Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #31

[astheworldfallsdown]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-51961346

1. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will give her next briefing at 12:30 which will be live on BBC One Scotland and streamed here on the website
2. Schools in Scotland are closing on Friday and are unlikely to open again before the summer holidays
3. The move which was made in a bid to slow down the coronavirus pandemic means that pupils who were due to sit exams will now not take them
4. The total number of deaths in Scotland due to Covid-19 currently stands at six
5. Staff at the Coylumbridge Hotel near Aviemore are sacked and made homeless amid the coronavirus outbreak.

 

[ilovewings]

'Just stop it please': Tearful nurse urges the public to stop panic buying food after she was unable to buy basic items following a 48-hour shift

Tearful nurse urges the public to stop panic buying food | Daily Mail Online


Pictured: Man standing forlornly next to empty shelves in Sainsburys is 79-year-old retired seaman | Daily Mail Online

The hoarding in this country is disgraceful. I went to Publix the other day- the shelves were stripped bare- no meat, no chicken, no milk, not even cream. it is beyond understanding. IMO so many people are just so selfish- me me me- they just don't care and you can implore all day long- they are going to continue to hoard. I sent my husband to Walmart this morning at 7 am- he got one package each of toilet paper and towel paper and some Kleenex: you have to get there really early: finally, they are limiting the number of these items you can purchase: they should have done that a while ago and we wouldn't be in this situation right now.

 

[Hatfield]

Italy reports 5,322 new cases of coronavirus and 427 new deaths, raising total to 41,035 cases and 3,405 dead. Death toll in Italy now surpasses that of China. Tracking coronavirus: Map, data and timeline

Re BBM

WOW. The death toll in Italy is now greater than the reported death toll in China. Just wow. And so sad.

 

[Henry2326]

@Henry2326 You are my go to for the most up-to-date information. I appreciate the work you do in finding and posting.

Thank you so much

You are welcome....friend.

 

[CeeCeeCat]

It’s really scary for the homeless population too. In Denver Homeless shelters are even more crowded now because places where they usually hang out like the library are closed. And we got hit w/a spring snow storm yesterday so they couldn’t camp outside. There’s no social separation in the shelter, not for the homeless or the employees. And when it warms up these people will go out to the streets, w/many of them likely to be infected.

Hi, Colorado! Hope you are staying safe. Sending you a socially distanced {{{hug}}}

Spain: death toll surpasses 1,000

More than 1,000 people have now died in Spain from coronavirus, according to the Spanish government

Coronavirus live updates: death toll in Spain reaches 1,000 as France extends lockdown rules

You know, I *like* these posts, but I wish there was an, ‘I really, really hate this’ button. How is your Mum, Greg? Is her surgery still going ahead?

 

[Hatfield]

You know, I *like* these posts, but I wish there was an, ‘I really, really hate this’ button. How is your Mum, Greg? Is her surgery still going ahead?

So true. We need a button that says
"Thanks for the informative post, but I hate that"

 

[Henry2326]

Meanwhile, in the U.K. have you seen the list of “key workers”?! I estimate this means 40% ish of kids are still eligible to go to school, which rather defeats the bloody point of shutting the schools. What a joke.

Yea....my friend. I fear for you....it may be worse there than US, once the virus shows its ugly face in the way of hospitalization. We will all know how well it hides at that point.

 

[Henry2326]

EU....GEEZ

BRUSSELS, March 20 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's YouTube said on Friday it will reduce its streaming quality in the European Union to avoid straining the internet as thousands of Europeans, constrained by the coronavirus outbreak, switch to teleworking and watch videos at home.

Reuters: YouTube is the second company after Netflix to act after EU industry chief Thierry Breton urged streaming platforms to cut the quality of their videos to prevent internet gridlock. Videos account for a substantial part of internet traffic data.

Reuters: "We are making a commitment to temporarily switch all traffic in the EU to standard definition by default," the company said in a statement.

Vincent Lee on Twitter

 

[Henry2326]

OPTIONS..JEREMY KONYNDYK

1
So if an 18+ month lockdown isn't an option, and easing up on the measures risks producing another wave of transmission, what to do? The report suggests toggling a suite of control measures on and off periodically until a vaccine comes on line. Jeremy FLATTEN THE CURVE Konyndyk on Twitter

2
An alternate best case scenario for the US might play out like this:
Phase 1: a 2-3 month period of massive, disruptive social distancing across the country while we get spread of virus back in check. Basically inevitable at this point (ignore what White House says re: 15 days).

This phase may take longer than it did in China; the US is looking at potentially multiple cities with Wuhan-scale spread, not just one.
And central to China's strategy was widespread testing and rigorous quarantine, which we still (still!) don't have here.

So once explosive spread of the virus is brought to manageable level through huge disruptive measures, we need a phase 2.
Ideally, we want phase 2 to be a sustainable level of greatly enhanced vigilance that allows us to safely re-initiate economic activity and human mobility.

And we have to keep that up for 15+ more months until vaccines become widely available (hopefully).
What does that look like?
South Korea and Singapore provide possible templates - and both center heavily on universally available testing.

This will require a massive & expensive effort. But it's far cheaper and more humane than any feasible alternatives.
Will it work? We can't yet say - we'll need to experiment and iterate with it. But it gives us our best shot, and beats the hell out of an 18-month lockdown.

And here's the key thing: getting the ball rolling on this has to start NOW. Every day we delay phase 2 readiness will compound the length of phase 1 disruption.
Instead the USG is still dithering over reactive measures and claiming the disruption will somehow be short.

The gap between the administration's vision, and what actually needs to happen, is vast.
Time to stop dithering, be clear-eyed about what we're up against, and go big. Starting now.

Jeremy FLATTEN THE CURVE Konyndyk on Twitter

PLEASE READ....IMPORTANT

I'm bringing this forward. We have a very complex situation on our hands....as in the world.

 

[Henry2326]

Spain has nationalized private hospitals and health care
providers to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Spain nationalizes private hospitals to combat coronavirus outbreak

 

[Henry2326]

Reuters: QATAR ANNOUNCES PARTIAL ABOLISHMENT OF REQUIREMENT FOR EXPATRIATES TO GET A PERMIT TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY - INTERIOR MINISTRY
Vincent Lee on Twitter

 

[Henry2326]

WE DO....WATCHING A TRAIN WRECK IN SOLW MOTION

I think not enough people in the UK & US understand what the next few weeks will look like. Usually calm & measured, we are screaming for people to pay attention. We need action NOW. This is a crisis for all of us & we need strong decisive measures to protect all.
Devi Sridhar on Twitter

 

[Henry2326]

CALIFORNIA

After ordering all residents to stay inside their homes unless absolutely necessary in bid to control spread of novel coronavirus, Los Angeles mayor tells @GStephanopoulos that he took the measure with both "a very heavy heart" and "a very clear mind." Coronavirus live updates: Quarantined cruise ship passengers reportedly refuse tests ABC News on Twitter

 

[Henry2326]

PLEASE READ

Public agencies are urging people to throw their disinfectant wipes in the trash, warning that not doing so could cause blockages and damage to sewer systems. Disinfecting wipes are being flushed down toilets and causing major pipe problems - CNN

 

[Henry2326]

WARNING


Because Covid-19 attacks the lungs, those who smoke tobacco or marijuana or who vape may be especially threatened, says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Covid-19: How smoking, vaping and drug use might increase risks from the novel coronavirus - CNN

 

[Henry2326]

CRUISE SHIP NEWS....AGAIN...THIS IS GETTING SILLY

Majority of passengers from Grand Princess cruise ship who are quarantined at U.S. Air Force base in California reportedly refusing to be tested for the novel coronavirus. Coronavirus live updates: Quarantined cruise ship passengers reportedly refuse tests

 

[Henry2326]

HONG KONG

JUST IN: Hong Kong confirmed 48 new cases of coronavirus Friday -- the largest single day increase there since the outbreak began Hong Kong confirms largest single day increase in cases

 

[Henry2326]

VIETNAM

Reuters: VIETNAM SAYS TO QUARANTINE ALL FOREIGN ARRIVALS FROM MAR. 21 - HEALTH MINISTRY
(travelers beware)
Vincent Lee on Twitter

 

[Henry2326]

CHINA....SERIOUS STUFF....meanwhile in US, millions are ignoring isolation....

A Chinese Australian woman has been fired from her job in Beijing and ordered by authorities to leave China after provoking outrage in the country for breaking coronavirus quarantine rules to go for a jog. Chinese Australian woman breached coronavirus quarantine and lost her job - CNN

 

[Henry2326]

UK

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Britain has asked 65,000 former nurses and doctors to return to work and will deploy final-year medical students to fight the coronavirus health crisis, the health ministry said.
Vincent Lee on Twitter