Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #65

[ilovewings]

He is going to be right at some point or we are all doomed.

it will disappear some day- but not before it takes a lot more victims

 

[Simply Southern]

I read awhile back that Indiana had chosen to carry out tracing on the state level. We have a lot of smaller county health departments that were completely overwhelmed early on trying to trace. Ideally, this allows our health depts to concentrate on other tasks. Jmo

Dr. Fauci addressed phone contract tracing at the Congressional hearing this week, as a weakness.

How does your state handle folks that will not answer the phone or give out contacts?

I do know Virginia is only doing phone contacts, and most are at the local level.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

three words: LACK OF LEADERSHIP

Nationally, perhaps, but many state officials have provided exemplary leadership, guidance, and support for their constituents. Our nation is vast, and a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn't necessarily succeed. Governors need to do what they feel is in the best interest of their particular state.

 

[SouthAussie]

We are all suffering, financially and emotionally, while trying to stay healthy.

Also, the restaurant sector is not the only business losing money right now.

There are, however, businesses that are thriving and growing.

Online shopping, and entities that utilise that
Parcel delivery, other delivery services
Catering
Face mask makers
A ukele business ... offering Skype teaching
Piano lessons ... offering Skype teaching (one of my friends used this for his daughter during restrictions)
Home improvement (do it yourself, or have others do it for you)
Personal training/gym sessions ... by Skype
Online gaming
IT for education
Uber Eats
And, no doubt, others that I can't think of at the moment.


It takes innovation, change, and the ability to respond to the changed marketplace. Set up a website, get online orders coming in, arrange delivery. At least until the covid landscape changes.
Offer something that others aren't offering - a seniors discount, a juniors discount, Taco Tuesday, promote yourself as a 'local' business and locals will use your services/product.

3 businesses thriving despite COVID-19 lockdown - MYOB Pulse
Op-Ed: Analysis of 8 billion page views shows where the next hot start-up can thrive
https://www.businessaustralia.com/h...ries-likely-to-thrive-as-a-result-of-covid-19
How-to: Keep your business thriving during COVID-19

 

[CSIDreamer]

University of Washington, frat house positive tests.

80 University of Washington students in frat houses test positive for coronavirus

 

[CSIDreamer]

Dr. Fauci addressed phone contract tracing at the Congressional hearing this week, as a weakness.

How does your state handle folks that will not answer the phone or give out contacts?

I do know Virginia is only doing phone contacts, and most are at the local level.

I honestly don't know. I'll see if I can find a recent update. I may or may not find an answer for you.

 

[tresir2012]

Party Guests Won’t Talk After 9 Test Positive. Now They Face Subpoenas.

On June 17, a crowd of up to 100 people, most of them in their early 20s, attended a party at a home in Rockland County, N.Y.

The event violated a state order in effect at the time that capped gatherings at 10 people in an effort to slow the coronavirus’s spread.

For local officials, that was just the start of the problem.

The party’s host, who was showing signs of being sick at the time, later tested positive for the virus. So did eight guests.

County officials, eager to keep the cluster from growing, dispatched disease tracers to try to learn who else might have been exposed to the virus at the party.

The tracers hit a wall.

“My staff has been told that a person does not wish to, or have to, speak to my disease investigators,” Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, the county’s health commissioner said. Of those being contacted about the party, she added: “They hang up. They deny being at the party even though we have their names from another party attendee.”

Frustrated by the response, county officials took the unusual step of issuing subpoenas to eight people who they believe were at the June 17 party. Those who do not comply and share what they know by Thursday will face fines of $2,000 a day, officials said.

Looks like NY contact tracers are not having much success in general.


N.Y.C. Hired 3,000 Workers for Contact Tracing. It’s Off to a Slow Start.

 

[tresir2012]

I honestly don't know. I'll see if I can find a recent update. I may or may not find an answer for you.

I doubt if the green states are doing much contact tracing.

Rt COVID-19

 

[CSIDreamer]

I doubt if the green states are doing much contact tracing.

Rt COVID-19

That could be. But IMO we are the best situated to play whack a mole.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Not so fast friend. Lest you think anything is safe this article was posted a while back:

That concerns Kim Prather, a scientist who studies the chemistry of the atmosphere at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She’s worried about the potential for the virus to become airborne near the ocean.​

In her research, Prather has found that the ocean churns up all kinds of particulate and microscopic pathogens, and every time the ocean sneezes with a big wave or two, it sprays these particles into the air. She believes that this new coronavirus is light enough to float through the air much farther than we think.“All the rules for six-foot social distancing when you’re at the beach do not apply,” Prather said.​

If it’s windy, the exhaled virus will travel farther than six feet. That rule only applies for still air or indoors, Prather said. If a surfer is exhaling, the virus in those droplets could remain airborne and infectious for hours, she said.
.....
She suspected this virus was contagious by air, and knew from past studies that coronaviruses can be excreted in fecal matter.

She worries SARS-CoV-2 could enter the ocean from sewage spills and outfalls, and then reenter the atmosphere.​

Scientists are unsure of coronavirus effects at the beach


More about the much discussed fecal/oral transmission route:

There is also reporting that speculated on the potential for the virus to become aerosolized in sea spray when polluted waterways are actively churned or agitated (such as when a wave breaks), but this is currently unsubstantiated and just speculative since we don’t know if the virus is infectious in raw sewage, or how it behaves after “exposure to air, sunlight, and water”. This concern was also discussed on an April 16 webinar from the Water Research Foundation, where researchers note that while the risks of getting sick with COVID-19 from exposure to polluted coastal aerosols are still unknown, untreated wastewater and sewage could include other substances beyond feces, such as saliva and mucus carrying the infectious COVID-19 virus, which may pose a risk to coastal recreators. But yet again, additional research is needed to confirm. Specific to aerosolized sewage, previous concerns were voiced in a 2009 study regarding the 2003 SARS-CoV outbreak, a virus closely related to the COVID-19 virus. Authors mention an instance where SARS-CoV “was spread when water contaminated with fecally shed virus was inhaled, causing respiratory infection” due to a faulty plumbing system in a Hong Kong apartment building.
​

The Beach and COVID-19: Understanding the Risks

Just imo​

And then there is this:

Viruses are by far the most abundant 'lifeforms' in the oceans and are the reservoir of most of the genetic diversity in the sea. The estimated 1030 viruses in the ocean, if stretched end to end, would span farther than the nearest 60 galaxies. Every second, approximately 1023 viral infections occur in the ocean. These infections are a major source of mortality, and cause disease in a range of organisms, from shrimp to whales.

Marine viruses — major players in the global ecosystem | Nature Reviews Microbiology

 

[Simply Southern]

Looks like NY contact tracers are not having much success in general.


N.Y.C. Hired 3,000 Workers for Contact Tracing. It’s Off to a Slow Start.

This is where local government, community, and religious leaders could really make a BIG difference. Reaching out to our local citizens to encourage cooperation, trust and assurance of support.

Here's a great success story of a Boots on the Ground Mayor!!! He knows how to reach his citizens and he is doing, taking action. I wanna shake this guys hand!!!

Surge teams in Miami-Dade going door to door to COVID hotspots

Little Havana is one of several neighborhoods in Miami-Dade now designated a COVID-19 hotspots, along with Brownsville and Allapatah.

Surge teams will soon be going door to door dropping off materials and educating residents.

County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said rather than the new case numbers, it’s the increasing positivity rate that has him concerned, especially among the younger population.

“We were running at about 7 or 8 percent. Now we’re running around 14 percent. Frankly, over the last few days, that figure has jumped to over 20 percent,” Gimenez said.

 

[tresir2012]

That could be. But IMO we are the best situated to play whack a mole.

Oh hadn't thought of that. Yeah, could be, if you don't stay green.

These are the vaccine frontrunners.

A closer look at the COVID-19 vaccine front runners

Oxford University, AstraZeneca

The University of Oxford (UK) was well-placed to begin developing a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, having already worked on vaccines for MERS and SARS.

Oxford’s vaccine, AZD1222, otherwise known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, uses a weakened adenovirus as a vector infused with the DNA sequence for the coronavirus spike protein.

A large Phase I clinical trial began in late April. More than 1000 participants have already been dosed and follow up is currently ongoing. In order to determine how well the vaccine induces immune responses in older adults, the team are now initiating Phase II studies enrolling up to 10,260 volunteers.

Following landmark agreements with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance and the Serum Institute of India, the university and industry partnership have secured funding that will allow them to manufacture and distribute their vaccine globally, should it be successful.

Sinovac

Another company to have made a head start is Sinovac (Beijing, China), which was previously developing a vaccine against SARS. Their CoronaVac was developed using a more traditional method, consisting of a chemically inactivated version of SARS-CoV-2.

The company has already demonstrated that their candidate can protect monkeys from infection during Phase II trials, adding that it’s 99% confident that the vaccine will work against COVID-19. They are now planning Phase III trials while building a commercial production plant to manufacture up to 100 million doses of the vaccine per year.

Moderna

Moderna (MA, USA) is another runner selected as part of the US government’s Operation Warp Speed, and their mRNA-1273 vaccine has certainly lived up to expectations so far, having rocketed from a computer design in mid-January to a clinical trial only 3 months later.

This candidate is an mRNA vaccine, which comprises a nanoparticle containing genetic instructions for the coronavirus spike protein.

Not much has been given away yet in terms of results, but a Phase III study is set to commence in July. There remains speculation that while the vaccine may be quick and easy to produce, no mRNA vaccine has yet been proven to prevent disease, let alone on a global scale.

CanSino, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology

Besides Oxford, one other viral vector vaccine has made it to human trials. This candidate comes from CanSino Biologics (Tianjin, China), and like Moderna, it has been quick off the mark, as the first to reach Phase I clinical trials back in April.

The initial results have demonstrated that the vaccine is safe at lower doses and that it did indeed generate an immune response in the 108 participants, though it’s not yet certain whether the vaccine’s effects would be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Phase II testing is already underway in order to determine whether these results can be replicated over a longer period and with a larger sample size.

You might also like:

• First human COVID-19 vaccine trial displays promising results
• Primate studies offer hope for future COVID-19 vaccine development
• COVID-19: Updates on vaccines and therapeutics

Inovio Pharmaceuticals

Inovio’s (PA, USA) INO-4800 is a DNA vaccine encoding the coronavirus spike protein, which coaxes cells to produce coronavirus proteins, thereby triggering an immune response. In order to deliver the DNA to the cells, Inovio uses a method termed electroporation, in which a brief electrical pulse opens small holes in the cells.

A 40-patient Phase I trial is currently underway, with results expected later on this month. Plans are also in place to initiate a Phase II/III efficacy trial within the next couple of months, pending regulatory approval.

The main hurdle to clear, should the vaccine prove successful, will be manufacturing, as the company has only committed so far to produce 1 million doses by the end of the year.

BioNTech, Pfizer

Another company selected as part of Operation Warp Speed, Pfizer (NY, USA) and their German partner BioNTech (Mainz, Germany) started developing their candidates in March. Like Moderna, they are pushing the swift yet unproven mRNA technique, but have this time developed multiple candidates, each of them representing a different combination of mRNA and a target antigen.

Pfizer and BioNTech have since begun Phase I and Phase II clinical trials in Germany and the US, with further tests to follow. Although the vaccine is still under trial, the company is already preparing plans to manufacture millions of doses starting this year, with Pfizer’s CEO stating that he hopes to have a vaccine available for use by the end of October.

Coronavirus Outbreaks Vaccines

 

[JerseyGirl]

Looks like NY contact tracers are not having much success in general.


N.Y.C. Hired 3,000 Workers for Contact Tracing. It’s Off to a Slow Start.

New York City has reached out to 82% as of June 20:

Recent publicly available details from New York City Health and Hospitals illustrate the challenges of contact tracing in the NYC, one of the worst-hit U.S. cities. Of 7,584 reported COVID-19 cases from June 1-20, case investigators reached 82%, but just 37% provided at least one contact. The investigators reached 68% of the 6,672 identified contacts they were given.

Test & Trace: Data

Is contact tracing -- key to COVID-19 fight -- working?


Link to the job post/description for NY contact tracers - Careers - PCG | Public Consulting Group - Solutions that Matter

Link to general info for NY contact tracing - New York State Contact Tracing

 

[Tate123]

I doubt if the green states are doing much contact tracing.

Rt COVID-19

You can look up how well each state is doing in contact tracing on this site.
America’s COVID warning system

 

[CSIDreamer]

You can look up how well each state is doing in contact tracing on this site.
America’s COVID warning system

I wonder why that says New York has 100% contact traced when elsewhere it says they haven't. Jmo

 

[musicaljoke]

https://twitter.com/sfchronicle/status/1278543840367050757



People going to the meeting questioned the wisdom of holding an in-person gathering of that many, and now...

Insane that 40 principals would met in person to plan school reopenings. I think that their credibility is in the toilet.

Perhaps they should select a team of public health care workers to lay out the guidelines.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Oh, dear.

Coronavirus patient suffers 4-hour erection from blood clots

A coronavirus patient in France suffered a four-hour erection due to a blood clot that may have been triggered by the illness, doctors have warned.

The 62-year-old man experienced the painful condition known as priapism while in the intensive care unit at a Le Chesnay hospital, according to a case report in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Doctors initially applied an ice pack to the area, but after four hours his erection still had not disappeared.

Using a needle, they instead decided to drain the blood from his penis and discovered that it was full of blood clots, the report said.

 

[ilovewings]

He is going to be right at some point or we are all doomed.

it will disappear some day- but not before it takes a lot more victims

Insane that 40 principals would met in person to plan school reopenings. I think that their credibility is in the toilet.

Perhaps they should select a team of public health care workers to lay out the guidelines.

Couldn't agree more: what has happened to freaking common sense???? I just don't get it

 

[JerseyGirl]

I wonder why that says New York has 100% contact traced when elsewhere it says they haven't. Jmo

Yes 92%-98%. Last week it was 82%. These are the official stats and link:

Test & Trace: Data
New York

 

[tresir2012]

New York City has reached out to 82% as of June 20:

Recent publicly available details from New York City Health and Hospitals illustrate the challenges of contact tracing in the NYC, one of the worst-hit U.S. cities. Of 7,584 reported COVID-19 cases from June 1-20, case investigators reached 82%, but just 37% provided at least one contact. The investigators reached 68% of the 6,672 identified contacts they were given.

Test & Trace: Data

Is contact tracing -- key to COVID-19 fight -- working?


Link to the job post/description for NY contact tracers - Careers - PCG | Public Consulting Group - Solutions that Matter

Link to general info for NY contact tracing - New York State Contact Tracing

Only 37% of 82 % (so approx 30% of cases) gave contacts so that is not good. That means 70% of cases are untraced. Hopefully it will improve or will end there.