Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #50

[Tadpole12]

Chinese journalist who went missing in Wuhan after Covid-19 reporting re-appears two months later | Daily Mail Online

Good news.


The return.
Li Zehua, April 22, 2020, Li's confession-style video, "likely forced":

The emergence, disappearance, and mysterious return of journalist Li Zehua

 

[Cool Cats]

I'm sorry. This must be frustrating as all heck, and it sounds like the Governor's office is not being clear or communicative on this. I had read (here and elsewhere) about other people who are able to buy gardening supplies in MI, but only at smaller stores, and there is a statement from the a government spokesperson here referring to guidelines that apply to places that are 50,000 sq. ft or more. Can you buy seeds in Michigan? Confusion reigns over Whitmer stay-home order.

When I buy groceries all the isles are cordoned off that sell anything but food and drugs etc....Whole sections closed.

Thank you very much for the article, I will call the smaller stores, see if I can get anything before I order more. Appreciate your input.

 

[RoadToSerfdom]

This is horrible, but predictable. I feel the same sense of dread about the use of hydroxychloroquine in the US, which was recommended with no science to back it up.

More deaths, no benefit from malaria drug in VA virus study

That study is useless. Worse than that, any media pushing the study is dishonest (IMO). Any honest look at the actual study would cause anyone to discard it (IMO). The study is so bad the only explanation of it's existence is as part of a propaganda campaign against hydroxychloroquine rather than honest research(Fact).

• It was not a clinical trial.
• No placebos given at all (!!)
• Purely "anecdotal" as doctor Fauchi would say.
• It just looked up pre-existing medical reports.
• Some patients not getting hydroxychloroquine were given other medicine.
• Patients getting hydroxychloroquine may have gotten it because they were close to death but patients not getting it could have not gotten it because they were not as sick.

It also just looked at past VA patients who were given the drug after they were already hospitalized and compared with other patients who were hospitalized and not given the drug.

Hydroxychloroquine works according to medical theory best early on, it helps block the virus from multiplying. That is the medical theory of how it works. Any valid study would be double-blind clinical trial with 1000s of patients given pills early on at first symptoms and/or at first testing positive and way before hospitalization. They would be given pills that they and their doctors think are hydroxychloroquine but many would be secretly getting a placebo.

IMO it is scary the forces of dishonesty in government bureaucracies and media that are lining up against hydroxychloroquine. There is a lot of money to be made by the alternative $1000 pills and future expensive vaccine instead of this pill that has no patent and costs about $0.80 per pill. Drug company advertising makes up a large share of media revenue.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Good evening everyone. I haven’t caught up yet. I’m just so happy any of y’all are still here to read. I’ll take that as a good sign. Can I show you something pretty? We had an EF2 tornado just go by about 30 minutes ago down in the Arbuckles. We had tornados raging last night, all through the night and today. Then a beautiful rainbow steps in its way about an hour ago.

This screenshot of the weather radar on Wednesday afternoon shows four severe thunderstorms south of Oklahoma City. At one point, three of them were capable of spinning up tornadoes. (AccuWeather)

A rainbow photographed next to a tornado near Madill, Oklahoma, on Wednesday afternoon. (Twitter/@levi_newell22)​

https://www.accuweather.com/en/seve...osses-paths-with-a-rainbow-in-oklahoma/727026

 

[mickey2942]

Seeds are actually available to be purchased by SNAP benefits, to grow food. Blocking purchases with a federal food program is breaking federal law.
Toolkit for SNAP Participants | SNAP Gardens

 

[Reasonable & Just]

When I buy groceries all the isles are cordoned off that sell anything but food and drugs etc....Whole sections closed.

Thank you very much for the article, I will call the smaller stores, see if I can get anything before I order more. Appreciate your input.

Good luck to you, from one gardener to another. I had read that long lines and the difficulty with social distancing made it difficult at the small places. I really hope Gov. Whitmer reconsiders this for the big box stores. I'm sure they can manage it, and would be happy to do so for the cash. It's vitally important for people to be able to grow some veggies, take care of their homes, and plant some beauty in their lives, IMO.

 

[Seattle1]

As the friend of someone with a very small business that’s not essential & couldn’t get in after the fat cats, I respectfully disagree. She’s at the point of losing her car, home, business & moving into section 8 housing. Please look at the individual toll. My friend is close to a nervous breakdown. That number may mean nothing in the larger picture, but’s she’s my friend of 10 years in this silly parish, so it means much to me & the whole world to her, as it collapses all around her. Everything she’s worked so hard to build. Pffft gone.

I am very sorry to read about the collapse of your friend's business and the impact this is having on her personally -- collateral damage of COVID-19. I'm also aware that in many states most self-employed individuals are not permitted to contribute to the state's unemployment insurance tax fund and therefore do not qualify for unemployment benefits.

I can think of no reason why the government could not set aside PPP loan dollars specifically for businesses with annual revenues of $1M or less at the same time that Congress was busy behind closed doors writing heavily lobbied exemptions and exceptions for the stimulus program that both allowed and enabled huge Public Companies to dominate the program and its loan dollars.

I am not against government lending to large corporations under the current economic crisis but I find it shameful that the federal stimulus loan program did not anticipate how funding a single, "one-for-all" $300+billion-dollar stimulus loan program would not edge out the most vulnerable small businesses.

Fortunately, true small business advocates in my area succeeded in lobbying our state and local business governments that recently began issuing $10,000, $25,000, and $100,000 grants to our local small business owners which clearly can make a difference if only to pay their business rent, utilities, business and health insurance premiums while they're prohibited from generating any business revenue while on lock-down.

Good on you for supporting your friend and best wishes for her recovery.

 

[margarita25]

Coronavirus News: New York cats are 1st pets in US to test positive for COVID-19

NEW YORK -- Two cats living in separate areas of New York state are the first pets in the United States to test positive for COVID-19.

The felines had mild respiratory illness and are expected to make a full recovery, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


In a statement, the agencies said a veterinarian tested the first cat after it showed mild respiratory signs. No humans in the household were confirmed to be ill with COVID-19.
...

There was also a cat infected in Belgium or Germany iirc; Dr. Maria mentioned it in PC but I don’t recall seeing the articles. There is also the tiger(s).

(Please excuse typos in previous posts; my battery keeps dying before I can correct and finish my posts. I was going to pull some references on my last post but phone died so will resume that after my nap which I hope everybody is enjoying naps if they don’t normally get to do so and I hope everyone is staying well rested. Worrying can keep us up at night. Enjoy siesta while you’ve got it.

Today I’m worried about Mexico. I’m always worried about everything and everywhere but Mexico...they were even later than the US in pulling it together moo. We haven’t talked a lot about Mexico.

 

[Curious Me]

I visited Vegas for the first time this summer and wandered through casinos. It was striking how close together people sit. That can be dealt with, but I wonder about all the smoking, since it's a respiratory illness. Maybe owners will ban that temporarily?

My lungs are shot, but I'm so glad I quit smoking finally. I posted about a virus-denier in my building. He does go outside to smoke, but when you think about it... he puts that cigarette up to his mouth then walks around with no mask touching doors, trash chutes, laundry machines, and elevator buttons. He always wants to talk to you without his mask. I'm not knocking smokers, but what a nightmare to have a room full of smokers during this virus outbreak. Touching near the mouth and blowing virus into the air is really the concern.

I worry about vacuum cleaners, too, somehow scattering the virus alive on particles in the room. Thankfully, I have hardwood floors. Some air conditioners have already proven to be a device of spreading.

What's my point? Got to think carefully. There's so many threats-- I guess that's my point.

 

[oviedo]

Over a million small businesses with less than 10 employees received a loan/grant (source: transcript of White House briefing April 21, 2020). Congress is responsible for establishing the limit as a business that has 500 or less employees. Maybe they will do better in the next round.

Well this is excellent news thank you for finding this and bringing it to WS - well done !

 

[SA55]

Good evening everyone. I haven’t caught up yet. I’m just so happy any of y’all are still here to read. I’ll take that as a good sign. Can I show you something pretty? We had an EF2 tornado just go by about 30 minutes ago down in the Arbuckles. We had tornados raging last night, all through the night and today. Then a beautiful rainbow steps in its way about an hour ago.

View attachment 244047
This screenshot of the weather radar on Wednesday afternoon shows four severe thunderstorms south of Oklahoma City. At one point, three of them were capable of spinning up tornadoes. (AccuWeather)
View attachment 244048
A rainbow photographed next to a tornado near Madill, Oklahoma, on Wednesday afternoon. (Twitter/@levi_newell22)​

https://www.accuweather.com/en/seve...osses-paths-with-a-rainbow-in-oklahoma/727026

Wow - the rainbow with the tornado is beautiful picture (pretending to not realize how deadly tornadoes are, and yes, I've experienced them))

 

[oviedo]

Right. And I was asking the same question, about large restaurant chains. Why do we assume they don't need these loans? I don't know for sure if they do or don't.

But I am assuming that they are not taking in any money at Ruth Chris right now. And I bet they have a lot of inventory going bad and being thrown out. And a lot of employees needing checks and a lot of vendors and suppliers wanting to be paid.

How long can they go on paying employees without having any income?

Here’s the thing - our local restaurants took their inventory and packaged family meals to cook your own and included things like eggs and TP at a more than fair price IMO all this rather than lose their inventory not to mention these same small businesses figured out how to deliver take out cooked - I have not heard one word that these companies who took the small business PPP loans have done the same to salvage their businesses to keep them up and running but maybe that’s a secret too? Time will tell
jMO

 

[sallye818]

Good evening everyone. I haven’t caught up yet. I’m just so happy any of y’all are still here to read. I’ll take that as a good sign. Can I show you something pretty? We had an EF2 tornado just go by about 30 minutes ago down in the Arbuckles. We had tornados raging last night, all through the night and today. Then a beautiful rainbow steps in its way about an hour ago.

View attachment 244047
This screenshot of the weather radar on Wednesday afternoon shows four severe thunderstorms south of Oklahoma City. At one point, three of them were capable of spinning up tornadoes. (AccuWeather)
View attachment 244048
A rainbow photographed next to a tornado near Madill, Oklahoma, on Wednesday afternoon. (Twitter/@levi_newell22)​

https://www.accuweather.com/en/seve...osses-paths-with-a-rainbow-in-oklahoma/727026

This is so beautiful, @imstilla.grandma ! A reminder of God's promises.

 

[oviedo]

From my experience any small business (500 employees or less) can apply to borrow the money for up to 125% of average payroll for 8 weeks. It’s a very simple 3 page application. You don’t start paying the note for 6 months and it’s at 1%.

If you can prove that you paid all of your employees for at least 8 weeks, the debt is forgiven. The extra 25% cushion can be used to pay rent and utilities.

IMO

Application is simple but the reports were voluminous - payroll reports for 2019-2020 941 reports - profit and loss statements insurance invoices rent invoices utility bills are all what had to be provided to a bank that we helped someone apply to - it’s not my opinion it’s a fact - banks got to add their own requirements to the SBA list in my own personal experience

 

[oviedo]

From what I understand, most will be to allow employees to keep their jobs

No they can spend it any way they want at 1% interest only if they want it forgiven do they have to prove 75% was spent on employee payroll unless the requirements change
JMO (and my experience helping clients navigate the program)

 

[Spartygirl]

That's a good question. My sister is in the same boat, where they rent in Ocean City, NJ. I will have to ask her.

our neighbor is renting out his airBnb to friends of ours for my daughters wedding in July. (hopefully, it can happen in July)
we asked him if we are not able to have a wedding by then, if he would refund. He said he would welcome an exchange of dates if needed.
That is all he could do. It is a risk for sure with the rentals

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

This post lands at random.

These threads are intended for discussion of the Covid19 crisis as a National Emergency and facts more directly related to the Covid19 virus and its effects. People want to know what the various governments are doing and solutions as to how it is affecting individuals. Members want to know what is going on in relation to the virus, projections and trajectories, what their leaders are doing to keep them safe, and what experts and scientists have to say or are doing about the virus itself ... in other words, topics more directly related to Covid and the effect it can have on the individuals.

We are receiving numerous alerts from members who are finding it tedious to wade through an ongoing debate about big business, bailouts, executive compensation, and general political trolling type of posts. Please stop the back and forth over those issues and take it into private conversations where you can add up to 20 people and debate there to your hearts content.

Thank you.

 

[Cool Cats]

Good luck to you, from one gardener to another. I had read that long lines and the difficulty with social distancing made it difficult at the small places. I really hope Gov. Whitmer reconsiders this for the big box stores. I'm sure they can manage it, and would be happy to do so for the cash. It's vitally important for people to be able to grow some veggies, take care of their homes, and plant some beauty in their lives, IMO.

Thanks.

This is the reason the Governor gave as to why she shut down entire store sections of gardening and house repair and hardware supplies, and everything not food or medicine stuff:

“If you're not buying food or medicine or other essential items, you should not be going to the store,” Whitmer said when announcing her order. "

Here is the thing. Supposedly you can get gardening/house/hardware supplies from small stores, but not in the big ones that sell groceries and OTC medications...BUT... the Guv doesn't want people going out in public just to buy these supplies.

Well then it makes ZERO sense to not let any large store sell that stuff anymore. Why?

Because if I buy gardening and hardware stuff I will be doing it WHILE I AM GROCERY SHOPPING FOR ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES!

Now I have to make an unnecessary trip out to some small store that may or may not have what I need, with lines of people.

 

[JustEve]

I watched a discussion on the News earlier regarding the 'recovered patients', who, at a routine follow up some 6-8 weeks since testing negative, and seemingly without any symptoms, tested positive again.. with at least 1 person found to still have live virus in the lungs!! In my opinion, what with any coughing, spluttering, projected from the lungs, that person should be deemed highly contagious. And more than likely would be defo capable of infecting others!
It makes one wonder.. Did these people come into contact with CV for a 2nd time?? We already know that anybody who has survived needing a ventilator is something of a miracle, since there is no actual treatment-cure available. Almost like the virus was hibernating! X

From what I have managed to understand/ find on the internet, this is considered to be a relapse, not a re- infection.

"While the trend in new cases in the country remained downward, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has begun investigating a growing number of people testing positive after recovering.


More than 180 such cases have been reported so far in South Korea but none were found to have infected anyone else.


The medical authorities in South Korea initially conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on suspected cases.


But in investigating people who appear to suffer a relapse after recovering from Covid-19, the KCDC takes cultures of the virus, a process that takes more than two weeks before reliable results become evident.


So far, culture tests are under way for 39 cases, but all six completed so far have been negative.


"That means the virus in the relapse cases have little to no infectiousness," KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong told a briefing."

More at link:

Recovered coronavirus patients who test positive again are barely infectious: South Korea

Also, a very informative site, with lots of research papers:

COVID-19 Scientific Resources

 

[zecats]

Interesting things going on.

Artificial Intelligence and COVID-19

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we engage physically and digitally with the world around us. In fact, it plays a huge role in enhancing our abilities to sense, collect data, and support the creation of targeted solutions meant to improve the human experience down to the personal level. Researchers all over the world and in our very backyard are working in AI to advance the field – exploring the intersections of computer science, learning science, language, psychology, and medical research – to ensure that everyone engages safely and productively with this human/technology interface. And, no time is better than now to harness the power of AI to help us understand and defeat COVID-19.