News Worldwide impact of the novel coronavirus (covid-19)

[blackemerald1]

They say the test hurts.

^Hmm done efficiently it's uncomfortable but shouldn't be very painful. It's over in a moment anyway. :)

 

[Deanna]

Thank-you @blackemerald1 ! :hug:

 

[whiteraven]

Not sure if he has the authority to do that but he's really pushing for it. so hundreds of people in tiny spaces - nothing could go wrong there :rolleyes:

Right. He doesn't have the authority - he doesn't have the authority to command a lot of what he thinks he does.

Lots of churches have been holding services even with the stay-at-home orders, some with social distancing, some not.

Around here they have been really creative - they are holding sessions in cars, or in large areas where everyone can stand apart but still each other. Maybe something like that could work to start for you?

They are doing some rituals in the parking lot and the minister is holding "office hours" on the front lawn ? - I get that they are trying to work through this; I appreciate the care they are taking, but...oh, I don't know. I'm just struggling with it.

 

[blackemerald1]

I'm just struggling with it.

^It's all so different and I think with ptsd we don't appreciate how that is perhaps extra stressful?

But we are all creative & strong & this we can endure because honestly? we've got it good compared to so many other people.

 

[Mee]

I know there are tiers of wealth throughout the Western world and in the USA but overall one would have to agree that the capacity of the USA to respond to this virus was not tied to inadequate money, technical resources or the will of the medical community. Most of which are not available to the same levels in many, many other countries and especially so in third World nations.

Your whole post is saying how I feel about it. I think this opening paragraph is very important in looking at comparisons.

 

[barefoot]

They say the test hurts.

I found it uncomfortable and unpleasant but not painful. I gagged. A lot!

Hope it goes smoothly for you.

 

[ms spock]

People just gotta remember that there are parameters w/sanitizer....have to thoroughly wet every area of the hand with it (just like w/soap/water) and work it until it's evaporated, can't wipe off the excess.
Most people don't use it correctly.

I didn't know that. Thank you!

 

[ms spock]

A really good news story! COVID Underdogs: Mongolia

In an amusingly written article you find out that "Mongolia has had the best COVID-19 response in the world. Not only do they have zero deaths, they have zero local transmissions. Mongolia didn’t flatten the curve or crush the curve — they were just like ‘f*ck curves’. In Mongolia, there simply wasn't an epidemic at all."

 

[ms spock]

The 1968 pandemic of the Hong Kong flu may be worth looking into.

I will take note of that and have a read of it later on. I am limiting my SARS-CoV-2 exposure.

Here’s the thing... the US is not uniquely the worst mess ever with covid 19 management.

No of course not. I really thought Australia was going to go down the path. Perhaps the fires kept tourists away? Morrison (his leadership is Trumplite - I watched his Press Briefings and it goes around and around, he rarely answer a question and the rorts in Australian political life would be front page news if it weren't for the virus) does not seem that bright, and I have tuned out Australian politics out, as it's lacklustre, so there's a bit of a collective stun at why it isn't happening. I talked to my psychiatrist about it, who is doing teleconferencing across Australia and she said there's medical staff in the hospitals with all the equipment ready and no one really knows why we didn't cop it. They have relaxed restrictions, (I cried - if we had waited until June 19th Australia would have had a 95% of chance of eradication - 4 weeks) and we are not going out, but some schools have started back. I guess I compared the US to Australia as where we would go. And somehow we haven't. It's perplexing and confusing. I am scared to relax is it really possible that we are in the league New Zealand? Taiwan? South Korea when they got it together? I have been gardening like a mad thing, and that's been so healing for me.

It’s putting wayyy too much focus on one nation and completely ignoring the plight of the people in Syria, India, Yemen. Kenya.

You are so right about this. There is so much suffering, and it's not just in the West either.

My goodness what’s happening in Yemen with covid 19 is so heartbreaking. Or Brazil or Ecuador where the bodies are piling up in the streets.

Yes poor Yemen. They have been hammered for years with war and now this. It's just appalling.

Or refugee camps...

Oh those poor souls.

The US has horribly failed at early management of the pandemic, but some take it to suggest that the US would have been able to stop the current level of outbreak if only this or that had been done. It wasn’t possible. It was never going to happen.

America has been one of the leaders in public health. If the Pandemic Office hadn't been shut down it would have made a difference. If the Pandemic protocols had been put in place - the American Pandemic manual one is as thick as a Bible and very detailed - it's got everything in it. Even if Trump had closed down one week earlier it could have saved roughly 36 thousand lives and roughly 50,000 deaths if he shut down two weeks earlier. But I see your point the horse has well and truly bolted and there's not much point going over that now.

As for the US, it’s been a mess... but the belief that many have (not referring to anyone specific here) that the virus could have been stopped by this or that amazing management technique is not really supported by the science.

I respectfully disagree. If Trump had even modeled wearing a mask it might have saved a huge amount of lives. Even if he had been serious about it many Americans would have followed his lead. He gave out contradictory messages.

From what I understand America contributed significantly with the stopping of Ebola and also with MERS and SARS - an outstanding job. And because America has been so very good at public health and co-ordination of resources, their absence is keenly missed and for some there is grief. I was with someone during the Bird Flu who got real time reports of cases. There was no underestimating of America's role.

It’s like the issue of flattening the curve. Many are expecting this is about lowering the total number of infections of over the entire pandemic in a nation, but in many nations, it’s not and it’s never been about lowering the total number but the total number being the same, spread out.

Mongolia said 'f*ck the Curve!" COVID Underdogs: Mongolia With one case they went into a partial lockdown. Mongolia decontaminated 9.2 million square meters, across 6,000 locations. They have zerio deaths and zero local transmissions.

Taiwan had started in early January. They have a similar population to Australia. They had a Pandemic Office which had been preparing since the last outbreak. It was highly effective and inspirational to read about.

Taiwan has 441 corona virus infections and 6 deaths. They have a similar population to Australia.

Covid is here to stay. It’s not going away unless there is herd immunity through vaccine or infection.

Folks who had had it once can get it again though there is apparently some immunity but how long it lasts no one knows and why some folks get it and others don't I would love to know, if you know anything about this. The young people stroking out are a worry and

There is an extremely low chance of getting a vaccine implemented worldwide prior to much of the world population getting infected. The US is one of the first hot spots, but more will happen unless nations continue to keep borders locked down. It may be slow and super drawn out for other nations - which is good, because it buys time for vaccine or treatments to come online.

If some people don't develop an immunity to sars-cov-2 there's going to be some ongoing issues.

In Taiwan everyone gets given masks each week so with their testing of absolutely everyone who turns up for testing they don't have asymptomatic spreaders.

My mind goes in on itself thinking of India, poor Yemen and the refugee camps. You made some important points there.

China didn’t stop the virus even by welding people into their homes to die. They still keep finding infections and new outbreaks. They didn’t stop the virus even with the strongest and most coordinated/organized response.

They lied for some time though, many Chinese are very angry about that as they would have worn masks and taken it much more seriously, so the government released "Document Three" very early in January to not share samples, information, publish or offer advice or assistance unless they received offical approval. They were told to destroy their samples. They tried to cover it up, and in the process let it spread far and wide.

The was a recent report from "China in Focus" where they boarded up a house and the Netizen said they only have to eat what they have in their fridge. I watched the welding up of apartments and I felt most alarmed. China has one million prisoners of conscience and the whistle blower doctors and others paid a high price for the snippets they got out to the world.

It's a cultural thing with the way the Chinese Communist Party operates - you never say there is a problem - you in fact say it is better than it is, apparently this led to the starvation of millions because at all levels there were reports of more food being produced than was being produced. So they have to look at this and this point is referenced in reports of food supplies as the government has lied to the point of millions dying of hunger. I feel very sorry for the Chinese people. They are working out that there are outbreaks through finding their building, street, area or Provence being in lockdown. That would be pretty concerning.

It has spread throughout China and it's in a number of Provences. They took their Covid19 patients from Intensive Care in Wuhan to hospitals outside Wuhan and then announced they had no new cases. A woman whose Father was moved in the middle of the night was interviewed and said she wasn't allowed to visit but they still expected her to pay. They are not counting asymptomatic cases either according to "China in Focus". So it's going to keep burning through the population. As they are not accurately or honestly reporting their new cases or lock downs I would guess they have much more spread than even America has and this was with wearing masks and intensive cleaning of specially trained hazmat suits. So it is sobering.

The wearing of masks at home possibly meant less transmission to children or the Chinese Communist Party has lied again. It's so hard to know. There was a Whistle Blower Doctor who said whole families died of it. Laurie Garret (wrote the book on Ebola) said in an interview that she was tracking that the virus was completely out of control in China in real time on social media and if she could follow it on social media, so could the CIA and other Intelligence Agencies.

While critiquing really serious flaws in pandemic responses, of which there are many in the US, so many, I think we also have to be realistic about what is humanly possible in terms of control of the virus in the first place.

America was one of the best. Without America I shudder to think of some of the things that would have spread in the last couple of decades.

“if it bleeds it leads.”

Yes that is why getting new sources from multiple sources is really important. Ironically occasionally I find out some Australian news several days before it breaks here by ferreting around. Some of the reporting overseas about issues in Australia are better threshed out by overseas news outlet rather than here with our problematic media ownership.

The thing that worries me is that the countries who have managed to arrest the spread of virus test everyone even those with no symptoms. Until America has that capacity your death toll will keep on rising. I watched one "China in Focus" where the woman said of her family of four that they needed to eat but if you left the apartment you got the virus, it wasn't much of a choice.

The cleaning of schools by highly trained specialist cleaners seems to be most important as well to stop the spread. In one Provence in China they reopened Year 12 but had to close down two weeks later because of the transmissions going on. So once it really gets out there I don't know what folks can do. Chinese students all wear masks and they spray everything with disinfectant.

Gosh I hope that some lucky break comes and saves folks lives.

We will continue to isolate for various reasons until we know if there is a spike of cases in Australia. I move among communities with many elderly and other vulnerable folks, so if the least I can do is grow some vegetables, be kind, offer a little bit of support and not spread it that's all I can do. It's very small, and very hand made kind of contribution, but it's what I have to offer right now.

I was exposed to someone in February and I isolated myself from my house hold, we were so lucky to have to space to do that. I have had a mild cold 5 times now and it's probably just a cold but if I keep it at home that's the best thing to do. I do have masks now and when I go back out into the world I will wear one, and do the best that I can do.

You make important points which really do need to be considered, I have a different way of thinking about them. You might just be further along the journey than I am. I tend to move at a snail's pace with things but I get there in the end.

 

[Mee]

It’s animal research which will upset some so please do not click link if this will offend you.

SARS-CoV-2 infection protects against rechallenge in rhesus macaques

 

[rightkindofme]

A really good news story! COVID Underdogs: Mongolia

In an amusingly written article you find out that "Mongolia has had the best COVID-19 response in the world. Not only do they have zero deaths, they have zero local transmissions. Mongolia didn’t flatten the curve or crush the curve — they were just like ‘f*ck curves’. In Mongolia, there simply wasn't an epidemic at all."

Wow! That is utterly mind blowing. Go Mongolia!

 

[scout86]

Something that I'll bet DIDN'T happen in Mongolia is a couple weeks into the response, I'll bet there weren't people starting to tell people that their "rights" were being violated and fanning the flames of discontent.

I noticed a headline this morning that said there's evidence that the outcry against shutting things down in the US was amplified online by bots. Didn't read the article. I probably should have, but I'm inclined to believe it's true. What's up with that anyway? Does someone actually stand to gain? If so, who and what?