Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #76

[tresir2012]

Anger after attempt to storm German Reichstag

• 1 hour ago

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• Coronavirus pandemic

Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionSome protesters broke through to the Reichstag before being dispersed
An attempt to storm Germany's Reichstag during Saturday's big Berlin protest against Covid-19 restrictions has been condemned by politicians across the political spectrum.

Demonstrators, many with far-right sympathies, broke through a cordon and ran up the steps of the parliament building before police dispersed them.

The interior minister said there should be "zero tolerance" for such behaviour.

Some 38,000 turned out for the wider, largely peaceful Berlin demonstration.

What happened at the Reichstag?
Demonstrators bearing the flag of former imperial Germany - used by the Reichsbürger (Reich Citizens) far-right group - overcame a handful of police to run to the building entrance.

Police put the number involved at several hundred.

 

[Tillicum]

NYC faces 'explosive' coronavirus spread from cold weather, schools

Scary

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

Coronavirus: India sets new record for highest daily COVID-19 infections

India has seen a record 78,761 new coronavirus cases in the last day - the worst 24-hour spike ever recorded across the world in the pandemic.

The country's health ministry also reported 948 deaths, taking the total number of fatalities there to 63,498.

Earlier this week, members of a small secluded tribe in the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands tested positive for COVID-19.

 

[musicaljoke]

I've not heard of any other country that isn't repatrioting its citizens. Space in hotels is irrelevant, these are Australian citizens. The government exists for them, that is their job to get them home. Telling them to set up ******** accounts just doesn't cut it. They need to bring home their citizens. The U.S. used navy hospital ships for potential COVID cases - even though not used after all. Australia needs to find other options if hotels are full, or let their citizens quarantine at home. Hope they resolve this quickly. I can't imagine the U.S. or Canada turning away its citizens who are trying to repatriate. Even China is allowing repatriation of its citizens and green card holders.

12,000 workers still stranded on cruise ships in American waters because of coronavirus

Cruise ship worker has been living in South Florida hotels for 7 months. He can’t get home.

British cruise worker left stranded on 'ghost ship' at sea for almost a year

Coronavirus: China's stranded migrant workers desperate to return home as savings dry up

 

[Black Widow]

I feel for your husband. I'm very hard of hearing. If my husband treated me badly due to my hearing loss, we would be history.

Oh dear, I don’t treat hubs badly at all.....I’m truly sorry if I gave that impression. We are actually quite enjoying being at home together...and we find that teasing each other about what we’d have to do if one of us really screws up and gets Covid is our way of gently reminding each other to stay safe because “you really matter to me. “ I’m sorry for my husband that he has some mild hearing loss but he is also sorry for me that I have some glaucoma vision loss. Not to mention the other limitations ..aches and pains that come with aging. We try to help each other out by compensating for each other. I’m truly sorry if this did not come across as intended particularly since I do have a number of family members including my mother, one sister and one niece ( from birth) who were / or are extremely hearing impaired. It’s only by the grace of God I’m not there yet.

I feel for your husband. I'm very hard of hearing. If my husband treated me badly due to my hearing loss, we would be history.

 

[tresir2012]

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(20)30250-9/fulltext

I just came across this study about UK schools from August published in the Lancet.

Determining the optimal strategy for reopening schools, the impact of test and trace interventions, and the risk of occurrence of a second COVID-19 epidemic wave in the UK: a modelling study

Published:August 03, 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30250-


Summary
Background
As lockdown measures to slow the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection begin to ease in the UK, it is important to assess the impact of any changes in policy, including school reopening and broader relaxation of physical distancing measures. We aimed to use an individual-based model to predict the impact of two possible strategies for reopening schools to all students in the UK from September, 2020, in combination with different assumptions about relaxation of physical distancing measures and the scale-up of testing.
Methods
In this modelling study, we used Covasim, a stochastic individual-based model for transmission of SARS-CoV-2, calibrated to the UK epidemic. The model describes individuals' contact networks stratified into household, school, workplace, and community layers, and uses demographic and epidemiological data from the UK. We simulated six different scenarios, representing the combination of two school reopening strategies (full time and a part-time rota system with 50% of students attending school on alternate weeks) and three testing scenarios (68% contact tracing with no scale-up in testing, 68% contact tracing with sufficient testing to avoid a second COVID-19 wave, and 40% contact tracing with sufficient testing to avoid a second COVID-19 wave). We estimated the number of new infections, cases, and deaths, as well as the effective reproduction number (R) under different strategies. In a sensitivity analysis to account for uncertainties within the stochastic simulation, we also simulated infectiousness of children and young adults aged younger than 20 years at 50% relative to older ages (20 years and older).
Findings
With increased levels of testing (between 59% and 87% of symptomatic people tested at some point during an active SARS-CoV-2 infection, depending on the scenario), and effective contact tracing and isolation, an epidemic rebound might be prevented. Assuming 68% of contacts could be traced, we estimate that 75% of individuals with symptomatic infection would need to be tested and positive cases isolated if schools return full-time in September, or 65% if a part-time rota system were used. If only 40% of contacts could be traced, these figures would increase to 87% and 75%, respectively. However, without these levels of testing and contact tracing, reopening of schools together with gradual relaxing of the lockdown measures are likely to induce a second wave that would peak in December, 2020, if schools open full-time in September, and in February, 2021, if a part-time rota system were adopted. In either case, the second wave would result in R rising above 1 and a resulting second wave of infections 2·0–2·3 times the size of the original COVID-19 wave. When infectiousness of children and young adults was varied from 100% to 50% of that of older ages, we still found that a comprehensive and effective test–trace–isolate strategy would be required to avoid a second COVID-19 wave.
Interpretation
To prevent a second COVID-19 wave, relaxation of physical distancing, including reopening of schools, in the UK must be accompanied by large-scale, population-wide testing of symptomatic individuals and effective tracing of their contacts, followed by isolation of diagnosed individuals.
Funding
None.

See link for full report.

 

[tresir2012]

Fox news video interview that is discussing the enormous problems that NYC is suffering due to the aftermath of the virus.

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

Scotland's Covid-19 total rises by 123 in 24 hours

A total of 123 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, the highest figure in more than a week.

But no new deaths have been reported among those with a positive result, and the number of people in hospital dropped to 251, down seven.

Nicola Sturgeon said the figure was "worrying" but said the percentage of positive tests remained below 1%.

The level of testing has also reached record levels.

Five people are being treated in intensive care, no change on Saturday's figure.

 

[Satchie]

Do you have a link for this? I am interested in how Canada is working this out for its citizens. Even though there are no flights organized to repatriate Canadians at this time, I think Canada is allowing flights into the country, so citizens have options and can get back into Canada. They can quarantine in their own homes or with relatives or friends, or find their own quarantine housing. They are not being kept out because of lack of space to quarantine, at least that is my understanding. We were told that we could attend my nephew's funeral in early August if we quarantined for two weeks. We could have driven across the border from the U.S. for this family emergency, which is allowable under Canadian-U.S. border agreement.

'There are no plans to offer additional repatriation flights. Should you decide to travel despite our advisories, know that you might have to remain abroad longer than you expected.

If you choose to travel despite these advisories:
you may have difficulty obtaining essential products and services
you may suddenly face strict movement restrictions and quarantines at designated facilities and at your own cost
your insurance may not cover your travel or medical expense
we may have limited capacity to offer you consular services.'
Travel Advice and Advisories

You are correct, people coming back, with no symptoms, have to demonstrate they can drive directly home (ie car at the airport, or perhaps taxi) and must quarantine at home for 2 weeks, or they have to pay to go to a hotel, probably by taxi. There will be checks, including by local police.

People who made their way back and don't have any place or money to stay have been bailed out in quarantine hotels, but that's not the routine. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadians-millions-hotel-quarantine-covid-1.5691370

 

[Sundog]

12,000 workers still stranded on cruise ships in American waters because of coronavirus

Cruise ship worker has been living in South Florida hotels for 7 months. He can’t get home.

British cruise worker left stranded on 'ghost ship' at sea for almost a year

Coronavirus: China's stranded migrant workers desperate to return home as savings dry up

In these four articles on cruise ship workers, they only mention 1 person who is trying to be repatriated to Peru, and the repatriation flights to Peru have been slow to accommodate him. The British cruise worker mentioned had trouble disembarking from his cruise ship in Dubai and the Philipines as man y countries closed their borders to cruise ship workers early on during the pandemic. It wasn't because the UK wouldn't let him back in. It also seems that the Mauritian government refused any repatriation from cruise ships at the beginning of the shutdown, but now has resolved this. And with regard to the article on migrant workers from China who are in other countries, it isn't China that is keeping them out, they can return home and quarantine.

The cruise ship industry is still having challenges with repatriating its ship workers, but it doesn't appear that they are being blocked from returning to their home countries, the problem appears to be that the cruise ships have to get them to a port that can allow them entry so that they can then travel to their home countries. Looks like about 57 ships are involved, and the cruise ship companies are required to repatriate crew under the Martime Labor Convention laws, but are not getting the job done very quickly, that's for sure.

 

[MrX]

Bottled Blonde, Casa Amigos shut down for violating ADHS requirements for reopening

This is interesting - these were among the places that caused bars to be re-shut down in June. We know a guy who works for the company that owns theses places and he said they make insane amounts of money. Hard to believe one night of "business as usual" can make up for being shut down and suspended. Did they really not realize they would be the first places the authorities would check on?

I went to another place last night, that was also just allowed to reopen. They had signs on the door and the first thing the bartender asked was "where are you sitting" - they weren't taking any chances.

 

[24Roses]

Iowa numbers today: As of 10:30-11:00 a.m. today, we had 990 new confirmed cases for a total of 64,102 total confirmed cases of which 46,525 have recovered (+131). 2 more had passed away for a total of 1,110.Over 64,000 total cases of COVID-19 total as positivity rate remains high
Iowa COVID-19 Information Hospital data is not updated on this part of their page, but the news got their info. here: Iowa COVID-19 Information

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Covid-19 cases confirmed on Greek island flight

All passengers who were on a flight to Wales from a Greek island have been told to self-isolate after some on board tested positive for coronavirus.

Health officials say seven people from three different parties on Tui flight 6215 from Zante to Cardiff on Tuesday have tested positive for Covid-19.

Public Health Wales (PHW) is now contacting the rest of the passengers.

It comes as a group of people from Plymouth tested positive for the virus after returning from Zante on Monday.

"Cardiff and Vale test, trace, protect and Public Health Wales have identified at least seven confirmed cases of Covid-19 from three different parties who were infectious on Tui flight 6215 from Zante to Cardiff on 25 August," said Giri Shankar of PHW.

• No more deaths with coronavirus but 56 new cases
• How to fly during a global pandemic
• What are the latest social distancing rules?

"As a result, we are advising that all passengers on this flight are considered close contacts and must self-isolate."

This was 6 days ago so they will have been spreading it during that time.

@Tillicum the link above about social distancing also has a useful example regarding quarantining.
Examples show 10 days from getting sick or 14 days if exposure but no symptoms.

From the Plymouth link above -

"Up to 30 young people in Plymouth could be infected with coronavirus having returned from holiday in Greece, local health officials say.

The city's public health team said the group, aged 18 and 19, returned from the island of Zante last week and so far 11 have tested positive.

Many of them had no, or "very minor", symptoms of the virus, they added."

It goes on to say the group went out to several bars in Plymouth when they got back before they knew. Oh oh.

Here we go

 

[10ofRods]

South Dakota sees a daily record in new CoronaVirus cases (about 425 on Saturday)

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

Coronavirus: No deaths and 42 new cases confirmed in Ireland

HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed a further 42 cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

The figures from the Department of Health this evening also show there have been no further deaths from the virus.

With the number of cases rising in recent weeks, health officials are continuing to closely monitor outbreaks and clusters across the country.

Some 15 cases are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or close contacts of a confirmed case. Six have been identified as community transmission.

Of today’s new cases, 24 are in Dublin, six in Limerick, and the remaining 12 are located in Carlow, Clare, Galway, Kildare, Longford, Offaly, and Sligo.

 

[Tillicum]

U.S. COVID-19 recoveries surpass 2 million, according to Johns Hopkins | NBC4 WCMH-TV

 

[tresir2012]

Rt COVID-19

South Dakota goes to the top with the latest increase in cases and a RT of 1.27.

 

[SouthAussie]

'<RSBM>

You are correct, people coming back, with no symptoms, have to demonstrate they can drive directly home (ie car at the airport, or perhaps taxi) and must quarantine at home for 2 weeks, or they have to pay to go to a hotel, probably by taxi. There will be checks, including by local police.

We tried that for quite a while, until it was discovered that many people were not quarantining at home - during the checks. They felt that popping out to the shops for a few items, or popping down to the local cafe for a coffee, wouldn't harm anyone. Which, of course, is not the point of quarantining to keep the community safe. To make sure the virus doesn't present itself on Day 5, or 7, or 12.

Travel being the biggest known cause of virus spread.

We still have home quarantining for returned citizens who are provided exemptions - such as minor children, people who need specific medical care, people coming from safe countries, and other categories.

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/advice-for-travellers.aspx

 

[KALI]

This sounds to me like the illness of dementia talk. Been there with family members. Don't take talk like this to heart. Their brain is addled.

I'm not sure if this can be posted or not. It is sort of Covid related since we are only allowed window visits with my mother in law. I guess window visits are at least better than nothing. There have been times when she mentions she wishes she wouldn't have voted. Because of her one vote she is being tortured by people. She has claimed her son (my husband) has called up Putin and now causing people to do things to her to make her sick or kill her. Needless to say he will leave me visiting alone since he feels he is the cause of making her unhappy. She has asked my husband "are you going to stop them from doing things to me tonight?" Our last visit it seemed she was more confused of why she was at the home and brought into the hospital then felt weaker afterwards. She never left the home. My husbands brother in another state was on the phone with us and must have calmed her down enough to satisfy her that she will be safe. We never know when she will bring up her being tortured is because of my husband talk.

 

[SouthAussie]

It seems that we are closely watching how Colorado is dealing with fighting its fires during this time of covid - as we are heading into our fire danger season very soon. So far, the firefighters in Colorado have been able to keep their virus spread very minimal. Just a few cases.

They have gone from mess hall eating to individually packed meals, from group camps to spike camps, from all interacting together to staying just with their specific crews. It seems to have helped a lot.

One disaster after another: How do we cope?