Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #55

[Midwestmom2019]

I think the difficulty with identifying a common thread with symptoms is that no one really knows anything about this virus, so they're shooting in the dark. Loss of taste and smell, pinkeye, shortness of breath, skin rash. Who would look at those symptoms and think it has the same cause?

Scientist need to look deeper, find the common thread, and stop looking at the lazy option of repurposing other drugs that so far have shown no success.

Stopping the virus from replicating is probably like stopping cancer. Killing it is good. And I presume, it can be killed. Better would be to interrupt its “life cycle“, if you will. Interrupt its ability to attach to a host cell, for example. Interrupt its ability to split into two new coronas, if that is how it grows. Starve it by cutting off its access to oxygen in blood cells.
Right now, it seems that treating the symptoms is all that is available. So that’s what is being being used.

 

[Trino]

Yeah, something about that doesn't seem right. jmo

Re: warehouse storage for dead. Legislature approved this purchase.

Many of the recent outbreaks outside the Twin Cities metro area are focused around meatpacking plants. Officials have intensified testing in those hot spots, uncovering more infections.

In southwestern Minnesota’s Nobles County, where an outbreak hit Worthington’s massive JBS pork plant, about 1 in 18 people have tested positive for COVID-19. In mid-April, there were just a handful of cases. On Friday, there were 1,177 confirmed cases as testing in the region ramped up.

There were 55 confirmed coronavirus cases in Stearns early last week. By Sunday, as testing intensified, there were 589. And by Friday confirmed cases had jumped to 1,274, surpassing Nobles County.

Kandiyohi County in west-central Minnesota is also seeing cases jump two weeks after officials with the Jennie-O turkey processing plant there said some employees had tested positive for the coronavirus. The county had confirmed three COVID-19 cases back then. On Friday, the Health Department reported 261 people have now tested positive.

Latest on COVID-19 in MN: 534 dead; 'This thing is going to be with us'

 

[10ofRods]

I noticed I had a bit of a sore throat when I woke this morning but went on to work in my home office as per usual, worked all day. Took a break this afternoon and ended up falling asleep for a couple of hours. Woke up to a temp of 100.1. Not feeling well at all and wondering... did I just pick up covid 19 while on one of my grocery runs. We shall see.

Please consider contacting your doctor and if you don't have a good primary care doctor, now is the time to at least look for a couple, make a phone appointment. Go in for testing.

Early treatment of mild to moderate CoVid can make all the difference. And while HCQ by itself doesn't seem to do much for early CoVid, there's a reason it's still in use (along with Z-pac and Zinc - the Zinc seems to be crucial).

While I'm not sure that I would do all of that for a super mild CV-19 case, I certainly would take Zinc. But you really should contact a doctor and ask for advice here.

I think you should get tested. All the best. Obviously if you're not taking Vitamin D, please get some D3 and if possible a little sun. 5000IU per day at least of the D3.

This is just over-the-fence, neighborly advice, you really must contact your doctor.

 

[10ofRods]

Yes. If I’m feeling like this in the morning I will get tested.

Edit. I’ve really done my best to be careful.

You probably don't have it. But the thing is, when we get sick, we don't think as clearly. It's Saturday - but your doctor may very well be returning phone calls today anyway - and there may be a testing center open near you - just start making little plans to do that ASAP, as tomorrow it will be harder. If you're feeling better throughout today, I think you can wait till Monday to be tested. The reason to be tested even if you are fever-free on Monday is that 1) you could have the very good news that you've had a very mild case of CoVid and 2) your doctor can prescribe medicines to keep you from getting more ill, as you currently have mild symptoms.

I know it's weird to run to a doctor over such mild symptoms, but that's what you have to do.

 

[Henry2326]

How many dead bodies does he think they will need to store? $6.9 million ?

Based on the Stanford model with little herd immunity (top chart in the attached) and opening at 50% back to normal, the second wave could peak at 115 deaths per million people daily.
If 5 mil people,
115 × 5 = 575 deaths per day at the peak

If by some miracle the state has generated higher herd immunity....at opening back to 50% of normal
25 x 5 = 125 deaths per day at the peak


Extended Results COVID-19

 

[10ofRods]

My legs are killing me too but I’ve never heard that as a symptom of CoVid other than the generic label body aches. My symptoms would fill a thread so I won’t list them. Just this one question. So many people of varying experience post here so someone may have heard of this. My skin feels like it’s burning hot but I don’t have a fever (tried two thermometers.) I don’t even feel like I’m running a fever, no sweating, none of the usual malaise of a fever, just skin that is hot to my touch.

Has anyone experienced this?

No, have not experienced it, but we know that CoVid attacks epithelial cells (your skin, outsides of your organs, outsides of your veins and arteries). People report feeling as if their skin is on fire or that the insides of their bodies are on fire.

I'm very sorry to hear you have this symptom, you need to be tested. Are you somewhere that can happen this weekend?

 

[MimosaMornings]

Our Home Depot has moved all plants outside their garden center. Still available for purchase. Wouldn't say the selection is as good as previous years, but this isn't like any previous years anyway.

I had been told that our HD had done the same thing with all plants and my mom wanted a tomato plant - so I made a quick run - masked and ready.

I barely found a parking space. I get out and there are people everywhere, my anxiety creeps up. Very few masks. No social distancing.
Yes, there were signs and indications on the floor/ground.
I turned around and went back to the car.
This was on a Wednesday and it looked like a Saturday before the pandemic.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

My legs are killing me too but I’ve never heard that as a symptom of CoVid other than the generic label body aches. My symptoms would fill a thread so I won’t list them. Just this one question. So many people of varying experience post here so someone may have heard of this. My skin feels like it’s burning hot but I don’t have a fever (tried two thermometers.) I don’t even feel like I’m running a fever, no sweating, none of the usual malaise of a fever, just skin that is hot to my touch.

Has anyone experienced this?

@Han my legs ached so badly I needed painkillers every 4 hours through the night too. I have low Vit D and have probs generally with achy legs but the virus took it to a new level. I would say again and again - headache, leg (and back/shoulder) aches, fatigue. They were the debilitating symptoms for me.

On the NHS website they described a symptom of your chest or back feeling hot to the touch.

 

[10ofRods]

I just realised if the deaths were also broken down by sex and race it could be even less of a risk.

For whom?

 

[Midwestmom2019]

Re: warehouse storage for dead. Legislature approved this purchase.

Many of the recent outbreaks outside the Twin Cities metro area are focused around meatpacking plants. Officials have intensified testing in those hot spots, uncovering more infections.

In southwestern Minnesota’s Nobles County, where an outbreak hit Worthington’s massive JBS pork plant, about 1 in 18 people have tested positive for COVID-19. In mid-April, there were just a handful of cases. On Friday, there were 1,177 confirmed cases as testing in the region ramped up.

There were 55 confirmed coronavirus cases in Stearns early last week. By Sunday, as testing intensified, there were 589. And by Friday confirmed cases had jumped to 1,274, surpassing Nobles County.

Kandiyohi County in west-central Minnesota is also seeing cases jump two weeks after officials with the Jennie-O turkey processing plant there said some employees had tested positive for the coronavirus. The county had confirmed three COVID-19 cases back then. On Friday, the Health Department reported 261 people have now tested positive.

Latest on COVID-19 in MN: 534 dead; 'This thing is going to be with us'

Is the virus jumping around on raw meat?

 

[Midwestmom2019]

I had been told that our HD had done the same thing with all plants and my mom wanted a tomato plant - so I made a quick run - masked and ready.

I barely found a parking space. I get out and there are people everywhere, my anxiety creeps up. Very few masks. No social distancing.
Yes, there were signs and indications on the floor/ground.
I turned around and went back to the car.
This was on a Wednesday and it looked like a Saturday before the pandemic.

Take out seeds from a tomato purchased in grocery store. They grow very well. Check out the gardening thread here for plenty of ideas.

 

[Bravo]

Happy Mothers Day tomorrow. I hope those celebrating can do so safely. Tomorrow is also our Daughters Birthday. So she and Hubby will come. Our Family room is large so they can sit across. We will face time with Son and DIL. Since they are expecting it's too risky to have them here. If it was warm we could have gathered on the deck with distance. I sanitized the one bathroom for them to use and we will use main one. There will be cake but no candles. Thankfully I bought Birthday gift way back in November. My husband is BBQing steaks since it's my day too lol. I hope you all can enjoy your day as best you can.

 

[IceIce9]

i have never understood the lockdown on gardening centers... ???Hardware stores, Walmarts, Lowes....are all essential and have huge garden departments. I just don't get this one. Social distancing is pretty easy in these departments....

Home Depot stores have had their gardening departments open all through COVID but they have yellow tape blocking off non-essential aisles like patio furniture.

 

[10ofRods]

While HCQ (the malaria drug mentioned by Trump) apparently does nothing for CoVid on its own, there's increasing evidence that combined with zinc and azyithromycin in mild to moderate, early cases of CoVid, it significantly decreases progression of the virus to more serious levels.

Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin plus zinc vs hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin alone: outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Has the same study been done with only the Z-pac (the azithromycin) and Zinc? I can't find one. And...in the context of an ongoing pandemic, if anything is found to work and the drugs have low side effects, it's doubtful doctors will want to take one of the group of meds away, if they have all three available.

Anyway, we're taking zinc here. Interestingly, men require more zinc per pound of body weight than women (this has been known for a long time). So my DH is doubled up on zinc. If zinc levels are found to be part of what predisposes people to CV19, then that might help explain differences between men and women in terms of overall mortality.

 

[Sundog]

Coronavirus, low gas prices may create new US vacation hotspots

"It might be like the '50s again, see the U.S. A. in your Chevrolet."

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The coronavirus pandemic is a "big test" that has exposed weaknesses in China's public health system, a senior official has told Chinese media.

The rare admission, from Director of China's National Health Commission Li Bin, comes after sustained criticism abroad of China's early response.

The country will now improve its disease prevention, public health system and data collection, he says.

China has offered to help North Korea fight the pandemic there.

Mr Li told journalists the pandemic was a significant challenge for China's governance, and that it exposed "the weak links in how we address major epidemic and the public health system."
Coronavirus: Chinese official admits health system weaknesses

ETA: Transcript:
Sen. Cotton: China made conscious decision to let coronavirus spread after they knew how deadly it was | Fox News

 

[CSIDreamer]

Is the virus jumping around on raw meat?

I've been in a couple of smaller plants. They work in very close quarters. Jmo

 

[Inthedetails]

"A working paper on the economic impact of the Spanish flu concluded that it’s pandemics themselves, not the public health interventions enacted to mitigate them, that hurt the economy. In fact, the study found that cities that swiftly implemented public health measures such as lockdowns not only saved lives but actually helped their economies recover more quickly. "

Will the post-coronavirus economy come roaring back? Lessons from the 1918 pandemic and the Roaring '20s

 

[imstilla.grandma]

As a way of "giving back to the community and honoring first responders" fighting the coronavirus pandemic, ServPro of Bordentown and Pemberton provided a free sanitizing of their professional and personal vehicles Friday in the parking lot of Steinert High School.

“Every day our first responders show up, without complaint, putting themselves on the front line to protect us. We are grateful for their service every day, but especially during these trying times,” said Mayor Jeff Martin.

Fire engines, police cruisers and ambulances came from departments as near as RWJ University Hospital Hamilton, but also from farther destinations such as West Windsor and Springfield Township.

Upon arrival, participants removed loose articles from their vehicles -- like firefighter’s personal gear, coats and boots, and in at least one case, a police officer’s machine gun. Then the crew went in with a towel surface wipe-down and microbial misting throughout the vehicle using an eco-friendly, hospital grade botanical disinfectant.

Franchise owner Peter Barbera adds, "If there is one thing we have learned from this pandemic, it is that we as a community can get through anything if we work together.

"Keeping all our first responders safe and healthy while they keep our communities safe is just a small way for us to give back."
N.J. company sanitizes first responders' vehicles for free. See the coronavirus deep clean.

 

[10ofRods]

I think so many of us are "dreaming" of our AMerican vacations. Since I am partial to New England, I KNOW you would love the trip. I lived in MA and NH for 40 years...and there is no end to the history and beauty you can find travelling in Maine, Boston, NH and VT.....

But given the above statement, my "dreams" are to finally get out to some Western States... Montana, Idaho, Washington....

We do really live in such a diverse country, don't we?

Yes, indeed. And my dad, who was a major road trip kind of guy, used to say after going all over the nation, that "California has everything you need." We've got the sandstone landscapes, the granite mountains, giant forests, coastal redwoods, deserts, etc., etc.

But, like him, I yearn to wander a bit. I've always wanted to visit the Canadian Rockies again, but now that looks like it will be quite the wait.

Montana and Wyoming are both amazing. And Utah never ceases to beckon, no matter how many times we go. Once we're outside of Las Vegas, from Mesquite on up through any part of Utah, it's just amazing. We really like the desert (to drive through it, it's serene) but the Los Angeles to Vegas trip really isn't that great. Of course right now, Las Vegas would be hard to visit (apparently not a lot of social distancing by the locals), but it doesn't take long to get to Utah.

Utah has some of the best social distancing measures going on, for many reasons. If you just avoid Salt Lake, you could do a trip soon.

But if you can get yourself to Yellowstone National Park sometime, you'll love it.

Meanwhile yes, I do dream of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and all the history and the leaves turning color and the little towns and churches and bridges.