Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #67

[Tadpole12]

Coronavirus report: global cases pass 12m as US daily tally breaks world record — the guardian (UK)

Oh, so depressing. There must be light at the end of tunnel at some point...

May be at the end of the bell curve?

 

[Tate123]

That's how it's supposed to work. When everyone is constantly being tested, it's possible to identify areas that are experiencing outbreaks and then isolate them. The problem here, is that if they close an area down the highway from your place, those people will just come to your restaurant.
This is what we will see in AZ if the Governor allows cities to impose their own restrictions - hundreds of us from Phoenix will drive up to Wickenburg for brunch every weekend.

Must be one heck of a brunch! : )

 

[10ofRods]

My son's wedding is next week. It will be outdoors in their back yard. Seating will be 6 feet apart. There will be the groom, bride, their combined 4 children, groom's parents, bride's parents, the minister and his wife (my FIL and MIL).

After the ceremony we will have a professionally made cake, hopefully the baker will wear mask and gloves. I was going to bring some finger food but couldn't think of anything safe that everyone wouldn't be handling. I thought about fresh veggies, dip, cheese and crackers all in individual containers for each person but I don't have that many containers and I don't want to shop for them. Too many unmasked shoppers in the stores.

I've decided to make ham and cheeses sandwiches wrapped in individual ziplock baggies, 2 per guest. I bought a variety of chips which will also go in individual baggies. Two 12 packs of pop will also be in the cooler. I'll wear masks and gloves while preparing and packaging everything. I'll clean all pop cans with clorox wipes before putting them in the cooler. I'm thinking maybe I should put napkins inside each baggie with food so we won't be touching all napkins in a stack.

I know it doesn't sound fancy but these are crazy times. My mama's heart feels good knowing they are focused on their love for each other and their marriage instead of a fancy wedding. I'm super excited!

Did I miss anything? Any way for Covid to sneak past my safety measures? Mom and Dad are in their 80s, I want to be super careful.

Just be prepared to gently lead the Old Ones to a distance of 6-8 feet, because surely people will forget momentarily (that's what happens over and over at family gatherings, we can't help it).

People who are already in a household can sit right next to each other for a little more intimacy.

I think you are going to absolutely extraordinary measures and that everything should work out fine. Napkins inside the sandwich baggie is a great idea. Put hand sanitizer near the cooler, arrange the packaged food so that it's easy to just pick up what one wants and not touch the others. The chances of anyone spreading Corona via the cooler are vanishingly small, but the hand sanitizer should help.

You can get really cute napkins/doilies etc from Amazon in plenty of time, if you decide to get fancy.

 

[tabitha111]

The mystery of 'silent spreaders'
Another surprising and fascinating story of infection~~Tabitha
Coronavirus: The mystery of asymptomatic 'silent spreaders'

By David Shukman

Science editor

As the crisis has unfolded, scientists have discovered more evidence about a strange and worrying feature of the coronavirus. While many people who become infected develop a cough, fever and loss of taste and smell, others have no symptoms at all and never realise they're carrying Covid-19.



Researchers say it's vital to understand how many are affected this way and whether "silent spreaders" are fueling the pandemic.



When people gathered at a church in Singapore on 19 January, no-one could have realized that the event would have global implications for the spread of coronavirus.

It was a Sunday and, as usual, one of the services was being conducted in Mandarin. Among the congregation at The Life Church and Missions, on the ground floor of an office building, was a couple, both aged 56, who'd arrived that morning from China.


As they took their seats, they seemed perfectly healthy so there was no reason to think they might be carrying the virus. At that time, a persistent cough was understood to be the most distinctive feature of Covid-19 and it was seen as the most likely way to transmit it. Having no symptoms of the disease should have meant having no chance of spreading it.


The couple left as soon as the service was over. But shortly afterwards, things took a turn for the worse, and in a wholly confusing way. The wife started to become ill on 22 January, followed by her husband two days later. Because they had flown in from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, that was no big surprise.


But over the following week, three local people also came down with the disease for no obvious reason, leading to one of Singapore's first and most baffling coronavirus cases. Working out what had happened would lead to a new and disturbing insight into how the virus was so successfully finding new victims.



Mobilizing 'disease detectives'

"We were extremely perplexed," says Dr Vernon Lee, head of communicable diseases at Singapore's Ministry of Health. "People who didn't know one another somehow infected each other," while showing no sign of illness. This new batch of cases simply did not make sense, according to what was known about Covid-19 back then.


So Dr Lee and his fellow scientists, along with police officers and specialist disease trackers, launched an investigation, generating detailed maps showing who was where and when. This involved the very best of the process known as contact tracing - a version of which is getting under way now in the UK. It's seen as a vital system for tracking down everyone involved in an outbreak and helping to stamp it out, and Singapore is renowned for the skill and speed with which this is carried out.



Amazingly, within a few days, investigators had spoken to no fewer than 191 members of the church and had found out that 142 of them had been there that Sunday. They quickly established that two of the Singaporeans who became infected had been at the same service as the Chinese couple.



"They could have spoken to each other, greeted each other, during the usual activities of a church service," says Dr Lee.



That was a useful start and would explain in theory how the infection could have been passed on, apart from one key factor. It did not answer the crucial question of how the virus could have been transmitted by the two Chinese people when at that stage they had shown no indication of having the disease.



And on top of that was an even greater puzzle. It was confirmed that the third Singaporean to become infected, a 52-year-old woman, had not been at the same service as the others. Instead she had attended another event in the same church later that day, so how could she have picked up the virus?



Evidence no-one expected

Investigators resorted to going through the CCTV recordings made at the church that Sunday to search for clues. And they stumbled across something completely unexpected - the woman who'd attended the later service, after the Chinese couple had left, had sat in the seats they had used several hours earlier.



Somehow, despite having no symptoms and not feeling ill, the Chinese husband and wife had managed to spread the virus. Maybe they'd had it on their hands and touched the seats, maybe their breath carried the infection and it landed on a surface, it's not clear, but the implications were huge.



For Dr Lee, piecing everything together, there was only one possible explanation - that the virus was being passed by people who had it without even realizing. This was a revelation that would be relevant the world over because the central message of all public health advice on coronavirus has always been to look out for symptoms in yourself and others.



But if the virus was also being spread by people without symptoms, silently and invisibly, how could the disease be stopped? He remembers the moment, while working in his office, when the reality dawned on him. "Every time you make a scientific discovery, it is like a 'eureka' moment when you realize that this is something important that you've uncovered, through the hard work of many individuals and teams."

[more at link]
BBM

 

[Tadpole12]

Let’s be like these other cool countries and rock this ****, moo.
qmfr

Gah sorry link got messed up

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Iz Hot, Wiping brow.
It's too hot to prancercise,
So I'll just slow groove
And do my smash the covid move.

ETA: Whew.

 

[Reasonable & Just]

My son's wedding is next week. It will be outdoors in their back yard. Seating will be 6 feet apart. There will be the groom, bride, their combined 4 children, groom's parents, bride's parents, the minister and his wife (my FIL and MIL).

After the ceremony we will have a professionally made cake, hopefully the baker will wear mask and gloves. I was going to bring some finger food but couldn't think of anything safe that everyone wouldn't be handling. I thought about fresh veggies, dip, cheese and crackers all in individual containers for each person but I don't have that many containers and I don't want to shop for them. Too many unmasked shoppers in the stores.

I've decided to make ham and cheeses sandwiches wrapped in individual ziplock baggies, 2 per guest. I bought a variety of chips which will also go in individual baggies. Two 12 packs of pop will also be in the cooler. I'll wear masks and gloves while preparing and packaging everything. I'll clean all pop cans with clorox wipes before putting them in the cooler. I'm thinking maybe I should put napkins inside each baggie with food so we won't be touching all napkins in a stack.

I know it doesn't sound fancy but these are crazy times. My mama's heart feels good knowing they are focused on their love for each other and their marriage instead of a fancy wedding. I'm super excited!

Did I miss anything? Any way for Covid to sneak past my safety measures? Mom and Dad are in their 80s, I want to be super careful.

This sounds so well-thought out, and I'm sure it will be fun, safe, and a lovely family memory. I'm sure you've got it covered to have someone watching the kiddos for distancing. You are right - the marriage is the focal point, and not the fancy wedding (and the debt that comes with it!). Blessings to them and to you all!

 

[CoverMeCagney]

US airlines are canceling flights to and from Hong Kong following a new rule that would require all crew members to be tested for COVID-19 on arrival.
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Under the new testing requirement, pilots and flight attendants are required to submit to saliva testing on arrival at Hong Kong International Airport. If crewmembers tested positive or were quarantined, it could create logistical difficulties for airlines seeking to position crewmembers and aircraft.

So... they would rather a Covid positive crew member got back on a flight and spread it to passengers and other crew?

 

[SoCalDavidS]

Regarding the wedding reception, the thing that caught my eye was the cooler full of soda. Do you want people reaching in to get cans from the ice? Not sure whether that's risky or not. Edit: I see 10ofRods has given some useful tips.

 

[10ofRods]

Texas County To Arrest COVID-19 Positive Residents Who Refuse To Self-Isolate

A South Texas county isn’t taking any chances when it comes to the coronavirus, issuing a warning that anyone who tests positive and refuses to self-isolate could end up in jail.

The warning, which was confirmed as legitimate by an Official with the Brooks County Office of Emergency Management, cites Texas Penal Code 22.05 (a) which states “A person commits an offense if he recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury.”

Don't mess with Texas. They already have a law on their books. Full steam ahead!

 

[10ofRods]

Regarding the wedding reception, the thing that caught my eye was the cooler full of soda. Do you want people reaching in to get cans from the ice? Not sure whether that's risky or not.

That's the part that caught my eye too - although having a can of wipes atop the cooler would be a good clue. I don't know how it would work if just one person did all the reaching in, due to the fact that that person would have to get closer than 6 feet to the recipient.

I suppose it could be handled very gallantly by having one person go get the beverage of choice, put it on one end of the serving table then step away while the recipient grabbed their soda. No one is going to be fussed about such a system. I know that the 10 year old in our family would love that job (masked) and would swiftly dance away from the table, cans deposited, so that the Old People can be safe. 10 year old would also be very happy to have their own hand sanitizer station at their seat, I'm sure.

 

[MrX]

And then once people in Wickenburg (lots of old people there) start getting sick and dying, then Wickenburg can ban outsiders, right?

Is that how you see it going? So only law and penalty will make people do the right thing, is what you're saying.

It is certainly the model that's emerging (each hamlet and town and city for itself). I do think AZ needs an overall statewide policy just to save people from themselves, if you're right.

If we had imposed mandatory masks (and penalties on LE agencies that refused to write citations/enforce) early on, California would not be in the mess we're in now.

If each town or city does its own thing, some will soak up medical resources from others, poorer towns won't be able to acquire traveling nurses, richer towns will have plenty of PPE, etc. For certain facets of this pandemic, I think the entire United States should have shared policy/law and actual experts should have weighed in on how to reopen.

It's not what I'm "saying" - it's what we are all seeing - like this, which was linked here yesterday: Melbourne begins second shutdown after cases spike

"Police say they are setting up a "ring of steel" around the city, with "checkpoints anytime and anywhere" to enforce the measures."

I understand that we all want a Utopian solution, but that hasn't been how it's worked anywhere. Places that have successfully enacted test/trace/quarantine pandemic mitigation protocols have done so at the tip of the proverbial bayonet.

And, as for places like Wickenburg - they are the way they are because the "old people" who built those communities chose to make them that way. When the Horseshoe Cafe opened in May, in violation of lock down, the crowd was distinctly "senior."

 

[10ofRods]

So... they would rather a Covid positive crew member got back on a flight and spread it to passengers and other crew?

No where does it say that the employees aren't being tested routinely before they begin their flight from their home airport. I would assume they are - although would be nice if all the airlines went completely transparent. Delta is the only one that has published its testing outcomes (but not their overall policy, AFAIK)

I can see why an employer would want to maintain control over this - having your employees stranded indefinitely (while CoVid+) in a foreign nation...might not be the best course of action.

 

[Tadpole12]

As a business owner (restaurant) here in California, I thought I'd share with you our daily business experience...
Absolutely, depending on what our Governor Gavin Newsome says, or, does NOT say our sales go up or they go down.
ALL sales. Dine in, to go, curbside, you name it.
*Where we operate, out of over 50 thousand residents, we have had -0- deaths.
Doesn't matter. Although we have over 39 million people living in California, the same rules are applied to all of us.
So, last Thursday, after Gavin Newsome gave one of his speeches, we had exactly 1 (one) customer.
All of our overhead remains the same. Rent, electric, insurance, telephone, gas, payroll and taxes.
Somewhat of a solution would be for our govenor to monitor where the problems are in this huge state, and where they are not.
Instead of treating us all the same.
So, yeah, I'm sure, some will disagree...
It's 2020. He's got the tech and the man power to do this.
Sweeping declarations are going to destroy businesses that shouldn't be destroyed.
California has a negative 54 Billion budget as of two months ago.
The next tally? Huge increase to her deficit.
Moo a hundred times.

KALI what's the market like for businesses, have the prices dropped?

I see so many restaurants for sale on the SD site, values ranging from millions of dollars to Food truck operations for thousands.

What going on on that front?

 

[tresir2012]

So... they would rather a Covid positive crew member got back on a flight and spread it to passengers and other crew?

Yes because otherwise the return trip could not take place. The whole crew would be compromised, not just the one crew member and then the aircraft would have no crew to fly it back on the return trip. I don't know how they will deal with it. I suppose the whole crew could fly back an empty plane then quarantine at home.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

No where does it say that the employees aren't being tested routinely before they begin their flight from their home airport. I would assume they are - although would be nice if all the airlines went completely transparent. Delta is the only one that has published its testing outcomes (but not their overall policy, AFAIK)

I can see why an employer would want to maintain control over this - having your employees stranded indefinitely (while CoVid+) in a foreign nation...might not be the best course of action.

I totally get the logistics and repercussions as it could cost them millions and ground flights, but it shouldn't be a concern if they're testing staff pre-flight. Can't blame HK for being strict about letting people in; I wonder if they're testing every passenger as well.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Yes because otherwise the return trip could not take place. The whole crew would be compromised, not just the one crew member and then the aircraft would have no crew to fly it back on the return trip. I don't know how they will deal with it. I suppose the whole crew could fly back an empty plane then quarantine at home.

Yet another knock on effect of this bloody virus. Global travel is going to take forever to get back to 'normal'.

 

[CeeCeeCat]

I saw this editorial in today's Dallas Morning News. It makes me so sad but it rings very true here in Dallas and the state overall.

A Letter to the Editor Dallas Morning News.
RSBM

When we most desperately need leaders to keep us mindful of our duties as citizens, we find ourselves looking into a void.

The triumph of the individual we so value has become the defeat of the common good and made refugees of us all.
Julie J. Cox, Grapevine

I have been listening recently, to the speeches and sermons of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. So much of what he said is (sadly) as applicable today as it was sixty years ago. I can’t help but wish the world had a leader like him right now - one with his wisdom, compassion and integrity.

 

[JerseyGirl]

I totally get the logistics and repercussions as it could cost them millions and ground flights, but it shouldn't be a concern if they're testing staff pre-flight. Can't blame HK for being strict about letting people in; I wonder if they're testing every passenger as well.

The test could be negative upon departure and by the time they land in Hong Kong they could test positive.

 

[Tadpole12]

Honestly, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that anybody would even consider having children going to school during a DEADLY PANDEMIC! These are adult decisions and I have to wonder,. Are there no intelligent people sat in these top seats anymore! Just the thought of "what is going on" drains me! I can't make head nor tail of anything X

Some of the headlines mention return to school as being needed for the proper socialization of children,
But I just wonder about the fear children hold about this return.
The building is no longer safe.

 

[MrX]

https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/202...e-to-examine-governors-powers-in-emergencies/

"The state’s top lawyer is telling a federal judge that there may be legitimate claims that Gov. Doug Ducey has exceeded his legal authority in closing certain businesses."