Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #66

[MimosaMornings]

Evidence growing that Houston's main coronavirus strain is more contagious than original

 

[SouthAussie]

Evidence growing that Houston's main coronavirus strain is more contagious than original

I think it has been mentioned before that the virus will keep adapting/mutating to find more victims to feed on?

Sounds like that may be happening now.

 

[Sundog]

It's our tragic history as well. See link below for an excellent source of information. You can check the data for your own State and county. There is a table showing the percentage of nursing home deaths by state. In NC, my state, 57% of deaths have been in nursing homes. There have been 38 nursing home deaths in my county.

43% of U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Are Linked to Nursing Homes
43% of U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Are Linked to Nursing Homes
By The New York Times
June 27, 2020

"At least 54,000 residents and workers have died from the coronavirus at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities for older adults in the United States, according to a New York Times database. As of June 26, the virus has infected more than 282,000 people at some 12,000 facilities.

Nursing home populations are at a high risk of being infected by — and dying from — the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is known to be particularly lethal to adults in their 60s and older who have underlying health conditions. And it can spread more easily through congregate facilities, where many people live in a confined environment and workers move from room to room.

While 11 percent of the country’s cases have occurred in long-term care facilities, deaths related to Covid-19 in these facilities account for more than 43 percent of the country’s pandemic fatalities."
...

[BBM]
"The share of deaths linked to long-term care facilities for older adults is even starker at the state level. In 24 states, the number of residents and workers who have died accounts for either half or more than half of all deaths from the virus.

Infected people linked to nursing homes also die at a higher rate than the general population. The median case fatality rate — the number of deaths divided by the number of cases — at facilities with reliable data is 17 percent, significantly higher than the 5 percent case fatality rate nationwide."

This is truly shocking and horrifying.

Not good in Ohio, either. And in Canada, the figure I saw was around 82%.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Executive order: New Yorkers traveling to COVID-19 hot spots ineligible for sick leave

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - “An executive order in New York states that residents who travel to areas designated as coronavirus “hot spots” will not be eligible for a type of coronavirus-related sick leave.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently issued the order, which states those who voluntarily travel to areas with positive test rates higher than 10 per 100,000 residents will become ineligible.

Employers in New York are required to offer five days of paid sick leave to allow employees the chance to quarantine, should they or someone they know contract the virus.

Voluntary travel to both Carolinas falls under the policy. In South Carolina, the minimum amount of daily COVID-19 cases would have to be 514, based on data from the Census Bureau.”

 

[SoCalDavidS]

Border police in Sardinia denied entry to five US citizens who attempted to enter the island aboard a private jet, in line with Italy's ban on almost all tourism from outside Europe.

The group of around ten adults and children, which also included one Italian national, two Brits, two Germans and a New Zealander, were stopped upon landing at Elmas airport in Cagliari on Wednesday morning.

They had flown by private plane from Colorado, despite Italy's ongoing ban on most non-essential travel from outside the EU, Schengen Zone and UK.

After several hours in the airport, she and her friends eventually got back on the plane at about 11:30pm and flew to the UK. Some reports said Italian authorities had offered to allow the non-Americans to enter Sardinia on the condition they quarantined for 14 days, but the group apparently opted to stay together.

It's unclear why the group thought they would be allowed to enter Italy. While the EU has recommended reopening its external borders to a limited number of countries, the US has never been on the 'safe list' due to its high number of coronavirus infections.

https://www.thelocal.it/20200703/tr...JEgXbh0_iu8XChPZoAZbRaNjdbnv8qfw-qGCDy8SNocG8

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Evidence growing that Houston's main coronavirus strain is more contagious than original

This is terrifying. I have a close friend in Texas.

 

[MimosaMornings]

This is terrifying. I have a close friend in Texas.

I hope not in Houston/Harris County or DFW area. Rio Grande Valley/Harlingen has been hit hard too and I think they are having to fly some into San Antonio.

 

[Satchie]

It's unclear why the group thought they would be allowed to enter Italy. While the EU has recommended reopening its external borders to a limited number of countries, the US has never been on the 'safe list' due to its high number of coronavirus infections.

RSBM

This is what's driving me crazy, the unsolved mysteries of other people's thought processes. Did someone say, "I know those Sardinian customs agents, I can bribe one easy"? I'd love to be a fly on the wall when they flew back, accusations and blame flying around the cabin.

 

[SoCalDavidS]

RSBM

This is what's driving me crazy, the unsolved mysteries of other people's thought processes. Did someone say, "I know those Sardinian customs agents, I can bribe one easy"? I'd love to be a fly on the wall when they flew back, accusations and blame flying around the cabin.

On paper it was a great plan. Blend in with a large group of adults and kids. Fly on a private jet. Fly into a lesser known airport. But I guess they got into the UK?

 

[MimosaMornings]

Border police in Sardinia denied entry to five US citizens who attempted to enter the island aboard a private jet, in line with Italy's ban on almost all tourism from outside Europe.

The group of around ten adults and children, which also included one Italian national, two Brits, two Germans and a New Zealander, were stopped upon landing at Elmas airport in Cagliari on Wednesday morning.

They had flown by private plane from Colorado, despite Italy's ongoing ban on most non-essential travel from outside the EU, Schengen Zone and UK.

After several hours in the airport, she and her friends eventually got back on the plane at about 11:30pm and flew to the UK. Some reports said Italian authorities had offered to allow the non-Americans to enter Sardinia on the condition they quarantined for 14 days, but the group apparently opted to stay together.

It's unclear why the group thought they would be allowed to enter Italy. While the EU has recommended reopening its external borders to a limited number of countries, the US has never been on the 'safe list' due to its high number of coronavirus infections.

https://www.thelocal.it/20200703/tr...JEgXbh0_iu8XChPZoAZbRaNjdbnv8qfw-qGCDy8SNocG8

https://www.thelocal.it/20200703/tr...way-american-tourists-arriving-by-private-jet

“We were treated as if we were criminals, it's not fair," Federica Fanari, a passenger who hails from Sardinia but lives in Germany, told local news site Casteddu Online.

After several hours in the airport, she and her friends eventually got back on the plane at about 11:30pm and flew to the UK. Some reports said Italian authorities had offered to allow the non-Americans to enter Sardinia on the condition they quarantined for 14 days, but the group apparently opted to stay together.”

 

[MimosaMornings]

Here’s where you’ll have to quarantine if you’re traveling to or from South Carolina | WBTW

 

[SouthAussie]

Here’s where you’ll have to quarantine if you’re traveling to or from South Carolina | WBTW

It makes me happier to see that quarantining is now being put into place for travellers in more and more states.

It is an essential part of not adding to the covid spread in each state.

Now to get community transmission under control in those states ......

 

[Satchie]

“We were treated as if we were criminals, it's not fair," Federica Fanari, a passenger who hails from Sardinia but lives in Germany, told local news site Casteddu Online.

RSBM.

Just think about how the jet setters are suffering throughout this. They probably had a massive villa or private yacht waiting for them.

 

[10ofRods]

I think it has been mentioned before that the virus will keep adapting/mutating to find more victims to feed on?

Sounds like that may be happening now.

There has been only 1 major mutation that has conferred SARS-Coronavirus-2 an advantage over its original form. It's abbreviated as the "G" mutation and it allows virions to live longer outside a human body.

It does not make the course of the disease worse, so far as is known. But it does make the disease more contagious.

This is the version that showed up in Italy, spread through Europe and to New York. At first, the West Coast didn't have it, but now it's spread from coast to coast.

It is a slow-mutating virus (apparently Coronaviruses are generally slower to mutate). There's no direction to the mutation, they happen randomly. Most change little about the virus.

 

[SoCalDavidS]

MLB announces Season will begin on Thursday July 23.

 

[SouthAussie]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

I trust what 10ofRods has to say, as they appear to be very well studied in this area, but here is a link if you want even more info.


A variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is responsible for the still-raging coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world, has been found in multiple studies to have a very tiny mutation in its genetic code. This variant is primarily circulating through Europe and the United States, according to a study released by Scripps Research, and the genetic tweak significantly increases the virus’ ability to infect cells in a host.

Mutation in SARS-CoV-2 ramps up ability to infect cells, makes it more stable: Scripps study- Technology News, Firstpost

 

[SouthAussie]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed> ... there is evidence of the mutation within the article, and its spread.

In February 2020, there were no sequences deposited to the GenBank database showing the D614G mutation. By March, it appeared in roughly 1 out of every 4 collected samples. By May, it could be seen in 70 percent of all the samples collected, Farzan says.


As well, they acknowledge they don't know everything about the mutation yet.

There is still quite a bit of information about the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that is unknown – for instance, whether this small change affects the severity of symptoms in people it infects, and how it affects mortality, the researchers said. Much more data, ideally under controlled studies, are needed, Choe says.

 

[dmac55]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

Study confirms new version of coronavirus spreads faster, but doesn't make people sicker - ABC7 Los Angeles
Coronavirus mutation spreads faster, but doesn't make people sicker, study confirms

 

[Lilibet]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

If I’m not mistaken, a verified expert such as @10ofRods, would not be required to post links to back up their expertise when commenting in that area. In her case it is Medical Anthropology as she describes:

I am a four field anthropologist who has taught methods and done applied research in anthropology since 1976. I've taught at both sheriff's academies and medical schools, but am now semi-retired. My medical research includes epidemiology, stochastic modeling, and mainly research into the genetics and biology of mental illness. I've done fieldwork in many places, but especially hospitals, jails, police departments mental health hospitals and clinics. I've also studied tourism, wilderness missing persons and European prehistory.

So in commenting about genetic mutations as above, you can be confident that she has closely followed the course of SARS-coronavirus-2 in scientific studies. We are very fortunate to have her with us on this thread.

Here is a list of verified professionals:

Professional Posters & Verified Insiders

 

[ilovewings]

Scientists say WHO ignores the risk that coronavirus floats in air as aerosol

Once again it looks like the WHO is behind the times.