Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #48

[otto]

I thought all viruses did that, though? At least in the dim mists of my memory, I remember somebody telling me that's why people seem to get sick with the same symptoms over and over again - once you get any virus, you're stuck with a little seed kernel of it, just awaiting to be reawakened from dormancy.

Also not a doctor; but I did feel like I was continually sick with the same thing over and over again through minimum high school and college. (Since then I've had allergy treatments; so might be a little muddier.)

ETA: Farmers are chartering planes to beat the coronavirus lockdown and save their crops - CNN

Any time anyone gets any of the coronaviruses they have a cough and some symptoms that we've seen with covid-19. Is it true that all coronaviruses lurk and multiply in other organs and then attack later? Not all people get a cold once or twice a year.

I've never thought of the common cold as something that is lurking in me year rounds waiting to conquer my immune system annually. Is that something that makes this virus unique and more dangerous - it is silently multiplying in us and we don't know that we're sick, we think we're better but we're in remission until the more devastating attack?

 

[tmar]

Singapore reports record jump in virus infections

3 hrs ago
...
Singapore late Thursday reported a record jump in coronavirus cases, most of them linked to packed dormitories housing foreign workers, as it battles a second wave of infections.

The affluent city-state had initially been held as a gold standard in the global fight against the COVID-19 disease, but a surge in the number of cases has left the government scrambling to contain the spread.

The Ministry of Health reported 728 new cases as of midday Thursday -- the biggest rise in a single day -- bringing the total number of infections to 4,427, including 10 deaths.
"The number of new cases amongst Work Permit holders residing in dormitories has increased significantly, in line with our continued efforts to actively test and isolate the infected workers,"
the ministry said in a statement.
...
It said 654, or around 90 percent, of the new cases were linked to the dorms and another 26 were foreign workers living outside the facilities.

Following criticism of poor living conditions in the dorms, the government swung into action, moving thousands of them to other accommodation -- including a floating complex -- in order to decongest the facilities and lessen the chances of infection.
Writing on Facebook this month, veteran Singapore diplomat Tommy Koh slammed "the disgraceful way" in which the foreign workers were being treated.

He said it should be a "wake-up call to treat our indispensable foreign workers like a first world country should".

 

[otto]

Singapore reports record jump in virus infections

3 hrs ago
...
Singapore late Thursday reported a record jump in coronavirus cases, most of them linked to packed dormitories housing foreign workers, as it battles a second wave of infections.

The affluent city-state had initially been held as a gold standard in the global fight against the COVID-19 disease, but a surge in the number of cases has left the government scrambling to contain the spread.

The Ministry of Health reported 728 new cases as of midday Thursday -- the biggest rise in a single day -- bringing the total number of infections to 4,427, including 10 deaths.
"The number of new cases amongst Work Permit holders residing in dormitories has increased significantly, in line with our continued efforts to actively test and isolate the infected workers,"
the ministry said in a statement.
...
It said 654, or around 90 percent, of the new cases were linked to the dorms and another 26 were foreign workers living outside the facilities.

Following criticism of poor living conditions in the dorms, the government swung into action, moving thousands of them to other accommodation -- including a floating complex -- in order to decongest the facilities and lessen the chances of infection.
Writing on Facebook this month, veteran Singapore diplomat Tommy Koh slammed "the disgraceful way" in which the foreign workers were being treated.

He said it should be a "wake-up call to treat our indispensable foreign workers like a first world country should".

Are we going to see another jump in SE Asia? Japan also had a jump in the last two days.



Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) – Statistics and Research

When we include China, Canada and the USA, it looks like this:



Is it the right time to relax virus precautions?

 

[Seattle1]

Buying liquor? I thought liquor stores were deemed essential businesses.

They are in WA. I shopped freely at one store on Friday and when they were sold out I went to another that was curbside pick up only.

 

[Seattle1]

Here is the beloved WaPo satirist Alexandra Petri taking on life “before” as only she can.

So, in this fantasy, what are you wearing?

I am wearing clothes because I expect to see and be seen by other people. I have recently washed my body, and I slept a normal amount — neither too little nor too much — and all my dreams were just, like, normal dreams. I am wearing a shirt, but also, I am wearing pants, because I am going to go out and be seen by people in a place where they will know whether I am wearing pants or not.

Where are you going?

I am going to meet people in a public place. I am going to stand near those people.

How big is the distance between you and those people going to be?

It is going to be so small.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/16/youre-wearing-pants-tell-me-more/

Haaaa!

Police issues 'final warning' for Maryland residents to wear pants while checking their mailbox | Daily Mail Online

 

[Tripod]

I

Here's some interesting info that I pulled from Worldmeters and Wikipedia:

California is our most populous state. They have a per capita death rate from Covid-19 of 24 per 1 million people.

Texas is our second most populous state. They have a per capita death rate from Covid-19 of 14 per 1 million people.

Florida is our third most populous state. They have a per capita death rate from Covid-19 of 31 per 1 million people.

New York is our fourth most populous state. They have a per capita death rate from Covid-19 of 821 per 1 million people.

New Jersey is our eleventh most populous state. They have a per capita death rate from Covid-19 of 396 per 1 million people.

These numbers make me wonder what the heck is going on in New York and New Jersey?

I'm behind on reading , but mass transit is one huge reason for NY and NJ's problem, and of course the much higher population density. NY got a late start, too, and the virus had already begun spreading rapidly before things could be mitigated more.

 

[otto]

Canada is in trouble next - not flattening the curve.



Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) – Statistics and Research

 

[otto]

I


I'm behind on reading , but mass transit is one huge reason for NY and NJ's problem, and of course the much higher population density. NY got a late start, too, and the virus had already begun spreading rapidly before things could be mitigated more.

Just like Italy - caught them off guard.

 

[squareandrabbet]

Wow, glad I missed this or I might be taking a trip out to Brooklyn to wring some mayoral neck, 'cause I won't last:

Joe Concha on Twitter

On the bright side, if I can hold out till July I think I will then qualify for the princely $504/week NYS maximum in unemployment; which should take care of my entire monthly rent and health care premiums with... zero left over.

 

[otto]

Wow, glad I missed this or I might be taking a trip out to Brooklyn to wring some mayoral neck, 'cause I won't last:

Joe Concha on Twitter

On the bright side, if I can hold out till July I think I will then qualify for the princely $504/week NYS maximum in unemployment; which should take care of my entire monthly rent and health care premiums with... zero left over.

From your link. If this happened, who would people trust?
If the list included : don't trust NATO, don't honour NAFTA, don't support WHO, who then?



Who can be trusted to have societal interests prioritized above economy?

 

[otto]

I watched my father scrape the butter wrapper with a knife, sliding the knife sideways to ensure the foil didn't break and no butter was left behind, my mother fill the pantry with 2 years of food. We called it hoarding and frugality, but maybe it was learned behaviour from a time when that was necessary?

 

[slowpoke]

I'm behind on reading , but mass transit is one huge reason for NY and NJ's problem, and of course the much higher population density. NY got a late start, too, and the virus had already begun spreading rapidly before things could be mitigated more.

Some info, from this link:
New York's coronavirus outbreak originated mainly in travelers from Europe, new studies show

• The coronavirus outbreak in New York originated mainly in travelers from Europe, not Asia, according to new studies cited by The New York Times on Wednesday.

• Researchers also found the novel coronavirus was circulating in New York City as early as mid-February, The Times said, weeks before a European travel ban was imposed by President Donald Trump on March 11.

And I believe New York City is one of the top destinations for European travelers.

 

[otto]

Some info, from this link:
New York's coronavirus outbreak originated mainly in travelers from Europe, new studies show

Infection in the USA was from Europe and China. Both the L and the S strain are active and moving around in the USA today.



Source:

National Science Review
March 3 2020
Virus Origins and Mutations​

On the origin and continuing evolution of SARS-CoV-2

 

[slowpoke]

I watched my father scrape the butter wrapper with a knife, sliding the knife sideways to ensure the foil didn't break and no butter was left behind, my mother fill the pantry with 2 years of food. We called it hoarding and frugality, but maybe it was learned behaviour from a time when that was necessary?

While staying at home, I find myself being very conscious of how much of everything I’m using in the house, from napkins, paper towels, tp, food, shampoo, etc! I think that’s a good thing; less waste.

This sheltering in place may forever change us, I think.

 

[otto]

While staying at home, I find myself being very conscious of how much of everything I’m using in the house, from napkins, paper towels, tp, food, shampoo, etc! I think that’s a good thing; less waste.

This sheltering in place may forever change us, I think.

There's an underlying sense of "what if I don't have this tomorrow?"

I'm inclined to indulge myself, so even though I ration most of the time, I also give myself a treat for having rationed so well. For example, this evening I put left-over rice and string beans in a bowl with a raw egg and tossed it into the microwave, tomorrow I will eat steak.

 

[they'll get you]

Coronavirus: Californian man becomes first overseas victim of Ruby Princess cruise
A Californian man has become the first overseas death- and the 20th in total- linked to the Ruby Princess cruise ship

https://www.9news.com.au/videos/cor...uby-princess-cruise/ck937c05g000p0hplm2tfo96x

 

[otto]

Coronavirus: Californian man becomes first overseas victim of Ruby Princess cruise
A Californian man has become the first overseas death- and the 20th in total- linked to the Ruby Princess cruise ship

https://www.9news.com.au/videos/cor...uby-princess-cruise/ck937c05g000p0hplm2tfo96x

What happened? Did he die in Japan?
<link didn't work>

 

[otto]

This virus is scary because it leaves so many people believing that it's not that bad, although we don't know how long the virus remains dormant in hosts. People have minor symptoms, are asymptomatic, have antibodies turned into plasma and delivered to the virus. It seems like something is wrong with this picture.

I hope we're lucky like 1918/19 and the virus just disappeared after a couple of seasons.

 

[ilovewings]

This virus is scary because it leaves so many people believing that it's not that bad, although we don't know how long the virus remains dormant in hosts. People have minor symptoms, are asymptomatic, have antibodies turned into plasma and delivered to the virus. It seems like something is wrong with this picture.

I hope we're lucky like 1918/19 and the virus just disappeared after a couple of seasons.

This virus is especially scary for so many reasons--- for quite a few people there
are no symptoms-these people spread the virus unknowingly--- for others it
can masquerade with gastrointestinal symptoms so the person doesnt realize
at first they have covid19 --for others they initially have such mild symptoms
they dont think they even have this disease---and then the disease gets so much worse-some people can bardly breathe--and for others they think they are getting better, and then they get much worse and die---this is a perfect killer of thousands and millions of
people

 

[otto]

Viral lab is the only logical conclusion if the wet market is ruled out.

WHO and China appear to be responsible for glossing over the situation. Canada closed the border with the USA, perhaps not soon enough.