Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #46

[margarita25]

Dbm consolidate

 

[FrostOwl]

Interesting read, thanks! Sweden's approach is similar to what Japan was doing until last week when it declared a state of emergency and "requested" (polite Japanese for demanded) people to begin self-isolating.

MOO. If Covid-19 replicates in the throat per @ilovewings link upthread and is more likely to infect through coughing than touching surfaces then IMO Sweden will soon see hot spots of infection stemming from places where people gather.

OTOH they seem to be adhering to most of the same guidelines that other countries are following except for allowing gatherings of up to 50 people. I guess we'll see what develops.

One difference between Japan and Sweden is that Sweden has less than a tenth of the population of Japan (10,2 to 126 million inhabitants), and most Swedes usually keep social distancing even when there isn't a corona pandemic.

 

[otto]

Number of tests per 1000. I wonder what "inconsistent units" means.

To understand the global pandemic, we need global testing – the Our World in Data COVID-19 Testing dataset

 

[Tillicum]

Michigan to scale back beds at coronavirus field hospital from 1,000 to 250

A field hospital under construction in Michigan has scaled back its number of beds from 1,000 to 250 as the state adapts to its changing needs in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus, officials said Saturday.

The Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, a city located 25 miles from Detroit, was initially announced last week as the state’s second massive field hospital to help relieve overcrowded hospitals.

"Originally we were looking at up to 1,100 (beds),” Nick Zager, chief of alternate health care projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Detroit district told Crain’s Detroit. “But things are changing very quickly."

 

[margarita25]

Virus dies eventually, so presumably one can just put their potatoes in a dry dark place and leave them there until one deems it's safe.

Yeah I agree.

 

[10ofRods]

you shouldn't refrigerate potatoes fyi
it turns the starch into sugar
also can end up with a nasty taste after cooking

They taste awful when we keep 'em in our fridge. We have a wine fridge set at 56F for potatoes (and red wine). Regular fridge ruins them. It's set at 35F.

We're gonna plant the ones that sprout and see what happens. We have some at a room temp of 65 as well.

DH comes from a place where they grew potatoes (and his parents still do - it's amazing what they do in their garden). California is not potato-growing country though, as we've had very little luck with them (he has some plan of action for this year though). Tips on potato growing welcome.

 

[SuziQ]

Oh, oh dear. I think I hear a bell tolling for your plants. :/

I will never be able to find the article. But a radio dj is still working. Last week he took a stroll through the offices. Life interrupted. Programming and ideas unfinished on the whiteboards. He could hear the thoughts hanging in the air. Spooky.

 

[KALI]

100% agree. I have catered too many life celebrations due to falls. All could have been prevented with a person to "spot".
think twice, thrice before going up a ladder alone.

Even during normal, non-pandemic times, if you are alone and have to use a ladder, call someone first to tell them what you are about to do. Tell them to call you back in 15 min or however long it takes to finish the job. If you don't answer, they need to take action.

This has been our house rule ever since my mom fell off the chair trying to hang some plants in her patio some years ago. She was laying on the ground until her neighbor found her and called 911.

 

[musicaljoke]

They taste awful when we keep 'em in our fridge. We have a wine fridge set at 56F for potatoes (and red wine). Regular fridge ruins them. It's set at 35F.

We're gonna plant the ones that sprout and see what happens. We have some at a room temp of 65 as well.

DH comes from a place where they grew potatoes (and his parents still do - it's amazing what they do in their garden). California is not potato-growing country though, as we've had very little luck with them (he has some plan of action for this year though). Tips on potato growing welcome.

You might not be able to get much, if anything, from planting store bought potatoes. Most are treated so they won't sprout. If possible get seed potatoes, or get some potatoes from a farmer, or someone who grew them in their garden last year. Potatoes don't like heat, so the earlier you get them in, the more likely you'll get a crop.

What about beets? Will they grow well in California?

 

[cass523]

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The FDA is allowing some COVID-19 patients access to a new developmental drug, made out of San Diego, that could prevent them from needing ventilators. This comes as hospitals across the country report shortages of critical equipment—like ventilators, and reports indicate atleast half of COVID-19 patients on ventilators don’t make it.

The drug, CM4620-IE, will be given through an IV (intravenously) to patients who have severe COVID-19 pneumonia. It aims to keep them from ‘crashing’ even though their ability to breath on their own may be declining. The developmental drug is potent and acts fast to block the production and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from immune cells. These cytokines play a role in initiating the body’s inflammatory response and lead to respiratory distress in COVID-19 patients.

San Diego based company, CalciMedica is developing this drug and is dosing patients today at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN and plans to start dosing at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI within the next week.

FDA permits study of local company drug to prevent COVID-19 patients from needing ventilators -

 

[musicaljoke]

I was chatting with dear daughter Dr. Musical, and she said that nurses in Canada are being offered $100,000 to go help in NYC. It's heartbreaking to think of how tired, worried and stressed the medical people must be in NY.

We prayed for them today.

 

[10ofRods]

Oh believe me we agonized over this when it happened. I’m pretty sure I posted that article actually. A few times.

This is very important and deserves a bumping so thanks for bringing forward.



It seems this is on the forefront of my mind, all of our minds.

Honestly I’m quite depressed about a recent article I posted yesterday that focused on the potential of more “waves”.

I’m mentally dealing with the fact who knows how long we’ll be here.

I’m thinking we will gradually release lockdown in certain areas. Maybe not as gradually as I’d like. I’m afraid the pressure to reopen the economy, or something else, is going to cause a huge second wave.

I’m very concerned about the “back flow”, “boomerang effect”, and resurgence, last I heard Singapore, iirc, wanted to take a look at that today. They were successful in the early days with their “disease mapping”, iirc.

ETA / re: “waves”:

Yep, Singapore relaxed and then had (for them) a big bump-up in new cases two days running. 10% more yesterday than the day before (which would lead to exponential growth if unchecked).

I think we all need to be prepared for that. American Airlines is offering all of its over 55 pilots a good retirement package. I wonder if my workplace will do the same thing. I'm not ready, personally, to retire and yet I can if I have to, I guess.

What a strange new world, not anything like the world I inhabited at the beginning of the year. All conferences and field experience classes called off. No reason to do much of the research I would normally do, as I can't present it at conferences or seminars. I like keeping busy. I am really grateful for Websleuths. Nice to hang out with people who are more my age, ha.

I think every state is going to see a bump-up in cases, and after a week or two, put stronger measures back in place. I guess that's how we'll handle it in the US - like multiple stones thrown in a pond.

What I do know and what keeps me awake at night is that I (and everyone else I know) will eventually get it, if we don't have a vaccine.

I don't particular want to get this one, even if I don't die! I got something on a plane (from a very nasty and ill-behaved man sitting behind us, coughing and sneezing with no attempt at keeping it local to himself - I think he was very sick, but still). I was sick for 3 weeks with a respiratory virus early last summer and I don't even remember about 3 weeks of my life. It included massive headaches and body aches and fever - first time I was that sick in about 20 years.

Will I let my guard down before a vaccine? Have already canceled all travel plans (which is very sad, as I worked hard for years to get to travel and now I can't - not even back to my family in the islands).

Will I end up getting on a plane again? When will airplane flights resume? Are cruises a thing of the past? I can't imagine ever going on a cruise - it's worse than an airplane, because at least I could gear up on an airplane. Now I understand why Asian travelers are so careful on planes (usually).

 

[cass523]

Earlier today, Apple and Google announced a Bluetooth-based COVID-19 contact tracing platform that could alert people if they’ve been exposed to the novel coronavirus. Contact tracing is a huge component in ending mass pandemic “stay-at-home” orders, and while phone tracking can’t replace traditional methods like interviews, it can supplement them.

Google and Apple are using Bluetooth LE signals for contact tracing. When two people are near each other, their phones can exchange an anonymous identification key, recording that they’ve had close contact. If one person is later diagnosed with COVID-19, they can share that information through an app. The system will notify other users they’ve been close to, so those people can self-quarantine if necessary. Ideally, this means you won’t have to reveal your name, location, or other personal data.

How you’ll use Apple and Google’s coronavirus tracking tool

 

[musicaljoke]

Number of tests per 1000. I wonder what "inconsistent units" means.

View attachment 242851

To understand the global pandemic, we need global testing – the Our World in Data COVID-19 Testing dataset

I believe "inconsistent units" means that the numbers are not recorded in the same way by all regions. For example, if I had two tests, some regions would record this as two, counting the tests, and some record it as one, counting one person.

 

[KALI]

I'm actually making myself get dressed, do hair and wear lip gloss at least.
though all my neighbors have now seen my jammies sets, as this doesn't happen until after I've walked the dogs out for morning potty.
However, I've seen theirs too!!!
Tomorrow is color hair day. I bought coloring 2 weeks ago, realizing this may become a problem. Told my bff to get some too.
Hubby is still working with public, so I guess I don't want to scare him.

Just occurred to me, I haven't worn make up in nearly two months due to self-isolation. I haven't gone this long without makeup since I was 13. No one in my city has EVER seen me without makeup. The only 2 times I ventured out was to Walmart, where I wore a cap over my hair, a mask, scarf and a spare pair of eye-glasses. Unrecognizable.

 

[otto]

I was chatting with dear daughter Dr. Musical, and she said that nurses in Canada are being offered $100,000 to go help in NYC. It's heartbreaking to think of how tired, worried and stressed the medical people must be in NY.

We prayed for them today.

That's odd. Are there no nurses in other parts of the US that can work in NY?

 

[margarita25]

I was chatting with dear daughter Dr. Musical, and she said that nurses in Canada are being offered $100,000 to go help in NYC. It's heartbreaking to think of how tired, worried and stressed the medical people must be in NY.

We prayed for them today.

This is absolutely true (in the US). I told you guys about my BFF who is a respiratory therapist. (I am worried SICK about her btw. I tell her she’s a hero al the time.) She told me “recruiters” called her offering her BIG $ to go to NYC. She thought about it but her family said NO. She also didn’t want to leave her coworkers. She has clearly expressed it is all about her team. Even when we found her some extra masks (they’re reusing them and disinfecting with UV Lights several times a day), first thing she said was this is also for my coworkers.

ETA:
We know Cuomo appealed for out of state workers. even offering to return the favor when it’s “our turn”.

 

[Sillybilly]

Life has surely given us lemons

All things considered, I resolve to make this day the best I can.

Happy Easter weekend, everyone.

​

 

[10ofRods]

Number of tests per 1000. I wonder what "inconsistent units" means.

View attachment 242851

To understand the global pandemic, we need global testing – the Our World in Data COVID-19 Testing dataset

California and Canada are both reporting that 10% of testing kits don't seem to work. Maybe that's it.

However some research seems to show (in China, South Korea, Japan) that the same person can test positive one day, then negative a few days later, then positive again. No studies of how often that happens. But it would certainly cause people using tests in the field to wonder about accuracy.

A study seemed to show that samples taken from up inside the nose did not have this issue - it was throat samples, IIRC.

We definitely need two kinds of global testing (active cases and antibody cases) and then of course, the waiting game to see if people remain immune.

This will take more resources than we can possibly imagine right now.

 

[10ofRods]

Earlier today, Apple and Google announced a Bluetooth-based COVID-19 contact tracing platform that could alert people if they’ve been exposed to the novel coronavirus. Contact tracing is a huge component in ending mass pandemic “stay-at-home” orders, and while phone tracking can’t replace traditional methods like interviews, it can supplement them.

Google and Apple are using Bluetooth LE signals for contact tracing. When two people are near each other, their phones can exchange an anonymous identification key, recording that they’ve had close contact. If one person is later diagnosed with COVID-19, they can share that information through an app. The system will notify other users they’ve been close to, so those people can self-quarantine if necessary. Ideally, this means you won’t have to reveal your name, location, or other personal data.

How you’ll use Apple and Google’s coronavirus tracking tool

This is actually really really cool. It will take a leap of faith to go out and use it, of course.