Coronavirus thread

[MusicTurner]

I'm sorry, but this is just unusually stupid. Will prolong problems and doesn't exactly makes one wish to visit the UK within the nearer future.
Dorset beaches, the UK, today.
What a set-back.

https://twitter.com/Tobias_Ellwood/status/1276152218819989508

[Mandryka]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53185386

Coronavirus: Prof Chris Whitty warns public over gatherings in hot weather


'""Naturally people will want to enjoy the sun but we need to do so in a way that is safe for all," he said.'

The problem is this: it was entirely predictable that this would happen. Yet the city of Bournemouth never lifted a finger to encourage people to enjoy the sun " in a way that is safe for all."  I think that is totally irresponsible.

[drogulus]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53185386

Coronavirus: Prof Chris Whitty warns public over gatherings in hot weather


'""Naturally people will want to enjoy the sun but we need to do so in a way that is safe for all," he said.'

The problem is this: it was entirely predictable that this would happen. Yet the city of Bournemouth never lifted a finger to encourage people to enjoy the sun " in a way that is safe for all."  I think that is totally irresponsible.

     I don't think there will be much spread from a crowded beach environment. It looks worse than it probably is.

     Parties — Not Protests — Are Causing Spikes In Coronavirus

For the clusters that have popped up, Lautenbach says the state has been using contact tracing to learn more about how they're contributing to the spread of the virus. For instance, it found that 14 cases were associated with a party of 100 to 150 people in early June. Subsequently, 15 more cases were associated with the original 14.

"So that one event spread to 29 people and 31 related employers," Lautenbach says. "Our challenge is to continue to trace as it moves through families, as it moves through workplaces and as it moves through social events as well."

But protests just aren't spreading the disease in the same way, Lautenbach says.

"We're finding that the social events and gatherings, these parties where people aren't wearing masks, are our primary source of infection," Lautenbach says. "And then the secondary source of infection is workplace settings. There were 31 related employers just associated with that one party because of the number of people that brought that to their workplace. So for us, for a community our size, that's a pretty massive spread."

And much of that spread, Lautenbach says, is affecting young people.

"We have seen almost a near flip in the cases that we're experiencing," Lautenbach says. "So in April of this year, we were really struggling with long-term-care outbreaks. And so about 3 out of 4 people were over the age of 30 and really pretty heavily skewed to 60-plus. And by contrast, in June, we're seeing that now 2 out of 3 people that have contracted this disease are under 29."

     Massachusetts has also found protests are not big virus spreaders. I guess that means beach partying protesters will be safe as long as they wear masks.

     

[JBS]

One difference that might be important is that at protests and parks and beaches, those in the crowd are likely to interact only with those they already know, and not move around randomly.

At parties, indoor or outdoor, this is less likely to be true.

[drogulus]

One difference that might be important is that at protests and parks and beaches, those in the crowd are likely to interact only with those they already know, and not move around randomly.

At parties, indoor or outdoor, this is less likely to be true.

     Also, if your cause is just, the virus will pass over.

[JBS]

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-53174415/they-want-to-throw-god-s-wonderful-breathing-system-out

Before holding a vote to mandate the wearing of masks in public places to stop the spread of coronavirus, Palm Beach County commissioners were harangued by residents who accused them of obeying the devil, imposing a communist dictatorship and dishonouring the American flag.

Florida has just reported a daily record of 5,508 new coronavirus infections, bringing its total number of confirmed infections to 109,014, with 3,281 deaths.

American exceptionalism!

For those who haven't seen it.
https://mobile.twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1275912010555932672

[Karl Henning]

I'll post these here:

http://henningmusick.blogspot.com/2020/06/past-present-and-not-quite-immediate.html

http://henningmusick.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-challenge-of-simplicity.html

[Karl Henning]

Separately:

On Facebook, she denounced a Starbucks worker who asked her to wear a mask. It backfired: He received over $28,000 in tips.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'm sorry, but this is just unusually stupid. Will prolong problems and doesn't exactly makes one wish to visit the UK within the nearer future.
Dorset beaches, the UK, today.
What a set-back.

https://twitter.com/Tobias_Ellwood/status/1276152218819989508

Wow!  I was shocked when I saw that picture!  And saddened too.

Well, it's me and the birds in my garden (along with mosquitos who are horrible about social-distancing from me!  ).

PD

[MusicTurner]

Wow!  I was shocked when I saw that picture!  And saddened too.

Well, it's me and the birds in my garden (along with mosquitos who are horrible about social-distancing from me!  ).

PD

1) Truth be told, we were having some of the same problems in Copenhagen today, during the heatwave, albeit on a lesser scale.
There are popular beaches & swimming options in the city harbour. But beaches outside the city have plenty of space between people.

Unfortunately I can't really participate in that sort of city carelessness, but it must be pleasant when you can.

As a side remark, it's been demonstrated how photographers using a zoom lens often will make the density of people more accentuated, than it really is.
So one should study such photos a bit carefully.

2) Some good news:
a local study here shows that people using medicine against heightened blood pressure or heart problems aren't more at risk for being seriously ill with the virus.

[MusicTurner]

Spanish scientists now saying they've apparently found clear traces of corona virus in one Barcelona sample from ... March 2019.
But the find needs further verification.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain-science/coronavirus-traces-found-in-march-2019-sewage-sample-spanish-study-shows-idUSKBN23X2HQ

[Pohjolas Daughter]

1) Truth be told, we were having some of the same problems in Copenhagen today, during the heatwave, albeit on a lesser scale.
There are popular beaches & swimming options in the city harbour. But beaches outside the city have plenty of space between people.

Unfortunately I can't really participate in that sort of city carelessness, but it must be pleasant when you can.

As a side remark, it's been demonstrated how photographers using a zoom lens often will make the density of people more accentuated, than it really is.
So one should study such photos a bit carefully.

2) Some good news:
a local study here shows that people using medicine against heightened blood pressure or heart problems aren't more at risk for being seriously ill with the virus.

Ah, well, I hope that the rate doesn't spike in Denmark.

I've wondered about some photos...thinking more about the angle but that's good to know about zoom lenses.  I'll have to ask others more about that on the photos thread...thanks!  And good news re No. 2. :-)

PD

[Que]

Disconcerting news about the situation in the USA:

Coronavirus: US has 'serious problem', says Fauci (BBC)

My sympathies go out to our members from the US....
Although it hasn't been a picnic here in Europe either.
But at least the situation is under control - for now - and there has been a gradual return to some form of normality.
With the possible exception of the UK, which locked down too late and is now unlocking too early.

Q

[Jo498]

Outdoors the contagion probability seems far smaller than indoors. With the old samples, it could be fragments of similar viruses, or not. Continental/central Europe seems to be doing not too bad. Switzerland, Austria, Czechia are allowing most things, including tourism, Germany has had a little setback because of the embarrassing situation in slaughterhouses (and worse, the living conditions of their often Southeastern European workers) but apart from this it seems quite under control.
Not sure about Africa and Southern Asia but the main viral problem zone now seems the Americas.

[drogulus]

Outdoors the contagion probability seems far smaller than indoors. With the old samples, it could be fragments of similar viruses, or not. Continental/central Europe seems to be doing not too bad. Switzerland, Austria, Czechia are allowing most things, including tourism, Germany has had a little setback because of the embarrassing situation in slaughterhouses (and worse, the living conditions of their often Southeastern European workers) but apart from this it seems quite under control.

     I just watched an episode of Tatort that showed the conditions of slaughterhouse workers housing (Bulgarians).

[drogulus]

     How the Virus Won

     This adds detail to what has been reported widely. We "shallowed" out the CDC, it bungled the first tests and there was no follow up. There has been no national testing and contact tracing strategy. We aren't even playing catch up.

     It's not just the Trumpist moronathon that afflicts the country. Bill De Blasio has to answer for his delayed response. Allowing local government to fall to the stupidest level it's capable of in a national emergency has produced predictable results.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Caught a bit of a news story today re US at least (need to look into it longer), but it has to do with somehow or another using wastewater to detect the virus and that it could be used to detecting a second wave of the virus.

Sorry, I need to work on dinner, but I'm sure that you can find various stories.

Best,

PD

[SimonNZ]

US buys up world stock of key Covid-19 drug remdesivir

"The US has bought up virtually all the stocks for the next three months of one of the two drugs proven to work against Covid-19, leaving none for the UK, Europe or most of the rest of the world.

Experts and campaigners are alarmed both by the US unilateral action on remdesivir and the wider implications, for instance in the event of a vaccine becoming available. The Trump administration has already shown that it is prepared to outbid and outmanoeuvre all other countries to secure the medical supplies it needs for the US.

"They've got access to most of the drug supply [of remdesivir], so there's nothing for Europe," said Dr Andrew Hill, senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University.

Remdesivir, the first drug approved by licensing authorities in the US to treat Covid-19, is made by Gilead and has been shown to help people recover faster from the disease. The first 140,000 doses, supplied to drug trials around the world, have been used up. The Trump administration has now bought more than 500,000 doses, which is all of Gilead's production for July and 90% of August and September.

"President Trump has struck an amazing deal to ensure Americans have access to the first authorised therapeutic for Covid-19," said the US health and human services secretary, Alex Azar. "To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it. The Trump administration is doing everything in our power to learn more about life-saving therapeutics for Covid-19 and secure access to these options for the American people."

The drug, which was invented for Ebola but failed to work, is under patent to Gilead, which means no other company in wealthy countries can make it. The cost is around $3,200 per treatment of six doses, according to the US government statement.

The deal was announced as it became clear that the pandemic in the US is spiralling out of control. Anthony Fauci, the country's leading public health expert and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Senate the US was sliding backwards."[...]

[MusicTurner]

(...)

Dextamethason is now being used in Danish hospitals, it is available, cheaper and apparently more effective than Remdesivir.

Hydrocortisone is also promising, cf. results from the UK, reducing fatalities with at least 1/3 among the very ill, and it will now be introduced at hospitals here.

[Que]

US buys up world stock of key Covid-19 drug remdesivir

America first.....

Foolish... because soon the tables might be turned: the most promising vaccine projects are European.

Q