CORONA Main Coronavirus thread

Heliobas Disciple · Jul 8, 2020

Florida still not reporting how many hospitalized with COVID. DeSantis won't say why.

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Florida still not reporting how many hospitalized with COVID. DeSantis won't say why.
By Samantha J. Gross, The Miami Herald
8 hrs ago

Under pressure last week as COVID-19 hospitalizations soared in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office said the state would start reporting daily hospitalization data for all 67 counties.

DeSantis on Tuesday, however, refused to address the fact that the state has yet to make good on its promise when asked by a Miami Herald reporter.

“Obviously not everything is presented in this report but just an unbelievable amount of data is available,” DeSantis said at an indoor press conference held at Florida’s 12th COVID-only nursing facility near Miami International Airport.

He did not respond to a follow-up question from CNN correspondent Rosa Flores as to why the state does not publish daily hospitalization data.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who sat next to DeSantis at the Tuesday event, ordered hospitals in the county to report patient admissions, ICU capacity, ventilator inventory and other data every day starting on April 4. The number of people entering hospitals each day for COVID-19 is key data that public health experts monitor to measure the potential strain on hospital systems and the seriousness of the disease’s resurgence.

Florida is an outlier among states in not reporting the number of patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Instead, the Agency for Health Care Administration reports daily hospital bed capacity while the state Department of Health reports the total number of patients admitted to hospitals during the course of the pandemic, not the number of people actively in a hospital at a given time.

Lots of other data

At the press conference, DeSantis pointed to the health department’s daily report, which he had printed out in front of him, instead of addressing why state agencies haven’t yet released the data.

“They have so much raw data on there,” he said, flipping through the papers. “It’s really incredible ... people do the charts and the graphs and everything. That’s all available for folks and they are able to do it.”

When asked by the Miami Herald earlier this week, the governor’s office said it still planned to publicly report the data, but would not specify a timeline. Public health officials and experts have told the Herald that the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration possesses the data, but the agency has not responded to requests to provide it.

State health department officials have told researchers that the department does not track current hospitalizations.

Opening a shuttered facility

State Sen. José Javier Rodríguez, a Miami Democrat, said he suspects the state is not releasing the data because of possibly showing a discrepancy in the numbers already reported in Miami-Dade County.

“It’s these games with public records. They won’t release it unless there’s public pressure or a lawsuit filed. It’s infuriating,” said Rodríguez, who attended the press conference. “I suspect that one of the concerns is that we are going to see a divergence in numbers. That’s what I think.”

The press conference was held at the once-shuttered Miami Medical Center, which is owned by Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and had been closed since October 2017. It is now being repurposed as a place to treat COVID patients who are stable enough to leave a hospital but still too contagious to return to a long-term care facility, a population hardest hit by COVID-19 deaths in Florida.

State officials originally planned to open the Miami facility, also formerly known as Pan American Hospital, as a dedicated facility for COVID-positive patients in April but the state canceled the original $42 million-a-month arrangement when hospitals were able to cope with the infection numbers.

The facility, when fully functioning, can serve up to 150 patients. There are currently 18 COVID-positive patients either at or in the process of being transferred to the facility, where the press conference was held. Reporters were screened upon entering but were not told that there were COVID-positive patients in the building. Masked medical personnel walked back and forth behind reporters, some wearing head coverings and gowns.

The press conference was held in a narrow corridor toward the front of the building without consideration for social distancing, which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop the spread of the highly infectious disease.

DeSantis’ spokeswoman, Helen Aguirre Ferré, told the Miami Herald that the patients were on a separate floor and enter through an ambulance bay, not the door used by members of the press and other attendees. When asked if she was concerned about holding a press conference in a dedicated COVID-19 facility, she said: “It is a hospital, do not believe it has been anything else.”

DeSantis did not wear a mask while speaking.

Other facilities in Escambia, Leon, Polk, Charlotte, Lee, Pinellas, Palm Beach, Brevard and Broward counties are dedicated exclusively to COVID-19 cases and can accommodate up to 750 patients.

Florida’s Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed 7,347 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 213,794.

Of those, 2,066 new cases were reported in Miami-Dade County, bringing the county’s total to 51,058 known cases as officials prepare to roll back reopenings such as restaurants because of the increasing case number.

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Heliobas Disciple · Jul 8, 2020

Dr Fauci says America is 'knee deep in the first wave' of coronavirus

Despite fears of a second wave of coronavirus as daily case totals surge, Dr Fauci warned that the US is actually still 'knee deep in the first wave' since infections never fell back to baseline.

www.dailymail.co.uk

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Dr Fauci says America is 'knee deep in the first wave' of coronavirus and the outbreak is 'really not good' as US hits almost 50,000 cases a day and 130,000 deaths
By Chris Pleasance
Published: 04:30 EDT, 7 July 2020 | Updated: 15:56 EDT, 7 July 2020

US recorded 47,126 new cases of coronavirus Monday, bringing total to 2,935,712
There were 337 new deaths compared with the day before, making total 130,284
Despite fears of a second wave, Dr Fauci said country is 'knee deep in first wave'
Cases 'went up, never came down to baseline, and now we're surging back up,' Fauci said as he warned of a 'very dangerous situation'

Dr Anthony Fauci has warned that America is still 'knee deep in the first wave' of coronavirus as daily case totals continue to push the 50,000 mark as states reopen.

The recent surge in infections has led many to fear that the US is experiencing a 'second wave' of the virus, but Fauci said that is far from the case because the first wave never ended.

'If you look at the graphs from Europe, the European Union as an entity, [the case total] went up and then came down to baseline,' he said.

'Now they're having little blips, as you might expect, as they try to reopen. We went up, never came down to baseline, and now we're surging back up, so it's a serious situation that we have to address immediately.'

There were more than 47,000 new cases reported across the country Monday along with 337 new deaths, bringing the totals to 2,935,712 infections and 130,284 fatalities - the highest totals of any country in the world.

Fauci continued to urge people to wash their hands, wear masks and socially distance in public in order to avoid catching the virus.

He also warned younger people that they are not 'invulnerable' to getting serious infections, as crowds flock back to bars and other public places amid the reopening.

Even if they escape a serious infection themselves, then they risk passing the disease on to someone who might not survive it, he added.

Fourteen states have now hit record-high numbers of new daily infections since the start of July, with hospitals in two Texas counties hitting capacity over the weekend.

The number of people dying from the virus has remained stable or has declined, though deaths tend to lag behind cases because of the time it takes for someone to get sick enough to die.

Florida has now surpassed Arizona with the steepest and most alarming rise in cases in the US.

In just two weeks, the number of total infections there has doubled from 100,000 to more than 200,000 as of Sunday.

Arizona and Nevada also hit their respective record-high numbers of hospitalized coronavirus patients on Sunday, as the Mayors of both Austin and Houston, Texas, warned that their hospitals are on the brink of being overwhelmed.

Daily new case records were also set with alarmingly steep increases seen in states where the virus has been relatively quiet until recently: West Virginia, Tennessee and Montana.

Last week, national attention turned to Arizona and Texas, which each surpassed their previous record numbers of new cases in a single day over and over again.

Despite the spike in cases, falling death rates prompted White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany to claim on Monday that the world is looking to the US as a 'leader' on coronavirus.

'It's because of the extraordinary work that we've done on therapeutics and getting PPE and leading on ventilators and having excess ventilators that we were able to deploy around the world and help other countries,' she added.

'So that's what I would have to say on COVID.'

Meanwhile Donald Trump tweeted insisting that schools must reopen in the fall, and accused Joe Biden of wanting to keep them close 'for political reasons'.

Biden hasn't advocated for keeping schools indefinitly closed, though on Friday he indicated that might be a reality because of recent spikes in COVID-19 cases.

Trump also has limited powers to keep schools open, since their operation mostly falls under the remit of state governors and local politicians.

Educators have struggled with decisions over opening schools considering the risk of infection to both students and faculty.

Some municipalities have pitched that students have a rotating schedule where they would have in-class learning part-time.

It will be largely up to the status of the outbreak and the physical size of the schools, so social distancing measures can be kept in place.

With the school year fast approaching, some governors have decided to prioritize school reopening over other businesses.

Last week, for instance, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer again ordered bars in the lower peninsula not serve patrons indoors, following several COVID-19 outbreaks.

'If we want to be in a strong position to reopen schools for in-person classroom instruction this fall, then we need to take aggressive action right now to ensure we don’t wipe out all the progress we have made,' Whitmer said.

Colleges and universities have announced a number of plans for the fall semester, including changing the calendars and holding some courses online.

Harvard University announced earlier on Monday that all of its courses would be held online for the upcoming academic year.

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Heliobas Disciple · Jul 8, 2020

COVID-19 cases on the rise in 40 US states but deaths continue to fall

Coronavirus infections are now on the rise in 40 states across the US as Sunbelt states like Texas, Arizona and California continue to report record hospitalizations and cases.

www.dailymail.co.uk

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GO TO LINK FOR GRAPHS

US coronavirus cases are on the rise in 40 states but deaths continue to FALL - for now - as Texas, Arizona and California see record hospitalizations
By Emily Crane
Published: 09:34 EDT, 7 July 2020 | Updated: 16:30 EDT, 7 July 2020

Sixteen states have posted record daily case counts this month alone and new COVID-19 cases are now rising in 40 states across the US, according to an analysis of data
The US has seen a 27 percent increase in new COVID-19 cases in the last week compared to the previous seven days
Deaths, which health experts say are a lagging indicator because it takes time for people to get sick and die, continued to fall nationally in the week ending July 5
Experts say this downward trend reflects the large share of cases among young adults, who are more likely than older ones to survive COVID-19
Health officials fear the downward trend in deaths, which is a lagging indicator, could reverse itself
The number of cases across the United States has now surpassed 2.9 million and more than 130,000 Americans have died from COVID-19
Texas, Arizona and California are among those reporting record hospitalizations from coronavirus

Coronavirus infections are now on the rise in 40 states across the US as Sunbelt states including Texas, Arizona and California continue to report record hospitalizations and cases.

The number of cases across the United States has now surpassed 2.9 million and more than 130,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.

Sixteen states have posted record daily case counts this month alone and new COVID-19 cases have risen nationally every week for five straight weeks, according to a Reuters analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project.

The US has seen a 27 percent increase in new COVID-19 cases in the last week compared to the previous seven days. New cases per day nationwide have hit record levels of well over 50,000.

Deaths continued to fall nationally in the week ending July 5, according to the analysis.

A handful of states, however, have reported weekly increases in deaths for at least two straight weeks compared to the previous seven days, including Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Texas and Tennessee.

Health experts say deaths are a lagging indicator because it takes time for people to get sick and die. The current death rates likely represent cases that were diagnosed about a month ago.

Officials say the current downward trend reflects advances in treatment and prevention, as well as the large share of cases among young adults, who are more likely than older patients to survive COVID-19.

Officials have warned the current trend of younger adults making up the majority of new cases could possibly cause the death rate to spike in the coming weeks given they could be spreading the virus to older, more vulnerable people.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has forecast that the death toll could reach 160,000 later this month.

California, Texas and Florida are among two dozen states reporting high infection rates as a percentage of diagnostic tests conducted over the past week - an alarming sign of a virus still spreading largely unchecked throughout much of the country.

In California, COVID-19 hospitalizations have jumped 50 percent over the past two weeks.

Texas also registered an all-time high in the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus and officials say hospitals are in danger of being overwhelmed.

Hospitalizations in Texas surged past 8,000 for the first time over the weekend, a more than fourfold increase in the past month. Houston officials said intensive care units there have exceeded capacity.

Hospitalizations across Florida have also been ticking upward, with nearly 1,700 patients admitted in the past seven days compared with 1,200 the previous week. Five hospitals in the St. Petersburg area were out of intensive care unit beds, officials said. Miami's Baptist Hospital had only four of its 88 ICU beds available.

In Arizona, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 topped 3,200, a new high, and hospitals statewide were at 89 percent capacity.

As the US emerged from a July 4 weekend of picnics, pool parties and beach outing that health officials fear could fuel the worsening outbreak, more states are reporting a troubling increase in the percentage of COVID-19 diagnostic tests that come back positive - a key indicator of community spread that experts refer to as the rate of 'positivity'.

Two dozen states, mostly in the South and West, have averaged positivity rates over the past week exceeding 5 percent - a level the World Health Organization considers to be concerning.

Officials say that if a positivity rate is too high - above 5 percent - it could indicate that the state is only testing the sickest patients and not casting a wide enough net to see how much the virus is spreading.

Several states were averaging double-digit rates and climbing, including Arizona at 26 percent, Florida at 19 percent and Mississippi at 17 percent.

Nationally, 7.5 percent of diagnostic tests came back positive last week, up from 7 percent the prior week and 5 percent two weeks ago, according to an analysis.

Testing rose by 7.5 percent last week and set a new record high with over 721,000 tests performed on July 3.

Health officials in South Carolina reported over 1,500 new cases Monday. If the numbers keep rising at their current rates, hospitals will probably have to adopt an emergency plan to add 3,000 more beds in places such as hotels and gyms, authorities said.

Alabama has been averaging about 1,000 new cases a day, two or three times what it was seeing in late April, when its stay-at-home order was lifted.

'We set a record for highs over the holiday weekend, and, of course, given the number of people who were out and about over the weekend celebrating, we are certainly concerned about what the next couple of weeks are going to look like as well,' said Scott Harris, Alabama's health officer.

In West Virginia, Republican Gov. Jim Justice reversed course and ordered the wearing of face masks indoors, joining other state leaders around the country.

'I'm telling you, West Virginia, if we don't do that and do this now, we're going to be in a world of hurt,' he said, adding: 'It's not much of an inconvenience.'

The disquieting surge in new cases has prompted many local leaders to slow down or roll back business reopenings in hopes of curbing infection rates that have started to overwhelm hospitals in some areas.

Florida's greater Miami area became the latest hot spot to roll back its reopening with Mayor Carlos Gimenez ordering restaurant dining to close on Monday.

'We can tamp down the spread if everyone follows the rules, wears masks and stays at least six feet (2 m) apart from others,' the Miami mayor said in a statement announcing his emergency order, which also closed ballrooms, banquet halls, fitness centers and short-term housing rentals.

Restaurants also were targeted for a July 4 weekend crackdown on coronavirus enforcement in California.

Governor Gavin Newsom said state regulators visited nearly 6,000 bars and restaurants over the weekend to ensure compliance with rules barring indoor seating or the reopening of any establishment that serves alcohol without food.

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Three more states added to New York governor's quarantine order

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday ordered people arriving from an additional three states to quarantine for 14 days amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The three additional states are Delaware, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Travelers arriving to New York from a total of 19 U.S. states are now required to quarantine for 14 days.

The other states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

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Heliobas Disciple · Jul 8, 2020

After sending 1000s of COVID patients into nursing homes, New York blames deaths on 'infected staff'

'Thousands of employees' likely transmitted the disease, state claims

justthenews.com

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After sending 1000s of COVID patients into nursing homes, New York blames deaths on 'infected staff'
'Thousands of employees' likely transmitted the disease, state claims
By Daniel Payne
July 7, 2020 - 4:07pm

New York officials issue a report this week concluding that the high number of coronavirus deaths in state care facilities was the result of infected workers, not sick residents, spreading the contagion.

New York has face sharp criticism over the past several months for its policy of allowing COVID-19-positive patients to return to nursing homes before they were declared free of the virus.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state policy of allowing residents to return to elderly-care facilities was in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, PolitiFact in May rated that claim "mostly false," pointing out the state appeared to pressure nursing homes to take COVID-19 patients regardless of whether they could properly house them.

The report by the New York Department of Health states that "an analysis of the timing between known nursing home staff infections and nursing home fatalities indicates that they are correlated." It also states that "the peak number of nursing home staff reporting COVID-19 symptoms occurred 23 days prior to the date of the peak nursing home fatalities."

The data "does not support [the] assertion" that infected patients were the spreaders of the disease, the department argues.

"Nursing home resident fatalities peaked on April 8, 2020," the report also states. "The peak of nursing home admissions from hospitals did not occur until April 14, 2020, a week after peak nursing home fatalities – suggesting the policy was not the cause."

The report also finds that "most patients readmitted to nursing homes were likely not infectious," claiming that they would likely have spent enough time in the hospital to have entered a non-infectious stage of the disease.

Data also "do not show a consistent relationship between admissions and increased mortality," the report says, adding that "there were cases where nursing homes did not admit any COVID-positive patients, yet still had a high number of COVID-related deaths."

The report states that any staff who spread the disease did so "through no fault of their own," insofar as they would have been unaware they were infectious while working.

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Heliobas Disciple · Jul 8, 2020

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/08/coronavirus-live-updates-us/

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Live updates: Dozens of Fla. hospitals run out of ICU beds as U.S. approaches 3 million coronavirus cases
By Antonia Noori Farzan and Katie Shepherd
July 8, 2020 at 2:28 a.m. EDT

As the number of coronavirus cases reported nationwide rapidly approaches 3 million, dozens of hospitals in Florida have run out of space in their intensive care units. Arizona is also swiftly approaching full capacity for ICU beds, while Texas, another hot spot, reported more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday alone.

Though the fatality rate in the United States has dropped, Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, said Tuesday that focusing on that single data point was a “false narrative” that could lead to a misguided sense of complacency. The decline can be partially attributed to the fact that more young people are getting sick, and they generally tend to be healthier — “but that doesn’t mean that you could not get seriously ill,” he said.

Here are some significant developments:

Many states failed to anticipate that reopening would lead to a surge of infections in adults between 18 and 35, Deborah Birx, the physician overseeing the White House pandemic response, said Tuesday. Younger people largely complied with stay-at-home orders in the early months of the pandemic, “but when they saw people out and about on social media, they all went out and about,” she said.
The White House is intensifying pressure on schools to fully reopen in the fall, a move that has drawn criticism from the National Education Association and other prominent groups. Not all states are on board: On Tuesday, hard-hit Texas said that it would offer both in-person and remote learning for the upcoming school year, and it will let parents make their own call.
The United States has started the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization, a move that threatens to undermine the U.N. agency’s response to the pandemic.
A Pennsylvania nursing home treated veterans with a potentially risky “covid cocktail” that included hydroxychloroquine — even when they hadn’t been tested for the coronavirus.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the pandemic in a country grappling with the world’s second-worst outbreak, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

2:28 a.m.

Bolsonaro says he is taking hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus, expects fast recovery

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he expects a quick recovery from the coronavirus because he is taking hydroxychloroquine, a potentially risky drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says is unlikely to be effective.

After testing positive for covid-19 on Tuesday, Bolsonaro posted an upbeat video to Facebook where he swallowed a dose of the drug and claimed to already be feelings its effects.

“Today I’m a lot better, so certainly it’s working,” he said in Portuguese, according to the Associated Press. “We know today there are other remedies that can help fight the coronavirus. We know none of them have their efficacy scientifically proven, but I’m one more person for whom this is working. So I trust hydroxychloroquine. And you?”

Both Bolsonaro and President Trump, who are allies on many other issues, have heavily promoted hydroxychloroquine as a game-changer for treating the coronavirus. But clinical trials have found that the antimalarial drug can have serious side effects, including heart problems, and failed to demonstrably improve outcomes for hospitalized patients.

Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed the risks of covid-19 as Brazil faces one of the worst outbreaks worldwide, with a death toll second only to the United States. He did not appear to change his perspective after experiencing some symptoms, telling reporters on Tuesday, “It’s natural. There’s no dread. It’s life.”

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Heliobas Disciple · Jul 8, 2020

Sweden Has Become the World’s Cautionary Tale (Published 2020)

Its decision to carry on in the face of the pandemic has yielded a surge of deaths without sparing its economy from damage — a red flag as the United States and Britain move to lift lockdowns.

www.nytimes.com

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Sweden Has Become the World’s Cautionary Tale
Its decision to carry on in the face of the pandemic has yielded a surge of deaths without sparing its economy from damage — a red flag as the United States and Britain move to lift lockdowns.
Peter S. Goodman
July 7, 2020

LONDON — Ever since the coronavirus emerged in Europe, Sweden has captured international attention by conducting an unorthodox, open-air experiment. It has allowed the world to examine what happens in a pandemic when a government allows life to carry on largely unhindered.

This is what has happened: Not only have thousands more people died than in neighboring countries that imposed lockdowns, but Sweden’s economy has fared little better.

“They literally gained nothing,” said Jacob F. Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. “It’s a self-inflicted wound, and they have no economic gains.”

The results of Sweden’s experience are relevant well beyond Scandinavian shores. In the United States, where the virus is spreading with alarming speed, many states have — at President Trump’s urging — avoided lockdowns or lifted them prematurely on the assumption that this would foster economic revival, allowing people to return to workplaces, shops and restaurants.

In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson — previously hospitalized with Covid-19 — reopened pubs and restaurants last weekend in a bid to restore normal economic life.

Implicit in these approaches is the assumption that governments must balance saving lives against the imperative to spare jobs, with the extra health risks of rolling back social distancing potentially justified by a resulting boost to prosperity. But Sweden’s grim result — more death, and nearly equal economic damage — suggests that the supposed choice between lives and paychecks is a false one: A failure to impose social distancing can cost lives and jobs at the same time.

Sweden put stock in the sensibility of its people as it largely avoided imposing government prohibitions. The government allowed restaurants, gyms, shops, playgrounds and most schools to remain open. By contrast, Denmark and Norway opted for strict quarantines, banning large groups and locking down shops and restaurants.

More than three months later, the coronavirus is blamed for 5,420 deaths in Sweden, according to the World Health Organization. That might not sound especially horrendous compared with the more than 129,000 Americans who have died. But Sweden is a country of only 10 million people. Per million people, Sweden has suffered 40 percent more deaths than the United States, 12 times more than Norway, seven times more than Finland and six times more than Denmark.

The elevated death toll resulting from Sweden’s approach has been clear for many weeks. What is only now emerging is how Sweden, despite letting its economy run unimpeded, has still suffered business-destroying, prosperity-diminishing damage, and at nearly the same magnitude of its neighbors.

Sweden’s central bank expects its economy to contract by 4.5 percent this year, a revision from a previously expected gain of 1.3 percent. The unemployment rate jumped to 9 percent in May from 7.1 percent in March. “The overall damage to the economy means the recovery will be protracted, with unemployment remaining elevated,” Oxford Economics concluded in a recent research note.

This is more or less how damage caused by the pandemic has played out in Denmark, where the central bank expects that the economy will shrink 4.1 percent this year, and where joblessness has edged up to 5.6 percent in May from 4.1 percent in March.

In short, Sweden suffered a vastly higher death rate while failing to collect on the expected economic gains.

The coronavirus does not stop at national borders. Despite the government’s decision to allow the domestic economy to roll on, Swedish businesses are stuck with the same conditions that produced recession everywhere else. And Swedish people responded to the fear of the virus by limiting their shopping — not enough to prevent elevated deaths, but enough to produce a decline in business activity.

Here is one takeaway with potentially universal import: It is simplistic to portray government actions such as quarantines as the cause of economic damage. The real culprit is the virus itself. From Asia to Europe to the Americas, the risks of the pandemic have disrupted businesses while prompting people to avoid shopping malls and restaurants, regardless of official policy.

Sweden is exposed to the vagaries of global trade. Once the pandemic was unleashed, it was certain to suffer the economic consequences, said Mr. Kirkegaard, the economist.

“The Swedish manufacturing sector shut down when everyone else shut down because of the supply chain situation,” he said. “This was entirely predictable.”

What remained in the government’s sphere of influence was how many people would die.

“There is just no questioning and no willingness from the Swedish government to really change tack, until it’s too late,” Mr. Kirkegaard said. “Which is astonishing, given that it’s been clear for quite some time that the economic gains that they claim to have gotten from this are just nonexistent.”

Norway, on the other hand, was not only quick to impose an aggressive lockdown, but early to relax it as the virus slowed, and as the government ramped up testing. It is now expected to see a more rapid economic turnaround. Norway’s central bank predicts that its mainland economy — excluding the turbulent oil and gas sector — will contract by 3.9 percent this year. That amounts to a marked improvement over the 5.5 percent decline expected in the midst of the lockdown.

Sweden’s laissez faire approach does appear to have minimized the economic damage compared with its neighbors in the first three months of the year, according to an assessment by the International Monetary Fund. But that effect has worn off as the force of the pandemic has swept through the global economy, and as Swedish consumers have voluntarily curbed their shopping anyway.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen gained access to credit data from Danske Bank, one of the largest in Scandinavia. They studied spending patterns from mid-March, when Denmark put the clamps on the economy, to early April. The pandemic prompted Danes to reduce their spending 29 percent in that period, the study concluded. During the same weeks, consumers in Sweden — where freedom reigned — reduced their spending 25 percent.

Strikingly, older people — those over 70 — reduced their spending more in Sweden than in Denmark, perhaps concerned that the business-as-usual circumstances made going out especially risky.

Collectively, Scandinavian consumers are expected to continue spending far more robustly than in the United States, said Thomas Harr, global head of research at Danske Bank, emphasizing those nations’ generous social safety nets, including national health care systems. Americans, by contrast, tend to rely on their jobs for health care, making them more cautious about their health and their spending during the pandemic, knowing that hospitalization can be a gateway to financial calamity.

“It’s very much about the welfare state,” Mr. Harr said of Scandinavian countries. “You’re not as concerned about catching the virus, because you know that, if you do, the state is paying for health care.”

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Melodi · Jul 8, 2020

And six months after scientists, researchers and doctors started trying to tell the world about this WHO finally decides that "maybe" this disease is airborne...

Global report: WHO says 'evidence emerging' of airborne coronavirus spread

WHO bows to pressure from scientists about risk from aerosol transmission; Brazil’s Bolsonaro tests positive; Israel health chief resigns

www.theguardian.com

Global report: WHO says 'evidence emerging' of airborne coronavirus spread
WHO bows to pressure from scientists about risk from aerosol transmission; Brazil’s Bolsonaro tests positive; Israel health chief resigns
Coronavirus latest updates
US still ‘knee-deep’ in pandemic says Fauci
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for Covid-19
Martin Farrer and agencies
Wed 8 Jul 2020 04.36 BSTLast modified on Wed 8 Jul 2020 08.22 BST
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'Evidence emerging' of airborne Covid-19 spread, says WHO – video
The World Health Organization has acknowledged new evidence that the coronavirus spreads more widely in the air than it had previously suggested, as the Trump administration gave official notification of its withdrawal from the group.
A day after a group of scientists said the global body was underplaying the risk of airborne transmission between people, a senior WHO official said there was “evidence emerging” of airborne transmission of the coronavirus, but that it was not definitive.
Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO’s technical lead for infection prevention and control, said: “...The possibility of airborne transmission in public settings – especially in very specific conditions, crowded, closed, poorly ventilated settings that have been described, cannot be ruled out.
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“However, the evidence needs to be gathered and interpreted, and we continue to support this.”
The WHO has previously said the virus that causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease spreads primarily through small droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person that quickly sink to the ground.
But in an open letter to the Geneva-based agency, published on Monday in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined evidence that they say shows floating virus particles can infect people who breathe them in. Because those smaller exhaled particles can linger in the air, the scientists in the group had been urging WHO to update its guidance.

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“We wanted them to acknowledge the evidence,” said Jose Jimenez, a chemist at the University of Colorado who signed the paper.
“This is definitely not an attack on the WHO. It’s a scientific debate, but we felt we needed to go public because they were refusing to hear the evidence after many conversations with them,” he told Reuters.
Jimenez said historically, there has been a fierce opposition in the medical profession to the notion of aerosol transmission, and the bar for proof has been set very high. A key concern has been a fear of panic.
“If people hear airborne, healthcare workers will refuse to go to the hospital,” he said. Or people will buy up all the highly protective N95 respirator masks, “and there will be none left for developing countries.”
The WHO briefing came as the United States government gave formal notification of its intention to leave the organisation next year. Washington has accused the WHO of being too close to the government in Beijing and of not giving the world enough warning about the dangers of the coronavirus after it emerged in China in January.
The move has almost no support from other countries and Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, said he would not follow through with the withdrawal if he is elected in November and said the US should instead push for reform of the WHO.
Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations subcommittee that oversees multilateral institutions, called the move “a huge win for China and a huge blow to the American people”.
The US edged closer to recording 3 million cases of Covid-19 on another day of sharp rises across southern and south-western states. Both California and Texas reported more than 10,000 new cases on Tuesday.
Some reports said the US had already passed the latest milestone in what is the largest outbreak in the world. But figures from Johns Hopkins University said there were just under 2,995,000 by Tuesday evening out of global total of 11.79m infections.
More than 130,000 people have died in the US and Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious diseases expert, said it was still “knee-deep” in the pandemic.
The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has tested psoitive for Covid-19. “There’s no reason for fear. That’s life,” said Bolsonaro, a rightwing populist who has consistently rubbished the risks from the disease even as it the country has racked up 1.6 million cases and seen 66,000 of its people die.
In Australia there was chaos at the border between Victoria and New South Wales as roads linking the two states were closed for the first time in 100 years in an effort to suppress an outbreak of Covid in the former’s capital, Melbourne.
Motorists endured long waits as they exited Victoria at the border town of Wodonga, with police checking every driver that they had a permit to leave.
There were 127 new cases of Covid-19 in Victoria on Tuesday, the state premier said on Wednesday morning, down from 191 the day before.

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Police stop and question drivers at a checkpoint on the border between Victoria and NSW. Photograph: David Gray/Getty Images
Israel’s public health chief has resigned in protest at the government’s handling of the crisis and a big rise in coronavirus cases.
The country was praised for its strict initial lockdown in March but the reopening of schools, bars and restaurants has seen the outbreak worsen and many restrictions have been reimposed.
Siegal Sadetzki announced her resignation with a lengthy critique of how the government had “lost its bearings”.
“The achievements in dealing with the first wave [of infections] were cancelled out by the broad and swift opening of the economy,” the leading epidemiologist wrote on Facebook.
An opposition MP in New Zealand will step down at September’s general election after it emerged that he leaked details of Covid-19 patients in an effort to expose what he claimed was the government’s mishandling of the crisis.
And in Auckland, a man with Covid-19 who was being quarantined in a hotel managed to escape and make a dash to the supermarket for supplies. He has been charged with breaking new quarantine laws.

Green Co. · Jul 8, 2020

What does a more contagious COVID-19 strain mean for Houston? A top doctor weighs in.

After new research was released showing that the novel coronavirus strain in Houston is potentially more infectious than the original strain, a top Houston doctor and researcher is offering more insight on what the new information means.

"This virus has been in Houston since March," Dr. Joseph Petrosino, chairman, Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology at the Baylor School of Medicine. "It has better fitness than the original. It can outcompete the original strain. It's associated with 78% and 80% of the cases we see in Houston and Europe. It's a mutation that is present all over Europe and the world. One thing we see for sure, this virus is more prevalent."

In a peer-reviewed paper published in the medical journal Cell last week, scientists reported that novel coronavirus strains spreading quickly Europe and the U.S. have a mutated spike which is potentially stronger and more infectious. Researchers at Houston Methodist also gathered data for a preliminary study in May that concluded most strains in the Houston area are actually mutations from Asia and Europe.

"Viruses are mutating all the time. It's part of their natural replication cycle," Petrosino said. "The strain that has the beneficial mutations will be able to replicate faster. It will enable it to spread more quickly."

Petrosino said the new feature of the virus is a stronger spike on the actual surface of the virus used to gain entry into the cells. The mutated version is less likely than the original to break off when attempting to bind with certain receptors in a person's airways.

"The mutation stabilizes the spikes. It actually makes them last longer. The spikes are stronger," Petrosino said. "This allows more opportunities to 'handshake with the host.'"

Petrosino said the research does not reflect that the mutated COVID-19 strain is more deadly.

"The data suggests that it is more contagious, but it does not lead to more deaths."

Petrosino said that there are growing early reports that immunity to this novel coronavirus isn't sustained for very long periods of time.

"Multiple reports suggest that some of the antibodies that are thought to be protective don't stay around too long."
He said this could potentially impact how people are vaccinated against COVID-19 in the future.

"We may need to vaccinate on an annual basis to make certain we are fully immunized before the next strain, potentially."

Petrosino emphasized the critical need for social distancing at this juncture in Houston, especially after Texas surpassed 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.

"The emotional and mental impact is not to be underplayed here," Petrosino said. "Once we become committed to work as a community to social distance effectively, we'll see the same successes as those in Europe."

What does a more contagious COVID-19 strain mean for Houston? A top doctor weighs in.

After new research was released showing that the novel coronavirus strain in Houston is...

www.chron.com

Tristan · Jul 8, 2020

Melodi said:
And six months after scientists, researchers and doctors started trying to tell the world about this WHO finally decides that "maybe" this disease is airborne...

Global report: WHO says 'evidence emerging' of airborne coronavirus spread

WHO bows to pressure from scientists about risk from aerosol transmission; Brazil’s Bolsonaro tests positive; Israel health chief resigns

www.theguardian.com

Global report: WHO says 'evidence emerging' of airborne coronavirus spread
WHO bows to pressure from scientists about risk from aerosol transmission; Brazil’s Bolsonaro tests positive; Israel health chief resigns
Coronavirus latest updates
US still ‘knee-deep’ in pandemic says Fauci
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for Covid-19
Martin Farrer and agencies
Wed 8 Jul 2020 04.36 BSTLast modified on Wed 8 Jul 2020 08.22 BST
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'Evidence emerging' of airborne Covid-19 spread, says WHO – video
The World Health Organization has acknowledged new evidence that the coronavirus spreads more widely in the air than it had previously suggested, as the Trump administration gave official notification of its withdrawal from the group.
A day after a group of scientists said the global body was underplaying the risk of airborne transmission between people, a senior WHO official said there was “evidence emerging” of airborne transmission of the coronavirus, but that it was not definitive.
Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO’s technical lead for infection prevention and control, said: “...The possibility of airborne transmission in public settings – especially in very specific conditions, crowded, closed, poorly ventilated settings that have been described, cannot be ruled out.
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“However, the evidence needs to be gathered and interpreted, and we continue to support this.”
The WHO has previously said the virus that causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease spreads primarily through small droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person that quickly sink to the ground.
But in an open letter to the Geneva-based agency, published on Monday in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined evidence that they say shows floating virus particles can infect people who breathe them in. Because those smaller exhaled particles can linger in the air, the scientists in the group had been urging WHO to update its guidance.

The latest major Trump resignations and firings

Read more
“We wanted them to acknowledge the evidence,” said Jose Jimenez, a chemist at the University of Colorado who signed the paper.
“This is definitely not an attack on the WHO. It’s a scientific debate, but we felt we needed to go public because they were refusing to hear the evidence after many conversations with them,” he told Reuters.
Jimenez said historically, there has been a fierce opposition in the medical profession to the notion of aerosol transmission, and the bar for proof has been set very high. A key concern has been a fear of panic.
“If people hear airborne, healthcare workers will refuse to go to the hospital,” he said. Or people will buy up all the highly protective N95 respirator masks, “and there will be none left for developing countries.”
The WHO briefing came as the United States government gave formal notification of its intention to leave the organisation next year. Washington has accused the WHO of being too close to the government in Beijing and of not giving the world enough warning about the dangers of the coronavirus after it emerged in China in January.
The move has almost no support from other countries and Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, said he would not follow through with the withdrawal if he is elected in November and said the US should instead push for reform of the WHO.
Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations subcommittee that oversees multilateral institutions, called the move “a huge win for China and a huge blow to the American people”.
The US edged closer to recording 3 million cases of Covid-19 on another day of sharp rises across southern and south-western states. Both California and Texas reported more than 10,000 new cases on Tuesday.
Some reports said the US had already passed the latest milestone in what is the largest outbreak in the world. But figures from Johns Hopkins University said there were just under 2,995,000 by Tuesday evening out of global total of 11.79m infections.
More than 130,000 people have died in the US and Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious diseases expert, said it was still “knee-deep” in the pandemic.
The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has tested psoitive for Covid-19. “There’s no reason for fear. That’s life,” said Bolsonaro, a rightwing populist who has consistently rubbished the risks from the disease even as it the country has racked up 1.6 million cases and seen 66,000 of its people die.
In Australia there was chaos at the border between Victoria and New South Wales as roads linking the two states were closed for the first time in 100 years in an effort to suppress an outbreak of Covid in the former’s capital, Melbourne.
Motorists endured long waits as they exited Victoria at the border town of Wodonga, with police checking every driver that they had a permit to leave.
There were 127 new cases of Covid-19 in Victoria on Tuesday, the state premier said on Wednesday morning, down from 191 the day before.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest
Police stop and question drivers at a checkpoint on the border between Victoria and NSW. Photograph: David Gray/Getty Images
Israel’s public health chief has resigned in protest at the government’s handling of the crisis and a big rise in coronavirus cases.
The country was praised for its strict initial lockdown in March but the reopening of schools, bars and restaurants has seen the outbreak worsen and many restrictions have been reimposed.
Siegal Sadetzki announced her resignation with a lengthy critique of how the government had “lost its bearings”.
“The achievements in dealing with the first wave [of infections] were cancelled out by the broad and swift opening of the economy,” the leading epidemiologist wrote on Facebook.
An opposition MP in New Zealand will step down at September’s general election after it emerged that he leaked details of Covid-19 patients in an effort to expose what he claimed was the government’s mishandling of the crisis.
And in Auckland, a man with Covid-19 who was being quarantined in a hotel managed to escape and make a dash to the supermarket for supplies. He has been charged with breaking new quarantine laws.

The WHO is not trustworthy.

The WHO is not to be trusted.

You can't trust the WHO.

How many ways must it be said?

They have morphed into a political organization which uses it's position of 'Trusted Authority' to manipulate people and Nations.

They may run some important and helpful programs.

But at their core they have been corrupted, and are not to be trusted.

Richard · Jul 8, 2020

Heliobas Disciple said:
I would add India and Russia to your list. I don't think this is going to be over in a month to 6 weeks, this is going to go on for a while longer than that. Especially if people won't wear a mask. I do agree with travel bans, ironically it's the Americans being banned from Europe at the moment. We'd be a lot better off if a travel ban of China was instituted back in January.

HD

Agreed I was being optimistic with 6 weeks hopefully that'll be more like the start of the downward curve in those countries, yes India, Russia and maybe other places that have missed it so far but have no drastic measures in place.

Zagdid · Jul 8, 2020

FDA warns labs of COVID-19 test with false positive results

The Food and Drug Administration is warning labs and healthcare providers that a common COVID-19 test is providing false positive results.

www.clickorlando.com

FDA warns labs of COVID-19 test with false positive results
Published: July 8, 2020, 9:06 am CNN Newsource

The Food and Drug Administration is warning labs and healthcare providers that a common COVID-19 test is providing false positive results.

The BD Max System COVID-19 diagnostic test from Becton Dickinson is showing an error rate of 3% false positives.

The nasal swab based test was given an emergency authorization from the FDA on April 8.

The FDA is recommending patients confirm their results with an alternative authorized test.

The company is working with the FDA to resolve the problem.

Richard · Jul 8, 2020

Just a thought about testing, the UK has done a lot more tests per capita than some other European countries, but it hasn't made any real difference to the comparative death toll.

see

Coronavirus Update (Live): 127,455,505 Cases and 2,791,707 Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Pandemic - Worldometer

Live statistics and coronavirus news tracking the number of confirmed cases, recovered patients, tests, and death toll due to the COVID-19 coronavirus from Wuhan, China. Coronavirus counter with new cases, deaths, and number of tests per 1 Million population. Historical data and info. Daily...

www.worldometers.info

Tristan · Jul 8, 2020

Zagdid said:
FDA warns labs of COVID-19 test with false positive results

The Food and Drug Administration is warning labs and healthcare providers that a common COVID-19 test is providing false positive results.

www.clickorlando.com

FDA warns labs of COVID-19 test with false positive results
Published: July 8, 2020, 9:06 am CNN Newsource

The Food and Drug Administration is warning labs and healthcare providers that a common COVID-19 test is providing false positive results.

The BD Max System COVID-19 diagnostic test from Becton Dickinson is showing an error rate of 3% false positives.

The nasal swab based test was given an emergency authorization from the FDA on April 8.

The FDA is recommending patients confirm their results with an alternative authorized test.

The company is working with the FDA to resolve the problem.

Only 3% false positives actually sounds pretty good.

naturallysweet · Jul 8, 2020

Zagdid said:
FDA warns labs of COVID-19 test with false positive results

The Food and Drug Administration is warning labs and healthcare providers that a common COVID-19 test is providing false positive results.

www.clickorlando.com

FDA warns labs of COVID-19 test with false positive results
Published: July 8, 2020, 9:06 am CNN Newsource

The Food and Drug Administration is warning labs and healthcare providers that a common COVID-19 test is providing false positive results.

The BD Max System COVID-19 diagnostic test from Becton Dickinson is showing an error rate of 3% false positives.

The nasal swab based test was given an emergency authorization from the FDA on April 8.

The FDA is recommending patients confirm their results with an alternative authorized test.

The company is working with the FDA to resolve the problem.

amazing how they are okay with 15 to 48% false negatives. But 3% false positives and they freak out.

Mixin · Jul 8, 2020

Indiana

Cases per 10,000 residents and deaths per 10,000 residents, then just cases and deaths

Mixin · Jul 8, 2020

Indiana
Our prison system seems to have gotten things pretty much under control; there have only been 2 inmate cases (Plainfield and Westville) and no staff cases in the last week. Our long-term care facilities are still having problems.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2V83kIfFAU
13:00 min
Face coverings and culture
•Jul 8, 2020

Dr. John Campbell

Face covering https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53316491 Late April UK, 25% Italy, 83.4% United States, 65.8% Spain, 63.8% Royal Society, Prof Ramakrishnan https://royalsociety.org/news/2020/07...

Public remained sceptical about their benefits The message has not been clear enough Guidelines have been inconsistent. ‘What we would like for the government is to be a bit stronger and clearer about the messaging and require it whenever you are in crowded public spaces where you cannot get more than two metres away from the next person’ ‘anti-social’ Public transport and hospitals Scotland, mandatory on public transport, shops from 10 July

World Health Organization, advised since June Prof Paul Edelstein, University of Pennsylvania https://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/facult... Evidence that they protected other people was ‘clearer all the time’ ‘Some evidence’ they protected the wearer ‘There are people without symptoms going about their daily business who are unknowingly breathing out droplets that are carrying the virus’ ‘If they had their faces covered the majority of those droplets would be caught before they can infect other people

Wearing face coverings can help save lives and prevent disabling illnesses’ 1) IgM ( iMmediate action) 2) IgG (the aGglutinating antibody) 3) IgA (from sAliva, sweAt and teArs) (IgE in typE 1 hypErsEnsitivity) Kathleen

_______________________________

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fclDTzvmXOI
26:14 min
Further report on ethnicity and mortality
•Jul 8, 2020

Dr. John Campbell

Hospitalization and Mortality among Black Patients and White Patients with Covid-19 (25 June, 2020) https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...

METHODS Retrospective cohort study Patients in Louisiana between March 1 and April 11, 2020, All tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Primary outcomes, hospitalization and in-hospital death Health population Non- Hispanic 31% black 65% white RESULTS 3481 Covid-19–positive patients included 60.0% were female 70.4% were black 29.6% were white Black patients had more; Obesity Diabetes Hypertension Chronic kidney disease Hospitalized people 39.7% of Covid-19–positive patients (1,382 patients) were hospitilized 76.9% of whom were black Critical care or mechanical ventilation, 80% were black. 326 of 1,382 patients died from Covid-19 70.6% were black Variables Increasing age Presentation with an elevated respiratory rate Elevated levels of venous lactate or creatinine Low platelets Low lymphocytes Black race was not independently associated with higher in hospital mortality Other factors Occupational exposure

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0b2hQzcP9s
14:10 min
110 - What Do Colleges and Universities Need to Consider to Safely Reopen in the Fall During...
•Jul 8, 2020

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Most higher-ed institutions closed and shifted to online instruction last spring but many are now considering how to safely bring students back to campuses this fall. Reopening schools will never be 100% risk-free, but there are steps that colleges and universities can take to ensure the safest possible experience. Lucia Mullen and Dr. Crystal Watson of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security talk with Stephanie Desmon about the Center’s reopening toolkit for colleges and universities and what administrators, students, and parents should consider about returning to campus.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRCnj3c_x7U
15:31 min
Coronavirus Pandemic Update 93: Antibodies, Immunity, & Prevalence of COVID-19 - New Data from Spain
•Jul 8, 2020

MedCram - Medical Lectures Explained CLEARLY

Data on the actual prevalence of COVID-19 has been limited due to a variety of factors including asymptomatic spread and testing limitations. Dr. Seheult of https://www.medcram.com breaks down a new large study from Spain on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, antibody tests, demographics, and some big questions about COVID 19 immunity. (This video was recorded July 8, 2020).

LINKS / REFERENCES: The Lancet | https://www.thelancet.com/journals/la... JAMA | https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama... Nature Medicine | https://www.nature.com/articles/s4159... Johns Hopkins Tracker | https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html Worldometer | https://www.worldometers.info/coronav...

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d58CEssdgcc
58:28 min
War Room Pandemic Ep 269 - Dismantling America (w/ John Fredericks and Bill Gertz)
•Streamed live 6 hours ago

Bannon WarRoom - Citizens of the American Republic
Raheem Kassam, Jack Maxey, and Greg Manz are joined by Steve Bannon to discuss the latest on the coronavirus pandemic as the cultural revolution in America continues and US leadership begins to really clamp down on the Chinese Communist Party and its entities.

________________________

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNWlaNB0ID4
1:02:40 min
War Room Pandemic Ep 270 - The Meddling Middle Kingdom (w/ Bill Gertz and Jack Posobiec)
•Streamed live 5 hours ago

Bannon WarRoom - Citizens of the American Republic

Raheem Kassam, Jack Maxey, and Greg Manz are joined by Steve Bannon to discuss the latest on the coronavirus pandemic as FBI Director Christopher Wray holds a pivotal talk with the Hudson Institute on the treachery of the Chinese Communist Party. Calling in is Bill Gertz and Jack Posobiec call in to give their reactions.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkNkIMf8raI
1:11:51 min
Pence holds Coronavirus Task Force briefing
•Streamed live 4 hours ago

Fox News

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhrbrizlisU
4:13 min
Wall to Wall: CFA On Small Business Challenges Amid New Round of Closures
•Jul 8, 2020

One America News Network
Small Business owners are facing an uphill battle as states reimpose shutdown orders. On Wall to Wall, Greta spoke about these challenges with the Executive Director of The Coalition of Franchisee Associations, Misty Chally.

lonestar09 · Jul 8, 2020

FDA warns about 5 additional toxic hand sanitizers

The hand sanitizers tested positive for methanol, a toxic substance when absorbed through the skin or ingested.

www.cbsnews.com

FDA warns about 5 additional toxic hand sanitizers
By Aimee Picchi

July 6, 2020 / 10:41 AM / MoneyWatch

Consumers should avoid five additional brands of hand sanitizer that tested positive for methanol, a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested, the Food and Drug Administration said. The warning comes after the agency last month cautioned against any of nine brands of possibly toxic hand sanitizer that may contain methanol.

The warnings come at a time when hand sanitizers are in especially heavy demand due to the coronavirus pandemic, with public health officials urging consumers to frequently wash their hands and to use hand sanitizer. For instance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using sanitizers that contain at least 60% ethanol alcohol, as well as frequently washing hands.

The FDA said Thursday that methanol, or wood alcohol, "is not an acceptable active ingredient for hand sanitizers and must not be used due to its toxic effects." The agency said it is aware of cases of adults and children who have ingested hand sanitizer made with methanol, which has led to blindness, hospitalizations and death.

The FDA is advising consumers to avoid products from the brands listed below, as well as these specific products with NDC numbers, which it said tested positive for methanol:

Grupo Insoma's Hand Sanitizer Gel Unscented 70% Alcohol (with NDC numbers 75744-0200-3; 75744-0200-4; 75744-0201-5; 75744-0202-1; 75744-0250-1; 75744-0250-2; 75744-0500-1; 75744-1000-1; 75744-1000-3; 75744-1001-1)
Transliquid Technologies' Mystic Shield Protection hand sanitizer (with NDC numbers 75477-435-02; 75477-435-10; 75477-435-12; 75477-435-25; 75477-435-50; 75477-534-10)
Soluciones Cosmeticas SA de CV's Bersih Hand Sanitizer Gel Fragrance Free (with NDC numbers 75165-003-02; 75165-004-01; 75165-005-01; 75165-006-01; 75165-008-01; 75165-250-01; 75165-600-01)
Soluciones Cosmeticas SA de CV's Antiseptic Alcohol 70% Topical Solution hand sanitizer (no NDC numbers listed)
Tropicosmeticos SA de CV's Britz Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 70% (with NDC numbers 76676-402-01; 77676-402-02; 77676-402-03; 77676-402-04; 77676-402-05; 77676-402-06; 77676-402-07; 77676-402-08; 77676-402-09; 77676-402-10; 77676-402-11; 77676-402-12; 77676-402-13; 77676-402-14; 77676-402-16; 77676-402-17; 77676-402-18; 77676-402-19; 77676-402-20)

The FDA said that consumers who have been exposed to products with methanol and who are having symptoms should seek immediate treatment to reverse the effects of methanol poisoning, which can include nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision or permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system, or death.

"Young children who accidentally ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute, are most at risk," the FDA said.

Below are the previous 9 brands that the FDA listed as containing methanol:

All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01)
Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)
Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)
The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)
Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeLj5DBp-84
7:19 min
Fired Florida data scientist speaks out as COVID-19 cases spike
•Jul 7, 2020

CBS News
Florida issued a statewide order for schools to reopen next month even as the state reports a worrisome rise in coronavirus cases. Data scientist Rebekah Jones was in charge of tracking Florida's cases until she was fired in May. Jones joins "Red and Blue" to discuss what is behind the spike in cases, the coronavirus dashboard she created, and Florida's push to reopen.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPlPutJSl3s
4:22 min
COVID-19 surge triggers testing crisis in US l GMA
•Jul 8, 2020

Good Morning America

People in Phoenix waited 13 hours for a test, according to the city's mayor, as labs in some areas are backlogged and some testing sites are short on supplies.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7i_k1Oed0A
2:20 min
Five U.S. states reach record numbers of new daily Covid-19 cases
•Jul 8, 2020

CNBC Television

CNBC's Meg Tirrell reports the latest Covid-19 case numbers in the United States.

Florida and Texas faced a surge of coronavirus cases over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, as state and local governments across the Sunbelt struggled to gain the upper hand over outbreaks that were spiraling out of control and threatened to overwhelm hospital systems.

Florida and Texas reported 11,445 and 8,258 new cases respectively Saturday, the highest single day totals for both states since the pandemic began, according to their state health departments. The spike in cases in Florida and Texas represented about 43% of the more than 45,000 daily cases reported in the U.S Saturday.

The virus has infected more than 200,000 people total in Florida and at least 3,731 people have died. Infections continued to increase by the thousands Sunday with Florida reporting at least 9,999 new cases and Texas reporting at least 3,449.

The total number of infections in Texas has now reached more than 195,000 as hospitalizations there surge. Hospitals in at least two Texas counties, Starr and Hidalgo, are at full capacity and local officials are urging residents there to shelter-in-place and avoid gatherings.

Florida reported Saturday that 14.1% of those tested for the virus were positive while Texas reported a positive rate of 13.1%, both far above the 5% threshold that the World Health Organization advises as a safe level for governments to reopen business.

Those testing positive in Florida tend to be younger, with a median age of 35 as of Saturday. In Texas, available data shows a large portion of people testing positive are between 20 and 39 years old.

Though deaths from the virus in Florida have remained on a downward trajectory, Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has warned that fatalities lag new cases and a clearer picture might not emerge for two weeks or more.

Even as Florida reports record case numbers, Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he won’t close businesses again and has repeatedly refused to order a statewide mask mandate to curb the spread of the virus, though the governor has indicated that Florida won’t move forward with the next stages of its reopening plan for now.

Local governments in Florida are taking more aggressive measures. Miami-Dade and Broward Counties announced they were closing beaches for the July 4th holiday weekend. Miami-Dade, Florida’s most populous county, has also imposed an overnight curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice and will close some businesses that reopened in June.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX6DpF9ngrU
LIVE
Coronavirus: L.A. County officials address region's COVID-19 response
•Started streaming 22 minutes ago

KTLA 5

Watch live: L.A. County officials are providing updates on COVID-19.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsxFhrdE1JE
1:02:55 min
Coronavirus: Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses California's response to COVID-19
•Streamed live 86 minutes ago

KTLA 5

Watch live: California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials are providing updates on the state’s response to COVID-19.

lonestar09 · Jul 8, 2020

CBS Texas - Breaking Local News, First Alert Weather & I-Team Investigations

Latest breaking news from CBS11 KTVT-TV | KTXA-TV.

dfw.cbslocal.com

Texas County To Arrest COVID-19 Positive Residents Who Refuse To Self-Isolate

July 7, 2020 at 3:48 pm

TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – A South Texas county isn’t taking any chances when it comes to the coronavirus, issuing a warning that anyone who tests positive and refuses to self-isolate could end up in jail.

The warning, which was confirmed as legitimate by an Official with the Brooks Count Office of Emergency Management, cites Texas Penal Code 22.05 (a) which states “A person commits an offense if he recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury.”

It was shared via social media over the weekend.

Of the 10 positive cases so far in Brooks County, four people have recovered, according to KSAT.

Someone who is positive for COVID-19 doesn’t even need to have infected another person either, according to the warning, to warrant an arrest. The exposure alone is enough for punishment.

The notice does not say how law enforcement would go about enforcing or verifying whether a violation has occurred or whether in fact an individual is actually COVID-19 positive.

Brooks County is located 206 miles south of Bexar County not far from Laredo.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms tests positive for COVID-19 after attending protests
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms tests positive for COVID-19 after attending protests
She said she had no symptoms

AARON COLEN

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms announced Monday that she tested positive for COVID-19, weeks after having attended protests stemming from police killings of black people, according to the Daily Wire.

Bottoms said she did not have any symptoms, besides some that are similar to seasonal allergies. She told MSNBC that she got tested only because her husband was sleeping more than usual and that she was fully surprised by the results.

"It leaves me for a loss of words because I think it really speaks to how contagious this virus is," Bottoms said. "We've taken all the precautions that you can possibly take. I have no idea when and where we were exposed."

Although it may be impossible to know where or how she got the virus, Bottoms did attend large protest gatherings and didn't always wear a mask. From the Daily Wire:

Bottoms later joined the Black Lives Matter marches – wearing a mask – but surrounded by thousands of people, many of whom were not wearing a mask. A photo of the mayor attending a protest – without wearing a mask – from a few weeks ago has been circulating social media.

Despite aggressive condemnation of people who protested against lockdown restrictions in April and May, mainstream media outlets have almost unanimously reported that there is no indication that social justice protests have led to an uptick in cases. At the same time, however, they have shifted from reporting on deaths to reporting on the overall increase in cases nationwide.

USA Today reported that the recent spike in COVID-19 cases has been driven by people under 40, which happens to match up with a large portion of the demographic of social justice protesters. The article refers to so-called "COVID-19 parties" in Alabama, the likelihood of younger people to go out and socialize, and younger adults returning to work, but it doesn't specifically refer to the massive protests as a potential cause.

TheSearcher · Jul 8, 2020

lonestar09 said:
CBS Texas - Breaking Local News, First Alert Weather & I-Team Investigations

Latest breaking news from CBS11 KTVT-TV | KTXA-TV.

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Texas County To Arrest COVID-19 Positive Residents Who Refuse To Self-Isolate

July 7, 2020 at 3:48 pm

TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – A South Texas county isn’t taking any chances when it comes to the coronavirus, issuing a warning that anyone who tests positive and refuses to self-isolate could end up in jail.

The warning, which was confirmed as legitimate by an Official with the Brooks Count Office of Emergency Management, cites Texas Penal Code 22.05 (a) which states “A person commits an offense if he recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury.”

It was shared via social media over the weekend.

Of the 10 positive cases so far in Brooks County, four people have recovered, according to KSAT.

Someone who is positive for COVID-19 doesn’t even need to have infected another person either, according to the warning, to warrant an arrest. The exposure alone is enough for punishment.

The notice does not say how law enforcement would go about enforcing or verifying whether a violation has occurred or whether in fact an individual is actually COVID-19 positive.

Brooks County is located 206 miles south of Bexar County not far from Laredo.

The county is monolithically, historically demonrat, and is a bustling region of a staggering 7000-8000 population. That's a whole lot of tyranny for a whole lot of mostly empty space.

They've had 11 cases, 5 recoveries, 0 deaths.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

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Zagdid · Jul 8, 2020

Taiwan donates 92,000 surgical masks to South Carolina to support frontline medical personnel

The donation was part of Taiwan’s fourth wave of humanitarian efforts which included 3.15 million masks to the U.S., according to officials with the Secretary of State’s Office.

www.wistv.com

Taiwan donates 92,000 surgical masks to South Carolina to support frontline medical personnel
By Ray Rivera | July 7, 2020 at 4:59 PM EDT - Updated July 8 at 3:23 PM

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Taiwan has donated 92,000 surgical masks to South Carolina to support the state’s frontline medical workers in their fight against COVID-19.

The donation was part of Taiwan’s fourth wave of humanitarian efforts which included 3.15 million masks to the U.S., according to officials with the Secretary of State’s Office.

”In total, Taiwan has donated 8.4 million medical masks to the United States,” state officials said. ”Taiwan has already donated over 26 million masks to heavily impacted countries and regions since April.”

A press release said that state government agencies worked together to ensure the delivery of the masks shipped directly from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division’s warehouse beginning on May 27, 2020.

Acting Director-General Daniel Hung of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta said that Taiwan recognizes the drastic impact of COVID-19 in South Carolina, which led to this donation to assist healthcare workers.

State agencies involved with the delivery, receipt and warehousing of the masks include the Secretary of State’s Office, Emergency Management Division, and United States Representative Joe Wilson of the Second Congressional District.

“The Republic of China (Taiwan) and the State of South Carolina have enjoyed a fruitful sister-state relationship since 1981,” said South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond. “South Carolina businesses, leaders, and students have reaped the benefits of commercial, cultural and educational exchanges. Now our physicians and sick will benefit as well. I look forward to more opportunities where our states can share ideas and experiences.”

“For several months the SCEMD Logistics Team has been working diligently to get critical supplies like personal protective equipment into the state for our healthcare workers and first responders,” said Kim Stenson, Director of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. “We are greatly humbled by this generous donation of surgical masks by the people of Taiwan. This gift comes at precisely the right time to best help our families and communities across South Carolina.”

State agencies involved with the delivery, receipt and warehousing of the masks include the Secretary of State’s Office, Emergency Management Division, and United States Representative Joe Wilson of the Second Congressional District. (Source: South Carolina Secretary of State's Office)

“This donation was a part of Taiwan’s fourth wave of humanitarian efforts and global partnership, which included 3.15 million masks to the United States and 92,000 masks to South Carolina specifically,” state officials said.” (Source: SC Secretary of State's Office)

lonestar09 · Jul 8, 2020

TheSearcher said:
The county is monolithically, historically demonrat, and is a bustling region of a staggering 7000-8000 population. That's a whole lot of tyranny for a whole lot of mostly empty space.

They've had 11 cases, 5 recoveries, 0 deaths.

I can see this happening in other Texas counties. It starts in one place and it will probably spread to other counties also, as time goes on. The stay home work safe orders in Texas are basically all the same form just change a few words. I looked at several counties around the state and saw how similar the copies were.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aQFvchLwUQ
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marsh · Jul 8, 2020

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danielboon · Jul 8, 2020

Massachusetts Coronavirus: 8,243 deaths, 110,602 total cases Massachusetts Coronavirus: 8,243 deaths, 110,602 total cases new deaths up from yesterday

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JdBE2xUqHk
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marsh · Jul 8, 2020

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As US Tops 3 Million Coronavirus Cases, Dr. Fauci Warns We Must Act ‘Immediately’ | TODAY
•Jul 8, 2020

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With more than 54,000 new coronavirus infections reported Tuesday, including daily records in six states, the United States how now topped 3 million cases in total. Dr. Anthony Fauci called the focus on lower death rates a “false narrative.” NBC’s Miguel Almaguer reports for TODAY from Los Angeles.

marsh · Jul 8, 2020

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