Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #74

[SouthAussie]

Coronavirus: Record daily jump in infections takes India's COVID-19 cases above 2m

India has reported a record daily jump in coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infections in the country above two million.

On Friday, officials confirmed that 62,538 new cases had been identified.

India is the third worst-affected country in the world behind the US and Brazil.

According to India's health ministry, only a third of the 2.03 million cases are currently active, with the country recording its highest-ever number of recoveries on Thursday.

The first registered COVID-19 case was detected in Kerala on 30 January this year. It took 173 days to reach a million cases on 16 July.

Since then, it has taken just 21 days to reach two million - an indication of how quickly the virus has spread across the country.

India now has the fastest growth rate of contagion at 3.1%.

More than 41,500 deaths have been reported so far. However, the government is keen to suggest that India's fatality rate of 2% is lower than what has been seen in other countries.

Nevertheless, the trajectory of the virus continues to show an upward trend across all states.

India currently has a population of 1,381,433,770 - and rising quickly.
USA's population - currently said to be 331,206,060 - is less than 1/4 of India's population.

(Just to put it in perspective.)

There is a big chance of numbers really blowing out in India, with their tightly packed and huge population. imo
If a vaccine ever becomes available, it is going to be a mammoth task to try to get the world vaccinated.

India Population (2020) - Worldometer
United States Population (2020) - Worldometer.

 

[tresir2012]

India currently has a population of 1,381,433,770 - and rising quickly.
USA's population - currently said to be 331,206,060 - is less than 1/4 of India's population.

(Just to put it in perspective.)

There is a big chance of numbers really blowing out in India, with their tightly packed and huge population. imo
If a vaccine ever becomes available, it is going to be a mammoth task to try to get the world vaccinated.

India Population (2020) - Worldometer
United States Population (2020) - Worldometer.

Coronavirus India live updates: Serum Institute to make 100mn Covid vaccines for India

There are articles in this Times of India link about ramping up vaccine manufacture and other coronavirus stories. I'll see if I can copy/summarise the items/individual links.

Read: SII enters into new partnership to accelerate manufacture, delivery of Covid-19 vaccines for India




15:47 (IST), AUG 07
The price for Oxford-Serum Institute of India manufactured Covid vaccine for LMICs will be $3



15:24 (IST), AUG 07
3,646 new Covid-19 cases reported in Bihar, total tally reaches 71,794 in the state, reports ANI quoting Bihar health department

CORONAVIRUS TOP STORIES

Serum Institute of India enters into partnership to accelerate manufacture, delivery of Covid vaccines for India

India's Covid-19 management marked by rising recovery rate, falling fatality rate: Centre

Here's what Indians have been spending their cash on during pandemic

About 600,000 virus-hunting women health activists goes on strike

S Jaishankar, Mike Pompeo talk over phone; discuss cooperation to contain Covid-19, Indo-Pacific

With highest single-day spike of 62,538 cases, India's Covid-19 tally breaches 20 lakh mark

Rahul attacks Modi govt over India's Covid-19 tally crossing 20-lakh mark

US President Donald Trump says coronavirus vaccine possible before November 3


Art unlocked: Artistes on virtual stage to connect with audience

No benefit of plasma therapy in reducing Covid-19 mortality risk, says AIIMS trial interim analysis
FULL COVERAGE


14:58 (IST), AUG 07
Leader of opposition & former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah is clinically stable and responding to Covid-19 treatment. He is comfortable & his appetite has improved. Our team of experts will continue to monitor him closely, reports ANI quoting Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru



14:30 (IST), AUG 07
India's Covid-19 management marked by rising recovery rate, falling fatality rate: Centre

India's Covid-19 management is marked by "two significant achievements" of continuously rising recovery rate among Covid-19 patients and a case fatality rate that has remained much below the global average, according to the health ministry

 

[CSIDreamer]

.

US warning as people die from drinking hand sanitiser

A CDC team described the cases of 15 adults in Arizona and New Mexico hospitalised for methanol poisoning after consuming alcohol-based hand sanitisers between May and June.
The CDC is not sure why people might drink hand sanitiser.

The researchers found 15 people, ages 21 to 65, were admitted to a hospital after ingesting alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
Six developed seizures while in the hospital and three were discharged with new visual impairments, the researchers found.
One patient, a 44-year-old man, said that he drank hand sanitiser in the few days before seeking medical care, according to the CDC paper.
The man was hospitalised for six days for acute methanol poisoning and when he was discharged, he went home with almost complete vision loss.
Four of the adults in the CDC report died.

We've had a lot of distilleries making hand sanitizer. They probably got the bright idea all hand sanitizer is made that way. When I was a kid I had a classmate drink mouthwash because list of ingredients: alcohol. Jmo

 

[mickey2942]

L'Oreal workers are worried they could lose their jobs if they don't return to the office - CNN

I have heard this from many of my friends who are currently working from home. Their employers want them back to work. But, what are parents supposed to do with children if there is no school or daycare available?

 

[ilovewings]

‘Screw COVID’: 250,000 Bikers to Defy Common Sense for Nine Days at Sturgis Rally

Wow- what can you say about 250,000 morons who say "screw Covid"- Can't say I wish them all the best

 

[tresir2012]

I don't think anyone is unaware of how small businesses are being affected, are they? Six articles were posted in response, right away.
I know that many of us here in Oz (not real Americans) make a point of supporting our local businesses during this tough time, because we want them still there when things calm down.

The general sharp economic downturn is what is harming the small businesses - people are aware. Last quarter was the worst quarter that the US experienced since the Great Depression (links posted previously).

No hard shut down to get the virus under control is leading to a long, slow economic death. imo
Rising unemployment, people don't have money to spend on eating out, inadequate government assistance programs, tourism is way down because the US is in such an ill predicament.

Many seem to be struggling to eat - according to the Census Bureau data I posted. Except the rich, I would think.

I am sorry that it is happening to Kali and everyone else who is feeling the pinch in a big way.

What do you mean "no hard shutdown" ? Some places have had curfews as well as shutdowns.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Thanks, yes that is what I have decided to do, wear it in the shops and other places.
And figure out the road crossing if we're ordered to, or if I feel the need.

And will practise at home. I now think the mask is way too big for my face so will look into that.
Wow 4 hours, I am impressed.
Come to think of it mine kept moving up near my eyes too. Someone mentioned a metal bit near your nose. I didn't do the moulding over my nose, maybe I should have.

The molding over the nose is crucial. Without that, masks tend to slip around. Plus, I can see why it blocked your vision if you didn't press the wire down. The mask would have been poofed up right under your eyes where it should have been pressed down. But they also need to be a good fit around the ears.

I suggest trying it at home, looking in the mirror, and comparing with pictures you see online where people are wearing their masks properly.

 

[COSCitizen]

More about masks:

Right now, Colorado is allowing us to do dog training classes. I take my two dogs to agility class once a week. It is a very small group, we all wear masks, and we all stay at least six feet apart when walking the course and listening to our instructor. We only take our masks off when we are running the course (one at a time) with our dog. (I do not actually "run." Sometimes I achieve a slow jog, but most of the time I just walk briskly.)

When I forget and leave my mask on, both of my dogs have a much more difficult time than when I remember to take it off. We are not sure if it is because the mask interferes with verbal cues, or if they are depending more on facial cues than we realized. (Mostly, the theory has been that the dogs are working mainly off of body language cues, and verbal cues are mostly superfluous. One of my trainer's favorite exercises is to ask someone to "run" their dog without making any noise at all. Frequently, the dogs will do even better when you aren't distracting them with noise.)

One of the women in our class has a significant hearing loss and really struggles with understanding if she can't see your full face. She will unconsciously start to get closer so to the speaker so we have to try to project our voices without actually shouting.

We have also found that most of us are using the bottom portion of our visual field to track our dogs more than we realized. If a mask obscures the bottom of portion of our visual field we could potentially step on or trip over our dog. This is another reason we generally try to remember to take our mask off. I've "lost" my miniature schnauzer many times and then found he was four inches from my right heel. We call these dogs "velcro" dogs.

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

Coronavirus in Scotland: Aberdeen cluster & FM 'furious' - BBC News

Headlines from today's briefing

• Across Scotland there were an additional 43 positive cases
• No deaths were registered of patients who had tested positive for Covid-19
• A total of 101 cases have been confirmed as part of the Aberdeen cluster
• Eight Aberdeen FC players visited a bar in Aberdeen on Saturday night and two have tested positive
• The first minister says they 'blatantly broke the rules' for professional footballers
• It will be mandatory from Friday next week for a range of settings, including hospitality businesses, to collect customer details
• From tomorrow, face coverings will be mandatory in more places such as libraries, museums, and places of worship
• Also from tomorrow, if a face visor is worn it must be accompanied by another type of face covering

 

[ilovewings]

‘Screw COVID’: 250,000 Bikers to Defy Common Sense for Nine Days at Sturgis Rally

Wow- what can you say about 250,000 morons who say "screw Covid"- Can't say I wish them all the best

Think about this: when they aren't on their cycles- 250,000 people will be packed in at various drinking holes in the area- no masks, drunk, breathing all over each other (and God knows what else LOL), laughing, screaming and all of that. This will go on for several days!!!! OMG--- Someone should have put a stop to it. You just can't account for stupid and selfish.

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

‘Screw COVID’: 250,000 Bikers to Defy Common Sense for Nine Days at Sturgis Rally

Wow- what can you say about 250,000 morons who say "screw Covid"- Can't say I wish them all the best

Stupid is on the rise and no cure for it

 

[tresir2012]

Think about this: when they aren't on their cycles- 250,000 people will be packed in at various drinking holes in the area- no masks, drunk, breathing all over each other (and God knows what else LOL), laughing, screaming and all of that. This will go on for several days!!!! OMG--- Someone should have put a stop to it. You just can't account for stupid and selfish.

Here's a Twitter link to local news so this can be followed thru the weekend.


Rapid City Journal
@RCJournal
·
1h

Those attending the 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this year will be able to have a new perspective on the downtown and the Black Hills from an over 100-foot observation wheel.



First-time rally vendors prep for rally week
rapidcityjournal.com

Also, here's a link to South Dakota worldometers stats.

South Dakota Coronavirus: 9,273 Cases and 141 Deaths (COVID-19 ) - Worldometer

Their highest daily death count for the whole of SD was 4. Total deaths for the whole state are 141. Deaths per million 159.

I think they can decide for themselves how risky it is IMO.

 

[CSIDreamer]

This reminds me of people leaving to vacation homes during the worst of it in NY, NJ, etc.


‘Thousands’ of fed-up Victorians fleeing interstate

Thousands of fed-up Victorians are using a loophole to flee the state’s stage four lockdown – and many will likely never return.

Thousands of Victorians are reportedly looking to flee the state for good, heading north to Queensland.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Aussie hospitals using 'Thor' robot cleaner to fight off harmful superbugs

Coronavirus: Sydney hospital using 'Thor' robot cleaner to fight off harmful superbugs

Doctors at the biggest private hospital in New South Wales are using a $125,000 robot to fight off superbugs using ultra violet light during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Called "Thor", the robot – which could be mistaken for a droid out of the Star Wars franchise - uses a type of UV radiation to kill invisible pathogens by sanitising rooms from top to floor at the Sydney Adventist Hospital.
"It's hard to reach out into those nooks and crannies in a complicated environment like an operating theatre," Dr Rod Brooks told 9News.
"It gives us another layer or level of confidence."
Doctors said the robot is particularly helpful for knee and hip surgeons, who say that if germs or bacteria enter the body in those joints, it's very difficult for them to be eliminated naturally or with antibiotics.
Testing from Boston University in the United States has shown that the UV light source used by the robot is an effective way to combat coronavirus, with the device taking around half-an-hour to treat a room.

 

[Trino]

High school student suspended re: photo of crowded school...
How did this m#### superintendent get his job? No way to make kids wear masks and keep social distancing?
"Wearing a mask is a personal choice, and there is no practical way to enforce a mandate to wear them."
Georgia student suspended after posting a photo of a crowded school hallway says it was 'good and necessary trouble' - CNN

 

[CSIDreamer]

High school student suspended re: photo of crowded school...
How did this m#### superintendent get his job? No way to make kids wear masks and keep social distancing?
"Wearing a mask is a personal choice, and there is no practical way to enforce a mandate to wear them."
Georgia student suspended after posting a photo of a crowded school hallway says it was 'good and necessary trouble' - CNN

Well, at least she's reasonably educated. Comparing herself to a civil rights leader.

I wonder what her future plans are. She's an intelligent young woman.

All jmo

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

Coronavirus: R number rises slightly in UK – this is where it went up

The UK's R number has risen slightly in the past week as the government's scientific advisers warned they cannot be confident England's is below one.

The latest R number - which measures the average number of people one person with coronavirus passes it on to - for the whole of the UK is 0.8 to 1.0, an increase from last week's 0.8 to 0.9, the government's scientific advisory board SAGE said.

England as a whole has remained the same at 0.8 to 1.0, but the R number rose in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, London, the northeast and Yorkshire, and the Midlands.

It has stayed the same in the southwest and the northwest and decreased in the east of England.

However SAGE said it "does not have confidence that R is currently below one in England".

Despite the slight overall increase in the R number, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in private households in England and Wales has levelled off in the past week, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found.

An estimated 28,300 people in England had coronavirus during the week of 27 July to 2 August, it found.

 

[CSIDreamer]

The police are already confronting opposition. On at least four occasions in the last week, they reported having to smash the windows of cars and pull people out after they refused to provide a name and address at a police checkpoint. The Victoria police commissioner, Shane Patton, said a 38-year-old woman had also been charged with assault after attacking a police officer who had stopped her for not wearing a face mask.

What Lockdown 2.0 Looks Like: Harsher Rules, Deeper Confusion

They are really working hard in Melbourne to get this back to a manageable number. Jmo

 

[ilovewings]

Here's a Twitter link to local news so this can be followed thru the weekend.


Rapid City Journal
@RCJournal
·
1h

Those attending the 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this year will be able to have a new perspective on the downtown and the Black Hills from an over 100-foot observation wheel.



First-time rally vendors prep for rally week
rapidcityjournal.com

Also, here's a link to South Dakota worldometers stats.

South Dakota Coronavirus: 9,273 Cases and 141 Deaths (COVID-19 ) - Worldometer

Their highest daily death count for the whole of SD was 4. Total deaths for the whole state are 141. Deaths per million 159.

I think they can decide for themselves how risky it is IMO.

i think somebody else should have decided for them- 250,000 people packed in bars, restaurants and hotels is a recipe for disaster. It is obvious they can't decide for themselves because reasonably intelligent people would not do this.

 

[Sundog]

The police are already confronting opposition. On at least four occasions in the last week, they reported having to smash the windows of cars and pull people out after they refused to provide a name and address at a police checkpoint. The Victoria police commissioner, Shane Patton, said a 38-year-old woman had also been charged with assault after attacking a police officer who had stopped her for not wearing a face mask.

What Lockdown 2.0 Looks Like: Harsher Rules, Deeper Confusion

They are really working hard in Melbourne to get this back to a manageable number. Jmo

From the article:

In Melbourne, a city of five million that is considered a capital of food and culture, the pandemic has come raging back even after a so-called Stage 3 lockdown began in early July — until recently the highest level of restrictions.

Officials have been flummoxed at every turn by the persistent complacency of just enough people to let the virus thrive and multiply.

Traffic data showed people driving more in July than they had during the first Stage 3 lockdown, in March and April. Even worse, almost nine out of 10 people with Covid-19 had not been tested or isolated when they first felt sick, Mr. Andrews, the state’s top leader, said in late July. And 53 percent had not quarantined while waiting for their test results.

“That means people have felt unwell and just gone about their business,” Mr. Andrews said.