The COVID-2019 Thread

[harrybarracuda]

The U.S. health insurance companies must be crapping themselves.

Don't be silly. They have enormous deductibles, a ton of small print and millions of their customers only had it through employers.

[harrybarracuda]

First Covid-19 deaths in US occurred WEEKS EARLIER than previously thought


"People in the US were dying of the novel coronavirus weeks before authorities officially reported the first death linked to the disease, new data published in Santa Clara County, California reveals. Autopsies performed on two people who died at home on February 6 and February 17 show that their tissues were infected with Covid-19, Santa Clara health authorities said in a statement, adding that another previously unreported death associated with the coronavirus had occurred on March 6.

The first coronavirus-linked death in America was originally believed to have occurred on February 29. At that time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that a man in his 50s had died in Washington state.

The California cases were not previously associated with the epidemic as these victims died at a time when "only individuals with a known travel history and who sought medical care for specific symptoms" were being tested, the statement said.

The news suggests that the virus may have been circulating in the US earlier than previously thought. Santa Clara County Executive Jeff Smith said the fact that several people were apparently infected "right around the beginning of February and late January" – and that two of them had passed away – meant "the virus has been around for a while."

According to Mercury News, both of the fatal cases are believed to have originated in the community and were not associated with foreign travel. This also means that community transmission in America had started well before the first such case was officially reported on February 26.

The US has seen more than 800,000 confirmed coronavirus cases to date. More than 45,000 Americans died of Covid-19."

First Covid-19 deaths in US occurred WEEKS EARLIER than previously thought — RT USA News

FFS HoHo did you think the chinkies weren't spreading it across the world even then?

I'd go back and look at the date on Post #3.

[Dragonfly]

You're kidding right?
It's the 19th strain of the CORONA.

god, you are as stupid as a Trumpanzee

check the WHO website for the naming convention,

[Dragonfly]

Jesus fucking Christ. The 19 is the fucking year (2019).

Dear Christ.

yeah you would think by now people would know that shit, but we must assume Cujo is another dumb Trump follower

[harrybarracuda]

Who triggered Buttplug again? Own up.

[baldrick]

check your toes

[Latindancer]

Coronavirus is a dress rehearsal for what awaits us if governments continue to ignore science

The coronavirus pandemic is a dress rehearsal for what awaits us if governments continue to ignore science | John Hewson | Opinion | The Guardian

[GracelessFawn]

Coronavirus is a dress rehearsal for what awaits us if governments continue to ignore science

The coronavirus pandemic is a dress rehearsal for what awaits us if governments continue to ignore science | John Hewson | Opinion | The Guardian

Even science has no answer to the COVID-19 puzzle.

[Troy]

The amount of testing in the UK is still very limited compared to other countries in Europe. It suggests the number infected is much higher than the figures show. It is far too early for restrictions to be removed if they are following the same protocol.

Regards China and repeat positive cases. Are these people becoming I'll or do they just have antibodies in their blood? I used to have pneumonia antibodies running around each winter years after I was infected.

[bowie]

Coronavirus is a dress rehearsal for what awaits us

That is the silver lining - those who forget are condemned to repeat (Spanish Flu) it is hoped that once the dust settles the world will be prepared for the next pandemic, not if, when. Of course, as time goes by, memories fade and complacency sets in.

no answer to the COVID-19 puzzle

Still very much a work in progress - each day we learn more. There is really nothing we can do to accelerate the learning curve. Just about all statements, cautions and opinions concerning this pandemic are tempered with, possibly, maybe and hopefully.

amount of testing

The testing is the key, until we have a valid, qualified as accurate, plentiful, and Fast, test(s) - we need accurate tests for those with prior exposure, those currently infected, and those with a level of immunity, we are flying blind.

Testing is the key to understanding this Pandemic and developing the correct game plan to address it.

The Medical Catastrophe -
To date we do not have a curative regime - our medicos are currently treating the symptoms but we don't have a proven method of curing those afflicted.

A viable vaccine that will rectify Covid-19 is years out. Once developed we must inoculate the population - a time consuming operation.

The initial emergency in lack of PPE and medical equipments has been addressed and for the most part our medical teams are adequately supplied with the tools needed.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. and yes, I am well aware of the potential for a second wave infection, but, with adequate testing we can minimize the impact.

[bowie]

^^^^ Baldrick - good post - good info - well worth the watching

Thanks

It ain't just the toes...

[katie23]

@troy - re: reinfection or repeat positive cases. This S. Korean doctor/ epidemiologist said that what they are seeing now is not reinfection but relapse. Reinfection is if you had it already, have recovered, then get the infection from another person / place.

What they saw was people getting relapse. Infected people, during the course of the illness, have to be tested regularly using PCR (polymerase chain reaction). There is a certain number (viral load or titer) that can be detected by the test. If your immune system has done its work and "killed" the copies of the virus, then the test comes out negative and you can be released from hospital. But you may still have copies of the virus - minute amounts. These viral copies replicate when you're at home already, causing some symptoms to occur again - that's relapse.

Essentially your body should be healthy so that you can create cells/ proteins which fight the infection. However, they're seeing cases of young, healthy persons who also get the disease badly. This is because a "cytokine storm" may be triggered. Who gets the cytokine storm or doesn't - it depends on our genes. If you get the cytokine storm, it could lead to organ failure (heart, kidneys, etc).

There's a case of a young doctor here (male, early 30s) who had symptoms, then tested negative initially. He was advised to self isolate at home. After several days with worse symptoms, he went to hospital again and tested positive. It's postulated that he initially tested negative because the viral load wasn't high enough to be detected by the PCR test. The doc has since recovered.

Interview with Dr. Kim, with English subtitles


Cytokine storm

[Bettyboo]

I reckon it's time to give these fine people exactly what they want... Just take their ID card numbers and don't allow them any medical treatment when they get sick; Darwinism at it's finish... Yet another example of American Exceptionalism.

[bowie]

Time to reflect... Advanced Directives – Got one?


Redacted to reduce post size – interested – see link

http://www.aol.com/article/lifestyle/2020/04/22/im-a-doctor-in-a-covid-19-unit-heres-one-vital-step-i-wish-everyone-would-take/24069386/

I'm a doctor in a COVID-19 unit. Here's one vital step I wish everyone would take
ASHA SHAJAHAN, M.D. Apr 22nd 2020 1:29PM

Earlier this week, a 30-year-old patient with COVID-19 passed away on a ventilator. He hadn’t laid out his end-of-life wishes ― what in the medical field are called advance directives. His father, devastated after seeing the numbers related to his condition, didn’t want any further treatment that would prolong the inevitable. His mother wanted to try everything that could possibly be done to save him. If the patient himself had been able to speak, he might have expressed what his wishes were and saved his family a heartbreaking conflict.
But he hadn’t planned to die.
This tragic situation is all too common…

Out of the 55 patients on my COVID-19 unit in metro Detroit, only one had an advance care planning document. That patient was nonverbal after having a stroke at the age of 54. I phoned his sister, his designated legal guardian, and she read his advance care plan to me. “Doctor, tell him I love him,” she said. It was comforting to know that this patient had a designated advocate.

[harrybarracuda]

Even science has no answer to the COVID-19 puzzle.

Of course it does. It's the clash with society that is the problem.

[harrybarracuda]

I have been impressed with the response in the GCC, although them being "benign dictatorships" helps somewhat in that a lockdown is a lockdown.

The local supermarkets have staff at the door disinfecting carts and baskets before use, there is sensible space clearly marked out, and they use one of those temperature checkers on every patron.

Of course when I asked the lad to show me the reading, he just laughed and sheepishly turned it around.... 32.9.

So I was able to complete my shopping safe in the knowledge that if the virus didn't get me, hypothermia would.

[harrybarracuda]

These fucking god-bothering c u n t s just want their cash.

A Los Angeles judge denied a request by three southern California churches to continue holding in-person services during the coronavirus pandemic.

In his ruling Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal denied the request for a temporary restraining order against Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) by Shield of Faith Family Church, Word of Life Ministries International and Church Unlimited.

Bernal rejected the argument that Newsom’s stay-at-home orders violated their first amendment rights to freedom of religion and freedom of assembly, The Associated Press reported.

“During the state of emergency the executive powers are in effect, in that they are empowered to provide for emergency remedies which may infringe on fundamental constitutional rights,” Bernal said in a hearing Wednesday, according to the AP. He said a formal opinion is forthcoming.

Harmeet Dhillon, National Committeewoman of the Republican National Committee for California and CEO of the Center for American Liberty, argued churches have been singled out while other businesses such as grocery stores have remained open as essential businesses. She argued that for some, church services are equally as essential.

Judge rejects attempt by three California churches to hold services despite stay-at-home order | TheHill



I say let them have their services, *conditional* on them losing their tax-free status to contribute funds to the public healthcare needed to treat the people they would inevitably infect.

[harrybarracuda]

University of Louisville researchers have developed a technology that is believed to block the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells.

The technology is based on a piece of synthetic DNA – an “aptamer” – which targets and binds with a human protein called nucleolin. Early tests show that this aptamer may stop viruses, including novel coronavirus, from “hijacking” nucleolin to replicate inside the body.

UofL is seeking to fast-track development, including application to the Food and Drug Administration for approval to start treating patients seriously affected with COVID-19.

The aptamer was discovered by UofL’s Paula Bates, John Trent and Don Miller, who have applied it in a variety of ways, most notably as a potential therapeutic drug against multiple types of cancer. With the current global pandemic of coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease it causes, Bates partnered with fellow researcher Kenneth Palmer to apply the technology once again.

“Like many scientists, as soon as I heard about the new coronavirus, I wanted to help and started to think about how my area of research might intersect with coronavirus research efforts,” said Bates, a professor of medicine. “I am fortunate to be at UofL, which is one of the few places in the country where we have the facilities to do experiments using the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”

Palmer, director of UofL’s Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (CPM), conducted proof-of-concept experiments showing the aptamer was effective against the virus at doses previous research has shown to be safe in patients. Palmer also is working on another potential COVID-19 treatment, Q-Griffithsin, developed at UofL in partnership with the National Cancer Institute and the University of Pittsburgh.

The CPM houses UofL’s Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, one of only 12 regional and two national biocontainment labs in the United States and the only one in Kentucky. Established with support from the NIH to conduct research with infectious agents, the lab includes Biosafety Level 3 facilities built to the most exacting federal safety and security standards. The stringently secure facilities protect researchers and the public from exposure to the pathogens being investigated.

UofL is providing financial support for COVID-19 research, but additional funds are needed to continue the work over time. Donations specifically for the research can be made online here.

UofL breakthrough technology shows promise fighting novel coronavirus | UofL News

[harrybarracuda]

I was laughing at this dumb bint this morning. Anderson Cooper showed her a restaurant plan from chinky scientists showing how the Wuhan virus could infect patrons in close proximity, to which she replied "This isn't China".

Looks like HoHo's attempts to make people believe there is an "American virus" are working.



Meanwhile, the Hard Rock Casino were advertising this morning that you can download an app that controls an actual Slot machine in their casino.

I can just imagine all those old biddies getting out their paper cups full of coins and sitting in the Barco lounger, smoke in one hand and dirty martini in the other.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said on CNN today that businesses — including casinos — should reopen, but offered no guidance on how to do it safely.

“They better figure it out. That’s their job,” Goodman said. “That’s not the mayor’s job.”

The Culinary Union says it supports Gov. Steve Sisolak’s decision to keep casinos closed, adding, “The Culinary Union is majority women and people of color, and we are not expendable.”

Goodman does not have jurisdiction over the major casinos on The Strip, which are located outside of the Las Vegas city limits and are governed by Clark County.

Commissioner Michael Naft wrote on Twitter that “[Mayor Goodman’s] defiance of Gov. Sisolak’s stay-at-home order is reckless and dangerous.”

The Nevada Gaming Control Board says it is not yet safe for the state’s casinos to reopen.

“According to Governor Sisolak’s medical advisory team, the data related to the spread of COVID-19 does not support the reopening of gaming establishments in Nevada at this time,” the board says in a written statement.

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/us-coronavirus-update-04-22-20/h_8ec4b00ac32e2e4bd7e4ce5d6422fa4f

[jabir]

Coronavirus is a dress rehearsal for what awaits us if governments continue to ignore science


The coronavirus pandemic is a dress rehearsal for what awaits us if governments continue to ignore science | John Hewson | Opinion | The Guardian

I thought SARS was the dress rehearsal; could be wrong, maybe the next one will be the real dress rehearsal.

[katie23]

^accdg to the interview/video with the Korean doctor in my post before, he considered MERS-CoV as a playground, since it was short & swift. He described covid-19 as a marathon. We don't know when it will end...

[jabir]

The amount of testing in the UK is still very limited compared to other countries in Europe. It suggests the number infected is much higher than the figures show. It is far too early for restrictions to be removed if they are following the same protocol.

Regards China and repeat positive cases. Are these people becoming I'll or do they just have antibodies in their blood? I used to have pneumonia antibodies running around each winter years after I was infected.

According to Raaab, the number tested is 40k with a promise to reach 100k by month's end; that's a pitiful number for an advanced nation that's had time enough to organise, and even so only if it were true. Then Starmer pointed out that Raaab's 40k is the testing capacity which has yet to be met, while the actual best number tested to date is 18k, whereupon Raaab agreed that everyone's doing well and must do better.

As of a week ago, Russia was testing at 100k.

We're being teased and lied to by incompetent elites, as usual, but no matter because in the end they'll manage to somehow squeeze credit where none is due.

[Loy Toy]

^ Well expressed Jabir.

[Troy]

How does a third world country like Thailand manage to introduce a virus tracking app but the UK hasn't?

Another silly question:

If the virus takes up to 2 weeks before symptoms are observed and the lock down has been going for a month, or longer for Italy, then how are people getting infected? Shopping for groceries? Going to work? Or is it going to the hospital?

[baldrick]

a virus tracking app

tracing app - the wording scares less people