On Topic Discussion 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2)

[KaraBulut]

...In a March 28th NPR article, Dr. Donald Milton, an infectious disease aerobiologist at the University of Maryland's School of Public Health, disputed the WHO’s conclusion that the COVID-19 virus was only/primarily spread through respiratory droplets.

Just to make sure Dr Milton's comments are interpreted correctly: he's not disputing the WHO's conclusions ; he's saying that there's not enough research to make informed recommendations. That's "evidence-based practice" and it's a good thing.

The article that I cited from NEJM is just one source. Milton is spot on- we need more studies to figure out how this virus is transmitted and we need those studies so that we can make better recommendations to the public.

We have a lot of really puzzling data that is coming in very rapidly and it's creating more questions than answers. For example, why was northern Italy hit so hard but southern Italy wasn't hit proportionately? Or, why are Canada's numbers so low but on the other side of the border, states like New York, Washington and Michigan have escalating numbers?


Dr Zeke Emmanuel has been saying in interviews this week that he's begun to rethink the mask recommendation- not because it's going to protect the person wearing the mask but instead because it could protect the public from the person wearing the mask. Other public health officials are also beginning to have the same question of the mask recommendation. One thing hasn't changed- the public doesn't need to wear an N95 mask unless they are caring for someone at home who has coronavirus; the recommendation for the public would be a standard paper or cloth mask.

White House task force could soon recommend Americans wear masks [CNN]

Most members of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force have come to agree that Americans should begin wearing face coverings in public and could issue formal guidance on the matter soon, people familiar with the matter said...

"Now we've learned about this disease -- and we've always said we're going to learn more, we're going to adjust -- and we've learned there's a fair amount of asymptomatic spread and so we've asked the CDC to take another look at whether or not having more people wear masks will prevent transmission of the disease to other people," US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said Wednesday on ABC "Good Morning America."

Not to drag politics into this but it's really not helping when the media keeps quoting Donald Trump in these recommendation articles. Trump has proven too unreliable on the issues of public health. The media should focus more on quoting experts when it comes to advice.

 

[smokeshadow]

Field hospital in NYC's Central Park:

The tents appear to have a Samaritan's Purse logo on them. Samaritan's Purse typically sets up clinic tents in third world countries in Africa, Haiti and South and Central America.

Some are beginning to question Franklin Graham's motives. . .

https://www.thenewcivilrightsmoveme...ersy-rages-and-quality-of-care-concerns-grow/

 

[KaraBulut]

This is another study suggesting that the identifying the large number of asymptomatic carriers is going to be key to controlling the spread of the virus.

Iceland lab's testing suggests 50% of coronavirus cases have no symptoms [CNN]

Experts have said comprehensive testing is key to controlling coronavirus, and creating a more accurate picture of the spread of Covid-19. This island-nation of 360,000 is doing just that.
As of Tuesday, Iceland had tested more than 17,900 people for the virus -- nearly 5% of its population...

Some of the revelations have been stark. Although fewer than 1% of the tests came back positive for the virus, the company's founder Dr. Kári Stefánsson told CNN that around 50% of those who tested positive said they were asymptomatic, confirming multiple studies that show that asymptomatic, or mildly symptomatic, people have played an important role in spreading the virus.

"What it means in my mind, is that because we are screening the general population, we are catching people early in the infection before they start showing symptoms," Stefánsson said.

 

[KaraBulut]

Some are beginning to question Franklin Graham's motives. . .

I disagree with some of the things in this article based upon personal experience working with NGOs over the years. Samaritan's Purse has some dedicated physician and nurse volunteers who are committed to a mission that is part of their Christian values. The care they provide is of the same quality as Médecins Sans Frontières, Catholic Charities, WorldCF or other similar volunteer organizations.

The problem is Franklin Graham. He needs to get out of Samaritan's Purse and turn it over to medical professionals.

Meanwhile, NYC needs help. They don't have the luxury of being choosy. 50% of the 4,000 deaths in the US are in NYC and the hospital bed situation is about to get worse there.

 

[rareboy]

Well.

Another Milestone.

The US has now crossed the threshold of 200,000 cases.

 

[KaraBulut]

Well.

Another Milestone.

The US has now crossed the threshold of 200,000 cases.

And there were 842 deaths in the US yesterday... or to put it another way, 35 people died every hour yesterday. Worldwide, 226 people died every hour.

The US had more deaths yesterday than Italy (837) or Spain (864).

 

[zoltanspawn]

Dharavi is probably the best well-known slum in the world (thanks to movies) located in the heart of Mumbai. While the city has a density of about 84,000 people per square mile, the slum itself is packed with a mind-boggling 700,000+ per square mile. Of course, sanitation is a challenge. Today, it recorded its first case (and death) of an inhabitant.

"His contact history is being traced."

 

[ChristianGianni]

 

[ChristianGianni]

 

[Telstra]

covid19 Symptoms:
Do you must have more than 1 symptoms or just 1 symptom if you are infected?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-02/coronavirus-symptoms-fever-fatigue-common-cold-flu/12084450

 

[KaraBulut]

It's difficult to tell whether these stories are rumors or whether the Chinese government didn't accurately report the deaths from COVID-19. The math and the epidemiological statistics does seem a little odd...


Stacks of coronavirus urns and queues for ashes at crematorium cast more doubt on China’s official death toll of 2,500 [The Sun]

STACKS of urns and long queues at funeral homes in the original coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan have cast doubts about China's official death toll.

The number of containers for the cremated remains of virus victims far exceeds the official number of dead in the central Chinese city — with some claiming it could be more than 15 times higher.

The number of urns sold in Wuhan and returned to family members is said to far exceed the official death toll.

Chinese authorities insist 2,543 died as the lockdown imposed on January 23 is lifted and people emerge from their homes to retrieve the remains of their loved ones.

The official figure for nationwide deaths in China is 3,309. Italy is currently the epicentre with 12,428 deaths recorded so far, mostly in the past three weeks.

 

[KaraBulut]

Second man dies from coronavirus after attending Winter Party in Miami Beach [Miami Herald]

A second man who attended the recent Winter Party Festival in Miami Beach, an annual fundraising event for the LGBTQ community, has died of COVID-19, according to festival organizers.

“The National LGBTQ Task Force is mourning the passing of a loyal volunteer, Ron Rich, who succumbed to COVID-19 over the weekend,” the National LGBTQ Task Force said in a Facebook post Tuesday. “Ron was a familiar face to the guests who attended the Task Force Gala, Winter Party Festival and our Fort Lauderdale house parties over the past five years as his big smile and warmth had him mostly serving on our hospitality team.“

The Winter Party Festival , held March 4-10, drew thousands of gay men to Miami Beach. The festival is a fundraiser for the task force.

At least nine people who attended the festival have tested positive for COVID-19. Israel Carrera, a 40-year-old who lived in North Miami and attended the festival, contracted the virus and died from it on Thursday. He was Miami-Dade’s first reported COVID-19 death.

 

[Telstra]

I would like to see the public wearing mask.
Like this in New York, if no mask they would breath on each other.

 

[Telstra]

Question:
Are tall buildings such as apartment and hotel use the same air or the air are connected to all the rooms?
If so, the virus can stay in the air up to 3 hours? Thats a major crisis correct ?

 

[belamyi]

Guess where am I

http://aquas.gencat.cat/.content/IntegradorServeis/mapa_covid/atlas.html

 

[KaraBulut]

Ugh.

More than 40 spring breakers who ignored public health advice test positive for coronavirus [CNN]

Dozens of spring breakers from Texas boarded a plane for fun and came home with coronavirus.

About 70 people in their 20s chartered a plane from Austin, Texas, to Mexico for spring break two weeks ago. They went against the advice of White House officials who asked that people avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 and nonessential air travel.

Now 44 of those people have tested positive for coronavirus -- all of them University of Texas at Austin students, a university spokesman told CNN on Wednesday.

What's also alarming is that some of the passengers who went on the trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, took commercial flights home, the Austin Public Health Department said.

 

[rareboy]

The US also passed the benchmark for more than 1000 deaths in one day yesterday......

 

[KaraBulut]

An ER doctor who lived in New York but worked in New Jersey has died. Dr. Frank Gabrin was 60 years old. Before he died, he told his husband and friends that he suspected that he contracted the virus at work because of a shortage of PPE at his hospital.

New Jersey doctor dies days after showing coronavirus symptoms [New York Post]

An ER doctor and two-time cancer survivor has died in his husband’s arms in their Harlem apartment — just days after he started to notice coronavirus symptoms, the grieving man told The Post on Wednesday...

Dr. Alvaro Alban, chairman of East Orange’s Emergency Department, said Gabrin was “delightful, caring and wonderful to work with.”

A couple of weeks ago, there was an ER doctor in New Jersey who was hospitalized with coronavirus. So far, he's still alive.

 

[rareboy]

^ There have been so many doctors and nurses around the world so far who have died in the line of duty.

The numbers in Italy were shocking a few weeks ago.

 

[belamyi]

^ Not sure about the dead, but the number of healthcare workers infected in Spain is around 15% of the total, the highest rate in Europe so far.