Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #79

[ilovewings]

The Most Likely Way You’ll Get Infected With Covid-19

Instead of buying another can of Lysol, maybe invest in an air purifier, more comfortable two-ply cloth masks, or even an outdoor fire pit or space heater. Be prepared to meet friends outside in colder temperatures or insist upon masks, even in your home. We’ve still got a long way to go before we can declare victory over the novel coronavirus, but at least we know more now than we did six months ago. And you don’t have to sanitize your apples anymore.

I do wash off all food that comes into my home with soap and water. I can't help it- i don't feel comfortable not doing that---the reason is i don't want live virus on my food and then if i accidentally touch my face, nose, eyes, mouth-- i can introduce the virus into my system-- am i wrong?

 

[Yvettea]

From the article: And you don’t have to sanitize your apples anymore.

I do wash off all food that comes into my home with soap and water. I can't help it- i don't feel comfortable not doing that---the reason is i don't want live virus on my food and then if i accidentally touch my face, nose, eyes, mouth-- i can introduce the virus into my system-- am i wrong?

Apparently that’s considered an unlikely means of transmission but if it’s working for you don’t change it. Maybe a scientist will weigh in on your question.

 

[Cool Cats]

Sun, September 20, 2020, 4:30 AM EDT

3 families chose between online and in-person school. Now they're questioning their decisions.

 

[10ofRods]

Sun, September 20, 2020, 4:30 AM EDT

3 families chose between online and in-person school. Now they're questioning their decisions.

Great story - which highlights (once again) how many people think that kids have to be "sick" to transmit.

 

[Warwick1991]

I do wash off all food that comes into my home with soap and water. I can't help it- i don't feel comfortable not doing that---the reason is i don't want live virus on my food and then if i accidentally touch my face, nose, eyes, mouth-- i can introduce the virus into my system-- am i wrong?

I still clean food packaging of all kinds, and thoroughly wash fruit. I also let my mail sit for 24 hours before opening it, and I treat cardboard boxes the same way. I also let plastic wrapped packages sit for 72 hours. I use ethyl alcohol to wipe down food packages and packages I need to open quickly. Even if the virus is less likely to spread from touching objects, I won’t take a chance - I have asthma and don’t want this virus....

 

[MrX]

Which tells us a lot. Out of all the reported (tested) cases, the vast majority were recent.

There is a Pulitzer, or more, waiting for whoever can show that 167K out of 247K cases, of a virus with a 10 to 14 day host life, are still active after almost seven months. The level of willful ignorance is approaching the astounding, in my opinion. And, in the interest of accuracy, AZDHS is only reporting 214K total cases.

 

[SouthAussie]

There is a Pulitzer, or more, waiting for whoever can show that 167K out of 247K cases, of a virus with a 10 to 14 day host life, are still active after almost seven months. The level of willful ignorance is approaching the astounding, in my opinion. And, in the interest of accuracy, AZDHS is only reporting 214K total cases.

I don't think the issue is wilful ignorance, more that the reporting is very different.

When I just added up the new cases on AZDHS since 7th September they are 6,182 (presumably the active tested cases) ... which does not include 20th or 21st September as those figures are not yet available. The 19th September does not look correct yet either. imo
It also says that reporting could be up to 7 days delayed, for whatever reason. "Illnesses in the last 4-7 days may not be reported yet".

So that means reported active cases would be 2.8% of what AZ reports is their total cases since the pandemic reporting commenced. Probably on the very low side, due to the unreported cases.
There could be a spike of cases yet to be reported, given the delays, but it won't bring the total of active cases up to 82% of total cases as Worldometer shows. imo

ADHS - Data Dashboard

 

[margarita25]

"”Mark my words, within weeks to several months we’re going to see cases pick up a lot in Sweden,” he said. “There’s nothing magical that’s happened there whatsoever.”“

Dr. Osterholm says Minnesotans have forgotten about COVID-19

 

[SouthAussie]

I was reading an article in my state's biggest publication today, it said that 1 in 5 adults from 50-59 years have had their grown children move home due to the financial stresses of covid.

It also said that in the US 52% of kids under 30 years old now live back with their parents, a greater number than at any time since the Great Depression.

My link is a photo taken by me of today's copy of The Advertiser, 22 September 2020.

 

[Satchie]

There is a Pulitzer, or more, waiting for whoever can show that 167K out of 247K cases, of a virus with a 10 to 14 day host life, are still active after almost seven months. The level of willful ignorance is approaching the astounding, in my opinion. And, in the interest of accuracy, AZDHS is only reporting 214K total cases.

Worldometer just compiles the data, they don't create it.

Active cases = total cases minus deaths minus recoveries.

The problem is compiling the data about recoveries.

"Recoveries = this statistic is highly imperfect, because reporting can be missing, incomplete, incorrect, based on different definitions, or dated (or a combination of all of these) for many governments, both at the local and national level, sometimes with differences between states within the same country or counties within the same state."
About Worldometer COVID-19 data - Worldometer

If the patient is in hospital, or otherwise being closely monitored, they are deemed recovered if they test negative twice.

But if people are just tested positive and then sent home, there's no hard data about recoveries.

Some states/countries assume a case has recovered if a) the person has not died and b) three or more weeks has passed.

I would suggest Arizona is no longer keeping up these statistics at all. So the data that AZ sends out to agencies that compile the data, implies that most of the people who have tested positive have never recovered.

 

[SouthAussie]

Worldometer just compiles the data, they don't create it.

Active cases = total cases minus deaths minus recoveries.

The problem is compiling the data about recoveries.

"Recoveries = this statistic is highly imperfect, because reporting can be missing, incomplete, incorrect, based on different definitions, or dated (or a combination of all of these) for many governments, both at the local and national level, sometimes with differences between states within the same country or counties within the same state."
About Worldometer COVID-19 data - Worldometer

If the patient is in hospital, or otherwise being closely monitored, they are deemed recovered if they test negative twice.

But if people are just tested positive and then sent home, there's no hard data about recoveries.

Some states/countries assume a case has recovered if a) the person has not died and b) three or more weeks has passed.

I would suggest Arizona is no longer keeping up these statistics at all. So the data that AZ sends out to agencies that compile the data, implies that most of the people who have tested positive have never recovered.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for figuring it out.

 

[Kaley Smith]

I've said from the beginning "Covid-19 is our generation's World War." We need to make sacrifices. I think it's our moral obligation to each do our part to the best of our ability. For me, as our case numbers climb, it means going out only when necessary, wearing a mask when I leave my home, regularly ordering food from local, family-owned restaurants, checking on seniors, supporting those with anxiety and depression, and foregoing celebrating my 65th birthday in a big way because I don't want to put my friends or family at risk. I also don't go to movies, restaurants or church now. Trivial sacrifices when compared to people who went through the World Wars and/or the Great Depression.

 

[Lilibet]

I've said from the beginning "Covid-19 is our generation's World War." We need to make sacrifices. I think it's our moral obligation to each do our part to the best of our ability. For me, as our case numbers climb, it means going out only when necessary, wearing a mask when I leave my home, regularly ordering food from local, family-owned restaurants, checking on seniors, supporting those with anxiety and depression, and foregoing celebrating my 65th birthday in a big way because I don't want to put my friends or family at risk. I also don't go to movies, restaurants or church now. Trivial sacrifices when compared to people who went through the World Wars and/or the Great Depression.

BBM

Exactly @Kaley Smith. I’ve said the same thing and follow the same pattern you do. I was born right after the end of WWII, the first of the baby boomers (75 in January 2021). I think only someone born in 1941 and earlier would have any real memories of rationing and making sure their blackout blinds were tight. My Mom volunteered to go out at night to check for light leaks in Greenwich Village NYC during the war. It was a matter of life and death if a bomber came at night. As a society, we haven’t been asked to make sacrifices since and have really lost a sense of social/moral responsibility for others. The small things you and I and most on this thread are doing are indeed trivial compared to what was asked of people during World War II under the leadership of FDR and Winston Churchill. I’m afraid our society is not rising to the occasion.

 

[SouthAussie]

Well, 3 months out and my locale has just cancelled two lots of New Years Eve fireworks for this year. They just cannot see how they are going to keep over 60,000 people socially distanced along the coastline - both sets of fireworks usually being held at coast locations. No word about the city's NYE fireworks or other locations yet.

On another note, as of this Thursday my state's borders will be open to NSW, which means we will then be open to all other states except Victoria. We are gradually getting there. Very slowly, and hoping like all heck that things go well.

Source: Ch7 evening TV News


South Australia to reopen borders to NSW
No Cookies | The Advertiser

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

First minister to announce new virus restrictions

Nicola Sturgeon is preparing to outline new restrictions designed to limit the spread of coronavirus in Scotland.

They could include curfews at pubs and restaurants, rules on households meeting and limits on travel.

The first minister will address Holyrood on Tuesday afternoon following a Cobra meeting with Boris Johnson.

Her counterparts in Wales and Northern Ireland will also take part in the discussion in a bid to find a common UK-wide approach.

It comes as the UK's Covid-19 alert level moved to 4, meaning the virus is "high or rising exponentially".

Downing Street confirmed on Monday night that Mr Johnson had spoken on the phone to the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

They had all agreed to act "with a united approach, as much as possible, in the days and weeks ahead."

 

[Simply Southern]

So proud, all major Virginia University's made the list.

Yale and Harvard researchers create site ranking COVID-19 dashboards | Daily Mail Online

Public health experts from Yale and Harvard have created a site that ranks colleges on their COVID-19 dashboards and how well they keep their communities informed on cases with both of the Ivy League schools receiving top grades.

The site We Rate COVID Dashboards was founded by researchers from major universities including Harvard and Yale as students started returning to campuses across the country.

The researchers have been issuing grades based on whether colleges in the United States have COVID-19 dashboards.

Johns Hopkins University, which has become a global leading source for COVID-19 data, was given an F from the site.

The Baltimore-based school failed, according to the site, because it does not currently have a dashboard for its campus.

John Hopkins built a dashboard early on in the coronavirus pandemic that is cited by health officials globally.

It continues to track global COVID-19 infections and deaths and provides state-by-state breakdowns for cases in the United States.

Princeton and UCLA also failed for not having COVID-19 related dashboards, according to the site.

Look up for schools...
Ratings — We Rate Covid Dashboards

 

[Simply Southern]

Worldometer just compiles the data, they don't create it.

Active cases = total cases minus deaths minus recoveries.

The problem is compiling the data about recoveries.

"Recoveries = this statistic is highly imperfect, because reporting can be missing, incomplete, incorrect, based on different definitions, or dated (or a combination of all of these) for many governments, both at the local and national level, sometimes with differences between states within the same country or counties within the same state."
About Worldometer COVID-19 data - Worldometer

If the patient is in hospital, or otherwise being closely monitored, they are deemed recovered if they test negative twice.

But if people are just tested positive and then sent home, there's no hard data about recoveries.

Some states/countries assume a case has recovered if a) the person has not died and b) three or more weeks has passed.

I would suggest Arizona is no longer keeping up these statistics at all. So the data that AZ sends out to agencies that compile the data, implies that most of the people who have tested positive have never recovered.

I just check Virginia numbers with the Worldmeter. It shows recovered. Virginia has NEVER reported recovered cases and made clear in many PCs it has no way of tracking.

WM is a private for profit company funded by income from advertising. They state they use government sites, media sources and volunteers to compile data.

MOO....never have figured out why folks think this a reliable source when our states report directly to CDC. Every state has its own dashboard and per WM they use these plus algorithm. I did notice WM is NOT linked to the AZ statesite, so not sure where WM is pulling numbers for this state. Very inconsistent site and unreliable in my opinion and hours of comparing WM to State websites early in the pandemic.

Source "where the numbers come from"
Worldometer - About us

 

[SouthAussie]

MOO....never have figured out why folks think this a reliable source when our states report directly to CDC.

Because we can see more than just the US. Personally, I am interested in what is going on around the world - as this virus grips almost every country.

Worldometer gives a single place to go where all countries are included, so a snapshot of what is going on everywhere can be got from worldometer. I do not have time to check every person's preferred place for data. Worldometer is not an unreliable source, it just seems to have auto formulas for calculating active cases.

The case in point, AZDHS, has no active cases category at all. If you want to work out active cases you have to try to do it yourself from their incomplete data.

IMO

 

[Simply Southern]

Because we can see more than just the US. Personally, I am interested in what is going on around the world - as this virus grips almost every country.

Worldometer gives a single place to go where all countries are included, so a snapshot of what is going on everywhere can be got from worldometer. I do not have time to check every person's preferred place for data.

The US is not my single focus, and maybe others feel the same.

IMO

Does your county have its own dashboard?

I know some countries do not and WM is the only source for data.

My point, comparing WM data, collected by volunteers does not match data reported by states in the US in some cases. I always, refer to state data when possible.

MOO...

 

[SouthAussie]

Does your county have its own dashboard?

I know some countries do not and WM is the only source for data.

My point, comparing WM data, collected by volunteers does not match data reported by states in the US in some cases. I always, refer to state data when possible.

MOO...

Worldometer is pretty good with my country's data (yes, we have our own dashboards here).

Perhaps the issue with the US is the incomplete reporting, and it affects dashboards everywhere.
AZDHS is a perfect example. 4-7 day lag in accurate figures, no active cases category.

If AZDHS cannot get its own figures right in a timely fashion, I wonder how accurate their reportings are to CDC. Do those figures have the same kind of lag? Are other states having difficulty with lag as well? (Rhetorical questions, because likely no-one here knows the answer.)

IMO