Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #78

[tresir2012]

Concerns over PM's mass virus testing plans

 

[Trino]

Somehow this is not surprising...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – One month into the forced reopening of Florida’s schools, dozens of classrooms – along with some entire schools – have been temporarily shuttered because of coronavirus outbreaks, and infections among school-age children have jumped 34%. But parents in many parts of the state don’t know if outbreaks of the virus are related to their own schools because the state ordered some counties to keep health data secret.
Virus cases rise among school-age children in Florida; state orders some counties to keep data hidden

 

[tresir2012]

Rt COVID-19

Some of the states now at the low end of the scale have really done well. Hawaii, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada.

 

[Trino]

People over 50 should not eat out, according to one expert.
"I would advise those that are above 50 and/or have pre-existing health conditions to avoid going out to eat altogether," Amit Malik, former clinical director of operations for various hospitals and health systems including New York Presbyterian Hospital, told Insider.

You don't have to avoid restaurants, but there are some coronavirus risks you should be aware of

 

[SouthAussie]

Somehow this is not surprising...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – One month into the forced reopening of Florida’s schools, dozens of classrooms – along with some entire schools – have been temporarily shuttered because of coronavirus outbreaks, and infections among school-age children have jumped 34%. But parents in many parts of the state don’t know if outbreaks of the virus are related to their own schools because the state ordered some counties to keep health data secret.
Virus cases rise among school-age children in Florida; state orders some counties to keep data hidden

I don't understand this 'privacy' stuff during this pandemic.

A person can find out if a convicted sex offender lives close by, but they can't find out if a school is having covid outbreaks.

From your linked article:
In fact, the DeSantis administration ordered some districts, including Duval and Orange, to stop releasing school specific coronavirus information, citing privacy issues.

 

[SouthAussie]

A CNN investigation into remdesivir finds that doctors in several developing countries report ample supplies of the drug, while US patients have faced shortages -- even though the drug is made by a US pharmaceutical company and was developed with the help of US taxpayer money.

"The government funded it, and patients in hospitals like ours couldn't get it," said Patterson, chief of the division of infectious diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

The drug costs $2,340 for a five-day course of treatment, and US hospitals don't purchase it directly the way they do other drugs. Because there isn't enough to go around, HHS arranges for remdesivir to be shipped regularly to hospitals.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF Health, said that several times he's come close to not having enough for his Covid-19 patients.
"We've been very close to falling off the cliff," he said.
Then Chin-Hong got the idea of asking nearby hospitals to borrow some of their remdesivir, promising he'd return the favor when his hospital's next shipment came in.
"It's like we're in a medieval market and doing trades with chickens and goats," he said.

Covid-19 drug rationed in the US is plentiful in developing countries - CNN

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I don't know where I read it but it was months ago and there were cases of people with cracked teeth.
Back then they put it down to people having the virus and they had terrible fevers and chills, so bad that their teeth were violently chattering.

I bet people are grinding their teeth at night, due to stress. Or clenching their jaw/teeth more often.

 

[Clair Louise]

I don't understand this 'privacy' stuff during this pandemic.

A person can find out if a convicted sex offender lives close by, but they can't find out if a school is having covid outbreaks.

From your linked article:
In fact, the DeSantis administration ordered some districts, including Duval and Orange, to stop releasing school specific coronavirus information, citing privacy issues.

I am pretty sure that that is not because of privacy.

 

[Clair Louise]

A CNN investigation into remdesivir finds that doctors in several developing countries report ample supplies of the drug, while US patients have faced shortages -- even though the drug is made by a US pharmaceutical company and was developed with the help of US taxpayer money.

"The government funded it, and patients in hospitals like ours couldn't get it," said Patterson, chief of the division of infectious diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

The drug costs $2,340 for a five-day course of treatment, and US hospitals don't purchase it directly the way they do other drugs. Because there isn't enough to go around, HHS arranges for remdesivir to be shipped regularly to hospitals.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF Health, said that several times he's come close to not having enough for his Covid-19 patients.
"We've been very close to falling off the cliff," he said.
Then Chin-Hong got the idea of asking nearby hospitals to borrow some of their remdesivir, promising he'd return the favor when his hospital's next shipment came in.
"It's like we're in a medieval market and doing trades with chickens and goats," he said.

Covid-19 drug rationed in the US is plentiful in developing countries - CNN

BBM. It would cost you $12.60 and me $6.30 on the PBS.

 

[BeachSky]

DD is still frustrated with Oahu restrictions. She saw someone get arrested couple weeks ago for “sitting” on the beach. Was a $5K fine for violation.



MOO

 

[weepingangel]

Minnesota wedding linked to 70 coronavirus cases, officials say
Minnesota/wedding
More at link
A summer wedding in southwest Minnesota is the source of at least 70 coronavirus cases, state infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann said Wednesday.

The number has grown from 58 on Friday to 70 at last count, she said by email.

The wedding, reception and "dance" took place Aug. 22 at KB's Bar and Grill in the small town of Ghent, the regional health authority, Southwest Health and Human Services, said in a statement.

 

[SouthAussie]

DD is still frustrated with Oahu restrictions. She saw someone get arrested couple weeks ago for “sitting” on the beach. Was a $5K fine for violation.



MOO

Aren't beaches there still closed while they try to bring down the numbers?

Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center Daily News Digest, August 18, 2020

Lots of places are doing fines for breaches of covid rules. It seems to be a strong incentive to get people to comply.

At one point, Hawaii was looking to set up a travel bubble with Australia. Aussie tourism was pretty high there. But then the case numbers started blowing out so I think that forced that plan to be put on hold for a while. imo

.

 

[Rocco]

Mostly a double post, so edited.

In re: the 250,000 Sturgis-related cases?

I think the figures are theoretical - but suggestive, especially when looking at the real time data from states where there have been CoVid upswings.

The authors did not take into account prior positivity rates in those populations, for starters (therefore perhaps over-estimating just a tad).

Perhaps over estimating 'just a tad' in stating the health care cost of $12.2 billion too. The studies I've looked at, have a range of 42% to 81% of people who test positive as being asymptomatic. Their health care cost would be zero. They appear to be calculating a treatment cost for every single person in their estimate of 267,000 positive cases.

It will be interesting to read the peer reviews of the study.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Should you get the flu shot? What to know about the 2020-21 flu season

I don't think I have had the flu... for some 30 years, but started getting the shot a few years ago, anyway. Just went to the doc yesterday, and had to sign up on a "wait list" to get the flu shot. For some reason, my docs are experiencing delays in getting it.... Hope that does not become a problem in the country.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Well FL governor at it again. This time ordering covid outbreaks in schools to remain hidden by districts & county health departments.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...1fa780-eee4-11ea-ab4e-581edb849379_story.html

We do remain so frustrated with the lack of data in FL, and the reasons for not getting it.

My small county is STILL showing one of the highest percentage rates of cases over the last 14 days, and the only thing that has really changed (since all businesses now require mask wearing) is schools are now in progress.

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

Highest percentages of 14-day new cases in both Dakotas, Montana, Hawaii... sortof like late invitations to the party....

 

[JerseyGirl]

Scientists question ‘strange’ data in Russian coronavirus vaccine trial after 'unlikely' patterns

In an open letter to the editor of The Lancet medical journal, in which Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology published early-stage trial results of its coronavirus vaccine last Friday, a group of scientists said the data was incomplete and had shown some "unlikely patterns", showed that groups of participants had reported identical antibody levels at different points in the study. There are 27 signatories of the letter so far — predominantly scientists based in Europe but also including several in the U.S. and Asia.

"There are several data patterns which appear repeatedly for the reported experiments. On the ground of simple probabilistic evaluations the fact of observing so many data points preserved among different experiments is highly unlikely."

The scientists were also concerned at the lack of original numerical data presented in The Lancet, saying that "no conclusions can be definitively drawn on the reliability of the data presented, especially regarding the apparent duplications detected."

"While potentially of great interest, the research described in the article published by Lancet presents several different points of concern," said Enrico Bucci, a professor at Temple University. Bucci was also one of the original authors and signatories of the open letter to the editor of The Lancet.

Explaining his and his fellow signatories' concerns, Bucci said that "as a group of scientists, we think that the data published are far from complete."

 

[mickey2942]

People over 50 should not eat out, according to one expert.
"I would advise those that are above 50 and/or have pre-existing health conditions to avoid going out to eat altogether," Amit Malik, former clinical director of operations for various hospitals and health systems including New York Presbyterian Hospital, told Insider.

You don't have to avoid restaurants, but there are some coronavirus risks you should be aware of

Seriously? I admit to getting tired of "experts" who prattle off opinions, without actual data to back up their so called "knowledge". This is not meant to downplay the risk. No offense meant to you, @Trino.

I read the article about Covid transmission, community spread in Wuhan, via A/C in a restaurant, which was backed with actual data. COVID-19 Outbreak Associated with Air Conditioning in Restaurant, Guangzhou, China, 2020

Not "opinion". Although, I don't see how this study, can be generalized to ALL restaurants. And that a blanket statement is made by an "expert" that "No one over age 50 should eat out.".

No one "needs" to eat out at a restaurant, granted, that is a "luxury". But it is something people like to do. I am just endlessly worn out on every single thing being a horrific health risk, for someone over age 50.

My husband and I went out to lunch a few weeks ago, and it was fun. We sat outside, on a patio, our server wore a mask, no one was within 20 feet of us. Finally, something "normal", in a time when almost nothing is "normal" any longer. I guess that this goes to, I am done living my life hidden in our house forever.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I think of a night club as an energetic place with music, dancing & lots of socializing, whereas a lounge is a dimly lit bar with quiet music, a tv playing & the local alcoholics quietly sipping- fixtures on their regular stools. But I didn’t consult Webster’s so perhaps there’s a better description...

ha!

 

[JerseyGirl]

Coronavirus may dice heart muscle fibers into tiny pieces | Live Science

The new coronavirus seems to slice heart muscle fibers into small, precisely sized fragments — at least when it infects heart cells in a lab dish, a new study reveals.

This snipping of muscle fibers, which could permanently damage heart cells, is scary enough in a lab dish; but the researchers found evidence that a similar process could be happening in the hearts of COVID-19 patients as well. However, the new finding, which was published to the preprint database bioRXiv on Aug. 25, has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, or proven to happen in people.

 

[tresir2012]

A CNN investigation into remdesivir finds that doctors in several developing countries report ample supplies of the drug, while US patients have faced shortages -- even though the drug is made by a US pharmaceutical company and was developed with the help of US taxpayer money.

"The government funded it, and patients in hospitals like ours couldn't get it," said Patterson, chief of the division of infectious diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

The drug costs $2,340 for a five-day course of treatment, and US hospitals don't purchase it directly the way they do other drugs. Because there isn't enough to go around, HHS arranges for remdesivir to be shipped regularly to hospitals.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF Health, said that several times he's come close to not having enough for his Covid-19 patients.
"We've been very close to falling off the cliff," he said.
Then Chin-Hong got the idea of asking nearby hospitals to borrow some of their remdesivir, promising he'd return the favor when his hospital's next shipment came in.
"It's like we're in a medieval market and doing trades with chickens and goats," he said.

Covid-19 drug rationed in the US is plentiful in developing countries - CNN

Wow $2,340 that's nearly $500 per day. I wonder how much it costs in India or Brazil? If it is still part of a trial, that seems a bit expensive.