The COVID-2019 Thread

[tomcat]

Smoking Helps Open Gateway to Coronavirus Infection, Study Shows

By Corinne Gretler (Bloomberg.com/asia)
April 9, 2020, 6:01 AM GMT+7

• Cigarette use may elevate enzymes that allow virus to get in
• Study by St. Paul’s Hospital published in medical journal

Smoking may raise the risk of Covid-19 by elevating enzymes that allow the coronavirus to gain access into lung cells, according to a new study.

Smokers and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may have elevated levels of an enzyme called ACE-2, which helps the virus enter cells in their lungs, where it replicates, a study published in the European Respiratory Journal Thursday showed.

Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic conditions have emerged as factors that make people vulnerable to Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus that’s sweeping the world in a pandemic.

The research, led by Janice Leung, a respirologist at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, is an observational study based on data emerging from China and was peer reviewed. In China, where the mortality rate is higher for men than women, about half of males smoke, according to the World Health Organization. That compares with some 2% for females.

“There has never been a better time to quit smoking to protect yourself from Covid-19, ” Leung said.

Samples were taken from the lungs of 21 patients with COPD and 21 people not suffering from COPD. Higher levels of ACE-2 were found both in COPD patients and current smokers.

The researchers also cross-referenced their findings with two existing study groups that include more test subjects, and came to the same conclusion.

[OhOh]

supposedly breaching China's strict lockdown restrictions.

One presumes the IO's decision is final.

"I was invited here, and cannot meet this small request [to follow quarantine rules] at all."

One presumes the IO's decision is final.

[OhOh]

Blimey they've gone tenacious!

The China bullshit machine is on full power.

The government spokesperson has informed the media of the country's position.

Standard to most of the world's civilised governments. There of course others that utilise the "being economical with truth" route.

[OhOh]

Visa amnesty for foreigners – but conditions apply


"The Immigration Bureau has now announced, after a few false starts, that it is granting visa relief for all foreign nationals who have found themselves marooned in Thailand. The announcement is now up on the bureau’s website.


• Visas that have expired from March 26 onwards will be automatically extended to April 30.

• Foreigners are no longer required to apply in person for an extension at an immigration office

• They will not be charged 500 baht per day for overstaying their visa

• Foreigners who are due to file their 90 day reports, between March 26 and April 30, are also temporarily exempted.

• Foreigners with border passes will be allowed to stay in Thailand for now but will be required to leave Thailand within 7 days once the borders are opened again."

Visa amnesty for foreigners - but conditions apply | The Thaiger

Unfortunately no link to TI site.

Also "announced" here:

Where concerns remain that "Long Stay visas" are NOT included.

One comment
"Hello,

Just to let you guys know, I am currently at Muang thong thani and they are sending everyone away saying that nobody needs a visa extension anymore until the 30th of april, you dont need to get the stamp, you won't pay any fine. They are not going to open the gates today apparently."




Thai visa advice Public Group | Facebook

[Hugh Cow]

found this on youtube. An Indian news channel called Wion. I couldn't find anything on the reliability of the station I will leave it for others to find and for OhOh and Klondyke to refute as fake news.

[Seekingasylum]

You couldn't find anything that legitimated it as a viable news source???

You fucking idiot, its a creditable news channel with renown editors at its helm recruited from other well established media outlets.

[HermantheGerman]

You might have heard about different phases of clinical trials before. Here's what they mean for the purposes of a COVID-19 vaccine:

• Preclinical: Testing in animals. Does the vaccine produce antibodies, does it protect against illness, what dose is necessary?
• Phase I: Testing in a small number of humans. This phase is about making sure the vaccine is safe.
• Phase II: More testing in humans — does the vaccine actually work?
• Phase III: Testing in a larger number of humans to confirm its effectiveness
• Phase IV: After the vaccine has been rolled out, ongoing surveillance to make sure it's safe and doesn't have long-term adverse effects

Amidst these, the potential vaccine also has to be approved for use by relevant regulatory bodies and, crucially, it has to be manufactured in sufficient amounts and distributed around the world.

A vaccine for coronavirus is the goal, but what does it take to get there? - Health - ABC News

In order to speed things up, I suggest the following:

• Preclinical: Testing on Chinese. Does the vaccine produce antibodies, does it protect against illness, what dose is necessary?
• Phase I: Testing in a small number of Chinese. This phase is about making sure the vaccine is safe.
• Phase III: Testing in a larger number of Chinese to confirm its effectiveness

I think they owe it to us


*when I say Chinese I mean those type of humans that belong to the politburo.

[harrybarracuda]

There of course others that utilise the "being economical with truth" route.

What about......


Oh HoHo, your silly chinky sycophancy is hilarious.

The chinkies caused this epidemic, they lied about it allowing it to spread and they deprived countries around the world of critical medical supplies at a time when they needed them.

Now the parasites are seeking to profit from it.

[harrybarracuda]

In order to speed things up, I suggest the following:

• Preclinical: Testing on Chinese. Does the vaccine produce antibodies, does it protect against illness, what dose is necessary?
• Phase I: Testing in a small number of Chinese. This phase is about making sure the vaccine is safe.
• Phase III: Testing in a larger number of Chinese to confirm its effectiveness

I think they owe it to us


*when I say Chinese I mean those type of humans that belong to the politburo.

And Mr. Shithole should be the first guinea pig.

(I don't know if the chinkies know what a guinea pig is, if they did, they'd probably eat it).

[Bettyboo]

found this on youtube. An Indian news channel called Wion. I couldn't find anything on the reliability of the station I will leave it for others to find and for OhOh and Klondyke to refute as fake news.

If true, and it sounds plausibly, it shows the fault not with the medical professionals in China, but the ideological management by the communist party.

& remember, after SARS, the Chinese government were/are legally obliged to fully communicate this information in the earliest instance with the WTO and international healthcare community.

[Troy]

And Mr. Shithole should be the first guinea pig.

(I don't know if the chinkies know what a guinea pig is, if they did, they'd probably eat it).

Why not? The guinea pig original comes from South America and was raised for food.

[Hugh Cow]

You couldn't find anything that legitimated it as a viable news source???

You fucking idiot, its a creditable news channel with renown editors at its helm recruited from other well established media outlets.

Just because it has journos from CNN and some other well known sources does not make the story legitimate without corroboration you pee brained wannabee intellectual irish oik.

[bowie]

Imagine, what will happen if the healthcare workers decide to stay home...



Nursing home with 39 coronavirus cases evacuated after staff stops showing up


Nursing home with 39 coronavirus cases evacuated after staff stops showing up

Nearly 100 residents had to be removed from a nursing home facility in Southern California on Wednesday after a large portion of its staff stopped showing up for work.

The Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Riverside has 39 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to county officials, and for two days in a row, 13 of its employees were no-shows. It’s unclear why, exactly, they went AWOL, but with a deficit of nursing assistants, 40 ambulances had to move patients to other facilities — a process that took several hours.

These kinds of nursing facilities have been hit hard by COVID-19, with the age and health conditions of their residents making them more susceptible to the virus.

Across the country, nursing homes have been locked down to visitors, and in manydifferentstates they’ve become hot spots for coronavirus.

“The congregate living facilities do pose a greater risk for COVID-19,” Riverside County public information officer Brooke Federico said to the Los Angeles Times, “because they are groups of people [living] together, and also, unfortunately, people who are at skilled nursing facilities are in a more vulnerable population because they are older and have underlying health conditions.”


A sign of things to come?

[harrybarracuda]

Why not? The guinea pig original comes from South America and was raised for food.

Mate as far as the chinkies are concerned, anything is raised for food.

[HermantheGerman]

Teakdor 21.01.2020

The lies are spreading faster then the virus.

China's President Xi Jinping said on Monday that safeguarding people's lives should be given "top priority" and that the spread of the epidemic "should be resolutely contained"

[tomcat]

Mate as far as the chinkies are concerned, anything is raised for food.

...or slaughtered for ornaments...

[Klondyke]

16 people died at Ont. nursing home before sick residents were separated from the healthy

Space constraints blamed for delay in separating patients at Pinecrest Nursing Home

An Ontario nursing home besieged by COVID-19 didn't separate healthy from sick residents or staff until after 16 people had died, and two weeks after the home declared a respiratory outbreak, CBC News has learned.

The disease has claimed the lives of more than a third of the residents at Pinecrest, located in Bobcaygeon, Ont., about 150 kilometres northeast of Toronto. A note last month from the home's administrator said residents had been "isolated into separate areas," but that didn't happen until last week.

Efforts to move people to isolated parts of the nursing home were hampered by space constraints, and private rooms only became available after some of the residents with COVID-19 died, a nurse at the home said.

"That's the reason why we actually have the space now. Because we've lost ... residents," said Sarah Gardiner, who has worked at the Pinecrest Nursing Home for 12 years.

"But before, there really was not the space to do that. It would have been an impossibility, I think."

16 people died at Ont. nursing home before sick residents were separated from the healthy | CBC News

[HermantheGerman]

Why not? The guinea pig original comes from South America and was raised for food.

Yes we know, but you haven't looked on the Chinese menu

"Gunea pig à la covidtay" is a popular and versatile Wuhan dish. It consists of skewered meat served with a sauce. All types of meat can be used to make covidtay, even some of the exotic varieties such as bats or pangolin meat, but the essential thing is to marinate the meat with a covid-19 sauce before grilling.

Bon appétit

[HermantheGerman]

16 people died at Ont. nursing home before sick residents were separated from the healthy

Space constraints blamed for delay in separating patients at Pinecrest Nursing Home

An Ontario nursing home besieged by COVID-19 didn't separate healthy from sick residents or staff until after 16 people had died, and two weeks after the home declared a respiratory outbreak, CBC News has learned.

The disease has claimed the lives of more than a third of the residents at Pinecrest, located in Bobcaygeon, Ont., about 150 kilometres northeast of Toronto. A note last month from the home's administrator said residents had been "isolated into separate areas," but that didn't happen until last week.

Efforts to move people to isolated parts of the nursing home were hampered by space constraints, and private rooms only became available after some of the residents with COVID-19 died, a nurse at the home said.

"That's the reason why we actually have the space now. Because we've lost ... residents," said Sarah Gardiner, who has worked at the Pinecrest Nursing Home for 12 years.

"But before, there really was not the space to do that. It would have been an impossibility, I think."

16 people died at Ont. nursing home before sick residents were separated from the healthy | CBC News

Yes, unfortunately nursing homes have also been hit hard here in Germany. That's going to be a tough one to protect the old folks.

[harrybarracuda]

It's shocking that this idiot in charge of WHO is so under the chinky thumb that he has abused his power to alienate Taiwan.

For once I am behind baldy orange cunto, he should get this ingrate thrown out immediately.

TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan demanded an apology from the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief on Thursday (April 9) after he accused the island's government of leading personal attacks against him and his agency's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for unity to fight the disease on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump criticised the global health body and threatened to cut its funding.

During the press conference he spoke of the abuse - including racial slurs - he had been subjected to since the public health crisis began.

Dr Tedros largely avoided mentioning Mr Trump by name but he did single out the government in Taipei, which has been frozen out of the WHO after political pressure from Beijing.

"Three months ago, this attack came from Taiwan," he told reporters in Geneva.

"They didn't disassociate themselves. They even started criticising me in the middle of all that insult and slur, but I didn't care," Dr Tedros said.

The comments sparked anger in Taiwan, which described Dr Tedros' comments as "baseless".

"Our country has never encouraged the public to launch personal attacks against him or made any racially discriminatory comments," foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told reporters on Thursday.

"Our government demands an immediate clarification and an apology from director-general Tedros over such extremely irresponsible act of slander," she added.

WORSENING RELATIONS

Relations between the WHO and Taiwan have worsened considerably since the pandemic began, even as health experts have lauded Taiwan for its response to the virus.

It has just 379 confirmed Covid-19 patients and five deaths despite its close proximity and trade links with China, where the pandemic began.

Taiwan used to be able to obtain observer status at the WHO's annual assembly.

But diplomatic pressure from Beijing in recent years has pushed Taiwan out of major international bodies including the WHO and ICAO - the UN's aviation agency.

China's Communist Party regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and has vowed to one day seize the island - by force if necessary.

Beijing's efforts to isolate the island have ramped up since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016 because does not view the island as part of a "one China".

Critics of Dr Tedros have accused the WHO under his leadership of being too close to Beijing and complimentary of China's response to the coronavirus.

In a tweet threatening to cut funding, Mr Trump called the organisation "very China centric".
Dr Tedros has denied being partisan or holding any geopolitical bias.

"Please quarantine Covid politics. That's what we want. We don't care about personal attacks," he said.

Taiwan demands apology from WHO chief over coronavirus 'slander', East Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

[harrybarracuda]

Fucking hell, it's been a while. I did that in college. How much value have they had out of those old boxes?

(CNN)On top of ventilators, face masks and health care workers, you can now add COBOL programmers to the list of what several states urgently need as they battle the coronavirus pandemic.

In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has put out a call for volunteers who know how to code the decades-old computer programming language called COBOL because many of the state's systems still run on older mainframes.

In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly said the state's Departments of Labor was in the process of modernizing from COBOL but then the virus interfered. "So they're operating on really old stuff," she said.

Connecticut has also admitted that it's struggling to process the large volume of unemployment claims with its "40-year-old system comprised of a COBOL mainframe and four other separate systems." The state is working to develop a new benefits system with Maine, Rhode Island, Mississippi and Oklahoma. But the system won't be finished before next year.

"Literally, we have systems that are 40-plus-years-old," New Jersey Gov. Murphy said over the weekend. "There'll be lots of postmortems and one of them on our list will be how did we get here where we literally needed COBOL programmers?"

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/08/business/coronavirus-cobol-programmers-new-jersey-trnd/index.html

[Klondyke]

^Damned WHO chief (and the cunto either)...

[harrybarracuda]

Medical supplies purchased by the Health Services Authority have been confiscated by the US government, Premier Alden McLaughlin confirmed.

The supplies were already loaded on a container and aboard a ship ready to depart when the vessel was stopped and items removed by US authorities, he said.

“Yesterday [Tuesday], the US authorities removed from a ship that was coming to Cayman a container which contained four ventilators, 50,000 masks and various other bits and pieces,” McLaughlin said during Wednesday’s COVID-19 briefing.

“That has been a huge disappointment to us. All of those were things that were procured and purchased in the US,” he said.

According to international reports, five other countries, including Canada, Germany and Barbados, have also had their medical supplies blocked due to an executive order issued by US president Donald Trump.

McLaughlin said everything will be done to get the supplies that have been seized returned as soon as possible.

“We are working through various diplomatic channels on it. There seems to be a policy now to prevent the shipment out of the US of certain key pieces of equipment. Personal protective equipment and ventilators are in quite short supply in a number of the US states that have been harder hit,” McLaughlin said.

The premier said Cayman is trying to get another 30 ventilators on island “which, in terms of per capita, would put us in the stratosphere compared to any other country in the world”.

He said Cayman will have to talk about what “workarounds” could put in place.

McLaughlin added that a significant amount of PPE is on its way to Cayman from China.

“We are a bit nervous about even that going through the US. There are a whole lot of moving parts and a lot of work to ensure that, should the worst occur, we will be super prepared here to deal with very sick people in numbers and we will be able to ensure that our front-line staff have the best quality and quantity of PPE to be able to deal with patients,” he said.

The US has denied reports alleging that it had seized supplies.

https://www.caymancompass.com/2020/04/08/us-authorities-seize-cayman-medical-supplies/

[harrybarracuda]

Another stoopid fucking Republican.

DES MOINES, Iowa —
Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday that she signed a proclamation declaring Thursday as a Day of Prayer in Iowa.
“The power of prayer and faith in God is something that has guided so many of us in good times and bad,” said Reynolds. “We have all been impacted by COVID-19. Some of us have lost a loved one and others know those who are sick. Whether you are a nurse on the frontlines fighting the pandemic, a grocery store worker, the truck driver making a delivery, or someone laid off at home, this has been a challenging and stressful time. Let us join together and pray for our neighbors, communities and state.”

Reynolds declares 'Day of Prayer' for Thursday in light of COVID-19

[Dragonfly]

Fucking hell, it's been a while. I did that in college. How much value have they had out of those old boxes?

the funny thing is that those old COBOL routines are more reliable now than any shitcode produced by a big US Government vendor outsourced to Indians

they won't be replaced anytime soon, unless government employees won't mind to have their monthly payments suspended, like it happened when they tried before