Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #109

[Stunned]

This seems crazy.

This is all about the money businesses lost being safe. Nothing more nothing less. Me and my sane family members will follow the old guide lines as best as we are able to.

 

[cujenn81]

I'm completely thunderstruck I've not caught it. So, I dunno. JMO

I read on the NYT app today that an estimated 1 in 4 Americans have had COVID-19. I was surprised by that because I honestly thought that ratio would be much higher. Closer to 1:2, even.

 

[ilovepierre]

From the link:
Today, CDC is streamlining its COVID-19 guidance to help people better understand their risk, how to protect themselves and others, what actions to take if exposed to COVID-19, and what actions to take if they are sick or test positive for the virus. COVID-19 continues to circulate globally, however, with so many tools available to us for reducing COVID-19 severity, there is significantly less risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death compared to earlier in the pandemic.

“We’re in a stronger place today as a nation, with more tools—like vaccination, boosters, and treatments—to protect ourselves, and our communities, from severe illness from COVID-19,” said Greta Massetti, PhD, MPH, MMWR author. “We also have a better understanding of how to protect people from being exposed to the virus, like wearing high-quality masks, testing, and improved ventilation. This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives.”

In support of this update CDC is:

• Continuing to promote the importance of being up to date with vaccination to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Protection provided by the current vaccine against symptomatic infection and transmission is less than that against severe disease and diminishes over time, especially against the currently circulating variants. For this reason, it is important to stay up to date, especially as new vaccines become available.
• Updating its guidance for people who are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines on what to do if exposed to someone with COVID-19. This is consistent with the existing guidance for people who are up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.
• Recommending that instead of quarantining if you were exposed to COVID-19, you wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day 5.
• Reiterating that regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate from others when you have COVID-19.
  • You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results.
    • If your results are positive, follow CDC’s full isolation recommendations.
    • If your results are negative, you can end your isolation.
• Recommending that if you test positive for COVID-19, you stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days. Wear a high-quality mask when you must be around others at home and in public.
  • If after 5 days you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and your symptoms are improving, or you never had symptoms, you may end isolation after day 5.
  • Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 until at least day 11.
  • You should wear a high-quality mask through day 10.
• Recommending that if you had moderate illness (if you experienced shortness of breath or had difficulty breathing) or severe illness (you were hospitalized) due to COVID-19 or you have a weakened immune system, you need to isolate through day 10.
• Recommending that if you had severe illness or have a weakened immune system, consult your doctor before ending isolation. Ending isolation without a viral test may not be an option for you. If you are unsure if your symptoms are moderate or severe or if you have a weakened immune system, talk to a healthcare provider for further guidance.
• Clarifying that after you have ended isolation, if your COVID-19 symptoms worsen, restart your isolation at day 0. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have questions about your symptoms or when to end isolation.
• Recommending screening testing of asymptomatic people without known exposures will no longer be recommended in most community settings.
• Emphasizing that physical distance is just one component of how to protect yourself and others. It is important to consider the risk in a particular setting, including local COVID-19 Community Levels and the important role of ventilation, when assessing the need to maintain physical distance.

Actions to take will continue to be informed by the COVID-19 Community Levels, launched in February. CDC will continue to focus efforts on preventing severe illness and post-COVID conditions, while ensuring everyone have the information and tools, they need to lower their risk.

-------

I hope there will be more and better messaging related to these updated guidelines.

These are pretty much the same guidelines Canada has had in place for a while now. It just doesn’t make sense to me…

I’m really concerned for what the fall/winter will bring…especially when kids go back to school and people are forced back indoors due to colder weather

 

[ilovepierre]

I read on the NYT app today that an estimated 1 in 4 Americans have had COVID-19. I was surprised by that because I honestly thought that ratio would be much higher. Closer to 1:2, even.

It probably is higher. That number is only going to be counting lab confirmed cases. So many people aren’t even getting tested or are testing positive on rapid tests and those don’t go towards official numbers.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Opinion | Covid isn’t done with us, whatever the CDC says

Instead of the continued dangers of the ongoing pandemic, the message being emphasized is that restrictions are easing up.

www.nbcnews.com

HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY

Covid isn’t done with us, whatever the CDC says​

Instead of the continued dangers of the ongoing pandemic, the message being emphasized is that restrictions are easing up.

Martha Arevalo of Broadway Medical Center fills syringes with COVID-19 vaccines during a vaccination event at Chicago Teachers Union headquarters in Chicago on Jan. 27.John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty Images file

Aug. 11, 2022, 7:59 PM EDT
By Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation,
With the release of new Covid-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday, it seems clear that federal health officials have embraced the notion that it’s time to learn to live with the virus. It’s a signal that many will interpret as permission to return to our normal, pre-pandemic lives. But each time federal guidance is relaxed, millions of Americans lose further protections from possible Covid infection.
Indeed, after the new guidelines on Covid-19 quarantining, testing and screening came out, headlines soon proclaimed that the CDC “eases school guidance” and “marks a new phase in [the] pandemic.” The message was compounded by a CDC official asserting that “Covid-19 is here to stay,” so the new guidance “helps us move to a point where Covid-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives.”...

 

[Betty P]

Opinion | Covid isn’t done with us, whatever the CDC says

Instead of the continued dangers of the ongoing pandemic, the message being emphasized is that restrictions are easing up.

www.nbcnews.com

HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY

Covid isn’t done with us, whatever the CDC says​

Instead of the continued dangers of the ongoing pandemic, the message being emphasized is that restrictions are easing up.

Martha Arevalo of Broadway Medical Center fills syringes with COVID-19 vaccines during a vaccination event at Chicago Teachers Union headquarters in Chicago on Jan. 27.John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty Images file

Aug. 11, 2022, 7:59 PM EDT
By Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation,
With the release of new Covid-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday, it seems clear that federal health officials have embraced the notion that it’s time to learn to live with the virus. It’s a signal that many will interpret as permission to return to our normal, pre-pandemic lives. But each time federal guidance is relaxed, millions of Americans lose further protections from possible Covid infection.
Indeed, after the new guidelines on Covid-19 quarantining, testing and screening came out, headlines soon proclaimed that the CDC “eases school guidance” and “marks a new phase in [the] pandemic.” The message was compounded by a CDC official asserting that “Covid-19 is here to stay,” so the new guidance “helps us move to a point where Covid-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives.”...

I don't necessarily think its the official position of federal health officials, its the position of the CDC, one of many federally funded health & research agencies. JMO Researchers and clinicians disagree all the time, a good thing.

I'm a senior citizen and I recently began a new fitness regimen. Its going very well. I don't feel like getting COVID 19, period. Some healthy folks still get serious cases. We don't know the long term effects. I also don't feel like getting polio or smallpox, either.

I don't plan to "live with it". That does sound like a public relations/advertising meme. JMO

 

[cujenn81]

It probably is higher. That number is only going to be counting lab confirmed cases. So many people aren’t even getting tested or are testing positive on rapid tests and those don’t go towards official numbers.

Yeah, but I just assumed they would be factoring in the estimated number of cases to account for that when offering up those kinds of statistics. But… I guess maybe not.

 

[Cool Cats]

The FDA recommends repeated at-home COVID tests …​

The FDA recommends repeated at-home COVID tests to avoid false negatives​

On the same day that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased COVID-19 guidelines, the Food and Drug Administration issued a statement warning that at-home rapid antigen tests can deliver false negative results and people who need tests should should plan to do so more than once to make sure they are not “unknowingly spreading the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others.”

 

[cujenn81]

Yeah, but I just assumed they would be factoring in the estimated number of cases to account for that when offering up those kinds of statistics. But… I guess maybe not.

It says they do account for probable cases when available. I know SC provides those numbers.

About the data​

In data for the United States, The Times uses reports from state, county and regional health departments. Most governments update their data on a daily basis, and report cases and deaths based on an individual’s residence.

Not all governments report these the same way. The Times uses the total of confirmed and probable counts when they are available individually or combined. To see whether a state includes probable cases and deaths, visit the individual state pages listed at the bottom of this page.

 

[ilovepierre]

The FDA recommends repeated at-home COVID tests …​

The FDA recommends repeated at-home COVID tests to avoid false negatives​

On the same day that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased COVID-19 guidelines, the Food and Drug Administration issued a statement warning that at-home rapid antigen tests can deliver false negative results and people who need tests should should plan to do so more than once to make sure they are not “unknowingly spreading the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others.”

When I’m sick, I test on days 2, 5, and 8. If I’m negative on day 8 and have no symptoms, I will assume I’m COVID free. If I’m negative, but have symptoms I just continue to stay home/away from others. Depending on the severity of symptoms, I might test again on day 10.

 

[MimosaMornings]

The FDA recommends repeated at-home COVID tests …​

The FDA recommends repeated at-home COVID tests to avoid false negatives​

On the same day that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased COVID-19 guidelines, the Food and Drug Administration issued a statement warning that at-home rapid antigen tests can deliver false negative results and people who need tests should should plan to do so more than once to make sure they are not “unknowingly spreading the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others.”

We haven’t good luck with the self administrated rapids unless full on covid symptoms.
Test negative in the morning with “just a sniffle” or “it’s just a summer cold” and around the entire work crew all day into the evening. Next morning pop positive.
JMO

 

[CSIDreamer]

Dual strain vax

Covid: UK first country to approve dual-strain vaccine

The bivalent vaccine will now form part of the booster campaign to be rolled out this autumn.

www.bbc.com

 

[CSIDreamer]

China seems to still be locking people down wherever. Ikea. Really?

Shanghai Covid: Ikea shoppers flee attempt to lock down store

Video shows people running out of the store in Xuhui district as guards tried to shut them in.

www.bbc.com

 

[Skigh]

Moderna's Omicron super-jab will be rolled out from next month

Britain has approved an Omicron specific jab and will roll it out to the over 50s from next month as part of an autumn booster campaign to help the country prepare for winter pressures.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[anneg]

Dual strain vax

Covid: UK first country to approve dual-strain vaccine

The bivalent vaccine will now form part of the booster campaign to be rolled out this autumn.

www.bbc.com

Moderna's Omicron super-jab will be rolled out from next month

Britain has approved an Omicron specific jab and will roll it out to the over 50s from next month as part of an autumn booster campaign to help the country prepare for winter pressures.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I'm glad to see approval of this updated vaccine booster in the UK. Maybe the US will be next.

 

[sds71]

@WOKV_Jeana
White House reports that First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID.

 

[ilovewings]

I agree. People are not going to follow these “recommendations.”
I already know so many people who didn’t isolate as they should, because they just didn’t want to. Even when it was mandated.
I think the CDC has totally dropped the ball here.
IMO

The CDC sure has dropped the ball: their guidelines should be called "do you own thing'- what happened to them, I don't know: the CDC was once upon a time a highly respected organization: we looked to them for proper guidance - now, not so much.

 

[ilovewings]

I'm glad to see approval of this updated vaccine booster in the UK. Maybe the US will be next.

I don't necessarily think its the official position of federal health officials, its the position of the CDC, one of many federally funded health & research agencies. JMO Researchers and clinicians disagree all the time, a good thing.

I'm a senior citizen and I recently began a new fitness regimen. Its going very well. I don't feel like getting COVID 19, period. Some healthy folks still get serious cases. We don't know the long term effects. I also don't feel like getting polio or smallpox, either.

I don't plan to "live with it". That does sound like a public relations/advertising meme. JMO

I know people who have been very careful up to now, but now they are living like there is no Covid. Some of these people are elderly so I don't get it. I am living my life like I did when the pandemic first showed itself, basically I stay home except to the grocery store or the doctor's office. Have not had lunch or dinner with friends in 3 years. I miss that. No dining in restaurants: miss that, but like you, I really really don't want even a "mild" version of Covid----and I don't believe we should just live with it, but that is where we are now--- and the CDC has apparently thrown in the towel and gone along with that concept.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Jill Biden tests positive for Covid

The first lady had been vacationing with President Joe Biden on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, since last week.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[ilovepierre]

Jill Biden tests positive for Covid

The first lady had been vacationing with President Joe Biden on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, since last week.

www.nbcnews.com

Wishing her a speedy recovery!