COVID-19/Coronavirus Information and Support Thread (see OP for useful links)

[RacingGrandpa]

Denmark opened borders to Norway and Germany but not Sweden. I think it's the same as before with Covid 19 but people has lost all caution

 

[Joey D]

Some more evidence that supports the idea @Danoff presented that shows COVID-19 could be a vascular disease instead of a respiratory one:

Blood vessel attack could trigger coronavirus’ fatal ‘second phase’

The good news is that it appears that anticoagulants could help reduce mortality:

Therapeutic Anticoagulation Is Associated with Decreased Mortality in Mechanically Ventilated COVID-19 Patients

*It's not peer-reviewed so I apologize in advance for members who consider this to be on the same level as toilet tissue.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I think they should skip straight to chicken soup

Jewish Grandmas Use This Centuries Old Trick To Cure Everything

(And Earn $2500 A Day In Your Area)

 

[JKgo]

...South Africa passed a grim milestone today, with the number of cases surpassing 40,000, now sitting at 40,792. That's an increase of over 3,200 overnight. We've been on a steady rise of cases in the recent days (on average, around 1,600-1,800 per day) but this was a bit of a gut punch.

And the rise also kind of coincides with the easing of the "level 5" lockdown the whole country was in. We're now in level 3, although almost everything you could think of besides hairdressers and tobacco sellers are in full business so it's basically a meaningless title at this point.

As a fun side note, one of the highest courts in our country has ruled that South Africa's lockdown was unconstitutional, and the government has 14 days to come up with a new set of regulations. Not that surprising, as one of said regulations prohibited the sale of open-toed shoes. True story.

 

[Liquid]

Ignore the technobabble, when Picard starts mentioning the restrictions, it sounds not unlike the situation with covid.

This whole scene is amusingly prescient.

 

[Danoff]

Ignore the technobabble, when Picard starts mentioning the restrictions, it sounds not unlike the situation with covid.

This whole scene is amusingly prescient.

This was an environmental/political statement at the time when it aired.

 

[Liquid]

This was an environmental/political statement at the time when it aired.

As every good fable or allegory is supposed to be, timeless.

I'd been watching a lot of Star Trek clips recently and this one just happened to pop up in the recommendation feed.

 

[McLaren]

2 record highs this week. Seems concerning though, if the reports are true that Texas' testing numbers have dropped in the same time frame. The state is getting ready to enter its next phase of increased capacities in businesses.

Statewide, the seven-day rolling average increased for the eighth day in a row. There were 1,703 new cases reported across the state Wednesday along with 36 deaths. Meanwhile, coronavirus testing in the state has dropped. There were only 13,800 tests reported Wednesday, which is a drop for the fourth day in a row. The seven-day rolling average is now just above 20,000 tests per day.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Texas' low urban density & high population makes me think it will be a long steady slog through Covid rather than the sharp spikes felt by the more dense metros like NYC. We're gonna be in this for a long time folks.

 

[PzR Slim]

Iran in the midst of a second wave.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Iran in the midst of a second wave.

Is that a second wave? It looks like the continuation of the first wave with another peak.

 

[PzR Slim]

Hydroxychloroquiine study in the Lancet retracted.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/articl...hloroquine-coronavirus-retraction-surgisphere

 

[Danoff]

Hydroxychloroquiine study in the Lancet retracted.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/articl...hloroquine-coronavirus-retraction-surgisphere

Tons of scrutiny on these kinds of findings is leading to folks sharpening pencils and being careful. The political nature of it is no doubt causing even more scrutiny. I only hope that this is not having the silencing effect that some might be specifically trying to achieve. Skepticism of scientific findings is good, but large doses of it also slows things down right when we need it to be fast.

 

[Touring Mars]

Is that a second wave? It looks like the continuation of the first wave with another peak.

Not sure what, if any, criteria distinguish a 'wave'... but certainly, Iran has seen a very clear peak already, and case numbers had dropped significantly before rising again.

If a second peak is close enough to the first and large enough, the first peak will tend to look like a shoulder, or a minor blip in the overall profile of case numbers, so a second peak or wave may have the unusual characteristic of obliterating the first. This is what most people are worried about - that what some are considering a 'peak' (or a 'wave') right now may turn out to be nothing more than a foretaste of what may lie ahead.

The world ought to be watching Iran with baited breath - all countries should be ramping up preparations even more robustly as they did before the 'first' wave, and should stand ready to reintroduce lockdown restrictions at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile, yesterday saw the highest number of new cases globally thus far, after a fairly sustained period of no growth... it is starting to look like a second peak on a global scale (and note, this is a second peak starting from the top of the previous peak, not the bottom.) The growth rate in the world's 10 most populous countries is tremendously worrying - esp. given that China are almost certainly lying about their numbers, the US is treading water, and other countries (inexplicably including Brazil and India) are already relaxing lockdown restrictions.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Not sure what, if any, criteria distinguish a 'wave'... but certainly, Iran has seen a very clear peak already, and case numbers had dropped significantly before rising again.

If a second peak is close enough to the first and large enough, the first peak will tend to look like a shoulder, or a minor blip in the overall profile of case numbers, so a second peak or wave may have the unusual characteristic of obliterating the first. This is what most people are worried about - that what some are considering a 'peak' (or a 'wave') right now may turn out to be nothing more than a foretaste of what may lie ahead.

The world ought to be watching Iran with baited breath - all countries should be ramping up preparations even more robustly as they did before the 'first' wave, and should stand ready to reintroduce lockdown restrictions at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile, yesterday saw the highest number of new cases globally thus far, after a fairly sustained period of no growth... it is starting to look like a second peak on a global scale (and note, this is a second peak starting from the top of the previous peak, not the bottom.) The growth rate in the world's 10 most populous countries is tremendously worrying - esp. given that China are almost certainly lying about their numbers, the US is treading water, and other countries (inexplicably including Brazil and India) are already relaxing lockdown restrictions.

Basically, we're f'd in the a.

 

[Joey D]

The world ought to be watching Iran with baited breath - all countries should be ramping up preparations even more robustly as they did before the 'first' wave, and should stand ready to reintroduce lockdown restrictions at a moment's notice.

I can't foresee the US going into another lockdown no matter how bad the numbers get. If we do, those protesting the police will say they're being locked in to stop protesting and those who think the virus isn't a big deal will think the government is trying to control them. This accounts for a huge percentage of the US population and it will not end well. I can't see any leader actively wanting to be the first one to make this move because it will be met with harsh criticism for all sides.

 

[Danoff]

I can't foresee the US going into another lockdown no matter how bad the numbers get. If we do, those protesting the police will say they're being locked in to stop protesting and those who think the virus isn't a big deal will think the government is trying to control them. This accounts for a huge percentage of the US population and it will not end well. I can't see any leader actively wanting to be the first one to make this move because it will be met with harsh criticism for all sides.

I agree. I think at this point it's everyone for themselves in the US. We might restrict a few things (like dining) again, but I doubt we go back to house arrest. We'll just deal with lots of dead.

 

[Jezza819]

I can't foresee the US going into another lockdown no matter how bad the numbers get. If we do, those protesting the police will say they're being locked in to stop protesting and those who think the virus isn't a big deal will think the government is trying to control them. This accounts for a huge percentage of the US population and it will not end well. I can't see any leader actively wanting to be the first one to make this move because it will be met with harsh criticism for all sides.

That's right. This will be a one off deal. If say 'X' number of years from now a very similar virus comes up I think it will be handled regionally. Urban areas will have different rules than rural areas.

 

[McLaren]

Not sure what, if any, criteria distinguish a 'wave'... but certainly, Iran has seen a very clear peak already, and case numbers had dropped significantly before rising again.

If a second peak is close enough to the first and large enough, the first peak will tend to look like a shoulder, or a minor blip in the overall profile of case numbers, so a second peak or wave may have the unusual characteristic of obliterating the first. This is what most people are worried about - that what some are considering a 'peak' (or a 'wave') right now may turn out to be nothing more than a foretaste of what may lie ahead.

The world ought to be watching Iran with baited breath - all countries should be ramping up preparations even more robustly as they did before the 'first' wave, and should stand ready to reintroduce lockdown restrictions at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile, yesterday saw the highest number of new cases globally thus far, after a fairly sustained period of no growth... it is starting to look like a second peak on a global scale (and note, this is a second peak starting from the top of the previous peak, not the bottom.) The growth rate in the world's 10 most populous countries is tremendously worrying - esp. given that China are almost certainly lying about their numbers, the US is treading water, and other countries (inexplicably including Brazil and India) are already relaxing lockdown restrictions.

It's a bit shocking how many just casually write off this concern as, "Well yeah, the testing is going up, so the numbers discovered will too, not a big deal".

It's about positive rate, deaths, & hospitalization numbers now. A Houston judge said they've seen a significant increase in hospitalizations amid Phase 3 reopenings. I think it's based on this graph that does appear since 5/17, it's been on upwards trend & seems close to the previous high on 4/12.
https://www.tmc.edu/coronavirus-updates/tmc-daily-new-covid-19-hospitalizations/

 

[polysmut]

I can't foresee the US going into another lockdown no matter how bad the numbers get. If we do, those protesting the police will say they're being locked in to stop protesting and those who think the virus isn't a big deal will think the government is trying to control them. This accounts for a huge percentage of the US population and it will not end well. I can't see any leader actively wanting to be the first one to make this move because it will be met with harsh criticism for all sides.

And violence around the country. A good president could probably steer you through it.

 

[Barra333]

And violence around the country. A good president could probably steer you through it.

And consistent messaging between the feds and the states.

 

[x3ra]

Couldn't an increase in testing increase the case numbers? The death numbers would be a better indication,unless the figures are extrapolated to take into account the extra tests.

In the UK an increasing number of people are being tested yet a reducing number of people are found to have contracted the virus.

Not sure what, if any, criteria distinguish a 'wave'... but certainly, Iran has seen a very clear peak already, and case numbers had dropped significantly before rising again.

If a second peak is close enough to the first and large enough, the first peak will tend to look like a shoulder, or a minor blip in the overall profile of case numbers, so a second peak or wave may have the unusual characteristic of obliterating the first. This is what most people are worried about - that what some are considering a 'peak' (or a 'wave') right now may turn out to be nothing more than a foretaste of what may lie ahead.

The world ought to be watching Iran with baited breath - all countries should be ramping up preparations even more robustly as they did before the 'first' wave, and should stand ready to reintroduce lockdown restrictions at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile, yesterday saw the highest number of new cases globally thus far, after a fairly sustained period of no growth... it is starting to look like a second peak on a global scale (and note, this is a second peak starting from the top of the previous peak, not the bottom.) The growth rate in the world's 10 most populous countries is tremendously worrying - esp. given that China are almost certainly lying about their numbers, the US is treading water, and other countries (inexplicably including Brazil and India) are already relaxing lockdown restrictions.

 

[Joey D]

And violence around the country. A good president could probably steer you through it.

Unfortunately, the US isn't just dealing with an ineffective president. We have ineffective leaders all the way down. I think many mayors and governors have done better than any federal response, but there are still several governors and mayors that have completely failed.

 

[McLaren]

Banner Healthcare claims its Arizona's ICU capacity is approaching 100%. The Depart of Health added the state has its highest number of corona hospitalizations to date. Upside is all Arizona hospitals have plans in place that increase capacity by 50% as the article mentions the administrators preparing to add an additional 25% ICU capacity.

PHOENIX — A spike this week in newly reported coronavirus cases is putting added pressure on Arizona's hospital system. Banner Health, the state's largest healthcare delivery system, reports its intensive care units are approaching 100 percent capacity.

The Arizona Department of Health Services, the state agency monitoring COVID-19 numbers, reports that 1,012 Arizonans have now died from the disease. They also reported Friday an additional 1,579 people have tested positive, the most ever reported in one day.

Friday, ADHS also reported the highest number of coronavirus hospitalizations to date. Medical centers across the state had 1,234 coronavirus inpatients and 718 emergency room visits.

https://www.abc15.com/news/region-p...er-says-icu-beds-are-approaching-100-capacity

Similar news in North Carolina reporting the most corona hospitalizations at the moment as well.

 

[Warte]

I've been looking on in horror at what Bolsanaro is doing. My nephew and his mum live in Rio and he was really struggling mentally before Covid-19 following his dad's death a couple of years ago. The whole situation is really difficult for them. Please try and stay safe.

In other news, my wife had been filling in the Covid-19 symptom tracker app every day to help with research. They invited her for a test even though they didn't suspect she had it. She went on Monday and they took a swab of her throat and nasal passages. The test came back negative but she has just read on the Telegraph website that the test could have been counted as two. A government official has admitted that tens of thousands of tests in which throat and nasal swabs were taken have been counted as two tests in the governments daily testing figures. It's almost like the government are thinking of every way possible to make themselves look better....

Testing figures should include how many tests have been conducted as well as how many people have been tested...

Neither number is all that useful in and of itself, though... but these results do help to paint a dynamic picture of how many people are being infected, where they are, when they were infected and what the outcome was.

Ideally, everybody should have access to regular (i.e. multiple) tests with timely results... there's not much point in testing someone once and taking 10 days to tell them the result (unless they are in total isolation until they get the result).

@Warte I am also watching Brazil closely, and hope things don't get as bad as it looks like it may get there.

Thank you for your kind words, I hope you and your families are staying safe too. I know, mental health is being hard to maintain everywhere, but here is even worse.

Bolsonaro is clearly trying to use this pandemic to overthrow the democratic rule. Him, his guru and his supporters initially dreamed that our "left" (aka everybody that don't like him, which includes the democratic right, center and now even the far-right that orbits around his ex-Justice Minister) would start a violent opposition when he became president. As the opposition showed that we respect the constitutional democracy and will just hold him in line of the constitution, he changed his aim to the congress, checks and balances, and principally to the Supreme Court, that for now prevents his genocidal ideals.

But he is doing everything to create civil unrest. From literally quoting positivelly Mussolini twice to nominating a racist nobody to an anti-racism institution.
For example, one decision that definitely will be overthrown by the congress (which he wants, to create animosity) denied the payment from a dormant fund of around US$2bi, to maintain hospitals that are fighting the virus... Like I said, genocidal.

In the last three days, he demanded that the Health Ministery HELD THE PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY DEATHS, so the numbers couldn't be aired during TV Journals. Of course the TVs went straight to the states numbers and did the sum, but Jesus...

He also was caught on camera explicitly saying that his pro-gun stance aims civil unrest against the states fighting the pandemic, during a ministerial meeting that went public because of one of the criminal investigations against him.

There are a good majority that defends his impeachment by now, by all the crimes he commited (all responsibility crimes possible by law and even regular ones). Of course they aren't doing demonstrations because of the pandemic. He felt threatened enough so now he's negotiating with all of the old-politics, big tent corrupt parties to prevent his impeachment.

However, he still holds a noisy and/or violent 25% of the population, that includes parts of the Polices and parts of the Army, so they always threaten a Coup when cornered. Which would fail eventually (and I don't think will happen), but of course should be avoided.

And the Death numbers are rising.

Ps. I would love that the democratic and legalist portions (which are huge too, don't get me wrong) of our armed forces publish a note like the one in the US to deny Trumps cocky dream of using the military against civilians.

Ps2. Of course my ego screams rancor when Donald Trump spits his racism against us when talks about the crisis (and I know it is to deflect his own incompetence) but is somehow enjoyable in a way, due to Bolsonaro, subservient to Trump, being throw under the bus. A different Schadenfreude I would say?

 

[GBO Possum]

I'm wondering what's going on in Texas. On 5/5, the TX governor announced an opening up of the state. Since (and before) then, the daily case count has risen fairly steadily. However, the daily death count has been declining since about May 22nd.

• Are they getting better at managing the infections and preventing deaths?
• If so, will there be an uptick in the number of seriously long-term compromised patients?
• Is it simply a result of improved testing?
• Are the numbers being fudged, with COVID-19 deaths being assigned to other causes like "pneumonia"? (Think of Florida)

 

[Danoff]

I'm wondering what's going on in Texas. On 5/5, the TX governor announced an opening up of the state. Since (and before) then, the daily case count has risen fairly steadily. However, the daily death count has been declining since about May 22nd.

• Are they getting better at managing the infections and preventing deaths?
• If so, will there be an uptick in the number of seriously long-term compromised patients?
• Is it simply a result of improved testing?
• Are the numbers being fudged, with COVID-19 deaths being assigned to other causes like "pneumonia"? (Think of Florida)

View attachment 927761

It could be lots of things, like improving treatment, or the virus may have already killed the least healthy individuals that were going to be exposed and may be moving through a healthier subset. For example, suppose that young people are refusing to protect themselves but older people have stepped up their game. The result would be a healthier demographic becoming exposed.

 

[Dotini]

I'm wondering what's going on in Texas. On 5/5, the TX governor announced an opening up of the state. Since (and before) then, the daily case count has risen fairly steadily. However, the daily death count has been declining since about May 22nd.

• Are they getting better at managing the infections and preventing deaths?
• If so, will there be an uptick in the number of seriously long-term compromised patients?
• Is it simply a result of improved testing?
• Are the numbers being fudged, with COVID-19 deaths being assigned to other causes like "pneumonia"? (Think of Florida)

The situation in Washington is similar. New cases are holding steady, while deaths decline.
I suspect there will be massive numbers of seriously compromised people. In 9 months I expect to learn more about infertility issues.
I have believable information that deaths from other causes are being assigned to COVID-19.

 

[andrea]

This is going to be a disaster with how easily AC spreads it. Why not make masks inside casinos mandatory?

 

[McLaren]

This is going to be a disaster with how easily AC spreads it. Why not make masks inside casinos mandatory?

I'm gonna assume deep down, it's because they essentially are Las Vegas. By allowing everyone in & letting them wear masks at their own discretion, it ensures there's no lost patrons who don't agree with a "Mask Required" rule.

Beyond that, I think the mayor of Las Vegas has been vocal against Covid in the past.