Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #65

[MuddyTires]

A study at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit finds that in a strictly monitored protocol-driven in-hospital setting, treatment with hydroxychloroquine alone and hydroxychloroquine + azithromycin was associated with a significant reduction in mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

The authors of the study conclude that their “findings do support the recent NIH guidelines (Antiviral Therapy, 2020), indicating a potential role for hydroxychloroquine in treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients without co-administration of azithromycin,” and that “considered in the context of current studies on the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, [their] results suggest that hydroxychloroquine may have an important role to play in reducing COVID-19 mortality.

The full study is available for review here:
https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(20)30534-8/fulltext

 

[neesaki]

"”COVID-19 is not going away," said the governor in an announcement published on his social media accounts. "In fact, it's getting worse."

According to Abbott, first-time violators will be issued a warning. If violated a second time, a $250 fine will be issued, said the governor.

The order goes into effect at noon Friday.

The mandate comes one day after Texas hit another grim milestone in COVID-19 cases and reported 8,076 new cases on Wednesday, making it the highest one-day total in the state since the start of the pandemic.“

My DIL just gave me this news. Been waiting to see when it would happen. Curious too how they will enforce it. Other than fines, and if they can't pay a fine, then what ? Idk.... Still, glad to see he's stepped up.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

I saw what I thought was a weird claim on Facebook, so I thought I would ask @10ofRods about it via private message. But then I found an actual article on it, so I guess I will go ahead and post here. This would be wonderful if true, for those of us with fibromyalgia. This would be the only upside to having fibro that I've ever seen.

University of Illinois College of Medicine and EpicGenetics Deploy Test to Determine Patients Most Likely to Avoid Potentially Fatal Cytokine Storms that May Trigger the Most Severe Cases of COVID-19

 

[margarita25]

i have a question--we are having our air onditioner replaced
tomorrow-- the guys will be mostly in the basement and outside--
do you think they need to keep their masks on while they work
in the basement and outdoors-- we dont plan to be around them
in the basement though we might talk to them when they work
outdoors

I think they should wear masks when indoors, jmo. Why release more droplets inside, especially in an air conditioned setting. We saw the Guangdong AC restaurant report. (I still think there may have been a source in Guangdong for a few different reasons, not because of the restaurant AC report. moo.)

And if you’re talking to them outdoors, they should have a mask imo, and you too. They should also wear a mask to protect each other, but that’s their deal. Obviously if they’re outside without a mask and you’re inside, you’ll be fine. Before the workers came in my house, I asked about the precautions they would talk. So if they know this is a concern, they may be more inclined to do this.

Also, do you have any windows down there you can keep open during and after they come in? Remember, one study said that respiratory droplets can remain in the air for up to three hours, so if you don’t have windows down there I would wait a few hours before going down there. In fact, even with windows I would wait if you can. I even didn’t run the AC for a while after they came inside, and waited instead to air it out before running the AC. I would ask them to leave the AC off after they leave JMO. As for talking with them outside, yes both masks and distancing. These times require that every possible precaution be taken. It’s nothing personal, and that’s what I told the workers.

We also know how much shoes can cross contaminate, so while it’s unlikely you’ll touch the floor then touch your eyes or mouth, still. Not sure if you have pets but I see no reason for them to get it on their paws JMo. Again I am sooooo overly cautious, but for me this brings peace of mind and minimizes risk. Wipe everything down of course and mop the hell out of the floor with bleach. Wipe not just things they touch, but things they may be near enough to breathe on. I know this is a lot and maybe sounds crazy, but this virus is contagious as hell. My opinion only.

 

[KALI]

Had two repair guys in today for plumbing. I stayed outside. Both men wore masks and gloves.

Look up your local public health guidelines. Some require masks and others only if you can't maintain a distance of 6'. Personally, I would ask them to wear masks while in my home and ask them to wash their hands with soap and water upon arrival. It provides a reminder that you have a high standard of care. They can't touch the kids' toys or pet the dog, or sneeze on your laundry.

Our local public health guidelines require that the home owner remain outside while repairs are made. How comfortable would you be with that?

 

[gngr~snap]

I have found the "snooze for 30 days" button VERY useful!

Yes!! Me too!!!
Moo

 

[SouthAussie]

I don't know anyone who feels that this is a hoax or that it is a conspiracy. We are happy to be coming out of lockdown though after 3 months.

It seems that the hoax/conspiracy thing is limited to the US.
I know of people there who insist it is a conspiracy. When I ask 'what about the rest of the world? We are in the conspiracy, too?' they don't have an answer ... and they don't want to think about an answer.

 

[tresir2012]

Is that you, Donald?

It's not more testing, don't fall for that one; the US is falling down the testing per capita list so the massive rise in cases is extremely disproportionate. There's 5 times the population of the UK but almost 100 times the number of new cases today.

(and yeah, I know our death rate is horrible and people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones and blah blah blah, but numbers is numbers)

It is more testing though. Everywhere has been ramping up their testing. And as they expand contact tracing the testing will increase. UK is falling numbers while US is increasing.

Found this link which is interesting. UK is 2nd in the world for number of tests per million poulation.

COVID-19 testing rate by country | Statista

"As of July 1, 2020, The United States had performed the eighth most COVID-19 tests per one million population among the countries most severely impacted by the pandemic. The U.S. has conducted almost 34.2 million COVID-19 tests.

Testing is the key to controlling virus
The World Health Organization sent a clear message to all countries in mid-March: test, test, and test. The more tests that are conducted, the easier it becomes to track the spread of the virus and reduce transmission. Many countries followed the advice, identifying a greater number of cases at an earlier stage, isolating infected individuals, and limiting the spread of the disease to others. However, testing capacity around the world has become stretched, and many infections are going undetected. Iran is one country that has suffered due to a shortage of critical supplies, including test kits and face masks.

What is an antibody test?
Countries around the world are making widespread testing a key part of their plans to exit lockdown. However, the global demand for antibody test kits is huge. The kits are used to identify antibodies in a person’s blood sample. The presence of antibodies means the individual has been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and developed antibodies to help fight it. Antibody tests are important in detecting infections in people who are asymptomatic, i.e., showing few or no symptoms. Asymptomatic carriers may have unwittingly contributed to the rapid spread of the disease.

Rate of coronavirus (COVID-19) tests performed in the most impacted countries worldwide as of July 1, 2020 (per million population)*

Number of tests performed per million population
UAE 317,088
UK 138,860
Russia 135,677
Qatar 127,086
Spain 116,544
Belarus 105,911
Belgium 105,805
USA 103,322
Italy 89,149
Canada 73,398
Germany 64,602
China 62,814
Chile 58,056
Sweden 51,401
Peru 50,937
Saudi Arabia 47,092
Turkey 40,097
Netherlands 35,972
Showing entries 1 to 18 (32 entries in total)

 

[SouthAussie]

Thanks. I try to have some perspective. If we look at the 1918 flu, back then they didn’t have the scientific and medical advances we do now. But things did go back to relatively normal in about a year. Of course people were changed by it. Sadly, some forever as they lost their lives or lost loved ones.

But that ended and it got better and this will too. I know it.

Took a very long time though. My father's parents (who both died in that flu pandemic) passed away well after 1918/1919. My dad was born in Dec 1920 and he was one year old when they passed.

People probably need to buckle down and get used to it, change their lives in ways that best suit this new way of living for a few years. Otherwise their mental health is going to suffer greatly, as is their income.

 

[gitana1]

"”COVID-19 is not going away," said the governor in an announcement published on his social media accounts. "In fact, it's getting worse."

According to Abbott, first-time violators will be issued a warning. If violated a second time, a $250 fine will be issued, said the governor.

The order goes into effect at noon Friday.

The mandate comes one day after Texas hit another grim milestone in COVID-19 cases and reported 8,076 new cases on Wednesday, making it the highest one-day total in the state since the start of the pandemic.“

Too little, too late, Abbott. He prevented local governments from imposing mask requirements. Think about that. He reopened more quickly than I think any state except maybe Georgia.

Now he wants to tell Texans they need to wear masks?

I guess this is what reality and seeing something with your own eyes does. Too bad he didn’t believe all those government officials from overseas. Or all our health care experts.

 

[SouthAussie]

It’s Friday somewhere!

It's Friday here! And on Saturday, Earth Wind and Fire are having an online dance party to celebrate the 4th July. I am going to be there.

Earth, Wind & Fire

 

[ilovewings]

I think they should wear masks when indoors, jmo. Why release more droplets inside, especially in an air conditioned setting. We saw the Guangdong AC restaurant report. (I still think there may have been a source in Guangdong for a few different reasons, not because of the restaurant AC report. moo.)

And if you’re talking to them outdoors, they should have a mask imo, and you too. They should also wear a mask to protect each other, but that’s their deal. Obviously if they’re outside without a mask and you’re inside, you’ll be fine. Before the workers came in my house, I asked about the precautions they would talk. So if they know this is a concern, they may be more inclined to do this.

Also, do you have any windows down there you can keep open during and after they come in? Remember, one study said that respiratory droplets can remain in the air for up to three hours, so if you don’t have windows down there I would wait a few hours before going down there. In fact, even with windows I would wait if you can. I even didn’t run the AC for a while after they came inside, and waited instead to air it out before running the AC. I would ask them to leave the AC off after they leave JMO. As for talking with them outside, yes both masks and distancing. These times require that every possible precaution be taken. It’s nothing personal, and that’s what I told the workers.

We also know how much shoes can cross contaminate, so while it’s unlikely you’ll touch the floor then touch your eyes or mouth, still. Not sure if you have pets but I see no reason for them to get it on their paws JMo. Again I am sooooo overly cautious, but for me this brings peace of mind and minimizes risk. Wipe everything down of course and mop the hell out of the floor with bleach. Wipe not just things they touch, but things they may be near enough to breathe on. I know this is a lot and maybe sounds crazy, but this virus is contagious as hell. My opinion only.

Thank you for your ideas. it is so stressful to figure out exactly how to handle
this situation.

 

[margarita25]

Thank you for your ideas. it is so stressful to figure out exactly how to handle
this situation.

I can’t even TELL YOU how stressed I was in the days approaching, and the night before. I had put it off for 4 months til it couldn’t be put off any longer. Taking every precaution made me feel a lot better. Precautions = Peace of Mind.

It felt good to get it done. Good luck. Just do the best you can.

 

[gitana1]

It is more testing though. Everywhere has been ramping up their testing. And as they expand contact tracing the testing will increase. UK is falling numbers while US is increasing.

Found this link which is interesting. UK is 2nd in the world for number of tests per million poulation.

COVID-19 testing rate by country | Statista

"As of July 1, 2020, The United States had performed the eighth most COVID-19 tests per one million population among the countries most severely impacted by the pandemic. The U.S. has conducted almost 34.2 million COVID-19 tests.

Testing is the key to controlling virus
The World Health Organization sent a clear message to all countries in mid-March: test, test, and test. The more tests that are conducted, the easier it becomes to track the spread of the virus and reduce transmission. Many countries followed the advice, identifying a greater number of cases at an earlier stage, isolating infected individuals, and limiting the spread of the disease to others. However, testing capacity around the world has become stretched, and many infections are going undetected. Iran is one country that has suffered due to a shortage of critical supplies, including test kits and face masks.

What is an antibody test?
Countries around the world are making widespread testing a key part of their plans to exit lockdown. However, the global demand for antibody test kits is huge. The kits are used to identify antibodies in a person’s blood sample. The presence of antibodies means the individual has been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and developed antibodies to help fight it. Antibody tests are important in detecting infections in people who are asymptomatic, i.e., showing few or no symptoms. Asymptomatic carriers may have unwittingly contributed to the rapid spread of the disease.

Rate of coronavirus (COVID-19) tests performed in the most impacted countries worldwide as of July 1, 2020 (per million population)*

Number of tests performed per million population
UAE 317,088
UK 138,860
Russia 135,677
Qatar 127,086
Spain 116,544
Belarus 105,911
Belgium 105,805
USA 103,322
Italy 89,149
Canada 73,398
Germany 64,602
China 62,814
Chile 58,056
Sweden 51,401
Peru 50,937
Saudi Arabia 47,092
Turkey 40,097
Netherlands 35,972
Showing entries 1 to 18 (32 entries in total)

That’s not what health experts say, though. I mean there’s a reason someone like Abbott is suddenly doing things like making masks mandatory when he specifically stated cities and counties could not, previously. The surge in hospitalizations is what we need to look at.

And the thing is, there is more testing when more people feel ill and go to get tested, don’t you agree?:


“President Donald Trump blames the rising number of COVID-19 cases on increased testing and suggests case counts would drop with fewer tests. But infectious disease and public health experts dispute that claim, saying the surge in coronavirus cases in Sunbelt states reflects a potentially dangerous new phase of the pandemic.

Arizona, California, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and South Carolina reported record-high new daily coronavirus cases during this week, as case counts continue to rise in more than half of U.S. states.

Arizona hospitals on Tuesday reported the highest-ever number of beds and ventilators used for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients.

The World Health Organization recommends sufficient testing so that 5% or fewer individuals who take tests have the virus, but these states exceed that. When the positive test rate is higher, it could mean states are testing only the sickest individuals and missing those who show no symptoms but can still spread the virus.

With cases surging in states with such high positive test rates, "that is not because of an increase in testing," but an indicator cases are spreading, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security.
COVID-19 testing can't be blamed for coronavirus surge in Sunbelt

BBM

 

[ilovewings]

Look up your local public health guidelines. Some require masks and others only if you can't maintain a distance of 6'. Personally, I would ask them to wear masks while in my home and ask them to wash their hands with soap and water upon arrival. It provides a reminder that you have a high standard of care. They can't touch the kids' toys or pet the dog, or sneeze on your laundry.

Our local public health guidelines require that the home owner remain outside while repairs are made. How comfortable would you be with that?

This job could take between 5 and 8 hours-- i dont think i want to spend
most of the day outside- they are going to be in the basement most of the day,
and the rest of the time outside

 

[Spider92]

It is more testing though. Everywhere has been ramping up their testing. And as they expand contact tracing the testing will increase. UK is falling numbers while US is increasing.

Found this link which is interesting. UK is 2nd in the world for number of tests per million poulation.

COVID-19 testing rate by country | Statista

"As of July 1, 2020, The United States had performed the eighth most COVID-19 tests per one million population among the countries most severely impacted by the pandemic. The U.S. has conducted almost 34.2 million COVID-19 tests.

Testing is the key to controlling virus
The World Health Organization sent a clear message to all countries in mid-March: test, test, and test. The more tests that are conducted, the easier it becomes to track the spread of the virus and reduce transmission. Many countries followed the advice, identifying a greater number of cases at an earlier stage, isolating infected individuals, and limiting the spread of the disease to others. However, testing capacity around the world has become stretched, and many infections are going undetected. Iran is one country that has suffered due to a shortage of critical supplies, including test kits and face masks.

What is an antibody test?
Countries around the world are making widespread testing a key part of their plans to exit lockdown. However, the global demand for antibody test kits is huge. The kits are used to identify antibodies in a person’s blood sample. The presence of antibodies means the individual has been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and developed antibodies to help fight it. Antibody tests are important in detecting infections in people who are asymptomatic, i.e., showing few or no symptoms. Asymptomatic carriers may have unwittingly contributed to the rapid spread of the disease.

Rate of coronavirus (COVID-19) tests performed in the most impacted countries worldwide as of July 1, 2020 (per million population)*

Number of tests performed per million population
UAE 317,088
UK 138,860
Russia 135,677
Qatar 127,086
Spain 116,544
Belarus 105,911
Belgium 105,805
USA 103,322
Italy 89,149
Canada 73,398
Germany 64,602
China 62,814
Chile 58,056
Sweden 51,401
Peru 50,937
Saudi Arabia 47,092
Turkey 40,097
Netherlands 35,972
Showing entries 1 to 18 (32 entries in total)

It's not more testing. Please see attached chart. Positive test rate in FL has increased 5-fold since May. That's increased disease prevalence. Absolute test numbers have also increased but the positivity rate is the primary factor and it's scary.
America’s COVID warning system

 

[ilovewings]

I had a whole new system put in during lockdown in April.
Since the guys were in the basement and outside I was not concerned with them wearing a mask.
The only issue I had was that they really needed to use a restroom as all the fast food places they went to for lunch did not have open restrooms. I let them in with their masks and I disinfected the hall bathroom each day when they left. I only used the master bath. Disposable hand towels, sanitizer access, and wipes available. I then let the room sit for a few days after they completed the job before I used it again.

I appeciate your input-- in most situations i try to be reasonable--i hope they dont
have to use the rest room but it is possible--:sigh

 

[10ofRods]

It's not more testing. Please see attached chart. Positive test rate in FL has increased 5-fold since May. That's increased disease prevalence. Absolute test numbers have also increased but the positivity rate is the primary factor and it's scary.
America’s COVID warning system

Thank you.

 

[Tillicum]

I appeciate your input-- in most situations i try to be reasonable--i hope they dont
have to use the rest room but it is possible--:sigh

Give them a coffee can and send them to their truck or the bushes.

 

[Bravo]

Night all. Be safe. Be kind.