Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #91

[margarita25]

Dr. Gottlieb / I’ll summarize for you @SouthAussie after my nap, since you mentioned you are unable to see the Face the Nation videos.

3 days ago

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COVID-19 Cases Surge In U.S. As Vaccinations Fall Below Government Predictions

“The grim milestones are piling up as the United States experiences another surge in coronavirus cases. Nearly 300,000 new cases were reported on Saturday. The cumulative death toll crossed more than 350,000 the same day, according to the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard.

Saturday's total of 299,087 new cases marks a new single-day high for the U.S. Though COVID-19 deaths on Saturday totaled 2,398, down from the record high of 3,750 on Dec. 30.

President Trump tweeted Sunday morning that the count of cases and deaths in the U.S. is "far exaggerated" and criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's method.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, countered Trump's tweet in an interview on Meet the Press Sunday.

"The numbers are real," Fauci said. "We have well over 300,000 deaths. We're averaging 2-3,000 deaths per day. ... Those are real numbers, real people and real deaths."“

 

[pocketaccent]

The citizens of L.A County are wounded in a war, desperately fighting for their life, dying painful and lonely deaths, call for help -Medic, medic!, Where are they?
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LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn requests USNS Mercy to return
...
"I also ask that you call on our federal partners to bring back the U.S.N.S. Mercy with accompanying medical staff to the Port of Los Angeles," Hahn said in her letter.
"Our public health experts warn that the worst is yet to come with the anticipated incoming Christmas and New Year's holiday surge, so I urge you to act now and equip our hospitals with additional healthcare workers and resources to save as many lives as possible."....

Opinion: The Mercy hospital ship is in Portland. Readers want it back in L.A.
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That naval ship, the USNS Mercy, is currently dry-docked in Portland, undergoing heavy maintenance for at least the next several months.
...

 

[Colorado303]

dbm.

 

[margarita25]

 

[dmac55]

• "Operation Warp Speed chief Moncef Slaoui said on "Face the Nation" that health officials are considering giving two half doses of the Moderna vaccine to speed up immunizations in the U.S."
• "We are in discussions with Moderna and with the FDA — of course ultimately it will be an FDA decision — to accelerate injecting half the volume," Slaoui said."

U.S. could ramp up slow Covid vaccinations by giving two half doses of Moderna shot
U.S. could ramp up slow Covid vaccine rollout by giving two half volume doses of Moderna shot, Slaoui says

 

[LadyL]

Yes, your boss can fire you if you refuse to get a Covid vaccine

 

[LadyL]

4-year-old Central New York boy dies after fighting Covid: He was a ‘little spitfire’

 

[Rose in SC]

Yes, your boss can fire you if you refuse to get a Covid vaccine

Well, I don't have to worry about that . . . my 'boss' (a pastor) isn't planning on getting one himself!

ETA: Sorry if that came across weird, lol. I personally think he should get one since he's around (or will be around) so many of our senior adults. He is in his mid-40s.

 

[SoCalDavidS]

• "Operation Warp Speed chief Moncef Slaoui said on "Face the Nation" that health officials are considering giving two half doses of the Moderna vaccine to speed up immunizations in the U.S."
• "We are in discussions with Moderna and with the FDA — of course ultimately it will be an FDA decision — to accelerate injecting half the volume," Slaoui said."

U.S. could ramp up slow Covid vaccinations by giving two half doses of Moderna shot
U.S. could ramp up slow Covid vaccine rollout by giving two half volume doses of Moderna shot, Slaoui says

LOL. Well, they got to save face somehow.

I'm sure by next week they'll be telling us there's no need for the 2nd shot. Hopefully the FDA won't be pressured.

Things like this radically changing of the rules and procedures during the process will make people less willing to get the vaccine.

 

[24Roses]

Iowa numbers and news today: As of 10:00-11:00 a.m., we had 1,121 new confirmed cases for a total of 284,265 confirmed cases of which 244,022 are recovering (+804). No new deaths were reported. 66 were hospitalized in the last 24 hrs. for a total of 577 (+5). According to KWWL, there are 36,297 active postive cases with a 24 hr. positivity rate of 42.5%.
Jan. 3: 1,121 new cases, no additional deaths reported
access Daily case totals udated at 11:00 a.m.
CDC says over 53,000 Iowans have received their first vaccine dose

 

[whitelilac]

A case every six seconds: The mayor of Los Angeles warns of the virus’s rapid spread in households.

And at the rate that immunization is going so far, the new vaccines offer little hope for quickly reining in the surge, the mayor said. “We are at a pace right now to deliver vaccines in L.A. over five years, instead of over half a year,” he said.

 

[nightowl1975]

Yes, your boss can fire you if you refuse to get a Covid vaccine

This is very similar to the legal advice my company received. It would be uncharted territory to attempt enforcing vaccine while it’s under EUA. Once fully approved by the FDA, however, I think all bets are off.

“When the FDA meets this week, they will decide whether to grant an emergency use authorization, or an EUA, to Pfizer and BioNTech. It may seem like semantics, but an EUA is not the same thing as full approval.

“An emergency use authorization is not a license,” said Reiss. “There’s a legal question as to whether you can mandate an emergency observation. The language in the act is somewhat unclear on that.”

 

[SouthAussie]

Yes, your boss can fire you if you refuse to get a Covid vaccine

This is good to hear!

“Requiring a vaccine is a health and safety work rule, and employers can do that,” said Reiss.

Shouldn't be long now before the vaccines are fully approved in countries that have them - and no longer under EUAs.
I know in Australia we take receipt of the vaccines this month, and expect to have them fully pass the regulatory approvals by March - so we can start vaccinating our population.

 

[SouthAussie]

Sounds like the UK might be getting ready to close schools for a while. And perhaps a curfew, and outdoor exercise limitations. Their current measures don't appear to be working.

Coronavirus restrictions 'probably about to get tougher', says Boris Johnson

 

[SouthAussie]

There are three characteristics of a “black swan” event: rarity, extreme impact and retrospective predictability.

The financial crisis of 2008 was an example of a black swan, and Covid-19 is an even better one.

The US emerges from 2020 relatively weaker
China relatively stronger
The biggest annual contraction of the UK economy since the Great Frost of 1709
Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam – were all better prepared for the pandemic than Europe or the US

Covid-19 has forced us to rethink the way we work, how we shop, the role of government, how the economy works at a national and global level. Above all, it has shown us how fragile everything is.

The 'black swan' Covid catastrophe shows us just how fragile our world is | Larry Elliott

 

[weepingangel]

Coronavirus field hospital readies for opening Monday in Lowell | Boston.com
more at link
A second field hospital is scheduled to open its doors in Lowell on Monday due to an ongoing surge in coronavirus cases throughout Massachusetts.

The alternative care site located at UMass Lowell’s Campus Recreation Center and run by Lowell General Hospital was initially set to open with a “soft launch” in late December for local patients only, but a shortage of available nurses and medical workers stalled the opening until Monday, The Lowell Sun reported.

Though the recommissioned location has the capacity to hold 77 beds, the newspaper reported, the facility has still only recruited enough nurses to staff one 14-bed pod. Every pod needs three nurses and two patient care technologists.

 

[weepingangel]

Updated re that ER outbreak / inflatable costume
43 Staff Members Test Positive in COVID Outbreak at Calif. Hospital
More at link
Kaiser hospital officials announced Saturday that 43 emergency staff members at Kaiser Permanente in San Jose tested positive for COVID-19 within the past week, and on Sunday it was announced that an additional case was reported and one person had died.

According to the statement released by Kaiser on Sunday, an employee working in the emergency department on Christmas Day died as a result of complications from COVID-19.

Employees at Kaiser confirmed that the woman who died was a registration clerk in the emergency department. Her co-workers described her as an "absolutely wonderful woman."

The hospital is investigating whether an incident in which a staff member appeared briefly in the emergency department on Christmas Day wearing an air-powered costume with a fan may have led to air droplets being spread around the hospital.

“Using our infection proven protocols, we are investigating the outbreak and using contact tracing to personally notify and test any staff or patients who were exposed during this time period based on CDC and public health guidelines,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

The hospital says it will no longer allow air-powered costumes at any facilities.

Kaiser said the employee wearing the costume did not have symptoms at the time, and was only trying to lift spirits during a stressful time. But one ER employee who asked not to be identified said there may be another reason for the outbreak.

“They were doing respiratory treatments inside a room that they’re not supposed to,” the employee said.

 

[margarita25]

4-year-old Central New York boy dies after fighting Covid: He was a ‘little spitfire’

“On Saturday, the boy suddenly died of cardiac arrest, she said.“

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MIS-C?

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

COVID-19: Boris Johnson says 'tougher measures' set to be announced 'in due course'

Tougher measures are coming in a bid to control the spread of coronavirus, the prime minister has said.

Boris Johnson said there were "tough, tough" weeks ahead in the UK's fight against COVID-19.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Sounds like the UK might be getting ready to close schools for a while. And perhaps a curfew, and outdoor exercise limitations. Their current measures don't appear to be working.

Coronavirus restrictions 'probably about to get tougher', says Boris Johnson

Dr Nisreen Alwan[URL='https://twitter.com/Dr2NisreenAlwan']@Dr2NisreenAlwan[/URL]
The UK curve is a vertical line now. Not bending it ultimately means NHS not coping. This may mean people needing critical care not receiving it. If the whole country is over capacity then patients needing ICU can’t be sent to other remote units like what’s happening now.