Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #52

[PommyMommy]

CDC on Twitter
The David J. Sencer CDC Museum is closed due to #COVID19, but its staff is working hard to document the agency’s and the nation’s response to the pandemic. See @CNTraveler to learn what CDC Museum Curator Louise Shaw & her team are working on: How the CDC Museum in Atlanta Is Documenting COVID-19 for Future Generations
11:12 AM - 30 Apr 2020

CDC on Twitter
With many Americans experiencing emotional distress due to #COVID19, CDC is proud to join the @Action_Alliance for the launch of the Mental Health & Suicide Prevention National Response to COVID-19. http://NationalMentalHealthResponse.org . #NationalMentalHealthResponse

1:05 PM - 30 Apr 2020

CDC on Twitter
Protect yourself from #COVID19 while bringing in your mail & deliveries. Avoid in-person contact when accepting packages and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer with >60% alcohol after opening your mail. Get more tips: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

3:51 PM - 30 Apr 2020

CDC on Twitter
Questions about your pet’s health during this outbreak? Talk to your veterinarian if you have concerns. We are still learning about this virus and how it can affect animals. Learn more about pets and COVID-19: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

4:35 PM - 30 Apr 2020

CDC on Twitter
Updated on April 29: Reported US cases of #COVID19 total more than 1 million. 19 states report +10,000 cases. Continue to wear a cloth face covering & keep 6+ feet of physical distance between yourself & others when in public.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.

5:59 PM - 29 Apr 2020

 

[Trino]

“protection”
Mask might be a better option

Protection from what? Note that several legislators were wearing "vests." The protest had been scheduled on FB.
Some tried to rush onto the floor. What were they going to do once they got there? Obviously, not pass any legislation. Take a legislator hostage?

 

[MimosaMornings]

My cousin ordered online for restaurant curbside and had to go in after waiting for 20 minutes - there was a guy at the second set of doors just standing against the door (to hold it open I guess) and people inside lined up.

Two ladies at the register - told him they were understaffed and not doing curbside.

He mentioned there was a way to bring people in from another side entrance, properly social distance and the “doorman” could move so people wouldn’t have to run up against him to enter/exit.

They said they were too busy and not interested in his comments.

This was a well known chain restaurant.

I would think most restaurants would understand the concept but I’m not sure it’s actually going to happen. JMO

 

[Henry2326]

PARIS, Texas (AP) — Barely a week ago, rural Lamar County could make a pretty good argument for Texas’ reopening on Friday.

Only a handful of the 50,000 residents here, right on the border with Oklahoma, had tested positive for the coronavirus. None had died.

Then an outbreak at a nursing home turned up over the weekend.

Now at least 65 people are infected, and everything has changed. A courier drove 11 hours through the night to pick up testing kits and stores are second-guessing reopening as Lamar County becomes a cautionary tale of the fragility of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to get Texas back in business faster than many states. And on the eve of every retailer, restaurant and movie theater being allowed to let customers back in the door, Texas set a single-day record high for fatalities Thursday with 50.

“We don’t know what it’s going to do here,” said Taylor Wright, owner of Aden Ann’s, a women’s boutique in Paris. Word of the sudden outbreak at Paris Healthcare Center, she said, shelved her plans to reopen over fears of exposing her staff and family.

“We don’t know where it’s all spreading,” she said.

More at link....

'And then, boom': Outbreak shows shaky ground as Texas opens

 

[PommyMommy]

Scott Gottlieb, MD on Twitter
Infographic from @NYTimes on covid19 vaccine development. Provides a useful visual on where biggest challenges are, greatest time spent, and where we can take steps to accelerate process (A big one? Manufacturing. We have to manufacture products at risk)
Opinion | How Long Will a Vaccine Really Take?
9:11 AM - 30 Apr 2020

Scott Gottlieb, MD on Twitter
The closely watched IHME Model has a new update out today. Georgia, which had been showing a worsening of its projected covid19 epidemic on some of the recent updates, shows significant improvement on the latest model.

10:21 AM - 30 Apr 2020

Scott Gottlieb, MD on Twitter
There was another update today to closely watched IHME model of healthcare resource utilization and outcomes related to covid19 epidemic. It shows a some improvement in key indicators. Here's the historical data on cumulative deaths as projected on current and prior updates.

10:29 AM - 30 Apr 2020

Scott Gottlieb, MD on Twitter
An important thread from @trvrb on circumstances under which we could see persistent #covid19 spread, and some potential consequences of not achieving meaningful declines in the rate of new infections.
Trevor Bedford on Twitter
6:07 PM - 30 Apr 2020

 

[Bravo]

Never thought I would see the day I would envy a bat. Their immune system that is.

 

[PommyMommy]

Andrew Cuomo on Twitter
We make decisions based on data. We have the playbook: Test — Trace — Isolate. We are building an army of tracers. @MikeBloomberg & @JohnsHopkins are leading the recruitment and training of the tracers, in consultation with the State DOH. We can meet this challenge.
11:53 AM - 30 Apr 2020

Andrew Cuomo on Twitter
.@JohnsHopkins will develop a world-class online curriculum with a training program & online exam. To qualify as a tracer you must pass the exam. We will create a comprehensive playbook for contact tracing that will be available as a resource for any state or city in need.
11:58 AM - 30 Apr 2020

Andrew Cuomo on Twitter
It is our obligation to do everything we can to keep our essential workers safe. The MTA stepped up to clean trains and buses every 72 hours (a massive undertaking). Now, we must clean and disinfect every 24 hours. This is unprecedented, but we must do it.
12:04 PM - 30 Apr 2020

Andrew Cuomo on Twitter
I asked the MTA to develop a plan to accomplish this. They will do it by stopping MTA train service between 1am - 5am. There will be alternative transportation during this time with buses, for-hire vehicles, at NO cost to essential workers.
12:09 PM - 30 Apr 2020

Andrew Cuomo on Twitter
This is an extraordinary effort and requires us all to work together. This will be a joint MTA/State/City partnership. I thank @NYCMayor for helping meet this challenge alongside us.
12:14 PM - 30 Apr 2020

BNO Newsroom on Twitter
BREAKING: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin tests positive for coronavirus https://bnonews.com/index.php/2020/04/russian-pm-mishustin-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/ …

1:13 PM - 30 Apr 2020

 

[Trino]

My cousin ordered online for restaurant curbside and had to go in after waiting for 20 minutes - there was a guy at the second set of doors just standing against the door (to hold it open I guess) and people inside lined up.

Two ladies at the register - told him they were understaffed and not doing curbside.

He mentioned there was a way to bring people in from another side entrance, properly social distance and the “doorman” could move so people wouldn’t have to run up against him to enter/exit.

They said they were too busy and not interested in his comments.

This was a well known chain restaurant.

I would think most restaurants would understand the concept but I’m not sure it’s actually going to happen. JMO

MN state legislator said about 1/3 of restaurants probably will not reopen. Just saw permanently closed in my town. For sale sign.

 

[Inthedetails]

MN state legislator said about 1/3 of restaurants probably will not reopen. Just saw permanently closed in my town. For sale sign.

I think we will be in collective mourning when we see how many local businesses didn't survive this.

jmo

 

[Bravo]

The fallout from this is going to be epic.

 

[margarita25]

California governor orders Orange County beaches to close

“Calling it a "temporary pause," Newsom told reporters the beaches may reopen very quickly "if we can get some framework and guidelines to get this right."”

[...]

“"We just want to focus on where there's a problem ... in a smart, strategic way," Newsom said. "We don't want to be heavy-handed about these things."”

[...]

“The order was announced on the day Orange County reported 145 new cases of Covid-19, its largest one-day tally. There have been a total of 2,393 cases in the county, with 45 deaths, according to data from OC Health.”

—

“"My job as governor is to keep you safe, and when our health folks tell me they can't promise that if we promote another weekend like we had then I have to make this adjustment," Newsom said.

An additional 95 people died from Covid-19 on Wednesday, he said. The state saw a 5.2% increase in confirmed cases since yesterday for a total of 48,917.

"Why undo all the great progress? Let's move this state forward together," Newsom said.””

California Gov. Gavin Newsom to close Orange County beaches after weekend crowds

—-

Orange County reports single-day high of 145 new COVID-19 cases

“It’s the fourth day in the last six with at least 100 new cases reported. That number had been reached just once previously, when 104 cases were reported on April 1”

[...]

“Santa Ana remains the Orange County city with the most cases, with 366 as of Thursday, an increase of 36 cases from Wednesday. Anaheim has 346 reported COVID-19 cases.

Among local cities, Huntington Beach has 223 cases. Newport Beach has 97 cases, Costa Mesa 40, Laguna Beach 37 and Fountain Valley 32.”

 

[MimosaMornings]

Expert report predicts up to two more years of pandemic misery — CNN

 

[jjenny]

Never thought I would see the day I would envy a bat. Their immune system that is.

Bats are reservoirs for dangerous viruses.
"But why aren’t these lethal viruses deadly for the bats? Scientists theorize that it has something to do with their ability to fly. It takes a lot of energy to fly and when a lot of energy is being utilized, a lot of waste is produced. To prevent this from damaging the DNA of bats, they have over time evolved a sophisticated defense mechanism that also helps prevent them from succumbing to disease."
What Makes Bats The Perfect Hosts For So Many Viruses?

 

[Inthedetails]

i was going to ask as well if they were calling them British and i was thinking how is that an insult and how does that even relate in this situation

Snipped

It doesn't relate to this situation, but some segments seem to use American history phrases, especially from the American Revolution/War of Independence and from the founding of our nation, in a show of patriotism.

Too bad they get the history wrong.

I won't go OT about it, but it drives me nuts.

jmo

 

[Snoopster]

very scary, the fact the sergeant at arms actually had to hold their weapons i mean hmm

the world is watching, those images are being broadcast down here as well

Agree.
Still biting my tongue....only even more intensely now.

 

[Bravo]

Bats are reservoirs for dangerous viruses.
"But why aren’t these lethal viruses deadly for the bats? Scientists theorize that it has something to do with their ability to fly. It takes a lot of energy to fly and when a lot of energy is being utilized, a lot of waste is produced. To prevent this from damaging the DNA of bats, they have over time evolved a sophisticated defense mechanism that also helps prevent them from succumbing to disease."
What Makes Bats The Perfect Hosts For So Many Viruses?

So now we all need to learn how to fly? I'm all over that

 

[Henry2326]

Atlanta - Health workers are knocking on doors around metro Atlanta this week to conduct random antibody tests to see how many people have been infected with the novel coronavirus.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- which is headquartered in Atlanta -- has partnered with the Georgia Department of Public Health and the local boards of health in Fulton and Dekalb counties to conduct a survey of randomly selected homes.

Residents who choose to participate are asked to provide a blood sample for the antibody test and answer some questions about their medical history and possible exposure to the coronavirus, the state's Department of Public Health said in a news release.

The survey focuses on Fulton and Dekalb counties because they are experiencing community transmission of the virus, according to the Georgia Department of Health. The teams are visiting randomly selected areas in both counties that are census blocks used by the US Census Bureau.

The agencies hope to enroll 420 households for the survey, Fowlie said. Some residents have already participated in the survey.

This family was randomly selected to take a coronavirus antibody test. Here's what it's like

 

[MimosaMornings]

Protection from what? Note that several legislators were wearing "vests." The protest had been scheduled on FB.
Some tried to rush onto the floor. What were they going to do once they got there? Obviously, not pass any legislation. Take a legislator hostage?

One anti-lockdown protester taken away on stretcher after group is forcibly removed from Michigan statehouse

Capital Red Coats - security for legislators.

 

[margarita25]

The virus hunters who search bat caves to predict the next pandemic - CNN

“The initiative was tasked with identifying and responding to new zoonotic diseases -- including coronaviruses -- before they spread to humans. Over the course of its 10 years in operation, it was awarded around $200 million dollars.

Since its founding, five more human coronaviruses have been identified, including Covid-19. Daszak estimates that bats harbor up to 15,000 coronaviruses, only a few hundred of which are currently known.

Daszak's organization focuses on southwest China, more specifically on the aforementioned limestone cave system in Yunnan province, known for its large bat population.

"We targeted China initially because we were looking for the origins of SARS," he explains. "But then we realized that there were hundreds of other dangerous coronaviruses there so we decided to shift our attention to finding them."”

[...]

BBM:
“After analyzing blood samples of people living near two bat caves in Jinning County, Yunnan province in 2015, Daszak's team found that 3% had antibodies for viruses normally only found in bats -- meaning they had already been exposed to them.

"They might have unknowingly contracted these pathogens and recovered or only had a few body cells infected," he says.

To make the jump to humans, coronaviruses need to be able to bind to their cell receptors, which usually requires an intermediate animal host, explains Wang. This can be a civet cat, a camel, a pangolin or another mammal closely related to humans, he said.
But they usually originate in bats, which carry an extremely high proportion of viruses capable of infecting humans, such as Marburg, Nipah, Ebola and SARS, according to Daszak, who co-authored a study in Nature on this topic in 2017.

"Because bats are flying mammals, their body is exposed to a lot of stress, which would normally generate an immune system response," he explains. "To deal with this, they have to tone down their immune systems, which in turn makes them more susceptible to viruses and capable of tolerating a higher viral load."”

 

[Curious Me]

If you are having mood swings , it's no wonder.
One minute I'm in my weather man's gorgeous, nature-filled back yard. He's showing us a Monarch Butterfly that just hatched a few hours ago. It's a big one. Astounding. Plant Milk Weed he says. Gosh, life is sweet.
Then, bam, now for Covid related news... Local restaurant in business forty yrs. closing today. Places reopening, but lots of rules, lots of lost jobs, the darn virus keeps spreading, big numbers that mean sorrow, Michigan at the moment, ah, someone did something nice. Mood swings, but of course.

US Jobless Claims Hit 30 Million in Six Weeks