General Coronavirus chit chat thread - non-travel specific

[dajop]

Interestingly, it also turned up this map, which shows the relative strictness of gun control laws.

Lots of maps like this that show a huge divide in the US. Even in relation to COVID, early on the colours would have been reversed on the map with some of the states with low COVID numbers back in April being hardest hit today and vice-versa.

 

[Pushka]

The restrictions in the UK are also region dependent. Where son is now residing, once he completes his self iso they are able to go to pubs etc and which don't close until 10pm. This particular area is Covid free so hope that stays. And he has not been contacted by anyone to see if he is self iso.

 

[Flying mermaid]

The restrictions in the UK are also region dependent. Where son is now residing, once he completes his self iso they are able to go to pubs etc and which don't close until 10pm. This particular area is Covid free so hope that stays. And he has not been contacted by anyone to see if he is self iso.

From what Dr FM has told me they don’t check on anyone don’t enforce mask wearing, barely fine anyone. As a result cases are going crazy and it will only get worse. Fortunately treatments are so much better now. I am counting off the months until she gets back.

 

[Pushka]

From what Dr FM has told me they don’t check on anyone don’t enforce mask wearing, barely fine anyone. As a result cases are going crazy and it will only get worse. Fortunately treatments are so much better now. I am counting off the months until she gets back.

If his partner wasn't as conservative and he is certainly eminently sensible, and they were living in mid London I think I would be much more worried. I'm trying not to think too much about it.

 

[Flying mermaid]

If his partner wasn't as conservative and he is certainly eminently sensible, and they were living in mid London I think I would be much more worried. I'm trying not to think too much about it.

There are definitely pockets that are better than others. Dr FM has to get the tube to and from the hospital every day so that’s another concern. She’s pretty fanatical about masks and hand washing. Not thinking about it is very sensible, but I can’t do it!

 

[Pushka]

There are definitely pockets that are better than others. Dr FM has to get the tube to and from the hospital every day so that’s another concern. She’s pretty fanatical about masks and hand washing. Not thinking about it is very sensible, but I can’t do it!

The tube is certainly a concern. Where he is living is about an hour away but they can do everything in their local community which apparently is a very "traditional Brit" one.

 

[Flashback]

The tube is certainly a concern. Where he is living is about an hour away but they can do everything in their local community which apparently is a very "traditional Brit" one.

I'm so sorry to hear that.

 

[JessicaTam]

I've been away for a while. Conspiracy theory? Every single country in the world is suffering except for one.

Enough said....

Good to see you JohnK.

 

[ethernet]

I must admit that I have not been following them of late.

Reading what is there now, would seem to be a good summary of what I would think most here in Australia would have thought to be the case for a while. Including that fomite transmission is not that common.

Did they not acknowledge airborne transmission at all prior to the 5th?


COVID-19 can sometimes be spread by airborne transmission

• Some infections can be spread by exposure to virus in small droplets and particles that can linger in the air for minutes to hours. These viruses may be able to infect people who are further than 6 feet away from the person who is infected or after that person has left the space.
• This kind of spread is referred to as airborne transmission and is an important way that infections like tuberculosis, measles, and chicken pox are spread.
• There is evidence that under certain conditions, people with COVID-19 seem to have infected others who were more than 6 feet away. These transmissions occurred within enclosed spaces that had inadequate ventilation. Sometimes the infected person was breathing heavily, for example while singing or exercising.
  • Under these circumstances, scientists believe that the amount of infectious smaller droplet and particles produced by the people with COVID-19 became concentrated enough to spread the virus to other people. The people who were infected were in the same space during the same time or shortly after the person with COVID-19 had left.
• Available data indicate that it is much more common for the virus that causes COVID-19 to spread through close contact with a person who has COVID-19 than through airborne transmission.

HVAC

However reading what they have on ventilation and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) it looks ok for home settings, and large facilities but does not seem to highlight that small premises (whether they be shops, hair dressers, offices) that essentially only have "household" HVAC is probably going to be inadequate in many situations due the lack of air change (ventilation).

This is the same in Australia and is often ignored. I do note that Step 2 in Vic for restaurants focusses on outside dining , with strict limits on inside dining, for this reason. But even those small limits may not be strict enough depending on the premises and I personally would not be confident that many operators will really focus on adequate ventilation.

Now outside of Vic in Australia as infections are now effectively zero it does not really matter (though it does mean those settings remain in theory vunerable), but certainly in Metro Melb in Vic I would not be visiting such premises till cases are virtually zero.

In Portland when the fires were going, there were DIY instructions for a house air filter made out of a big cardboard box, and fan pushing air(most heaters have a fan only function) in and a exit path/filter made of sheet/pillows/fabric on hand. There were no filters at the hardware store -nada. Adequate ventilation may be as simple as drawing air down and away from patrons. The cardboard box trick works a treat - relative to nothing.

I have a dangerous 10volt DC UV ozone bulb, if not used properly and remotely to disinfect if I have to. I have not heard of Australian shopping malls or schools using UV bulbs. Just noise about private rent a goon deep cleaners, who self certify their own contracts.

 

[dajop]

Just going to put this out there. In the interest of balance I’ve been looking at different sorts of media outlets than I usually would.

COVID is not and 'has never been a pandemic': Alan Jones | Sky News Australia

Sky News host Alan Jones says COVID-19 is not, and has never been, a pandemic. “A pandemic is a disease which is prevalent over a whole country. This is not a pandemic. It was never a pandemic,” Mr Jones said. “So let's look briefly at the facts surrounding mortality.” Mr Jones said in...

www.skynews.com.au

The only thing I will mention is that there is a tendency for some people to ignore the effects of interventions (such as severe lockdowns, isolation of the sick etc) when doing comparisons to “normal” scenarios.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Just going to put this out there. In the interest of balance I’ve been looking at different sorts of media outlets than I usually would.

COVID is not and 'has never been a pandemic': Alan Jones | Sky News Australia

Sky News host Alan Jones says COVID-19 is not, and has never been, a pandemic. “A pandemic is a disease which is prevalent over a whole country. This is not a pandemic. It was never a pandemic,” Mr Jones said. “So let's look briefly at the facts surrounding mortality.” Mr Jones said in...

www.skynews.com.au

The only thing I will mention is that there is a tendency for some people to ignore the effects of interventions (such as severe lockdowns, isolation of the sick etc) when doing comparisons to “normal” scenarios.

Haven’t clicked on it but he’s wrong already in the excerpt.
A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease.

 

[Princess Fiona]

New report from the CDC on Excess Mortality in the USA
CDC Surveillance
Deaths amongst 25-44 year olds up by 26.5% the largest change for any age group.

 

[tgh]

Spectacular rate of increase worldwide tested positives, pushing rapidly towards 500 000 per day .
European numbers are exploding , has something changed ?
Better testing is in place , but this escalation rate may also be showing an evolving bug better adapted to it's new habitat.
It's nice to be down under and (mostly ) out of the conflagration.

 

[OZDUCK]

Spectacular rate of increase worldwide tested positives, pushing rapidly towards 500 000 per day .
European numbers are exploding , has something changed ?
Better testing is in place , but this escalation rate may also be showing an evolving bug better adapted to it's new habitat.
It's nice to be down under and (mostly ) out of the conflagration.

I have seen no indication on any site that a "new" strain has appeared. In this case I believe that the simplest answers are the ,most likely. The rates of infection have increased because travel and isolation restrictions were eased either too soon or in a inappropriate manner. Plus community engagement with prophylactic measures has become poor. The poor performance of some countries testing and tracing processes has also become more apparent. All this has been exacerbated in places with a dysfunctional government response - e.g. the UK. There are also a number of countries where regional/city governments and national governments are at loggerheads over the necessary approach - notably Spain but also the UK ( A fine example is with the "lockdown" in Manchester).

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I have seen no indication on any site that a "new" strain has appeared.

There have been new strains as with each generation the virus changes slightly, however the differences appear slight and there appears to be no evidence that they act in any significantly different way in terms of health outcomes.

These changes is also why genomic testing can be use to track transmission chains.

However there has been some thoughts that it could possibly make particular vaccines less effective.

 

[drron]

Some more clinical studies.First another regime that reduces mortality in severe disease.

Corticosteroids, tocilizumab combo associated with improved survival in patients with COVID-19 cytokine storm: Study

By Denise BaezNEW YORK -- October 20, 2020 -- Among hospitalised patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related cytokine storm, the combination of corticosteroids and tocilizumab was associated with superior survival outcomes versus standard of care and corticosteroids, alone or in...

dgalerts.docguide.com

Another trial to see if disease in close contacts can be prevented.

Welcome to Precision Vaccinations News

Precision Vaccinations News publishes vaccine news patients can trust to make informed immunization decisions in partnership with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.

www.coronavirustoday.com

And drugs that are not shown to significantly reduce mortality though can reduce the time to recovery.

WHO says Solidarity Trial “generated conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of repurposed drugs” for COVID-19

Interim results from the Solidarity Therapeutics Trial indicated that remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir and interferon regimens appeared to have “little or no effect” on 28-day mortality or the in-hospital course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among hospitalized...

dgalerts.docguide.com

Sadly those with Down's syndrome at increased risk of getting Covid and more severe disease.

People with Down syndrome have a significantly increased risk of death from COVID-19

By Denise BaezPeople with Down syndrome have a 4-fold increased risk for hospitalisation from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and a 10-fold increased risk for COVID-19-related death, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.Down syndrome is not on the UK shielding...

dgalerts.docguide.com

 

[Flashback]

I have seen no indication on any site that a "new" strain has appeared. In this case I believe that the simplest answers are the ,most likely. The rates of infection have increased because travel and isolation restrictions were eased either too soon or in a inappropriate manner. Plus community engagement with prophylactic measures has become poor. The poor performance of some countries testing and tracing processes has also become more apparent. All this has been exacerbated in places with a dysfunctional government response - e.g. the UK. There are also a number of countries where regional/city governments and national governments are at loggerheads over the necessary approach - notably Spain but also the UK ( A fine example is with the "lockdown" in Manchester).

You mean like this?

'We had more than 60 calls from test-and-trace'

One family in London say they received scores of long, repetitive calls from contact tracers.

www.bbc.co.uk

There have been new strains as with each generation the virus changes slightly, however the differences appear slight and there appears to be no evidence that they act in any significantly different way in terms of health outcomes.

These changes is also why genomic testing can be use to track transmission chains.

However there has been some thoughts that it could possibly make particular vaccines less effective.

Well sure genomic testing is an option in Australia where the number of tests and positive cases are very low, but in somewhere like the UK where there's a far greater number of positive cases, the labs are already under pressure just to even carry out the tests so I'm not sure how feasible doing that on top of it is.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

You mean like this?

'We had more than 60 calls from test-and-trace'

One family in London say they received scores of long, repetitive calls from contact tracers.

www.bbc.co.uk

Well sure genomic testing is an option in Australia where the number of tests and positive cases are very low, but in somewhere like the UK where there's a far greater number of positive cases, the labs are already under pressure just to even carry out the tests so I'm not sure how feasible doing that on top of it is.

I was more reflecting on that the genomic testing showed how much the virus had changed or not.

I would be surprised in the UK does not at least do some ongoing genomic sequencing just to track how the virus is changing. A quick google seems to suggest that they are even it is not at the same completeness as say in Australia.

Plus UK travellers do go into quarantine in Australia and NZ where it is sequenced.


Where is genomic sequencing being used and what has it shown?
While governments around the world, including the UK, are working with local research teams on genomic sequencing programs, Victoria’s genomics regime has been at the forefront of the effort to contain its second wave of Covid-19.

What is genomic sequencing and how is it being used against Covid-19 in Australia?

Genetic detective work is allowing scientists to map coronavirus clusters and identify ‘superspreaders’ as they work to quell a second outbreak in Victoria

www.theguardian.com

COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium

The goal of the COG-UK Consortium is to deliver large-scale SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing capacity to hospitals, regional NHS centres and the Government that, when combined with epidemiological and clinical information, will inform interventions and policy decisions during the current UK COVID-19 epidemic.

COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, represented a major threat to health. The COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium was been created to deliver large-scale and rapid whole-genome virus sequencing to local NHS centres and the UK government. Its data helped Public Health...

www.sanger.ac.uk

 

[drron]

A little on Covid mutations.The most common one appeared first in Europe.Some consensus is that it made the virus more infective though not an increase in severity.

Evaluating the effects of SARS-CoV-2 Spike mutation D614G on transmissibility and pathogenicity

Global dispersal and increasing frequency of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein variant D614G are suggestive of a selective advantage but may also be due to a random founder effect. We investigate the hypothesis for positive selection of Spike D614G in the United Kingdom using more than 25,000 whole...

www.medrxiv.org

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/09/23/houston-coronavirus-mutations/?arc404=true

And one fact often overlooked with the USA.It is the world leader in rates of obesity and obesity is a risk factor for severe disease.
.

 

[p--and--t]

Just going to put this out there. In the interest of balance I’ve been looking at different sorts of media outlets than I usually would.

COVID is not and 'has never been a pandemic': Alan Jones | Sky News Australia

Sky News host Alan Jones says COVID-19 is not, and has never been, a pandemic. “A pandemic is a disease which is prevalent over a whole country. This is not a pandemic. It was never a pandemic,” Mr Jones said. “So let's look briefly at the facts surrounding mortality.” Mr Jones said in...

www.skynews.com.au

The only thing I will mention is that there is a tendency for some people to ignore the effects of interventions (such as severe lockdowns, isolation of the sick etc) when doing comparisons to “normal” scenarios.

Haven’t clicked on it but he’s wrong already in the excerpt.
A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease.

Surely no educated and informed person would ever think that a statement made by Mr Alan Jones would have the slightest resemblance to a fact and based on years and years of evidence of his behaviour on radio in the vast majority of cases his statements would be boiled down to a "factoid" if not an outright fabrication.