Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #49

[Tony1902]

Army to test prototype COVID-19 vaccine on humans in September, after mice trials

aah sweet Jesus! Does this mean that USAMRID is finally on the move? Anyone see the Dustin Hoffman-Renee Russo film ‘Outbreak?’ Many years ago, when Dustin still looked youngish. Well weren’t we all?

 

[margarita25]

Charlotte’s Web donates $1 million worth of product in honor of Charlotte Figi

“Charlotte’s Web said they will donate $1 million worth of product in her honor. The donations will go to “those who rely on Charlotte’s Web products and may be struggling financially during this very trying time.””


—-


My post for reference from April 8:

Oh noooo:

Coronavirus: Charlotte Figi, Colorado girl who inspired medical marijuana reform, dies at 13

In a 2014 photo, Charlotte Figi, walks around inside a greenhouse for a special strain of medical marijuana known as Charlotte's Web, which helped stop her seizures. Figi died Tuesday. She was 13. (Brennan Linsley/Associated Press)

—-

“The CBD strain of cannabis that helped Charlotte Figi was named Charlotte’s Web in her honor, according to the Sun.

Paige Figi and the founders of the Charlotte’s Web product became advocates for legalizing CBD, the newspaper reported. The Charlotte’s Web Medical Hemp Act was passed by Congress in 2014.

“Your work is done Charlotte, the world is changed, and you can now rest knowing that you leave the world a better place,” the Realm of Caring Foundationwrote on Instagram.

In a Facebook post, the Charlotte’s Web team eulogized Charlotte.

“What began as her story, became the shared story of hundreds of thousands, and the inspiration of many millions more in the journey of their betterment,” the team wrote. “Charlotte was and will be, the heartbeat of our passion, and the conviction that the dignity and health of a human being is their right.””

 

[tresir2012]

Coronavirus: 823 more people die with COVID-19 in UK hospitals

There have been a further 823 coronavirus-related deaths in UK hospitals, the Department of Health has said.

It takes the total number of COVID-19 patients to have died in UK hospitals to 17,337.

Some 778 new deaths were reported by NHS England - the biggest rise in just under two weeks - as the total reached 15,607.

Oh that's concerning. I hope it was because of some late reporting from the weekend figures. As a percentage, it is still a low rate at only a 5% daily increase.

 

[margarita25]

I’m feeling rather “unstimulated”...I haven’t received my “stimulus” check yet, am I the only one? I need to go to the CARES thread and catch up/investigate. I did file for 2018 and mailed in payment (not direct deposit) but not 2019 yet. Does anyone know if they’ve physically mailed out any checks yet or what the deal is, tia.

 

[tresir2012]

Seems like there is a vaccine "race" going on IMO.


UK 'throwing everything' at coronavirus vaccine

" "The government is "throwing everything" at developing a coronavirus vaccine, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.

He told the daily Downing Street briefing that human trials for a vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, would begin on Thursday.

He also addressed the shortage of protective gear for the NHS, saying the government was talking to thousands of suppliers, but not all could deliver.

Labour said there was a "gap" between government words and reality.

Meanwhile the UK has recorded another 823 coronavirus hospital deaths - taking the total number to 17,337.

Official figures show deaths hit a 20-year-highin England and Wales in the week up to 10 April - nearly double what would have been expected - driven by 6,200 fatalities attributed to coronavirus.

These figures cover all settings, including care homes and deaths in the community as well as hospitals.

• Deaths hit 20-year high - but peak may be over
• Which regions have been worst hit?
• NHS staff struggle to access coronavirus tests

Mr Hancock told the No 10 briefing that "the best way to defeat coronavirus" was through a vaccine.

The process was "trial and error", he said, but the UK was at the "front of the global effort" and had invested more money than any other country.

He said two leading vaccine developments at UK universities - Imperial College London and the University of Oxford - would receive a total of £42.5m to support their clinical trials.

"Both of these promising projects are making rapid progress and I've told the scientists leading them we will do everything in our power to support."

He added: "After all, the upside of being the first country in the world to develop a successful vaccine is so huge that I am throwing everything at it." "

More at link.

 

[oviedo]

I’m feeling rather “unstimulated”...I haven’t received my “stimulus” check yet, am I the only one? I need to go to the CARES thread and catch up/investigate. I did file for 2018 and mailed in payment (not direct deposit) but not 2019 yet. Does anyone know if they’ve physically mailed out any checks yet or what the deal is, tia.

nothing for me but family in IN got it. waiting patiently.....

 

[10ofRods]

Two weeks ago, when I picked up my curbside grocery order, about half of the customers were wearing masks. Last week our Texas governor announced opening up state parks, loosening restrictions for elective surgeries..... Today I went the grocery store for curbside pickup order. No customers were wearing masks. I saw only two employees with masks. Yes, people will become complacent, and there will be more deaths that could have been prevented.

Well...unless we are willing to shut down for the next 20-30 years, we have no choice but to venture back out into public. The vast majority of people under age 50 will not die. Only 1% of people aged 50-65 will die. "Only." I mean, if someone tells me I have a 1% chance of getting hit by a speeding car if I step outside, I will nope right out of that one.

So, I spent my day yesterday making arrangements with my workplace for next year. I guess I will be pretty much quarantined until December. Thing is, the sooner I get this, the more likely I am to survive. I guess I can try and lose more weight (have lost 10 pounds in quarantine).

I am feeling rather depressed today at the prospect of never going anywhere again. Theoretically, a place could eliminate the virus from their immediate area (like South Korea) and just take the hit in tourism and other travel related commerce. But I live in California and we have like 40 million visitors from out of state...each year. So there will constantly be the chance of catching it until we reach herd immunity.

To do that, we need to expose 28 million Californians (or more) to CV19, with a predicted number of deaths at around 800,000. How fast do we want to do that? We obviously cannot have 28 million people sick all at once (hospitalizations would be around 1.6 million).

So we wait. More isolated counties (like Kern County) with lower rates are sort of open already and will probably slide into "regular behavior" this week. But the overall population of that area is fairly small and while they will surely see a big increase in cases/deaths, it is about 900,000 total population, so they should be able to put together resources for their new "wave." Still, we could expect a mortality rate of as many as 4500 people.

My own estimate is that the overall morality rate is closer to 0.04-0.07.

I think I'll be willing to risk going camping in the mountains, we know some obscure places we love.

 

[Chelly]

I’m feeling rather “unstimulated”...I haven’t received my “stimulus” check yet, am I the only one? I need to go to the CARES thread and catch up/investigate. I did file for 2018 and mailed in payment (not direct deposit) but not 2019 yet. Does anyone know if they’ve physically mailed out any checks yet or what the deal is, tia.

get-my-payment
The government website, link above ,will give you the answer. I got the stimulus payment by direct deposit April 15, , the irs has my bank account number.

 

[10ofRods]

Seems like there is a vaccine "race" going on IMO.


UK 'throwing everything' at coronavirus vaccine

" "The government is "throwing everything" at developing a coronavirus vaccine, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.

He told the daily Downing Street briefing that human trials for a vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, would begin on Thursday.

He also addressed the shortage of protective gear for the NHS, saying the government was talking to thousands of suppliers, but not all could deliver.

Labour said there was a "gap" between government words and reality.

Meanwhile the UK has recorded another 823 coronavirus hospital deaths - taking the total number to 17,337.

Official figures show deaths hit a 20-year-highin England and Wales in the week up to 10 April - nearly double what would have been expected - driven by 6,200 fatalities attributed to coronavirus.

These figures cover all settings, including care homes and deaths in the community as well as hospitals.

• Deaths hit 20-year high - but peak may be over
• Which regions have been worst hit?
• NHS staff struggle to access coronavirus tests

Mr Hancock told the No 10 briefing that "the best way to defeat coronavirus" was through a vaccine.

The process was "trial and error", he said, but the UK was at the "front of the global effort" and had invested more money than any other country.

He said two leading vaccine developments at UK universities - Imperial College London and the University of Oxford - would receive a total of £42.5m to support their clinical trials.

"Both of these promising projects are making rapid progress and I've told the scientists leading them we will do everything in our power to support."

He added: "After all, the upside of being the first country in the world to develop a successful vaccine is so huge that I am throwing everything at it." "

More at link.

So let me get this straight. A newly created and untested vaccine will debut with human subjects this Thursday.

I suspect this will be a tiny group of lab workers, whose occupational hazard is already high. But then it needs to be tested on older people, obviously. Then we need to wait and see if the vaccine confers longer term immunity (by allowing those old people to be exposed to CoVid-19 through community spread, if they are quarantined, the vaccine doesn't get tested).

Typically, this would take at least a couple of years. I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how this rolls out and how much transparency UK allows for this process.

 

[10ofRods]

All thos


All those samples IN THE MAIL?

Possibly full of active SARS-Cov-2? It is inevitable that some people will fail to properly seal or close the containers.

It is inevitable that there will be accidental exposures to USPS workers.

This makes me very uneasy.

As it the fact that the FDA is only granting access under Emergency Use Authorization. The FDA is not validating this test as accurate or sensitive.

Yeah, I don't much like it either.

 

[Chelly]

Well...unless we are willing to shut down for the next 20-30 years, we have no choice but to venture back out into public. The vast majority of people under age 50 will not die. Only 1% of people aged 50-65 will die. "Only." I mean, if someone tells me I have a 1% chance of getting hit by a speeding car if I step outside, I will nope right out of that one.

So, I spent my day yesterday making arrangements with my workplace for next year. I guess I will be pretty much quarantined until December. Thing is, the sooner I get this, the more likely I am to survive. I guess I can try and lose more weight (have lost 10 pounds in quarantine).

I am feeling rather depressed today at the prospect of never going anywhere again. Theoretically, a place could eliminate the virus from their immediate area (like South Korea) and just take the hit in tourism and other travel related commerce. But I live in California and we have like 40 million visitors from out of state...each year. So there will constantly be the chance of catching it until we reach herd immunity.

To do that, we need to expose 28 million Californians (or more) to CV19, with a predicted number of deaths at around 800,000. How fast do we want to do that? We obviously cannot have 28 million people sick all at once (hospitalizations would be around 1.6 million).

So we wait. More isolated counties (like Kern County) with lower rates are sort of open already and will probably slide into "regular behavior" this week. But the overall population of that area is fairly small and while they will surely see a big increase in cases/deaths, it is about 900,000 total population, so they should be able to put together resources for their new "wave." Still, we could expect a mortality rate of as many as 4500 people.

My own estimate is that the overall morality rate is closer to 0.04-0.07.

I think I'll be willing to risk going camping in the mountains, we know some obscure places we love.

I am 75 and not willing to take the risk. If I was 25 years younger, I might think differently. While I may not die if I contact the disease, I am of a "certain age" with slightly elevated blood pressure. I'd probably be sick as hell. I am responsible for two companion cats plus various commitments. Just not worth the risk. Plus, I'd rather die than be placed on a ventilator. Twenty-five years difference in age make for a huge dissimilarity in the thought process.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Lockheed Martin 3D-printing protective gear for health care workers
Lockheed Martin is shifting some of its production to make much-needed protective gear for Colorado health care workers, using the 3D printing technology they use to make parts for spacecraft.

They will manufacture medical face shields and gowns at their plant in Littleton. Employees there said they're more than happy to do their part.

The protective gear has been sent to more than 25 hospitals in six states.

— CBS Denver

 

[Sundog]

Hydroxchloriquine study shows drug not effective.

"Researchers did not track side effects, but noted a hint that hydroxychloroquine might have damaged other organs. The drug has long been known to have potentially serious side effects, including altering the heartbeat in a way that could lead to sudden death."
More Deaths, No Benefit From Malaria Drug in VA Virus Study

"The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment."

"The study was posted on an online site for researchers and has has not been reviewed by other scientists."

Note that 50% of medical doctors are using hydroxychloroquine in treatment of COVID-19 at some level.

 

[Fireflize]

I’m feeling rather “unstimulated”...I haven’t received my “stimulus” check yet, am I the only one? I need to go to the CARES thread and catch up/investigate. I did file for 2018 and mailed in payment (not direct deposit) but not 2019 yet. Does anyone know if they’ve physically mailed out any checks yet or what the deal is, tia.

I filed 2019 and 2018, but did not provide bank routing because I didn't get a refund. The website says my refund will be mailed this Friday, 24th.

 

[Sundog]

Was this the drug that the president kept talking about?

"The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment."

"The study was posted on an online site for researchers and has has not been reviewed by other scientists."

 

[anneg]

Finally found an article that explains this well in an April 9, 2020 publication in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA).
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.120.016509

Seems that taking ACE Inhibitors and angiotension blockers (ARBs) could be a "double-edged sword" as the scientists write. On the one hand, they cannot rule out that these medications may help to facilitate entry of the virus and virus replication - but on the other hand, once infected, they may be beneficial with regard to pulmonary outcome. So they could potentially (more studies needed) increase infectivity and put a person at a higher risk for infectivity, but once infected the medications could potentially be beneficial.

If the latter is the case, they may be considered (after more studies) as therapeutics for treatment of patients at the stage of pulmonary infection.

Best article I have seen yet in relation to explaining why ACE Inhibitors (such as Lisinopril) and ARBs (such as Losartan) are being looked at as potentially contributing to infection risk, and now as potentially helpful once infected if the infection progresses to the lungs.

Thank you. The info in this article jibes with our respective doctors' advice to continue taking our ACE inhibitors (I take enalapril and he takes lisinopril).

 

[Sundog]

haha yes

"The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment."

"The study was posted on an online site for researchers and has has not been reviewed by other scientists."

 

[jjenny]

"The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment."

"The study was posted on an online site for researchers and has has not been reviewed by other scientists."

Note that 50% of medical doctors are using hydroxychloroquine in treatment of COVID-19 at some level.

They are using it because they have nothing else and has been proposed by Trump to be a potentially "miracle" drug. I don't think there is actual evidence that it does any good.

 

[jjenny]

"The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment."

"The study was posted on an online site for researchers and has has not been reviewed by other scientists."

They submitted it for publication. It's normal nowdays to post the study on an internet before it's been published.

 

[10ofRods]

I am 75 and not willing to take the risk. If I was 25 years younger, I might think differently. While I may not die if I contact the disease, I am of a "certain age" with slightly elevated blood pressure. I'd probably be sick as hell. I am responsible for two companion cats plus various commitments. Just not worth the risk. Plus, I'd rather die than be placed on a ventilator. Twenty-five years difference in age make for a huge dissimilarity in the thought process.

I'm 10 years younger than you. So officially in the same risk pool, and I have a couple of underlying conditions. I am truly happy spending most of my time at home, but I do love traveling and was finally at a point in my career where I was starting to make progress in understanding a particular culture, that I love to visit.

I don't see any way that I can go again. So I'm sad. It's also weird to think I may never been in a regular classroom again (I'm not retired).

But yeah, if you or I get this, we're very likely to be very sick and even if we don't die, we are going to regret getting it. I'll stay home for the rest of the year and I sure do hope there's a working vaccine within the next 18 months.