Coronavirus COVID-19 Thread

NaffNaffBobFace

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COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Thursday 18th of March.

- World: 121,426,531 confirmed cases and 2,683,639 confirmed deaths.

- World: passes 121 million cases. We passed 120 million on Monday meaning another million in the last 3/4 days.

- Vaccines: UK investigation into blood clotting following Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine administration finds five cases of Cerebral Sinus Vein Thrombosis in the UK, one of which was fatal. Indicates despite these very rare cases in people who had low platelet counts, the vaccine is indeed safe and there is no evidence to link these cases to that vaccine. EU investigation also states the vaccine is "safe and effective", but states although a link has not been found, it cannot rule one out.

- UK: Concerns on vaccine supply emerge as one batch of 1.5 million vaccines has to be retested for stability and a delivery of 5 million vaccines from serum institute of India is delayed for up to 4 weeks. No new inoculations will be given to anyone under the age of 50 for the month of April and current stocks will be used for giving second doses.

- UK: Report discovers 508 "Do Not Resuscitate" decisions were made on COVID patients since March 2020 (When COVID became apparent and the UK Locked down for the first time), which were not agreed either with the patient or with a member of the patients family, raising ethical concerns.

- EU: France, Germany and Italy back Commission Presidents comment on banning exports of vaccines to countries not reciprocating in sending exports back to them. A spokesman for the Bloc said: “We plan to send a letter to AstraZeneca that will allow us to begin a dialogue with the company as part of a process to resolve the dispute,”. A Diplomat told one reporter that it stems from not having enough vaccines and the pressure to get them, saying they have exported millions but have not had any back.

- US: Plans drawn up to send 4 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines not in use to neighboring Mexico and Canada.

- Tanzania: One of the only countries not logging reporting COVID figures, having insisted there was no pandemic, reports its President has died of heart issues having not been seen in public since late February.

- China: Reports first case of local transmission since the last over a month ago on the 14th of February.

- India: Sees second wave emerge.

- Bulgaria: To go back into lockdown as cases surge, with a 40% rise in new cases in the last week.

- Ukraine: Capital Kyev to go back into lockdown.

- Pakistan: Reports jump in cases.

- Papua New Guinea: New restrictions imposed as hospitals reportedly overwhelmed.

- Mexico: Authorities discover and seize a fake batch of Russian SputnikV vaccine.

- WHO: Announces report on origin of the virus should be published next week.
 
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Jolly_Green_Giant

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Were past peak flu season here in Florida. I go out and maybe 1/10 people are wearing masks. Every business has been back open since before flu season started, Disney World and Universal Studios being some of the first months before everyone else. Schools have been open before flu season started. The hard data in front of me is really fueling my suspicion that not every covid patient is being properly tested and diagnosed. I wouldn't be so suspicious if I was seeing a large dip, it would make more sense considering people are taking precautions. However, the data I have in front of me is so far off from normal I can't really make sense of it. What possibilities exist that would explain why what we are seeing is so anomalous?


 

Radegast74

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Were past peak flu season here in Florida. I go out and maybe 1/10 people are wearing masks. Every business has been back open since before flu season started, Disney World and Universal Studios being some of the first months before everyone else. Schools have been open before flu season started. The hard data in front of me is really fueling my suspicion that not every covid patient is being properly tested and diagnosed. I wouldn't be so suspicious if I was seeing a large dip, it would make more sense considering people are taking precautions. However, the data I have in front of me is so far off from normal I can't really make sense of it. What possibilities exist that would explain why what we are seeing is so anomalous?
Well, I believe you are correct that not every COVID patient is being properly tested and diagnosed...

Overall, there has been an interesting drop in global influenza rates, first noted in 2020 check out this document, and the last paragraph here:
The global decline in influenza virus circulation appears to be real and concurrent with the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated community mitigation measures. Influenza virus circulation continues to be monitored to determine if the low activity levels persist after community mitigation measures are eased. If extensive community mitigation measures continue throughout the fall, influenza activity in the United States might remain low and the season might be blunted or delayed. In the future, some of these community mitigation measures could be implemented during influenza epidemics to reduce transmission, particularly in populations at highest risk for developing severe disease or complications. However, in light of the novelty of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of continued community mitigation measures, it is important to plan for seasonal influenza circulation this fall and winter. Influenza vaccination for all persons aged ≥6 months remains the best method for influenza prevention and is especially important this season when SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus might cocirculate (1).

The likely explanation is that all the COVID mitigations (restricted travel, both govt. enforced and personal choice) probably have limited the spread from the origin sites (usually but not always Asia) to where we are. There was an interesting stat I read in the Washington Post that last year there were 200 pediatric deaths due to influenza; this year there has been only 1 (so far, but the flu season is pretty much over).
 

Jolly_Green_Giant

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Well, I believe you are correct that not every COVID patient is being properly tested and diagnosed...

Overall, there has been an interesting drop in global influenza rates, first noted in 2020 check out this document, and the last paragraph here:



The likely explanation is that all the COVID mitigations (restricted travel, both govt. enforced and personal choice) probably have limited the spread from the origin sites (usually but not always Asia) to where we are. There was an interesting stat I read in the Washington Post that last year there were 200 pediatric deaths due to influenza; this year there has been only 1 (so far, but the flu season is pretty much over).

Data from clinical laboratories in the United States indicated a 61% decrease in the number of specimens submitted (from a median of 49,696 per week during September 29, 2019–February 29, 2020, to 19,537 during March 1–May 16, 2020) and a 98% decrease in influenza activity as measured by percentage of submitted specimens testing positive (from a median of 19.34% to 0.33%).
That's such a massive drop, it would be good if it stays that way. Its so crazy to see such a drastic change like that even considering the effects of the pandemic.
 

NaffNaffBobFace

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COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Friday 19th of March:

- World: 122,044,376 confirmed cases and 2,695,014 confirmed deaths.

- World: Passes 122 million cases, we passed 121 million yesterday meaning another 1 million in the last 1/2 days.

- Europe: Total deaths for the land area passes one million.

- Vaccines: WHO becomes latest agency to give approval to Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine following concern of blood clotting cases, and multiple countries resume rollout following EU health agency approval including France, Germany and Italy. Some countries still hesitate however, awaiting results of their own internal investigations with Finland suspending use today following two cases of clotting.

- UK: Prime Minister Johnson receives first vaccine dose. It was Oxford/AstraZeneca as previously indicated.

- UK: Office Of National Statistics indicates death rate in UK was 7% higher than expected in 2020.

- UK: Death rate continues to fall but new infections begin to level off currently standing at about 5,000 a day.

- US: Meets 100 million vaccinations administered target 6 weeks early.

- Brazil: 79% of Brazilians poll'd responded that they thought the pandemic was out of control in the country.

- Switzerland: Government indicates no relaxation of restrictions for at least 4 more weeks.

- France: City of Paris to enter a month long lockdown tonight. Reports indicate an exodus of Parisians.

- Poland: Cases up 38% week on week. UK variant now makes up 60% of cases.

- Netherlands: Sees sharpest rise in new cases this year.

- US: Oscar Nominees told video call attendance not an option, and that measures put in place are enough for personal attendance. The academy will happily accept awards on behalf of those who cannot attend.
 
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NaffNaffBobFace

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COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Saturday 20th of March:

- World: 122,580,145 confirmed cases and 2,705,105 confirmed deaths.

- World: Report indicates wealthy states, including the US, UK and EU, are blocking proposals to open up vaccine manufacturing capabilities in poorer nations. "Developing nations are saying we need to have a share of the pie, not only the share of the vaccines, but also the share of the right to produce these vaccines,"

- UK: Number of adults in the country who have received at least one dose of vaccine passes 50%.

- UK: Furlough funds to support businesses though the pandemic and safeguard jobs found to have made their way back to multi-millionaires.

- Scotland: COVID outbreak at Dundee University traced back to a party where 30 attendants caught the virus.

- Scotland: Following sports fans breaking lockdown to celebrate their Sports team winning the cup, police who attended the crowd test positive for COVID, authorities suggest this may end up as a Superspreader event that may delay or even prevent the country lifting restrictions.

- EU: Commission president ramps up pressure on AstraZeneca, announcing: "We have the option of prohibiting a planned export. That is the message to AstraZeneca: you first fulfil your contract with Europe before you start delivering to other countries." following only 30% of the originally ordered vaccines being delivered. They went on to say "“We didn’t get anything from the Brits while we are delivering vaccines to them,”

- China: As of today has administered 70 million vaccines.

- US: Reports indicate a COVID outbreak has occurred at Former President Trumps Florida residence.

- Pakistan: Prime Minister tests positive for COVID-19.

- Germany: COVID protesters clash with police in Kassel.

- Chile: Sees record high new daily cases.

- Israel: Plans to ease some restrictions announced including: "Indoor arenas with up to 5,000 seats will be allowed to host 1,000 guests. Arenas with a capacity of over 5,000 seats can accommodate 3,000 people."

- Switzerland: Thousands of people attend a "silent" protest in small town of Liestal which had been approved by police.

- Austria: Three teachers who refused to wear masks fired.
 
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Radegast74

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was really bored and started reading all the People Magazine "News" articles on my iPhone News app...found this, thought it was really sad...he seemed like a really nice guy to donate his salary to his employees to keep them going during the pandemic:

"After a battle with post-Covid related symptoms, including severe tinnitus, Kent Taylor took his own life this week. Kent battled and fought hard like the former track champion that he was, but the suffering that greatly intensified in recent days became unbearable," his family said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "But in true Kent fashion, he always found a silver lining to help others. Most recently, he committed to fund a clinical study to help members of the military who also suffer with tinnitus."
 

NaffNaffBobFace

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COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Sunday 21st of March:

- World: 123,055,048 confirmed cases and 2,712,759 confirmed deaths.

- World: Passes 123 million cases, we passed 122 million on Friday meaning another million in the last 2/3 days.

- US: Miami, and Curfew put in place as Spring Break spirals out of control.

- UK: More reports of Do Not Resuscitate orders made without permission surface including one involving the husband of a former Member of Parliament, who indicates no one gave permission for the order and it was apparently made on the day of the victims death.

- UK: Nurse who went viral in first lockdown vlogging her expiriance of having pulled a 48 hour shift only to find panic buyers had cleared supermarket shelves, indicates she does not plan to remain in the healthcare profession highlighting the toll it has taken on those on the front line: "I was once working in a pod where there were four patients with Covid, I left my shift at 20:00 in the evening. When I returned the next day all the patients had died, and were replaced with different people… although it's hard bearing this burden, you don't become desensitised - if you do, it's time to give up the profession."

- UK: Public Health Englands Immunisation head indicates low level precautions such as masks and social distancing may be required for several more years.

- EU: Official indincates they cannot rule out an export ban on Vaccines, but also indicated it would be counterproductive “Everything is on the table ... European citizens are growing angry and upset at the fact that the vaccine rollout has not happened as rapidly as we had anticipated.”

- UK: Report by a data analytics company suggests if the EU blocks exports, vaccination efforts will be put back two months in the UK but would not provide a significant boost to the Blocs situation.

- France: Intensive Care hospital patients at highest point this year (2021).

- South Africa: Sells 1 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to the African Union, the supply will be split between 14 other Africa states.

- Cuba: To include 150,000 key workers in final trial stage of domestically produces Soberana2 vaccine.

- India: Unconfirmed source indicates Serum Institute of India to delay vaccine deliveries to Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Morocco as domestic demand grows and the organization carries out works to expand capacity.
 
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Michael

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covid-vaccination-doses-per-capita.png

daily-covid-vaccination-doses-per-capita (1).png

daily-covid-vaccination-doses-per-capita.png

This is probably the most important one
share-people-fully-vaccinated-covid.png

share-people-vaccinated-covid.png

Positive or negative effects of the vaccination. Reminder that comparing countrys isn't easy and a multitude of effects should be considered. Anyway F... this and we do it in a single graph (log scale):
coronavirus-data-explorer.png

coronavirus-data-explorer.png


To me it looks like we start to see positive effects at 20% full vaccination. If thats true Europe is still a month away from lifting restrictions. (probably a little faster, also there should be positive effects with summertime incoming).
 
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Michael

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A simulation of possible covid numbers in germany.
(This is not an official model or simulation, but he is helping hospitals to calculate needed capacity for intensive care beds)
A: Nothing
B: lockdown light
C: Lockdown like in february, start after easter holidays
D: Lockdown like in february, start before easter holidays

on the left cases and on the right possible needed intensive care beds.

28ce4bdff5539e13.png
 

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Radegast74

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A simulation of possible covid numbers in germany.
(This is not an official model or simulation, but he is helping hospitals to calculate needed capacity for intensive care beds)
A: Nothing
B: lockdown light
C: Lockdown like in february, start after easter holidays
D: Lockdown like in february, start before easter holidays

on the left cases and on the right possible needed intensive care beds.

View attachment 20511
Looking at the graphs, there is clear guidance...OPEN EVERYTHING UP /s
 
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