Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #110

[Lilibet]

I am currently in China where the government has just lifted the lockdown, most of the people here have been infected with covid, including me, I don't know why it is spreading so fast!!!

look BBC report:China abandons key parts of zero-Covid strategy after protests

Welcome! Wishing you a quick recovery @dannypeng.

The Chinese were quarantined for three years

This is probably why it’s spreading so fast. Few have had it yet. My friends here who are getting it now hadn’t had it yet, and are vaxxed and boosted. It’s a sneaky virus!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Long COVID: Could mono virus or fat cells be playing roles?

A British historian, an Italian archaeologist and an American preschool teacher share a prominent pandemic bond: They’re each credited with describing, naming and helping bring long COVID into the public’s consciousness in early 2020.

apnews.com

A British historian, an Italian archaeologist and an American preschool teacher have never met in person, but they share a prominent pandemic bond.

Plagued by eerily similar symptoms, the three women are credited with describing, naming and helping bring long COVID into the public’s consciousness in early 2020.

Rachel Pope, of Liverpool, took to Twitter in late March 2020 to describe her bedeviling symptoms, then unnamed, after a coronavirus infection. Elisa Perego in Italy first used the term “long COVID,” in a May tweet that year. Amy Watson in Portland, Oregon, got inspiration in naming her Facebook support group from the trucker cap she’d been wearing, and “long hauler” soon became part of the pandemic lexicon.

Nearly three years into the pandemic, scientists are still trying to figure out why some people get long COVID and why a small portion — including the three women — have lasting symptoms.

Millions of people worldwide have had long COVID, reporting various symptoms including fatigue, lung problems, and brain fog and other neurological symptoms. Evidence suggests most recover substantially within a year, but recent data show that it has contributed to more than 3,500 U.S. deaths...

 

[Cool Cats]

Long COVID: Could mono virus or fat cells be playing roles?

A British historian, an Italian archaeologist and an American preschool teacher share a prominent pandemic bond: They’re each credited with describing, naming and helping bring long COVID into the public’s consciousness in early 2020.

apnews.com

A British historian, an Italian archaeologist and an American preschool teacher have never met in person, but they share a prominent pandemic bond.

Plagued by eerily similar symptoms, the three women are credited with describing, naming and helping bring long COVID into the public’s consciousness in early 2020.

Rachel Pope, of Liverpool, took to Twitter in late March 2020 to describe her bedeviling symptoms, then unnamed, after a coronavirus infection. Elisa Perego in Italy first used the term “long COVID,” in a May tweet that year. Amy Watson in Portland, Oregon, got inspiration in naming her Facebook support group from the trucker cap she’d been wearing, and “long hauler” soon became part of the pandemic lexicon.

Nearly three years into the pandemic, scientists are still trying to figure out why some people get long COVID and why a small portion — including the three women — have lasting symptoms.

Millions of people worldwide have had long COVID, reporting various symptoms including fatigue, lung problems, and brain fog and other neurological symptoms. Evidence suggests most recover substantially within a year, but recent data show that it has contributed to more than 3,500 U.S. deaths...

I just found these articles before seeing your post. They go along with what you are posting.

A mild or even an asymptomatic case of COVID can cause reservoirs of some viruses you’ve previously battled to reactivate, potentially leading to symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome—a condition that resembles long COVID, according to a recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

COVID isn’t just infecting you—it could be reactivating viruses that have been dormant in your body for years

“Long COVID” in some may not be an entirely new entity, researchers say.

finance.yahoo.com

Frontiers | Saliva antibody-fingerprint of reactivated latent viruses after mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 is unique in patients with myalgic-encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

BackgroundMyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic disease considered to be triggered by viral infections in a majority of ca...

www.frontiersin.org

 

[weepingangel]

I believe a school system in Philly area is using a two week after winter break mask mandate (no link) don’t know if Boston will decide to or not. We’ll see.

Boston Officials Consider Mask Mandate as COVID-19 Infections Rise

As COVID-19 cases rise in Boston, school and city officials are considering bringing back a mask mandate.

www.nbcboston.com

 

[Ceska]

I hope you're not too uncomfortable and that antibiotics will help get rid of the UTI quickly. Pure cranberry juice helps; I always have it on hand.

Beyond a wooded area behind our home is a senior care facility: post-op rehab, memory care, assisted living, senior apartments. During the summer months when the foliage is full, we don't see much activity, but during the winter we can see cars in the parking lot and emergency vehicles at one of the buildings from our rear windows. While we hadn't heard sirens, there were three emergency vehicles in the parking lot this morning with lights flashing - two ambulances and a fire truck. Not a great way to start Christmas, and we hope that no one was seriously injured in whatever the incident might have been.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I live in an apartment building for people who have physical disabilities, right next door to me is a senior apartment, and across the driveway is an assisted living facility. It is very common, in fact 99% of the time, that a fire truck will accompany the ambulance, and just the other day we had two ambulances show up (with the fire truck) for one of my neighbors who was ill and needed to go to the ER. If there had been an incident police would have shown up.

 

[CSIDreamer]

I live in an apartment building for people who have physical disabilities, right next door to me is a senior apartment, and across the driveway is an assisted living facility. It is very common, in fact 99% of the time, that a fire truck will accompany the ambulance, and just the other day we had two ambulances show up (with the fire truck) for one of my neighbors who was ill and needed to go to the ER. If there had been an incident police would have shown up.

In those types of living arrangements (especially the independent living), you never know if a door is locked. If a maintenance person isn't handy the FD may have to break down a door. Another perspective on FD escorts. There's a reason I know this.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Japan is still having a sizable surge.
We need info on China as well.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

 

[CSIDreamer]

China has stopped publishing daily COVID data amid reports of a huge spike in cases

China's National Health Commission said in a statement it would no longer publish daily data and that "from now on, the Chinese CDC will release relevant COVID information for reference and research."

www.npr.org

Chinese provinces hit hard by Covid are seeing a strain on critical care, health officials say

Some Chinese provinces' intensive care beds and resources are nearing capacity as Covid-19 infections soar, national health authorities said Tuesday.

www.google.com

China's COVID cases overwhelm hospitals

In more than three decades of emergency medicine, Beijing-based doctor Howard Bernstein said, he has never seen anything like this.

www.reuters.com

I really wish China wasn't so secretive and dishonest. I'm just sure many countries would be willing to pitch in and help the Chinese people. We've all been through it, but China is just so HUGE. This may well spark more outrage from the citizens. JMO

 

[Ceska]

In those types of living arrangements (especially the independent living), you never know if a door is locked. If a maintenance person isn't handy the FD may have to break down a door. Another perspective on FD escorts. There's a reason I know this.

I don't know about most apartments, but here the FD has access to locked box that has apartment key inside for easy access in case of emergency.

 

[CSIDreamer]

I don't know about most apartments, but here the FD has access to locked box that has apartment key inside for easy access in case of emergency.

The building I'm referring to has a maintenance employee on duty who has keys. That would have been lovely.

 

[dmac55]

A Covid-19 'senior wave' is driving up hospitalizations - CNN
A Covid-19 'senior wave' is driving up hospitalizations | CNN

 

[anneg]

I'm here to report that I am no longer a "Covid virgin"! I don't know where I got it. We had family come stay with us for Christmas, and they all seemed healthy, but I suppose someone could have had an asymptomatic case. Another possible source of infection was church choir rehearsal last Thursday or Christmas Eve service on Saturday. And our family went out to dinner at a restaurant Sunday evening. My DIL, a doctor, didn't think the restaurant could be it because my symptoms started that night, which she said was too soon. I've had two positive antigen tests.

I'm in my late 70s, but this has turned out to be a mild case, very similar to various colds I've had over the years. I've had fatigue, sinus drainage, coughing, headache, mild fever, sneezing...but today I'm much better and have functioned pretty well. I checked with my doctor about Paxlovid, but she left it up to me whether to take it. I decided not to, because I'm really not very sick at all. I credit being fully vaccinated and boosted for my mild case, plus I'm in pretty good health. DH and I had our bivalent booster in September and flu shot in October.

 

[Lilibet]

I'm here to report that I am no longer a "Covid virgin"! I don't know where I got it. We had family come stay with us for Christmas, and they all seemed healthy, but I suppose someone could have had an asymptomatic case. Another possible source of infection was church choir rehearsal last Thursday or Christmas Eve service on Saturday. And our family went out to dinner at a restaurant Sunday evening. My DIL, a doctor, didn't think the restaurant could be it because my symptoms started that night, which she said was too soon. I've had two positive antigen tests.

I'm in my late 70s, but this has turned out to be a mild case, very similar to various colds I've had over the years. I've had fatigue, sinus drainage, coughing, headache, mild fever, sneezing...but today I'm much better and have functioned pretty well. I checked with my doctor about Paxlovid, but she left it up to me whether to take it. I decided not to, because I'm really not very sick at all. I credit being fully vaccinated and boosted for my mild case, plus I'm in pretty good health. DH and I had our bivalent booster in September and flu shot in October.

I’m happy it seems to be a mild case @anneg, but sorry you finally got hit by covid. Choir practice seems like the likely culprit based on the timing, unless your family arrived a few days before you got sick. Has anyone else from the choir gotten sick? Take care and feel back to normal soon!

 

[acutename]

I am currently in China where the government has just lifted the lockdown, most of the people here have been infected with covid, including me, I don't know why it is spreading so fast!!!

look BBC report:China abandons key parts of zero-Covid strategy after protests

China has gone from extreme quarantine to no protections.... it was a lightening fast about face.

 

[anneg]

I’m happy it seems to be a mild case @anneg, but sorry you finally got hit by covid. Choir practice seems like the likely culprit based on the timing, unless your family arrived a few days before you got sick. Has anyone else from the choir gotten sick? Take care and feel back to normal soon!

Thanks! I don't know if other choir members got sick but I sent an email to our choir director letting him know that I have Covid. Our family arrived that same night, in the wee hours of Friday, and we saw them later after they had gotten some sleep. So who knows? So far DH doesn't seem to have gotten it...hope he doesn't.

 

[Sundog]

I'm here to report that I am no longer a "Covid virgin"! I don't know where I got it. We had family come stay with us for Christmas, and they all seemed healthy, but I suppose someone could have had an asymptomatic case. Another possible source of infection was church choir rehearsal last Thursday or Christmas Eve service on Saturday. And our family went out to dinner at a restaurant Sunday evening. My DIL, a doctor, didn't think the restaurant could be it because my symptoms started that night, which she said was too soon. I've had two positive antigen tests.

I'm in my late 70s, but this has turned out to be a mild case, very similar to various colds I've had over the years. I've had fatigue, sinus drainage, coughing, headache, mild fever, sneezing...but today I'm much better and have functioned pretty well. I checked with my doctor about Paxlovid, but she left it up to me whether to take it. I decided not to, because I'm really not very sick at all. I credit being fully vaccinated and boosted for my mild case, plus I'm in pretty good health. DH and I had our bivalent booster in September and flu shot in October.

I'm glad to hear that you are experiencing a mild case, and hope that you recover quickly!

 

[weepingangel]

Oh wow after all this time !
Glad you’re feeling well, do take care and take it easy

I'm here to report that I am no longer a "Covid virgin"! I don't know where I got it. We had family come stay with us for Christmas, and they all seemed healthy, but I suppose someone could have had an asymptomatic case. Another possible source of infection was church choir rehearsal last Thursday or Christmas Eve service on Saturday. And our family went out to dinner at a restaurant Sunday evening. My DIL, a doctor, didn't think the restaurant could be it because my symptoms started that night, which she said was too soon. I've had two positive antigen tests.

I'm in my late 70s, but this has turned out to be a mild case, very similar to various colds I've had over the years. I've had fatigue, sinus drainage, coughing, headache, mild fever, sneezing...but today I'm much better and have functioned pretty well. I checked with my doctor about Paxlovid, but she left it up to me whether to take it. I decided not to, because I'm really not very sick at all. I credit being fully vaccinated and boosted for my mild case, plus I'm in pretty good health. DH and I had our bivalent booster in September and flu shot in October.

 

[weepingangel]

Oh wow after all this time !
Glad you’re feeling well, do take care and take it easy

I'm here to report that I am no longer a "Covid virgin"! I don't know where I got it. We had family come stay with us for Christmas, and they all seemed healthy, but I suppose someone could have had an asymptomatic case. Another possible source of infection was church choir rehearsal last Thursday or Christmas Eve service on Saturday. And our family went out to dinner at a restaurant Sunday evening. My DIL, a doctor, didn't think the restaurant could be it because my symptoms started that night, which she said was too soon. I've had two positive antigen tests.

I'm in my late 70s, but this has turned out to be a mild case, very similar to various colds I've had over the years. I've had fatigue, sinus drainage, coughing, headache, mild fever, sneezing...but today I'm much better and have functioned pretty well. I checked with my doctor about Paxlovid, but she left it up to me whether to take it. I decided not to, because I'm really not very sick at all. I credit being fully vaccinated and boosted for my mild case, plus I'm in pretty good health. DH and I had our bivalent booster in September and flu shot in October.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Wuhan is once again besieged by Covid — three years after it recorded the world's first cases

“Everyone has accepted it quite openly,” said one resident of Wuhan, where coronavirus cases have exploded. “People are just desperate to move in a good direction now.”

www.nbcnews.com

HONG KONG — Three years after it recorded the world’s first cases of the coronavirus, the central Chinese city of Wuhan is once again besieged by Covid-19.

The Chinese government’s abrupt lifting of its “zero-Covid” measures following mass protests has unleashed the virus on the world’s most populous nation, which experts say is undervaccinated and has little immunity after three years of global isolation. The sudden shift has overwhelmed hospitals and funeral homes in major cities and led countries including the United States to impose new restrictions on travelers from China amid worries that the outbreak could give rise to new variants of concern.

But in contrast to early 2020, when a 76-day lockdown emptied Wuhan’s streets and the virus was deadlier, residents of the city of 11 million say the mood is more relaxed — even as they and almost everyone they know are infected with the highly transmissible omicron variant...

 

[Sundog]

Wuhan is once again besieged by Covid — three years after it recorded the world's first cases

“Everyone has accepted it quite openly,” said one resident of Wuhan, where coronavirus cases have exploded. “People are just desperate to move in a good direction now.”

www.nbcnews.com

HONG KONG — Three years after it recorded the world’s first cases of the coronavirus, the central Chinese city of Wuhan is once again besieged by Covid-19.

The Chinese government’s abrupt lifting of its “zero-Covid” measures following mass protests has unleashed the virus on the world’s most populous nation, which experts say is undervaccinated and has little immunity after three years of global isolation. The sudden shift has overwhelmed hospitals and funeral homes in major cities and led countries including the United States to impose new restrictions on travelers from China amid worries that the outbreak could give rise to new variants of concern.

But in contrast to early 2020, when a 76-day lockdown emptied Wuhan’s streets and the virus was deadlier, residents of the city of 11 million say the mood is more relaxed — even as they and almost everyone they know are infected with the highly transmissible omicron variant...

In reply to the last part of the article, it's definitely not a relaxed atmospher in Beijing, where we have family and close ties with others. Entire families have covid now, since the government dropped the zero-Covid policy. There isn't good vaccine or natural immunity among the population, due to the zero-covid policy over the last few years. Although the vaccination rate is some where around 65%, they haven't had boosters and so waning immunity, and new variants since the vaccines were given. Also, the elderly have a much lower rate than 65%, and they are the ones who are dying of covid now. The crematories can't handle the demand in Beijing. Families are living with their deceased loved ones for days before they can get an appointment with a crematory. Hospitals are overwhelmed. The WHO is working with the government of the PRC to try to get current mRNA vaccines into the country, but so far the CPP isn't allowing it. We tried to FedEx our Paxlovid to a friend in Beijing, but FedEx wouldn't take it because pharmaceuticals right now can't be shipped to Beijing due to government ban. People in China are buying Paxlovid on the black market for their elderly loved ones and finding ways to get them, but not accessible to middle class and others.

It's a very tragic situation right now, and praying for the Chinese people.