Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #52

[weepingangel]

Close working conditions and, imo, poor benefits. Sometimes in places like that, you call in sick, you get no pay or even fired. So, once someone has it, it spreads to co-workers.
jmo

No paid sick time in some places
Oops eta saw you mentioned that

 

[cass523]

Shouldn't at-risk workers be put on furlough until it is safe to return to the work force. Let them collect unemployment, maybe up to the full paycheck. It seems better to pay them not to work, to save lives, and reduce the burden of the health care system. And furlough means they have a job to go back to.

My husband has a side job at Costco, he works the door. When this first started he used his vacation time and sick days to stay home.

When he returned, they added extra bucks to his pay. Then his supervisor told him they are paying employees to stay home. He made the cut-off, age 65 and older. Time frame so far is 6 weeks full pay. I am not sure if they will extend this.

 

[pocketaccent]

South Korea says recovered coronavirus patients who tested positive again did not relapse: Tests picked up 'dead virus fragments'

Scientists said the wave of South Koreans who tested positive for COVID-19 even after they recovered did not have the virus reactivate after going dormant and that they were not reinfected.
...
But the country's infectious-disease experts said on Thursday that the positive test results were likely caused by flaws in the testing process, where the tests picked up remnants of the virus without detecting whether the person was still infected, The Herald reported.

The Herald described the experts as saying that "dead virus fragments" were lingering in patients' bodies after they recovered and that the virus did not appear to be active in the patients.
...

 

[Lilibet]

Anyone have any idea why a food plant would have such a high incidence of cases? It mentions it started with 1 employee.

From what I’ve heard on TV shows like Rachel Maddow, the employees work side by side and across from each other, pass each other in narrow hallways and take breaks in crowded rooms. This link from the CDC explains more and discusses solutions. The CDC has only made “recommendations” for safely reopening that won’t be enforced.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/201...eat-poultry-processing-workers-employers.html

“The guidance, which is optional, lists several steps plants should take to prevent the spread of the virus. Among other things, it suggests workers be spaced at least six feet apart; that workstations be reconfigured to avoid face-to-face positioning; and that workers have their temperatures checked before entering the plant.”

OSHA and CDC issue new guidelines for meat packing plants - Brownfield Ag News

One wonders, as Rachel Maddow did the other evening, why the CDC has softened its usual language in allowing the plants to reopen. Normally, they issue orders, not guidelines.

Under Trump, formerly stalwart CDC goes soft on meat plants

 

[cass523]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Hopes for Society Being Better After the Life-Changing Pandemic

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo discussed how he’s feeling the stress of this “hellish situation” as much as everyone else, but has hope we will be better for it following the life-altering pandemic. He also said that while it’s an unprecedented time, it’s important to buy into the facts in order to open up the economy and move forward. (Ellen Show)

second half

 

[cody22]

I didn’t know B&Q either.
but DH did a curbside pick up at Home Depot last evening/ our stair hand railing broke (probably over enthusiastic cleaning on my part lol) and he was shocked that the parking lot was jam packed full. He probably wouldn’t have gone inside after seeing that. “Grocery shopping is bad enough”

West Texas - We do not go out much (We carefully plan the trip. I am the only one that goes into any store in my home family. I have two other outside the household male family members and we "syndicate buy for all three households by cell phones ahead of time) We wait in line to go into nearly all stores here now......moo

 

[Tadpole12]

Cuba:

Cuba Coronavirus: 1,501 Cases and 61 Deaths - Worldometer

Cuba’s ration book stages comeback due to coronavirus pandemic

 

[Curious Me]

Basically, it rides INSIDE the water packet, until that aerosol is deep in your lungs, where the particle opens up, you breathe, and voilà! You're now infected.

There's a ton of really interesting research on this part of viral transmission (it's not just CoVid of course). When humidity goes up, the newly sneezed or coughed out packets from someone else is just one of millions of bits of wetness in the air (nicely wrapped up in their mucous, which provides a temporary boost to the life of the virus outside its host). So, while you still breathe it in, as a percentage of the water molecules you're breathing in, it's a low percentage. This seems to matter with this virus.

In dry weather, there's virtually no moisture in the area, so the virion-laden packets are the only moisture breathed into already dry lungs, which crave the humidity and the percentage of infected packets is very high (if you're in a room already contaminated or nearby a transmitter).

Apparently, though, once the virus does attach itself to water molecules in a humid environment, those molecules by their nature are pulled by gravity down to the ground (which is why there's sometimes still dew even in dry environments). Once the virus is on the ground, unless you too are crawling around or putting your hands on the ground, you're unlikely to get it. In several studies, 100% of hospital floor samples tested positive for CV-19 in CoVid wards, whereas bed railings had considerably less (still a lot, but nothing like the floor). The more humid the place was, the faster the virus ended up on the floor.

So shoe protocol is important. I figure I don't have CV in my house. I am not the least bit afraid of cooking spray or the like. Where would the CV come from in the first place? It's so rapidly killed by hot sun (and we have that here in SoCal), I rely on leaving packages in our sunroom for 2-3 hours up to 2-3 days, depending on whether we really need to use it.

But I'm a bit of a weirdo in that I'm willing to risk 1-2 virion getting into my respiratory system; what I'm trying to avoid is 30,000 per sneeze by the guy behind me on the plane, who is sneezing 12-20 times an hour.

Dread the dry in SoCal summers. Mouth gets so dry. Do you think a humidifier would be a good idea? WWVD -- What would the Virus do?

The people in my building are going wild blatantly taunting the virus. No masks, congregating in the courtyard. At risks people! All their grandkids come not wearing masks and getting on the elevators. We have a ninety year old not one bit worried visiting a woman recovering from a stroke. They all make me feel foolish like I'm being too careful. Must wear face masks rule goes into effect tomorrow.

For awhile I was opening my door and spraying this old Lysol spray out into the hallway at quiet times, thinking I was maybe killing some virus in the hallways. I mop with bleach in my section of hallway.

I wipe all food packages down. I have my bag of oranges on the balcony, but not everyone has room to keep their groceries out. Besides, my neighbors are doing their best to expose me. I wonder if we'll all luck out and live, or who will be the unfortunate one.

 

[Inthedetails]

[URL='https://twitter.com/WSJ']The Wall Street Journal
@WSJ[/URL]

Breaking: J. Crew is preparing to file for bankruptcy. It's one of several high-profile U.S. chains on the verge of unraveling during the coronavirus pandemic.

 

[cody22]

(Done.)

Newsom orders temporary closure of all beaches in Orange County after Newport Beach saw crowds

All beaches in Orange County must temporarily close over concerns the region is not heeding stay-at-home orders, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday.
...
“We’re gonna do a hard close in that part of the state, just in the Orange County area,” Newsom said.

The state is working with the county to temporarily close state and local beaches in O.C., according to Newsom. That change comes after the governor wrote a memo addressing police chiefs around the state and ordering the closure of all beaches in California.
...

I am curious to see what the weekend brings over this "hard close" order......moo

 

[Trino]

Just talked with a local state representative. Expected is a second wave. Definitely talked about among state legislators.

 

[Bravo]

I have no doubt there will be a second wave and will slowly build up supplies to stock up and avoid hoarding.

 

[10ofRods]

Age of Coronavirus Deaths
COVID-19 Fatality Rate by AGE:
*Death Rate = (number of deaths / number of cases) = probability of dying if infected by the virus (%). This probability differs depending on the age group. The percentages shown below do not have to add up to 100%, as they do NOT represent share of deaths by age group. Rather, it represents, for a person in a given age group, the risk of dying if infected with COVID-19.

AGE
DEATH RATE
confirmed cases

DEATH RATE
all cases
21.9%

80+ years old
14.8%

70-79 years old
8.0%

60-69 years old
3.6%

50-59 years old
1.3%

40-49 years old
0.4%

30-39 years old
0.2%

20-29 years old
0.2%

10-19 years old
0.2%

0-9 years old
no fatalities

*Death Rate = (number of deaths / number of cases) = probability of dying if infected by the virus (%). The percentages do not have to add up to 100%, as they do NOT represent share of deaths by age group.

In general, relatively few cases are seen among children.

This is from the Worldometers site that has been linked upthread. Basically 21.9% is the fatality rate for all cases and the probable deaths for each age group is shown.

Then Worldometers is miscalculating somewhere. Or it's possible the over 90's have a 30% death rate, which would give a 20% overall death rate (I guess - I mean, I'd need to see the calculations). Since there are far more older people dying, we'd have to multiply their rate by their actual number of cases (but somewhere someone has to be dying at a way higher rate than 14.8% to get to an overall death rate of 20%).

Also, that's not proper data for the 0-9 group. See here (Table 2). The CDC doesn't report by the age brackets mentioned above so I assume WorldoMeter is doing extrapolation (which I teach my students to do, it's a valid thing to do as an information strategy).

At any rate the US has lost 9 children 14 and under as of 4/25. 4 were under the age of 1. That illustrates my earlier point about...infants are more vulnerable, those deaths under 1 year were mostly under 6 months, although I do remember a 1 year old with serious underlying conditions dying).

But 9 != zero. And worldwide, the number of children dead is greater than 9, so still not zero.

It's true that children are way less likely to die of CoVid19, so far. The Kawasaki-activation syndrome going on in UK is very very concerning). But that syndrome is in keeping with all else science is finding out about this novel Coronavirus.

 

[Tadpole12]

Dread the dry in SoCal summers. Mouth gets so dry. Do you think a humidifier would be a good idea? WWVD -- What would the Virus do?

The people in my building are going wild blatantly taunting the virus. No masks, congregating in the courtyard. At risks people! All their grandkids come not wearing masks and getting on the elevators. We have a ninety year old not one bit worried visiting a woman recovering from a stroke. They all make me feel foolish like I'm being too careful. Must wear face masks rule goes into effect tomorrow.

For awhile I was opening my door and spraying this old Lysol spray out into the hallway at quiet times, thinking I was maybe killing some virus in the hallways. I mop with bleach in my section of hallway.

I wipe all food packages down. I have my bag of oranges on the balcony, but not everyone has room to keep their groceries out. Besides, my neighbors are doing their best to expose me. I wonder if we'll all luck out and live, or who will be the unfortunate one.

CM, just keep being fastidious.

Is there a draft through your door, from the hallway?
Maybe stick a rolled towel or use a draft snake for doors?

 

[pocketaccent]

Savings rate hits highest level since 1981 as nervous Americans stash their cash

Americans are so nervous about the state of the economy that they are stashing cash in the bank at a rate not seen since the first year of Ronald Reagan’s presidency.
...
Consumers are putting more money away at a time when bank savings, money market accounts and Treasury bonds are yielding next to nothing after the Federal Reserve slashed rates to zero last month and launched numerous lending programs in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
...
Incomes are down — but so is spending

Still, consumers may be saving more because they are spending less — a lot less, in fact.

The BEA also said Thursday that consumption expenditures fell 7.5% last month, led by a nearly $935 billion drop in spending on goods and services. Much of that is probably due to the widespread closure of businesses.
...

 

[Trino]

OMG...
Hundreds of protestors, some carrying guns, stormed the Michigan capital! Right now! Hundreds of protesters, some carrying guns in the state Capitol, demonstrate against Michigan's emergency measures

 

[Inthedetails]

"The MTA will soon cease overnight subway service, an unprecedented disruption that will allow crews to disinfect trains more frequently to help slow the spread of coronavirus....

Subway ridership has plummeted by 92 percent since the COVID-19 crisis began, and only 10,000 people were using the system during the overnight window, officials said. The MTA will provide buses, for-hire vehicles and 'dollar vans' for essential workers traveling at night.

'This is as ambitious as anything we've ever undertaken, and it's going to require a lot of extraordinary effort from a lot of agencies working together,' Cuomo said."

MTA Will End Overnight Subway Service For Duration Of Pandemic

bbm

 

[cass523]

Live: Trump discusses protecting America's seniors amid coronavirus

 

[Tadpole12]

OMG...
Hundreds of protestors, some carrying guns, stormed the Michigan capital! Right now! Hundreds of protesters, some carrying guns in the state Capitol, demonstrate against Michigan's emergency measures

"it is legal in Michigan to carry firearms as long as it is done with lawful intent and the weapon is visible"

 

[ilovewings]

I stopped eating meat over a year ago for heath reasons. It seems that despite being intellectually convinced I needed to be on a low carb diet for over a decade my body absolutely does not like it. My labwork backs this up and over and over again. I eat minimal dairy and no eggs or meat now. I'm back to buying dairy from a local farmer that delivers. I don't miss meat or fish in my diet at all. If I had to choose again I would always choose to eat tons of vegetabes and legumes instead of a diet again where I had to give up beans and limit and count the carbs in my veg.

The rest of my family eats eggs, but from hens we raise and treat well. But I'd be very happy to stop buying meat from these large farms where they are treat horribly and processed horribly. I've tracked down a local farmer to buy beef from. And we've ordered our own birds to raise for meat. I'd prefer to know how the animals are raised and treated.

The rest of the family prefers to eat meat, but for religious reasons they actually abstain from all animal products for half the year. I understand not everyone choosing to not eat meat. But I do think we could make more of an effort to raise and kill those animals a lot more humanely. I think going back to supporting local farmers is part of the way to do this.

I eat meat because if I don't i feel lousy: I have to say though since this meat shortage began recently with all the talk of all those poor animals having to be euthanized (slaughtered), I wish I didn't have to eat meat or chicken. Let's face it, most of us who eat meat just don't think about how it gets to our plate. This meat shortage and talk of what is going on with the animals makes me sick. I know hogs are intelligent ---i am horrified thinking of all of them being slaughtered.