Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #88

[SouthAussie]

My state is making changes to its incoming traveller quarantine system.
Stop putting positive travellers into medi hotels, and start quarantining them in a refurbished old hospital. To keep them away from the other quarantined travellers (even though they are all supposed to do that themselves anyway - stay in their hotel rooms).

All staff working at this new location for positive travellers (and all positive others) must only work at this new location, no other places.
And the security will be provided by the police.


Earlier on Wednesday, the premier, Steven Marshall, said anyone who tested positive, including returned travellers, would be moved to a dedicated health facility.
All security at that facility will be provided by police and staff will not be allowed to work at other high-risk locations, including prisons and aged care centres.

As an added security measure, Marshall will ask national cabinet to consider testing all Australians returning from overseas before they are allowed to board their flights.
“What we must do is put as many shields as possible between the virus and the community.”
South Australia confirms new Covid case after announcing hotel quarantine reforms

 

[margarita25]

There are many reasons why those of us in Florida are "super-hibernating" from now through the New Year.....

What You Need To Know
Florida reported 8,555 new COVID-19 cases and 72 deaths from the virus Tuesday

There were 5,970 pediatric coronavirus cases Monday, compared to 1,657 on October 5

Data shows a rapid increase in pediatric COVID-19 cases since early October

More than 18,000 Floridians have died from the virus

Experts Concerned About Florida Spike in Child COVID-19 Cases

And...people are projecting "Spring Break" behavior in Florida, because rules are so lax.

University of Florida ranks #2 in nation for positive COVID-19 cases ahead of Thanksgiving break

Thanksgiving through Christmas.... Come to Florida and spread the infections!!!
Florida leads list of Thanksgiving destinations for air travel | wtsp.com

From above:

“There were 5,970 pediatric coronavirus cases Monday, compared to 1,657 on October 5

Data shows a rapid increase in pediatric COVID-19 cases since early October”

Experts Concerned About Florida Spike in Child COVID-19 Cases

Wow.

(Knew that was coming)

Off to check latest MIS- C data/ statistics / MIS-C Thread

 

[I'm Just Here]

My state is making changes to its incoming traveller quarantine system.
Stop putting positive travellers into medi hotels, and start quarantining them in a refurbished old hospital. To keep them away from the other quarantined travellers (even though they are all supposed to do that themselves anyway - stay in their hotel rooms
All staff working at this new location for positive travellers (and all positive others) must only work at this new location, no other places.
And the security will be provided by the police.

Wow!!!
Earlier on Wednesday, the premier, Steven Marshall, said anyone who tested positive, including returned travellers, would be moved to a dedicated health facility.
All security at that facility will be provided by police and staff will not be allowed to work at other high-risk locations, including prisons and aged care centres.

As an added security measure, Marshall will ask national cabinet to consider testing all Australians returning from overseas before they are allowed to board their flights.
“What we must do is put as many shields as possible between the virus and the community.”
South Australia confirms new Covid case after announcing hotel quarantine reforms

 

[10ofRods]

I’m trying to figure out when the Thanksgiving surge will happen.
People who flew out Sunday could start feeling it this week, but will probably tough it out until they get home, rather than get tested and have to quarantine in place and not travel. So they could infect family and fellow fliers and feel pretty sick the first week of December.

The ones who caught it from family on Thanksgiving probably won’t feel much until they get home. But they too can infect whoever they contact while flying.
Some of these will be asymptomatic and never get sick or get it mildly and spread it.

The ones who get really sick will probably start to need hospitalizations about Dec. 7, except for granny who needed to be hospitalized a week after her grandkids visited.

So keep an eye on the week of Dec. 7, worsening the following two weeks. And this is just for the travelers. I didn’t even factor in those who stayed home but had larger groups than allowed in for dinner. December is looking really ugly.

All of this could have been prevented if people had cooperated and stayed home. But that’s no fun.
JMO

Great post. Last weekend had 1 million Americans traveling each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Today is the busiest day for airports. So probably another 3 million?

6 million people then meet with their relatives tomorrow. I predict that the vast majority will not be wearing masks, and will pretty much have their normal Thanksgiving.

I'm also starting to realize that for many people, caring about others (by having them over for Thanksgiving, cooking a big meal, opening the house to everyone) is such a deep, spiritually-motivated desire that we cannot stop it. Humans have certain kind motivations, as well as evil ones, and we can't stop people from being kind. That's how they view what they're doing (just received word half an hour ago that a good friend has COVID, is ill but not hospitalized, and I know how she got it - she just can't help but interact with and be kind to her family, her neighbors, her adult children especially).

I feel an obligation to model different behavior and that's okay. I seriously do not want COVID (I don't like being sick, but I already have a neurological disorder - Trigeminal neuralgia that has made me not want any more neurological symptoms). I've had it since I was 19, but didn't have a sustained issue with it until my 40's, but now I know I don't want any more neuro issues.

 

[10ofRods]

Coronavirus US: CDC plans to shorten quarantine period to 7-10 days | Daily Mail Online

The CDC plans to recommend shortening the Quarantine period from 14 days to between 7-10 days due to lack of compliance- They opine they would get more compliance with a shorter period of recommended quarantine

Um...that makes no sense. There's not going to be more compliance - it's like the speed limit. Set it at 55 and people go 70. Set it at 70 and people go 90.

If they shorten the required quarantine, people will shorten it even more. It sounds to me as if they need some behavioral scientists on their team. This isn't exactly an unknown pattern of human behavior - people dislike restrictions.

 

[margarita25]

COVID news: CDC quarantine time; Pfizer; US deaths; Steelers; Ravens

Coronavirus updates: US hits highest daily death toll since May; NFL postpones Thanksgiving game; 6.4M vaccine doses likely in December

 

[10ofRods]

Isn't the flu vaccine like herd immunity? One can still get a rare mild case but enough get the vaccine it is herd immunity they want.

It would be, if people actually took it. Compliance rates really vary a lot by region (and by race/ethnicity/age):

Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2018–19 Influenza Season | FluVaxView | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) | CDC

We still had something like 22,000 deaths in the 2019-2020 season. Of course, the flu mutates faster than COVID. Certainly our deaths seem to be one-fourth of what they were in some prior years, and it looks like gains have been made in getting people to vaccinate. Some places, it's about 80% for children...other places it's only about 40%.

If enough of us get COVID vaccine, it will dramatically reduce deaths and hospitalizations.

When I went to school if you had an A average you didn't have to take a final exam unless you wanted to. It also didn't affect your grade that much unless you were border line failing or border line on a letter grade. The reason behind it is that it's not fair for a student to get knocked down a letter grade because of having one bad day and a student shouldn't be rewarded for their laziness because they put in some effort to pass the last couple of weeks of the school year.

Interesting you should post that - I just instituted a "grade preservation" policy for my A students. They have done SO much and so many have proved to me that they really get the subject matter. I'm not going to bomb their GPA if they do worse on one test (the final). In fact, I'm offering 2 different kinds of finals (more work for me but I have you all for company) and will use their higher grade.

 

[margarita25]

President-Elect Biden Special Address / COVID

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Great post. Last weekend had 1 million Americans traveling each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Today is the busiest day for airports. So probably another 3 million?

6 million people then meet with their relatives tomorrow. I predict that the vast majority will not be wearing masks, and will pretty much have their normal Thanksgiving.

I'm also starting to realize that for many people, caring about others (by having them over for Thanksgiving, cooking a big meal, opening the house to everyone) is such a deep, spiritually-motivated desire that we cannot stop it. Humans have certain kind motivations, as well as evil ones, and we can't stop people from being kind. That's how they view what they're doing (just received word half an hour ago that a good friend has COVID, is ill but not hospitalized, and I know how she got it - she just can't help but interact with and be kind to her family, her neighbors, her adult children especially).

I feel an obligation to model different behavior and that's okay. I seriously do not want COVID (I don't like being sick, but I already have a neurological disorder - Trigeminal neuralgia that has made me not want any more neurological symptoms). I've had it since I was 19, but didn't have a sustained issue with it until my 40's, but now I know I don't want any more neuro issues.

I've had a brief discussion with family tonight, about what to do together (if anything) for Christmas. We decided we'd wait and see how local infection rates are, but also to see how the US fares in the post-Thanksgiving corona stakes. If your rates soar in the next 1-3 weeks, it might make other governments reconsider their Christmas policies.

 

[weepingangel]

I have been seeing many exciting looking ads for getting away for a good vacation on t.v. I imagine this is tempting!

It’s the VRBO ads promoting getting together with your friends and family in a lovely cozy home somewhere that are just driving me crazy.

 

[Cool Cats]

Midwest hospital staffs struggling with coronavirus surge 'boggles the mind,' emergency doctor says

Hospital systems are strained in the Midwest

Coronavirus is hitting Middle America very hard

“The emergency room where I work is definitely becoming busier and busier,” Dr. Steven McDonald said. “We’re by no means
at the levels of critical patients that we were in March and April. But there is an uptick in volume.”

“And it pains me to read the accounts of these doctors in the Midwest who are reliving the trauma that we lived here in New York. It boggles the mind the lesson one unlearned in the same year. I hope that we finally get it right this time.”

‘This is real’
Most states began rolling back their restrictions for businesses and allowed indoor dining. However, public health experts have warned that this is part of the reason why there is a surge in cases.

“It does seem silly to me to close schools and not close indoor dining,” McDonald said. “Indoor dining, gyms — these are things that have been linked to high levels of transmission. Emphasis on indoor dining which is three-fold higher than the next highest competitor.”

According to the New York Times, 17 states added more coronavirus cases in the seven-day period that ended Sunday than in any other week of the pandemic. Transmission of the coronavirus is accelerating in 45 U.S. states.

At Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic, one of the top health care institutions in the country, capacity is strained after more than 900 employees tested
positive for the virus.

In North Dakota, there is such a shortage of front line health care workers to keep up with the demand of COVID patients that the governor authorized that COVID-positive but asymptomatic employees can treat coronavirus patients.

 

[10ofRods]

I've had a brief discussion with family tonight, about what to do together (if anything) for Christmas. We decided we'd wait and see how local infection rates are, but also to see how the US fares in the post-Thanksgiving corona stakes. If your rates soar in the next 1-3 weeks, it might make other governments reconsider their Christmas policies.

This is the right approach. I'm the oldest person in my local family and I think they'll be persuaded by my feelings. They're worried that I, the old person, will feel left out. To be honest, I do intend (don't tell anyone) to trek over to daughter's house to see youngest granddaughter with her Christmas treasure - briefly. Masked, ventilated, less than 30 minutes. Daughter is *trying* to be careful but she is an essential worker (nurse) so...no complete security there.

In my county, I'm betting that COVID rates are going to skyrocket in the next two weeks (already seeing it - getting texts from various colleagues about who we know that has COVID - so many vectors). It feels like it's closing in.

 

[margarita25]

I'm so thankful for our President elect Biden. Thankful for every gentle words full of kindness and encouragement and hope. We are in good hands.
(Best speech of the year 2020, IMO)

Stay safe and well, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

It is so wonderful to hear talk about pandemic resolution plans, specific actions...We deserve to be hearing more from top officials during this time, which we haven’t been.

Hoping there is not a looming shortage of latex gloves .....


The world's largest rubber glove maker has temporarily halted production at more than half of its factories while it screened and quarantined its workforce after more than 2,000 employees tested positive for COVID-19.

Malaysia itself makes just under two-thirds of the world's rubber gloves, according to the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association.

Malaysia's Health Ministry reported a sharp rise in cases in the area where Top Glove factories and dormitories are located, with 2,453 workers testing positive for the virus, out of 5,767 screened.

Top Glove said it had temporarily stopped production at 16 of the 28 facilities since last Wednesday, with the balance of 12 facilities operating at much-reduced capacities.

The company did not immediately respond to questions seeking details, including the impact on production.

Europe and North America are its biggest markets.

World's top latex glove maker shuts factories over coronavirus outbreak

There was already a looming shortage before this, I saw in some previous news broadcasts.

This IS the next PPE shortage, imo. I’ve already been seeing it, jmo.

 

[Tillicum]

This is the right approach. I'm the oldest person in my local family and I think they'll be persuaded by my feelings. They're worried that I, the old person, will feel left out. To be honest, I do intend (don't tell anyone) to trek over to daughter's house to see youngest granddaughter with her Christmas treasure - briefly. Masked, ventilated, less than 30 minutes. Daughter is *trying* to be careful but she is an essential worker (nurse) so...no complete security there.

In my county, I'm betting that COVID rates are going to skyrocket in the next two weeks (already seeing it - getting texts from various colleagues about who we know that has COVID - so many vectors). It feels like it's closing in.

I'm considering seeing my kids and grandkids (who have covid now) for Christmas if they're cleared by that time.

 

[10ofRods]

Midwest hospital staffs struggling with coronavirus surge 'boggles the mind,' emergency doctor says

Hospital systems are strained in the Midwest

Coronavirus is hitting Middle America very hard

“The emergency room where I work is definitely becoming busier and busier,” Dr. Steven McDonald said. “We’re by no means
at the levels of critical patients that we were in March and April. But there is an uptick in volume.”

“And it pains me to read the accounts of these doctors in the Midwest who are reliving the trauma that we lived here in New York. It boggles the mind the lesson one unlearned in the same year. I hope that we finally get it right this time.”

‘This is real’
Most states began rolling back their restrictions for businesses and allowed indoor dining. However, public health experts have warned that this is part of the reason why there is a surge in cases.

“It does seem silly to me to close schools and not close indoor dining,” McDonald said. “Indoor dining, gyms — these are things that have been linked to high levels of transmission. Emphasis on indoor dining which is three-fold higher than the next highest competitor.”

According to the New York Times, 17 states added more coronavirus cases in the seven-day period that ended Sunday than in any other week of the pandemic. Transmission of the coronavirus is accelerating in 45 U.S. states.

At Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic, one of the top health care institutions in the country, capacity is strained after more than 900 employees tested
positive for the virus.

In North Dakota, there is such a shortage of front line health care workers to keep up with the demand of COVID patients that the governor authorized that COVID-positive but asymptomatic employees can treat coronavirus patients.

The Governor of North Dakota apparently wants to kill as many of his citizens as possible. What is he thinking? it's Doug B., right?

Giving people Covid or giving them a higher viral load after they've shown up for treatment is...stupid. Really bad.

10% of North Dakotans have had or have COVID. Rates are slowing, however (so...this is like Sweden - it gets really bad, people slow their level of contact, etc). 11% are actively transmitting COVID (so most cases are recent).

Apparently, some people have to die or get super sick for other people to modify their behavior. Who knew.

 

[margarita25]

Rsbm

I had to google nosocomial

Whaaat? Come on, I’ve been tossing around terms like “monoclonal antibodies”, “zoonotic spillover” and “R-Naught” well before this

 

[LadyL]

Ontario, Canada

Stick to your own homes for Christmas, Doug Ford tells Ontario residents

 

[I'm Just Here]

Midwest hospital staffs struggling with coronavirus surge 'boggles the mind,' emergency doctor says

Hospital systems are strained in the Midwest

Coronavirus is hitting Middle America very hard

“The emergency room where I work is definitely becoming busier and busier,” Dr. Steven McDonald said. “We’re by no means
at the levels of critical patients that we were in March and April. But there is an uptick in volume.”

“And it pains me to read the accounts of these doctors in the Midwest who are reliving the trauma that we lived here in New York. It boggles the mind the lesson one unlearned in the same year. I hope that we finally get it right this time.”

‘This is real’
Most states began rolling back their restrictions for businesses and allowed indoor dining. However, public health experts have warned that this is part of the reason why there is a surge in cases.

“It does seem silly to me to close schools and not close indoor dining,” McDonald said. “Indoor dining, gyms — these are things that have been linked to high levels of transmission. Emphasis on indoor dining which is three-fold higher than the next highest competitor.”

According to the New York Times, 17 states added more coronavirus cases in the seven-day period that ended Sunday than in any other week of the pandemic. Transmission of the coronavirus is accelerating in 45 U.S. states.

At Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic, one of the top health care institutions in the country, capacity is strained after more than 900 employees tested
positive for the virus.

In North Dakota, there is such a shortage of front line health care workers to keep up with the demand of COVID patients that the governor authorized that COVID-positive but asymptomatic employees can treat coronavirus patients.

The Governor of North Dakota apparently wants to kill as many of his citizens as possible. What is he thinking? it's Doug B., right?

Giving people Covid or giving them a higher viral load after they've shown up for treatment is...stupid. Really bad.

10% of North Dakotans have had or have COVID. Rates are slowing, however (so...this is like Sweden - it gets really bad, people slow their level of contact, etc). 11% are actively transmitting COVID (so most cases are recent).

Apparently, some people have to die or get super sick for other people to modify their behavior. Who knew.

I wonder if people will visit our state of ND? I heard Fargo ND had around half the amount of people flying out at this season. My sister said a worker was exposed to Covid by a dentist but her husband is going to travel alone from Minnesota to Arizona anyway.

 

[LadyL]

Rsbm


Whaaat? Come on, I’ve been tossing around terms like “monoclonal antibodies”, “zoonotic spillover” and “R-Naught” well before this

yeah but you're wayyyyyy smarter than me

 

[pocketaccent]

I've had a brief discussion with family tonight, about what to do together (if anything) for Christmas. We decided we'd wait and see how local infection rates are, but also to see how the US fares in the post-Thanksgiving corona stakes. If your rates soar in the next 1-3 weeks, it might make other governments reconsider their Christmas policies.

I think our infection numbers will rise dramatically to terrifying numbers by the week of Dec 7 like @Lilibet mentioned earlier. I pray we don't run out of hospital beds and have enough doctors and nurses available. There won't be any merry Christmas here. I'm sorry for being pessimistic.