Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #72

[SouthAussie]

That is the unanswerable question: why not right at the start? I think CDC has not been the usual reliable organization that we could count on in the past--- that is too bad because they set the tone early by saying no need for masks and we are still paying the price.

By the way, speaking of being a nail biter- i still bite my nails a lot. I never do though when i am out ---and i make sure i wash my hands before i fidget with my hands.

We were told no masks as well, unless you wanted to.
We closed borders, went into lockdown for a month or so, social distanced, washed our hands .. and we still are not wearing masks - except in Melbourne where masks have now been mandated to try to help stop their community spread.

I guess when appropriate other measures are adhered to, masks aren't as necessary.

 

[Simply Southern]

Oh my goodness! MuddyTires, I'm not sure what you are trying to say, but I believe you are greatly minimizing the seriousness of rampant community spread in several states.

The data is for deaths per 100k. Not by cases per state.

What I think could be affecting death rate by state....

Early intervention
Better therapeutics, interventions
Population related ... Could these be younger folks better able to survive?

MOO...

 

[tresir2012]

Would anyone be interested in a thread where we could discuss alternative, safe ways to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas during COVID? It's not that far away and planning ahead may give us a chance to stock up on things that could be hard to find later. I can start a thread if anyone has any ideas.

This would have to assume no vaccine by Christmas I guess, which is depressing me.

It's a good idea. The stuff could still be used if we do have the vaccine but the mince pies could be stale.

 

[LeeAnnB]

Yesterday we received the dreaded letter that my daughters university GWU in DC will not be holding any in person courses this fall. All courses will be online with a 10% discount. I assumed this would happen, but still was shocked when it became official. My daughter is very sad.
Our local public schools will be holding in-person classes 2 days a week with the rest online. Parents are scrambling to figure out childcare. I feel most sorry for the teachers! I’m would really struggle figuring out how to do curriculum both online and in class different days. They certainly didn’t sign up for this when they became teachers.
Here in Pennsylvania our COVID rules have been strict. I hear all of your stories about people in stores without masks and it’s shocking and makes me mad. We are resigned that the mask wearing is going to be a part of our lives for some time to come so I’ve started shopping for masks that look cute and are more comfortable.
With this going in my neck of the woods, I am really annoyed with Florida where my 90 year old father attends 2 indoor exercise classes a day. I lived in Florida for a few years and that state really is a mess. Even if rules are implemented, because the message has been so wishy washy folks don’t seem to know what their doing. My sister very nicely told an elderly lady she was going the wrong way in the grocery store and the lady yelled at her “ I’m sick of this ” lol! Holy cow when the kiddos go back to school in Florida ... things are going to get even worse.
My sister is trying to figure out how to get her and my father out of Florida back to Michigan and she’s worried when some states see their Florida plates on the car they won’t be allowed!
If you made it through my rambling post, thanks! For me, the hardest part of all of this is missing my family, especially my son in NYC and not seeing an end in sight.... oh and the 20 lb weight gain!

 

[JerseyGirl]

O/T but on topic? Did you see the 60 minutes show this past week that talked about Gene therapy. They acutally used HIV (intactivated) virus to infect stem cells from bone marrow of sickle cell patients, and then infused those infected (but with the hiv made to not give disease) virus which led to *poof*... sickle cell disease was gone.

As I stated back in February I think that so many studies are being funded for this virus, that it's going to give leaps and bounds to learnings for such much more in the future for other diseases. e.g. the travel to the moon in the 60's iykwim for those old as I am. The computers "brain power" on board were less than those you can buy now at Dollar Tree... for real.

To show my age... first year in college students were NOT allowed to use calculators as were not common and verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry expensive. I still remember.. what was it.. Scientifc Instrument TI125? I would have to google, but you get my point.

I ruled with slide rulers at that time! Those were amazing! I wonder if collectibles now.. ha.. many here may compare with the abacus... which is also an amazing tool MOO

I think I'm preaching to the choir as I think the median age here at WS will get this.

Watch 60 Minutes: Could gene therapy cure sickle cell anemia? - Full show on CBS All Access

Genetic Revolution, The Youngest Refugees, Vision of Music

 

[nhmemorymaker]

We are tightening up our shared border with Victoria even more tonight.
Their rising cases and residents who have tried to sneak into my state are freaking us out. Especially now we are seeing the rebels who won't wear masks in Melbourne.

Now, our own South Australians who are in Victoria will not be able to come back here, indefinitely. They have had 4 days notice in which to get back here, if they want to do that.
And essential service cross-border people are going to have stricter rules put upon them.

Our public and home gathering limits are being reduced again.

Who is allowed to enter South Australia under new COVID-19 border restrictions?

What language do Australians use for their rationale to not have to wear a mask. Is it the "freedom" thing, or is there more to it?

 

[SouthAussie]

What language do Australians use for their rationale to not have to wear a mask. Is it the "freedom" thing, or is there more to it?

No, it is not the freedom thing. We will wear masks if they are mandated, and probably even if they are advised. We are typically fairly compliant and use common sense.

We immediately closed our borders to stop any incoming spread, quarantined incomers, then went into serious lockdown to be sure. We tested, tested, tested rigorously. We enacted very good contact tracing .. many of us have the contact tracing app on our phones. I do. Then we slowly opened up, week by week a little more.

Without community spread, masks are not essential. And most of our country has no community spread.

Of course, the US has nothing but community spread so masks are essential.

The thing is, there must be an initial serious lockdown and containment for any of this to work properly. Otherwise you can't get rid of any cases that you find before they spread.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I think here in Aus they say "you're worried about nothing" then they roll their eyes and say "you fell for it"

At least some of the people I know do, so I've stopped talking about it with them, there's no getting through to them.

Basically those people I don't really talk at all much to anymore.
Some had views that I never would have expected.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

But I have been surprised at how many people in my town who kept to the lockdown and tried to distance themselves and only went out when tbey had to do something essential

 

[Simply Southern]

There is no vaccine for HIV mostly because it incorporates itself into the actual DNA strand in the host cell. It is not out and about where it can be attacked by the immune system. It also mutates extremely rapidly, even inside the same host.

Vaccine for SARS-CoV2 is pretty straight forward in comparison. The speed of development and manufacture makes me twitchy, to be sure. Alarmed, even. I'm just watching and waiting for now.

Dr Fauci did a great FB live with Mark Zuckerberg a week or so ago on vaccine development. He stated we had existing platforms to develop a vaccine. He also referenced the massive focus by scientist. Its like everybody dropped existing projects and focused 24/7 on a vaccine.

I don't know how to link FB here, but its easy to find and very interesting interview.

 

[Simply Southern]

This is the percentage ratio of deaths of the highest states (so far), even though New York has the MOST deaths. You can see how the percentage is higher on the east and slowly spreading south and west. Eventually, the south and west will catch up. Mostly all of the northeast states listed here have controlled the virus.

Connecticut - 9%
New Jersey - 8.8%
New York - 7.8%
Massachusetts - 7.4%
Michigan - 7.3%
Northern Mariana Islands - 6.5%
Pennsylvania - 6.3%
New Hampshire - 6.3%
Veterans Affairs - 5.5%
Rhode Island - 5.5%
Navajo Nation - 5%
Washington, DC - 4.9%
Indiana - 4.6%
Illinois - 4.3%
Maryland - 4.1%
Colorado - 4%
Delaware - 4%
Ohio - 3.9%
Louisiana - 3.4%
New Mexico - 3.2%
Minnesota - 3.1%
Maine - 3.1%

Washington - 2.8%
Mississippi - 2.8%
Missouri - 2.8%
Kentucky - 2.6%
Virginia - 2.4%
Georgia - 2.1%
Arizona - 2%
California - 1.8%
North Carolina - 1.6%
Florida - 1.4%
Texas - 1.4%

Global COVID-19 Tracker & Interactive Charts | Real Time Updates & Digestable Information for Everyone | 1Point3Acres

This data is a percent of deaths by the number of cases.

The CDC chart posted was number of deaths per 100k residents per state.

Looking at both, moo, gives different perspective.

Yes, I agree death rates will climb for states. Keeping in mind the two week lag, deaths will grow and percentages will change over the next 2 weeks.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Still waiting on my first packet of face masks to arrive. Chemist Warehouse. Last Friday it was listed at still in Victoria and today it's still there but it looks like other states apart from Victoria might be thinking we need to prepare. There is a big delay in parcel delivery.
Now there are cases in Sydney and the South Coast and one case at Maitland and I keep hoping that my little town in the Central West will escape it. I know that's selfish.
I just want this to be all a bad dream and we'll all wake up, no will have died and it's just been a collective nightmare.
It's just turned into a crazy Bizarro world.

 

[CSIDreamer]

I think here in Aus they say "you're worried about nothing" then they roll their eyes and say "you fell for it"

At least some of the people I know do, so I've stopped talking about it with them, there's no getting through to them.

Basically those people I don't really talk at all much to anymore.
Some had views that I never would have expected.

I just got done running a 5 week outdoor market. I basically told my vendors not to get into arguments over it. As I told them, the harder two cars (heads) collide, the worse the damage. Set your example and move on. <--- my words to them, not you.

Challenging times!

 

[weepingangel]

Yikes indeed. And I’ll bet she won’t be the only household member In attendance to test positive. But the HS graduation ceremony was way more important than some silly pandemic.
Our schools didn’t offer to do postponed ceremonies When the originals were canceled and lots of folks got bent out of shape. Seems like our city made the right call

The parent fell ill at the graduation? And had symptoms prior to the event?
Yikes

 

[tresir2012]

This data is a percent of deaths by the number of cases.

The CDC chart posted was number of deaths per 100k residents per state.

Looking at both, moo, gives different perspective.

Yes, I agree death rates will climb for states. Keeping in mind the two week lag, deaths will grow and percentages will change over the next 2 weeks.

Ah I see. I wondered why they were different. I prefer the cumulative deaths per population numbers and the CDC source.

 

[tresir2012]

It's difficult to exactly know what is going on with HXC but there are still hundreds of trials going on. This article may help.

What do we know about hydroxychloroquine?

"There's been some hope that hydroxychloroquine could be effective if used early on when a person gets the virus, before there's a need for them to be hospitalised.

However, there's no clear evidence on this and the jury is very much out as to its effectiveness in the early stages of infection.

There are in fact overall more than 200 trials currently underway around the world on its impact either as a prophylactic or treatment for Covid-19."

 

[weepingangel]

Massachusetts
Ugh Same place that had the worst /one of the worst Nursing home outbreaks in the country
(76 veterans died)

Holyoke Soldiers’ Home suspending visits after veteran who recovered from coronavirus tests positive again
A resident of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home who recovered from coronavirus has again tested positive for the virus.

That individual has been transported to a hospital for treatment and was confirmed to have COVID-19 after experienced COVID-like symptoms, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services confirmed to MassLive.

“The Home is immediately taking necessary precautions and is performing full-house testing with support from the Massachusetts National Guard, and temporarily suspending all visitation,” EOHHS said.

They also added that the facility has been implementing protocols for clinically recovered individuals, who may test positive even after they are clinically recovered.

 

[weepingangel]

Please someone wake me up when we find a vaccine for stupidity
New Jersey
Cops break up 700-person Airbnb mansion party, charge 3 for violating gathering limits
More at link
Three people have been charged with violating the governor’s executive order limiting gatherings after police spent hours breaking up a mansion party in New Jersey that grew to over 700 people Sunday night and clogged neighborhood streets with traffic, authorities said.

*******

and our local stupidity is in full force-Central Massachusetts
More at link
Underage drinking party in Spencer raises COVID-19 concerns

SPENCER - Police are investigating an underage drinking party in town Friday night that may have been set up to expose a large group of young people to the novel coronavirus.

Officers were called to 75 Mechanic St. just after midnight Saturday morning and found more then 30 people from 16 to 23 years old, unmasked, consuming alcohol and failing to follow social distancing guidelines, police said.

 

[Tadpole12]

This would have to assume no vaccine by Christmas I guess, which is depressing me.

It's a good idea. The stuff could still be used if we do have the vaccine but the mince pies could be stale.

Well now you've gone and done it.
I'm wistfully thinking about trifle and spotted dick.

Halloween's a bust
and have been thinking about starting Christmas shopping.
IDK was thinking flat ornaments, easy to post.
LCBO Ships. Lol.

Something to look forward to.

ETA Tourtiere ...

 

[Simply Southern]

Ah I see. I wondered why they were different. I prefer the cumulative deaths per population numbers and the CDC source.

I do as well, when comparing state to state. Its more apples to apple.

However, the percent deaths to cases show progress in treatment or could be age related, as we see numbers of young adults climb.

Today Virginia, for the first time is posting cases by age group.

20-29 ...30%
30-39 ...18%
40-49 ...16.9%

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-daily-dashboard/