Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #58

[Simply Southern]

Japan wins virus fight by ignoring rulebook

Good article... They owned it, embraced it and overcome.

 

[branmuffin]

@Simply Southern, do you know why these nursing homes are counting this way? It just seems off, since we need to track how many folks of older ages are getting this.... I think that is what is going on in Florida too, but can't find real solid info?

Maybe less deaths, less oversight?

 

[CharlestonGal]

The US comprises 4% of the world population but accounts for nearly 30% of covid deaths, according to current data.

Does anyone have ideas about why that is?

 

[Simply Southern]

And, despite trying, after 30 years, there is no vaccine for HIV. So, what are the chances for a COVID-19 vaccine?

With HIV came the birth of "universal precautions". We learned quickly and on the fly, as HIV raged the world. Mask, gloves, gowns, eye protection, safe sex, the same will all apply to Covid.

 

[jjenny]

I’m not worldwide. I’m in Arizona. My risk of dying is practically nil, as It would be if I were in California or many other states.

Good what for you. You don't seem to understand that for people with pre-existing conditions, like myself, the risk is not practically nil.

 

[katydid23]

Why would people be given drug that doesn't help and increases their chances of dying? Because that's what is happening with hydoxychloroquine-people given this drug died at a higher rate than the ones who were not given it. The drug given without any credible clinical trials showing it has any benefit.
Again, study showed that people given this drug had higher death rate than the ones who was not. So not all of them were going to "die anyway." Some of them might have survived if not for the drug.

There were two groups---the 'control' group and the 'treatment group.'

The treatment group had a higher level of patients with history of heart problems than the control group. It says so in the study. I linked it yesterday.

So this 'higher' death rate is quite explainable.

 

[katydid23]

Good what for you. You don't seem to understand that for people with pre-existing conditions, like myself, the risk is not practically nil.

Right, which is why you and I need to stay isolated. But the rest of the world doesn't need to do so anymore. SOME of the people can return to the outside world and work and go to school.

 

[mickey2942]

The US comprises 4% of the world population but accounts for nearly 30% of covid deaths, according to current data.

Does anyone have ideas about why that is?

I do, but it won't be popular. We used to be "The "United States".". With people who believed that they were "Americans". People came together, as a cultural collective. Thinking that we were one people, with differences, but we were all together.

Now, we are a collection of people who are divided, by race, ethnicity, SES, geographic locations, immigration status, on and on...no one thinks about their "neighbors" any longer. Or working together.

Japan. Has 4% diversity. Everyone in Japan speaks a common language, Japanese. And they think in terms of "Japan".

I think that our nation has spent too much time and focus on our differences, rather than our strengths. And this is the result.

 

[jjenny]

There were two groups---the 'control' group and the 'treatment group.'

The treatment group had a higher level of patients with history of heart problems than the control group. It says so in the study. I linked it yesterday.

So this 'higher' death rate is quite explainable.

Study controlled for confounding factors. Which means you can't attribute higher death rate to history of heart disease.

"After controlling for multiple confounding factors (age, sex, race or ethnicity, body-mass index, underlying cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, diabetes, underlying lung disease, smoking, immunosuppressed condition, and baseline disease severity), when compared with mortality in the control group (9·3%), hydroxychloroquine (18·0%; hazard ratio 1·335, 95% CI 1·223–1·457), hydroxychloroquine with a macrolide (23·8%; 1·447, 1·368–1·531), chloroquine (16·4%; 1·365, 1·218–1·531), and chloroquine with a macrolide (22·2%; 1·368, 1·273–1·469) were each independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality."
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31180-6/fulltext

 

[Simply Southern]

The US comprises 4% of the world population but accounts for nearly 30% of covid deaths, according to current data.

Does anyone have ideas about why that is?

This article gave me much insite.

Japan wins virus fight by ignoring rulebook

Thanks @TMAN2014

 

[jjenny]

Right, which is why you and I need to stay isolated. But the rest of the world doesn't need to do so anymore. SOME of the people can return to the outside world and work and go to school.

Well, I am far away from retirement age. Not sure how exactly I can stay isolated. Unless some money fairy shows up and starts paying my expenses.

 

[CSIDreamer]

We've been talking about age and returning to work.

Indiana stats:

1812 total deaths

16.1% age 60-69
24.5% age 70-79
50.9% age 80+

1658 deaths ages 60+.
154 deaths under age 60.

Ages 60+, especially 70+, need to continue using extreme caution.

Whups. Adding link:
ISDH - Novel Coronavirus: Indiana COVID-19 Dashboard

 

[epiphany]

This morning Cuomo is pretty much begging people again to get the covid test. Probably many reasons why NY'ers are not running in to be tested. For the first time since late March, NY deaths fell below 100.

My adult son went yesterday to his physician at NYU Med Center to get tested. Doc said he only needed an AB test (blood test) since he has had no symptoms at all since the shutdown. Told him it would be great if he had the ABs, but stressed (you know the drill) he would still need to be vigilant, wear mask, wash hands and stay out of the subway system, no one knows how long immunity lasts, etc. (Happy about the subway warning!).

Guess what! He told my son that 90% of his patients coming into the office for the test/s, have tested Negative for ABs. I'm surprised given that I've felt that many NY'ers were/are walking around spreading covid though they themselves were asymptomatic. He told him that there will be a second wave in NYC in Sept-Oct or Oct-Nov. I don't recall which months he said. Many of his 90% without ABs will contract covid then as they let up their vigilance and as the city opens up, but won't die if they aren't in the high risk age group and/or do not have the underlying health risks.

In the meantime, my son's bosses were begging him to come into the office last week even though he and they have been working from home. They "forgot" to send his paycheck after he refused to go in last week. He's under obvious pressure from them now. Oh, they are not an essential business.

Then there's his partner's mother, a small business owner, who opened her store last week even though she acknowledged several of her customers have died. That lasted about 7-10 days before NYPD visited and shut her down. But, she's gonna open again today! Another business across the street from her was fined and shut down that same day. Neither, are essential businesses.

Again, I wish I had been able to leave NYC before the shutdown. Thinking about trying to before the second wave hits.

 

[mickey2942]

We've been talking about age and returning to work.

Indiana stats:

1812 total deaths

16.1% age 60-69
24.5% age 70-79
50.9% age 80+

1658 deaths ages 60+.
154 deaths under age 60.

Ages 60+, especially 70+, need to continue using extreme caution.

Whups. Adding link:
ISDH - Novel Coronavirus: Indiana COVID-19 Dashboard

This is great. Everyone who is young, healthy, go to work. The problem is that a lot of these folks may live with older parents, grandparents, or people who are immunocompromised.

They will go to work, and potentially bring home a virus to wipe out their family. Nice choice. Should I just relegate the basement to my daughter? Should I be parted from my husband forever, because I could bring home a virus from work that will kill him?

 

[CharlestonGal]

I do, but it won't be popular. We used to be "The "United States".". With people who believed that they were "Americans". People came together, as a cultural collective. Thinking that we were one people, with differences, but we were all together.

Now, we are a collection of people who are divided, by race, ethnicity, SES, geographic locations, immigration status, on and on...no one thinks about their "neighbors" any longer. Or working together.

Japan. Has 4% diversity. Everyone in Japan speaks a common language, Japanese. And they think in terms of "Japan".

I think that our nation has spent too much time and focus on our differences, rather than our strengths. And this is the result.

So basically a philosophy of "every man for himself" as opposed to a philosophy of "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one".

That is a very insightful, though perturbing, perspective. Thank you.

 

[Simply Southern]

State employees in California are balking over taking two days of furloughs while businesses across the state go under ? They keep all their benefits - medical, pension, etc.
As revenues plummet, billions cut from California budget

Same in Virginia, front line State employees are not working and being paid. The State is contracting all phone type services to call centers. Call center folks are working from home with ALL your protected personal information displayed for viewing by anyone in the home.

How can a Governor ask/force folks to go to work when state employees are staying home?

 

[katydid23]

The US comprises 4% of the world population but accounts for nearly 30% of covid deaths, according to current data.

Does anyone have ideas about why that is?

Because our population is spread across a large swath of land, HOWEVER we haven some very crowded urban centers, with a lot of international travellers, crowded mass transit, and crowded restaurants. Those cities, like NYC, became rampant hot spots early on, and fuelled other hot spots.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Good what for you. You don't seem to understand that for people with pre-existing conditions, like myself, the risk is not practically nil.

It's not "practically nil" for tens of millions of Americans, either.

"Depending on what characteristics are used to define high and medium risk, tens of millions of Americans are high risk for severe COVID-19 infection. A clear picture of who these people are and where they live can help policy makers and public health officials design policies to limit the exposure to this virus, especially high-risk people. Changes in personal and social behavior and norms could be required for months or years and we collectively must take those steps to help protect the most vulnerable people in our communities. "

High-Risk Populations for Severe COVID-19 Infections in the United States | Think Global Health

 

[CharlestonGal]

We've been talking about age and returning to work.

Indiana stats:

1812 total deaths

16.1% age 60-69
24.5% age 70-79
50.9% age 80+

1658 deaths ages 60+.
154 deaths under age 60.

Ages 60+, especially 70+, need to continue using extreme caution.

Whups. Adding link:
ISDH - Novel Coronavirus: Indiana COVID-19 Dashboard

68.7 million Americans are over the age of 60.

 

[jjenny]

This is great. Everyone who is young, healthy, go to work. The problem is that a lot of these folks may live with older parents, grandparents, or people who are immunocompromised.

They will go to work, and potentially bring home a virus to wipe out their family. Nice choice. Should I just relegate the basement to my daughter? Should I be parted from my husband forever, because I could bring home a virus from work that will kill him?

Add to that that there are plenty of people who are not of retirement age, but are not particularly healthy. They still have to go to work. I haven't heard any plans to pay such people to sit at home so they can self-isolate. I've seen plenty of posts here saying that there is no need for healthy younger people to sit at home, as they can work. But how not so healthy younger people are going to sit at home if they have bills to pay?