Lilibet
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BBM
Oh but it is hard when your agenda overrides common sense and the common good and even your own best interests (jobs). SMH
Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #64
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Oh but it is hard when your agenda overrides common sense and the common good and even your own best interests (jobs). SMH
LadyL
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I wonder how they choose between two 26 year old mothers ...
margarita25
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Wow just wow on Doc T’s comments in response to reporter asking about the difficulty of contact tracing. To see and hear him speak about it directly is even more powerful than this transcript excerpt could ever be:
From June 29 WHO PC / Press briefings / source
Devia Agajagopal: (30:33)
Yes. Hi. I wanted to ask this question to the entire panel. Last week, Anthony Fauci of NIH has said that contact tracing is becoming increasingly difficult at this stage of the pandemic. Do you think that as infection spreads in most countries, it is still possible to use contact tracing as a effective way of mitigation? Thank you.
Dr. Michael Ryan: (30:59)
I think yes, but it’s very dependent on the background intensity of transmission. In situations where there’s very intense community transmission, and large numbers of cases every day, it’s very hard to get on top of case isolation alone, nevermind the contact tracing. So countries may need to make some choices on that regard. But what has happened for those countries who have been effective, those countries who stuck with contact tracing and isolation or quarantine and of contacts, have found then as the number of cases drops, that they can catch up on the contact tracing, and improve.
The difficulty has been for many countries who gave up entirely on contact tracing now having to pick that up, now having to scale up the architecture of public health surveillance as they’ve opened up societies and decreased the public health and social measures on the restrictions of movement. It’s quite tough for the public health system to catch up, and it takes time for it to do so. And the Director General said many, many times during this period of so-called “lockdowns” that this was precious time to prepare. Not only were public health and social measures having an impact on transmission, they were also clearly having a negative impact on social and economic life, and that this precious opportunity needed to be taken.
And we’ve seen in countries who have really beefed up their capacity to do contact tracing, isolation, quarantine, testing, and all of the things the Director General spoke about, they have done well.
So, yes, contact tracing, public health surveillance is a key part of a package of activities. The DG has said it. If individuals and communities can sustain the physical distancing, the hygiene, the mask-wearing, and the other things that are appropriate and advised by local government, if the public health system can continue to track and trace cases, yes, we should see a situation where the disease comes under control. And many countries have proven that. That is not supposition. Many, many countries, through applying a comprehensive strategy, have reached a very low level of virus transmission in their countries. But always have to remain vigilant in case there are clusters or small outbreaks. We’ve seen those situations arise in Germany. We’ve seen those situations arise in Singapore and Japan, in Korea, in China, and other countries.
And, again, it’s in those situations where your public health surveillance and your contact tracing and your ability to investigate clusters really comes into its own. And where you’ve really seen the advantage of public health and public health architecture is that ability to pounce on disease. What you have to do is push the disease down to the lowest possible level, and communities have made a huge sacrifice for that happen. They’ve stayed at home, they’ve stayed away from their families. They’ve contributed tremendously to suppressing-
They’ve contributed tremendously to suppressing infection. And what public health authorities have needed to do is to put in place the right public health surveillance in order to take advantage of that. So as the restrictions are lifted and as we see small clusters appear, the public health authorities can react quickly and suppress that infection again. And a great credit goes to countries like Germany, like Japan, like Korea, and others who’ve really focused in on that function of the system. They’re able to use a multifaceted approach. They’re able to sustain community commitment to the process. High levels of community acceptance, high levels of community compliance, high levels of community understanding linked to a strong public health intervention and a strengthened public health and health system. It works.
It’s not a guarantee of success but what we’ve seen is that countries that apply a comprehensive sustained strategy with their communities on board make progress. There are no guarantees with epidemics, but this right now is the best package of activities that countries have shown again and again can lead to us arriving at a situation where we can live with this virus.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove: (35:18)
I just want to add two points to what Mike has said. One is that it can be increasingly difficult to apply this comprehensive approach as transmission increases. But it’s not one activity alone. It is not contact tracing alone. It is not case finding alone. It is not physical distancing alone. You’ve heard the Director General, you’ve heard us say this all the time. But it’s worth repeating because there tends to be a focus on a particular intervention but it needs to be all of the above. And with an empowered community, with an engaged community, with listening to the community and having the community listen and adhere to the public health measures that are in place, this can be done. And so it can be increasingly difficult but what we have seen is in countries that have been in an overwhelming situation, they’ve prioritized these activities, these interventions into specific areas within the countries where transmission seems to be the highest intensity, perhaps related to a super spreading event or a particular cluster, and bringing that transmission down from an overwhelming situation to clusters of activity and from clusters of activity to chains of transmission.
And the other point is, is that it can be turned around. Again, many countries are seeing situations where they’re feeling completely overwhelmed, and we have seen many countries demonstrate that you can turn this around. You can bring transmission under control. It is very, very difficult, but again, prioritizing the work, prioritizing interventions to where it’s needed most, bringing situations under control where you can get a quicker gain and then focusing on higher areas of intensity. These approaches in countries need to be administered at the lowest administrative level as possible to bring situations under control to as many places as you can as quickly as you can. But it can be turned around. And we wouldn’t be saying this unless we’ve seen it happen. And unless we’ve seen countries demonstrate this repeatedly in multiple regions across the globe.
Dr. Tedros: (37:18)
Yeah. Thank you. I think this is very important and I would be happy to add my voice to my colleagues, Mike and Ryan, Mike and Maria. Mike and Maria. Mike Ryan, my general is a very humble servant of humanity. And he wouldn’t tell you what the real stories are regarding contact tracing. I know contact tracing is difficult and I agree with you our colleague, our friend who asked this question. And I know and I understand if countries say contact tracing is difficult. But if you want to try difficult, probably add contact tracing the number of cases. You trace with a situation which is dire to your life. Meaning try it in a place like North Kivu in DRC where 20 rebels operate, armed rebels, and where security is not there. Where your own security is precarious. And when Mike Ryan was leading the whole effort, he was in DRC North Kivu for several months. When there was engagement between different warring parties almost every single day.
And when you would do contact tracing of 25,000 a day despite that security situation. He didn’t send me actually, somebody sent me from the front lines, Mike Ryan wearing the helmet bulletproof, and also the jacket bulletproof and going to communities to do contact tracing and the rest, because he had no option. If you can do contact tracing in that condition, risking your life and he’s the most senior person in terms of emergency response, one of the most senior. Doing contact tracing in a stable and peaceful place wherever it is in many countries, should that come as even an issue? I’m just asking. If there is a single failure for many of our countries to really not hunt down this virus is our failure in contact tracing because we have lame excuses saying it’s too many and it’s very difficult to trace because there are too many. Trust me there is no too many even in a war situation.
If contact tracing helps you to win the fight, you do it even risking your life or get about a place where there is peace. The reason I’m saying this is we don’t tell or we don’t talk about the stories of a simple human being like Mike Ryan who would do this in a situation that risked his life. So if you want to know if contact tracing is difficult, then I will send you his picture in his bulletproof helmet and bulletproof jacket because he believed that he had to do everything to stop the Ebola and to show that saving lives actually needs that level of commitment.
So my answer is just brief. I explained and hopefully that you will understand why I said why I will say the simple phrase because I want you to understand the background. Trust me, no excuse for contact tracing. If any country is saying contact tracing is difficult, it is a lame excuse. Thank you.”
From June 29 WHO PC / Press briefings / source
Devia Agajagopal: (30:33)
Yes. Hi. I wanted to ask this question to the entire panel. Last week, Anthony Fauci of NIH has said that contact tracing is becoming increasingly difficult at this stage of the pandemic. Do you think that as infection spreads in most countries, it is still possible to use contact tracing as a effective way of mitigation? Thank you.
Dr. Michael Ryan: (30:59)
I think yes, but it’s very dependent on the background intensity of transmission. In situations where there’s very intense community transmission, and large numbers of cases every day, it’s very hard to get on top of case isolation alone, nevermind the contact tracing. So countries may need to make some choices on that regard. But what has happened for those countries who have been effective, those countries who stuck with contact tracing and isolation or quarantine and of contacts, have found then as the number of cases drops, that they can catch up on the contact tracing, and improve.
The difficulty has been for many countries who gave up entirely on contact tracing now having to pick that up, now having to scale up the architecture of public health surveillance as they’ve opened up societies and decreased the public health and social measures on the restrictions of movement. It’s quite tough for the public health system to catch up, and it takes time for it to do so. And the Director General said many, many times during this period of so-called “lockdowns” that this was precious time to prepare. Not only were public health and social measures having an impact on transmission, they were also clearly having a negative impact on social and economic life, and that this precious opportunity needed to be taken.
And we’ve seen in countries who have really beefed up their capacity to do contact tracing, isolation, quarantine, testing, and all of the things the Director General spoke about, they have done well.
So, yes, contact tracing, public health surveillance is a key part of a package of activities. The DG has said it. If individuals and communities can sustain the physical distancing, the hygiene, the mask-wearing, and the other things that are appropriate and advised by local government, if the public health system can continue to track and trace cases, yes, we should see a situation where the disease comes under control. And many countries have proven that. That is not supposition. Many, many countries, through applying a comprehensive strategy, have reached a very low level of virus transmission in their countries. But always have to remain vigilant in case there are clusters or small outbreaks. We’ve seen those situations arise in Germany. We’ve seen those situations arise in Singapore and Japan, in Korea, in China, and other countries.
And, again, it’s in those situations where your public health surveillance and your contact tracing and your ability to investigate clusters really comes into its own. And where you’ve really seen the advantage of public health and public health architecture is that ability to pounce on disease. What you have to do is push the disease down to the lowest possible level, and communities have made a huge sacrifice for that happen. They’ve stayed at home, they’ve stayed away from their families. They’ve contributed tremendously to suppressing-
They’ve contributed tremendously to suppressing infection. And what public health authorities have needed to do is to put in place the right public health surveillance in order to take advantage of that. So as the restrictions are lifted and as we see small clusters appear, the public health authorities can react quickly and suppress that infection again. And a great credit goes to countries like Germany, like Japan, like Korea, and others who’ve really focused in on that function of the system. They’re able to use a multifaceted approach. They’re able to sustain community commitment to the process. High levels of community acceptance, high levels of community compliance, high levels of community understanding linked to a strong public health intervention and a strengthened public health and health system. It works.
It’s not a guarantee of success but what we’ve seen is that countries that apply a comprehensive sustained strategy with their communities on board make progress. There are no guarantees with epidemics, but this right now is the best package of activities that countries have shown again and again can lead to us arriving at a situation where we can live with this virus.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove: (35:18)
I just want to add two points to what Mike has said. One is that it can be increasingly difficult to apply this comprehensive approach as transmission increases. But it’s not one activity alone. It is not contact tracing alone. It is not case finding alone. It is not physical distancing alone. You’ve heard the Director General, you’ve heard us say this all the time. But it’s worth repeating because there tends to be a focus on a particular intervention but it needs to be all of the above. And with an empowered community, with an engaged community, with listening to the community and having the community listen and adhere to the public health measures that are in place, this can be done. And so it can be increasingly difficult but what we have seen is in countries that have been in an overwhelming situation, they’ve prioritized these activities, these interventions into specific areas within the countries where transmission seems to be the highest intensity, perhaps related to a super spreading event or a particular cluster, and bringing that transmission down from an overwhelming situation to clusters of activity and from clusters of activity to chains of transmission.
And the other point is, is that it can be turned around. Again, many countries are seeing situations where they’re feeling completely overwhelmed, and we have seen many countries demonstrate that you can turn this around. You can bring transmission under control. It is very, very difficult, but again, prioritizing the work, prioritizing interventions to where it’s needed most, bringing situations under control where you can get a quicker gain and then focusing on higher areas of intensity. These approaches in countries need to be administered at the lowest administrative level as possible to bring situations under control to as many places as you can as quickly as you can. But it can be turned around. And we wouldn’t be saying this unless we’ve seen it happen. And unless we’ve seen countries demonstrate this repeatedly in multiple regions across the globe.
Dr. Tedros: (37:18)
Yeah. Thank you. I think this is very important and I would be happy to add my voice to my colleagues, Mike and Ryan, Mike and Maria. Mike and Maria. Mike Ryan, my general is a very humble servant of humanity. And he wouldn’t tell you what the real stories are regarding contact tracing. I know contact tracing is difficult and I agree with you our colleague, our friend who asked this question. And I know and I understand if countries say contact tracing is difficult. But if you want to try difficult, probably add contact tracing the number of cases. You trace with a situation which is dire to your life. Meaning try it in a place like North Kivu in DRC where 20 rebels operate, armed rebels, and where security is not there. Where your own security is precarious. And when Mike Ryan was leading the whole effort, he was in DRC North Kivu for several months. When there was engagement between different warring parties almost every single day.
And when you would do contact tracing of 25,000 a day despite that security situation. He didn’t send me actually, somebody sent me from the front lines, Mike Ryan wearing the helmet bulletproof, and also the jacket bulletproof and going to communities to do contact tracing and the rest, because he had no option. If you can do contact tracing in that condition, risking your life and he’s the most senior person in terms of emergency response, one of the most senior. Doing contact tracing in a stable and peaceful place wherever it is in many countries, should that come as even an issue? I’m just asking. If there is a single failure for many of our countries to really not hunt down this virus is our failure in contact tracing because we have lame excuses saying it’s too many and it’s very difficult to trace because there are too many. Trust me there is no too many even in a war situation.
If contact tracing helps you to win the fight, you do it even risking your life or get about a place where there is peace. The reason I’m saying this is we don’t tell or we don’t talk about the stories of a simple human being like Mike Ryan who would do this in a situation that risked his life. So if you want to know if contact tracing is difficult, then I will send you his picture in his bulletproof helmet and bulletproof jacket because he believed that he had to do everything to stop the Ebola and to show that saving lives actually needs that level of commitment.
So my answer is just brief. I explained and hopefully that you will understand why I said why I will say the simple phrase because I want you to understand the background. Trust me, no excuse for contact tracing. If any country is saying contact tracing is difficult, it is a lame excuse. Thank you.”
CharlestonGal
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SC beach linked to hundreds of coronavirus cases as it braces for 4th of July tourists
A South Carolina beach has been linked to hundreds of coronavirus cases across several states, as it braces for a stream of July Fourth tourists this weekend.
Scores of people have flocked to Myrtle Beach as the area reopened in mid-May, packing hotels, the beach and the boardwalk, with few wearing face masks or practicing social distancing.
But the Grand Strand coastline region has become a coronavirus hot spot linked to about 200 people, mostly teens, in Virginia and several students from Ohio, NBC News and The Washington Post reported.
The recent uptick has prompted the governors of West Virginia and Kentucky to publicly warn residents to avoid the popular beach destination, with West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) telling constituents earlier this week to “consider going somewhere else.”
Kentucky’s Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack said in a statement that those who have visited Myrtle Beach in the past two weeks “have a good probability of being exposed to the novel coronavirus,” according to the Post.
The city currently does not require masks in public spaces, but the city council is expected to vote on a potential mask mandate on Thursday. North Myrtle Beach passed a rule requiring masks in retail, service and food establishments.
"I think the mask order is crucial, especially this weekend," Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune told MSNBC. "You know, hindsight is 2020; our hotels opened back up about four weeks ago, I wish we had done it then. But we didn't have the same issues as we do today.”
Myrtle Beach, like several tourist destinations, is struggling to balance the economic boost with increased tourists versus the risks of allowing people to congregate during a pandemic. Bethune said the area is unlikely to shut down its beaches because it cannot afford to do so.
Horry County, where Myrtle Beach is located, has recorded a total of 3,319 cases, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. But that number doesn’t include the tourists who visit and unknowingly take the virus back to their home communities, the Post noted.
Approximately 100 teens from Loudoun County, Va., have tested positive for COVID-19 after traveling to the Myrtle Beach area, and more than 100 other cases from Roanoke have been traced back to the beach, South Carolina CBS affiliate WBTW reported.
A group of more than 45 students from Ohio’s Belmont County returned from Myrtle Beach in mid-June, and so far, 16 have tested positive for the virus, CBS News reported.
A South Carolina beach has been linked to hundreds of coronavirus cases across several states, as it braces for a stream of July Fourth tourists this weekend.
Scores of people have flocked to Myrtle Beach as the area reopened in mid-May, packing hotels, the beach and the boardwalk, with few wearing face masks or practicing social distancing.
But the Grand Strand coastline region has become a coronavirus hot spot linked to about 200 people, mostly teens, in Virginia and several students from Ohio, NBC News and The Washington Post reported.
The recent uptick has prompted the governors of West Virginia and Kentucky to publicly warn residents to avoid the popular beach destination, with West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) telling constituents earlier this week to “consider going somewhere else.”
Kentucky’s Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack said in a statement that those who have visited Myrtle Beach in the past two weeks “have a good probability of being exposed to the novel coronavirus,” according to the Post.
The city currently does not require masks in public spaces, but the city council is expected to vote on a potential mask mandate on Thursday. North Myrtle Beach passed a rule requiring masks in retail, service and food establishments.
"I think the mask order is crucial, especially this weekend," Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune told MSNBC. "You know, hindsight is 2020; our hotels opened back up about four weeks ago, I wish we had done it then. But we didn't have the same issues as we do today.”
Myrtle Beach, like several tourist destinations, is struggling to balance the economic boost with increased tourists versus the risks of allowing people to congregate during a pandemic. Bethune said the area is unlikely to shut down its beaches because it cannot afford to do so.
Horry County, where Myrtle Beach is located, has recorded a total of 3,319 cases, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. But that number doesn’t include the tourists who visit and unknowingly take the virus back to their home communities, the Post noted.
Approximately 100 teens from Loudoun County, Va., have tested positive for COVID-19 after traveling to the Myrtle Beach area, and more than 100 other cases from Roanoke have been traced back to the beach, South Carolina CBS affiliate WBTW reported.
A group of more than 45 students from Ohio’s Belmont County returned from Myrtle Beach in mid-June, and so far, 16 have tested positive for the virus, CBS News reported.
CharlestonGal
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There is a point system. The patient with the overall most points gets the care. Not even kidding. That is literally how it works.
Tillicum
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Thank you for the link. I tested mine and it passed the tests. Afterwards I ordered 20 more.
If anyone's interested you can order them at Menards online.
LadyL
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so sad ...
CharlestonGal
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Trump says he still believes coronavirus will ‘sort of just disappear’
Despite a recent surge in novel coronavirus cases, United States President Donald Trump said he still believes the virus will “just sort of disappear” at some point.
“I think we’re going to be very good with the coronavirus. I think at some point that’s going to sort of just disappear, I hope,” he said during an interview on Fox Business on Wednesday.
When asked if he still believed that, Trump replied: “I do. Sure. At some point, and I think we’re going to have a vaccine very soon too.”
Despite a recent surge in novel coronavirus cases, United States President Donald Trump said he still believes the virus will “just sort of disappear” at some point.
“I think we’re going to be very good with the coronavirus. I think at some point that’s going to sort of just disappear, I hope,” he said during an interview on Fox Business on Wednesday.
When asked if he still believed that, Trump replied: “I do. Sure. At some point, and I think we’re going to have a vaccine very soon too.”
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4th of July Celebration at the White House, Estimated 300,000+ in attendance! Party On!
Interior Presents the 2020 Independence Day Celebration in the Nation's Capital
A supply of more than 300,000 cloth face coverings will be available and distributed to visitors attending the Independence Day celebration at the National Mall. As supplies are limited, visitors should not rely upon receiving a mask.
Interior Presents the 2020 Independence Day Celebration in the Nation's Capital
A supply of more than 300,000 cloth face coverings will be available and distributed to visitors attending the Independence Day celebration at the National Mall. As supplies are limited, visitors should not rely upon receiving a mask.
gngr~snap
Verified Pediatric Nurse Georgia
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COVID IN CHILDREN:
6 hospitalized and 1 on ventilator.
Cook Children's Hospital seeing spike in COVID-19 cases among kids
6 hospitalized and 1 on ventilator.
Cook Children's Hospital seeing spike in COVID-19 cases among kids
Last edited:
katydid23
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When I look at the breakdown of the numbers, I see we are doing OK in some ways. Go to the link and look at the numbers, when broken down to 'per I million'----things change when that is done.
If you look at 'deaths/per 1 M pop' than we don't look so bad. We are 395 per 1M
Spain, Italy and the UK are around 600.
We have a lot of cases, but a pretty low death rate.
I think some of the articles have misleading headlines.
CharlestonGal
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Alabama students throwing 'COVID parties' to see who gets infected: Officials
Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 have been attending parties in the city and surrounding area as part of a disturbing contest to see who can catch the virus first, a city council member told ABC News on Wednesday.
Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry said students have been organizing "COVID parties" as a game to intentionally infect each other with the contagion that has killed more than 127,000 people in the United States. She said she recently learned of the behavior and informed the city council of the parties occurring in the city.
She said the organizers of the parties are purposely inviting guests who have COVID-19.
"They put money in a pot and they try to get COVID. Whoever gets COVID first gets the pot. It makes no sense," McKinstry said. "They're intentionally doing it."
Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith told the City Council on Tuesday that he has confirmed the students' careless behavior.
Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 have been attending parties in the city and surrounding area as part of a disturbing contest to see who can catch the virus first, a city council member told ABC News on Wednesday.
Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry said students have been organizing "COVID parties" as a game to intentionally infect each other with the contagion that has killed more than 127,000 people in the United States. She said she recently learned of the behavior and informed the city council of the parties occurring in the city.
She said the organizers of the parties are purposely inviting guests who have COVID-19.
"They put money in a pot and they try to get COVID. Whoever gets COVID first gets the pot. It makes no sense," McKinstry said. "They're intentionally doing it."
Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith told the City Council on Tuesday that he has confirmed the students' careless behavior.
katydid23
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Is this any more dangerous than the massive protests that have been going on for 30 days already?
This event lasts for 2 hours. It is outside in the open air.
Fireworks are being launched from an area more than a mile in length, from Inlet Bridge at the south end of West Potomac Park to north of the Lincoln Memorial, as well as on the grounds of the Washington Monument. The show will be approximately 35 minutes long and will be visible throughout the District and Northern Virginia.
More than 10,000 fireworks will be launched at this year’s show.
More than 800 acres of National Mall and Memorial Parks, equivalent to more than 600 football fields, are accessible for viewing the flyovers and fireworks, including the:
- Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool;
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial;
- World War II Memorial;
- East Potomac Park;
- Washington Monument grounds; and
- National Mall grounds between 4th and 14th Streets.
- U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial;
- Netherlands Carillon grounds;
- Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove;
- Gravelly Point Park: and
- Mount Vernon Trail from the 14th Street Bridge to Theodore Roosevelt Island.
Schedule of Events
Military flyovers above the National Mall and across the District: ~6:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Monumental fireworks display from the National Mall, viewable from the District and Northern Virginia: 9:07 p.m. – 9:44 p.m.
Public Health Considerations
For any fireworks viewing location, the public is encouraged to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for events and public gatherings:
- Practice social or physical distancing, staying at least six feet away from others who are not a member of your household.
- Wear a mask or face covering, especially when it is difficult to maintain social distancing.
- Avoid attending if you show symptoms of any transmissible infectious disease, such as cough, fever, runny nose or have a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.
- Wash hands often and cover coughs and sneezes. More than 100 hand washing stations are located throughout the Mall.
- Do not shake hands or engage in any unnecessary physical contact.
If you are a person who has been identified by the CDC to be at an increased risk of becoming severely ill if exposed to COVID-19, please review CDC recommendations prior to attending this event.
margarita25
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More comments from Dr. Mike on contact tracing in response to a reporter’s question:
June 29, 2020 /Press briefings
/source:
Dr. Michael Ryan: (46:31)
“Okay. I think and if we listened to interviews and others done by people who’ve led contact tracing in places like Singapore, in Japan, and in other countries, the primary success of contact racing has come from a well-organized human workforce. [inaudible 00:46:53] number one. Once a case is detected, once there’s a positive sample in the lab. Maybe it’s from the emergency room, from the hospital, from the community, that there’s an instant response where a case or their family can be interviewed, that contacts are identified quickly. And in that sense, the highest risk context, you can have a contact list that’s 10, and you can have a contact list that’s 10,000 people. And you have to decide how far and how deep you go with listing potential contacts. They all have to be contacted and followed up. Of those who are followed up, you’re asking in most countries’ situations, you’re asking for those contacts to be self-isolated or quarantined at home and some situations people are asked to quarantine in a facility.
So it’s a very complex set of investigations and then communication between different groups. And one group has to hand off the process to another group. So it’s a complex interaction of public health activities. Now obviously when you’re moving information around, the lab has to inform the contact tracers and the contact tracers have to inform the people organizing quarantine. All of those require a lot of transfer of information. And there are a number of digital tools that have really helped with that process. Like the system developed by WHO Go.Data, which has been implemented in a number of countries. And that allows public health authorities to integrate data from different sources within the system. There’s no privacy issues there because that’s really about being more efficient with publicly held data.
There are then other applications that have been developed, which allow for mobility tracking or identifying potentially other high risk contacts. Bluetooth enabled apps that allow that to happen. And some countries have implemented apps like that. And those apps can be a useful in identifying contacts who may not have otherwise been listed and in some way it’s also for looking at overall population risk for transmission. Some have worked, some have not, some have been very well accepted at community level, some have raised real issues regarding data protection, and human rights and other issues. So it’s important that we continue to innovate with these tools but it’s also important to recognize that that aspect of the digital revolution is innovating and providing potential solutions and tools. The core process is still a core human-driven process. It’s about humans contacting humans and asking questions about potential exposures and following up with other human beings.
This is not an automated process. It cannot be automated in that regard. And I think that’s where most countries have struggled. It’s one thing to develop an app. It’s another thing to identify and train a human workforce that can go out and be disease detectives. And you’ll see that in most countries who’ve been successful, what they’ve really managed to do is train community-based people who know their localities, they’ve trained them in how to do contact tracing, they’ve trained them on how to follow up within their own communities. And that’s much better accepted. And we found the same in Ebola in Congo. If you bring contact tracers into small villages where people are outsiders, it’s a potential flash point. So the more localized the responses, the better. And localization of public health intervention is a very important concept. And it’s something that governments need to address. So I think that would be my advice.
Localize contact tracing, bring it down to the lowest level, have it as much as possible based in and done by the community and enhance the efficiency of that where you can, with digital systems and applications as appropriate. But they’re not in themselves the answer.”
June 29, 2020 /Press briefings
/source:
Dr. Michael Ryan: (46:31)
“Okay. I think and if we listened to interviews and others done by people who’ve led contact tracing in places like Singapore, in Japan, and in other countries, the primary success of contact racing has come from a well-organized human workforce. [inaudible 00:46:53] number one. Once a case is detected, once there’s a positive sample in the lab. Maybe it’s from the emergency room, from the hospital, from the community, that there’s an instant response where a case or their family can be interviewed, that contacts are identified quickly. And in that sense, the highest risk context, you can have a contact list that’s 10, and you can have a contact list that’s 10,000 people. And you have to decide how far and how deep you go with listing potential contacts. They all have to be contacted and followed up. Of those who are followed up, you’re asking in most countries’ situations, you’re asking for those contacts to be self-isolated or quarantined at home and some situations people are asked to quarantine in a facility.
So it’s a very complex set of investigations and then communication between different groups. And one group has to hand off the process to another group. So it’s a complex interaction of public health activities. Now obviously when you’re moving information around, the lab has to inform the contact tracers and the contact tracers have to inform the people organizing quarantine. All of those require a lot of transfer of information. And there are a number of digital tools that have really helped with that process. Like the system developed by WHO Go.Data, which has been implemented in a number of countries. And that allows public health authorities to integrate data from different sources within the system. There’s no privacy issues there because that’s really about being more efficient with publicly held data.
There are then other applications that have been developed, which allow for mobility tracking or identifying potentially other high risk contacts. Bluetooth enabled apps that allow that to happen. And some countries have implemented apps like that. And those apps can be a useful in identifying contacts who may not have otherwise been listed and in some way it’s also for looking at overall population risk for transmission. Some have worked, some have not, some have been very well accepted at community level, some have raised real issues regarding data protection, and human rights and other issues. So it’s important that we continue to innovate with these tools but it’s also important to recognize that that aspect of the digital revolution is innovating and providing potential solutions and tools. The core process is still a core human-driven process. It’s about humans contacting humans and asking questions about potential exposures and following up with other human beings.
This is not an automated process. It cannot be automated in that regard. And I think that’s where most countries have struggled. It’s one thing to develop an app. It’s another thing to identify and train a human workforce that can go out and be disease detectives. And you’ll see that in most countries who’ve been successful, what they’ve really managed to do is train community-based people who know their localities, they’ve trained them in how to do contact tracing, they’ve trained them on how to follow up within their own communities. And that’s much better accepted. And we found the same in Ebola in Congo. If you bring contact tracers into small villages where people are outsiders, it’s a potential flash point. So the more localized the responses, the better. And localization of public health intervention is a very important concept. And it’s something that governments need to address. So I think that would be my advice.
Localize contact tracing, bring it down to the lowest level, have it as much as possible based in and done by the community and enhance the efficiency of that where you can, with digital systems and applications as appropriate. But they’re not in themselves the answer.”
10ofRods
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In that case, they would triage so that the one grandma was further up the list. Think of what will happen if the person is 60 and has no children.
It's horrifying and sad. In New York they built rules about who could get CPR in ambulances (over-80? Never mind - so although many older people don't want extreme measures, the choice was taken away).
In AZ, they are also looking at pre-existing conditions as well as age. I'd be screwed (kids are grown, pre-existing conditions, and I'm 65).
Will this dire situation occur in AZ? It very well might. It's going to be hard to get this back under control both in California and AZ. Even the Bay Area is experiencing R-naught rates that are too high for comfort, after doing so well.
Stay home if you can, everyone. Remain vigilant. NY has indoor dining on indefinite hold - 19 counties in CA are back in the same situation. Even OC is concerned (Orange County). Bars are becoming a known issue for spread. San Diego is not on the list of counties, AFAIK (go San Diego!)
But after the Fourth of July weekend we will surely see another uptick. For California, already at record high rates of new cases, that is not good at all. I predict that they'll delay opening schools...
10ofRods
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They also don't realize that the small businesses they are so concerned about are a small part of the economy. Tourism (gone), industrial contracts (canceled), aviation industry (scaled way back), gasoline sales (way down), hospitality industry hit two ways (locals won't go; tourists not here).
Healthcare sector is expanded - but what happens next?
Lilibet
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BBM
Ha! Go San Diego, but just don’t go TO San Diego to go to their bars. My daughter in SD figures the bars will be packed with people from LA and add to their cases.
SouthAussie
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It is really horrible that we are at the stage where we say "only 900 deaths today". I mean, I get it. Everyone is looking for some improvement, any improvement.
But I think of those 900 people and their grieving families ....
musicaljoke
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I completely agree. There's a risk that school will be a Royal Balzup if CoVidis not cleared up before September. It would be much better to start planning for online options.
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I am not going to get many points because of my pre-existing condition. So nice to know.
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