Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #56

[mickey2942]

What's that first one, HTN?

Guess, Hypertension?

 

[CSIDreamer]

Guess, Hypertension?

Oh, duh lol. I was looking for HBP ha ha

 

[gitana1]

Do shutdowns work or are they a useless maneuver that doesn’t much change the outcome?

To help me figure this out I looked at Worldometer data for similar nations, as far as population, location when possible, development, health care, etc.

I analyzed Brazil, Mexico and Sweden, none of which employed shut downs.

Here I will focus on Sweden as it is a “westernized democracy” more like ours, as opposed to Brazil and Mexico which are still developing, poorer nations.

I compared Sweden with its Nordic neighbors- Norway, Denmark and Finland. These are comparable nations with similar demographics, economic structures and health care structures. However these other nations all employed shut downs.

The data used was the rates of infection, rates of deaths and rates of testing, based on a million people. So what is the infection rate per million people, what is the death rate from COVID per million people and what is the testing rate per million.

Based on today’s data:

Norway- Sweden has almost double the rate of infection as Norway. Norway has only 13% of the death rate from the disease as Sweden.

Finland- Finland has 40% of the case rate as Sweden. That means Sweden has 60% more cases per million inhabitants. Finland has 15% of the COVID19 death rate of Sweden’s.

Denmark - Sweden’s infection rate is 32% higher than Denmark’s. Denmark has 28% of the COVID19 death rate of Sweden’s.

Sweden has a rate of 2,700 infections per million inhabitants and a rate of 328 deaths per million.

Norway has a rate of 1,504 infections per million inhabitants and a rate of 50 deaths per million.

Finland has a rate of 1,083 infections per million inhabitants and a rate of 50 deaths per million.

Denmark has a rate of 1,828 infections per million inhabitants and a rate of 42 deaths per million.

But what’s significant is the comparable test rates of these nations. Because if Sweden had a much higher test rate than those other nations, then of maybe those results aren’t that significant. Right? If Sweden tests more, then of course they will have higher rates of everything.

Rates of testing = how many tests per million inhabitants:

Finland has a rate of 22,831 tests per million.
Norway has a rate of 37,858 per million.
Denmark has a rate of 57,709 tests per million.

Sweden has a rate of 14,704 tests per million.

Finland has a test rate 1.5 times as high as Sweden’s.
Norway has a test rate 2.5 times as high as Sweden’s.
Denmark has a test rate almost four times as high as Sweden’s.

The news isn’t good for Sweden. Their rates far exceed those of their neighboring nations and are likely much higher than we know given the disparity in testing, compared to those other nations.

Coronavirus Update (Live): 4,337,563 Cases and 292,451 Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Pandemic - Worldometer

 

[katydid23]

But the lockdown will save lives, because as the pandemic continues, doctors will learn more about the disease and what treatments do and don't help, and hopefully there will be a vaccine down the line. If you can delay people getting the disease until there are treatments or vaccines, you definitely will save lives.

But the vaccine will not be here until early 2021, at the earliest.

How can we manage a total lockdown until 2021? Who is going to still be in business and able to keep supply lines for food and meds open?

 

[sallye818]

@1&2&3 , so glad you are on the upswing! 5 weeks is an interminably long amount of time to be sick AND isolated. My prayers are with you.

 

[The Night Watchman]

What's that first one, HTN?

Yes, it is hypertension. Somehow I thought that was the co-morbidities summed up.

 

[10ofRods]

The majority of Americans think not enough is being done to prevent a second wave of CoVid.

Of course, it's public perception and all. While we've learned quite a bit from this first wave, what more is there to do than make sure our own locale has PPE, ICU beds, the new ventilators with better control of air, and maybe a hyperbaric oxygen chamber per 200,000 people, enough dialysis, etc.

I hope that all the people waiting for surgeries can get in quickly, as we are definitely entering a pause period. It will be almost impossible to suppress CV-19 completely without synthetic antibodies or a vaccine.

So what's going to happen? Any ideas?

Once everyone is out and about again, people 60 and under will be as safe as they were during flu season is my guess. Those of us older than that, well, will we be shut-in's? Weird to think about. While waiting for the monoclonal antibodies (that's my own biggest hope).

 

[katydid23]

"The news isn’t good for Sweden. Their rates far exceed those of their neighboring nations and are likely much higher than we know given the disparity in testing, compared to those other nations."

I think there is good news for Sweden. In the end, when all the numbers are in, it might be in Sweden's favour, for 2 reasons.

One, Sweden is taking it's death toll upfront. It's neighbours are locking down, and POSTPONING their upcoming deaths. Their numbers will go up too, eventually, when they come out of lockdown.

Sweden , meanwhile, is building up it's immunity, and learning how to avoid infection, and how to best treat infected patients.

So when the 2nd waves hit, I don't think Sweden will bet hit as hard as it's neighbours. Only time will tell.

On top of that, they will not have the massive economic hit that comes with total lockdown for many months.

So I think the reaL test will be a few months down the road, and beyond. Will Sweden's decision to 'frontload ' the damage be an effective strategy?


I know people are criticising them ans saying they are 'choosing death' by their strategy. But ion reality, the deaths will come to the other countries as well. Some are delaying it much longer, but no one can lock down entire country until a successful vaccine is available for millions of citizens.

 

[jjenny]

Actor who played Mr. Monk had covid. Which is kind of ironic, considering his character, Mr. Monk, already acted as if covid was around.
"Tony Shalhoub revealed he and his wife were sick with COVID-19 in April."
Coronavirus: 'Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' star Tony Shalhoub had COVID-19

 

[10ofRods]

The acronym definitions were hidden below. First data of its kind that I have seen. Diabetes mellitus appears to be the worst comorbidity condition.

I think it's interesting how hypertension is associated with more diagnosed cases of CoVid - it must have something to do with hypertension causing more severe symptoms, which makes sense (ACE-2 receptors and all).

Something to really think about.

 

[CSIDreamer]

I think it's interesting how hypertension is associated with more diagnosed cases of CoVid - it must have something to do with hypertension causing more severe symptoms, which makes sense (ACE-2 receptors and all).

Something to really think about.

Guess I'm grateful to be on a beta blocker. Jmo

 

[Chelly]

Toilet duty for Jakarta's social distancing violators

Toilet duty for Jakarta's social distancing violators

2 hrs ago
Indonesians who violate social distancing rules in the capital could soon find themselves forced to clean toilets to atone for their sins.

Latrine duty is among a range of punishments listed in new rules aimed at battling coronavirus infections in the Southeast Asian megacity of Jakarta.

Going outside without a mask can result in a 250,000 rupiah ($17) fine, while residents gathering in crowds could be forced to clean public facilities -- including toilets -- while wearing a vest that labels them as rule-breakers.
...

Wow!!!!

 

[24Roses]

Late Iowa news: Firefighters push for government COVID-19 regulations
Iowa DPH details distribution of state's limited Remdesivir supply
Custom Fitness owner cited for allegedly violating public health emergency proclamation
Iowa Cases Spike After Nebraska Outbreak
COVID-19 Task Force: Des Moines is Hotbed for New Cases
'Now what?': Frustrated Iowans caught in Test Iowa limbo have waited as long as 17 days (and counting) for their results

 

[Chelly]

Do shutdowns work or are they a useless maneuver that doesn’t much change the outcome?

To help me figure this out I looked at Worldometer data for similar nations, as far as population, location when possible, development, health care, etc.

I analyzed Brazil, Mexico and Sweden, none of which employed shut downs.

Here I will focus on Sweden as it is a “westernized democracy” more like ours, as opposed to Brazil and Mexico which are still developing, poorer nations.

I compared Sweden with its Nordic neighbors- Norway, Denmark and Finland. These are comparable nations with similar demographics, economic structures and health care structures. However these other nations all employed shut downs.

The data used was the rates of infection, rates of deaths and rates of testing, based on a million people. So what is the infection rate per million people, what is the death rate from COVID per million people and what is the testing rate per million.

Based on today’s data:

Norway- Sweden has almost double the rate of infection as Norway. Norway has only 13% of the death rate from the disease as Sweden.

Finland- Finland has 40% of the case rate as Sweden. That means Sweden has 60% more cases per million inhabitants. Finland has 15% of the COVID19 death rate of Sweden’s.

Denmark - Sweden’s infection rate is 32% higher than Denmark’s. Denmark has 28% of the COVID19 death rate of Sweden’s.

Sweden has a rate of 2,700 infections per million inhabitants and a rate of 328 deaths per million.

Norway has a rate of 1,504 infections per million inhabitants and a rate of 50 deaths per million.

Finland has a rate of 1,083 infections per million inhabitants and a rate of 50 deaths per million.

Denmark has a rate of 1,828 infections per million inhabitants and a rate of 42 deaths per million.

But what’s significant is the comparable test rates of these nations. Because if Sweden had a much higher test rate than those other nations, then of maybe those results aren’t that significant. Right? If Sweden tests more, then of course they will have higher rates of everything.

Rates of testing = how many tests per million inhabitants:

Finland has a rate of 22,831 tests per million.
Norway has a rate of 37,858 per million.
Denmark has a rate of 57,709 tests per million.

Sweden has a rate of 14,704 tests per million.

Finland has a test rate 1.5 times as high as Sweden’s.
Norway has a test rate 2.5 times as high as Sweden’s.
Denmark has a test rate almost four times as high as Sweden’s.

The news isn’t good for Sweden. Their rates far exceed those of their neighboring nations and are likely much higher than we know given the disparity in testing, compared to those other nations.

Coronavirus Update (Live): 4,337,563 Cases and 292,451 Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Pandemic - Worldometer

Sweden's government has been striving for herd immunity. This philosophy has not paid off for that country.

 

[cass523]

CHILD ILLNESS MYSTERY:@sramosABC has more on the dangerous condition in children possibly linked to COVID-19, with cases now reported in at least 13 states, three deaths in New York and one child leaving the hospital after beating the condition.

Video (2:14)

World News Tonight on Twitter

Hornell, NY. Bobby Dean
"Amber Dean had recovered from a mild bout of the coronavirus and her family of five had just ended their home quarantine when her oldest son, 9-year-old Bobby, fell ill, he couldn't keep anything down and his belly hurt so bad he couldn't sit up.

At the local hospital emergency room, doctors suspected an appendix infection and sent him home with instructions to see his pediatrician.

The family doctor performed a coronavirus test the day after his trip to the emergency room, but the results would take 24 hours. By that night, the boy's fever had spiked, his abdomen was swollen, he was severely dehydrated and his heart was racing. His father, Michael Dean, drove him to Golisano Children's Hospital in Rochester, 90 minutes away.

“At Rochester they did a rapid COVID test and it came back positive,” Amber Dean said. For the next six days, she was at his hospital bedside while Bobby was hooked up to IV lines and a heart monitor. He came home on Mother's Day.

In New York, the syndrome has been found across a wide range of young people. A 5-year-old boy, 7-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman have died.

About 23 percent of cases have occurred in children under age 5, about 29% between the ages of 5 and 9, about 28% between ages 10 and 14 and 16% between the ages 15 and 19."

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...een-100-children-with-illness-linked-to-virus

1:55 p.m.: Cuomo calls Pediatric Syndrome 'a truly disturbing situation'

New York state is investigating approximately 100 cases of the Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome associated with COVID-19, an inflammatory syndrome which has features that overlap with Kawasaki disease.

Three young people in New York state have died: a 5-year-old boy, a 7-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.

"This is a truly disturbing situation and I know parents around the state and around the country are very concerned," Cuomo said. "If we have this issue in New York, it's probably in other states and probably hasn't been diagnosed yet in other states because, again, these children don't present the usual COVID symptoms."

The governor urged parents to monitor their children for these symptoms:

Coronavirus updates: Violent crime down in many big cities, police say

 

[cass523]

FEEDING FAMILIES: With Americans lining up at food banks and some farmers forced to discard products,@DavidMuir reports on the work by FarmLink, with young people across the country volunteering to get food to those who need it most.

College Students starting FarmLink

FarmLink is a grassroots movement created by two students from Brown University who are helping pay farmers while redirecting their food waste to charitable organizations. Since the group started in April, it has grown to a team of 20 students and recent graduates from University of Southern California, Dartmouth College, Stanford University, the Harvard School of Business, and Cornell University, along with a network of volunteers.

So far, the group has moved more than 239,000 pounds of food from farmers to food banks and paid more than $4,500 in wages, according to its website.

While government bailouts and individual states are working to aid the agricultural industry during the pandemic, FarmLink is helping to reduce food waste by raising money to purchase the excess food from farmers, and rerouting the deliveries to food bank distributor partners. In April, the group completed its first delivery, which consisted of 50,000 pounds of onions from a farm in Oregon.

Collier said that FarmLink has grown thanks to a mix of the team’s personal and corporate relationships, along with donations— which pays for the wages of farm workers and truckers. The organization also recently partnered with Uber Freight in a deal that helps FarmLink with transports of food, Collier says.

As of May 8, FarmLink has moved food in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, California, North Carolina, and Virginia and has plans to start working in Texas, Wyoming, New York, Michigan and the New England area. The group is aiming to move at least 1 million pounds of food by the end of May and 5 million pounds by the end of the summer.

Video (1:57)

World News Tonight on Twitter

These Students Are Sending Thousands Of Pounds Of Food Waste To Food Banks

 

[katydid23]

Ferrer: L.A. County likely to extend stay-home orders for another 3 months
The emergency orders are set to expire Friday May 15.

The emergency Safer-at-Home orders in Los Angeles County that have humbled the economy and pressed the pause button on daily life will “with all certainty” be extended for another three months, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer told the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 12.

“There’s no way (to open earlier) unless there’s a dramatic change in this virus and the tools that we have on hand to actually fight against this virus,” Ferrer said.

That the health-officer order, set to expire on Friday, May 15, would be revised and extended was hardly a surprise, as officials have been outlining repeatedly a phased approach toward fully reopening the economy. That the order could last until August, however, had not yet been stated publicly.

...........Under a plan announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom counties would need to have zero deaths in two weeks and just one new case per 10,000 people, a standard that no county in Southern California was anywhere near meeting currently.

Ferrer: L.A. County likely to extend stay-home orders for another 3 months – Press Telegram

I don't think Los Angeles locals are going to stay locked down until mid July...

 

[10ofRods]

I think there is good news for Sweden. In the end, when all the numbers are in, it might be in Sweden's favour, for 2 reasons.

One, Sweden is taking it's death toll upfront. It's neighbours are locking down, and POSTPONING their upcoming deaths. Their numbers will go up too, eventually, when they come out of lockdown.

Sweden , meanwhile, is building up it's immunity, and learning how to avoid infection, and how to best treat infected patients.

So when the 2nd waves hit, I don't think Sweden will bet hit as hard as it's neighbours. Only time will tell.

On top of that, they will not have the massive economic hit that comes with total lockdown for many months.

So I think the reaL test will be a few months down the road, and beyond. Will Sweden's decision to 'frontload ' the damage be an effective strategy?


I know people are criticising them ans saying they are 'choosing death' by their strategy. But ion reality, the deaths will come to the other countries as well. Some are delaying it much longer, but no one can lock down entire country until a successful vaccine is available for millions of citizens.

Although...don't you think that the standard of care for CoVid is changing? Instead of most people dying on ventilators, it's now down to around 50% or less. People are surviving because of better care. And there really are going to be treatments within the next few months.

I understand the logic, but science can't "frontload" solutions. Those take time. Even just the knowledge about how important Vitamin D is, to mortality, wasn't known up front - but seems more and more promising (in that people with more Vitamin D in their blood have lower death rates - by at least 20%).

I'm one of those who thinks that CoVid's current death rates will come down slowly, on a per case basis, as medical science progresses. What if we find out that the treatment regime of July is a vast improvement over that of March? Because I think it will be.

Just the availability of several anti-virals (in scarce supply right now) will go up. Now we know a lot more about why ventilators need to be dialed down.

We're all learning a lot from Sweden, and I do hope that the world shares its scientific discoveries and manufacturing of medicines with Sweden fully. Personally, I think that as CoVid moves into places that have had low rates, Sweden won't be the only nation that uses this approach.

Might be better to get CoVid after the anti-virals and synthetic antibodies are available, though. Something to think about.

 

[cody22]

I don't think Los Angeles locals are going to stay locked down until mid July...

Agreed.......This has a good chance to become a very long hot, divided, Virus civil disobedience at the least, Summer, possibly nation wide even.....moo

 

[ilovewings]

Just a heads up. A friend just texted me that she ordered Clorox wipes from WalMart.com yesterday - they were in stock and will be mailed.

thanks for the info