Deadly Wuhan Coronavirus

Standingstones

Celestial
He is being responsible, I wasn't being clear. As soon as he felt sick he stayed out, isolated and went for testing. I heard about it yesterday afternoon because he called in. There have been two other people that I know who work there since April who are confirmed to have had it, got over it, got tested and came back. One was about 40, the other 67. Probably more I don't know about.

I'll find out Tuesday what the story with this poor guy is unless somebody calls me before then.

All FT employees over 65 were given 8 paid weeks to do with as they pleased. A sensible few left and didn't come back. He chose to go out just a couple of weeks. Says it's financial pressure. I have had several conversations with him and with the 79 year old man I regularly work alongside. Short answer - they're just in too deep and have too little going on elsewhere. Giving up their jobs is more of an existential threat than the virus, to them anyway.

That issue is a separate conversation - those who devote themselves to something at the expense of all else. Easy to fall into that trap sometimes and age is only a part of it.
I’ve always wondered about those people who are forced to work well into their 70s and beyond. I have known many people who worked at the phone company and never put a nickel aside for retirement. They finally got to 65 and had to continue working because Social Security money alone wouldn’t cut it. We made decent money at Verizon. To not put money back for old age was almost criminal.

One design engineer I knew spent every penny of his check each week. When Verizon started cutting back on management types he was out on the street looking at unemployment checks. I believe he had to move in with his elderly mother to get by. I bet she was glad to have her irresponsible son back home. At that time unemployment benefits lasted 6 months. In PA you received 40% of your gross pay.

What are all those people who lost their jobs from COVID going to do in the future? I think I read that there is 10% unemployment in the country now. It isn’t easy to just go out and find another job in your particular field. I guess these are some things I have been pondering the past few months.
 

AlienView

Noble
Even Asymptomatic People Carry the Coronavirus in High Amounts

A study out of South Korea found that people who are infected with the coronavirus but don’t have symptoms have just as much of the virus in their bodies as people with symptoms. That doesn’t fully answer the question of how easily they transmit the disease, but it is alarming for people trying to track the virus’s spread.

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IMHO, while not saying they should stop trying to track it to see where it is most prevalent - If you are anywhere
in any location where there are cases of it occurring - Assume everyone is a potential carrier and act accordingly.

Always wear the best quality mask you can find anytime you are in public and try to interact with people as
little as possible and at as far a distance as possible.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
There's been a 90% increase in child Covid-19 cases

Thousands of students started returning to classrooms this week as a report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association shows how easily children can get coronavirus.

There has been a 90% increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in children in the US over the past four weeks, according to the report, published Monday. The new report, expected to be updated weekly, said there were 179,990 new Covid-19 cases among US children between July 9 and August 6.

"It's not fair to say that this virus is completely benign in children," said Dr. Sean O'Leary, vice chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases.

Children make up just over 9% of the total cases in states that report cases by age, according to the report. At least 380,174 total child Covid-19 cases were reported as of August 6.

It still appears that severe symptoms are rare among children with Covid-19 infections. The AAP has still called for an effective testing strategy so that communities can make well-informed choices about opening schools.

O'Leary said multiple factors have led to an increase in the number of coronavirus infections in children in the past couple of weeks, including increased testing, increased movement among children and a rise in infection among the general population.

"When you see a lot more infections in the general population, you're going to see a lot more infections in children," O'Leary said. "We all have to take this virus seriously, including taking care of our children."

At least 86 children have died as a result of the disease since May, according to the report.

Last week, a 7-year-old boy with no pre-existing conditions died from Covid-19 in Georgia. In Florida, two teenagers died earlier this month, marking the state's sixth and seventh coronavirus deaths among children 17 and under.

The new study along with previous research directly contradicts President Donald Trump's claims that children are "almost immune" to Covid-19.

While more classrooms are scheduled to reopen this week, some students who just started the school year must go back to virtual learning because of new infections among students and teachers.

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nivek

As Above So Below
Louisiana reports 4th pediatric death in rare, coronavirus-related inflammatory condition

Louisiana health officials on Monday reported a fourth death from a rare, coronavirus-related inflammatory condition. The deaths were among Louisiana youth aged 2 to 19, with underlying medical conditions reported in two of the four deaths.

While younger populations tend to fare better with coronavirus infections, some pediatric patients develop Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C. The serious health condition occurs in people younger than 21, and involves potentially fatal inflammation of multiple organs, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin and eyes.

These patients may have a fever and other symptoms including abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain and rash, according to a statement from the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH).

The specific cause of MIS-C is not yet understood, but it is known to occur in youth infected with, or exposed to, COVID-19, according to officials.

Health officials said the state is seeing an increasing number of MIS-C cases. By Monday, the total number of confirmed MIS-C cases had risen to 44 in Louisiana. Infants just one-month-old, to teens aged up to 19, have been diagnosed with the condition in the state.

On average, these patients were hospitalized for seven days.

The LHD said it is mandatory to report MIS-C and urged clinicians statewide to immediately report any suspected cases to the health department.

Health officials advised parents to watch for signs of MIS-C in their children. Emergency warning signs include trouble breathing, chest pain or persistent pressure, confusion, inability to wake, bluish lips or face and severe abdominal pain.

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nivek

As Above So Below
More than 860 students and teachers in one Georgia school district are told to quarantine after dozens test positive for COVID-19 as in-person classes resume

More than 860 students and teachers from a single school district in Georgia are currently quarantining after dozens of COVID-19 infections were reported when in-person classes resumed a week ago. Schools in the Cherokee County district have asked 826 students and 42 teachers to quarantine for 14 days due to possible coronavirus exposure just six days into the new school year.

The 42,000-student district, which is just outside Atlanta, said on Monday that 38 students and 12 teachers had tested positive for the virus in the week that in-person classes resumed. Those who have been asked to quarantine were identified as part of the district's contact tracing efforts as people who may have come into close contact with an infected student or teacher.

The school district drew national attention last week when a photo of students at Etowah High School squeezed together for first-day-of-school senior photos without wearing masks.


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pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
I’ve always wondered about those people who are forced to work well into their 70s and beyond. I have known many people who worked at the phone company and never put a nickel aside for retirement. They finally got to 65 and had to continue working because Social Security money alone wouldn’t cut it. We made decent money at Verizon. To not put money back for old age was almost criminal.

One design engineer I knew spent every penny of his check each week. When Verizon started cutting back on management types he was out on the street looking at unemployment checks. I believe he had to move in with his elderly mother to get by. I bet she was glad to have her irresponsible son back home. At that time unemployment benefits lasted 6 months. In PA you received 40% of your gross pay.

What are all those people who lost their jobs from COVID going to do in the future? I think I read that there is 10% unemployment in the country now. It isn’t easy to just go out and find another job in your particular field. I guess these are some things I have been pondering the past few months.

This is a topic much on my mind and I may start a thread on it and some related stuff. A look at how we can get full of ourselves. BTW - I'm an old Northern Telecom mechanism from '85 and spent 32 years in that business.

As for Jerry, suddenly there's no mention of him whatsoever and lots of talk about HIPAA and how we'll be contacted as needed only if necessary. Uh huh. I'm sure he's got it.
 

Standingstones

Celestial
The whole COVID topic is more than just millions of people getting sick. What will happen to those people losing their livelihood. I am betting they won’t find employment in their particular field. Instead of working in a technical or professional position they will be working at multiple part time jobs to make ends meet. That certainly won’t help the economy get back on its feet.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
North Carolina dog that died after 'acute' illness tests positive for coronavirus

A North Carolina dog that died after suffering an "acute illness" earlier this month has tested positive for coronavirus, officials said Monday.

The death could mark a rare, potentially fatal case of COVID-19 in a pet, though it's still unclear if there were other underlying conditions that contributed to its death.

The dog was brought to the NC State Veterinary Hospital in Raleigh on Aug. 3 after showing signs of respiratory distress earlier that day, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

The person who brought the animal to the hospital told staff members that a family member had previously tested positive for coronavirus, though a later test returned negative results, the department said.

Citing patient confidentiality, the department did not provide additional information about the dog or the person who brought it to the hospital.

The dog died the same day, a department spokeswoman said. Samples taken from the dog that were tested in a diagnostic lab returned a positive result, a result confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory, the statement said.

Investigators were still trying to determine why it died, the statement said.

Only a handful of animals in the United States have contracted the disease, according to a list maintained by the Department of Agriculture. Most of those infections have occurred after contact with people who had coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The department says the risk of animals spreading the disease to people remains low.

As of Aug. 7, when the agriculture department’s list was last updated, it had confirmed 13 cases among dogs in eight states, including an earlier positive antibody test in North Carolina. Several cats have also contracted the disease, according to the list. So did eight lions and tigers at the Bronx Zoo.

Last month, National Geographic reported that the first dog to test positive in the United States — a 7-year-old German shepherd from New York named Buddy — died on July 11, six weeks after he was confirmed to have the disease.

The magazine reported that Buddy had lymphoma when he died and it’s unclear how much the cancer and the virus contributed to his death.

Michael San Filippo, a spokesman for the American Veterinary Medical Association, said most dogs that have contracted the disease are asymptomatic or show only slight signs of infection.

That "seems to indicate that this is not a major problem for dogs," he said. "But we have more to learn, like how it might combine with other conditions to cause more serious problems. We’re still advising caution with keeping pets away from people who are ill, and to practice social distancing with your pet and other pets and people outside your household."

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nivek

As Above So Below
Not good numbers...

Screenshot_20200812-223332.jpg

Screenshot_20200812-223200.jpg
 

nivek

As Above So Below
Matthew McConaughey grills Dr. Anthony Fauci in Instagram interview on COVID-19

Matthew McConaughey interviewed Dr. Anthony Fauci for 40 minutes on Instagram Thursday with the fast-talking, Oscar-winning actor getting a chance to grill the nation's top infectious disease expert on COVID-19.

McConaughey rapidly fired questions at the 79-year-old doctor on everything from how concerned people should be about getting the virus from touching a door knob (not as much as sharing close physical space with someone who is infected, Fauci says) to whether Advil makes symptoms worse (it doesn't).

"OK, true-false: Sunlight kills the virus?" McConaughey asked.

"It does," Fauci replied, supporting a theory pushed by President Donald Trump. "That's the truth."

What about letting everyone get infected so we all become immune and the disease dies out?

No way, Fauci said. That would cause big problems, particularly in America, where obesity is prevalent and related conditions like diabetes and hypertension are considered risk factors in how sick a person gets.

"If everyone contracted it ... a lot of people are going to die," Fauci said.

"The death toll would be enormous and totally unacceptable," Fauci added. "And that's the reason why we're against saying, 'Let it fly. Let everybody get infected and we'll be fine.' That's a bad idea."

Fauci also said Americans need to choose between getting to party this summer and opening schools in the fall: "You want to open the bars or you want to open the schools?"

McConaughey also asked Fauci if he had millions of dollars invested in a vaccine.

Fauci laughed. "Matthew, no. I got zero! I'm a government worker. I have a government salary."

McConaughey, known for his laid-back style and often photographed shirtless, instead wore a white-collared dress shirt and glasses for the interview. He turned philosophical at points, expressing his own personal disappointment and what he said was rage with the nation's response to the pandemic.

"Like a lot of people, I've been more than disillusioned -- actually quite full of rage -- at how COVID has been politicized," including masks, McConaughey said.

People, he added, are "looking for identity and purpose in a big time of unknown. And man, so many people have become disillusioned with our leadership," he said. "But also so many people have fervently [clung] to the fringes of the right and left, which causes further divide a lack of unity."

By the end of their discussion, McConaughey seemed heartened by Fauci's suggestion that the nation could pull together again, because it's done it in the past after World War II and 9/11.

"This is equivalent to that, Matthew. We've got to pull together, absolutely," Fauci said.

"That's it. ... We can have our freedom and our party later. Right now, let's pull together," McConaughey said.

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nivek

As Above So Below
I’ve always wondered about those people who are forced to work well into their 70s and beyond. I have known many people who worked at the phone company and never put a nickel aside for retirement. They finally got to 65 and had to continue working because Social Security money alone wouldn’t cut it.

I don't know if 'forced' is the right word to cover it, perhaps in some cases, but I think for many its due to poor choices in life and mainly not living within their means...I would rather not get that new car I've always wanted and keep my debt low or have none at all so I have my own money to live on when I'm 65 years old give or take...Some people cannot save money to save their lives, I know someone like that, give him 100 dollars it's gone the next day, give him 500 dollars it's gone the next day...He's 42 years old now, where do you think he might be financially when he reaches 65?...I'm not condemning anyone, just an observation...

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pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
I don't know if 'forced' is the right word to cover it, perhaps in some cases, but I think for many its due to poor choices in life and mainly not living within their means...I would rather not get that new car I've always wanted and keep my debt low or have none at all so I have my own money to live on when I'm 65 years old give or take...Some people cannot save money to save their lives, I know someone like that, give him 100 dollars it's gone the next day, give him 500 dollars it's gone the next day...He's 42 years old now, where do you think he might be financially when he reaches 65?...I'm not condemning anyone, just an observation...
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The Future
 

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
The whole COVID topic is more than just millions of people getting sick. What will happen to those people losing their livelihood. I am betting they won’t find employment in their particular field. Instead of working in a technical or professional position they will be working at multiple part time jobs to make ends meet. That certainly won’t help the economy get back on its feet.

The Future
 

AD1184

Celestial
There is this story today about workers at a sandwich factory in Northampton, England:

Coronavirus: Nearly 300 staff test positive for COVID-19 at factory that makes sandwiches for M&S

Nearly 300 employees have tested positive for coronavirus at a factory that makes sandwiches for M&S.

The Greencore factory in Northampton, which employs around 2,100 people, said some of its staff are now self-isolating.

Greencore said 79 workers had tested positive through NHS tests before the company decided to bring in a private testing program.

A further 213 positive results came back - taking the total number of positive results to 292.

Greencore told Sky News that the company is still waiting for some results to come back. A spokesman was unable to confirm how many but said it was less than 100.

I cannot see in any reports anything about the number of workers who are actually ill, only the numbers testing positive.

As this country moves to its current stage in the epidemic, and as I keep saying, there need to be efforts made to make a clear distinction between a positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 (the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2).

Back in the early days, this distinction was less important, as the virus was rampant and much newer. Now the virus is less novel and less prevalent in this part of the world. We know also that a previously infected individual can test positive for SARS-CoV-2 on a PCR test for months after having got over the disease.

A couple of months ago they suddenly discovered 'outbreaks' at meat packing plants in this country long after the peak of the pandemic. The workers in all of these settings were considered to be key and would have been working through the peak when testing resources were limited and when outbreaks were much more likely.

Can they say for sure that these outbreaks did not actually occur back in March or April, when there was no chance of the workers being tested unless they had to go to hospital, and they only got around to finding out when capacity and the will to test was available? Is there really an ongoing outbreak at the Greencore factory in Northampton?
 

nivek

As Above So Below
There is this story today about workers at a sandwich factory in Northampton, England:
Nearly 300 employees have tested positive for coronavirus at a factory that makes sandwiches for M&S.

The Greencore factory in Northampton, which employs around 2,100 people, said some of its staff are now self-isolating.
I cannot see in any reports anything about the number of workers who are actually ill, only the numbers testing positive.
I came across this page linked below whilst looking up some information on Greencore factory, this one I quoted is a good one...
I wish the government would mustard up the courage to say they’ve failed at track and trace and admit they need to ketchup with thee rest of the world,” said one a particularly critical comment.

‘Jobs will now be out sauced’: Huge Covid outbreak at sandwich factory sees Brits cracking dark puns - Tounesna News

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As this country moves to its current stage in the epidemic, and as I keep saying, there need to be efforts made to make a clear distinction between a positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 (the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2).

Back in the early days, this distinction was less important, as the virus was rampant and much newer. Now the virus is less novel and less prevalent in this part of the world. We know also that a previously infected individual can test positive for SARS-CoV-2 on a PCR test for months after having got over the disease.

A couple of months ago they suddenly discovered 'outbreaks' at meat packing plants in this country long after the peak of the pandemic. The workers in all of these settings were considered to be key and would have been working through the peak when testing resources were limited and when outbreaks were much more likely.

Can they say for sure that these outbreaks did not actually occur back in March or April, when there was no chance of the workers being tested unless they had to go to hospital, and they only got around to finding out when capacity and the will to test was available? Is there really an ongoing outbreak at the Greencore factory in Northampton?
The mindset of many British on social media that I've observed is that the pandemic is behind you now, it's past on and everything needs to be opened back up to normal in the UK...If that's the case there wouldn't be the outbreaks I keep reading about, yes and the meat processing plants, a few of those type facilities in America have had outbreaks and had to shut down and sanitize the place...

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Standingstones

Celestial
You can get quite an education sitting in the Walmart parking lot and observing shoppers. My wife went into the store while I sat in our vehicle. I believe that Walmart ‘requests’ that you wear a mask. The majority of people entering had masks on. Of course there was one woman who went breezing into the store without a mask. The greeter was outside the entrance and she didn’t say boo to that maskless woman.

I saw two women push their cart towards their car. Each cart was packed to the top with snacks and junk food only. There must have been a Covid party taking place this weekend. Another couple pulled in next to our SUV. An older couple got out and both lit up a cigarette. They had to smoke a complete butt before they could go into the store.

I’m glad I didn’t have any business that I needed to do at Walmart today.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
Growing number of people around the world say they wouldn't get a COVID-19 vaccine

A 57-year-old retired nurse from Florida, Susan Bailey, has had all of her vaccines and gets a flu shot every year, however, she’s one of a growing number of people globally who say they wouldn't take a coronavirus vaccine even if one becomes available in the near future. "I'm not anti-vaccine. My kids were both vaccinated with everything, but I would not take a COVID vaccine today," Bailey told CNN. "I have underlying health issues ... I would want to see enough studies in a long-term period of what the ramifications are for the vaccine." Bailey rejects the extreme views of the anti-vaccine community but says she has concerns about a coronavirus vaccine. Bailey said consensus among the world's top scientists and at least six months of testing would be just "a start" in persuading her to take it. "It's much too soon for me, I'd have to say, 18 months." Development for vaccines is a long, complex process, often lasting 10 to 15 years.

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