Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #61

[mickey2942]

it'll be something obvious
people deny exposure but there's always an exception if they're honest

The issue is that few people are actually "honest". I learned this years ago from doing contact tracing for AIDS. Or, they just forget.

 

[tmar]

UK port authorities board cruise ships amid welfare fears for crew

UK port authorities board cruise ships amid welfare fears for crew

Lisa O'Carroll
6 hrs ago
...
British port authorities have boarded six cruise ships anchored near London and Bristol amid “serious concerns” over the welfare of hundreds of crew stranded because of the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the vessels, the Astoria, has been temporarily detained following reports to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) that it was planning to leave the country without repatriation secured for the crew.
Katy Ware, the director of maritime safety and standards and the UK’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization, said: ‘We will always take reports around crew welfare seriously and we have used our powers as the port state control authority to carry out this detention so that we can investigate more fully.”
Hundreds of crew members have been stranded in Tilbury Docks, in the Thames estuary, for months since cruises to Iceland and elsewhere were cancelled as the Covid-19 crisis deepened.

There have been unverified reports of hunger strikes, with Indian crew members making a direct appeal to the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, to come to their rescue. One person has died of a heart attack, the ships’ owners said.

The All India Seafarer and General Workers Union wrote to the Indian foreign office three days ago, saying that “in the coronavirus outbreak our Indian citizens [are] stuck in foreign waters from past 90 days and need help”.
...
It is believed there are between 400 and 500 crew from India on the five ships, anchored in Tilbury Docks and off Bristol, with hundreds more from Indonesia.

 

[SleuthBee]

Worth consideration ...

My area reopened today and I am sad to have no intentions of going out to a bar or restaurant anytime soon. And here is my reason:

The COVID-19 is transmitted via respiratory droplets. We exhale about 100,000 microscopic droplets per minute.

In my many years of healthcare experience, I've known that patients with airborne transmitted infections were admitted to negative pressure respiratory isolation rooms. Upon entry, we gowned, gloved and put on a mask. And upon exit, those items were disposed of at the door.

All of that said, it's unlikely these establishments will resist the temptation of earning a larger profit and abide by strict social distancing practice, and adequately sanitize the area between patrons. And, I don't even want to think about the possibility of infectious droplets making their way through HVAC systems.

Sources:
Negative pressure room
Droplets in exhaled breath

I would love to go out to eat, but my knowledge and my gut is telling me that it is too much of a risk. So I am open to any information that points to the contrary.

eta: oops grammar

 

[tmar]

Fed's Kashkari says U.S. economic recovery could take longer than hoped


Fed's Kashkari says U.S. economic recovery could take longer than hoped

By Jonnelle Marte
1 hour ago
...
(Reuters) - The economic recovery from the crisis spurred by the novel coronavirus could proceed more slowly than policymakers initially anticipated, potentially including a second wave of infections in the fall and another increase in the unemployment rate, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari said on Friday.
...
The federal government needs to keep supporting Americans who lost their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis and may not get back to work for a while, he said.

Unemployment benefits can help get money to jobless people who need help paying their bills, and capping those benefits at workers' previous pay could "eliminate the disincentive to return to work," he said.

Kashkari also cautioned that banks could take a hit if the downturn is prolonged. “I am concerned the longer this goes on, the more losses banks will face,” he said.

Large banks have more capital than they did before the 2008 financial crisis, but it may not be enough, he said, calling on banks to stop paying dividends and raise capital.

 

[10ofRods]

Woah outdoor event, wearing a mask but still catching it.

From your HOUSTON link

"HOUSTON - Protesters from the last few weeks have started testing positive for Coronavirus COVID-19.

Roughly two weeks ago, Shamone Turner and her friends, joined a large demonstration for George Floyd. An estimated 60,000 people were in attendance, marching from Discovery Green to Houston’s City Hall.



RELATED: George Floyd's family joined 60,000 people in historic Houston march

“I actually got sick the day after the march,” said Turner. “I could not move out of the bed. I was in the bed just sighing.”

According to Turner, several of her friends with her at the march also tested positive for the Coronavirus. Turner says they were all wearing masks."

Getting sick the day after so maybe not from that event as that seems quick for symptoms to show IMO

But take a look at Margarita's post from NPR (or just look up the stats). HUGE, days-long protests in Washington, D.C., and they are still experiencing day after day of fewer cases. D.C. is on the list of places where Corona is decreasing.

Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count

So something else is going on. Perhaps more people in D.C. have already had it and been relatively asymptomatic (there were a lot of young people in that protest). Perhaps the case rate in D.C. was lower at the time of the protests than in Houston.

Perhaps the increase in Houston has nothing to do with the outdoor protests (this would seem to be a good hypothesis, since the many other cities where there were protests do not show similar spikes).

 

[anneg]

That’s the part that is missing from most articles. If he never left the home - what is a doctors best guess on how he obtained it?

An Amazon package?
Plastic bag from food delivery?
Cardboard cereal box from grocery store?
A family member?

We see these stories and the tragic endings - but what we don’t usually get is how it possibly happened in a household. Maybe some piece of information that could help another family in prevention. JMO

This is a very sad story. I'm guessing he got it from a family member.

The article says that other family members tested positive, and his mother didn't get tested because a positive test would mean she couldn't be with Andre in the hospital. Excerpt from article below (red text by me):

"Although Andre had no underlying medical conditions, the first thing doctors discovered was that he had developed Type 1 diabetes — his blood sugar was a dangerous 1,500 milligrams per deciliter, more than 10 times the normal amount. Type 1 diabetes frequently comes to light for the first time during an infection.

Because he had a fever and cough and was breathing hard, he was tested for COVID-19, but that test came back negative. The doctors were having trouble controlling the teen’s blood sugar — usually fairly straightforward with an insulin infusion in a first episode of diabetes. At the same time, his temperature kept rising and his breathing deteriorated even with increasing supplements of oxygen. A second COVID test came back positive and he was moved to a COVID unit.

Johnny and Andre’s two sisters were subsequently swabbed, and they, too, were positive, though they had only mild fevers and fatigue. Dawn, who was at the hospital with Andre, decided not to get tested because, according to Riley’s policy, if she tested positive she would not be allowed back into the hospital until she tested negative twice."

ETA: I see several other posters commented, I was slow!

 

[CSIDreamer]

Thanks for the laugh! You are expecting people at Walmart to understand abstract concepts? The cognitive process and functioning...really! Look, these folks are doing well to get to the store.

BTW, I am a "Walmart Shopper".

True story. Yesterday a Nissan Versa all but parked in the cart corral lol. Pulled up as far as they could, blocked the corral, and went shopping.

 

[sloane7777]

Schwarzenegger: Anyone making coronavirus masks a 'political issue is an absolute moron'
Well Arnold agrees with me maybe I should say Moron it sounds a tiny bit nicer than STUPID!

 

[SleuthBee]

So here is the problem with the rally as I see it. If 20,000 want to risk their health and possibly their life to attend a political rally, go for it. However, those same people will not know they are infected for up to 14 days, going into the same grocery stores, hardware stores, garden nurseries as those of us who do not want to risk life/limb and have gone to much trouble to stay in as much as possible. It becomes a problem when the rally attendees risk the lives of others. And frankly, it pizzes me off. Selfishness to no end! And frankly, it makes voters like myself, who have been undecided, to swing the other way. Just saying.

You raise some good points MsArk. I did my best to catch up, but still find myself far behind. So I apologize if this was already covered. Will all delegates and invitees be attending this rally?

disclaimer: This post is a-politcal.

 

[10ofRods]

How long til we get the Supreme Court ruling? Pulling my hair out.

There’s also going to be anti-Trump protestors there, adding to the already large crowd, further fueling the very dangerous situation.

This could be THE super spreading event that....

Praying hard and crossing my fingers this whole event will be be scrapped for the sake of public health and preventing what could turn out to be an absolute catastrophe for everyone.

I have such a bad feeling. Please Supreme Court.

I feel bad for the middle part of the nation if this becomes a super-spreader event. Nationwide, of people tested, just under 10% had/have CoVid-19. In many places, like Oklahoma, it's mostly people with symptoms who are getting tested (whereas in some places, workers are being asked to get tested by their workplaces, even though asymptomatic).

When the virus first gets lift-off (R0 rate above 1.0), it's dramatic and scary for the people who haven't had that happen in their area, yet. In Oklahoma, only about 5% of people tested are positive. That's really good. But it's projected to climb. IOW, right now, a much higher percent of people being tested in OK are positive. That's because people are worried, symptoms are real, CoVid is real, and people are hurrying to get tested.

The graph here is small, but it still tells the story in OK - where CoVid just went exponential after them holding it at bay since March:

Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count

COVID-19 | Oklahoma State Department of Health | (better graph)

That's why their public health people and the Mayor of Tulsa are begging the conventioneers not to do it.

 

[10ofRods]

You really have to wonder how he contracted the virus if he never left the home and it sounds like the family took all precautions. Very sad.

Well, the article is so poorly written, it's hard to know. First of all, he obviously had one underlying condition (obesity) and that's one of the most dangerous. His blood sugar was seriously high when admitted to hospital and he possibly had undiagnosed diabetes.

I'm guessing he got the virus from a family member. Johnny tested positive. Johnny was handling one of the most virulent things you can bring home from a hospital (shoes). All it would take is a moment of inattention with something like shoes. Studies show that the floor is the place where the virus settles naturally, 100% of hospital floors in one study had CV virions. So I suspect that was the vector (even if Johnny used gloves, it's sitll possible he forgot and touched his face or something like that).

At any rate, everyone in the family but Andre was going out. The two sisters tested positive.

The other obvious vector is the mom, who refused to be tested.

 

[margarita25]

Schwarzenegger: Anyone making coronavirus masks a 'political issue is an absolute moron'
Well Arnold agrees with me maybe I should say Moron it sounds a tiny bit nicer than STUPID!

I hope the mods will allow this moment of levity as we anxiously anticipate this Supreme Court decision. My palms are sweating!

—-

Look guys, I’ve never steered you wrong here since Day 1. Trust me when I tell you that it doesn’t matter if it’s the President or the Queen of Sheba or BLM or any religious gathering that is an INDOOR Mass Gathering (AND in violation of CDC Guidance without masks or distancing), this is a potentially super spreading event that the City of Tulsa and beyond will have to the pay the price for. This will set us back and KILL PEOPLE. I expressed these same concerns as well about all the other gatherings and protests. And those were outdoor!! Trust me about the Philly Parade of 1918, trust me about the endless medical reports and CDC Guidelines qualifying this as highest on the risk assessment scale. There is just no reason to take this risk right now. I have been right about every single thing I have predicted since January. This is not about what happened yesterday with other protests, etc, or who they were. This is about what happens a TOdAY, NOW, going forward with the current situation. The health workers and people who don’t even go to any of these rallies will face the consequences. We have infinite medical doctors and experts warning against this event and it is because there is REASON to. Some people assume if one is concerned about the potentially super spreading rally, that it must be based on other biases. Wrong. This has to do with COVID-19. Yesterday is gone. We have now and today to make smart decisions going forward. Nothing should be at the risk of human lives right now, it doesn’t matter what kind of indoor rally it is. It could be an indoor concert, or any convention, sporting event (remember my endless posts on Spain and Italy?)

If you haven’t seen them let me bring them forward. It was an indoor stadium event that FUELED...omg let me grab link

—-


Lefs talk about the reality of coronavirus and disease transmission, nothing else.

Let’s not make this political. This is a huge ruling that is about to happen. What happens today WILL affect people’s lives and this virus going forward. That is a FACT.

 

[10ofRods]

You raise some good points MsArk. I did my best to catch up, but still find myself far behind. So I apologize if this was already covered. Will all delegates and invitees be attending this rally?

disclaimer: This post is a-politcal.

No, this is not the Republican Convention. It's just a campaign rally. Rah.

The Republican Convention (which could have been virtual as there's no doubt as to the candidate - same with the Democratic Convention) is going to be in Florida, unless that's been changed. I know they're having a hard time finding any locality that wants to host it.

 

[Lavender Moon]

it'll be something obvious
people deny exposure but there's always an exception if they're honest

Yes, exactly. It's human nature IMO.

 

[SleuthBee]

It seems the virus may have mutated to become more infectious (which is WILD bc it’s already infectious as hell), per a Scripps study, still under peer review iirc. Not saying that’s the reason, just bringing forward:

Jupiter researchers say mutated form of coronavirus is better at infecting cells

Mutation of Coronavirus Is Significantly Increasing Its Ability To Infect

A mutation shows why the coronavirus is such a formidable foe (opinion) - CNN

Mutated coronavirus shows significant boost in infectivity | Scripps Research

Oh gosh, I thought this was a very slow mutating species

A virus's purpose is to survive. So it reproduces to avoid eradication. Yikes!

 

[10ofRods]

That’s the part that is missing from most articles. If he never left the home - what is a doctors best guess on how he obtained it?

An Amazon package?
Plastic bag from food delivery?
Cardboard cereal box from grocery store?
A family member?

We see these stories and the tragic endings - but what we don’t usually get is how it possibly happened in a household. Maybe some piece of information that could help another family in prevention. JMO

His mother is a nurse, who refuses to be tested. The entire family (dad, two sisters and Andre) are all positive.

The most obvious vector is of course the nurse. Also, Dad was disinfecting the nurse's shoes - and that could easily be a vector with just a moment's inattention and some face-touching.

 

[10ofRods]

Oh gosh, I thought this was a very slow mutating species

A virus's purpose is to survive. So it reproduces to avoid eradication. Yikes!

It mutates randomly (and slowly). Mutations can be detrimental to us (like this one) or neutral (like all of the other mutations in CV so far, that we know of). Or, they could be beneficial (a mutation that causes CV to lose one of its spike proteins - the likelihood of that happening is remote, all the other strands would still be out there, but then people who got that version would be less sick or not sick at all).

It's all random, and CoVid just won this roll of the dice. If CoVId did mutate to a less deadly form, that form would spread faster, as it wouldn't be killing as many of its hosts. Anthropologists think they may see that occasionally in the modern and the historic record of viruses. It is hard to study, though. But if that mutation left a person with antibodies to CoVid, but couldn't kill them, that would be great.

It's a very slow-mutating virus, so the fact that one of its few significant mutations causes it to be more stable isn't good news for *advertiser censored* sapiens.

 

[sloane7777]

His mother is a nurse, who refuses to be tested. The entire family (dad, two sisters and Andre) are all positive.

The most obvious vector is of course the nurse. Also, Dad was disinfecting the nurse's shoes - and that could easily be a vector with just a moment's inattention and some face-touching.

Why would the mother refuse to be tested ......I feel that word coming on again!!!!!!!

 

[Yesiamapirate]

So question for you all. I have just recently begun venturing out into stores. Prior it was all delivery, grocery included. I have now made three trips. Masked, of course. And hand sanitizer before entering the car after as well as wiping down my groceries. These are the only trips inside of places we have made and the only time I have been within 6 feet of another human. ( we did a driveway visit with the family but over 6 feet away) Anyways....each time I had a small panic attack, mostly due to being overwhelmed by actually being near someone and being inside. In MI we are asked to wear masks in grocery stores but there is always that one that does not and those are the ones that love to get close and show you just how NOT worried they are.
So on to my question: I wear a mask but what about the rest of my body? Do those of you that are very careful and worried about this virus cover the rest of your body and undress and shower after? Please don't call me paranoid! I honestly want to know as I am sure if the germs find their way to a mask then they must find there way to other areas. Say my elbow or knee? I get home and touch it with my clean hands.... What do you all think and how are you handling this? Its a new world this shopping thing and I am almost to the point of going back to grocery delivery...

 

[SleuthBee]

No, this is not the Republican Convention. It's just a campaign rally. Rah.

The Republican Convention (which could have been virtual as there's no doubt as to the candidate - same with the Democratic Convention) is going to be in Florida, unless that's been changed. I know they're having a hard time finding any locality that wants to host it.

Thank you 10ofRods, I can always count on you to set me on the right path

I am finding it hard to believe there will a turn out. This is a medical issue, so it's best to follow the doctor's order.