Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #94

[weepingangel]

Mass. Among ‘Areas of Greatest Concern' as COVID Cases Continue to Rise
Former U.S. Food and Drug Administrator Scott Gottlieb, a member of Gov. Charlie Baker's COVID-19 Advisory Board, took notice of the Bay State's growth in cases.

"Michigan, Massachusetts, and the New York tri-state region remain some of the areas of greatest concern, where Covid cases are beginning to surge again," Gottlieb tweeted Sunday.





Western mass
Springfield sees 76% jump in COVID cases in single week

Cape Cod
COVID-19 Cases Surging Across Cape Cod: ‘We Have to Beat This'

 

[weepingangel]

Wow

this is my hood ya'll

New data shows COVID-19 pandemic now 'completely out of control' in Ontario, key scientific adviser says

 

[mickey2942]

So, schools that are opening up now, are they seriously going to have "Summer break"?

 

[Cool Cats]

Biden accelerates vaccination timeline but warns against 'reckless behavior'

Biden said at a briefing held at the White House. “New variants are spreading and, sadly, some of the reckless behavior we’ve seen on television over the past few weeks means that more new cases are to come in the weeks ahead.”

What television is he referring to?

President Biden speaks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Monday.

At the same time, he once again updated his own vaccination benchmarks, announcing that 20,000 local pharmacies would be empowered to administer the vaccines, bringing the total number of pharmacies giving shots to 40,000. His administration will also open what a White House news release described as “a dozen” mass vaccination sites across the nation.

 

[margarita25]

What’s changed there? Are people traveling or unvaccinated getting together?

Variants, jmo. It’s a game changer. And likely a glimpse into our future. The world, specifically Europe and South America, are showing us this.

eta:
COVID-19 variants already having 'substantial impact' on Ontario health-care system, report finds

Death rate from COVID-19 variants 60 per cent higher: epidemiologist

“TORONTO -- The spread of coronavirus variants in Ontario has caused hospital and intensive care admissions to double, and has driven the risk of death up by about 60 percent, says a member of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.

“It's roughly a 60 per cent increase in hospital admissions associated with new variants, it's roughly a doubling of ICU admissions, and it's roughly 60 per cent… [of] deaths associated with variants,” Peter Juni, who is also a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the University of Toronto, told CTV News Channel. “That’s what we’re seeing.”“

 

[musicaljoke]

this is my hood ya'll

New data shows COVID-19 pandemic now 'completely out of control' in Ontario, key scientific adviser says

I don't know what's happening. People are masking. They are working from home. Restaurants are pick up only. Our schools kids have been at home for a while now. The streets are quiet. The grocery store has a hand washing station at the door and takes our temperature. They count the carts.

Here in N. ON. where we've had very few cases, suddenly we've had as many so far in 2021 as in all of 2020. In our Public Health Region, we've had a total of 19 deaths since the pandemic began, but three of those were today. We had gone for several months with no deaths at all.

There is an indication that the new variants are more contagious and more deadly.

 

[LadyL]

What’s changed there? Are people traveling or unvaccinated getting together?

idk I don't leave my house but I think it's the same old story - people just not taking it seriously
three different outbreaks at one of the universities here

 

[margarita25]

I don’t know about you guys, but the “spare tire” I had before the pandemic has become two spare tires. So much for exercising at home. EPIC FAIL.

 

[FrostOwl]

When PPE ends up in nature:
Trapped in gloves, tangled in masks: Covid PPE killing animals, report finds

 

[Lilibet]

I don’t know about you guys, but the “spare tire” I had before the pandemic has become two spare tires. So much for exercising at home. EPIC FAIL.

Mr L and I have each gained at least 25 lbs above and beyond the 20 lbs we already had above normal. Ugh! On the other hand our hairdresser lost 50 lbs in the year since we had seen her! She’s in her 40’s so that helps, but she worked hard on her elliptical and ate better.

We just can’t get motivated. Food is comfort. Sigh.

 

[Inthedetails]

Mr L and I have each gained at least 25 lbs above and beyond the 20 lbs we already had above normal. Ugh! On the other hand our hairdresser lost 50 lbs in the year since we had seen her! She’s in her 40’s so that helps, but she worked hard on her elliptical and ate better.

We just can’t get motivated. Food is comfort. Sigh.

I've gained weight too in the past year. I tried to keep active but I also discovered I am stress eater. Working on figuring out how to deal with that.

jmo

 

[weepingangel]

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Michigan

 

[nhmemorymaker]

It must be noted if not already discussed the global effects and trajectory of this pandemic as related to the lack of equitable vaccine distribution. This week, the WHO, as well and Dr. Osterholm and others, have emphatically stressed and VERY seriously explained how vaccine inequity affects us all. Not only is it a humanitarian issue, it is also, in the words of Dr. O, a “strategic” issue. If only the high income countries get the vaccines, and do not share/allocate their doses that they are now opening up for the non high risk groups, and low and middle income countries do not get vaccines, then new variants will continue to emerge and spread, those which may evade the vaccines, compromising progress and efforts of all going forward.

It is imperative that high income countries help vaccinate low and middle income countries.

Marguarita.... doesn't it just make you sick, how people (especially Americans) just don't understand that we are "of the world", and must pay attention to the world? The situation in Brazil, demands help in any way possible....

The world desperately needs vaccines, if 40% of AMericans don't even want them, then we must ship them off shore to help others who do. This bothers me every day.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I am. One of the reasons why I was so thankful that my GP authorised (and suggested) my covid vaccination now. She is fabulous though. She wants everyone vaccinated yesterday. And I took a lone appointment that no-one else seemed to want - or perhaps was a cancellation.

My doctor's office (which consists of about 10 different doctors) is actively contacting their clients and having them come in for their shots. Though anyone in the area can go to them, as there is online booking and registration.

Seems that a lot of our GPs registered their offices to give the vac.

The ages of eligibility are dropping constantly. I do know younger folks who have been able to get to appointments others missed, and feel that is soooo much better than losing the vaccine....

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Junior Bruins hockey team out of Marlboro slapped with $2,100 fine for alleged COVID-19 violations
More at link
MARLBORO — A local youth hockey team based in Marlboro was fined $2,100 for allegedly breaking state laws intended to protect participants and the public against COVID-19.

The fine was levied by the Hopkinton Board of Health against the Junior Bruins hockey team comprised of players 18 years of age and younger. The Junior Bruins won a USPHL national tournament earlier this month in Pennsylvania.

The 25-member roster includes players from both Middlesex and Worcester counties, including three from Framingham, and one each from Douglas, Holden, Hopkinton, Lancaster, Leominster, Natick, Oxford, Princeton and Southboro.

The alleged violations occurred during the team’s participation in a United States Premier Hockey League tournament held earlier this month in York, Pennsylvania. The Junior Bruins won the 18-and-under title on March 7

Two unnamed players allegedly displayed symptoms of COVID-19 on March 3, just days before the tournament started, according to Wednesday’s cease-and-desist order from the Hopkinton Board of Health to Chris Masters, the Junior Bruins program director. The elite team's home ice is the New England Sports Center in Marlboro.

Those alleged symptoms represent a violation of state regulations that spell out organizers of an activity must ensure that players show no signs of COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days before competition.

Another alleged violation states that any individual who develops COVID-19 symptoms during an activity must be removed from it and instructed to return home.

I bet plenty of parents put up money for that measly fine though.

 

[MimosaMornings]

I bet plenty of parents put up money for that measly fine though.

That’s ridiculously low.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Thank you for this (posting over in the Variants thread, which needs a lot of updating and work - been taking a long break).

This reminds me of something the doctor said in this Brazil video wrt how these variants form - he said something along the lines of when the virus infects someone who may be elderly or immunocompromised, the virus stays longer in their system, and it is during this longer period of the virus staying in one’s body that it may undergo changes, because it has more time it has to replicate. This is a loose paraphrasing, but I found it interesting, as I had wondered what circumstances/conditions lends themselves specifically to these mutations within an individual(s).

Yes, I have been trying to understand this as well.
Its like, the longer you cook the stew, the better it tastes. Well...maybe a bad analogy, but I am stickin with it.

It really makes me hope they are doing massive research on long-haulers.

All this data must be fused constantly to increase our knowledge base. I don't think most people are really sensing that we are still at the beginning of what we should know.

This is what keeps me cautious with my behaviors and actions. People are just not paying attention to the continuing hurricanes. As often the case they miss you, but that does not mean they are not coming.

 

[weepingangel]

good news for Boston. Rest of the state,eh
Just saw also / no link FEMA now has a mobile unit going in Connecticut


CDC Director, FEMA Administrator to tour Hynes Convention Center COVID-19 vaccination site with Gov. Baker
more


BOSTON —

With the COVID-19 vaccination program at the Hynes Convention Center set to expand dramatically, several federal officials are scheduled to visit the facility Tuesday afternoon.

The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Robert Fenton, Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Stephen Lynch, Gov. Charlie Baker and others are scheduled to visit the facility at approximately 1 p.m.
On Wednesday, the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations at the Hynes Convention Center is set to increase significantly with the support of FEMA and the military.

FEMA will deliver 6,000 additional vaccine doses per day to the site, bringing the allocation to the Hynes up to 7,000 doses per day. FEMA will also begin lending support to the staff at the site.

The Department of Defense is providing a 216-member Active Duty T10 Navy unit out of Virginia. State, federal and state-contracted staff will be used to support operations at the facility for eight weeks, officials said.

 

[musicaljoke]

Hindsight is always 20:20, but, in reality, the world didn't know the extent of the damage the virus would do, hence, nations didn't have a set of rules to go by. Now, after living with Covid, we all have a better idea of how to deal with a future pandemic. Hopefully.

Even today, in Michigan, a state that took comprehensive precautions, the covid death rate is higher than in states that don't seem to care. We still have so much to learn.

In the US, we'll need to change some of our state-vs-interstate regulations in order to institute a larger federal response if it happens again. Right now, legally, the federal government's hands are tied. Changing that will take time and a lot of congressional wrangling.

Meanwhile, the world could substantially reduce the threat by shuttering Level 4 virology labs. The risk is just too large to be acceptable.

Nations did not have to rely on 20:20 and they did have sets of rules to go by. The US had an excellent National Strategy for Pandemic Response. In fact, it was considered one of the world's best.

It was/is titled, "Playbook for Early Response to High Consequence Disease, Threats and Biological Incidents"

https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6819268/Pandemic-Playbook.pdf

America had the world's best pandemic response plan. Why did it fail?

But, at a critical time, the US leadership chose not to follow its own playbook. People, including political leaders, could not sort science from fantasy, expert from conspiracy.

Nigeria had a Pandemic Response and enacted it immediately. Although their population is huge, they have had 10 deaths per million. The US has had 1700 deaths per million.

I feel so frustrated and sad for those who died so needlessly. It is a great grief.

 

[weepingangel]

Baylor coach Kim Mulkey calls for end of COVID-19 testing at Final Fours | Boston.com
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Baylor coach Kim Mulkey thinks the NCAA should do away with COVID-19 testing for the Final Four and implied Monday night that players should be able to participate in those games even if they’re infected with the coronavirus.

“I don’t think my words matter, but after the games today, tomorrow, there’s four teams left I think on the men’s side and the women’s side,” Mulkey said, unprompted, after her team lost to UConn 69-67 in the Elite Eight. “They need to dump the COVID testing.”

Players and coaches at both tournaments have been tested daily and have been wearing devices that help assist with contact tracing. As of Saturday, there had been two confirmed positive tests at the women’s tournament with over 15,400 administered.

The last positive result among the players, coaches and others working at the tournament was reported on March 22 from daily antigen testing. Any false positives are quickly retested using a PCR test, which is considered more accurate.

“Wouldn’t it be a shame to keep COVID testing and then you got kids that end up having tested positive or something, and they don’t get to play in the Final Four,” Mulkey said. “So you need to just forget the COVID tests and let the four teams that are playing in each Final Four, go battle it out.”

Mulkey tested positive for COVID-19 in January, forcing the cancellation of Baylor’s regular-season meeting with UConn.