Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #70

[JerseyGirl]

BREAKING: Fulton judge recuses herself from Kemp-Bottoms case

Georgia's Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kelly Ellerbe is recusing herself from a legal battle between Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

Kemp’s lawsuit accuses Bottoms of violating his executive orders by banning gatherings of more than 10 people on city property and requiring people to wear masks in Atlanta.

Bottoms has accused the governor of playing politics amid the outbreak, pointing out the governor is not suing several other Georgia municipalities that have adopted mask requirements. Athens, Augusta and Savannah are among them.

Judge Ellerbe was set to hold the first hearing in the matter at 11 a.m. Tuesday, but the proceeding was canceled.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Because just comparing the number of Covid deaths from one country to the next is not looking at the big picture. Here's an article that states, "More than 200,000 people could die because of delays in healthcare and other economic and social effects all caused by lockdown, a government report has warned.

The great majority of the deaths – 185,000 – are attributed to an extended wait for treatment in the longer term."

"The figures equate to nearly one million years of life lost unnecessarily, in the worst-case scenario outlined in the report."

"With lockdown measures in place and hospital priorities shifted, patients have likely missed out on life-saving care for heart attacks and strokes and early diagnoses of diabetes and kidney disease.

The University of Oxford discovered just last week that 5,000 fewer heart attack patients had attended hospital between March and May.

The report – published in April but largely overlooked until now – has added credence to the view that patients with serious illnesses unrelated to coronavirus have been neglected during the pandemic."

"It comes after the most recent NHS performance statistics showed the number of patients admitted for routine ops has dropped 82 per cent in a year.

Shocking data showed only 54,550 patients were admitted for treatment in May — a fraction of the 295,000 recorded this time last year."

This article is about the UK, but the same situation applies closer to home in the US - much closer.

My next door neighbor's step-mother died in May during the coronavirus lockdown, but she didn't die from Covid, she died from cancer. She was being treated for the cancer and she was doing well. The lockdown disrupted her treatment and she died.

She would likely still be alive if not for the lockdown.

By their own admission Sweden's failure has been in not protecting the elderly in care homes. Of course Sweden is not alone. US states like New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut also failed to protect their elderly care home patients despite having strict lockdowns.

"Care home residents account for nearly half of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Sweden. Some healthcare workers believe an institutional reluctance to admit patients to hospital is costing lives."

Sweden Admits A 'Big Failure' To Prevent Elderly Deaths From Coronavirus As Toll Passes 3,000 With 90% Of Victims Over 70

Indeed, as @margarita25 has pointed out again and again, WHO is the one voice that continually speaks to such. Again.. and again.. and again as to all the other diseases that are being affected.

 

[Simply Southern]

Just wanted to update on my son's wedding last week. The chairs were arranged so that each household was sitting 6 feet from the others. We had masks just in case but it wasn't necessary to wear them. 92 degrees, bright sun outdoors and it was hot! The ceremony was simple but beautiful and I think everyone shed a tear or two. After six days, no one is sick. It can be done safely as long as we follow the guidelines.

I love my new daughter and grandsons

Thanks for sharing a wonderful story. Happy everyone was able to experience the wedding.

It gives me hope that we can find ways to socialize at a distance, in small groups when we all commit to be safe.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Just wanted to update on my son's wedding last week. The chairs were arranged so that each household was sitting 6 feet from the others. We had masks just in case but it wasn't necessary to wear them. 92 degrees, bright sun outdoors and it was hot! The ceremony was simple but beautiful and I think everyone shed a tear or two. After six days, no one is sick. It can be done safely as long as we follow the guidelines.

I love my new daughter and grandsons

So special for you all. It perhaps was a fairy tale wedding during these difficult times as to remembrances, as was Beatrice's wedding was with just 20 guests including the queen?

I envision it as a very lovely and special time and future remembrances for your family.

 

[Simply Southern]

Mosquito non-transmission

Date: Fri 17 Jul 2020

Source: Nature Scientific Reports [edited]

SARS-CoV-2 failure to infect or replicate in mosquitoes: an extreme challenge | Scientific Reports



ref: Huang YS, Vanlandingham DL, Bilyeu AN, et al. SARS-CoV-2 failure

to infect or replicate in mosquitoes: an extreme challenge. Sci Rep.

2020; 10(1): 11915. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-68882-7

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abstract

--------

This research addresses public speculation that SARS-CoV-2 might be

transmitted by mosquitoes. The World Health Organization has stated

"To date there has been no information nor evidence to suggest that

the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes." Here we

provide the 1st experimental data to investigate the capacity of

SARS-CoV-2 to infect and be transmitted by mosquitoes including tests

of 3 widely distributed species of mosquito; _Aedes aegypti_, _A

albopictus_, and _Culex quinquefasciatus_, representing the 2 most

significant genera of arbovirus vectors that infect people.


We demonstrate that even under extreme conditions, SARS-CoV-2 virus is

unable to replicate in these mosquitoes and therefore cannot be

transmitted to people even in the unlikely event that a mosquito fed

upon a viremic host.

[more at link]



Note: Although the tests indicated SARS-CoV-2 virus was unable to replicate

in 3 common vector mosquitoes of 2 different genera, one cannot

arbitrarily rule out susceptibility of all human-biting mosquitoes in

localities where infected people are found.

However, the results of

the test above do strongly suggest that mosquitoes in general are not

susceptible to infection by this virus. This should end speculation

about mosquito biological transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus being

epidemiologically significant.

Mechanical ("flying pin") transmission

by interrupted mosquito feeding would require very high viremias in

infected individuals, probably 10^6-7 or more and for which there is

no evidence, followed almost immediately by feeding on a susceptible

person. Attention should be turned to other modes of virus

transmission.

BBM & SBM

Thanks for this post. Living in the south and heading into our ferocious mosquito season, I've had concerns.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

President Donald Trump has said he's pressuring governors to reopen classrooms.

On Tuesday, US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said the country needs to lower the transmission rate to reopen schools.

"The biggest determinant of whether or not we can go back to school actually has little to nothing to do with the actual schools -- it's your background transmission rate. And it's why we've told people constantly that if we want to get back to school, to worship, to regular life -- folks need to wear face coverings, folks need to practice social distancing. Those public health measures are actually what's going to lower the transmission rate."

Adams added that lowering the transmission rate will also help keep teachers and the adults that live with school-age children safe. "We know the risk is low to the actual students. But we know they can transmit to others. ... We need to take measures to make sure we protect those who are vulnerable either because they are older or they have chronic medical conditions."

The surge in US cases has left labs overwhelmed and Covid-19 tests delayed

The idea is good as to a movement by the WH, but let's do science and numbers like was originally suggested and adhered to by Cuomo etc.

Give us the numbers of when it's ok to do? Below x numbers of transmission it's ok to do. How often do children get tested? What are the numbers of when shut down?

This cannot be done MOO unless rapid tests that are cheap to monitor, e.g. the previous youtube of MedCram which spoke to this that I posted earlier this am.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Newark NJ mayor calls for temperature checks for airport travelers coming from coronavirus hotspots

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is asking state and federal officials to require temperature checks at Newark Liberty International Airport for travelers arriving from the 22 states designated by Gov. Phil Murphy as high-risk coronavirus areas.

Baraka also wants passengers to be quarantined if they have coronavirus symptoms and fill out forms for potential contact tracing, according to a news release.

“Here in Newark, we have worked with fury and diligence to contain this virus and our daily number of new cases have fallen to single digits, if at all. As COVID-19 cases and death spike in other parts of the country, it is important we keep the virus here manageable to protect our residents. I’d like to see the airport be a first-line of defense,” Baraka said in a statement.

He said the city is concerned about Newark residents who work at the airport and come in contact with arriving passengers who could potentially have the virus.

“Going to work should not put them at further risk,” Baraka said.

Pffft, even on the Diamond Princess folks knew to take a fever reducer and lie when asked about symptoms. This was at the very beginning, and folks now know to LIE and take fever reducers to get past screening. It is done MOO

SMDH... this is so wrong to keep doing this MOO as a screening.

 

[gngr~snap]

Just wanted to update on my son's wedding last week. The chairs were arranged so that each household was sitting 6 feet from the others. We had masks just in case but it wasn't necessary to wear them. 92 degrees, bright sun outdoors and it was hot! The ceremony was simple but beautiful and I think everyone shed a tear or two. After six days, no one is sick. It can be done safely as long as we follow the guidelines.

I love my new daughter and grandsons

Thanks for sharing!
We still have fingers crossed for a September 19th Wedding.
The way you arranged seating sounds like a brilliant idea!
I still don't know if I can attend. My MIL will be having radiation for a reoccurance of cancer. If I do go, I will have to quarantine for 14 days or my husband will have to stay at her house for 2 weeks.
We know he can't go, as she is a widow and he is her only child.
I have not told my son yet.
I thought he would figure it out on his own, but yesterday he emailed the information for my husband to get fitted for his suit.
Sad times...
It is what it is right?
Grandma needs to be our priority right now!
Maybe we can attend virtually.
My son wants a mother son dance. He picked out the song "Simple Man" by Lynrd Skynayrd.
My son wants the dance...
MAYBE... quarantine?
Two weeks isn't forever...
Ugh!
I hate COVID!!
MOO

 

[tabitha111]

Can not say you are not being warned, advising to fill tanks early- Tabitha

POTENTIAL PROPANE SHORTAGE THIS FALL

By Dave Mowitz

7/20/2020

Potential propane shortage this fall

COVID’s grasp on the economy is being felt on propane supplies. And that could affect its availability this fall.



The potential problem with supplies is a result of people traveling less. About 20% to 25% of propane is created from crude oil refining (the remainder of production comes from natural gas wells). So reduced consumer travel this summer means less demand for gas which, in turn, is reducing refining and eventually causing crude oil wells to be shut down.



Last fall’s shortfall of propane led to emergency declarations covering nine Midwest states.

[...]

The silver lining in this potential dark cloud is that the average wholesale price of propane is trending around 40¢ less per gallon than a year ago. This creates the opportunity to lock in lower propane prices now before prices potentially increase this fall.

 

[JerseyGirl]

California is poised to take over New York for the most Covid-19 cases

California looks set to surpass New York as the state with the most cases within days, according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University. It has recently been reporting about 9,000 new cases each day for a total of 397,870 on Monday.

New York, meanwhile, has been adding a little more than 700 cases a day in the last week. Its total number of cases Monday was about 404,000.

 

[COSCitizen]

Recent W.Va. Church Outbreaks Lead To More Than 70 New Coronavirus Cases

The most recent string of COVID-19 outbreaks linked to places of worship has led to roughly 75 West Virginians testing positive for the coronavirus over the last couple of weeks.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources said it is tracking outbreaks related to seven churches in Kanawha, Boone, Logan, Raleigh, Grant, Taylor and Wood counties.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Florida recorded more than 9,000 new cases, 134 more deaths

Florida reported another 9,440 new coronavirus cases and 134 more COVID-19 related deaths on Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 5,206 Florida residents have died after contracting COVID-19 and the state has reported a total of 369,834 cases.

The overall percent positive for the state continues to climb and is now 11.9%. The state has now conducted 3.1 million coronavirus tests. Monday's percent positive was 13.6% for new cases.

Every Central Florida county except Flagler and Lake reported new deaths on Tuesday and Polk County’s surge in deaths continues with 186 there so far. The county had reported 102 deaths on July 1.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Florida Sheriff Warns That Officers Unable To Provide Security For RNC

Duval County, Fla., Sheriff Mike Williams said Jacksonville police are not currently able to provide security for the Republican National Convention, citing poor planning and a lack of funding for the last-minute event.

"Every effort has been made, countless hours spent, and all have been committed to the mission to keep our city safe. And at this point, we're simply past the point of no return to execute the event safely," Williams said in a news conference.

Williams said that financial shortfalls in equipment and manpower, as well as the short notice for the location change, led to his outlook that his agency would not be able to adequately secure the event.

The sheriff said typically an event of the RNC's size would require 18 months of planning. Trump's acceptance speech for the party nomination was just moved to Jacksonville last month.

"The plan in its current configuration is not working."

 

[beatrixpotter]

No White House coronavirus task force members currently expected at Trump's briefing

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that he and Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, have still not been told whether they will be in attendance at Tuesday's 5 p.m. ET briefing at the White House.

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said Tuesday that details on who will attend the briefing are still being worked out.

"They are still figuring that out," Adams said when asked if he, Fauci and Birx will be attending the briefing.

I mean why would the leaders of this task force be there to brief or participate in any way in a public briefing? What kind of a task force is this? This is outrageous in any context.

 

[beatrixpotter]

Because just comparing the number of Covid deaths from one country to the next is not looking at the big picture. Here's an article that states, "More than 200,000 people could die because of delays in healthcare and other economic and social effects all caused by lockdown, a government report has warned.

The great majority of the deaths – 185,000 – are attributed to an extended wait for treatment in the longer term."

"The figures equate to nearly one million years of life lost unnecessarily, in the worst-case scenario outlined in the report."

"With lockdown measures in place and hospital priorities shifted, patients have likely missed out on life-saving care for heart attacks and strokes and early diagnoses of diabetes and kidney disease.

The University of Oxford discovered just last week that 5,000 fewer heart attack patients had attended hospital between March and May.

The report – published in April but largely overlooked until now – has added credence to the view that patients with serious illnesses unrelated to coronavirus have been neglected during the pandemic."

"It comes after the most recent NHS performance statistics showed the number of patients admitted for routine ops has dropped 82 per cent in a year.

Shocking data showed only 54,550 patients were admitted for treatment in May — a fraction of the 295,000 recorded this time last year."

This article is about the UK, but the same situation applies closer to home in the US - much closer.

My next door neighbor's step-mother died in May during the coronavirus lockdown, but she didn't die from Covid, she died from cancer. She was being treated for the cancer and she was doing well. The lockdown disrupted her treatment and she died.

She would likely still be alive if not for the lockdown.

By their own admission Sweden's failure has been in not protecting the elderly in care homes. Of course Sweden is not alone. US states like New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut also failed to protect their elderly care home patients despite having strict lockdowns.

"Care home residents account for nearly half of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Sweden. Some healthcare workers believe an institutional reluctance to admit patients to hospital is costing lives."

Sweden Admits A 'Big Failure' To Prevent Elderly Deaths From Coronavirus As Toll Passes 3,000 With 90% Of Victims Over 70

How does allowing hospital systems to be overwhelmed actually change or improve this situation? It can't possibly be in a way that would be more beneficial to those needing medical help. I'm speaking as someone with a state with covid running rampant and I can't get in person treatment with my specialists or labs drawn in the hospital system I use. My labs are never as accurate at an outside lab. If the system wasn't overwhelmed I'd be more likely to have the opportunity to see my specialists in person and have in hospital labs. But that's not possible currently.

 

[JerseyGirl]

More Than 1/2 of America Is Now on NY Quarantine List; 10 New States Added Tuesday

As of Tuesday, the states that currently meet that criteria include Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Fines will be imposed on travelers entering Connecticut from 'hot spot' states who do not self-quarantine or fill out the online health questionnaire

 

[dixiegirl1035]

I mean why would the leaders of this task force be there to brief or participate in any way in a public briefing? What kind of a task force is this? This is outrageous in any context.

I don't think this is meant to be a task force meeting, due to restrictions on gatherings. From your link

"his briefings could cover a range of topics, not only the pandemic.

That means it's likely the country will hear about a number of unrelated issues when the President takes the podium, including references to quelling protests in Portland and federal efforts to tamp down on violence in cities with Democratic mayors -- two of Trump's fixations which he believes play well with his supporters."

It doesn't state that the leaders of the task force will be participating. Remember, back in March/April, they were not even standing up front. They were sitting to the side.

 

[Tillicum]

Can not say you are not being warned, advising to fill tanks early- Tabitha

POTENTIAL PROPANE SHORTAGE THIS FALL

By Dave Mowitz

7/20/2020

Potential propane shortage this fall

COVID’s grasp on the economy is being felt on propane supplies. And that could affect its availability this fall.



The potential problem with supplies is a result of people traveling less. About 20% to 25% of propane is created from crude oil refining (the remainder of production comes from natural gas wells). So reduced consumer travel this summer means less demand for gas which, in turn, is reducing refining and eventually causing crude oil wells to be shut down.



Last fall’s shortfall of propane led to emergency declarations covering nine Midwest states.

[...]

The silver lining in this potential dark cloud is that the average wholesale price of propane is trending around 40¢ less per gallon than a year ago. This creates the opportunity to lock in lower propane prices now before prices potentially increase this fall.

We got a year's supply last week at a really low price.

 

[Tate123]

Just wanted to update on my son's wedding last week. The chairs were arranged so that each household was sitting 6 feet from the others. We had masks just in case but it wasn't necessary to wear them. 92 degrees, bright sun outdoors and it was hot! The ceremony was simple but beautiful and I think everyone shed a tear or two. After six days, no one is sick. It can be done safely as long as we follow the guidelines.

I love my new daughter and grandsons

Love always wins! Congratulations!

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Can not say you are not being warned, advising to fill tanks early- Tabitha

POTENTIAL PROPANE SHORTAGE THIS FALL

By Dave Mowitz

7/20/2020

Potential propane shortage this fall

COVID’s grasp on the economy is being felt on propane supplies. And that could affect its availability this fall.



The potential problem with supplies is a result of people traveling less. About 20% to 25% of propane is created from crude oil refining (the remainder of production comes from natural gas wells). So reduced consumer travel this summer means less demand for gas which, in turn, is reducing refining and eventually causing crude oil wells to be shut down.



Last fall’s shortfall of propane led to emergency declarations covering nine Midwest states.

[...]

The silver lining in this potential dark cloud is that the average wholesale price of propane is trending around 40¢ less per gallon than a year ago. This creates the opportunity to lock in lower propane prices now before prices potentially increase this fall.

We got our summer fill, but the moment we turn the heat on, it won’t be long before we need another fill when it will be more expensive.