Deadly Wuhan Coronavirus

[nivek]

Beijing residents are rounded up and put in quarantine as the city goes back into lockdown and new travel bans are introduced to stop new 'extremely severe' coronavirus outbreak

China is rounding up Beijing residents and forcing them into quarantine as the capital goes back into lockdown amid an 'extremely severe' coronavirus outbreak, which is being blamed on European salmon.

Footage shows officials in hazmat suits barking orders through a megaphone while people line up in queues and pack into buses amid fears that a second wave of virus cases is about to hit the country. Activist Jennifer Zeng, who posted the footage, claims that seven hotels were requisitioned as quarantine sites with people rounded up in an all-day operation after an outbreak linked to the Xinfadi wholesale market.

Beijing has today reported 27 new infections from the Xinfadi cluster and cases have spiked in recent days after mass testing and draconian lockdowns appeared to have brought China's outbreak to a virtual standstill. The boss of the Xinfadi market on Saturday told reporters that researchers had found traces of the novel coronavirus on a chopping board used to cut imported salmon. The Chinese Centre for Disease has however come out to say there is no evidence to suggest contaminated salmon played a role in the outbreak.

Today's new cases took the number of confirmed infections in Beijing over the past five days to 106, as authorities locked down almost 30 communities in the city and tested tens of thousands of people. Those at most risk of having come in contact with the virus were also banned from leaving the city, in measures echoing the drastic lockdown in Wuhan where the disease was first detected late last year.

China now faces a dilemma on how drastically to deal with new outbreaks while keeping the momentum in its economic recovery - a situation shared by other countries such as New Zealand that have beaten the virus. Beijing has not set an GDP growth target for this year for the first time in decades, but analysts say it will have to grow GDP by three per cent to steady its economy. There remains a sense of unease on Asian and global markets about signs of a COVID-19 resurgence, just as the city was getting back on track and after months of no new cases.

 

[nivek]

COVID-19 cases are spreading along major highways in California, Arizona and the Carolinas, data shows - as states reopen and people relax social distancing



New COVID-19 hot spots are popping up along interstates in California, Arizona and the Carolinas, according to data compiled by the PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. A PolicyLab map of current cases per 100,000 people in a select number of counties across the country show infections appear to be clustered around the I-10, which stretches through southern states from California to Florida. Cases are also centered alongside the I-5, which runs the length of California; and on the I-85, which stretches through North and South Carolina. Currently, California, Arizona and the Carolinas are all seeing spikes in new infections in the last week, according to data from each state's health departments.

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[nivek]

As many as half of coronavirus patients with NO symptoms may silently suffer 'disturbing' lung damage that leaves them oxygen-deprived without knowing it, study finds

• Researchers looked at studies from 16 different groups including prison inmates, cruise ship passengers and nursing home residents
• About 45% of people infected with COVID-19 may never have traditional signs such as coughing, fever or shortness of breath
• Among the cruise ship passengers, 54% of the 76 those who were asymptomatic had lung damage indicated on CT scans
• Specifically that lad hazy, white clouds in their lungs, meaning the organs were full of fluid, bacteria or immune system cells

Coronavirus patients without any symptoms can still suffer organ damage - often silently - a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzing public datasets found that as many as 45 percent of people infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, never have traditional signs such as coughing, fever or shortness of breath. What's more, in one of the datasets, more than half of asymptomatic patients had CT scans with signs of serious lung damage.

'The silent spread of the virus makes it all the more challenging to control,' said Dr Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research.

'Our review really highlights the importance of testing. It's clear that with such a high asymptomatic rate, we need to cast a very wide net, otherwise the virus will continue to evade us.'

For the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the team looked at reports from 16 cohorts around the world.

This included pre-print reviews from bioRxiv and meRxiv, and studies looking at groups such as nursing home residents, cruise ship passengers and prison inmates. 'What virtually all of them had in common was that a very large proportion of infected individuals had no symptoms,' Oran said.

(more on the link)

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[nivek]

Brazil ignored the warnings. Now, while other countries fret over a second coronavirus wave, it can’t get past its first.

RIO DE JANEIRO —Weeks ago, when this seaside metropolis had recorded fewer than 10,000 cases of the novel coronavirus and there still appeared to be time, some of Brazil's most respected scientists made their last-ditch appeal. The country had reached a pivotal juncture. Cases were skyrocketing. The hospital system was teetering at capacity. Thousands had already died.

So Carlos Machado, a senior scientist with Brazil’s prestigious Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, wanted the language to be strong. At the request of Rio officials, his team was assembling a list of recommendations. He needed to make clear what would happen if they didn’t immediately impose a complete lockdown. “It would result,” the team warned in the early May report, “in a human catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.”

But the officials never instituted a lockdown. Cases and deaths soared. People stopped isolating, choosing instead to pack beach boardwalks on weekends. And the warning turned out to be just one more exit ramp that Brazil declined to take on its way toward becoming the second-most disease-ravaged country in the world.

Latin America’s largest country has so far registered more than 888,000 coronavirus cases and nearly 44,000 deaths, second on both counts only to the United States. But while other countries have been through steep curves and are now focused on preparations for a possible second wave, Brazil can’t even get past its first.

What’s happening here appears to be unique on a global level. Despite soaring numbers, officials never implemented measures largely successful elsewhere in the world. There has been no national lockdown. No national testing campaign. No agreed-upon plan. Insufficient health-care expansion. Instead, the hardest-hit cities are now deciding to open up, throwing open the doors to malls and churches, at a time when the country is routinely posting more than 30,000 new cases a day — five times more than Italy reported at the peak of its outbreak.

The inaction has pushed the country onto a path that scientists call uncharted.

“We are doing something that no one else has done,” said Pedro Hallal, an epidemiologist at the Federal University of Pelotas. “We’re getting near the curve’s peak, and it’s like we are almost challenging the virus. ‘Let’s see how many people you can infect. We want to see how strong you are.’ Like this is a game of poker, and we’re all in.”

Brazil is on a trajectory to register more than 4,000 deaths per day and overtake the United States in both cases and deaths by the end of July, according to researchers at the University of Washington. But just as the pandemic is magnifying the similarities between the United States and Brazil — two continent-sized countries with extreme inequality and populist presidents — it is also revealing the chasm between them. Brazil has neither the world’s biggest economy, nor one of its strongest health-care systems, nor the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(More on the link)

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[pigfarmer]

Spent my day in Ft.Lee NJ and Manhattan yesterday. Lots of masks, looks like where I live. Also looks like people are becoming more lax with distancing, use of masks, etc. I drove in, didn't use mass transit. Still plenty of traffic - took me 1:15 to go 8 miles......

All very subjective, just an observation.

Been seeing reports of spikes in other states and will be interested to see if we have any by roughly July 4th or so.

 

[nivek]

Texas sees record high COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as five other states record surge in new daily infections - as Dr Fauci warns America isn't even out of its first wave yet



Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Texas have spiked to record highs this week as daily new infections also surge in five other states - as health officials warn the United States hasn't even passed the first COVID-19 wave. The number of new cases in Texas hit a record high of 2,622 on Tuesday, marking a rising tide of cases for a second consecutive week. Hospitalizations - a metric not linked to increased testing - also hit a record high in Texas this week after increasing for five consecutive days. Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon and Nevada all reported record increases in new cases on Tuesday. It comes as health experts, including Dr Anthony Fauci, warned the United States was still in the middle of its first coronavirus wave despite fears the country was headed for a second surge.

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[nivek]

Florida has over 3000 new cases in half a day today, North Carolina 1200 new cases thus far today, California hit a new high yesterday of over 4000 new cases...Many other states are recording huge spikes, I think it's out of control now, we are going to see new cases and deaths rise exponentially and the President stating the country will not shut down again...This whole scenario is madness, so many more are going to die...

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[nivek]

New York goes al fresco in bid to save 5,000 restaurants and 45,000 jobs: Open street seating kicks off Monday as part of Phase Two reopening which will see more pedestrianized zones (so let's hope for a long, dry summer)



Mayor Bill de Blasio declared outdoor seating 'is the way forward', as he unveiled a dining plan that will allow businesses to operate by using five different options including the 'Open Streets' program which could see roads pedestrianized and converted into large eating areas beginning in July. 'Outdoor dining, it's a new reality, we've had it before but the way we have to do it now is very new and different and we're ready,' De Blasio said.

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[Standingstones]

I’ve noticed that a number of football players of the Dallas Cowboys have been diagnosed with the Corona virus. From what I read the owners and commissioner have said the season starting will be full speed ahead. I would like to know how they will justify their actions when more players will certainly come down with the virus?

 

[nivek]

We Will Be Living With the Coronavirus Pandemic Well Into 2021

The virus is winning. That much is certain more than six months into a shape-shifting pandemic that’s killed 450,000 people worldwide, is gaining ground globally and has disrupted lives from Wuhan to Sao Paulo.

While promising, fast-moving vaccine projects are underway in China, Europe and the U.S., only the most optimistic expect an effective shot to be ready for global distribution this year.

If, as most experts believe, an effective vaccine won’t be ready until well into 2021, we’ll all be co-existing with the coronavirus for the next year or longer without a magic bullet. And this next phase of the crisis may require us to reset our expectations and awareness and change our behavior, according to public-health professionals.

In their view, success isn’t defined as returning to life as it was in 2019. Rather, it’s about buying time and summoning the staying power and policy flexibility to limit the destructive capacity of an expanding pandemic, which may result in global deaths of more than one million according to one estimate, until there are medical tools to effectively treat and immunize against the virus.

“People are fatigued. They mistakenly feel that things were going away,” said Cameron Wolfe, an infectious-disease doctor and associate professor of medicine at Duke University. “We’re going to have to figure out a way to live with this.”

Complicating matters, the perceived threat varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, let alone country to country. Much depends on the severity of local outbreaks and the effectiveness of testing, contact tracing, social distancing, hospital systems and public-health messaging that is free of political shading.

(more on the link)

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[nivek]

New highs in daily new cases for many states, North Carolina is set to make mask wearing mandatory in public whilst California says they will not enforce mask wearing...

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[nivek]

Dire warning for Florida as it records its highest number of daily covid infections at 3,207 - as scientists fear that the worst is yet to come for the Sunshine State



Florida has recorded its highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a single day throughout the entire pandemic - as new projections show the state could become next large epicenter and risks being 'the worst it has ever been'. The number of new coronavirus cases surged to 3,207 on Thursday, bringing total infections across the state to nearly 86,000, according to Florida's health department data. The daily case count surpassed the previous record set on Monday when more than 2,700 cases were confirmed. Florida's daily death count increased by 43 on Thursday, bringing the state's total number of fatalities to just over 3,000. While the number of deaths per day is not rising, the percentage of new positive tests is, hitting 8.8 percent on Thursday, compared to 5.5 percent the week before. New COVID-19 forecasts from the PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has experts issuing dire warnings for Florida.

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[nivek]

 

[Shadowprophet]

I suppose I will write this here. My next-door neighbor, his name is Larry Strode, He is the Mayor of This little community He several months ago, had, "man Cancer nicest way to say it" He has a surgery, Which caused him to develop a weird kind of sepsis, Which almost killed him, he went to the hospital for that, And Contracted Coronavirus.

him and his family. Went on Quarantine. for fourteen Days, During this time, his wife contracted the Virus as well, Both he and his wife spent about three days in the hospital and are now fully recovered, In his home, There is also his son, His Sons wife and Three small children, Who also contracted Coronavirus, but never needed any kind of medical care, They never developed serious symptoms.

I and Sam, May have also had it. We can not confirm it. We were both, "Very slightly" Ill and had trouble breathing for like two days., Shortly after our neighbors got sick.

however, We don't know if we actually had it or not. But it does seem weird getting a breathing sickness at this time of year.

guys, I don't think the Coronavirus is as serious as some people Claim. However, Maybe we were just lucky. Maybe we never even had it at all. But. I'm pretty sure we did.

Sam had it worse than me. however, I've had pneumonia several times in my life, and I have a heart condition, So at least, Mentally, I know how to "emotionally" deal with difficult breathing.

I still Hold by my prognosis. This thing could kill some people, But, I think those people would have to be unhealthy before they got it for it to do that.

 

[Sheltie]

Glad to hear you and Sam are doing better now! I think, for the most part, the Covid virus is only dangerous to the elderly and the infirm. We heard horror stories in the news about young healthy people who died or developed lung damage but I think these incidents were actually fairly rare. It's not unheard of for young healthy people to die from the regular flu or even a bad cold.

 

[nivek]

New highs in daily cases again today for many states, fortunately deaths have not spiked...

Here's a comparison, yesterday and today...

 

[nivek]

The arrogance to this pandemic by not wearing masks to protect others has been absolutely astounding, young or old, life is precious and this virus kills in all age ranges and kills thousands more than the common cold or flu...Being highly contagious on top of it all we cannot begin belittling this pandemic and belittling the lives lost as a result, young or old covid-19 doesn't care, but we should...Besides death this virus seriously damages lungs in young and old, irreparable damage for many people...The Spanish flu pandemic lasted three years, we've only just begun with this coronavirus, and as it mutates deadlier strains can develop as we have already seen...

There is no excuse for this arse Lyft passenger, a POS in my view...

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White Lyft passenger threatens to crush Hispanic driver's skull and hurls racial slurs at him after he asked him to wear a mask

• A Lyft passenger who gave his name as Richard has been banned from the app
• Richard ordered a ride on May 28 to take him back to his home in Reno, Nevada
• The driver, Edgar, asked if he could put a face mask on, to Richard's annoyance
• Richard said he doesn't 'believe that s***' and grew angry with Edgar's route
• When Edgar pulled over, Richard called him 'a f****** wet back' and mocked him
• Lyft say Richard's behavior, caught on camera, was 'despicable'

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[nivek]

Brazil becomes second country to hit one million coronavirus cases after the US - with a record 54,000 new infections in a single day

Brazil has become the second country in the world to hit one million coronavirus cases after infections soared by 54,000 in one day. The South American country recorded more than 1,200 deaths for the fourth consecutive day bringing the total to nearly 49,000 yesterday. It comes two months after the US reached the one million mark and just days after the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa Etienne said Brazil was a major concern.

A lack of testing in the country with a population of 209 million has led experts to suggest the real figure could be much higher. Hours before the latest figures were revealed the World Health Organisation's director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the coronavirus pandemic was entering a 'new and dangerous' stage. He said cases were rising at the same time as people are growing weary of lockdowns and governments are seeking to restart their economies.

Walter Braga Netto, the head of the office of the Brazilian president's chief of staff, known as Casa Civil, and one of the top officials handling the crisis, has previously said it was under control in the country. 'There is a crisis, we sympathize with bereaved families, but it is managed,' said Braga Netto, who spoke during a webinar held by the Commercial Association of Rio de Janeiro.

Hundreds of new graves were dug in the Vila Formosa cemetery, in Sao Paulo. The cemetery is the largest in Latin America and has been doing about 70 burials a day, due to the coronavirus pandemic

 

[nivek]

New highs in many states again today, I went in to town earlier today and saw a few out of state tags, a major highway runs nearby there, many travelers stop in that small town frequently...Fortunately daily deaths have not spiked but new cases sure are jumping...

 

[Standingstones]

Brazil becomes second country to hit one million coronavirus cases after the US - with a record 54,000 new infections in a single day

Brazil has become the second country in the world to hit one million coronavirus cases after infections soared by 54,000 in one day. The South American country recorded more than 1,200 deaths for the fourth consecutive day bringing the total to nearly 49,000 yesterday. It comes two months after the US reached the one million mark and just days after the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa Etienne said Brazil was a major concern.

A lack of testing in the country with a population of 209 million has led experts to suggest the real figure could be much higher. Hours before the latest figures were revealed the World Health Organisation's director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the coronavirus pandemic was entering a 'new and dangerous' stage. He said cases were rising at the same time as people are growing weary of lockdowns and governments are seeking to restart their economies.

Walter Braga Netto, the head of the office of the Brazilian president's chief of staff, known as Casa Civil, and one of the top officials handling the crisis, has previously said it was under control in the country. 'There is a crisis, we sympathize with bereaved families, but it is managed,' said Braga Netto, who spoke during a webinar held by the Commercial Association of Rio de Janeiro.

Hundreds of new graves were dug in the Vila Formosa cemetery, in Sao Paulo. The cemetery is the largest in Latin America and has been doing about 70 burials a day, due to the coronavirus pandemic

There is a

Brazil’s President Bolsonaro has much to to with the total outbreak of the virus. There is a laundry list of things he has ignored at the outset. He has basically made light of the COVID virus and now Brazil finds itself behind the US in the number of cases. I feel sorry for the citizens of that country. The whole situation will probably not end in a good way for those Brazilians.