Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #64

[Lilibet]

The trouble is the knuckleheads aren't listening and are full on heading for herd immunity. Beach parties, fights, raves, street parties, boat parties, prom parties etc. How does society possibly stop that? It is impossible.

I agree that it’s daunting and seems impossible. But where there’s a will from those at the top levels of the federal government and unified messaging it can be done. Think of the campaign against smoking and getting it out of restaurants and finally all public buildings. People still smoke, but the rest of us don’t have to breath it.

All those activities you listed will need to be shown to be uncool, unhealthy and antisocial during the pandemic by means of PSAs by celebrities, handsome or pretty young scientists , beleaguered health care workers, etc. Wearing a mask needs to be promoted as a cool and fashionable symbol of solidarity with workers in harm’s way. Have cartoons appealing to kids showing coronavirus as an enemy that can be beaten if we all make sacrifices. I’m no marketing expert and I’m just tossing ideas off the top of my head, but it has surprised me that PSAs have not become ubiquitous since the beginning. It’s not that hard. But there is no will at the top.

Unfortunately, the messaging from the top about coronavirus in the U.S. has contradicted and not supported the scientists. The states are left to do the best they can, but frequently that has been undermined from the top and the states disagree. Coronavirus is a dangerous enemy and we are in a war. Imagine if WWII had been fought individually by the states with no central organized plan and authority in Washington, cooperating with other countries! That’s what’s going on here and why it probably will be impossible to win this war anytime soon.
JMO

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

EU compiles list of 'safe' countries with US and China likely to be excluded

THE EU HAS named 14 countries whose citizens may be deemed safe for entry from 1 July, with the US, Brazil and Russia likely to be excluded.

China is also not currently on the list. This would only change under the condition that Beijing would do the same for Europeans.

The proposed “safe” list contains just 14 countries: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.

The list has yet to achieve final approval, as capitals hesitate on whether to unify the EU’s management of its external border.

To break the deadlock, Croatia, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, yesterday initiated a written approval procedure, which will end at noon today, according to EU sources.

In this procedure, the EU’s 27 member states must decide by qualified majority. For acceptance, 55 percent of the countries are required, representing 65 percent of the population.

Whatever is decided in Brussels will exist only as a recommendation since border control remains a national competence and a limited number of flights to and from banned countries have continued throughout the crisis.

 

[Lilibet]

Sadly, I believe US has one big disadvantage and that is the lack of a National Health Service. However, I think you will come out of it state by state, but it is harder and will take longer because of the different state statistics and approaches. MOO.

I couldn’t agree with you more.

 

[squareandrabbet]

Coronavirus: Lights to stay down on Broadway until next year

All 41 theatres that make up New York's performing heartland of Broadway will stay closed until next year.

They have been shut since March when they closed as part of the city's lockdown in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Now, in what could prove to be a terminal blow for some theatres, not to mention the careers of many who work in the industry, the Broadway league has said the curtain won't be raised on any productions for the rest of 2020.

Thomas Schumacher, chairman of the board at The Broadway League, said: "The alchemy of 1,000 strangers bonding into a single audience fuelling each performer on stage and behind the scenes will be possible again when Broadway theatres can safely host full houses.

"Every single member of our community is eager to get back to work sharing stories that inspire our audience through the transformative power of a shared live experience.

"The safety of our cast, crew, orchestra and audience is our highest priority and we look forward to returning to our stages only when it's safe to do so. One thing is for sure, when we return we will be stronger and more needed than ever."

what this article does not say is, I’m sure this is being a nightmare for anyone with a speaking part, as well as their producers, lawyers, etc.; because as/if LA filming comes back in a big way, people are going to be clamoring to be released from their contracts so that they can go somewhere and make money; which in turn will have a ripple effect as these Broadway shows will have to then decide whether or not they recast these roles or cancel the show outright, in turn putting everyone down to the theater security guards out of their jobs.

Contrary to popular belief, creatives are paid well only when they are paid. In dry spells, your creative could have a year making 18,000; and the next year have a career where they have made 180,000. Whenever the screenwriters guild strikes, there is some figure aired like ‘80 percent of WGA members make 25,000/year or less from writing’.

 

[COSCitizen]

Sadly, I believe US has one big disadvantage and that is the lack of a National Health Service. However, I think you will come out of it state by state, but it is harder and will take longer because of the different state statistics and approaches. MOO.

Unfortunately, in the United States, what I see happening is that people will travel to adjacent states that are more open for recreation they can't get in their own localities. Although there have been some good things about Federalism in this plague, the ability for people to just decide to go from a low rate area to a high rate area and back again will keep any sort of containment from happening. Voluntary quarantine doesn't work, since the responsible people are willing to do it while watching the irresponsible blow it off.

 

[Lilibet]

Our Luck May Have Run Out
Excellent explanation of what has happened in California since reopening began.


Over the past week California’s case count has exploded, surpassing 200,000 known infections, and forcing Mr. Newsom to roll back the state’s reopening in some counties. On Monday, he said the number of people hospitalized in California had risen 43 percent over the past two weeks.

Los Angeles County, which has been averaging more than 2,000 new cases each day, surpassed 100,000 total cases on Monday, with the virus actively infecting one in every 140 people, according to local health officials. More than 2,800 cases were announced in the county on Monday, the most of any day during the pandemic.

More than 7,000 new cases were announced across California on Monday, its highest single-day total of the pandemic.

<snip>
“To some extent I think our luck may have run out,” said Dr. Bob Wachter, a professor and chair of the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “This is faster and worse than I expected. You have to have a ton of respect for this thing. It is nasty and it just lurks and waits to stomp on you if you let your guard down for a second.”
<snip>

And just as in Texas and Florida, the state’s reopening appears to have triggered a large resurgence. Pressured in part by businesses, church groups and conservatives, Mr. Newsom ceded control of much of the timing of reopening to local officials who were eager to regain a sense of normalcy and stem economic losses. The result was a decentralized, haphazard process that sowed confusion and gave residents a false sense that they were in the clear.
<snip>

But health experts and state officials say the ultimate reasons for the surge lie in the millions of individual decisions made across the vast state.

Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles blamed “irrational exuberance.”

“A lot of people didn’t stick with the plan,” the mayor said in an interview on Friday. “The idea was, we would do a move, wait three weeks, check the impact, take the next move.”

Instead, Mr. Garcetti said, the reopening “was like a tidal wave — one move led to the next, led to the next, led to the next. And then we had the protest on top of that, and other things. And we have yet to be able to identify where spread is happening and what we can do to crank it down.”
<snip>

“How this disease spreads is all about the margins,” Dr. Pan said. “All it takes is, like, 5 percent more people doing more high-risk behavior to change its direction.”
<snip>

David Townsend, a veteran Democratic political consultant in the state, said California’s size and political complexity pose a considerable challenge. Although the Legislature is overwhelmingly Democratic, more than a fifth of the electorate is Republican.

“You have the Inland Empire doing one thing, Los Angeles doing another, Orange County — it’s pretty hard to corral everybody in California and get them to do the right thing. It’s just so big.”

‘Our Luck May Have Run Out’: California’s Case Count Explodes

 

[CharlestonGal]

Coronavirus pandemic: The latest updates from around the world

WHO team to research how the virus started: WHO is sending a team to China to better understand how the novel coronavirus started, Director-General Tedros said during a Monday briefing. Tedros said he hopes the visit, which will take place next week, will lead to “understanding [of] how the virus started and what we can do for the future to prepare.”

 

[CharlestonGal]

Masks are now mandatory in my area starting at midnight tonight. Yay! About time.

 

[CharlestonGal]

SC posted 1,324 new cases yesterday. Nearly half of our 34,644 cases have occurred in the last 14 days! Over 1,000 people are currently hospitalized.

I imagine our bars and restaurants will be closed again in the near future. Beaches, too.

 

[SouthAussie]

The trouble is the knuckleheads aren't listening and are full on heading for herd immunity. Beach parties, fights, raves, street parties, boat parties, prom parties etc. How does society possibly stop that? It is impossible.

Well, nothing is impossible.

When people flooded Bondi beach as restrictions were lifted, the beach was instantly closed for days.

Curfews can stop others from congregating at night, and give police the legal power to enforce that.
Marinas can be closed and stop the boat parties.

There is always a way to stop it. But I don't think anyone wants to be that harsh ... they would prefer to give the citizens the chance to come to their senses.

 

[mickey2942]

That's because there isn't one. Agriculture did not start CV19 to my knowledge. Maybe it started Swine Flu but not CV.

Exactly. Thank you. Someone finally gets "it".

 

[Tillicum]

IMO any state that mandates mask wearing should supply security for every business open to the public. The employees aren't trained, don't have time, aren't paid for and shouldn't be put at risk to enforce their state's mandate IMO. Masks aren't mandated here but my husband works late every night in order to catch up on his daily, normal responsibilities. Customers won't maintain the 6 foot distance, constantly bend around the plexiglas and repeatedly try to get into the petitioned off areas. Every day he comes home more stressed and exhausted. I'm sure he's not the only out there being emotionally distressed on a daily basis.

 

[SouthAussie]

what this article does not say is, I’m sure this is being a nightmare for anyone with a speaking part, as well as their producers, lawyers, etc.; because as/if LA filming comes back in a big way, people are going to be clamoring to be released from their contracts so that they can go somewhere and make money; which in turn will have a ripple effect as these Broadway shows will have to then decide whether or not they recast these roles or cancel the show outright, in turn putting everyone down to the theater security guards out of their jobs.

Contrary to popular belief, creatives are paid well only when they are paid. In dry spells, your creative could have a year making 18,000; and the next year have a career where they have made 180,000. Whenever the screenwriters guild strikes, there is some figure aired like ‘80 percent of WGA members make 25,000/year or less from writing’.

I heard today that Cirque du Soleil (a Montreal-based, world-touring, wonderfully talented and artistically creative entity) has now filed for bankruptcy. Because 'the show must go on' is not possible, they are hanging up their hats. At least for the foreseeable future.

Cirque du Soleil files for bankruptcy protection: ‘It’s a big shock’

 

[CharlestonGal]

IMO any state that mandates mask wearing should supply security for every business open to the public. The employees aren't trained, don't have time, aren't paid for and shouldn't be put at risk to enforce their state's mandate IMO. Masks aren't mandated here but my husband works late every night in order to catch up on his daily, normal responsibilities. Customers won't maintain the 6 foot distance, constantly bend around the plexiglas and repeatedly try to get into the petitioned off areas. Every day he comes home more stressed and exhausted. I'm sure he's not the only out there being emotionally distressed on a daily basis.

Dollar General tried that. Customers simply shot and killed the security guard when he demanded they wear a mask.

 

[tresir2012]

I agree that it’s daunting and seems impossible. But where there’s a will from those at the top levels of the federal government and unified messaging it can be done. Think of the campaign against smoking and getting it out of restaurants and finally all public buildings. People still smoke, but the rest of us don’t have to breath it.

All those activities you listed will need to be shown to be uncool, unhealthy and antisocial during the pandemic by means of PSAs by celebrities, handsome or pretty young scientists , beleaguered health care workers, etc. Wearing a mask needs to be promoted as a cool and fashionable symbol of solidarity with workers in harm’s way. Have cartoons appealing to kids showing coronavirus as an enemy that can be beaten if we all make sacrifices. I’m no marketing expert and I’m just tossing ideas off the top of my head, but it has surprised me that PSAs have not become ubiquitous since the beginning. It’s not that hard. But there is no will at the top.

Unfortunately, the messaging from the top about coronavirus in the U.S. has contradicted and not supported the scientists. The states are left to do the best they can, but frequently that has been undermined from the top and the states disagree. Coronavirus is a dangerous enemy and we are in a war. Imagine if WWII had been fought individually by the states with no central organized plan and authority in Washington, cooperating with other countries! That’s what’s going on here and why it probably will be impossible to win this war anytime soon.
JMO

I agree with most what you say but it did take a long time to persuade our allies to join us in 1944, and Pearl Harbor probably helped with that decision. We benefitted from financial and other assistance greatly before that, which, without that we would have fallen when France did so we will be forever grateful.

Latest news.

Death rate 'back to normal' in UK

Deaths back to normal.

 

[JerseyGirl]

The US has 4% of the world's population but 25% of its coronavirus cases

More than 125,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the US, and more than 2.5 million Americans have been infected.

The US death toll is more than twice as high as that of the country with the second-highest death rate, Brazil. That South American country has reported more than 57,600 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University's global case count.

Leaders in both countries have continued to downplay the severity of coronavirus. President Donald Trump has refused to wear masks in public, which research has proven can control the spread of the virus, and has encouraged businesses to resume operations against the guidance of health officials who believe premature reopenings could lead to surges in cases like the US is seeing now.

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro called coronavirus a "little flu" and maintains that an economic shutdown would be worse for the country than the pandemic. He's also eschewed mask and social distancing guidance in public and has been criticized for underreporting coronavirus deaths.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Adults 65 and up account for about 78.9% of all coronavirus deaths in the US but less than 20% of all cases, CDC statistics show. More than 58% of those deaths occurred in Americans over 75. Just over 3% of deaths occurred in people younger than 40.

But more people are becoming infected, contributing to extreme surges in cases in populous states like Florida and Texas. Americans ages 18 to 29 account for almost 18% of coronavirus cases now, CDC data shows.

The US has 4% of the world's population but 25% of its coronavirus cases

 

[JerseyGirl]

More Americans have died from coronavirus than in wars in Vietnam, Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan

More than 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam. The US coronavirus death rate is 2.2 times higher.

Almost 37,000 Americans died in Korea. The US coronavirus death rate is more than 3.4 times higher.

4,431 Americans died in Iraq. The US coronavirus death rate is more than 28 times higher.

2,445 Americans died in Afghanistan. The US coronavirus death rate is more than 51 times higher.

More Americans also have died of coronavirus in less than five months than in all of World War I. That conflict took the lives of 116,516 American soldiers.

 

[tresir2012]

Well, nothing is impossible.

When people flooded Bondi beach as restrictions were lifted, the beach was instantly closed for days.

Curfews can stop others from congregating at night, and give police the legal power to enforce that.
Marinas can be closed and stop the boat parties.

There is always a way to stop it. But I don't think anyone wants to be that harsh ... they would prefer to give the citizens the chance to come to their senses.

I agree about the curfews. I only learnt yesterday that Montgomery, Al has had a curfew in place for 3 months. How many other US cities have had that? No UK towns or cities have had curfews. But enforcing the curfew comes down to the police and if they cannot do that they just have to stand by and watch the curfew being broken. So if local police say they cannot enforce a curfew, (they would be consulted) then there probably wouldn't be a curfew. MOO.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Black Americans are more than twice as likely as Whites to die from coronavirus

At least 26,747 Black Americans have died from coronavirus. The virus has killed roughly 1 in 1,500 Black Americans, according to the nonpartisan American Public Media Research Lab.

Black Americans are dying of Covid-19 at a disproportionately high rate: They represent over 12% of the US population but account for nearly a quarter of all US Covid-19 deaths, the research lab reported.

Black Americans' coronavirus death rate is 2.3 times higher than that of White & Asian Americans and twice as high as the death rate for Latinos.

By comparison, White Americans represent over 62% of the US population but account for just about half of all coronavirus deaths. One in 3,600 White Americans has died, the lab reported.