Coronavirus COVID-19 Thread

[Radegast74]

We (in the USA at least) seem to be heading towards new highs in the number of daily COVID-19 infections. The number of new infections reported yesterday, Oct 22 was 73,686; the previous high (74,086) was reported on July 24. It looks like we are entering the predicted "second wave" now with winter approaching, and we never really achieved much in the way of containment over the summer. Hopefully we have enough PPE for the frontline hospital workers, this doesn't bode well for what we will be facing in the coming months. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/coronavirus-us-cases-deaths/?itid=hp_pandemic-guide-box for the details.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today Friday 23nd of October:

- World: 41,923,630 confirmed cases and 1,140,010 confirmed deaths.

- Netherlands: As hospitals struggle with demand for intensive care, patents start to be transferred to Germany for treatment. This also apparently happened in the first wave.

- UK/US: Oxford university vaccine to resume trials in America according to sources of the Wall Street Journal.

- Wales: 17 day firebreak "circuit break" lockdown begins.

- France: 46 million people now subject to curfew as officials indicate second wave may end up being worst than the first.

- US: Remdesivir gets full approval for countrywide hospital use following on from initial emergency approval.

- Belgium: New strict restrictions bought in to counter cases: “We are pressing the pause button .... we have a single objective, which is to limit contacts that are not strictly necessary,” ... “There’s no law that can stop the virus, the only ones who can stop it are us ... all together.”

- UK: After MP's vote against vouchers for impoverished children to get a daily meal while not in schools which are closed or in partial closure due to COIVD, as campaigned for by world class footballer and former impoverished child Marcus Rashford, local councils step in to fill the callous cold hearted void left by Central Government.

- Guernsey: After mostly avoiding the first wave and keeping a lid on COVID, the island sees cluster of seven cases with between 80 and 100 people in self isolation. Minister states "We've been enjoying freedoms that other countries can only dream of, but as I've said before, this is a marathon, not a sprint."

- Germany: Sees record high new daily infections.

- Iran: Sees record high new daily infections.

- Poland: Sees record high new daily infections.

- Italy/Movies: Filming of Mission Impossible 7 in Venice paused as member of crew tests positive.

 

[Vavrik]

We (in the USA at least) seem to be heading towards new highs in the number of daily COVID-19 infections. The number of new infections reported yesterday, Oct 22 was 73,686; the previous high (74,086) was reported on July 24. It looks like we are entering the predicted "second wave" now with winter approaching, and we never really achieved much in the way of containment over the summer. Hopefully we have enough PPE for the frontline hospital workers, this doesn't bode well for what we will be facing in the coming months. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/coronavirus-us-cases-deaths/?itid=hp_pandemic-guide-box for the details.

View attachment 19050

Just an offhand thought about this chart. It reminds me of something interesting.

If you've ever seen the tide come in the Atlantic at the Minas Basin (part of the Bay of Fundy) in Nova Scotia, Canada, it looks just like that. Because of the shape of the basin, the tide can rise... hold onto your hat... more than 52 ft (16 m) in 6 hours. As it drains at the end of high tide, it sucks all the sand out of the basin, leaving sticky mud that you seriously can't even walk in because it sticks to everything. This pandemic feels like that, just slower.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

We (in the USA at least) seem to be heading towards new highs in the number of daily COVID-19 infections. The number of new infections reported yesterday, Oct 22 was 73,686; the previous high (74,086) was reported on July 24. It looks like we are entering the predicted "second wave" now with winter approaching, and we never really achieved much in the way of containment over the summer. Hopefully we have enough PPE for the frontline hospital workers, this doesn't bode well for what we will be facing in the coming months. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/coronavirus-us-cases-deaths/?itid=hp_pandemic-guide-box for the details.

View attachment 19050

Just an offhand thought about this chart. It reminds me of something interesting.

If you've ever seen the tide come in the Atlantic at the Minas Basin (part of the Bay of Fundy) in Nova Scotia, Canada, it looks just like that. Because of the shape of the basin, the tide can rise... hold onto your hat... more than 52 ft (16 m) in 6 hours. As it drains at the end of high tide, it sucks all the sand out of the basin, leaving sticky mud that you seriously can't even walk in because it sticks to everything. This pandemic feels like that, just slower.

UK charts as collated by the BBC from the .Gov Dashboard.

The deaths are only of those who tested positive for COVID.

Yeah if the death figures mirror the first wave there's one hell'va storm coming but then again we have no idea what cases were like in the first wave considering the lack of countrywide testing. Recently the rules changed on testing yet again, and you are only admitted a test if you are showing symptoms which again will be blinding us to an overall view of asymptomatic cases which some studies indicate account for 50% to 80% of active cases... Fingers crossed therapies and treatments have progressed since the first wave.

The official UK death toll is 44,571 of people who tested positive and died within 28 days. As there have been people who have been in hospital for 100+ days I'm not sure how accurate that number is... we are at 58k which mention COVID on the certificate and 65k over yearly averages.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today Saturday 24th of October:

- World: 42,395,907 confirmed cases and 1,146,596 confirmed deaths.

- World: Passes 42 million confirmed cases, we passed 41 on Thursday meaning an additional million cases in the last 2/3 days.

- Poland: President tests positive for COVID-19.

- Guernsey: Recent cluster of 7 COVID cases spawns swathe of rumors on Social Media officials warn risks creating panic. "As we've always said, don't rely on social media. We will tell you when we've something to tell you - warts and all. [...] "If it's good news, bad news, we will tell; we won't hide things from people. We know how the cluster is forming and how it's been disseminated. [...]"So we'll be open, we've always been open; and listen to us and not what 'somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody' says."

- UK: Man in Nottinghamshire who received positive COVID test continued to work, keeping his shop open. It was only discovered after an anonymous tip-off.

- Scotland: Scottish Government issues advice for children not to Trick or Treat and not to hold Bonfire events on the 5th of November.

- France: President indicates COVID will be prevalent "until at least next summer"

- UK: London Police arrest 18 after ordering Lockdown Protest attended by thousands to disperse after permitting it for a few hours.

- Greece: Sees record high new daily cases.

- Luxembourg: Sees record high new daily cases.

- Austria: Sees record high new daily cases.

- Italy: Sees record high new daily cases.

- Malaysia: Sees record high new daily cases.

- Czech Republic: Sees record high new daily cases.

 

[vahadar]

- France: 46 million people now subject to curfew as officials indicate second wave may end up being worst than the first.

After 9pm nobody is supposed to be out (unless you have special permit). It is not yet a full lockdown again but i hope it will help the numbers to go down.

Since this summer it started to get worse here in France. People wearing less and less mask, gathering in numbers and so on, on one hand it is quite understandable after 3 months of complete lockdown, they wanted to get so fresh air.

And with the universities opening again, i guess the youth did it all wrong. While the majority of people in my town (bordering Paris) wear masks, there is still i'd say a fifth of them not wearing it, even in public space when it is supposed to be mandatory since already 8 months. i really dont understand that when we are already 10 months into the pandemic here.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

And with the universities opening again, i guess the youth did it all wrong. While the majority of people in my town (bordering Paris) wear masks, there is still i'd say a fifth of them not wearing it, even in public space when it is supposed to be mandatory since already 8 months. i really dont understand that when we are already 10 months into the pandemic here.

The UK has had similar with the universities but it could be argued it was Centrals raging hard-on for getting kids back in to schools so parents could go back to full time work which might have had more to play in that scenario than the students did in spreading the infection around. They can't infect each other if the campuses etc remained closed.

There are a great many things I don't understand about Wave 2 considering how low cases and deaths got in August after Wave 1 and how much was learnt during that wave - seemingly not enough was learnt though...

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

Influenza trends are well below average this year. Maybe COVID kills influenza as well?

http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/influenza/_documents/2020-w42-flu-review.pdf

 

[Montoya]

Influenza trends are well below average this year. Maybe COVID kills influenza as well?

Its as if wearing masks and washing hands obsessively is helpful in lowering cases of flu like viruses!

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today Sunday 25th of October:

- World: 42,829,950 confirmed cases and 1,152,054 confirmed deaths.

- World: Sees record high number of new cases for third day in a row.

- US: Sees record high number of new cases Friday at 83,757, nearly matched yesterday (Saturday) with 83,718.

- Netherlands: Sees record new daily cases with the number breaching 10k in a single day for the first time.

- Hungary: Sees record new daily cases.

- China: 137 new asymptomatic cases discovered in Xinjiang, all cases linked to a clothing factory.

- US: Vice President continues to campaign despite aide testing positive. He advises his tests have so far been negative and will not self-isolate.

- UK: Pressure mounts on Central Government on the issue of continuing school meals for impoverished children during this time of national crisis. Doctors representing 2,000 school children send letter calling for a U-turn. The government argues that it has increased welfare, however fails to appreciate that with net earnings falling that may already be earmarked to pay for essentials such as rent, mortgage and utility payments. It's the conundrum faced by so many going into winter: Heating or Eating?

- Spain: Imposes national curfew in the face of spiraling cases and declares a state of National Emergency.

- UK: Serco, one of the private companies involved with the (In connotation with) NHS Test and Trace system, ordered to instruct workers in their Security Serves courts and prison cells to wear masks as it transpires complaints have been raised that social distancing and COVID precautions being inadequately observed by contractors in the Criminal Justice System.

- US/UK: Dr Fauci states in an interview on the BBC that a vaccine may be cleared for use in December, however warns rollout of the treatment may take many months.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Influenza trends are well below average this year. Maybe COVID kills influenza as well?

I have only heared third-hand info so far but have heared of people being able to have COVID-19 and Influenza at the same time.

I know nothing more than that however can imagine that it would be a pretty potent mix of bad times - which virus would overwhelm a person and finish them off may well depend on which virus takes control and kicks ass the hardest and quickest - It may be the 'Flu is still around but COVID is doing a much better job of killing people off who have contracted both conditions simultaneously, the 'Flu may contribute but COVID may be taking the opportunity to run wild while the immune system is distracted?

As people were saying early on in the pandemic if someone died in a car crash but had asymptomatic COVID, it was the car crash that killed them not the virus, if they had 'Flu but COVID overwhelmed them (lets say the mix at point of death was 20% Flu 80% COVID just because the new virus has no natural immunity) and it was the lung eating properties of COVID which took presidence I don't think the 'Flu would get much blame in the fatality - like in the car crash, if the COVID does the killing the 'Flu was just incidental..?

DISCLAIMER - The above is just theorycrafting, I don't know nuffin, Guv'nor.

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

Its as if wearing masks and washing hands obsessively is helpful in lowering cases of flu like viruses!

Don't be ridiculous!

 

[Aramsolari]

Don't be ridiculous!

Next thing they're gonna tell me is that I can't lick elevator buttons no more!!

 

[Vavrik]

Reading posts...

As people were saying early on in the pandemic if someone died in a car crash but had asymptomatic COVID, it was the car crash that killed them not the virus, if they had 'Flu but COVID overwhelmed them (lets say the mix at point of death was 20% Flu 80% COVID just because the new virus has no natural immunity) and it was the lung eating properties of COVID which took presidence I don't think the 'Flu would get much blame in the fatality - like in the car crash, if the COVID does the killing the 'Flu was just incidental..?

It might depend on who was in the last elevator they took.

 

[August]

ZERO NEW CASES. ZERO DEATHS.

For the first time since the 9th of June there have been no new cases recorded across Victoria. 14 day rolling average is 3.8 cases.

This is also the 7th day in a row we've recorded no deaths from Coronavirus.

Turns out lockdown actually works.

 

[Radegast74]

ZERO NEW CASES. ZERO DEATHS.

For the first time since the 9th of June there have been no new cases recorded across Victoria. 14 day rolling average is 3.8 cases.

This is also the 7th day in a row we've recorded no deaths from Coronavirus.

Turns out lockdown actually works.

Interesting, because this was the top of the news yesterday in the USA:

Trump aide: 'We're not going to control the pandemic'

LONDONDERRY, N.H. (AP) — The coronavirus has reached the upper echelons of the White House again, with an outbreak among aides to Vice President Mike Pence just over a week from Election Day...

apnews.com

I thought that would definitely be news to the other countries that are controlling the virus.

 

[ColdDog]

I just got this notification. I normally do not want the govt tracking me but I have to admit I am interested in how it works so I opted in.

Colorado rolls out COVID-19 exposure notification app

State health officials hope a new cell phone app will be a valuable tool in the fight against COVID-19 by letting people know if they've been exposed to someone who recently tested positive for the virus.

www.thedenverchannel.com

 

[August]

Interesting, because this was the top of the news yesterday in the USA:

Trump aide: 'We're not going to control the pandemic'

LONDONDERRY, N.H. (AP) — The coronavirus has reached the upper echelons of the White House again, with an outbreak among aides to Vice President Mike Pence just over a week from Election Day...

apnews.com

I thought that would definitely be news to the other countries that are controlling the virus.

At least the Beeb mentioned it.

Covid: Melbourne's hard-won success after a marathon lockdown - BBC News

After losing its initial grip on Covid, Australia is again being hailed as a global success story.

www.bbc.com

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world today Monday 26th of October:

- World: 43,331,259 confirmed cases and 1,157,051 confirmed deaths.

- World: Passes 43 million cases. We passed 42 million on Saturday, meaning 1 million new cases in the last 2/3 days.

- Belgium: Doctors asked to keep working even if they test positive for Coronavirus and are asymptomatic to prevent Hospital System collapse, as quarter of medical staff go off sick.

- Australia: Successful Victoria lockdown results in Zero new cases for first time since June.

- UK: Prime Minister still on defensive stating once again their methods of non-direct support for hundreds of thousands of the UK's most impoverished children are the right way to go in England. The nations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have already issued food-voucher measures to look after the wards under their care.

- Malaysia: Sees record high new daily cases.

- Italy: Encounters protests as restrictions tightened.

- Netherlands: Sees record high new daily cases.

- Germany: Leader Angela Merkel warns country is on the verge of losing control of the pandemic.

- Russia: Sees record high new daily cases.

- UK: Introduction of an additional higher Tier 4 suggested, as more and more places reach Tier 3.

- France: Sees record high new daily cases.

- Guernsey: Eighth case identified via contact tracing, the person was already self-isolating.

- Wales: Following the government having suspended the sale of non-essentials to counter shoppers browsing and leisurely lingering in isles, one supermarket chain blunders big time by cordoning off the toiletries isle including womens sanitary items and refusing a shopper said basics. One can only assume said supermarket chain has a lot of shoppers standing there gazing transfixed trying to choose which brand they are going to try out that month. Well, every little helps.

 

[August]

Second day in a row of no infections or deaths.