be low," the email said.

Amazon earlier this week confirmed that two of its workers in Italy had contracted the coronavirus and were in quarantine. The company has asked its 798,000 employees to avoid any non-essential travel inside the US and abroad, a tactic used by other firms, including Facebook, Google, and Apple.

Amazon is dealing with coronavirus-related issues on its store, having banned more than a million products in recent weeks that claimed to cure or defend against the virus. It’s also taken down tens of thousands of listings that have been price gouging.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/84256-amazon-confirms-seattle-employee-has-coronavirus.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I wonder what the final death count will be?

 

[Puiu]

I wonder what the final death count will be?

Way too high unfortunately.

 

[Uncle Al]

One of the Health Physicists that refused to be silenced said that because of the late start and less than profound initial efforts on the part of the Govt. the infection rate in the USA could be as high as 30 - 50%. If you base the death rate on the 1% currently registered across the entire spectrum, in the US alone it could go as high as 3,000,000 or more. Since it's greatest impact is on seniors (especially those with existing conditions) and the population over 50 is higher, it could be significantly higher ..... of course, all of this is pure conjecture but this fellow presented his facts in a relatively convincing discussion. He also disputed that warmer weather would diminish the infection rate and said this could be a multi-year event.

 

[Morris Minor]

1%! I thought it was 3.8%. could be wrong though, not really paying to much attention.

I wonder how easy it would be to weaponize covid, would be easy to off a bunch of people under the guise of a pandemic.

 

[p51d007]

I wonder what the final death count will be?

Less than the annual flu deaths.

 

[p51d007]

Oh no! Not Amazon! What if I can't get my cheap (insert product)! I better order now!!

People, just use common sense. WASH your hands with soap & water, don't shake hands,
If you sneeze, sneeze into the crook of your arm/elbow area, STAY HOME if you feel ill or
have a fever.

 

[Hardware Geek]

I find it interesting that companies are taking down listings and claiming they are price gouging. Is that not how capitalism works? Supply and demand are supposed to dictate the market and if a person is willing to pay "insert price here" for a product, isn't that the point of a free market?

To be clear, I concur that these listings shouldn't be tolerated, I simply find it to be funny that the same people who preach the gospel of free markets also complain when the free market breaks down and prices spike, suddenly they want limits. Can't have it both ways. Calling it price gouging and imposing limits seems to be the antithesis of having a free market.