Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #46

[nhmemorymaker]

Harris: 'There's no magic point at the start of May where life as we know it before coronavirus can resume'

(Ireland)

THE HEALTH MINISTER has said a number of factors, including ICU capacity and the reproduction rate of the coronavirus in Ireland, will determine the state of play after the government begins to ease back restrictions.

On Friday, the Taoiseach announced current restrictions will remain in place until 5 May.

Speaking to reporters at the Department of Health today, Harris said the next three weeks will be a “delicate stage” in the process and warned people not to take the progress so far for granted or to become complacent.

He said he wanted to encourage people to focus on what they can currently do – keep following the guidelines in place at the moment – rather than on what may happen after 5 May.

However he said he recognised that people were looking for some guidance on what things would look like if the restrictions were eased back – and what would have to happen for that easing back to continue.

“I don’t mean to be so naive or unreasonable to expect people not to wonder about their futures, we all wonder when we can see our family again, when we can see our friends again, when might my job come back again. I’m acutely aware of that and the pain of that uncertainly,” he said.

Harris said these next three weeks and the action taken during that time will directly impact on this return to some level of normality.

“What does that look like? Well it doesn’t look like going back to life before the coronavirus because the coronavirus is still going to be here,” he said.

Harris said there is no “manual” for how to reopen the country after shutting down many aspects of society, but there are three metrics in particular that health officials will be watching over the next three weeks and after any easing back of restrictions.

1. ICU capacity
2. The reproduction rate of the virus
3. The overall rate of growth in Ireland

Someone on our thread is from CO, well pretty sure anyway. But are there any folks from Idaho, Montana, Dakotas, ......... Are they even closed down? It just feels that with such a small caseload, that they could probably re-open... unless a whole bunch of other folks decided to take a vacation there since they couldn't do anything at home!! There are so many sides of this animal to think about.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Vitamin D?

Yes...this really has my interest up very high.. He indicates it really could have something to add to the conversation of such high numbers in the AfroAmerican and HIspanic populations. He has had some focus on Africa too...

 

[PommyMommy]

Treasury says 80 million people will receive stimulus payments this week

[...]

The payments are being made first to eligible people who have already filed their 2019 or 2018 tax returns, and authorized a direct deposit.

[...]

The timeline keeps the first payments on the schedule promised by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who said April 2 that the payments would begin going out within two weeks. He had earlier pushed for distributions, part of the $2.2 trillion economic relief package passed by Congress in March, to start as early as April 6.

[...]

Results of large hydroxychloroquine study to be released next week

[...]

Since hydroxychloroquine is already on the market for malaria, lupus and other diseases, doctors are free to prescribe it “off label” to patients with coronavirus. Doctors can also prescribe chloroquine, a similar drug, and azithromycin, an antibiotic that’s sometimes paired with the two drugs.

The New York study will review hundreds of medical records from hospital patients across New York state with coronavirus to see if the drugs are helping them or hurting them.

[...]

US lab company says it has eliminated coronavirus testing backlog

Quest Diagnostics, one of the largest laboratory companies in the US, announced on Monday that it had eliminated its coronavirus testing backlog.

The company said it can now perform 45,000 coronavirus tests a day, providing results in less than two days, on average.

[...]

NBA player Karl-Anthony Towns' mother dies of coronavirus complications

Jacqueline Towns, the mother of NBA player Karl-Anthony Towns, died Monday due to complications as a result of Covid-19, according to a statement from a family spokesperson released by Towns' team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

[...]

Feds uncover massive N95 mask scam aimed at defrauding US hospitals

[...]

Scott Brady, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, tells CNN that the Justice Department has launched an investigation into two foreign entities suspected of trying to defraud US health care companies out of millions of dollars as they work to respond to the growing number of coronavirus patients.

[...]

For those contemplating profiting from scams during the pandemic, Brady offered a stark warning.

“The Department of Justice has a long memory,” he said. “If you have victimized and defrauded people, especially in the time of a national crisis, be sure that at some point in the near future, someone will be knocking on your door.”

US to receive 750,000 coronavirus tests from South Korea

[...]

FEMA, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, awarded contracts to manufacturers in South Korea last week to provide approximately 750,000 tests, according to a FEMA spokesperson and federal records. Over the weekend, the first shipment of 150,000 tests were delivered to the US by SolGent. The next shipment of 600,000 tests will arrive on April 15. They are being provided by two South Korea-based companies, SD Biosensor and Osang Healthcare.

[...]

Coronavirus pandemic: Live updates - CNN

 

[pocketaccent]

(live, shortly)

 

[LadyL]

I wish there were more options other than online chains. I’ve been looking.
I found one local place that makes pies - savory and sweet versions. Look delicious. They will deliver - but $40-50 for just one really blows the budget. The farmers market closed.

[bbm]

that's ridiculous
how do they stay in business?

 

[tresir2012]

But how would the EKG taken before the drug was given reveal this risk? If higher doses of the drug, per Brazil study linked earlier in this thread, CAUSES arrhythmias, I don't understand how an EKG done before starting the drug would provide this information. If you have clarifying info, I'd be glad to see it.

When I read the study that I linked I don't remember reading the arrhythmias but I will have to check it again. I just remember the high dose was unsuccessful and was stopped but don't think it gave the reason. The lower dose had better results. The study had not been peer reviewed so not reliable.

 

[Tillicum]

(live, shortly)

Glad to hear Fauci's explanation.

 

[tresir2012]

Someone on our thread is from CO, well pretty sure anyway. But are there any folks from Idaho, Montana, Dakotas, ......... Are they even closed down? It just feels that with such a small caseload, that they could probably re-open... unless a whole bunch of other folks decided to take a vacation there since they couldn't do anything at home!! There are so many sides of this animal to think about.

With a small case load they could do the trace, test and treat.

 

[cass523]

Why are some COVID-19 cases asymptomatic?@DrJAshton weighs in on asymptomatic cases after @GStephanopoulos tells us he has tested positive for COVID-19 yet has no symptoms after his wife Ali Wentworth also tested positive

"We talked about the the fact that so far, the CDC had estimated that one in four people who are in fact infected with COVID-19, show no symptoms at all

Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News chief medical correspondent, said that recent data just out of Iceland, who is able to test a lot more people because they have a much smaller country and they've been a lot more aggressive with testing everyone, not just people with symptoms -- they're finding that 50% of people who are infected with COVID-19, show no symptoms at all.

So that is part of why it’s so difficult to contain this virus. We have to remember this virus is just about four months old so literally we’re learning things about the way it behaves and the way it transmits and causes disease every day.

We have to remember this virus is just about four months old, so literally we are learning things about the way it behaves, the way it transmits and causes disease everyday.

One of the theories is it has to do is how much of the actual viral particles, or the viral loads someone gets exposed to, that may be one part of it. Your immune reaction to the virus may be another part. Where the virus actually lodges, we know it attaches to cells in the respiratory tract, but exactly where may have something to do with it. When we say 80% of cases are mild, that does not necessarily mean pleasant.

After George and Ali recover from the virus, does that make them immediately immune to it?

Well, We don't know and that is the really hard thing. Every time we’re exposed to a virus, yes, we develop some immune reaction or protection but when that occurs, how strong it is, how long it will last, all unknowns. And remember there are slightly different strains of this virus, just like any other coronavirus or cold virus, and you could be exposed to a different one and get sick, so we are still learning that, it will be important information

Where are we with antibody testing?

Not where we should be in order to ease up on the social distancing and kind of re-open as we hear Dr. Fauci talk about, we need to be able to test people very quickly in 5 or 15 minutes and try to get an idea of whether they have been exposed, whether they recovered, or whether they are actually infected. Almost like a home pregnancy test and that needs to be done quickly and it needs to be done accurately and we do not know how accurate those tests will be yet."

video
Good Morning America on Twitter

 

[cass523]

A new saliva test developed at Rutgers University that could dramatically alter the way the coronavirus is detected — potentially accelerating the rate of collections and limiting exposure to health care workers — received federal emergency approval over the weekend, and officials expect to begin rolling it out as soon as Wednesday.

The new test, developed in part by the university’s RUCDR Infinite Biologics, will allow for broader population screening than the current nose and throat swabs used at testing facilities, officials said. The saliva test also lessens exposure for health care workers, reducing the need for personal protective equipment during the testing process.

“The impact of this approval is significant,” Andrew Brooks, RUCDR’s chief operating officer and director of technology development, said in a statement. “It means we no longer have to put health care professionals at risk for infection by performing nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal collections.”

Saliva tests, which typically require patients to spit into a tube, are far less invasive than the current swab methods used to detect coronavirus — which have been described as painful and uncomfortable. The current method used at testing facilities in New Jersey consists of a long, skinny swab being inserted deep into each nostril to reach the nasopharynx, the upper part of the throat behind the nose, and rubbed in a circle to pick up secretions. The end of the swab is then placed in a tube with a culture medium.

Coronavirus: New saliva test developed at Rutgers could be a game-changer nationwide

 

[tresir2012]

Why are some COVID-19 cases asymptomatic?@DrJAshton weighs in on asymptomatic cases after @GStephanopoulos tells us he has tested positive for COVID-19 yet has no symptoms after his wife Ali Wentworth also tested positive

"We talked about the the fact that so far, the CDC had estimated that one in four people who are in fact infected with COVID-19, show no symptoms at all

Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News chief medical correspondent, said that recent data just out of Iceland, who is able to test a lot more people because they have a much smaller country and they've been a lot more aggressive with testing everyone, not just people with symptoms -- they're finding that 50% of people who are infected with COVID-19, show no symptoms at all.

So that is part of why it’s so difficult to contain this virus. We have to remember this virus is just about four months old so literally we’re learning things about the way it behaves and the way it transmits and causes disease every day.

We have to remember this virus is just about four months old, so literally we are learning things about the way it behaves, the way it transmits and causes disease everyday.

One of the theories is it has to do is how much of the actual viral particles, or the viral loads someone gets exposed to, that may be one part of it. Your immune reaction to the virus may be another part. Where the virus actually lodges, we know it attaches to cells in the respiratory tract, but exactly where may have something to do with it. When we say 80% of cases are mild, that does not necessarily mean pleasant.

After George and Ali recover from the virus, does that make them immediately immune to it?

Well, We don't know and that is the really hard thing. Every time we’re exposed to a virus, yes, we develop some immune reaction or protection but when that occurs, how strong it is, how long it will last, all unknowns. And remember there are slightly different strains of this virus, just like any other coronavirus or cold virus, and you could be exposed to a different one and get sick, so we are still learning that, it will be important information

Where are we with antibody testing?

Not where we should be in order to ease up on the social distancing and kind of re-open as we hear Dr. Fauci talk about, we need to be able to test people very quickly in 5 or 15 minutes and try to get an idea of whether they have been exposed, whether they recovered, or whether they are actually infected. Almost like a home pregnancy test and that needs to be done quickly and it needs to be done accurately and we do not know how accurate those tests will be yet."

video
Good Morning America on Twitter

I would like to know the blood type of the asymptomatics. And the age and sex. Can asymptomatics infect others?

 

[tresir2012]

"RTL Today - "Trace, test and treat": South Korea to ship coronavirus tests to US this week: report" "Trace, test and treat": South Korea to ship coronavirus tests to US this week: report

WORLD - "TRACE, TEST AND TREAT"
South Korea to ship coronavirus tests to US this week: report
Author: AFP|Update: 13.04.2020 10:55
South Korea has tested more than half a million people for COVID-19 / © AFP

South Korean firms will make their first shipment of coronavirus tests to the United States this week after a request by US President Donald Trump, Yonhap news agency reported Monday.

The US has more confirmed COVID-19 cases than anywhere else in the world and also has the highest toll, with more than 22,000 deaths.

In contrast South Korea was once the hardest-hit country outside China, but appears to have brought its outbreak under control with a huge "trace, test and treat" strategy.


It has tested more than half a million people in a process free to anyone referred by doctors or those who have links to a confirmed case.

The Trump administration has been accused of being slow to respond to the outbreak, although the president now regularly re-iterates that the US has tested more individuals than any other country.

After a phone conversation with him last month, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Trump had asked for test kits.

A Maryland-bound US cargo flight will depart from Incheon International Airport on Tuesday, carrying test kits supplied by two companies, Yonhap reported citing a foreign ministry official in Seoul.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I would like to know the blood type of the asymptomatics. And the age and sex. Can asymptomatics infect others?

A neg here and def not asymptomatic!

 

[pocketaccent]

Glad to hear Fauci's explanation.

He cleared it all up.

 

[MimosaMornings]

[bbm]

that's ridiculous
how do they stay in business?

Been doing a booming business from what I have been told.
$4.95 pickup and $9.95 delivery is what the local grocery charged. Except delivery isn’t available right now. Go figure.

 

[PommyMommy]

Connecticut governor: Trump administration won't "try and mandate a one size fits all" on reopening states

[...]

Lamont said a "Reopen Connecticut Advisory Board" will be created, which will include Dr. Albert Ko, Yale’s leading epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist, along with other experts from business and science, with a focus on health outcomes, analytics, clinical lab work, and mobile technology.

Nearly 1,000 prisoners in Washington state may be released early

[...]

"The goal in releasing individuals from state correctional facilities is to provide more physical distancing within the state’s correctional facilities," the Department of Corrections said in a statement.

[...]

Colorado governor says meat packing plant in his state will be closed for"as long as it takes"

[...]

The governor said he prioritized the Colorado National Guard to provide logistical support for testing so that they can safely start up again.

There will be an aggressive testing and containment strategy so they can continue as soon as possible, he said.

Pentagon awards $415 million contract to reuse N95 masks

The Pentagon announced a major contract for 60 decontamination units that will allow millions of N95 masks to be reused as the critical masks continue to be sought after by medical professionals amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The $415 million contract will allow for the acquisition of “60 Battelle Memorial Institute Critical Care Decontamination Systems (CCDS), that can decontaminate up to 80,000 used N95 respirators per system per day, enabling mask reuse up to 20 times,” according to a statement from the Pentagon.

[...]

Cuomo says federal government would need to "do a 180" to reopen states

[...]

“The first phase was the federal government punting to the states," he said. "If the federal government now wants to do a 180 and say we’ll take responsibility, just tell me how."

[...]

Cuomo, who has been dealing with the the largest outbreak of coronavirus in the United States in his home state, said most of the responsibility for buying personal protective equipment and ventilators has been left to the states.

“I’m not going to say I don’t want help from the federal government, I do,” he added. “The more the federal government can do, the less I have to do, God bless — but then the federal government has to do it.”

Pompeo: "There’ll be a time for recriminations" over the novel coronavirus

[...]

He also said “there’ll be a time for recriminations” in the future. He did not specifically say that those recriminations would be aimed at China.

“There’ll be a time to make sure that we all understand what happened and that those who are responsible are held accountable for that,” Pompeo said in an interview with German BILD-TV on Monday. “I’m very confident that that process will take place.”

[...]


Today is the peak for daily deaths in the US, coronavirus model says

An influential coronavirus model cited by the White House said that today is the peak day for daily deaths in the United States.

[...]

A total of 68,841 people are now expected to die in the US by August, which is up from Friday’s projection of 61,500 deaths.

[...]

Some states are still expected to be weeks away from their peak numbers of deaths: Florida, for example, is expected to hit peak deaths on May 6, when 128 people are projected to die. Texas, for its part, is predicted to hit peak deaths on April 30, when 71 people are estimated to die.

The country’s largest state, California, is projected to hit peak deaths in six days, on April 19, when about 50 people are estimated to die.


Kansas religious gathering tied to 4 coronavirus deaths, state officials say

[...]

Norman says his agency is monitoring 23 outbreaks in Kansas — five of those are tied to religious gatherings, 12 are in long-term care facilities, three have been tied to big businesses, one to a correctional facility and two have been tied to group living arrangements.

Some context: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued an order before Easter Sunday that temporarily banned mass gatherings of 10 or more people meant to limit religious gatherings.

Coronavirus pandemic: Live updates - CNN

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Paedophiles are sharing even more child sexual abuse material online during the coronavirus lockdown, with law enforcement warning the "worst in humanity" will exploit the pandemic.

Europol's European Cybercrime Centre has also detected online conversations on the dark web, where predators have discussed how to target children no longer at school.
Users on dark web child sexual exploitation boards have repeatedly referenced minors on the anonymous chat site Omegle, Europol said.

Isolated and "bored" offenders are networking on the dark web and stating their increasing interest in image trading, the Europol report said.
Online paedophiles ramp up grooming and file sharing during lockdown


“There has also been a significant rise in domestic violence cases since the start of coronavirus-related quarantines, with reports showing women and children at greater risk of abuse. Recent weeks have seen increased online activity by paedophiles seeking child sexual abuse material, which is being exacerbated by a shortage of moderators who identify and remove offensive material from networks.”
Interpol warns of cyberattacks on hospitals

The senator called on the Department of Education (DepEd), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) for increased vigilance, saying the coronavirus pandemic fuels fears of a surge in cybersex trafficking among children in Southeast Asia.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, warned that traffickers could take advantage of the community quarantine because children spend more time at home.

He said the United Nations Children’s Fund already identified the Philippines as the global epicenter of the livestream sexual abuse trade, with 8 out of 10 children and youth at risk of online sexual abuse.

The DoJ’s Cybercrime Office reported in 2018 that it received 600,000 tips of images and videos of naked, sexualized and abused Filipino children, an increase of more than 1,000 percent from 45,645 cases in 2017.

He said the United States Department of Labor’s “2018 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor” also reported that at the direction of paying customers, victims in the Philippines were induced to perform sex acts for live internet broadcasts in small internet cafes, private homes, and “cybersex dens.”

“Bago pa dumating ang banta ng Covid-19, isang hamon na sa atin kung paano natin lalabanan ang online sexual abuse sa mga kabataan (Before the onset of the Covid-19 threat, it was already a challenge for us on how to fight online sexual abuse among children),” Gatchalian said.

“Now that children are focused on the internet, we need to strengthen our measures to protect them [against cybersex trafficking] and prosecute the people behind this [crime],” he said in Filipino.
Trafficking of children could worsen – Gatchalian – The Manila Times

 

[BUF]

Belated Happy Easter!

Hope everyone is staying safe. It's a beautiful sunny day here in the Seattle area.

I talked with my younger sister on easter sunday. A Respiratory Therapist at a hospital north of Denver, Colorado.

On Wednesday she had 7 patients on ventilator's. Six of the patients had the corona virus and all in the ICU. The hospital only had 7 ventilators. The hospital did received additional ventilators later that day. More patients are being admitted for the virus. This hospital has had to set up a third section in the hospital for patients with the virus. She said the nurses, doctors and the respiratory therapists are extremely busy at this hospital. As are all hospitals everywhere.

At the end of our conversation I told her how much I love her and I'm proud of what she's doing.

Take care,
book-thinker

You have a wonderful sister! Please tell her thank you for all of her hard work from all of us here.

 

[tresir2012]

A neg here and def not asymptomatic!

Have you had an antibody test?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Commissioner Ricardo Lara ordered insurance companies to adjust insurance premiums covering March and April, since less activity means lower risk in several categories. Californians could also see refunds for their May premium payments if shelter-in-place restrictions extend into next month.

“With Californians driving fewer miles and many businesses closed due to the COVID-19 emergency, consumers need relief from premiums that no longer reflect their present-day risk of accident or loss,” Lara said in a statement. “Today’s mandatory action will put money back in people’s pockets when they need it most.”

The order to retroactively adjust insurance premiums applies to at least the following coverage areas: private passenger and commercial auto insurance; workers compensation; commercial multi-peril, which covers a variety of losses; commercial liability; and medical malpractice.
Insurance companies ordered to give refunds to Californians due to coronavirus