Coronavirus COVID-19 Thread

August

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There is always a virus or disease knocking at your door. Heart disease is real, so is the common cold. Back to the children. Here is what the Mayo Clinic has to say.

Why do children react differently to COVID-19?

The answer isn't clear yet. Some experts suggest that children might not be as severely affected by COVID-19 because there are other coronaviruses that spread in the community and cause diseases such as the common cold. Since children often get colds, their immune systems might be primed to provide them with some protection against COVID-19. It's also possible that children's immune systems interact with the virus differently than do adults' immune systems. Some adults are getting sick because their immune systems seem to overreact to the virus, causing more damage to their bodies. This may be less likely to happen in children.

How likely is it for a child to become sick with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?

While all children are capable of getting the virus that causes COVID-19, they don't become sick as often as adults. Most children have mild symptoms or no symptoms.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association, in the United States children represent about 10% of all COVID-19 cases. Research suggests that children younger than ages 10 to 14 are less likely to become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 compared to people age 20 and older. Hospitalization rates for children are also much lower than for adults. However, if children are hospitalized, they need to be treated in the intensive care unit as often as hospitalized adults, according to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

My concern is that kids not being in school will cause significant long term damage to their social and well being. Point is there has be a balance, some acceptance of risk.

Social Distancing and Isolation
The research has been clear on this one for years: isolation and loneliness is bad for our health—both physical and mental. According to a meta-analysis co-authored by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, lack of social connection heightens health risks as much as smoking three-quarters of a pack of cigarettes a day…every day. “There is robust evidence that social isolation and loneliness significantly increase risk for premature mortality, and the magnitude of the risk exceeds that of many leading health indicators,” Holt Lunstad says.

The coronavirus has obviously exacerbated the problem. Right now (as of May 8), almost 200 million people in the Unites States are under some kind of stay at home order, with most face-to-face socializing limited to members of their own households. That is, if they’re lucky enough to not live alone like 35.7 million Americans do. And, even in states where restrictions have been lifted, many people are still staying at home.

All this alone time is killing our mental health in general. Here’s an in-depth report on how coronavirus affects the most common mental illnesses. One of the biggest concerns is suicide. All of the experts who study suicide for a living agree that social connections play a role in suicide prevention. Both suicidal thoughts and ideation are associated with isolation and loneliness.

This is a good read and I think it lays out the psychological effects well.

Speaking as someone in a region that lived through a sustained shut down, the alarm echoed in your post doesn’t match the reality of millions of Victorians.

What you’re posting is simply not true.
 
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NaffNaffBobFace

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COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Wednesday 2nd of December:

- World: 64,206,937 confirmed cases and 1,487,695 confirmed deaths.

- World: Passes 64 million confirmed cases, we passed 63 million yesterday meaning a million additional cases in the last 1/2 days.

- US: Sees record high new daily cases, COVID levels up 30% over November compared to October, and record high number of people in hospitals being treated for more serious reactions to the virus with Rural hospitals being particularly badly effected. The country now braces for an uptick in cases following Thanks Giving gatherings.

- UK: British Medical Association clears Pfizer vaccine for use becoming the first country to clear one for mass use. Vaccines will begin being given to the public in Scotland on the 8th.

- Russia: President Putin orders mass vaccinations to begin next week.

- Interpol: Issues a global warning of potential fake COVID vaccines now countries are beginning to roll them out.

- UK: Tesco Supermarket to repay ÂŁ585 million in government grants it received to support it through the pandemic following backlash after shareholder payouts. Trading turned out to be "Buoyant" resulting in the money not being needed.

- WHO: World Health Organization warns vaccines won't defend against short-term spike, and as the vaccines are 2 stage with a month between shots there may be a risk to people within that time, too. Keep wearing your masks kids, this 'aint over yet.

- Jersey: Visiting suspended at Jersey General hospital as COVID cases climb.
 

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Speaking as someone in a region that lived through a sustained shut down, the alarm echoed in your post doesn’t match the reality of millions of Victorians.
I forgot, Vic is the only area in the world that is affected by COVID19 virus and lockdowns - guess every other living organism on the planet does not have a say. I apologize, I guess you folks know it all... and you've earned your bronze star for bravery.

Pat yourself on the back, because I won't. I am not wrong, just a different perspective.
 

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I forgot, Vic is the only area in the world that is affected by COVID19 virus and lockdowns - guess every other living organism on the planet does not have a say. I apologize, I guess you folks know it all... and you've earned your bronze star for bravery.

Pat yourself on the back, because I won't. I am not wrong, just a different perspective.
Claiming wilful ignorance as a reasonable perspective. Got it.
 
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ColdDog

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Claiming wilful ignorance as a reasonable perspective. Got it.
Running around in a panic, acting like the sky is falling, pretending a freaking virus is new to humanity, stopping economies, stopping everything, no matter the human cost is negligent and is willful ignorance in my opinion.

What we have established:
1. The earth is 4 billion years old - the avg human life is 70 years +- (0.0000000175) of the entire time a human life exists as opposed to the beginning of the world. Yes, you are insignificant like all of us.
2. Viruses have been around since the first single cellular organism became multicellular
3. Viruses do not last 10 months, they can be around for hundred or thousands of years. Good grief we still have the black death here in Colorado.
4. Acting crazy and like a victim does no one any good.

This date, 300 million years ago, is as ancient as insects themselves. "Our insect viruses are already present right from the beginning from the evolution of insects," Herniou said. Viruses were still around during the age of dinosaurs, and survived the mass extinction that killed them. They survive to this day and have been found to infect every type of life; there are even viruses that infect viruses.

"Because insects were already infected by some viruses, you can probably extend that to other kinds of multicellular hosts," Herniou said. Viruses could have been infecting other forms of life on the Earth at that time, and in later eras.

The study was published today (Sept. 12) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.
 
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stockish

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Well work is getting fun, losing a couple of team members because they were close to a suspected person in line before them when getting the entry checks. Sounds like a nice paid two week vacation.

Also looks like I will be missing another holiday as flying on a plane doesn't sound fun, no beer!
 

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COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Thursday 3rd of December:

- World: 64,723,945 confirmed cases and 1,497,093 confirmed deaths.

- UK: Passes 60,000 confirmed deaths, the first country in Europe to do so, and stands at number 5 in the world rankings.

- US: Sees record high new daily cases, record high new daily deaths, and active hospitalizations pass 100,000.

- US: Los Angeles Mayor issues emergency "Stay At Home" order after "terrifying increase" of COVID cases in the city.

- US: Former Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton pledge to take vaccine on TV to show the nation it is safe.

- Sweden: Poll indicates support for the government has slipped to just 29.4% as COVID cases and deaths continue to climb.

- World/UK: Multiple leaders and organizations react to the UK issuing first Vaccination approval, with Dr Fauci summing up initial reactions from many saying: "The UK did not do it as carefully [...] If you go quickly and you do it superficially, people are not going to want to get vaccinated."

- UK: In response to world concerns over the rapid approval, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson prooves being educated doesn't guarantee you are smart, by saying in an interview: “Well I just reckon we’ve got the very best people in this country and we’ve obviously got the best medical regulators [...] Much better than the French have, much better than the Belgians have, much better than the Americans have. That doesn’t surprise me at all because we’re a much better country than every single one of them, aren’t we.” Reports indicate it is unclear whether Williamson made his remarks as a joke, however he came across as somewhat of a "tosspot".

- Russia: Moscow to being vaccinations on Saturday.

- Iran: Passes 1 million confirmed cases.

- UK: Following Tesco Supermarket, who followed Morrisons originally, Sainsbury's, Aldi and Asda have now joined in repaying Business Rate relief money received during the pandemic which amounts to many hundreds of millions of pounds each and totaling roughly ÂŁ1.7 billion.

- Italy: Sees record high new daily deaths.

- World: IBM indicates it has found evidence of cyber attacks and espionage on the worlds Vaccine Supply Chain.

- Europe/WHO: Representatives from EU member states to meet at WHO Europe to discuss protecting schools form COVID-19: “To bring transmission down in schools, you need to bring transmission down in communities,” the WHO's emergency officer said.
 
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- Europe/WHO: Representatives from EU member states to meet at WHO Europe to discuss protecting schools form COVID-19: “To bring transmission down in schools, you need to bring transmission down in communities,” the WHO's emergency officer said.
I love the WHO... just not the World Health Organization... it has proven to be a political and not a scientific arm. Stalin, Mao, and Castro would be proud of the work they do.
 

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Lockdowns don't change the virus... it only changes when it is happening. What this means if you have a 111 day lockdown, you artificially slowed the virus and postponed it for 111 days. Not to say on day 133 the virus will not appear again. You gain nothing, except a 111 days of misery and suicides. That 111 days was not meant to be a fix, it was to give your govt (that you all love and trust) time to adjust with PPE and hospital beds. If you thought different, you should be kicked in the head. Again, for the 100th time it seems, you have no control until the US delivers your vaccine with operation warp speed. Thank you for your support.
 

August

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Lockdowns don't change the virus... it only changes when it is happening. What this means if you have a 111 day lockdown, you artificially slowed the virus and postponed it for 111 days. Not to say on day 133 the virus will not appear again. You gain nothing, except a 111 days of misery and suicides. That 111 days was not meant to be a fix, it was to give your govt (that you all love and trust) time to adjust with PPE and hospital beds. If you thought different, you should be kicked in the head. Again, for the 100th time it seems, you have no control until the US delivers your vaccine with operation warp speed. Thank you for your support.
Pfeizer isn’t a US company but is producing the vaccine we’re receiving. It’s vaccines are produced in Europe and the US. Your messiah complex is really in full swing, isn’t it.

[edit] I was incorrect about Pfeizer; well to a degree, but incorrect never the less. [\edit]
 
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Pfeizer isn’t a US company but is producing the vaccine we’re receiving. It’s vaccines are produced in Europe and the US. Your messiah complex is really in full swing, isn’t it.
To be fair, Pfizer IS American.

That said, the BNT162b2 is primarily developed by BioNTech which is a German company and has partnered with Pfizer for logistics, finances and oversees the clinical trials. Pfizer actually has NOT accepted funding for Operation Warp Speed citing government bureaucracy and interferance. Funny enough one of the smaller partners is Fosun Pharma which is a Chinese company (lol).

Moderna on the other hand has accepted Federal funding but honestly...it's a moot point. The funding provided was miniscule and the financial returns for private investment leaves that in the dirt. (look at MRNA's ticker price today lol..+10.23% in one day).

There are probably half a dozen vaccine candidates in Phase III testing with funding and research being undertaken in a dozen countries.

Covid19 is a pandemic and a global health problem. Only makes sense that the response is global in nature. My only hope is that developing countries don't get left behind as richer ones call first dibs on the vaccines....that and the anti-vaxxers take a backseat.
 

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NaffNaffBobFace

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Lockdowns don't change the virus... it only changes when it is happening. What this means if you have a 111 day lockdown, you artificially slowed the virus and postponed it for 111 days. Not to say on day 133 the virus will not appear again. You gain nothing, except a 111 days of misery and suicides. That 111 days was not meant to be a fix, it was to give your govt (that you all love and trust) time to adjust with PPE and hospital beds. If you thought different, you should be kicked in the head. Again, for the 100th time it seems, you have no control until the US delivers your vaccine with operation warp speed. Thank you for your support.
That is the point of a Lockdown, Colddog. I believe we have discussed this before - It buys time but it is paid for in Economic impact with reduced impact on lives, whereas not locking down is reducing the Ecomonic impact but is paid for in lives. In some extreme cases where the economic impact is deemed acceptable they have been able to pull the background level of the virus down low enough that it can be managed at a local level. Otherwise it's buying time until treatments or vaccines can be made available.

But 111 days...? That's interesting... Lets look at the numbers...

In the UK 111 days from the beginning of Lockdown was July 13th. By that time there had been 45k+ confirmed COVID deaths... If we had committed to a strong lockdown like NewZealand, sealed the boarders and kept a strong hand on the virus, would we have seen 45k suicides over average? Would the economy have been back up and running already as it is in Australia and NZ where they are able to start getting back to business?

The UK response to the virus has been the worst of both worlds - a stifled economy and many tens of thousands of deaths. They could have messed it up harder, but only if they had intentionally tried to... so by your logic, the UK suicide rate in 2020 would be through the sky too, wouldn't it?

For Q1 and Q2 2020, the results are for Q1 in line with the previous year, and in Q2 actually down by a substantial amount:

Q1
Year
Deaths
Rate
2020​
1,262​
10.3​
2019​
1,247​
10.3​
2018​
1,143​
9.5​
Q2
2020​
845​
6.9​
2019​
1,326​
10.8​
2018​
1,253​
10.3​

Data from the top .xslx from the following page:

Over the course of this thread you have attempted to justify paying for the Pandemic with lives rather than economic impact. I appreciate that every suicide is a tragedy, but would the US have seen as many suicides as lives lost to to Pandemic if they'd have just locked down and hot a control of it early?

The countries choice was made for you, by your elected representative. You don't have to feel guilty about that, and you don't have to try to justify it. Let go of your guilt, it's not your fault even if you voted for the people in charge. They made the decision and your country is on its course, just as mine is.
 
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Bambooza

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To be fair, Pfizer IS American.

That said, the BNT162b2 is primarily developed by BioNTech which is a German company and has partnered with Pfizer for logistics, finances and oversees the clinical trials. Pfizer actually has NOT accepted funding for Operation Warp Speed citing government bureaucracy and interferance. Funny enough one of the smaller partners is Fosun Pharma which is a Chinese company (lol).

Moderna on the other hand has accepted Federal funding but honestly...it's a moot point. The funding provided was miniscule and the financial returns for private investment leaves that in the dirt. (look at MRNA's ticker price today lol..+10.23% in one day).

There are probably half a dozen vaccine candidates in Phase III testing with funding and research being undertaken in a dozen countries.

Covid19 is a pandemic and a global health problem. Only makes sense that the response is global in nature. My only hope is that developing countries don't get left behind as richer ones call first dibs on the vaccines....that and the anti-vaxxers take a backseat.

Nice write up.

And as much as I wish developing countries didn't get left behind there is this a degree of they who pay into it should get first dibs. Its one of the more difficult moral questions when distributing a limited life saving item. Should your loved one die even though you paid for a drug simply because it was randomly distributed or should those who don't pay due to don't want to or can't not get a chance to save the life of their loved one. While I hope we will get to the point were production can keep up with demand currently its way under and so the question is who gets the first millions when there are billions wanting/needing.
 
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