Coronavirus COVID-19 *Global Health Emergency* #17

[Hatfield]

JMO
I have often seen one mistaken word twist the entire message. I can't find a recent reference but I do recall in one of the state PC's, where an official mistakingly used the word "Only" when talking about how it mainly affects the elderly, rather than saying the proper word "Mainly". There is a huge difference and IMO, its mistakes in communication like this that is causing a lot of confusion.

Great article someone shared a little while ago. Glad to see others are starting to really look at and analyze the statistics.

NBC News analyzed media and official reports on more than 150 coronavirus deaths. Here is what we found:

128 of were 65 years or older, eight were under 35.

Doctors who specialize in infectious diseases told NBC News it's too early in the study of the disease to draw conclusive links between gender or any particular pre-existing health conditions and the risk of death. Instead, much like with the flu and other common illnesses, each individual's overall health appears to matter more.

Death from the coronavirus is caused by respiratory failure brought on by pneumonia, said Dr. Kathryn Stephenson, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Whether patients survive a severe illness comes down to their ability to withstand the symptoms.

We analyzed more than 150 coronavirus deaths. Here's what we found.

 

[SAMS]

For all NY schools we are setting a new policy that if a student tests positive for #Coronavirus in a school, that school will be closed for a 24hr period so we can do assessment of the situation.
Then a determination will be made about whether to close the school for longer.

Andrew Cuomo on Twitter

This is good.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Recovering from coronavirus illness can take up to "six weeks," WHO official says

It can take several weeks to fully recover from illness caused by novel coronavirus, Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of Health Emergencies Programme at the World Health Organization, said during a briefing on Monday.

"It takes anything up to six weeks to recover from this disease," Ryan said. "People who suffer very severe illness can take months to recover from the illness."

Ryan added that recovery is often measured by the patient no longer exhibiting symptoms and having two consecutive negative tests for the virus at least one day apart, but some countries may measure "recovery" differently.

Coronavirus live updates: Cases increase across the world - CNN

 

[Amonet]

Trump compares coronavirus to flu

President Donald Trump on Monday morning continued to downplay concern around the outbreak of the new coronavirus in the U.S.

In a tweet, Trump compared coronavirus outbreak numbers to annual flu deaths. Health experts have warned such comparisons can be problematic because the flu is reasonably predictable while much is still unknown about the new coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes.

Scientists are still working to get a more complete picture of the virus including its mortality rate.

Just before Trump's tweet, health secretary Alex Azar said "nobody is trying to minimize" the threat of the new coronavirus.


✔@realDonaldTrump
So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!
10:47 AM - Mar 9, 2020

Coronavirus updates live: World markets tumble as anxiety grows in D.C.

I think that's going to be a common way of assessing this outbreak for the vast majority of people. They see the numbers *now* in comparison to flu and don't realise that the *now* numbers aren't going to remain static, and we have no idea where they could end up by this time next year in order to have a solid comparison with average-year flu figures.

We *do* already know that per infected person, the death rates for Covid-19 are significantly higher than for the flu, and hospitalisation rates are way higher. So if each of our countries has the same number of Covid-19 cases in the next 12 months as the average year's flu cases....Houston, we got a problem.

 

[JerseyGirl]

At his press conference, asked about panic buying (in the UK), Boris Johnson urges anyone thinking of stockpiling to “behave responsibly” and to think of others.

Coronavirus live updates: fourth death confirmed in UK, as head of New York's airports tests positive

 

[otto]

I was confused by something in the WHO announcement this morning. We know there are clear epidemic/pandemic phases on the WHO website developed at the time of the swine flu.

Current WHO phase of pandemic alert for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

I thought they said this morning that they haven't yet identified phases and definition of pandemic. Did I hear right? Does that mean that they keep moving the goal posts for the definition of "pandemic" depending on the virus? That doesn't make any sense.

 

[Inthedetails]

Another thing to think about with school closings, some kids get free lunches (and sometimes breakfasts) at school. Some families rely on that food. I hope school districts/states consider that when closing local schools.

In addition to the childcare burden, there also might be a food burden if kids aren't in school.

jmo

 

[galiuro1]

Long Beach, CA
10 Cal State Long Beach students in self-quarantine for possible coronavirus exposure

The Israel and CPAC have done a very good job of spreading stuff but then that's what we know about...

 

[Sundog]

Good point wrt one-child families and number of social contacts.

Chinese families in PRC live mostly in multi-generational homes, especially in large cities like Wuhan. Three generations live together, so there are not only the one-child generation, but also their children (who may have more than one child since PRC relaxed the one-child policy some years ago). Usually the grandparents provide child care for the grandchildren, while their own children provide housing and other support.

 

[nancy_drew_coldcases]

Personally, I think they are probably trying to keep the severity of the "pandemic" (Covid-19) under wraps as to not induce mass hysteria for a number of reasons, (economic, safety, socioeconomic, etc. )

 

[JerseyGirl]

Health insurance coverage varies. Here’s what you need to know

There are differences in what coronavirus-related costs may be incurred by patients depending on the type of their plan, its coverage and insurance carrier. Here are some expenses to consider:

• Copays and cost-sharing may be waived in some cases for COVID-19 testing, but not necessarily for all tests, treatments, office visits or other medical care related to your illness.
• Before your medical coverage kicks in, depending on your plan, you may have to face copays, coinsurance — and your deductible.
• If you’re self-quarantined at home, your plan should cover any doctors visits if you go out and medical care by a licensed professional if you stay in.
• Your portion of all these costs can add up quickly, so it’s a good idea to have some money saved.

Coronavirus live updates: Third cruise ship kept at sea, wealthy losing billions

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

We analyzed more than 150 coronavirus deaths. Here's what we found.

An 82-year-old woman with hypertension. A 39-year-old man with diabetes. A 68-year-old man with lung cancer.

These are three of the more than 3,000 people around the world who have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus that has been sickening people since late last year.

Details on the deaths are scarce and scattered. NBC News analyzed media and official reports on more than 150 coronavirus deaths. This is an early sample and the findings may change as more information comes in. Here is what we found...

ETA: This thread moves so quickly that I hadn't noticed that someone else shared this NBC article previously.

 

[zecats]

‘We’re going to have more deaths.’ Coronavirus vs. the flu. Influenza kills more people so everyone is overreacting, right? Wrong — here’s why

Dr. Ben Carson, cabinet secretary and a former neurosurgeon said, “This virus is like other viruses. It should be treated the same way,” he said. “We have flu seasons that come up frequently.”

President Trump echoed those sentiments on Twitter on Monday: “Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on.”

“It’s a little simple to think the novel coronavirus is just like flu,” said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the John Hopkins Center for Health Security and a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. “We don’t want another flu. This is additive, not in place of. Yes, the flu kills thousands of people every year, but we’re going to have more deaths.”

There are some 1 billion cases of influenza worldwide; up to 45 million cases in the U.S. per year, tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S., and 291,000 to 646,000 deaths worldwide. Seasonal flu has a fatality rate of less than 1%; Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that figure is closer to 0.1%.

Influenza and COVID-19 come from a different family of viruses. COVID-19, also called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2 is brand new. Influenza has been around for more than 2,000 years. Scientists say the “novel influenza A viruses” in humans lead to a pandemic, approximately once every 40 years. But, again, flu vaccines exist.

Those pesky facts!

 

[JohnnyChicago]

IF the virus is not being passed on to the babies of pregnant woman, then this could be a great chance for scientists to discover a correlation and possible cure. Very interesting especially considering how pregnancy supresses the immune system.



"Only one small study has investigated such “vertical transmission.” Scientists at Wuhan University found that, of nine pregnant patients infected with the virus (all had a caesarean section) in their third trimester, none seemed to pass the virus to their babies, all of whom scored at the top of the Apgar scale of newborn health.

As for the mothers, “Covid-19 seems not to be especially severe in pregnant women, at least based on the small number in this study,” the scientists wrote. That was somewhat surprising because pregnancy suppresses the immune system (so it doesn’t attack the fetus); pregnant women are more susceptible to respiratory pathogens than non-pregnant women. Nevertheless, none of the nine women developed severe Covid-19 pneumonia.

It may be that immuno-suppression is actually helpful"
Who is getting sick? A look at coronavirus risk by age, gender, and more

Stat (News) - Media Bias/Fact Check

LEAST BIASED
These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes). The reporting is factual and usually sourced. These are the most credible media sources. See all Least Biased Sources.


Factual Reporting: HIGH

Notes: According the Stat about page: “STAT delivers fast, deep, and tough-minded journalism. We take you inside science labs and hospitals, biotech boardrooms, and political backrooms. We dissect crucial discoveries. We examine controversies and puncture hype. We hold individuals and institutions accountable. We introduce you to the power brokers and personalities who are driving a revolution in human health.”
-========================================

 

[Richmond]

Top Virus Doctor Says High Blood Pressure Is Major Death Risk

Patients with hypertension appear to be at a higher risk of dying from the coronavirus, said a top Chinese intensive care doctor who’s been treating critically ill patients since mid-January.

While there’s been no published research yet explaining why, Chinese doctors working in Wuhan have noticed that infected patients with that underlying illness are more likely to slip into severe distress and die.

Yikes! My husband has hbp, under control with meds. It’s not clear in the article if high risk includes treated and untreated hypertension.

 

[Sundog]

The Israel and CPAC have done a very good job of spreading stuff but then that's what we know about...

That's a large number of students in quarantine, hope they don't test positive.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Georgia identifies state park for isolating coronavirus patients

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced that out of an abundance of caution the state has identified Hard Labor Creek State Park in Morgan County as a location for isolating and monitoring patients who may have been exposed to coronavirus.

The state park is located about an hour east of downtown Atlanta.

No patients are currently scheduled to be transferred to this location.

State officials are currently preparing the site for the placement of future patients having already delivered and installed seven emergency trailers.

Coronavirus updates live: World markets tumble as anxiety grows in D.C.

5...4...3...2...1.... waiting for my FB page to blow up after posting that

 

[zecats]

Indeed!

National Geographic recent issue........
Bumblebees are going extinct in a time of ‘climate chaos’
Loss of the vital pollinators, due in part to temperature extremes and fluctuations, could have dire consequences for ecosystems and agriculture.

RSBM

Does collecting bee pollen harm the bees?
Does collecting pollen harm the bees in any way? No. Similar to organic honey collection, only a negligible amount of bee pollen is taken during the collection process. This is to ensure that the bees still have plenty of pollen to feed their own young.Dec 20, 2017

Answering Common Questions About Bee Pollen: Part 1 ... - GloryBee
glorybee.com › blog › answering-common-questions-about-bee-pollen-...

Search for: Does collecting bee pollen harm the bees?

 

[Wicked Strong]

Personally, I think they are probably trying to keep the severity of the "pandemic" (Covid-19) under wraps as to not induce mass hysteria for a number of reasons, (economic, safety, socioeconomic, etc. )

Yes, I agree, leaders are supposed to be like ducks, calm above water, and paddling like heck below. If they can put on a calm face, it projects on the citizens. We do not need mass hysteria.

Also, does it matter what words we use. I see people asking why it's not labeled a pandemic, yet I don't know why it matters what we call it?

MOO

 

[JohnnyChicago]

Define "harm"
Harm individual bee's or colonies? or on a large scale?

I am sure there are many moral and ethical issues regarding the issue. It makes sense logically that one should ensure that the young bee's have plenty so that the population does not dwindle.