Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #87

[rogue ant]

i dont disinfect my groceries-- i used to wash them down but i read epidemiologists
and other medical experts said that was not necessary--i wash my hands after handling
groceries

Same. I don't think it's necessary.

 

[SouthAussie]

Michigan has a very similar per capita case rate to Florida. Yet we have had more restrictions. And new ones now. Mr. Pirate and I don’t go anywhere or see people. Grocery pick up. I am convinced it keeps us safe.
How do I argue with family that sees these stats and questions if restrictions work?
COVID-19 Cases, Deaths, and Trends in the US | CDC COVID Data Tracker

I think there are some pretty big questions about the accuracy of Florida's numbers.

Florida Scientist Says She Was Fired For Not Manipulating COVID-19 Data

Florida’s COVID data doesn’t match school districts'


As well, Florida neglects (IMO) to recognise it has likely been a super spreader state. Encouraging people to come for vacations and take the virus home with them.

Reviving Air Travel And Florida Tourism

 

[SoCalDavidS]

The dichotomy between the way different people deal with this virus is striking.

On one end of the spectrum you have those who don't go shopping, or do go shopping, but wipe down all their groceries before bringing them inside, who also clean their mail before bringing in the house.

At the other end are the people who are at this very moment, going about their lives as if nothing has changed in the last 10 months. Shopping, eating out, traveling, often sans mask.

 

[Willow Knight]

Yesterday, I woke up and was in tears. I just hate that I have been isolating for so very long, and know what's coming and others don't still. That my ONLY outlet is here at WS, thank goodness for y'all!

.

Hang in there dixiegirl. At least we have WS as an outlet. Last year at this time I got sick, diverticulitis and went sepsis. Sick on and off all year, went into hospital again after Hurricane Sally hit. Well, my sister passed away Oct 27, cancer. I didn't make it to her funeral, it would have been a 6-7 hour plane trip as she lived in WI. I had a picc in at home. Today I learned many are sick with covid in my family. At 65 guess I'm high risk.

Margarita shared a fantastic post on help to get through this. I printed it out. There are some great people here that somehow are able to give comfort to others in this forum.

Just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Some things Dr. Campbell covered today were questions he answered.

Moderna vaccine storage

• -4 degrees Fahrenheit is transportation storage temperature
• Will last 30 days in the refrigerator
• Ordinary freezer, six months
• 12 hours at room temperature

Pfizer vaccine storage

• Needs storage at -94 degrees Fahrenheit (dry ice)
  • NOTE: He said that is the temperature that Ebola vaccines had to be stored at. So not insurmountable (e.d. my first thought was Ebola wasn't Billions of dosages)

Roll outs
Moderna/NIH 20 million doses ready by end of 2020; 500 million to one billion doses in 2021. Can be manufactured in US, Switzerland and Spain. Advanced orders are US order was for 100 million doses with options on 400 million more; EU 80 million doses; Japan 50 million doses; Canada 20 million; Switzerland 4.5 million; UK 5 million doses for spring. They are in talks with WHO, COVAX re distribution and a tiered pricing proposal.
Cost expected $32-37/dose

Pfizer 50 million doses by end of 2020. Advanced orders are US 100-500 million; EU 200 million; UK 40 million doses
Cost expected $19.50/dose

AstraZeneca/Oxford
EU 400 million doses; UK 100 million doses; alliance for poorer countries 300 million doses.
Cost expected $5/dose

Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline
No info on.
Cost expected $12/dose

 

[HongKongPhooey]

The dichotomy between the way different people deal with this virus is striking.

On one end of the spectrum you have those who don't go shopping, or do go shopping, but wipe down all their groceries before bringing them inside, who also clean their mail before bringing in the house.

At the other end are the people who are at this very moment, going about their lives as if nothing has changed in the last 10 months. Shopping, eating out, traveling, often sans mask.

I'm at the cautious end of the scale. I have food shopping delivered to avoid the shops. Wash my hands after I handled the outer boxes, but don't wash the items inside. It's ok, I've got used to it now.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I received my flu shot about a month ago at Walgreens.

Here's my experience in Southern California:
A long line of people, some to fill prescriptions, some to pick up prescriptions, a lot of them to get flu shots.

For flu shot people, we first registered, and were told to wait for our names to be called to fill out paperwork, estimated wait time 30 minutes. I waited mostly outside to avoid mingled people. I came back in about 20 min later to ask if they called my name. They did. Gave me paperwork to fill out, I filled out and turned it in, then was told wait time is another 30 minutes to get the shot. I again went outside to wait because there were so many people at the counter, coming and going for various activities, some were not wearing their masks correctly (only on their mouth). I got the shot eventually and practically ran out of the store.

I wish Covid vaccines could be administered outside. In a tent with at least one side fully opened, and registering, paperworks, and shots done all at once.

\
Wow... such a drag. And mine was such a breeze here in Northern Florida.. I was on a wait list with my doctor, because they had major delays in getting the vaccine. I was in my tiny neighborhood Walmart when there was an announcement over the PA system to "come to the dressing rooms for a flu shot! A real "Blue Light Special" filling paper took 2 minutes, and met with the pharmacist right after... and voila! I will never laugh at Blue Light Specials ever again. (ps.. my doc's office didn't even call me for another 3 weeks)

 

[margarita25]

USA TODAY:
COVID news: California adds restrictions; Moderna vaccine results

“It's the latest good news on the vaccine front. Earlier this month, Pfizer/BioNTech released results indicating their candidate was 90% effective.

The encouraging developments are desperately needed at a time when many states are taking increasingly stringent measures to combat a rise in new COVID-19 cases. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that 41 counties -- home to about 37 million people -- would move into the most restrictive tier in the state's reopening system. On Sunday, Michigan and Washington also announced new restrictions.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said on NBC's "Today" show that the news from Moderna "is really quite impressive." He said the Moderna and Pfizer news “is something that foretells an impact on this outbreak.”

“So now we have two vaccines that are really quite effective, so I think this is a really strong step forward to where we want to be about getting control with this outbreak,” Fauci said, predicting vaccines for those at high-risk could be available by the end of December.“

[...]


“More developments:

• Dr. Scott Atlas, a member of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force, faced heavy criticism after telling Michiganders to "rise up" against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stringent new COVID restrictions.
• As Trump continues to delay a transition of power to president-elect Joe Biden, health officials are decrying the postponement.
• Unless you are under 2 years of age, you must cover your face to shop at Costco. No more medical exemptions are being allowed.“

 

[Rocco]

"Our situation has changed, and we must change with it,” ND Gov Burgum said in a video message posted at 10 p.m.
So suddenly he's Churchill? I don't know a lot about that region but I fear, that for some, it could be a long drive to get medical attention.

FINALLY, the governor of ND issued a mask mandate with some teeth to it, as there is a fine and jail time attached to it for non compliance. It's what 80% of the residents of the state have been asking for, for months.
But now we have some sheriff departments refusing to enforce the mandate.
'This is a health issue and should not be turned into a criminal issue': Southwest ND sheriffs refuse to enforce mask mandate | Grand Forks Herald

 

[acutename]

if you read the actual study, which is online:

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Spain: Hygiene habits, sociodemographic profile, mobility patterns and comorbidities - ScienceDirect

they did surveys and used people's responses to look for statistical
relationships.... so a lot of Qs about accuracy and their findings are
not like any other studies.... wonder where people walk dogs in Spain and
who delivers groceries... among other Qs.

this study, BTW, is printed in English.... it is interesting but it is purely a very "uncorrected" stats analysis of numbers from a survey. They did not delve into causation - the whys of what the #s are.

 

[ilovewings]

I'm not really surprised, especially in the US where there's a large movement of parents who don't want to have their children vaccinated against childhood diseases.

I wonder how resistance to the covid vaccine will compare to resistance to the flu vaccine. I would think the two groups would crossover some.

Hopefully, the higher covid death tolls will convince some to get the vaccine.

i have never had the flu vaccine but i will get a vaccine for Covid-- but i may wait
for a short time to see how the people who have been vaccinated are reacting to
it

 

[margarita25]

“California sounds alarm, closes many shops
Large parts of California are closing shop.

Nearly three-quarters of the counties -- home to about 37 million people, or 94.1% of the California population -- will be required to operate under the state’s most stringent pandemic restrictions, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. Indoor dining, gyms and movie theaters, among other businesses, must either remain closed or shut down in 41 of the state's 58 counties, beginning Tuesday.

Newsom said he is “sounding the alarm” due to “the fastest increase California has seen" since the pandemic began, with COVID-19 cases doubling in the last 10 days. Cases rose 51.3% in the first week of November. California hit 1 million coronavirus cases last week, joining Texas as the only states to reach the undesired milestone.

Under the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, which is its four-tiered, color-coded system for reopening, the state can tighten restrictions based on emergency situations.“

COVID news: California adds restrictions; Moderna vaccine results

 

[LadyL]

Yes, washing hands is the priority. Everything else is optional. It’s probably not logical that we wipe down groceries but not mail and Amazon deliveries. We just wash hands after receiving those. Go figure!

I let them sit for a few days and also sometimes wipe them with lysol wipes.

 

[margarita25]

Colorado:


CSU Helping Design New, App-Readable Rapid COVID-19 Test
—

Colorado ski communities send out 'SOS' to stop spread of COVID | KDVR FOX31
—

Colorado COVID-19 Cases Seven Times Higher Than During First Wave

“The latest data regarding COVID-19 from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is grim: Among the important metrics, case counts are, on average, over seven times higher than they were during the first wave peak of the novel coronavirus.

The per capita Colorado stats are similar to those in Michigan, where Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced November 15 that she had imposed a temporary moratorium on indoor service at bars and restaurants, as well as closed movie theaters, casinos and bowling alleys, and ordered high schools and colleges to switch to remote learning. But Governor Jared Polis is resisting such moves, continuing his recent policy of encouragement rather than mandates, even though Coloradans, unlike Michiganders, aren't openly threatening rebellion (yet) over anything that smacks of a lockdown.“

[...]

“Patients Currently Hospitalized for COVID-19

November 15, 2020
1,417 Total COVID Patients (Confirmed & Suspected/PUI)
1,278 (90 percent) Confirmed COVID-19
139 (10 percent) Persons Under Investigation“

- more numbers/stats at link
—

Mesa County Goes From A Coronavirus Success Story To A Cautionary Tale
—

COVID In Colorado: Leaders Urge People To Work From Home, Again

“Adams County Commissioner Emma Pinter said Coloradans have to reduce contact to stop this transmission.

She said she knows how tired everyone is, and this isn’t how we expected this year to go, but she is pleading for people to do their part.

“We all need to stay home. If you have the privilege to work from home, or you’re an employer who has the privilege to have your employees work from home, please make that choice,” Pinter said. “Our frontline workers, our essential workers can’t make that choice. For those of us who can, please choose to stay home.”“
—

Denver Looks To Add Another COVID Testing Site Next Week

 

[LadyL]

Cancel Your Thanksgiving Plans Now, Says This COVID-19 Expert

Cancel Your Thanksgiving Plans Now, Says This COVID-19 Expert

 

[acutename]

FINALLY, the governor of ND issued a mask mandate with some teeth to it, as there is a fine and jail time attached to it for non compliance. It's what 80% of the residents of the state have been asking for, for months.
But now we have some sheriff departments refusing to enforce the mandate.
'This is a health issue and should not be turned into a criminal issue': Southwest ND sheriffs refuse to enforce mask mandate | Grand Forks Herald

we have had a mask mandate (public spaces) forever... (since March?). stores have signs and I have not really seen anyone violate it. usually if there is a news article about someone violating it, they were also acting crazy or disorderly and like as not would have caused a problem for some other reason if not for the mask refusal IMHO. there are some gray areas- if you are on a deserted trail or sidewalk .... some park signs say "if you cannot safely keep 6 ft ...or some say 10 feet.. away from others, mask required. I have only seen one scuffle about it. I was outside a store that was about to open and a few people were outside it and two women started fighting about whether one of them needed to wear a mask outside, more than 6ft away from each other. It was odd because the unmasked person somewhat graciously offered to let someone in front of her, and that person, instead of just saying "no," went into a diatribe about masks. I did think that the shouting involved was more dangerous from a COVID stand point than anything else going on outside the store. When people start taking masking seriously, there can be some real tension, IMO. Larger stores also offer a free mask on entry if you "forgot," though most people now have a mask of some sort with them and they are on sale in all the grocery and convenience stores.

 

[margarita25]

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic

“Positive Testing Rate in All Focus Zone Areas is 4.19 Percent

New York State Positivity Outside All Focus Zone Areas is 2.50 Percent

Statewide Positivity Rate is 2.80 Percent

25 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday”

[...]

"”COVID-19 is spreading in New York, and the increased number of cases is taking place throughout the state. This is not an Upstate or downstate issue—all New Yorkers, regardless of where they live, have cause for concern," Governor Cuomo said. "We are continuing to use a comprehensive micro-cluster strategy and increase our testing capacity to new heights. However, our success also depends on the vigilance and smart behavior of New Yorkers. Wash your hands, stay socially distanced and wear a mask. Local governments, do the enforcement. We're going to get through this pandemic, but only if we do it together and stay New York Tough."“

 

[Yesiamapirate]

I think there are some pretty big questions about the accuracy of Florida's numbers.

Florida Scientist Says She Was Fired For Not Manipulating COVID-19 Data

Florida’s COVID data doesn’t match school districts'


As well, Florida neglects (IMO) to recognise it has likely been a super spreader state. Encouraging people to come for vacations and take the virus home with them.

Reviving Air Travel And Florida Tourism

South Aussie, thank you so much for this thoughtful reply. It was eating at me and this really gives a little perspective. Honestly, Florida or Michigan, Mr. Pirate and I know that social distance, masks, etc are the best way to avoid this. I always chaps me that I looked at our numbers in Michigan and those of much more 'open' states and see a similar results. Yet our stadiums are empty, many of our schools are closed and indoor activities were at a minimum at a detriment to our economy. Now, with the more recent restrictions, it will be even more so. I have to believe our numbers will go down more and maybe it will all make more sense. After all, saving lives should be any states goal. And right, if the numbers are not being accurately reported in FL, it is hard to even compare. Thanks for the food for thought!

 

[MimosaMornings]

Lincolnton man known as ‘Santa Jim’ dies of COVID-19

Jim Helms, affectionately known as “Santa Jim,” has been dressing up as Santa Claus for years. He brought cheer to the community that families are going to miss this Christmas.”

“Helms was beloved and the community looked forward to seeing him every year downtown. Lincolnton Mayor Ed Hatley referred to him an “institution for Christmas.”

 

[mickey2942]

A very Covid Christmas: Mall Santas will see kids from behind plexiglass snowglobes - CNN

Merry Christmas! See Santa, with a mask, and plexiglass! Hand sanitizer, instead of candy canes!