Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #59

[squareandrabbet]

It also occurs to me belatedly, it's not fair to pass censure without also including some sobering links:

https://nypost.com/2020/06/03/looters-cost-nyc-businesses-tens-of-millions-experts-estimate/

(I note, in conjunction with the above, many people have anecdotally claimed that insurance companies won't pay out for "civil unrest".)

https://nypost.com/2020/06/03/hundreds-of-looters-caught-ransacking-supreme-store-in-wild-video/

This sobering video covers an estimated 20 blocks, perhaps more:

https://nypost.com/2020/06/03/what-the-streets-of-manhattan-look-like-after-days-of-riots/

 

[Trino]

George Floyd autopsy: tested positive for coronavirus!!! He was, apparently, asymptomatic.
State autopsy shows George Floyd tested positive for coronavirus

 

[barina]

I read statistics that during quarantine the video game development market has grown very much. Here's a nice article on statistics in the video game niche Video Game Industry Statistics | Game Development | Melior Games

 

[mickey2942]

Economist claims 'the COVID-19 recession is over' after 2.7million jobs were cut in May | Daily Mail Online

"The worst of the COVID-19 recession is over after May job losses were less than Wall Street had predicted, according to a new economist report.

On Wednesday, ADP National Employment Report revealed that companies lost 2.76million jobs last month. While that number is startling, it’s well below the 8.75 million jobs estimated to be lost for the month.

'The good news is I think the recession is over, the COVID-19 recession is over, barring another second wave, a major second wave, or real serious policy errors,' Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics said to CNBC."

Not where I sit. Federal and state government workers are going to be losing jobs for next fiscal year, because the money isn't there from revenues. This trickles down to local governments and school districts.

I believe that we have just seen the beginning of job losses. And these are folks who NEVER thought that they would be unemployed.

Furloughs, than RIF.

Good news for military, when the economy is bad, more people join the military.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

In California, rural libraries have a program called Zip Books, which has replaced interlibrary loan (which was costing too much postage, since there is no transport service in the remote rural areas). Zip lets a patron request a book, and it gets sent directly to them, via postal mail, from Amazon. The patron reads the book and then return it to the library, who [usually] adds it to the collection.

Zip Books is funded by the California State Library (but they get some federal funds for it, I think). I wonder if the COVID-19 safety issues might make other states implement a similar program.

Interesting, but not likely here because interlibrary loan transport is available in all rural locations. Each library is a member of one of 4 consortiums in the state, which provides transport. Only out of state interlibrary loan costs postage. But I really don’t know what the future holds for ILL.

 

[Simply Southern]

wow---I thought that Lancet study trashing hydroxychloroquine was a bit suspect....I remember posting about some of the issues I saw in their explanations and outcomes.
Looks like my concerns were warranted...



Governments and WHO changed Covid19 policy based on suspect data from tiny US company


Surgisphere, whose employees appear to include a sci-fi writer and adult content model, provided database behind Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine hydroxychloroquine studies


The World Health Organization and a number of national governments have changed their Covid-19 policies and treatments on the basis of flawed data from a little-known US healthcare analytics company, also calling into question the integrity of key studies published in some of the world’s most prestigious medical journals.

A Guardian investigation can reveal the US-based company Surgisphere, whose handful of employees appear to include a science fiction writer and an adult-content model, has provided data for multiple studies on Covid-19 co-authored by its chief executive, but has so far failed to adequately explain its data or methodology.

Data it claims to have legitimately obtained from more than a thousand hospitals worldwide formed the basis of scientific articles that have led to changes in Covid-19 treatment policies in Latin American countries. It was also behind a decision by the WHO and research institutes around the world to halt trials of the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine. On Wednesday, the WHO announced those trials would now resume.

Two of the world’s leading medical journals – the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine – published studies based on Surgisphere data. The studies were co-authored by the firm’s chief executive, Sapan Desai.
Late on Tuesday, after being approached by the Guardian, the Lancet released an “expression of concern” about its published study. The New England Journal of Medicine has also issued a similar notice.

An independent audit of the provenance and validity of the data has now been commissioned by the authors not affiliated with Surgisphere because of “concerns that have been raised about the reliability of the database”.



https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...oxychloroquine

I questioned the author of the study and the data used after looking at details. Seems we spend much time hashing thus study, recently.

Hum....China, again...

 

[JerseyGirl]

Chris Trousdale, Former DreamStreet Star, Dies From Coronavirus At 34 | HuffPost

 

[24Roses]

Iowa news today: Iowa COVID-19 Information As of around 11:00 a.m. today we have a total of 20,706 confirmed cases and 579 have passed away. This is IMO an increase of 696 new confirmed cases and 13 deaths. 12,183 have recovered. Here is an article with slightly different numbers: 694 more COVID-19 cases and 14 more deaths reported
CDC marks 3 Iowa counties as coronavirus 'areas of concern'
Unemployment claims down sharply as Iowa gets back to work
ETA-Iowa Lawmaker Says COVID-19 ‘Isn’t Even Killing Anyone,’ Mocks Colleagues for Wearing Masks

 

[Deleted member 39678]

It was gutted by the hiring freeze brought about by the most recent administration. Its budget was slashed, research dried up. Even before that, NIH was struggling. The top officials there are well-respected, but the CDC just doesn't have the budget it used to have - nor the personnel.

Same thing happened at the National Parks and at the Department of the Interior. Accreditation processes have been weakened by cuts at the Department of Education.

Etc.,. etc.

I wonder what will happen next. I don't think we have more funds now, we have less. Where did all the money that used to go to the CDC end up going? Perhaps it got cost of living increases? Lots of agencies didn't - but one wonders how the leaders of the CDC can feel proud of how the lab was run (!) and what has happened with CoVid.

Joy Behar, a co-host of ABC’s "The View," accused President Donald Trump of dismantling anti-pandemic programs the Obama administration set up across the globe.

But the Trump administration never pulled the plug on those programs, although it did propose smaller budgets. Congress has injected more money into them in recent budget requests.

Real NIH spending soared from the mid‐1990s to 2011. It was then cut under President Obama but has rebounded under President Trump. Real CDC spending soared from around 1990 to 2010 but has been roughly flat since then. New legislation tackling the coronavirus will increase spending above these levels going forward

PolitiFact - ‘The View’ co-host Joy Behar wrongly says Trump shut down 37 global anti-pandemic programs

Coronavirus and NIH/CDC Funding

 

[Tillicum]

I've been following the stats here since Ohio started reopening. Daily comparing new cases, deaths, hospitalizations and ICU admissions to the 21 day average. Except for a couple times the 24 hour reports have stayed below the 21 day average. I'm somewhat hopeful but most of the protests here were in our state's hotspots. I guess another week before we'll learn how they affect it.

 

[anneg]

Interesting article discussing people with long-term symptoms after having COVID19. They may have "recovered" but are still unwell, struggling with fatigue and other symptoms. MOO

COVID-19 Can Last for Several Months

Thousands Who Got COVID-19 in March Are Still Sick
The disease’s “long-haulers” have endured months of debilitating symptoms—and disbelief from doctors and friends.

 

[Sundog]

Looks like health departments may be preparing by setting up immunization registries. A two-dose regime would be harder to implement, some people won't go back for their second dose. Too early to know what will be needed, though.

Coronavirus vaccine developers expect 'two-dose regime,' report says

 

[oviedo]

This is where all 50 states stand on reopening

Florida phase 2 is coming - it's a bit of joke considering the lack of social distancing during the past week with massive crowds IMO.

 

[Sundog]

Not where I sit. Federal and state government workers are going to be losing jobs for next fiscal year, because the money isn't there from revenues. This trickles down to local governments and school districts.

I believe that we have just seen the beginning of job losses. And these are folks who NEVER thought that they would be unemployed.

Furloughs, than RIF.

Good news for military, when the economy is bad, more people join the military.

State budgets are really taking a hit. Today I received an email message from California's Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS) saying that Governor Newsom's revised budget seeks to close a budget gap as high as $54 billion due to the COVID-19 recession. He is proposing pay reductions for state employees that would take effect July 1. I retired from working at California universities and am now in Ohio, but receive health benefits from California retirement. The message said that retirees' benefits will not be impacted.

Here in Ohio, the Governor is cutting the budget by 20% for all state agencies. Our university is doing furloughs, reductions in pay, layoffs, and voluntary separation incentive programs (early retirement).

 

[10ofRods]

Not where I sit. Federal and state government workers are going to be losing jobs for next fiscal year, because the money isn't there from revenues. This trickles down to local governments and school districts.

I believe that we have just seen the beginning of job losses. And these are folks who NEVER thought that they would be unemployed.

Furloughs, than RIF.

Good news for military, when the economy is bad, more people join the military.

But the military has been downsizing and much more picky about who they want in. I see it all the time - students are in class only to get the prereqs to get a solid role in the military. The military may take them initially, but the military also tosses out the untrainable. Then we see them back in college.

Jobs in today's military require technical skills and critical thinking.

When the schools downsize, they have to let go non-essential personnel first. That usually means office workers, warehouse workers, accountants, tech support/IT, bus maintenance workers, cafeteria workers, teacher's aides, etc. I've been through this a few times, and it is awful. First to go at colleges are often people in PR/marketing and graphics. The college where I work has an uptick in enrollment for Fall (because when there are no jobs, people go back to school - and there's financial aid, which is better than nothing).

 

[tmar]

Vast majority of the population at risk if there's a second wave, top scientist warns

Vast majority of the population at risk if there's a second wave, top scientist warns

3 hrs ago
...
One of the government's scientific advisers has told Sky News that people have to assume a second wave of coronavirus "is coming".

Sir Jeremy Farrar said that, although lockdown in the UK has suppressed COVID-19, it has not changed the fundamental way it transmits between humans and "we have not got rid of it".

The senior member of the Scientific Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which advises ministers on the pandemic, warned the vast majority of every population in every country remains susceptible to coronavirus - and if there is a second wave, many would be at risk of becoming infected.
Speaking on Sky's After The Pandemic: Our New World, he said: "This is now a human endemic infection. In the UK and much of the world, actually only about 6 or 8% of people have seen this infection and we hope are immune.

"That means over 90% of people have not seen yet this infection and are probably still susceptible to it."
He added: "What countries have got to do is learn lessons from the first wave.

"Put in place things we didn't get right in the first wave, and make sure when we come into the autumn and the winter this year when other infections - influenza - will be circulating as well, we have everything we need in place so we can reduce the impact of that second wave."Former chief medical officer for England, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said some nations that have got the virus under control have had more outbreaks and she said there could even be a third wave coming.
She said: "The countries that seem to have got rid of it still have cases popping up, and while it's rattling around the world it will be very difficult to get rid of

"If you think about flu, it's in the northern hemisphere, then it goes to the southern, it may mutate, but then it comes back round. And it just goes round year after year with different strains, and different changes."

 

[Tillicum]

Oh brother. Protester who took part in downtown Columbus demonstrations tests positive for COVID-19

Was symptomatic on May 27 but still attended the protests. Now the health department is publicly informing anyone who attended the protests. No way they can do contract tracing of everyone

 

[CSIDreamer]

Indiana staying steady so far.

ISDH - Novel Coronavirus: Indiana COVID-19 Dashboard

 

[jjenny]

George Floyd autopsy: tested positive for coronavirus!!! He was, apparently, asymptomatic.
State autopsy shows George Floyd tested positive for coronavirus

From what has been reported, he was diagnosed back on April 3rd. Apparently in some people this virus persists for a long time.

 

[mickey2942]

But the military has been downsizing and much more picky about who they want in. I see it all the time - students are in class only to get the prereqs to get a solid role in the military. The military may take them initially, but the military also tosses out the untrainable. Then we see them back in college.

Jobs in today's military require technical skills and critical thinking.

When the schools downsize, they have to let go non-essential personnel first. That usually means office workers, warehouse workers, accountants, tech support/IT, bus maintenance workers, cafeteria workers, teacher's aides, etc. I've been through this a few times, and it is awful. First to go at colleges are often people in PR/marketing and graphics. The college where I work has an uptick in enrollment for Fall (because when there are no jobs, people go back to school - and there's financial aid, which is better than nothing).

I think that is optimistic. So many people I know, where going to go to school, are not any longer, because few to zero places are paying tuition for workers now.

Yes, military is more choosy now, but with less work in private sector, they may get some people who have significant amount of experience in computers.

Either way, I see a huge recession coming, and hope it won't do a further deep dive. There are so many jobs that are just not going to come back.

And I predict that the VA system will be changing too. That is going to really hit the economy. Due to funding issues, it will be cheaper for veterans to use CHOICE programs. And VA will lay off staff.