CORONA Main Coronavirus thread

[marsh]

Mexico Breaks Daily Coronavirus Death Record

Despite assurances of having the Coronavirus pandemic under control, Mexico again broke records for deaths and new cases registered in a day.

www.breitbart.com

Mexico Breaks Daily Coronavirus Death Record

AP File Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
ILDEFONSO ORTIZ and BRANDON DARBY27 May 20206

Despite assurances of having the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic under control, Mexico again broke records for deaths and new cases registered in a day.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1265438317681786880

View: https://twitter.com/HLGatell/status/1265438317681786880/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1265438317681786880%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.breitbart.com%2Fborder%2F2020%2F05%2F27%2Fmexico-breaks-daily-coronavirus-death-record%2F


During a daily news conference, Mexico’s Undersecretary of Health Hugo Lopez Gatell and staff revealed that Mexico currently has 8,134 Coronavirus fatalities and a total of 74,560 “confirmed cases.” The new figures show 501 new fatalities in one day and 3,455 new cases, setting a new record for both metrics.

Mexico ranks 53rd globally in testing. Lopez Gatell previously explained that widespread testing was replaced with statistical modeling. Officials later stopped releasing the estimates in mid-April at the 100,000 case mark.

Mexico now ranks 8th in the world for fatalities.

 

[marsh]

Democrat Governors: Wearing Masks Is ‘Cool’ and ‘Signifies Strength’

Democrat governors are encouraging residents to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic, describing it as a symbol or a sign of virtue.

www.breitbart.com

Democrat Governors: Wearing Masks Is ‘Cool’ and ‘Signifies Strength’
7

Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo
CHARLIE SPIERING27 May 202087

Democrat governors are encouraging residents to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic, describing it as a symbol or a sign of virtue.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said Tuesday that wearing a mask during the coronavirus pandemic signified “strength.”

“A face covering signifies strength and compassion for others,” Cooper said. “Wearing one shows that you care about other people’s health.”

Cooper also expressed the sentiment on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1265304829980807168

View: https://twitter.com/NC_Governor/status/1265304829980807168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1265304829980807168%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.breitbart.com%2Fpolitics%2F2020%2F05%2F27%2Fdemocrat-governors-wearing-masks-is-cool-and-signifies-strength%2F


On Tuesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said that wearing a mask was “cool” and suggested he wanted to sign an executive order that said, “Wearing a mask is officially cool.”

“Wearing a mask is now cool,” Cuomo said. “I believe it’s cool. … Wearing a mask is officially cool.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday told CNN that wearing a mask was a “symbol.”

“I want to protect myself and protect others, and also because I want to make it be a symbol for people to see that that’s the kind of thing you should be doing,” Fauci said, even though he reminded viewers that masks were “not 100 percent effective.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden said that wearing a mask was a symbol of leadership.

“What it presents and projects is leadership,” he said, berating President Trump for not wearing a mask. “Presidents are supposed to lead, not engage in folly and be falsely masculine.”

 

[marsh]

Fauci: I Wear a Mask to Be a Symbol of What 'You Should Be Doing'

Wednesday on CNN's "Newsroom," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci said he wanted to be a "symbol" for Americans to wear face masks in public amid the coronavirus pandemic. | Clips

www.breitbart.com

Fauci: I Wear a Mask to Be a Symbol of What ‘You Should Be Doing’

PAM KEY27 May 20201366

Wednesday on CNN’s “Newsroom,” National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci said he wanted to be a “symbol” for Americans to wear face masks in public amid the coronavirus pandemic.

video on site 3:54 min

Fauci said, “I think we should be recommending it. As you know, I wear it whenever I’m outside. We can try and keep the usual distance, but sometimes it is out of your control. So there are some fundamental things that we can do, we’re very aware of and sensitive to the need to try and make those steps towards reopening. But there are certain things that you can do and still do as you reopen. One is wearing a mask. The other is avoiding crowds of more than ten people, depending upon where you are and where the dynamics of the outbreak are. The other is continuing to wash your hands, which is important.

And those kinds of things are simple. They’re easy to do. I think one can do that at the same time as you gradually try to get to the point of doing the reopening. I think those are the things that everybody should seriously consider doing.”

Anchor Jim Sciutto asked, “Do you think when folks, members of the public are being asked to do this, and they look at folks like you doing it, does that encourage its use to a positive degree?”

Fauci said, “No, it does, Jim. I wear it for the reason that I believe it is effective. It is not 100% effective. I mean, its sort of respect for the another person and have that other person respect you. You wear a mask. They wear a mask, you protect each other. I do it when I’m in the public for the reasons that, A, I want to protect myself and protect others. Also, because I want to make it be a symbol for people to see, that’s the kind of thing you should be doing.”

He added, “When I walk around the street and the neighborhood where I live in Washington, D.C., which still has a considerable number of infections, it is very clear that many people are doing that.”

 

[marsh]

Fauci: Second Wave of Coronavirus 'Not Inevitable' -- 'Feeling Better About' Preventing It

During the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many health officials speculated a second wave as bad as the first would hit in the latter part of 2020 as the world waits for a vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of...

www.breitbart.com

Fauci: Second Wave of Coronavirus ‘Not Inevitable’ — ‘Feeling Better About’ Preventing It

video on site 2:28 min

During the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many health officials speculated a second wave as bad as the first would hit in the latter part of 2020 as the world waits for a vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of President Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force, said there is a possibility of another wave, but said “it is not inevitable.”

Fauci told “CNN Newsroom” co-host Jim Sciutto that a second wave is preventable with proper testing, isolation and contact tracing as the United States slowly reopens.

“It’s getting better and better, Jim,” Fauci advised. “I’m feeling better about it as we go by with the weeks that go by, and we see that we’re getting more and more capability of testing. The CDC is putting more of a workforce out there to help us do the kinds of identification, isolation and contact tracing. I feel better and better that we’re capable of doing that.”

He continued, “[W]e often talk about the possibility of a second wave, or of an outbreak when you’re reopening. We don’t have to accept that as an inevitability. Particularly when people start thinking about the fall, I want people to really appreciate that it could happen, but it is not inevitable. If we do the kinds of things that we’re putting in place now, to have the workforce, the system, and the will to do the kinds of things that are the clear and effective identification, isolation and contact tracing, we can prevent this second wave that we’re talking about. If we do it correctly.”

 

[marsh]

Gretchen Whitmer’s Construction Ban Had Devastating Impact on Michigan Jobs

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s decision to ban most residential construction contributed to Michigan's second highest in the nation unemployment rate.

www.breitbart.com

Michigan’s Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s decision to ban most residential construction during the coronavirus shutdown led to a 44 percent decline in Michigan construction jobs and contributed to her state’s second highest in the nation unemployment rate.

Although unemployment rates rose in every state in April, three states stand out in particular: Nevada led the nation at 28.2 percent, followed by Michigan at 22.7, and Hawaii at 22.3.

Michigan’s 22.7 percent jobless rate is the highest the state has registered since at least 1976, when comparable data was first tracked. The state’s previous high was 16.7 percent in December 1982 at the height of the 1980s auto downturn, making April’s numbers worse than the Great Recession of 2009 and likely the worst seen since the Great Depression nearly a century ago. The question is why was Michigan hit so hard in comparison to most of the nation.

Nevada and Hawaii’s outlier jobless numbers are understandable. Both states rely heavily on the travel and tourism industry, which was hammered by the coronavirus pandemic even before government lockdown actions took effect. On March 17, both Hawaii and Nevada’s Democrat governors issued executive orders that shutdown their states’ leading source of revenue. Hawaii Gov. David Ige’s order urged tourists to “stay away” from the Aloha State, and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak closed Las Vegas’ casinos, hotels, and entertainment venues.

But Michigan’s economy does not rely on tourism, and although the state is home to the world’s automotive industry, the auto industry alone does not account for the Wolverine State’s outlier April unemployment numbers. The issue appears to be construction jobs, according to ZipRecruiter’s labor economist Julia Pollak.

Construction jobs in Michigan fell by 44 percent in April, as compared to the national average of 13 percent, Pollak noted in a graph posted on social media.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1264619288091955200

View: https://twitter.com/juliaonjobs/status/1264619288091955200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1264619289136357377%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.breitbart.com%2Feconomy%2F2020%2F05%2F27%2Fgretchen-whitmers-construction-ban-had-devastating-impact-on-michigan-jobs%2F


Whitmer’s original shutdown order, which took effect on March 24, deemed certain construction permissible, such as:

[C]onstruction to maintain and improve roads, bridges, telecommunications infrastructure, and public health infrastructure (such as the creation or expansion of hospitals or other medical facilities to provide or support the provision of necessary care during the emergency). Construction workers may also undertake projects that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operations of a residence during the emergency, including projects immediately necessary to restore the habitability of a residence.

However, Whitmer’s order clearly stated that “[a]ny non-emergency maintenance or improvements to residences are not permitted.” That distinction effectively shut down a significant portion of Michigan’s construction industry.

“She never closed down major construction like roadwork and large commercial projects during the pandemic,” one Metro Detroit area general contractor told Breitbart News. “So, you had road crews out there doing stuff. You had state construction projects.”

The general contractor found the governor’s distinction between essential and non-essential construction to be arbitrary.

“As a licensed electrician, I would be considered an essential worker if I got called to service someone’s house because they had no power,” the contractor said. “I’m allowed to go service that. But if I wanted to go to a remodeling project, I’m not allowed to do that. Tell me what the difference of the work site is? If I go to someone’s home to fix a power outage or if I go to their home that’s being remodeled, what’s the difference health-wise? And if I am going to a residence that is currently occupied and has someone who is infected living there, isn’t that a greater health risk than if I am going to work on a vacant house that’s being remodeled?”

He feels that it was always possible to keep construction crews safe during the pandemic with face masks and basic social distancing. “When you’re framing something or hanging drywall, you’re not hugging each other. You’re standing within three, four, five, or six feet from each other at any given time. Now obviously, you use some common sense. If you’re not feeling well, you don’t come to work.”

Roofers work on new housing construction in Oak Park, Michigan, on May 6, 2020, a day before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order allowed all construction to resume. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Whitmer is not the only governor to halt residential construction due to the pandemic. New York’s Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order also shut down “non-essential construction,” with an exception for “emergency construction,” which the order defined as “a project necessary to protect health and safety of the occupants, or to continue a project if it would be unsafe to allow to remain undone, but only to the point that it is safe to suspend work.”

However, Cuomo’s order included a number of broad exemptions for “essential construction projects,” including construction on “roads, bridges, transit facilities, utilities, hospitals or healthcare facilities, homeless shelters, or public or private schools,” as well as work on “affordable housing” and any construction done by “a single worker who is the sole employee/worker on the job site.”

A March 31 article in Curbed New York noted that Cuomo’s order essentially “puts the kibosh on entirely luxury residential and office construction, but still permits work on apartment buildings with a majority of market rate units.” That distinction still permitted a considerable amount of building in a state heavy with more apartment rental construction than single-family housing. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the state of Michigan issued nearly 36 percent more building permits in 2019 for new single-unit residencies than the state of New York.

Even still, the effect on construction jobs in New York was devastating. Like Michigan, construction jobs accounted for about 4 percent of all nonfarm jobs in New York at the start of the year. And construction employment fell about 41 percent.

Overall nonfarm employment fell about 20 percent between February and April in New York. In Michigan, overall employment fell 23.5 percent.

It is perhaps understandable that Whitmer and Cuomo took hardline shutdown stances, as both their states are epicenters for the coronavirus pandemic.

However, California is also one of the pandemic’s hotspots, but the Golden State’s Democrat Gov. Gavin Newson did not limit construction at all.

Newsom’s shutdown order broadly defined construction workers as part of the “essential workforce,” and as such, his order specifically exempted:

Construction Workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing, commercial, and mixed-use construction); and workers who support the supply chain of building materials from production through application/installation, including cabinetry, fixtures, doors, cement, hardware, plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling, refrigeration, appliances, paint/coatings, and employees who provide services that enable repair materials and equipment for essential functions.

Such a broad exemption basically allowed construction work to continue in California without interruption.

And now such work is allowed in Michigan again since Whitmer lifted her construction ban at the beginning of May with an executive order allowing building to resume on May 7 with guidelines in place to ensure that workers maintain social distancing and employers conduct daily health screenings.
Hopefully, this will be reflected in next month’s jobs numbers. But the bounce back for Michigan’s construction industry might take longer than expected because contractors now find that workers are harder to come by.

“The problem is with everybody so scared about catching the virus, it’s hard to find employees,” the Michigan general contractor told Breitbart. “I have a personal friend with a framing crew who lost his entire crew because they won’t come back. They believe that there’s going to be a second wave, and they don’t want to risk their family. They’re content sitting on unemployment. They’re content with what they’re getting.”

There is also some uncertainty about how much or how long businesses will be allowed to remain open. “Keep in mind that the governor here in Michigan has been engaged in a power play back and forth with the legislature threatening to extend the shutdown order,” he said.

But he remains hopeful that the industry will be able to resume the projects that were put on hold when the lockdown order went into effect in March.

“We had a really, really strong economy before this lockdown. We had plenty of work out there before the lockdown,” he said. “The construction industry was doing very well in Michigan. Now, it’s still very strong. But if I had to estimate, I would say that at least 10 percent of the jobs that were on the books dropped off.”

The drop-off is a result of people cancelling jobs due to economic uncertainty, as well as jobs being further postponed because the shutdown delayed construction on winter projects that must now be completed before work can begin on projects that were scheduled for spring and summer.

“There’s plenty of work out there for people to get off of unemployment and go back to work,” the contractor said. “There are more vehicles on the road now. You see construction vehicles everywhere now. People are hitting their construction jobs again. The demand for workers is rising.”

“I can only hope that unemployment is dropping,” he said. “I pray it is because we need workers out here.”

The contractor said that above all, he just wants to get back to work. “I don’t want or need unemployment. I’ve got half a million-dollar projects sitting out there waiting to be finished.”

 

[marsh]

China Drafts Sovereign Immunity Bill to Fight Global Coronavirus Lawsuits

China's National People's Congress (NPC) is seeking to pass a law allowing Chinese people to sue the United States over coronavirus.

www.breitbart.com

China Drafts Sovereign Immunity Bill to Fight Global Coronavirus Lawsuits
80

GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty
FRANCES MARTEL27 May 2020218

China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), one of its two communist legislative chambers, proposed drafting a sovereign immunity law on Wednesday to allow Chinese people to sue the American state in courts, an act of revenge for mounting litigation against China.

Lawyers around the world – in states as far from each other as Italy, Nigeria, Turkey, and India – have brought lawsuits against the Communist Party and the state of China for silencing doctors early on in the pandemic who had identified a contagious respiratory disease. The lawsuits also accuse China of pressuring foreign states not to impose travel restrictions on Chinese nationals and of pressuring global agencies like the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) to downplay the severity of the outbreak.

In the United States, the states of Missouri and Mississippi have sued the Communist Party for the damage caused by the Chinese coronavirus. Lawyers have brought lawsuits against China in states like Texas, New York, and Florida.
America’s Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) prevents individuals from bringing lawsuits against foreign state entities in U.S. courts. Congress can override this limitation through legislation exempting certain states in certain circumstances. Several lawmakers – prominently Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) – have backed a law that would disable sovereign immunity provisions to allow lawsuits against China for damage related to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.

Similar legislation exists in China, which is why Communist Party media reported on Wednesday that the NPC is attempting to carve an exemption out of that law for lawsuits against “other countries.” The Chinese lawmaker leading the charge, Ma Yide, told the state propaganda outlet Global Times that the law would “ensure Chinese citizens’ and companies’ rights to sue the US over its blame game and cover-up of information during the pandemic.”

Ma said that Chinese citizens should have a right to sue the United States citing an unsubstantiated Chinese Foreign Ministry conspiracy theory that the U.S. Army is responsible for the ongoing pandemic.

“Many believe that U.S. soldiers brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Others believe that the U.S. has hidden key information, which led to the global health crisis. Why can’t Chinese citizens and companies sue the U.S. government?” Ma asked the Global Times.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian accused the U.S. Army in March of releasing the pathogen and causing the pandemic, not offering an explanation for how that could be possible when there is no evidence the virus existed anywhere prior to its discovery in Wuhan, central China. Chinese state propaganda later added as an explanation that American soldiers could have brought the virus to Wuhan during October’s Military World Games, hosted by that city. China was disqualified from the games despite being the host for “extensive cheating.”

There is also no evidence of any coronavirus infection related to the Military World Games. The American servicewoman accused of infecting Wuhan, Maatje Benassi, told CNN in an interview that the Chinese government’s false claims have resulted in a “nightmare” situation of incessant harassment from emboldened Chinese nationalists.

White House video on website .49 min

As this conspiracy theory has also largely failed to convince the world, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying also speculated that the virus existed throughout last year in the United States and was disguised as e-cigarette, or vaping disease. Hua did not account for the fact that none of the cases of respiratory illness related to vaping were contagious; the Chinese coronavirus is believed to spread very rapidly.

Coverage of the NPC sovereign immunity exception indicates that, should it pass, Chinese citizens could use these theories to demand redress from the U.S. government. The Global Times claimed that some lawsuits are already surfacing.
Liang Xuguang, a lawyer based in Wuhan, has filed a lawsuit against U.S. government agencies over the suspected intentional spread of misinformation over COVID-19 [the Chinese coronavirus]. Liang urged the U.S. to publicize the number of ‘influenza deaths’ that were caused by the novel coronavirus,” the state propaganda outlet reported.

The Times blamed the United States for spearheading “abusive” lawsuits against China linked to the pandemic around the world, but only named the United States among those entertaining the lawsuits.

In reality, courts around the world have allowed lawsuits against the Chinese state or Communist Party in relation to China’s negligence in containing the virus. Among the evidence cited in many of these lawsuits is the fact that China destroyed early samples of the virus from Wuhan, detained doctors and others sharing safety information on contagious diseases on social media, and reports that dictator Xi Jinping personally urged W.H.O. head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to downplay how contagious the virus is.

Among the nations that have seen lawsuits against China are Egypt, Turkey, Italy, Nigeria, and India, totally in the trillions of dollars in damages sought.
In the United States, the states of Missouri and Mississippi have sued China officially. Missouri’s attorney general sued the Communist Party in an attempt to avoid sovereign immunity barriers, arguing that the party is a corporate entity separate from the state of China.

Lawyers in Florida, New York, and Texas have also filed lawsuits.

 

[TheSearcher]

Fauci: Second Wave of Coronavirus 'Not Inevitable' -- 'Feeling Better About' Preventing It

During the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many health officials speculated a second wave as bad as the first would hit in the latter part of 2020 as the world waits for a vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of...

www.breitbart.com

Fauci: Second Wave of Coronavirus ‘Not Inevitable’ — ‘Feeling Better About’ Preventing It

video on site 2:28 min

During the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many health officials speculated a second wave as bad as the first would hit in the latter part of 2020 as the world waits for a vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of President Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force, said there is a possibility of another wave, but said “it is not inevitable.”

Fauci told “CNN Newsroom” co-host Jim Sciutto that a second wave is preventable with proper testing, isolation and contact tracing as the United States slowly reopens.

“It’s getting better and better, Jim,” Fauci advised. “I’m feeling better about it as we go by with the weeks that go by, and we see that we’re getting more and more capability of testing. The CDC is putting more of a workforce out there to help us do the kinds of identification, isolation and contact tracing. I feel better and better that we’re capable of doing that.”

He continued, “[W]e often talk about the possibility of a second wave, or of an outbreak when you’re reopening. We don’t have to accept that as an inevitability. Particularly when people start thinking about the fall, I want people to really appreciate that it could happen, but it is not inevitable. If we do the kinds of things that we’re putting in place now, to have the workforce, the system, and the will to do the kinds of things that are the clear and effective identification, isolation and contact tracing, we can prevent this second wave that we’re talking about. If we do it correctly.”

Hedge those bets, buddy boy.

 

[TheSearcher]

Andrew Cuomo Deletes Nursing Home Order, Which Killed Thousands, From Health Department Web Site
Peter Hasson May 27, 2020 | 6:10PM Washington, DC

Andrew Cuomo Deletes Nursing Home Order, Which Killed Thousands, From Health Department Web Site - LifeNews.com

Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s March 25 order requiring nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to accept recovering coronavirus patients has disappeared from the New York State Department of Health’s website. The webpage for Cuomo’s order says the document is “not found,”...

www.lifenews.com

It can still be seen here:

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Grab a copy, spread it around. He is obstructing justice. He should die in prison, that son of a bitch.

 

[danielboon]

BREAKING NEWS Massachusetts coronavirus cases: 6,547 deaths, 94,220 positive tests
Massachusetts coronavirus cases: 6,547 deaths, 94,220 positive tests 76 new deaths today up from 68 yesterday

 

[Tristan]

Hmmm! Every time it has been 'formally' tried, crash. In fact, a supposed jump in deaths. While Big Pharm might be behind the crash of some of these tests, I can't believe it reaches everywhere including Europe.

Something is going on and I don't see what it is. Placebo effect? Kid, once in the business says in Europe they have run up to 40% success with the placebo. And a study has shown the placebo effect has increased over the years.

And as far as I can tell, they have obstinately refused to include Zinc in the treatment protocol.

As for anecdotes, as the Man says, enough anecdotes and you have a statistic. I think we have enough anecdotes if they are all added up. So far, I have seen little evidence of that either.

Going from memory, it seems:

They wait until Patients are in critical care; i.e. one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel
They have steadfastly refused to test HCQ + ZINC, which was theorized to be the effective combo
The Azithromycin (sp?) was added to the 'anecdotal' studies (again, IIRC) to help stave off any opportunistic infectious diseases which sometimes (ahem) happens in a hospital setting.
To this point I do not know if Patients have been screened for heart conditions which are known to be problematic when Azithromycin (sp?) is used

Now, since essentially all the World's 'Leaders' are not fond of DJT, (get ready, it's TFH time!) is there any chance that since he spoke hopefully about the HCQ treatment that they may be biased against it's success?

Naaah, that's a speculation too far, I guess.

 

[Troke]

Going from memory, it seems:

They wait until Patients are in critical care; i.e. one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel
They have steadfastly refused to test HCQ + ZINC, which was theorized to be the effective combo
The Azithromycin (sp?) was added to the 'anecdotal' studies (again, IIRC) to help stave off any opportunistic infectious diseases which sometimes (ahem) happens in a hospital setting.
To this point I do not know if Patients have been screened for heart conditions which are known to be problematic when Azithromycin (sp?) is used

Now, since essentially all the World's 'Leaders' are not fond of DJT, (get ready, it's TFH time!) is there any chance that since he spoke hopefully about the HCQ treatment that they may be biased against it's success?

Naaah, that's a speculation too far, I guess.

Yeah, I mentioned the grave/banana peel metaphor in another post.

I would still like to see a runup of the anecdotal evidence of a useful treatment. Like I stated, enough of them and you have a statistic. It may have been done but can't get published. If so, I'd like to hear about that too.

I think chasing vaccine instead of treatment is misdirection bordering on criminal. Lots of dead and maimed people waiting for a vaccine when a treatment might already be at hand. (Maimed. You get it bad and your organs are maimed for life.) Trump has praised and used a treatment that is touted to work. I find it odd he has not dropped the hammer to get it used. Surely he has some control over VA hospitals and veteran's homes at least. And assign a staff to make sure they don't apply it only to patients on their way to room temperature.

 

[Plain Jane]

Pennsylvania COVID-19 Numbers

Current number of positive results, age breakdowns, hospitalizations, and more.

www.health.pa.gov

COVID-19 Data for Pennsylvania*
* Map, tables, case counts and deaths last updated at 12:00 p.m. on 5/27/2020
Source: Pennsylvania National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (PA-NEDSS) as of 12:00 a.m. on 5/27/2020
Page last updated: 12:00 p.m. on 5/27/2020
Case Counts, Deaths, and Negatives

Total Cases*	Deaths	Negative**	Recovered***
69,417	5,265	349,990	62%

* Total case counts include confirmed and probable cases.

** Negative case data only includes negative PCR tests. Negative case data does not include negative antibody tests.
*** Individuals who have recovered is determined using a calculation, similar to what is being done by several other states. If a case has not been reported as a death, and it is more than 30 days past the date of their first positive test (or onset of symptoms) then an individual is considered recovered.

Confirmed Cases	Probable Case by Definition and High-Risk Exposure	Probable Case by Serology Test and Either Symptoms or High-Risk Exposure
67,515	1,902	576

Hospital Data

• View hospital dataOpens In A New Window (desktop version)
• View hospital dataOpens In A New Window (mobile version)

Trajectory Animations

• COVID-19 Trajectory Animations

Positive Cases by Age Range to Date

Age Range	Percent of Cases*
0-4	< 1%
5-12	< 1%
13-18	2%
19-24	6%
25-49	37%
50-64	25%
65+	28%

* Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding


Hospitalization Rates by Age Range to Date

Age Range	Percent of Cases*
0-4	< 1%
5-12	< 1%
13-18	< 1%
19-24	1%
25-49	16%
50-64	26%
65+	56%

* Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding


Death Data

• View COVID-19 death data

County Case Counts to Date

County	Total Cases	Negatives
Adams	236	2912
Allegheny	1828	28168
Armstrong	61	1181
Beaver	570	3450
Bedford	38	672
Berks	3952	10950
Blair	48	2558
Bradford	46	1472
Bucks	4930	18016
Butler	222	3541
Cambria	57	3411
Cameron	2	124
Carbon	232	2170
Centre	149	2001
Chester	2504	11275
Clarion	25	663
Clearfield	37	1032
Clinton	54	548
Columbia	346	1258
Crawford	23	1033
Cumberland	611	4617
Dauphin	1174	9547
Delaware	6289	19161
Elk	6	305
Erie	235	4274
Fayette	95	3126
Forest	7	76
Franklin	756	4853
Fulton	15	201
Greene	27	736
Huntingdon	228	797
Indiana	90	1304
Jefferson	7	488
Juniata	95	323
Lackawanna	1511	5879
Lancaster	3031	15012
Lawrence	74	1208
Lebanon	936	4395
Lehigh	3699	13283
Luzerne	2677	10191
Lycoming	161	2075
McKean	12	542
Mercer	106	1478
Mifflin	58	1173
Monroe	1310	5467
Montgomery	6738	32330
Montour	50	3179
Northampton	2958	12443
Northumberland	182	1333
Perry	53	683
Philadelphia	17839	54022
Pike	476	1929
Potter	4	139
Schuylkill	601	4612
Snyder	39	378
Somerset	37	1636
Sullivan	2	90
Susquehanna	98	728
Tioga	16	536
Union	56	1064
Venango	8	484
Warren	3	348
Washington	138	4031
Wayne	118	931
Westmoreland	442	8718
Wyoming	33	452
York	956	12978

• View as a clickable county or zip code level mapOpens In A New Window

Incidence by County

Incidence is calculated by dividing the current number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases reported to the Department by the 2018 county population data available from the Bureau of Health Statistics. The counties are divided into 6 relatively equally-sized groups based on their incidence rate (i.e. sestiles). Cases are determined using a national COVID-19 case definition. There currently is no way to estimate the true number of infected persons. Incidence rates are based on the number of known cases, not the number of true infected persons.

Case Counts by Sex to Date

Sex	Positive Cases*	Percent of Cases
Female	38,062	55%
Male	30,660	44%
Neither	3	0%
Not reported	692	1%

* Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding


Case Counts by Race to Date*

Race	Positive Cases	Percent of Cases**
African American/Black	8427	12%
Asian	976	1%
White	18,760	27%
Other	402	1%
Not reported	40,852	56%

* 56% of race is not reported. Little data is available on ethnicity.

** Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding


Case Counts by Region to Date

Region	Positive	Negative	Inconclusive
Northcentral	1030	14073	18
Northeast	12811	53473	140
Northwest	459	12055	20
Southcentral	5022	45709	80
Southeast	44843	165378	923
Southwest	3350	59302	47

EpiCurve by Region

Case counts are displayed by the date that the cases were first reported to the PA-NEDSS surveillance system. Case counts by date of report can vary significantly from day to day for a variety of reasons. In addition to changes due to actual changes in disease incidence, trends are strongly influenced by testing patterns (who gets tested and why), testing availability, lab analysis backlogs, lab reporting delays, new labs joining our electronic laboratory reporting system, mass screenings, etc. Trends need to be sustained for at least 2-3 weeks before any conclusions can be made regarding the progress of the pandemic.
COVID-19 Cases Associated with Nursing Homes and Personal Care Homes to Date
This data represents long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania, including Department of Health and Department of Human Services regulated facilities.

• COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facilities Data (updated 5/26/2020 at 3:30 p.m.)

 

[Shadow]

I actually think it is there only for one reason. The feds provide money if you have the deaths. The more deaths you can attribute to the virus, the better they pay out.

You get what you pay for.

Shadow

 

[Ragnarok]

WHAT?! Pay people who go back to work for going back to work?! What bizarro world are we living in? Your job is back - go to it. Why do tax payers have to pay you? Your job is back, you don't want to go back to it - your unemployment ends. that's how it always worked. The only reason to change that now is to bribe people to vote for Trump in November. I'm sure he'll sign the check or have his picture on the debit card like he did for the stimulus. I'm still voting for Trump because I like his other policies, but he gets an F- from me on this entire Covid affair and how his entire approach from day one has been focused on his reelection.

(emphasis added so as not get the hostile comments about deserting Trump in 2020 when it matters most to keep him in office; I get that and I will still vote for him, but I can be displeased with him on the issue at the same time)

HD

And, another "EFF YOU!" to those of us who have been working through this whole thing...

Those who were laid off get over $800.00 a week to stay home. Now that they are being called back to work, they get another check?!?!

No...

If they don't come back, give their job to someone who wants it.

 

[Ragnarok]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1wJAf_Lll8
11:38 min
Coronavirus immunity: Did Sweden's model fail? | COVID-19 Special
•May 26, 2020

DW News (Germany)

Sweden is among the countries that have opted against a lockdown and instead gone for herd immunity. This strategy has arguably lead to one of the highest per capita death tolls in the world, but very little immunity.

Gee...

What a surprise...

 

[Ragnarok]

Social Isolation Increases Risk Of Heart Attack, Stroke, & Death From All Causes

Staying away from others during this pandemic is keeping us safe, but a new study finds that prolonged social isolation is also quite dangerous.

www.studyfinds.org

(© De Visu - stock.adobe.com)
May 22, 2020
Social Isolation Increases Risk Of Heart Attack, Stroke, & Death From All Causes
by John Anderer


VIENNA — Social isolation is a word on the tip of everyone’s tongues these days. Staying away from others during this pandemic is keeping us safe, but a new study finds that prolonged social isolation is also quite dangerous.

Researchers warn that socially isolated people are over 40% more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke, or other major cardiovascular event. Moreover, the socially isolated are nearly 50% more likely to die from any cause.

There was also an observed relationship between lack of financial support and increased cardiovascular risk.

The study was conducted by Dr. Janine Gronewold and Professor Dirk M. Hermann from the University Hospital in Essen, Germany. They analyzed data on 4,316 people (average age: 59 years old) who had been recruited for research between 2000 and 2003.

All of those participants initially had no known cardiovascular problems, and were tracked for an average of 13 years. Initially, each adult answered questions on their social support systems (marital status, number of close friends, memberships in various groups, clubs, organizations, etc).

“We have known for some time that feeling lonely or lacking contact with close friends and family can have an impact on your physical health”, Dr. Gronewold explains in a release. “What this study tells us is that having strong social relationships is of high importance for your heart health and similar to the role of classical protective factors such as having a healthy blood pressure, acceptable cholesterol levels, and a normal weight.”

“This observation is of particular interest in the present discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic, where social contacts are or have been relevantly restricted in most societies,” adds Professor Jöckel, one of the PI’s of the HNR.
Over the course of that 13.4 year follow up period, 339 major cardiovascular events occurred (heart attacks, strokes), as well as 530 deaths. Even after the research team accounted for other potentially contributing risk factors (medical history, exercise schedule, etc), social isolation was still linked to a 44% increased risk of cardiovascular events and a 47% increased risk of death by any cause. Lack of financial support was associated with a 30% increase in cardiovascular risk.

“We don’t understand yet why people who are socially isolated have such poor health outcomes, but this is obviously a worrying finding, particularly during these times of prolonged social distancing,” Dr. Gronewold says.

“What we do know is that we need to take this seriously, work out how social relationships affect our health, and find effective ways of tackling the problems associated with social isolation to improve our overall health and longevity,” Professor Hermann concludes.

The study is published in the European Journal of Neurology.

The elderly are the only ones who are truly suffering from all of this...

 

[SpokaneMan]

The elderly are the only ones who are truly suffering from all of this...

Are you sure about that? What if I am not elderly and my livelihood has been so reduced that I, as a disabled vet that lives alone, is having detachment issues. What if I have PTSD. Does that count?

 

[marsh]

I am a senior INTJ who had to work regularly with the public in groups for years. I am now retired (yeah) and the COVID isolation is just fine with me as long as I can talk to my daughter and son on the phone and hug the grand kids once in a while. Quarantine is no big deal to me. Of course, I made my home in the forest a few miles from a wilderness area for 30 years.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Are you sure about that? What if I am not elderly and my livelihood has been so reduced that I, as a disabled vet that lives alone, is having detachment issues. What if I have PTSD. Does that count?

Yes it does. I'm sorry you are suffering. I hope you are able to socialize via the computer/phone. I have a parent in a (very nice) assisted living facility which they are very happy to be at and would not leave (we offered) who sees others at meals (separated at ends of the table so conversation is out), and outside (again kept separated so no conversation there either), and is basically alone in their room with the tv for company the rest of the time and I am noticing a cognitive decline and depression. I know they are doing the best they can to keep the residents safe but I am hopeful that they'll be able to let up on some of the social distancing at least of the residents who have all been under lockdown and not going to contaminate each other at this point. I imagine they're afraid of losing their license, or of lawsuits, or whatever, and they're not using common sense.

HD

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Screenshot is from a group I'm in.
They are doing everything they can to hide the true death toll
Right now. Hiding deaths and adding in false positive antibody tests into the equation. It's diabolical.

The politicizing of the virus, taking advantage of the virus to further a personal or power driven agenda, the fake studies to back up their agendas, even the rush to pronounce some conclusion when it's way too early to know anything for sure about this disease - all of it is diabolical.

As for your examples and Summerthyme's examples - there are cases that are classified as covid after someone dies when it isn't covid, and there are cases that did have covid but they won't classify them as such. It probably evens out in the end. I agree with others that the best way to tell what the numbers are is to compare deaths from a year ago to now and see how large an increase we're seeing. They can't cover that up. You'd think..

HD

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

How To Prepare For What Comes Next
Tue, 05/26/2020 - 18:45

Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,
It’s pretty safe to say we’re living in a world where everything is dramatically different than it was a few months ago. Regardless of how we personally feel about the response to the coronavirus pandemic, we still have to live in a society that has adjusted the parameters of acceptable behavior and has changed irrevocably.


While it’s impossible to guess precisely what comes next (I mean, were you really expecting aliens and murder hornets?), we can surmise from the things happening right now which way the future is headed. And we can use that information to prepare ourselves for it.

The following are some areas in which we may soon (or already) be facing difficulty, as well as some suggestions for meeting them head-on with resolve and preparations. If you’re looking for more information about the second wave of the virus and effects of that, go here.

The economy
It’s no surprise that the economy is in shambles – after all, it’s been all but shut down for months. Back when I wrote about the potential costs of COVID, I underestimated the total destruction of small businesses and the devastation of the workforce. I didn’t go deep enough in my analysis to foresee 40 million people becoming unemployed in the span of two months or that not just small businesses would suffer – that dozens of major corporations would also go under, taking even more jobs with them.

Few would have predicted the mass money printing for stimulus checks and small business loans and grants, putting our nature further in deficit than ever before. There’s even a possibility that the US could willfully default on its debt to China as the government struggles to handle the most exorbitant national debt in history.

Things that could directly affect individuals are:

• Unemployment: It may be difficult to keep your job or find another one.
• Inflation: As the government continues printing money for “stimulus” it weakens the dollar, reducing its value. This means that the price of goods will increase. So every trip to the store will cost you more money.
• The implosion of credit: As more and more people become unable to make their payments, massive swaths of the economy will suffer, including housing, banking, and the automotive industry. This will result in an inability to get future credit for mortgages or cars, and will also result in a loss of jobs.

What can you do about these things?
It’s more important than ever to have an emergency fund. That might be easier said than done when jobs are difficult to come by and when the money you do have doesn’t stretch as far. If you are getting that extra $600 a week from the CARE Act, I can’t stress this strongly enough: SAVE IT.

Now is not the time to try and pay off all your debts, particularly if your future is looking precarious. Continue making the minimum payments while you wait to see what’s going to happen. Put aside the money you would be using to pay off debt – you can always pay it off in a few months if things are looking up.

Remember that the big banks get bailouts. Everyday people do not. Paying off your unsecured debt should not be a financial priority right now.

Don’t get in over your head with expenses. If you can cut back, you should start doing so now. Don’t sign new phone contracts or expensive leases. Reduce your monthly cost of living as much as possible.

The public education system

The public education system was early to exit from normal operations. Children are currently doing “distance learning” online with their teachers and being guided by their parents.

While a lot of parents complain, many others have enjoyed reconnecting with their children. Some parents are also realizing that the education they thought their kids were receiving isn’t all it’s been cracked up to be when they find their children are far behind the curve and the teacher never even mentioned it.

After seeing some of the horrifying plans for schools reopening with “appropriate social distance,” many parents may decide not to let their children return to school at all. Here’s what the CDC is recommending.



Photo Credit: CBS 12 News

What can you do about the education situation?
While for many the loss of “free childcare” would pose a financial difficulty, a report on the Cato Institute suggests this could be a positive change.

It may turn out that educating kids at home is beneficial to the whole family. Here’s some advice for public schoolers from a homeschool parent and the first post of a series on getting started with homeschooling. It might be a good idea to begin looking into some homeschool programs to see what will might be a good fit for your family. In most states, you’re under no obligation to follow a public school curriculum when homeschooling.

The food supply
We’ve all see bare spaces on the shelves at the grocery stores. There’s a major problem getting food from the farmers to the people who need it. Our system has been designed around the centralization and processing of food.

Interestingly, this problem isn’t necessarily about actual shortages as much as it is processing and distribution.






Governmental bandaids aside, this isn’t a problem that will be going away quickly. In fact, it may get worse.

Part 1 of 2

We can't prepare for what comes next because no one knows what comes next. It's all guessing. Have your standard preps in order, be right with God, be loving and kind to your family and friends, don't deplete your energy arguing with people who have made up their mind and are not receptive to what you are saying, and most of all be flexible. Go with the flow. That's the best preparation. imho.

HD

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

New research rewrites history of when Covid-19 took off in the U.S. — and points to missed chances to stop it

A newly released paper rewrites the history of when Covid-19 took off in U.S. — and adds to evidence that the United States missed opportunities to stop it.

www.statnews.com

(fair use applies)

New research rewrites history of when Covid-19 took off in the U.S. — and points to missed chances to stop it
By Helen Branswell
May 26, 2020

New research has poured cold water on the theory that the Covid-19 outbreak in Washington state — the country’s first — was triggered by the very first confirmed case of the infection in the country. Instead, it suggests the person who ignited the first chain of sustained transmission in the United States probably returned to the country in mid-February, a month later.

The work adds to evidence that the United States missed opportunities to stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus from taking root in this country — and that those opportunities persisted for longer than has been recognized up until now.

“Our finding that the virus associated with the first known transmission network in the U.S. did not enter the country until mid-February is sobering, since it demonstrates that the window of opportunity to block sustained transmission of the virus stretched all the way until that point,” the authors wrote in the paper. The paper has been posted to a preprint server, meaning it has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a journal.

The research was led by Michael Worobey, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona.

Using available genetic sequence data, Worobey and his co-authors modeled how SARS-CoV-2 viruses would have evolved if the original case, known in the medical literature as WA1 (short for Washington state patient 1), had been the source of the state’s outbreak. They ran the model 1,000 times, comparing the genetic sequences of 300 randomly selected simulated cases to those retrieved from 300 actual patients. The results didn’t jibe.

“In all likelihood this didn’t start with WA1,” Worobey told STAT in an interview. “It started with some unidentified person who arrived in Washington state at some later point. And we don’t know from where.”

Worobey said the sequence data suggest the infection may have been brought to the country by someone returning from China, or from a nearby Asian country, or even from Asia via British Columbia, Canada.

Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, drew the initial line between the first Washington state case — a man who returned to the state from Wuhan on Jan. 15 — and the state’s first reported case in someone who had not traveled outside the country. That person, a high school student who had been tested negative for influenza, was recognized as a Covid-19 case at the end of February.

Analysis of the genetic sequences of the viruses that infected these two people looked close enough that Bedford concluded SARS-CoV-2 had been spreading undetected in the Seattle area for about six weeks.

But in a series of tweets he posted on Sunday, Bedford said he now concludes that theory was not correct.

“Based on data that’s emerged in the intervening months, I no longer believe that a direct WA1 introduction is a likely hypothesis for the origin of the Washington State outbreak,” he tweeted.

Others agree.

“I’m convinced by the Worobey study,” Kristian Andersen of Scripps Research, an expert on viral genomes, told STAT.

Samuel Scarpino, an assistant professor at Northeastern University’s Network Science Institute, said Worobey’s paper “confirms what a lot of what we were starting to suspect from the epidemiological data, that there were some early introductions in the West Coast that did not spark sustained transmission.”

Worobey and his co-authors estimated that the infection that started the Seattle area outbreak arrived in the country around Feb. 13, shortly after President Trump’s ban on travel from China went into effect on Feb. 2. Thousands of Americans in the country fled back to the United States in the days after the ban was announced.

Worobey said the work isn’t merely an effort to set the historical record straight. If WA1 sparked the Seattle outbreak, there was really little more that could have been done to prevent it. The patient had recognized he was probably ill and alerted his physician to the risk. Public health authorities mapped his travel and contacted his contacts, isolating him and quarantining the people he’d been in contact with.

When the first case of local transmission was linked back to WA1, it appeared that the efforts to contain his infection hadn’t been adequate. But in fact, they probably were, Worobey said.

“Conclusions that the Seattle area was already six weeks into an epidemic by the end of February, rather than two or three, and the notion that stringent efforts to prevent spread had failed in the WA1 case, may have influenced decision-making about how to respond to the outbreak, including whether such measures were worth the effort,” he and his co-authors wrote.

Scarpino said the research supports the idea that contact tracing and isolation can work. “Everything is sort of lining up in the direction that if we’re serious about it, we can control this thing,” he said. “We’re just not being serious about it.”

Worobey’s group also disputed a claim, published earlier this month, that a more transmissible lineage of SARS-CoV-2 viruses has emerged, arguing the increased geographic spread of viruses with that mutation pattern has more to do with timing than with increased infectiousness.

Viruses with these mutations spread from Hubei province to Italy and from there to New York City and began to spread locally undetected for a time. “This viral lineage appears to have been amplified because of luck, not high fitness,” they wrote.

Correction: The headline on an earlier version of this story misstated a key finding of the new research — that the coronavirus took off in the U.S. later than previously thought.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

This shouldn't be new news to anyone whose been following this thread, I'm posting it more to show where the MSM is in their reporting on the virus.

6 feet likely not far enough to stop COVID-19 transmission: experts

Experts on Tuesday said they believe the six-feet of distance recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) may not be enough to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

www.foxnews.com

(fair use applies)

6 feet likely not far enough to stop COVID-19 transmission: experts
By David Aaro
Published 2 hrs ago

When inside, it might be a good idea to take a few more steps back.

Experts on Tuesday said they believe the six-feet of distance recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) may not be enough to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

In a perspective article published in the journal Science, three experts wrote that aerosol particles can accumulate and remain infectious in indoor air for hours, while being easily inhaled deep into the lungs.

"Increasing evidence for SARS-CoV-2 suggests the 6 ft WHO recommendation is likely not enough under many indoor conditions where aerosols can remain airborne for hours, accumulate over time, and follow air flows over distances further than 6 ft," they said.

Chia Wang of National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan, as well as Kimberly Prather and Dr. Robert Schooley of the University of California, San Diego, said that a large proportion of the COVID-19 spread appears to be occurring through the airborne transmission of aerosols. They added the transmission was produced by asymptomatic individuals during breathing and speaking.

On Tuesday, the experts said that for society to resume as normal, measures must be implemented to reduce aerosol transmission, which includes the universal wearing of masks -- in addition to widespread testing. They believe both practices could help identify and isolate those infected asymptomatic individuals.

"It is particularly important to wear masks in locations with conditions that can accumulate high concentrations of viruses, such as health care settings, airplanes, restaurants, and other crowded places with reduced ventilation," they added.

The perspective article stated that countries -- like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea -- have implemented universal masking and were the most effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

The six feet of social distancing guidelines by the WHO is based on studies of respiratory droplets in the 1930s. However, technology didn't exist at the time for detecting tiny aerosol particles, the experts stated.

Smaller aerosols will evaporate faster than they can settle, they added. Because of that, they can be affected by air currents, which can transport them over long distances and cause them to stay in the air for hours.

“A lot of the evidence has been pointing to aerosol transmission of respiratory viruses,” Prather told WebMD. “This particular virus, a lot of evidence is mounting.”

This month, a study by scientists in Hong Kong found that using surgical masks could reduce the rate of non-contact transmission through respiratory droplets or airborne particles by up to 75 percent.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Don't expect to change anyone's mind with this, but to those of us who are wearing a mask, here's some confirmation that it does help.

Wearing a surgical mask can reduce coronavirus transmission by up to 75 percent, study says

Researchers on Sunday found that wearing surgical masks can significantly reduce the rate of airborne COVID-19 transmission, amid a debate over the effectiveness of wearing them during the coronavirus pandemic.

www.foxnews.com

(fair use applies)

Wearing a surgical mask can reduce coronavirus transmission by up to 75 percent, study says
By David Aaro
Published May 20

Researchers have found that wearing surgical masks can significantly reduce the rate of airborne COVID-19 transmission, according to a study released on Sunday.

The study, conducted by a team of scientists in Hong Kong, found the rate of non-contact transmission through respiratory droplets or airborne particles dropped by as much as 75 percent when masks were used.

“The findings implied to the world and the public is that the effectiveness of mask-wearing against the coronavirus pandemic is huge,” said Dr. Yuen Kwok-yung, a leading microbiologist from Hong Kong University who helped discover the SARS virus back in 2003.

It was released by the department of microbiology at the University of Hong Kong and comes as world leaders, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have questioned the effectiveness of face coverings outside of medical settings.

The study, described as a first of its kind, placed hamsters in two cages, with one of the groups infected with COVID-19 and the other being healthy. They placed the animals in three different scenarios to analyze the effectiveness of the face coverings.

In one scenario the mask barriers were placed only on cages with the infected subjects, another saw the masks covering the healthy subjects, and the third saw with no mask barriers at all. For all of the scenarios, a fan was placed between the cages to allow for the transmission of respiratory droplets.

They found that when the mask was placed over the infected cage the infection rate dropped to just over 15 percent.

That infection rate went up to 33 percent when the mask barrier was only used to cover the healthy hamsters’ cage.

With no mask barriers at all, roughly two-thirds of the healthy hamsters were infected with the virus within a week, the study found.

Researchers added that the hamsters who were infected even with the mask barrier had less of the virus in their bodies when compared to those infected without the masks.

"In our hamster experiment, it shows very clearly that if infected hamsters or humans -- especially asymptomatic or symptomatic ones -- put on masks, they actually protect other people," Yuen said in a press conference on Sunday, according to Sky News.

"That's the strongest result we showed here. Transmission can be reduced by 50 percent when surgical masks are used, especially when masks are worn by infected individuals."

He said up until we have a vaccine for the virus, what remains practical is either social distancing or wearing a mask.

Last month, a separate study published by a group of international experts, created a model that shows cases of the virus could be cut significantly if "(near) universal masking" is adopted.

"Universal masking at 80 [percent] adoption flattens the curve significantly more than maintaining a strict lockdown," researchers wrote in the study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, as of last week.

"Masking at only 50 [percent] adoption is not sufficient to prevent continued spread," the researchers added. "Replacing the strict lockdown with social distancing on May 31 without masking results in unchecked spread."

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

New graphs show how coronavirus is still surging in many US cities

Researchers looked at infection and fatality rates from 116 counties in 33 states. Harrison, Texas has seen daily cases rise from 300 per 100,000 people in mid- April to 3,000 per 100,000 on May 22.

www.dailymail.co.uk

(fair use applies)

Worrying new graphs show how coronavirus is STILL surging in many US states with infections spiking up to 900% in parts of Texas and Florida since April
By Mary Kekatos
Published: 13:05 EDT, 26 May 2020 | Updated: 19:21 EDT, 26 May 2020

• Researchers looked at infection and fatality rates from 116 counties in 33 states.
• Harrison, Texas has seen daily cases increase from about 300 per 100,000 people in mid- April to 3,000 per 100,000 on May 22
• Daily infections jumped in Clay County, Florida from 160 per 100,000 on April 1 to 800 on May 22
• In Milwaukee, Wisconsin cases have increased by 360 percent, with spikes after the state Supreme Court struck down stay-at-home orders

Shocking new graphics show that the novel coronavirus is still surging in several counties across the US.

As states begin to reopen their economies, several cities have been seeing their daily COVID-19 infections increase.

Daily infections in Harrison, Texas - a state that has been aggressively reopening - have spiked by 900 percent since mid-April.

And in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where stay-at-home orders were deemed 'unconstitutional' by the state Supreme Court, cases have increased by 360 percent since early April.

Researchers from the University of Washington School of Pharmacy found there also between between 350,000 and 1.2 million coronavirus deaths in the US, making the virus far deadlier than the seasonal flu.

Last week marked the first time all 50 states at least partially reopened as restrictions on businesses and social distancing were seen in varying degrees across the country.


Harrison, Texas has seen daily cases increase from about 300 per 100,000 people in mid- April to 3,000 per 100,000 on May 22 - a 900 percent increase


Daily infections jumped in Clay County, Florida from 160 per 100,000 on April 1 to 800 on May 22, which is a 400 percent spike

'Although it wouldn't beat an actual study doing [antibody] testing in the community, we know that's difficult to come by what we tried to give an idea of how widespread this is,' Dr Anirban Basu, director of the Choice Institute at the UW School of Pharmacy, told DailyMail.com.

'Hopefully that will give some idea at a county level, a local level, or people who are using modeling to forecast the future, to understand what's going in the community.

For the study, the team created a model that looked at infection and fatality rates from 116 counties in 33 states.

Basu said the tool is not a forecasting program, but rather looks at how cases are changing daily in the US.

The model showed that, in Harrison, Texas, cases humped from about 300 per 100,000 people in mid- April to 3,000 per 100,000 on May 22.

That's a 900 percent jump over the course of about a month.

Texas, which currently has more than 55,000 cases and more than 1,500 deaths, has allowed retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls to reopen at 25 percent capacity.

In some parts of the state, the establishments can open at 50 percent capacity.

And in Clay County, Florida - about 33 miles from Jacksonville - daily infections have risen from 160 per day on April 1 to 800 on May 22.

A nursing home in the county, Governors Creek Health and Rehabilitation, recently recored seven deaths from the coronavirus outbreak.

According to The Florida-Times Union, the death toll is the highest in the Jacksonville metropolitan area.

Florida, which has more than 52,000 infections and more than 2,200 deaths, has lifted restrictions by allowing retail stores, restaurants, gyms and personal care services to reopen at limited capacity.

In both states, residents have packed bars and restaurants - even as local officials called for people to remember social distancing measures.

'If we really see that the total symptomatic cases are on the rise in the community, we should be a little bit more prudent about opening up the economy right away rather than in a county where we've seen there's been consistent decline for a long time,' Basu said.


In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, daily cases rose from 260 per 100,000 in early April to almost 1,300 per 100,000 on May 22, a 400 percent jump


In Columbia, New York, daily infections have surged from nearly 600 per 100,000 on April 5 to almost 3,000 on May 22, which is yet another jump of 400 percent

However, researchers found similar spikes in northern states.

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, daily infections have surged from 260 per 100,000 in early April to almost 1,300 per 100,000 on May 22.

On May 13, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Gov Tony Evers' extended Safer at Home order, calling it was unconstitutional.

Almost immediately after, patrons packed together inside several bars, dancing and banging on the bar tops.

But, over the last several days, cases have continue to rise.

On Saturday, more than 20 percent of cases came back positive, the fifth day in a row this had occurred, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The county's goal is to have 10 percent or fewer tests come back positive, which it has not seen since May 9.

Even in Columbia, New York - where cases and deaths statewide are decreasing - infections are increasing.

Daily infections have spiked from nearly 600 per 100,000 on April 5 to almost 3,000 on May 22, the graphs show.

This is even as the county, which in New York's mid-Hudson region, began reopening last week.

By tracking down the true number of infections, Basu says this can help policymakers decide when and how to safely reopen regions across the US.

'The key thing here is the economy is extremely important to open and we all are waiting for that to happen but the only way that can happen safely is to broadly test people and a plan to quarantine and provide that information so that we don't see a jump again,' he said.

If we have to shut down the economy again after reopening, I think that would be a worse thing than delaying it for some time now and doing it the right way.'

The team's calculations also found that coronavirus deaths in the US are anywhere between 350,000 and 1.2 million, making it far deadlier than most viruses.

By comparison, there were only about 30,000 to 35,000 deaths from flu in the first two months of the most recent flu season.

'I think COVID-19 has been shown to be much fatal than the flu virus, among those who fall sick,' Basu said.

The new graphs come on the heels of projections from the PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that show several several are at risk of a second wave of coronavirus infections within the next months.

Researchers say cities such as Dallas and Miami could see COVID-19 infections surge to about 700 cases per day.

And Houston, the fourth-most populated city in the US, could see daily cases surge to more than 2,000 per day.

Gatherings have been taking place more frequently across the US, fueling fears of s resurgence in cases.

In Arkansas, Gov Asa Hutchinson told reports that several people who attended a high school swim party has contracted the virus.

In Atlanta, Georgia, several graduates of The Lovett School, a prep school, became infected with coronavirus.

Among them was a graduating senior who attended drive-through graduation parade on May 17.

Additionally, videos emerged from Lake of the Ozarks showing hundreds of people at a crowded pool party.

'This reckless behavior endangers countless people and risks setting us back substantially from the progress we have made in slowing the spread of COVID-19,' said St Louis County Executive Dr Sam Page.

On Tuesday, a new Reuters analysis showed 20 states have reported an increase in new cases for the week ending May 24, an increase from 13 states the previous week.

The top five states were all in the South with South Carolina seeing the biggest weekly increase at 42 percent and Alabama coming in second at 26 percent.

Rounding out the top five were Alabama at 28 percent from the previous week, Missouri at 27 percent and North Carolina at 26 percent.

Additionally, new cases in Georgia, one of the first states to aggressively reopen, surged 21 percent after two weeks of declines.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Personally I find all of these small studies too early to be conclusive, but this one is good news so it's something positive to focus on.

NO coronavirus mutations increase the disease's ability to spread

A new study from University College London looked at 31 mutations of the coronavirus and no strain had a higher risk of transmitting from person-to-person compared to another one.

www.dailymail.co.uk

(fair use applies)

NO coronavirus mutations increase its ability to spread and some are even harmful to the disease's capacity to transform, study finds
By Mary Kekatos
Published: 17:32 EDT, 25 May 2020 | Updated: 20:57 EDT, 25 May 2020

• Researchers looked at 31 mutations of the coronavirus that have spread independently at least 10 times in various cities and countries
• No strain had a higher risk of transmitting from person-to-person compared to another one
• In fact, some mutations were even harmful to the virus and it's ability to transform and spread

None of the mutations of the novel coronavirus appear to increase its ability to spread from person-to-person, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that, among 31 strains that circulated independently in cities or counties, no strain had a higher risk of transmission compared to the other.

Findings showed that some of the most common mutations are neutral, and some were even mildly harmful to the virus.

In fact, some of the most common mutations seem to have been caused by our immune system rather than the virus adapting to better infect human hosts, according to the team from University College London (UCL) in the UK.

'As a growing number of mutations have been documented, scientists are rapidly trying to find out if any of them could make the virus more infectious or deadly, as it's vital to understand such changes as early as possible,' said lead author Dr Francois Balloux, director of the UCL Genetics Institute.

'We employed a novel technique to determine whether viruses with the new mutation are actually transmitted at a higher rate, and found that none of the candidate mutations appear to be benefiting the virus.'

There are three ways the family of coronaviruses, including the new virus, mutate.

One way is by mistake when the virus is replicating itself, another by interacting with another virus that has infected the same cell and the third by a person's own immune system.

So far, nearly 7,000 mutations of the virus, known as SARS-Cov-2 have been identified by global researchers.

Of that number, nearly 300 have shown evidence of the ability to occur repeatedly and independently in cities and countries.

For the study, published in pre-peer review site bioRxiv.org, the team looked at viral of virus genomes from more than 15,000 COVID-19 patients in 75 countries

They focused on 31 mutations that circulated at least 10 times on their own as the pandemic has continued to rage on.

Researchers created a model of the virus's evolutionary tree to see if a particular mutation was becoming more and more common.

The majority of mutations are neutral, but there are a few that either harm or help the virus spread to new hosts and pass on to 'descendant viruses.'

Most mutations are neutral, while others are advantageous or detrimental to the virus. Both neutral and advantageous mutations can become more common as they get passed down to descendant viruses.

There was no evidence that any of the common mutations increased the virus's ability to spread and, in fact, most were neutral or 'hurt' the virus.

'It is only to be expected that a virus will mutate and eventually diverge into different lineages as it becomes more common in human populations,' said first author Dr Lucy van Dorp, a senior research fellow at UCL's Genetics Institute.

'But this does not necessarily imply that any lineages will emerge that are more transmissible or harmful.'

Worldwide, more than 5.4 million people have been infected and more than 344,000 people have died.

In the US, there are more than 1.6 confirmed cases of the virus and more than 97,000 deaths.

~~~~

see also: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.21.108506v1

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Researchers under investigation for tipping scale on antibody studies

Stanford University is investigating a team of researchers who revised results of an antibody study suggesting that 5.2% of Santa Clara County was infected to 2.8% of residents.

www.dailymail.co.uk

(fair use applies)

Stanford University is investigating its own researchers over claims their antibody study was politically motivated and 'tipped the scale' to make COVID-19 seem LESS lethal
By Mary Kekatos
Published: 12:15 EDT, 26 May 2020 | Updated: 13:52 EDT, 26 May 2020

• Last month, a team from Stanford University found that between 2.5% and 5.2% of Santa Clara County residents tested positive for coronavirus antibodies
• Researchers revised the study results, now suggesting 2.8% of Santa Clara residents contracted the virus
• That brought estimates down from up to 80 times more cases than reported to 54 times more cases than reported
• The team is under investigation by the university for making the virus appear more widespread but less deadly than believed
• Scientists say this is becoming far too common with studies published before peer review, which are not subject to scrutiny

Researchers at Stanford University are being accused of 'tipping the scale' on their antibody study and implying coronavirus is more widespread - but less fatal - than previously thought.

Last month, their analysis found that between 2.5 and 5.2 percent of Santa Clara County residents tested positive for antibodies. That meant the number of infected Americans in the county was 50 to 80 times higher than officials had reported.

But it was not peer-reviewed, many noticed the way calculations were made was not explained, and several found mistakes in the methodology.

In Version 2, the team walked back its earlier estimates and said only 2.8 percent of Santa Clara residents contracted the virus but didn't know they were ill.

That's 54 times more than the 956 confirmed cases that had been counted in the area as of April 1.

The university is now investigating the research to see if the analysts was, in fact, politically motivated, inaccurate and misleading.

The findings, published by Drs Jayanta Bhattacharya, John Ioannidis and Eran Bendavid, were astounding because it meant the virus was much more widespread and that the death toll was much lower than believed.

However, not long after version 1 came out, criticism started pouring in.

Some experts critiqued the antibody test the researchers used, which was not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Others said that, because volunteers were recruited via Facebook, the participants were not random nor representative of the county.

Additionally, the raw percentage of people who tested positive for antibodies was 1.5 percent, which would mean the true number of infections is only 30 times higher than reported.

A few weeks later, the revision was published saying that the estimated rate of infection was on the low end of their initial predictions.

The university says it is currently reviewing the study and the authors over the recent concerns.

'Stanford Medicine is aware of serious concerns related to the Santa Clara County seroprevalence study,' spokeswoman Julie Greicius told DailyMail.com.

'The integrity of Stanford Medicine’s research is core to our mission. When we receive concerns such as this, they are taken extremely seriously. This matter is being reviewed by the appropriate oversight mechanisms at Stanford.'

The team defends its work, saying it followed all standard practices and that no political biases were at play.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has continue to rage on, hundreds of researchers have been publishing preprints - a first draft of scientific findings.

Preprints are a way to share preliminary results very quickly with others in the scientific community to understand this new virus.

However, the work is often flawed because it is not peer-reviewed and, therefore, not subject to the scrutiny of other researchers.

An analysis from Northeastern University found that more than 10,000 papers related to the novel coronavirus have been published since January.

By comparison, just 29 studies were published before the SARS pandemic of 2002-2003 was over.

'Until something is, if you will, reconfirmed, it's just interesting but it's not definitive,' Arthur Caplan, a bioethics professor in the department of population health at NYU School of Medicine, told DailyMail.com

'When someone announces initial results, it's really important to swing wide for comment and assessment by people who maybe didn't peer-review but maybe offer some perspective.'

Caplan said the pandemic has led to 'panic science' with the majority of the scientific community performing research and not as many to review.

'In general, this kind of panicky science leads to lower quality, too much speed, partial results getting results, no peer review, early pre-print publication,' he said.

 

[marsh]

This shouldn't be new news to anyone whose been following this thread, I'm posting it more to show where the MSM is in their reporting on the virus.

6 feet likely not far enough to stop COVID-19 transmission: experts

Experts on Tuesday said they believe the six-feet of distance recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) may not be enough to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

www.foxnews.com

(fair use applies)

6 feet likely not far enough to stop COVID-19 transmission: experts
By David Aaro
Published 2 hrs ago

When inside, it might be a good idea to take a few more steps back.

Experts on Tuesday said they believe the six-feet of distance recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) may not be enough to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

In a perspective article published in the journal Science, three experts wrote that aerosol particles can accumulate and remain infectious in indoor air for hours, while being easily inhaled deep into the lungs.

"Increasing evidence for SARS-CoV-2 suggests the 6 ft WHO recommendation is likely not enough under many indoor conditions where aerosols can remain airborne for hours, accumulate over time, and follow air flows over distances further than 6 ft," they said.

Chia Wang of National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan, as well as Kimberly Prather and Dr. Robert Schooley of the University of California, San Diego, said that a large proportion of the COVID-19 spread appears to be occurring through the airborne transmission of aerosols. They added the transmission was produced by asymptomatic individuals during breathing and speaking.

On Tuesday, the experts said that for society to resume as normal, measures must be implemented to reduce aerosol transmission, which includes the universal wearing of masks -- in addition to widespread testing. They believe both practices could help identify and isolate those infected asymptomatic individuals.

"It is particularly important to wear masks in locations with conditions that can accumulate high concentrations of viruses, such as health care settings, airplanes, restaurants, and other crowded places with reduced ventilation," they added.

The perspective article stated that countries -- like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea -- have implemented universal masking and were the most effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

The six feet of social distancing guidelines by the WHO is based on studies of respiratory droplets in the 1930s. However, technology didn't exist at the time for detecting tiny aerosol particles, the experts stated.

Smaller aerosols will evaporate faster than they can settle, they added. Because of that, they can be affected by air currents, which can transport them over long distances and cause them to stay in the air for hours.

“A lot of the evidence has been pointing to aerosol transmission of respiratory viruses,” Prather told WebMD. “This particular virus, a lot of evidence is mounting.”

This month, a study by scientists in Hong Kong found that using surgical masks could reduce the rate of non-contact transmission through respiratory droplets or airborne particles by up to 75 percent.

Didn't that bus study say 13 ft. min?

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6QG9u7L8Lw
48:31 min
Pandemic and Global Food Supply Problems
•May 28, 2020

Dr. John Campbell
AgUnity is a global technology platform empowering thousands of organizations working toward UN Sustainable Development Goals to connect the last mile.

______________________________________

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avkqwSffYLo
32:41 min
Global situation today
•May 28, 2020

Dr. John Campbell

COVID -19, Update, Wednesday 28th May Russia Cases, 379,051 Deaths, 4,142 Doctor F It is wrong to talk about lockdown in Russia, there is an is emergency mode, quarantine is part of this However, this was not introduced, rather than quarantine, a self-isolation regime was introduced Sometimes called a period of non-working days The media do not use the word quarantine, to reassure people that everything is in order The problem is that this self-isolation regime has no legal basis or clear definition Is much politicized If an emergency was declared the state would have to support people financially, and they are not prepared to do this, as a result people are forced to work and isolation is broken Therefore, in effect, no one is self-isolating In practice, people are not wearing masks in public (despite being mandated in places) https://yandex.uz/maps/covid19/isolat... https://yandex.ru/company/researches/... Yandex is the Russian Google, preloaded on most phones Geolocation pings, compile people movements, and the streets are crowed again Dagestan Severely affected Self-isolation observed Statistics Less than accurate Testing is extremely inadequate Results sometimes delayed for weeks
Patients released who later turned out to be positive Tests are poor quality No exact data, but probably 30% to 50% false negatives Low CFR / IFR ‘special calculation methodology’ https://www.interfax.ru/moscow/708487 Even according to official data, 60% of deaths are not included Diagnosis by pathologist, e.g. pneumonia, sepsis Post mortem tests take a long time to come back COVID clinical diagnosis on death certificates raged https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a918l... New recommendations, COVID has to be the main cause of death https://static-1.rosminzdrav.ru/syste... Asymptomatic cases of COVID not included at all Lack of medical and nursing staff https://live24.ru/regiony/moskva-i-mo...

UK Cases, 268,619 Deaths + 412 = 37,542 NHS Test and Trace starts today Low or high-risk contacts High risk contacts asked to self-isolate for 14 days If contacted by NHS test and trace you must self-isolate Compliance essential, civic duty Light touch, entirely voluntary Fronted by NHS, health advice Test results need to be quick App soon, social reasons

US Cases, 1,699,993 Deaths, 100,442 Disney world, July 11th Las Vegas casinos, next week Late planning Technical problems Coordinated national plan Increasing infection in 20 states Birmingham Alabama, out of ICT beds South Korea Monday, 19 new cases Tuesday 20 new cases Thursday 79 new cases

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiusOs4YkEY
15:22 min
081 - COVID-19 in Lesotho and Southern Africa
•May 28, 2020

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

As of recording, there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Lesotho, a country in southern Africa. But the country borders South Africa which has close to 5,000 cases, and shares a migrant workforce that has been coming home to Lesotho amidst shutdowns. Dr. Tafadzwa Chakare, technical director for Jhpiego in Lesotho, talks with guest host Dr. Sara Bennett about the challenges of managing the pandemic in highly mobile, migrant populations.

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr8KGDpIr68
58:27 min
War Room Pandemic Ep 199 - High Noon in Hong Kong (w/ Mark Simon)
•Streamed live 4 hours ago

Bannon WarRoom - Citizens of the American Republic

Steve Bannon, Jack Maxey, Jason Miller, and Raheem Kassam bring you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic as the situation in Hong Kong escalates and the Chinese Communist Party attempts to goad the West into action (or inaction). Calling in is Mark Simon to provide his insights on the situation in Hong Kong.

___________________________

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjqcvYBPzU8
58:33 min
War Room Pandemic Ep 200 - The Alliance of Liberty
•Streamed live 3 hours ago

Bannon WarRoom - Citizens of the American Republic

Steve Bannon, Jack Maxey, Raheem Kassam, are joined by Jay Kansara to discuss the latest on the coronavirus pandemic as the CCP's efforts to antagonize its own neighbors and the West in response to the global outbreak. Calling in is Dan DiMicco to discuss the re-domestication of American manufacturing. Michael Horowitz calls in to discuss the situation with the Great Firewall. Dave Ramaswamy calls in to discuss the situation in India as well.

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSRK41UbTEU
15:38 min
Coronavirus Pandemic Update 76: Antibody Testing False Positives in COVID-19
•May 28, 2020

MedCram - Medical Lectures Explained CLEARLY

COVID-19 Update 76 with Roger Seheult, MD. All coronavirus updates available free at our website https://www.medcram.com/courses/coron... There is new information from the CDC that antibody testing in populations with a low prevalence of infection results in a high amount of false positives. Dr. Seheult illustrates how to understand this information. (This video was recorded on May 28, 2020)

---------------------------- Links referenced in this video: Johns Hopkins Tracker - https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html Worldometer https://www.worldometers.info/coronav... Osmosis on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I7Of... CNN - https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/health... CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-... NPR - https://www.npr.org/sections/health-s...

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5vi4zWkljc
LIVE

Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany Holds a Briefing
•Started streaming 63 minutes ago

The White House

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_w3bdrdzsQ
8:45 min
100 THOUSAND COVID-19 DEATHS IN US: The Media (unsurprisingly) places blame on President Trump
•May 28, 2020


Glenn Beck

Over 100 thousand Americans have died from COVID-19. It's a tragedy, and each life deserves to be respected and remembered. But instead, the media not only seems giddy about the virus -- but DETERMINED to place the blame for each life lost on President Trump. Pat and Stu discuss the ridiculous ways those in the press are trying to convince Americans that Trump is solely to blame.

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOEZ-BA1ItU
LIVE
LIVE: Governor Hutchinson Provides COVID-19 Update (05.28.20)
•Started streaming 9 minutes ago


Governor Asa Hutchinson
Governor Asa Hutchinson will provide an update to media on Thursday, May 28, 2020, regarding Arkansas’s COVID-19 response.

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9v6givfTEA
8:46 min
Covid-19: why the economy could fare worse than you think | The Economist
•May 27, 2020

The Economist

Three months after lockdown was relaxed in China, its economy is now running at around 90% of normal levels. Although 90% may sound fine, for many it could be catastrophic.

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzAv89efClQ
3:49 min
Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a lead candidate for COVID-19
•May 26, 2020

ABC News

Rinke Bos, principal scientist and immunologist for Johnson & Johnson, talks developing a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hMbBdwCbGA
2:40 min
Locusts Attack India: Amid Covid-19 Pandemic, Farmers Now Battle Massive Locust Attack
•May 26, 2020

India Today

After the covid pandemic, farmers have been hit by an unexpected and deadly locust attack, these insects have swarmed parts of North India.

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WNQio36e7M
5:44 min

Contact Tracer in Tears Over Challenges of COVID-19 Hunt | Coronavirus News for May 27, 2020
•May 27, 2020

Inside Edition
Maria DiCaro wiped away tears as she talked about the challenges of her work. “It's nice to get those positive reactions from people that are very grateful, that they do see the purpose of what we're doing,” she said. Maria works as a contact tracer: one part nurse, one part detective, trying to keep track of where and how COVID-19 spreads in the community. She said she sometimes encounters resistance from the people she interviews. "I get people that lie all the time," she said.

 

[Plain Jane]

Pennsylvania COVID-19 Numbers

Current number of positive results, age breakdowns, hospitalizations, and more.

www.health.pa.gov

COVID-19 Data for Pennsylvania*
* Map, tables, case counts and deaths last updated at 12:00 p.m. on 5/28/2020
Source: Pennsylvania National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (PA-NEDSS) as of 12:00 a.m. on 5/28/2020
Page last updated: 12:00 p.m. on 5/28/2020

Case Counts, Deaths, and Negatives

Total Cases*	Deaths	Negative**	Recovered***
70,042	5,373	357,804	64%

* Total case counts include confirmed and probable cases.
** Negative case data only includes negative PCR tests. Negative case data does not include negative antibody tests.
*** Individuals who have recovered is determined using a calculation, similar to what is being done by several other states. If a case has not been reported as a death, and it is more than 30 days past the date of their first positive test (or onset of symptoms) then an individual is considered recovered.

Confirmed Cases	Probable Case by Definition and High-Risk Exposure	Probable Case by Serology Test and Either Symptoms or High-Risk Exposure
68,104	1,938	595

Hospital Data

• View hospital dataOpens In A New Window (desktop version)
• View hospital dataOpens In A New Window (mobile version)

Trajectory Animations

• COVID-19 Trajectory Animations

Positive Cases by Age Range to Date

Age Range	Percent of Cases*
0-4	< 1%
5-12	< 1%
13-18	2%
19-24	6%
25-49	37%
50-64	25%
65+	28%

* Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding


Hospitalization Rates by Age Range to Date

Age Range	Percent of Cases*
0-4	< 1%
5-12	< 1%
13-18	< 1%
19-24	1%
25-49	16%
50-64	26%
65+	56%

* Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding


Death Data

• View COVID-19 death data

County Case Counts to Date

County	Total Cases	Negatives
Adams	240	2974
Allegheny	1851	28956
Armstrong	62	1210
Beaver	579	3533
Bedford	38	717
Berks	3973	11160
Blair	49	2634
Bradford	46	1506
Bucks	4966	18448
Butler	226	3608
Cambria	57	3602
Cameron	2	124
Carbon	232	2234
Centre	150	2016
Chester	2555	11712
Clarion	25	667
Clearfield	37	1046
Clinton	55	561
Columbia	346	1283
Crawford	23	1041
Cumberland	618	4780
Dauphin	1212	9734
Delaware	6337	19627
Elk	6	309
Erie	242	4468
Fayette	95	3152
Forest	7	76
Franklin	759	5036
Fulton	15	220
Greene	27	750
Huntingdon	228	826
Indiana	90	1346
Jefferson	7	495
Juniata	95	325
Lackawanna	1516	5979
Lancaster	3056	15319
Lawrence	74	1267
Lebanon	944	4461
Lehigh	3719	13561
Luzerne	2689	10361
Lycoming	162	2102
McKean	12	545
Mercer	106	1501
Mifflin	58	1195
Monroe	1311	5610
Montgomery	6811	32804
Montour	50	3193
Northampton	3022	12705
Northumberland	186	1356
Perry	54	709
Philadelphia	17972	55152
Pike	476	1953
Potter	4	140
Schuylkill	606	4693
Snyder	39	385
Somerset	37	1688
Sullivan	2	93
Susquehanna	99	735
Tioga	16	544
Union	56	1073
Venango	8	496
Warren	3	359
Washington	139	4123
Wayne	118	941
Westmoreland	443	8899
Wyoming	34	459
York	970	13227

• View as a clickable county or zip code level mapOpens In A New Window

Incidence by County

Incidence is calculated by dividing the current number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases reported to the Department by the 2018 county population data available from the Bureau of Health Statistics. The counties are divided into 6 relatively equally-sized groups based on their incidence rate (i.e. sestiles). Cases are determined using a national COVID-19 case definition. There currently is no way to estimate the true number of infected persons. Incidence rates are based on the number of known cases, not the number of true infected persons.

Case Counts by Sex to Date

Sex	Positive Cases	Percent of Cases*
Female	38,357	55%
Male	30,978	44%
Neither	3	0%
Not reported	704	1%

* Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding

Case Counts by Race to Date*

Race	Positive Cases	Percent of Cases**
African American/Black	8515	12%
Asian	992	1%
White	19,051	27%
Other	406	1%
Not reported	41,078	59%

* 59% of race is not reported. Little data is available on ethnicity.
** Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding


Case Counts by Region to Date

Region	Positive	Negative	Inconclusive
Northcentral	1036	14252	17
Northeast	12911	54538	145
Northwest	462	12394	20
Southcentral	5095	46838	81
Southeast	45212	168915	936
Southwest	3388	60867	47

EpiCurve by Region

Case counts are displayed by the date that the cases were first reported to the PA-NEDSS surveillance system. Case counts by date of report can vary significantly from day to day for a variety of reasons. In addition to changes due to actual changes in disease incidence, trends are strongly influenced by testing patterns (who gets tested and why), testing availability, lab analysis backlogs, lab reporting delays, new labs joining our electronic laboratory reporting system, mass screenings, etc. Trends need to be sustained for at least 2-3 weeks before any conclusions can be made regarding the progress of the pandemic.
COVID-19 Cases Associated with Nursing Homes and Personal Care Homes to Date
This data represents long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania, including Department of Health and Department of Human Services regulated facilities.

• COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facilities Data (updated 5/26/2020 at 3:30 p.m.)