Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #49

[margarita25]

Posting this if anyone missed 60 Minutes last night.

Addressing the strain the coronavirus has put on America's food supply chain with José Andrés

Addressing the strain the coronavirus has put on America's food supply chain with José Andrés

(Video at link)

Thank you for this article. Jose Andres’ work is invaluable, I’ve seen his work over the years during Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Dorian and other events. He was also good friends with the Late Great Anthony Bourdain.

From the above link:

“Mike Pence at press conference: And we need you to continue, as a part of what we call our "critical infrastructure," to show up and do your job.

But by the Department of Agriculture's own statistics, roughly half of hired crop farmworkers are undocumented immigrants. As are many who work in food processing plants. That means despite being an essential part of our critical infrastructure, they are still vulnerable to arrest and deportation.

Craig Fugate: Part of the problem is 'cause they're undocumented and the fear of being deported, they may not be reporting in sick or getting treatment or being isolated. And therefore causing more spread because they're not given the same protection as other workers.

Anderson Cooper: They're also in some cases working shoulder to shoulder in fields or on meat processing plants?

Craig Fugate: Yeah, doing social distancing in a lot of the agriculture operations will be almost impossible.

Anderson Cooper: It's sort of ironic that all of the sudden undocumented immigrants are now considered essential in the United States to feed the rest of us.

Craig Fugate: Yeah, it finally took a pandemic to make people realize without foreign-born workers much of our economy doesn't work.

Anderson Cooper: A situation like this, it highlights problems that already exist in society that people haven't noticed. Suddenly you see things. It's like an x-ray machine.

José Andrés: In moments like this, inequalities manifest themselves exponentially.

José Andrés is an immigrant from Spain. He became an American citizen in 2013. He hopes that when this virus is finally under control, we don't forget all those who kept working to feed the rest of us.”

 

[10ofRods]

I have always had a special place in my heart for the elderly. I am helping many of my neighbors and church members that are in this population. I used to visit the nursing home every weekend, and now I can't. So my heart is breaking for their social-emotional well-being right now. I pray for them often, and still visit, care for, and get supplies for those that need them.I don't want them to lose their will to live

P.S. Two of my neighbors, a married couple, 85 and almost 91, told me some days they just want to take a handful of pills together and cover up in bed and just die. That is heart-breaking to hear!

This is so sad. I don't know how my parents would have handled this. My mom was easily upset in her final years (blind, post-colon cancer, rare form of leukemia); Dad was the cheerful one, but he too talked about ending his own life after she died. I think about how some of Mom's friends went into nursing homes and died quickly (there are transmissible diseases in nearly all nursing homes). She used to want to go to a nursing home, on the theory she'd die sooner (she was probably right).

 

[bluedivergirl]

RSBM

Good Morning!

. . . That last article has a great graphic and the upshot of it is that the novel CV is very similar to the older CV (for which many people have antibodies) and though the old antibodies do not perfectly attack the novel CV, there are only 4 amino acids that are different (amino acids are the building blocks of RNA and DNA - and CV is an RNA-based entity). It would be fascinating to learn if some of the asymptomatic or mild cases are in people who have antibodies to the previous CV virus. At any rate, it looks like "designer antibodies" could be built as part of a vaccine. . . .

A few days ago I was wondering why folks in the 90's and even 100's were recovering from this. I was speculating decades of exposure to various coronavirus may have 'taught' their bodies to fight back.

I'd love to hear what people who know what they are talking about think. I'm just a guesser.

 

[LadyL]

I keep seeing gardening comments so just wanted to post this thread for those interested:

Quarantine Vegetable Gardens

 

[Warwick1991]

If outgoing air goes directly outside, and incoming air comes directly from outside and those vents are not near one another, how does air get from one room to another through the ventilation system? I can understand that viruses can be found in the outgoing ventilation system, but shouldn't there be constant movement toward the outside?

The challenges of designing HVAC systems with HEPA filters that serve a large building, with many spaces, are substantial. The equipment used has to be sized not only to supply adequate supply air through the HEPA filters, but to exhaust it at a rate that assures a continuous supply of clean air. Adequate ventilation would require a tremendous amount of air movement. To do this for entire public buildings is not only expensive and maintenance intensive, but poses problems that occur due to foot traffic in and out of buildings. Entrance areas, stairwells, elevators, bathrooms, and other areas would have to be designed in a way that controls airflow. The air movement needed could create unwanted currents. Ductwork requirements, in terms of space, would be substantial.

Also, a building that had HEPA filtered air throughout would not necessarily minimize the spread of infection, especially for Covid-19. An asymptomatic carrier could likely spread airborne droplets that remain airborne. The air movement in a HEPA filtered system would be unlikely to exhaust infectious droplets quickly enough to prevent risk.

A whole-building HEPA ventilated design is difficult to achieve, even using available technologies. Reducing the likelihood of airborne infection in buildings can be done without HEPA filters. The key is to have larger amounts of supply and exhaust air, so that there are more frequent air changes. That is often achievable with existing equipment. However, the drive to save energy and resources has led HVAC engineers to design “tighter” systems that reduce the energy required to heat or cool outside air, meaning that more air is recirculated. This trend has resulted in “sick buildings” that have poor indoor air quality.

 

[otto]

A few days ago I was wondering why folks in the 90's and even 100's were recovering from this. I was speculating decades of exposure to various coronavirus may have 'taught' their bodies to fight back.

I'd love to hear what people who know what they are talking about think. I'm just a guesser.

I'm curious (hopeful) whether people who survived the 1918 pandemic, or are direct descendants of those who survived, have increased immunity.

 

[10ofRods]

I live in the middle of a lot of agricultural fields. It's strawberry season, so the workers are out in force. They are indeed social distancing and they are wearing masks. Agricultural workers here have been wearing masks for years (many reasons).

Unfortunately, the processing plants where the strawberries get packaged to ship all around the nation are closed and opening them will be tricky. I'm sure I'll be able to buy tons of strawberries at local stands, but who needs tons of strawberries if they don't can? There are home businesses that do make jams for local sale at Farmer's Markets and fruit stands - but their output is really low.

So, they're saying that practically the entire crop will be lost this year.

BTW, this is why California takes care of its immigrant workers. If we do not support them, they will not get healthcare and they will not report crimes, neither of which is good.

 

[Lilibet]

Interesting view about collective responsibility:

"Ostrom was a political scientist, who was also the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics back in 2009. She won for her brilliant research that can help explain why some folks today simply don't want to comply with COVID-19 rules and why we have to make them.

The reason: being selfish can be socially contagious.

Public officials have been clear about one thing for a couple months — we need to act collectively to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
...

Then there are the "Rational Egoists." This is a considerable minority of people — about 20 per cent.

Egoists are only interested in what's best for themselves.

Ostrom showed us that these egoists will only change their behaviour (say, in response to COVID-19) to avoid punishment. It's that fear of punishment that makes rule-following consistent with the egoists' perception of their self-interest.
...

Our efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic highlight how things that matter profoundly to us as individuals — like, for instance, our health — are really, at the end of the day, a collective responsibility."​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calg...mOEhZTlJ0a21WZU1JXC9IUzZGVExcL2dRY3lkMlJTUSJ9

Great article, but it leaves me rather hopeless. This part of your link I quoted below fascinates me and makes me despair. What can be done when those in high places who are in charge of Covid-19 policy are “Rational Egoists”...to put it politely and hypothetically? If they only change their behavior to avoid punishment, what could that punishment possibly be? The fact that the refusal of the “Rational Egoists” to follow the rules of social distancing influences others to follow them, adding up to 85% of the population, is something that will keep me up at night. How will this ever be brought under control except by serious punishment of the rule breakers? I doubt that will or necessarily should happen, but what else?

From your link:
Then there are the "Rational Egoists." This is a considerable minority of people — about 20 per cent.

Egoists are only interested in what's best for themselves.

Ostrom showed us that these egoists will only change their behaviour (say, in response to COVID-19) to avoid punishment. It's that fear of punishment that makes rule-following consistent with the egoists' perception of their self-interest.

Ostom's research also shows why egoists being seen to be acting in defiance of rules are so dangerous.

When egoists don't follow the rules, not only can their actions cause others to fall ill, but they can ruin the hard work of public health officials by, quite literally, showing willing participants the wrong way to behave.

Some willing participants, when asked if they would do something foolish just because they saw someone else doing it, will actually say yes. In this case, if those willing participants saw enough egoists ignoring social distancing, then some of them would also begin to ignore social distancing.

They're still "willing," but instead of following the rules, they're also now "willing" to break them.

If some rule breakers (egoists) turn into lots of rule breakers (egoists and willing participants), that's when it gets dangerous.

These two groups add up, by our estimates, to about 85 per cent of the population.
BBM

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calg...mOEhZTlJ0a21WZU1JXC9IUzZGVExcL2dRY3lkMlJTUSJ9

 

[margarita25]

China's new COVID-19 hotspot on the Russian border raises tensions between two allies

“On Sunday, local Russian media reported 6,060 confirmed new cases of the virus in 24 hours, bringing the country's total to 42,853 with 361 fatalities.

"The shutdown of borders between the two countries has demonstrated the awkward situation China faces when dealing with an ally like Russia," Wu Qiang, an independent scholar formerly at Beijing's Tsinghua University, told The Guardian.”

[...]

“More than 2,000 Chinese nationals, believing they could receive better healthcare at home, crossed into China from Russia before the border was closed on April 7, stranding hundreds more in Russia. This influx of nationals, returning from as far as Moscow in the country's west, turned the quiet town (population 70,000) into China's new COVID-19 hotspot.”

 

[Seattle1]

There is a good resource, a COMPLETE CARE FORM you can print out on the CDC's web page for yourself, family member, or other person in your care. You can list medical conditions, medications taken, healthcare provider, healthcare insuranc, preferred hospital, emergency contact, etc. You can fill it in online and then print it, or you can print it and then fill it in. Good to have on hand and to give to someone in case it is needed, so I printed a few copies.
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/caregiving/pdf/Complete-Care-Plan-Form-508.pdf

Thanks for posting the link for care plan form. Having just had a personal experience where a friend died essentially in isolation from family and friends during the COVID-19, it's very important not to ignore the section of the form right below name & date of birth, etc. requesting personal information/history about the individual.

Just recently I had a call from Hospital asking for any personal history I could share about the patient so that caretakers had something personal to talk about when approaching their bed -- sometimes multiple times a day/night.

I will always cherish the thought that a nurse made my friend smile in her last hours by commenting that she was good at guessing a patient's favorite food and then whispered pineapple popsicles (frozen fruit bars)!

Understanding that a sick person may not be able to talk and/or engage in conversation but they can usually hear. Don't let the last things you hear be about your vitals. Fill out that personal section!

 

[ilovewings]

I have always had a special place in my heart for the elderly. I am helping many of my neighbors and church members that are in this population. I used to visit the nursing home every weekend, and now I can't. So my heart is breaking for their social-emotional well-being right now. I pray for them often, and still visit, care for, and get supplies for those that need them.I don't want them to lose their will to live

P.S. Two of my neighbors, a married couple, 85 and almost 91, told me some days they just want to take a handful of pills together and cover up in bed and just die. That is heart-breaking to hear!

That is so sad!!!

 

[ilovewings]

well, now i am freaked: went to the grocery store: wore a mask: so far so good. however, I touched a package, then i noticed a piece of the mask material migrated inside my mouth ( a small piece apparently broke off): in order to get the piece of material out of my mouth i had to take my finger, which had just touched the package, and remove the piece of cotton and that finger did go a titch inside my mouth. Now I am hoping that there was not active virus on that package.

 

[BUF]

Thank you for this article. Jose Andres’ work is invaluable, I’ve seen his work over the years during Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Dorian and other events. He was also good friends with the Late Great Anthony Bourdain.

From the above link:

“Mike Pence at press conference: And we need you to continue, as a part of what we call our "critical infrastructure," to show up and do your job.

But by the Department of Agriculture's own statistics, roughly half of hired crop farmworkers are undocumented immigrants. As are many who work in food processing plants. That means despite being an essential part of our critical infrastructure, they are still vulnerable to arrest and deportation.

Craig Fugate: Part of the problem is 'cause they're undocumented and the fear of being deported, they may not be reporting in sick or getting treatment or being isolated. And therefore causing more spread because they're not given the same protection as other workers.

Anderson Cooper: They're also in some cases working shoulder to shoulder in fields or on meat processing plants?

Craig Fugate: Yeah, doing social distancing in a lot of the agriculture operations will be almost impossible.

Anderson Cooper: It's sort of ironic that all of the sudden undocumented immigrants are now considered essential in the United States to feed the rest of us.

Craig Fugate: Yeah, it finally took a pandemic to make people realize without foreign-born workers much of our economy doesn't work.

Anderson Cooper: A situation like this, it highlights problems that already exist in society that people haven't noticed. Suddenly you see things. It's like an x-ray machine.

José Andrés: In moments like this, inequalities manifest themselves exponentially.

José Andrés is an immigrant from Spain. He became an American citizen in 2013. He hopes that when this virus is finally under control, we don't forget all those who kept working to feed the rest of us.”

Yes, he has done such invaluable work...and he is so dedicated and passionate about helping people in need. One of my heroes for sure...I’ve followed him for a while.

Yep, Anthony Bourdain had some great buddies...miss him

 

[CSIDreamer]

Indiana, US

New Positive Cases
505


New Deaths
7

New tests
3585

Total Positive Cases
11686


Total Deaths
569


Total Tested
64639

ISDH - Novel Coronavirus: Indiana Novel Coronavirus Map

 

[otto]

well, now i am freaked: went to the grocery store: wore a mask: so far so good. however, I touched a package, then i noticed a piece of the mask material migrated inside my mouth ( a small piece apparently broke off): in order to get the piece of material out of my mouth i had to take my finger, which had just touched the package, and remove the piece of cotton and that finger did go a titch inside my mouth. Now I am hoping that there was not active virus on that package.

Every time I screw up, I make a note of 5 days from that day. If you're fine in 5 days, it's all good. I came up with 5 days because people are typically asymptomatic for 2 days, and not usually more than 5 days, prior to showing symptoms.

If you're alive on Friday, all should be well!

 

[ilovewings]

Every time I screw up, I make a note of 5 days from that day. If you're fine in 5 days, it's all good. I came up with 5 days because people are typically asymptomatic for 2 days, and not usually more than 5 days, prior to showing symptoms.

If you're alive on Friday, all should be well!

I think it is going to be a long five days!!!!

 

[Teche]

@Teche
You might want to explain rice and gravy. I grew up in NOLA and never had it till I moved to Jeff Davis parish. Love it! Can’t do the hot chow chow tho! My great grandparents had a cottage on the Teche, where they moved to from Petit Anse when they got older.

@nhmemorymaker
Cajun Belle is not available everywhere. It’s the closest thing to Fontenot, an heirloom. However, Natural Gardening in CA has Nu Mex Joe Parker, an excellent alternative, and you can let it turn red, and save the seeds quite easily.

In Cajun country, we eat rice (white) and gravy a few times a week. Meat (pork, chicken, & beef) is seasoned and browned in a little oil. You have to mind the pot sot that it doesn’t burn. The meat will start to stick...This is good. Once the meat is browned, you add onions, bell peppers and garlic and water to deglaze it. You let the meat cook down until the water has evaporated. You repeat the process until the meat is tender and the gravy is a rich dark brown. The gravy is served over rice with meat on the side. Rice is a stable in our area. Rice fields are abundant. During the off season, the rice fields become crawfish ponds. Crawfish étouffée over rice, yum. There’s even a Rice and Gravy festival. They cook any meat imaginable in a gravy...duck, alligator, rabbit, turtle, & wild boar.

 

[BUF]

well, now i am freaked: went to the grocery store: wore a mask: so far so good. however, I touched a package, then i noticed a piece of the mask material migrated inside my mouth ( a small piece apparently broke off): in order to get the piece of material out of my mouth i had to take my finger, which had just touched the package, and remove the piece of cotton and that finger did go a titch inside my mouth. Now I am hoping that there was not active virus on that package.

So sad that we even have to be cognizant of this these days.

 

[Tadpole12]

I keep seeing gardening comments so just wanted to post this thread for those interested:

Quarantine Vegetable Gardens

Ty I'll have a look see, later.

 

[LadyL]

well, now i am freaked: went to the grocery store: wore a mask: so far so good. however, I touched a package, then i noticed a piece of the mask material migrated inside my mouth ( a small piece apparently broke off): in order to get the piece of material out of my mouth i had to take my finger, which had just touched the package, and remove the piece of cotton and that finger did go a titch inside my mouth. Now I am hoping that there was not active virus on that package.

I did something similar and as soon as I got home, I poured mouthwash in a separate cup (don't use the cap) and gargled for a while. It's worth a try!