Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #79

[SoCalDavidS]

Do you really think a vaccine will be available in a month? Especially to regular folks like us? I think you are being wayyy to optimistic.

IMO it's going to be March or April before the vaccine begins to become more readily available to the general population. Before that, priority will be given to Medical Personnel, First Responders and those in high risk groups.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Thanks for the info. So no chance of getting the antigen test from your doc on the NHS?

The vaccine should be available soon hopefully in a month or so.

No. Is that an option in Wales?

 

[tresir2012]

No. Is that an option in Wales?

I don't know if they are even available here, as I have had no symptoms , but that would be my first call. I don't even know if they are reliable.

ETA just found this link that shows they are available to certain groups.

Antibody testing: coronavirus (COVID-19) | GOV.WALES

 

[tresir2012]

Normalcy? With one of the highest rates of CoVid in the nation? You mean they've decided to face into the blasting winds of CoVid and shoulder through - that's not "normal." It can't be normal - especially for front line workers, until CV is gone.

Florida has over 400,000 active cases, many of them supposedly "self-quarantining," but the lifting of restrictions will cause everyone to mill about again - which is clearly what DeSantis wants.

Over half of his voters disagree with him, so it'll be interesting to see what happens next.

I think he is doing it to encourage the snowbirds to migrate. They will be safer there than in a North American winter IMO.

 

[tresir2012]

Do you really think a vaccine will be available in a month? Especially to regular folks like us? I think you are being wayyy to optimistic.

Glass half full person me. 250k have signed up in UK for trials and we have prepaid for doses, so as soon as 150 in the trial forerunner AZ Oxford vaccine get it ( and cases here have shot up recently ) it should be rolled out IMO. A month or so is my estimate for that 150 to be passed. Sometime in October is my guess. AJMO.

ETA to back up my opinion this UK link mentions October also. I have posted this before.

New measures to support development of safe COVID-19 vaccines for UK 2021%2C MHRA will,of safety and effectiveness.

"The MHRA has the power to grant an unlicensed medicine or a vaccine temporary authorisation where a product is proven to be safe and effective and is in the best interest of the patient on the basis of available evidence.

A consultation is being launched today, which will look to amend the Human Medicine Regulations 2012 and will last 3 weeks, seeking the opinions and advice on the proposals from health experts and key stakeholder groups.

The measures could come into force by October, ahead of the winter season."

That consultation closed around 20th September but results are not published as yet. I am watching it.

 

[SouthAussie]

"Wisconsin is now experiencing unprecedented, near-exponential growth of the number of COVID-19 cases in our state," Evers said in a video posted to social media this week.

South Dakota continued to see a surge in cases. The state's department of health reported 579 new cases on its website Saturday — its highest daily total since the pandemic began ... In August, a motorcycle rally drew a nearly half million participants to Sturgis, S.D. The rally was linked to hundreds of cases in South Dakota and other states.

Other states reporting record surges this week include Utah, which reported 1,411 new cases Friday.

Montana also broke its daily record on Saturday with 346 new cases.

Redfield told lawmakers on Wednesday that "preliminary results in the first round" showed that more than 90% of Americans were still susceptible to COVID-19.

COVID-19 Daily Cases On The Rise In Nearly Half Of U.S. States

 

[SouthAussie]

A little more covid news from downunda.

Victoria's health minister has resigned. She took the fall for the Vic quarantine debacle that started their 2nd wave. I don't think she is too happy about it ... she resigned in a text message after the Premier pointed the finger at her.

'Jenny's made the right choice': Victorian Premier says resignation of Health Minister is appropriate


Our state of Western Australia - which has had its borders closed all along, with its borders still closed - is managing a crew of covid-positive Filipino ship staff who are anchored off Port Hedland. They have brought a number of them ashore.
Port Hedland is far away from the major population of WA (maybe as far as NJ is from Florida, it is a very large state) but the local community is very nervous.
It is a mining community around Port Hedland, with a significant indigenous population as well.

Virus cases grow on cargo ship moored off Western Australia

 

[ilovewings]

I wonder if this decision was made in order to fool the snowbirds into coming back to Florida for the winter. Snowbirds inject a huge amount of money into the economy. There is much discussion among the local snowbirds that they will try to sell their Florida homes. If houses flood the market, that will bring the housing proces down, which could be a problem for those who have mortgages.

We usually go to Fort Myers Florida for the winter (we are from Michigan)- I was feeling pretty good about going this year in November as the cases were seeming to come down. Now, with DeSantis opening up the State (grrrrrr), we will have to see. We don't go down there till mid November so we have some time to see how things go.

 

[Trino]

I wonder if this decision was made in order to fool the snowbirds into coming back to Florida for the winter. Snowbirds inject a huge amount of money into the economy. There is much discussion among the local snowbirds that they will try to sell their Florida homes. If houses flood the market, that will bring the housing proces down, which could be a problem for those who have mortgages.

Have a relative in Pensacola, FL. His dad was thinking of vacationing there. Son told him not to do so - coronavirus too dangerous. Gotta review the stats for snowboarding. Our Texas plans have been shelved.

 

[Trino]

I think he is doing it to encourage the snowbirds to migrate. They will be safer there than in a North American winter IMO.

I think that depends on where you live and interactions. I feel safer in my Midwest home than in San Antonio where we usually go.

 

[ilovewings]

I think that depends on where you live and interactions. I feel safer in my Midwest home than in San Antonio where we usually go.

With respect to cases in Florida, most of the cases were in the Miami, Dade-County side. We are on the Gulf side where there were not nearly as many cases when we left Florida in June. However, when the cases increased in Florida in the summer, Lee County cases increased a lot.

 

[musicaljoke]

Frustrated Californians move out, say coronavirus 'pandemic was last straw'


Frustrated Californians move out, say coronavirus 'pandemic was last straw'

You can just feel the anxiety in the voices of those interviewed in the article you quoted, can't you. There's a sense that if they just move somewhere else, it will be better. There's no doubt that these are very difficult times for those who own certain types of businesses, especially if they don't have sufficient financial support to see them through this crisis.

I can almost hear the pleading in the voice of the last person mentioned in the article when he says that people need to use their common sense and social distance. It would mean he could open up. I feel so sad for this man and all like him who are trying to make a living among people who won't do even the least required of them. Will moving to Florida or Texas provide the answer he's hoping for?

From the article:

" "If you use your common sense and social distance, I don't see any reason not to open up," added Michael Prichard.

And so the difficulties of striking that balance to find the greater good.
How to find the sweet spot remains a mystery. "

 

[musicaljoke]

I think he is doing it to encourage the snowbirds to migrate. They will be safer there than in a North American winter IMO.

One of the biggest dangers of snowbirds staying in the north in winter, is slipping on the ice and breaking bones. There are public health classes every winter that are geared to teaching seniors how to walk on ice. You'd think that after a lifetime of living in Canadian winters, walking on ice would be natural, but it remains a huge health risk for the elderly.

However, when compared to the risk of travelling to Florida and living in a state that has poor management of Covid, the risk of falling on ice is the lesser of two evils.

Seniors' Falls in Canada: Second Report - Canada.ca

 

[tresir2012]

I think that depends on where you live and interactions. I feel safer in my Midwest home than in San Antonio where we usually go.

By saying North America I mean the Northern part of the American continent, not northern USA so I am thinking more of Canadians really and Americans living close to the Canadian border who get really severe winters. Depends how you can cope with that I guess, and what you normally do.

 

[SouthAussie]

This is what works against COVID-19: ‬
‪1 Preventing amplifying events‬
‪2 Protecting the vulnerable‬
‪3 Educating and empowering communities to protect themselves and others‬
‪4 Finding, isolating, testing and caring for cases, and tracing and quarantining their contacts‬
Do it ALL! - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Do it ALL!

 

[weepingangel]

Real estate market booming on Cape Cod
Massachusetts more at link
BARNSTABLE COUNTY, Mass. —
When COVID-19 first hit, rentals on Cape Cod were scooped up. As the pandemic continued, the purchasing market got hotter and hotter.

"I think what you're seeing is as people have more freedom in terms of where they can live, they're choosing to live in areas that have both great infrastructure for quality of life and also a wonderful place to work," said Kurt Thompson, President of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.

Thompson said other regions saw sales increase by about 30%, but said Cape Cod has seen an increase as high as 60% or 70%.

"The median price on the Cape in August was about $525,000, up from $425,000 just a year ago, so we are seeing some significant movement in price," said Thompson.

 

[tresir2012]

One of the biggest dangers of snowbirds staying in the north in winter, is slipping on the ice and breaking bones. There are public health classes every winter that are geared to teaching seniors how to walk on ice. You'd think that after a lifetime of living in Canadian winters, walking on ice would be natural, but it remains a huge health risk for the elderly.

However, when compared to the risk of travelling to Florida and living in a state that has poor management of Covid, the risk of falling on ice is the lesser of two evils.

Seniors' Falls in Canada: Second Report - Canada.ca

I agree if a fall necessitates a stay in hospital or even immobility at home it can be detrimental. There is flu and pneumonia to take into account also if one is laid up with a broken leg or hip for example. Even taking exercise for the elderly becomes hazardous. The risks will have to be assessed individually by looking at the county data in Florida, Arizona or Texas for example.

 

[SouthAussie]

IMO it's going to be March or April before the vaccine begins to become more readily available to the general population. Before that, priority will be given to Medical Personnel, First Responders and those in high risk groups.

For the general US population, CDC Director Robert Redfield believes it will be a little later than that. Perhaps June/July-ish.

"I think there will be a vaccine that will initially be available some time between November and December, but very limited supply, and it will have to be prioritized," Redfield told lawmakers. "If you're asking me when is it going to be generally available to the American public so we can begin to take advantage of vaccine to get back to our regular life, I think we're probably looking at late second quarter, third quarter 2021."

When will a coronavirus vaccine really be ready?
September 23, 2020

 

[ilovewings]

One of the biggest dangers of snowbirds staying in the north in winter, is slipping on the ice and breaking bones. There are public health classes every winter that are geared to teaching seniors how to walk on ice. You'd think that after a lifetime of living in Canadian winters, walking on ice would be natural, but it remains a huge health risk for the elderly.

However, when compared to the risk of travelling to Florida and living in a state that has poor management of Covid, the risk of falling on ice is the lesser of two evils.

Seniors' Falls in Canada: Second Report - Canada.ca

Depending on the number of cases in Florida, it still seems safer in a warm climate in the winter-- we would still do what we do here in Michigan- wear a mask, social distance and only go grocery shopping--- However, if the cases are very high in Fort Myers we will have to re-think that. It certainly will be a difficult decision. I can't tell you how much i hate cold weather. I sit on my couch with a heating pad--- i just cannot tolerate cold: i shiver to my bones.

 

[tresir2012]

Here's a link to the Florida dashboard which is really comprehensive. It has a section that compares states to countries worldwide. For example NY (32,713 deaths) has more deaths than France (31,700 deaths). It also has all the counties in Florida individually listed for comparisons.

Experience