Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #59

[CharlestonGal]

I think any good from the lockdown will be undone by this. I did list the cities where it was happening but it was deleted as off topic so if the cases and deaths do increase we will have to research back for the causes then. The cities are now too numerous to mention anyway. It is just annoying when shops and businesses have been closed and people have been law abiding in the lockdowns. Just when it is beginning to be safe to go out as well.

You can add my city to the list. Wild night last night. Charleston, SC.

 

[MimosaMornings]

DBM
Wrong thread

 

[CSIDreamer]

Here's the protest thread:

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...floyd-killing-minneapolis-25-may-2020.525065/

 

[10ofRods]

The United States has provided the majority of WHO funding.

It could be considered under-funded since 2008. France is the only member country I know of that has stated it will increase contributions - but it's going to take a lot of luck and work to get all the other member countries to step up, especially right now.

This 72 year old organization is officially on life support, IMO. But that's been predicted within several disciplines, for years. As the planet hits carrying capacity (we probably now exceed it by a billion or more), the surplus needed to generate what we all call "civilized" responses to things will get smaller and smaller. Now that we know that individual billionaires will be allowed to maintain a great deal of control over what we usually call public health resources, we certainly can't expect the polio or other projects to be well-funded. Fortunately, population growth in sub-Saharan Africa has slowed and perhaps plateaued, which will help (if birth control remains available).

A serious concern, health-wise, is what's going on in Pakistan and India, two unstable regions of the world. India will likely receive some outside support, due to its pharma/biochemical manufacturing businesses. It is, after all, where UK plans to manufacture its CoVid vaccine.

 

[24Roses]

Iowa numbers today: Five more COVID-19 deaths reported, along with more cases
345 new confirmed cases and 5 more have passed away for a total of 19,487 confirmed cases with 11,062 recovered and 533 that have passed away.

 

[tresir2012]

UK coronavirus news

Coronavirus updates: US protesters urged to get tests - BBC News

Summary

1. US officials urge protesters who took to the streets in recent days to get tested or self-isolate
2. There have been large protests in the US and beyond over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of police
3. UK coronavirus testing capacity passes 200,000, beating the government's target, but far fewer tests are actually being carried out
4. Communities Minister Robert Jenrick confirms that some 2.2 million people shielding in England and Wales can go outside from Monday
5. Brazil passes France to have the fourth-highest death toll in the world
6. No new deaths reported in Sweden; Spain records lowest new infections in almost three months
7. Reflecting on lockdowns easing, Pope Francis tells worshippers at St Peter's Square that protecting health is more important than the economy
8. Confirmed coronavirus cases across the world have now exceeded six million, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

 

[anneg]

And timely update from Dr. Campbell re bad science continually being spouted by media so they are first to press on it.

In this, he talks about the "levels of scientific evidence" (of which most of the info out there is the bottom most level or not even good enough to get on the scale!) Not only journalists, but scientists are doing "click bait" and he discusses such and reasons why.

I = Meta analyses or RCT with clear cut results
II = Small RCT with unclear results
III = Cohort or case control study
IV = Historical cohort of case-control studies
V = Case series studies with no controls

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In this one, he talks about the "science research" shows that depending on who you listen to, asymptomatics are 5%-80%...

It takes effort to skip the media reports, and train to go to the original paper to evaluate what level of scientific evidence (credibility) should it be given, and if peer reviewed or just put out on a pre-print site which now exists during this pandemic so they can say their efforts were cited and get a "feather in their academic hat"

MOO

ETA: And then you have company after company doing press releases all over the place speaking to they have the cure! Pfffft.

There aren't many that can read and understand in the general public the science, and do critical thinking. Most media and others don't even make a veiled attempt to cite the original scientific paper....either because there isn't one and it's just quoting an opinion... or the just aren't true scientists.. they are journalists who are depending on those with an agenda.

MOO

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Dixie, for me, it takes too long to view entire videos, and I'm usually not willing to do that. I have tried watching the videos with closed captions and skipping through trying to get the key messages. I'd love to have a "cheat sheet" for each video that lists the sources he cites and key points he makes... I'm pretty sure I'm not up to doing that myself, though!

My attention span is quite poor these days with everything that is going on. I imagine that's true of most people.

 

[Cool Cats]

May 31, 2020, 2:43 PM EDT
New coronavirus losing potency, top Italian doctor says

Tuesday 12 May 2020
Coronavirus may disappear before development of a vaccine: Milan research center head

ROME (Reuters) - The new coronavirus is losing its potency and has become much less lethal, a prominent Italian doctor said on Sunday. It's potency has begun to weaken day by day.

In reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy."
The swabs that were performed over the last 10 days showed a viral load in quantitative terms that was absolutely infinitesimal compared to the ones carried out a month or two months ago.

New infections and fatalities have fallen steadily in May and the country is unwinding some of the most rigid lockdown restrictions introduced anywhere on the continent.

Zangrillo said some experts were too alarmist about the prospect of a second wave of infections and politicians needed to take into account the new reality.

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Punta Ala

 

[weepingangel]

Sarah Kliff on Twitter
Of course you knew bills like this were coming.
The wildest part is that the insurance company *paid* $9,293 for a coronavirus test.

 

[anneg]

May 31, 2020, 2:43 PM EDT

New coronavirus losing potency, top Italian doctor says

Coronavirus may disappear before development of a vaccine: Milan research center head

ROME (Reuters) - The new coronavirus is losing its potency and has become much less lethal, a senior Italian doctor said on Sunday.

"In reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy."

"The swabs that were performed over the last 10 days showed a viral load in quantitative terms that was absolutely infinitesimal compared to the ones carried out a month or two months ago."

New infections and fatalities have fallen steadily in May and the country is unwinding some of the most rigid lockdown restrictions introduced anywhere on the continent.

Zangrillo said some experts were too alarmist about the prospect of a second wave of infections and politicians needed to take into account the new reality.

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Punta Ala

Interesting. I'd like it to be true that the virus is weakening. If it's true, would it likely be due to the virus mutating? Or herd immunity? Or both, or something else?

 

[Cool Cats]

Interesting. I'd like it to be true that the virus is weakening. If it's true, would it likely be due to the virus mutating? Or herd immunity? Or both, or something else?

Mutating. As of now it's true for Italy according to a prominent Italian Doctor.
So if it's true for Italy then hopefully It will be true for USA, Canada and other Countries.

 

[Lavender Moon]

It will be interesting to see what happens with spike in COVID-19 cases in cities that rioted over the last three days. I hope our hospitals do not become over run.
These were younger people for the most part. However, who knows how many already have underlying health problems?

Also, who knows how many of their loved ones have underlying conditions?

 

[tmar]

SPECIAL REPORT: How China covered up the coronavirus crisis

SPECIAL REPORT: How China covered up the coronavirus crisis

Sky News Australia
5 hrs ago
...
The Chinese Communist Party’s brutal crackdown on critics during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak led to hundreds of people being taken from their families and held in secret detention indefinitely.

This Sky News Australia special investigation talks to the families of these victims, including the brother of Chinese journalist Chen Men, who was taken by his government for the crime of reporting on the coronavirus.
Mr Chen’s family say he has disappeared entirely without a trial and fear the man they love is being tortured by the communist regime in an unknown location.

His website was shut down after authorities caught wind of his warnings and he was jailed on April 19.
Their story is eerily and tragically similar to that of hundreds of brave people who raised concerns online and have since vanished.

Human rights groups fear that number may be as high as 800 and there are concerns that many of the victims will never be reunited with their families.

 

[jjenny]

Mutating. As of now it's true for Italy according to a prominent Italian Doctor.
So if it's true for Italy then hopefully It will be true for USA, Canada and other Countries.

Zero evidence was provided by either of this doctors that the virus is mutating.

 

[tmar]

Interesting below, virus spread at a church : how someone was infected, having sat hours later, on the same seat as an asymptomatic couple.

The mystery of 'silent spreaders'

The mystery of 'silent spreaders'

7 hrs ago

© BBC

As the crisis has unfolded, scientists have discovered more evidence about a strange and worrying feature of the coronavirus. While many people who become infected develop a cough, fever and loss of taste and smell, others have no symptoms at all and never realise they're carrying Covid-19.


Researchers say it's vital to understand how many are affected this way and whether "silent spreaders" are fuelling the pandemic.
...
Along with many others, this study highlighted a critical period of 24-to-48 hours before the visible onset of the disease in which people can be highly infectious, perhaps even their most infectious.

Being aware of that is potentially invaluable, because as soon as you realise you're ill then everyone you've been in close contact with can be warned to stay at home.

That would mean that they would be isolating during the key phase of infection before their own symptoms start. But exactly how the disease can be transmitted without a cough to project droplets containing the virus is still open to debate.
One option is that simply breathing or talking to someone can do the job. If the virus is reproducing in the upper respiratory tract at that time then it's possible that some of it will emerge with each exhalation. Anyone close enough, especially indoors, could easily pick it up.

And another potential form of transmission is by touch - the virus gets onto someone's hands and they touch another person or a door handle - or a seat in a church. Whatever the route, the virus is clearly exploiting the fact that people are bound to be less vigilant if they're not aware that they might be infected.

 

[tmar]

Russian Health Ministry Approves Anti-Coronavirus Drug Avifavir

Russian Health Ministry Approves Anti-Coronavirus Drug Avifavir

Ilya Khrennikov
9 hrs ago
...
Bloomberg) -- Russia’s Health Ministry granted a temporary registration certificate to the country’s first Covid-19 medicine, a generic version of the Japanese flu drug Avigan, the country’s wealth fund said in statement.

As the coronavirus continues to spread, upending economies and life around the world, drug companies have been racing to develop treatments and vaccines.

Avifavir, developed by a joint venture of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and ChemRar Group, is designed to disrupt the novel coronavirus’s ability to reproduce and has proven effective in clinical trials.

While an international researcher of the drug has sounded a note of caution -- joining scientists around the world who have tried to manage expectations of new treatments until they’ve been thoroughly tested -- the head of the wealth fund said it was a potential breakthrough.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Sarah Kliff on Twitter
Of course you knew bills like this were coming.
The wildest part is that the insurance company *paid* $9,293 for a coronavirus test.

WTAF 'Merica?

 

[jjenny]

Avigan (aka Avifavir) can cause birth defects.
"The drug cannot be administered to expectant mothers or women who are likely to become pregnant as it may cause birth defects."
Japan extends timeline for approving Fujifilm's Avigan drug for COVID-19 | The Japan Times

 

[tmar]

Coronavirus may have been in Europe in NOVEMBER: Scientists hunting for France's 'patient zero' discover X-rays showing person with Covid symptoms two months before first cases declared

Coronavirus may have been in Europe in NOVEMBER: Scientists hunting for France's 'patient zero' discover X-rays showing person with Covid symptoms two months before first cases declared

Bhvishya Patel For Mailonline
8 hrs ago
...
The coronavirus may have arrived in Europe as early as November last year, French scientists have revealed.
Dr. Michel Schmitt, from Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Colmar, northeastern France, and his team of researchers examined thousands of chest X-rays from late 2019 and were able to identify two scans that were 'consistent' with the symptoms of Covid-19.

The scans, which were identified between November 16 and November 18, now cast a new light on when the coronavirus crisis first hit Europe as scientists continue their search for 'patient zero'.

The scans, which were obtained by NBC News, were among almost 2,500 X-rays that Mr Schmitt's team analysed and show the virus was in the country before its first reported case on January 24.
Pulmonologist and global health expert at the University of Washington Dr Vin Gupta, who analysed the X-Rays, told NBC News: 'This fits a pattern we're seeing with coronavirus — especially early coronavirus infection where you're seeing some abnormalities in some parts of the lungs but not abnormalities everywhere.'

Dr Schmitt's team were also able to identify 12 cases of coronavirus in December and 16 in January.

 

[tmar]

Deputy chief medical officer warns of ‘very dangerous moment’ facing UK as scientists fear lockdown eased too soon


Deputy chief medical officer warns of ‘very dangerous moment’ facing UK as scientists fear lockdown eased too soon

Lizzy Buchan
12 hrs ago
...
The country is facing a “very dangerous moment”, the deputy chief medical officer has said as a growing number of scientific advisers spoke out over fears lockdown was being lifted too quickly.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, using extraordinary language, urged the public not to “tear the pants out of” the new freedoms as people flocked to beaches and beauty spots over the weekend to enjoy the sunshine.

Top scientists advising the government expressed growing alarm at the lifting of restrictions when 8,000 new cases were occurring per day and the new test and trace system was still in its early stages.
Professor Robert West, a member of the behavioural scientists’ subgroup that advises the government, said there was a “huge risk” of a spike in coronavirus infection rates and accused ministers of “not taking responsibilities for political leadership seriously”.
...
Another member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), Professor Peter Horby, warned: ”Returning to a situation where we have lost control again is far worse than another week or two of social measures.”