CORONA Main Coronavirus thread

Texican

Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
dv2,

Sometimes you have to laugh or cry and laughing is better for you....

Texican....
 

KFhunter

Veteran Member
Just heard over 200 people have gotten very sick at a casino in Louisiana. People that attended Thursday and Saturday night. Some got very sick quickly and it has spread rapidly. Said over 200 people at this point. Louisiana Dept of Health involved.

food related I'd wager "dozens sick with stomach related illness"
 

Texican

Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
The WARS Virus is pandemic in China and has the potential to be pandemic across the world....

We have to be aware of what is happening in China and around China and extrapolate for what could happen in America and plan accordingly....

From indications, we have a limited time to get it together while we can....

God help us.

Texican....
 

OldArcher

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Just heard over 200 people have gotten very sick at a casino in Louisiana. People that attended Thursday and Saturday night. Some got very sick quickly and it has spread rapidly. Said over 200 people at this point. Louisiana Dept of Health involved.

Soon, no more nice days in th' neighborhood... Looks like that somethin' evil is nearly here...

OA
 

marsh

On TB every waking moment
Remember Ebola? I still have nice fan type air treatment units that supposedly kill virus and a light wand in a box I brought when I moved. Ended up being nipped in the bud quickly.

This is a prep board at heart, but most of the scenarios we prep for never materialize to the level we fear. I think we have a pretty good public health system if they can gear up to potentially meet the challenges they drilled for. Also, whatever is happening in China, we do have a good heads up and some knowledge now on how this manifests and spreads. We did take some action to identify the people who came in from Wuhan and they have been quite responsible in self identifying and self-quarantining so far. We are still at phase 2 in the US when those they came in close contact with need to be watched. Tracking that, so far, is still feasible.

Phase 3 will be when we have tertiary infections like Germany and they become more casual and too many for tracking. Then we can see cluster or localized spread. There are still measures that can be taken to limit the spread.

If you look at the medcram video, you can see who is most at risk of a severe, perhaps fatal, case: people 60 and older; People who smoke; people who used to smoke; people who are immune compromised; people with hypertension/high blood pressure; and some other medical indicators. From medcram and Dr. Campbell's videos, it looks like most other categories with either have a light case or a survivable case.

It is up to old farts like me, (in CA where there are several cases in the nextdoor counties,) who quit smoking 20 years ago, and have high blood pressure to be advised of our risk and take steps to avoid, minimize and mitigate exposure.

Otherwise, as Dr. Campbell states, the limiting factor for those with severe cases may come down to the availability of ways to deliver oxygen in a manner needed.
 
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northern watch

TB Fanatic
Caixin Global‏Verified account @caixin 1h1 hour ago

Hong Kong’s first #coronavirus-related fatality, a 39-year-old man, is one of the youngest victims so far recorded in the epidemic, raising concerns that the viral disease may be more lethal for young patients than was previously thought.
 

Dozdoats

On TB every waking moment
Not new news, but a potentially useful overview fwiw.
==============


Monday, February 3, 2020

Coronavirus and the economy


We're beginning to see the impact of China's coronavirus outbreak on markets in that country and around the world. Already we've seen:
  • Shipping rates have plummeted as demand for cargo space decreases;
  • Air freight availability - critical for factories in Europe and America to maintain their "just-in-time" stocking levels of critical parts - is decreasing dramatically as airlines reduce flights to and from China;
  • Many Chinese factories and consumer outlets are closing their doors under the impact of quarantines, public fears, and the unavailability of supplies (even auto manufacturers);
  • Those who rely on jobs at such establishments to earn a living are suddenly finding themselves effectively out of work, even though they're technically still employed. Whether or not their jobs will come back is not known at present - but what are they supposed to do to buy food and other necessities in the meantime? There are no other jobs available, and even if they have money, many of the shops where they buy supplies have closed their doors as a health measure.

This has serious implications for the US and European economies. Many of our products, even though made locally, contain imported components. Without the latter, they can't be produced, which means many of our factories are also likely to be idled. It takes time (and, often, a lot of money) to set up alternative sources for those components, and until that's done, the plants relying on them will remain shuttered. That impacts workers in those factories, the air freight and rail and truck companies that take goods to and from them, the shops and vendors that sell what they produce . . . the whole schmear.

The coronavirus epidemic is still in its early days. I hope and pray we can get a handle on it quickly, and reduce its threat to manageable levels. If we can't, the odds of it becoming a "black swan event" that damages the global economy are getting shorter by the day.

Meanwhile, I urge my readers to follow the common-sense suggestions (2 links) made by Aesop and others who know what they're talking about. This epidemic is inconvenient, and may be dangerous to those whose health is already impaired, but for most of us it isn't something life-threatening unless we're stupid. In particular, try to have enough basic supplies to quarantine yourself at home for a few weeks if necessary. It may be boring and unproductive, but it remains a perfectly viable self-defense mechanism against disease. If you aren't where you can catch it, you won't get it. Q.E.D.

Peter


Posted by Peter at 2/03/2020 09:14:00 AM
 

jward

passin' thru
Douggie is merely a very faithful man...if i thought it was demonstrably a hazzard to his health, I'd ask him to put a list on the fridge of the last dozen forecast o' doom he'd seen(made), and note how many of them manifested. Typically that kind of exercise begins to reset actual ingrained thinking that may not be, strictly speaking, tied to facts on the ground
 

marsh

On TB every waking moment
Caixin Global
@caixin

1h

Hong Kong’s first #coronavirus-related fatality, a 39-year-old man, is one of the youngest victims so far recorded in the epidemic, raising concerns that the viral disease may be more lethal for young patients than was previously thought. https://bit.ly/374Tu1G
View: https://twitter.com/caixin/status/1224895426018439169?s=20

Nope, he fits the category of not a healthy young person to begin with.


"The 39-year-old patient had been suffering from an underlying illness when he contracted coronavirus after visiting Wuhan in January. "
 

marsh

On TB every waking moment
Poor bugger

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKWD7djL1r8
1:43 min
First American In China Confirmed To Have Coronavirus Being Treated In Wuhan | NBC Nightly News

•Feb 4, 2020

____________________

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69y_AW_rDlQ
1:42 min

Another group of Americans evacuated from China amid coronavirus outbreak
•Feb 4, 2020

I hope this included one poor couple I saw where the father stayed behind because there were only 2 seats available and there were three of them. (None of them were Chinese. He was a software engineer.)
 

raven

TB Fanatic
Doomer Doug is right. It would have been the perfect opportunity, if he could have.
Doomer Doug is wrong. Trump could not say anything tonight. Tonight, he had to stay President until after the acquittal tomorrow.Mission accomplished.
I would also recommend have a pretty ****ing good plan before he says much of anything. Because this pandemic is going to have a lot of moving parts.
 
B.C. confirms second case of novel coronavirus in resident with family visiting from Wuhan


B.C. Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry provides an update on the novel coronavirus in British Columbia.

British Columbia has announced a second “presumptive confirmed” case of the novel coronavirus.

The case will still need to be confirmed by a second test at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, but health officials say they expect it to return positive.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s chief medical health officer, made the announcement Tuesday, and said the patient was a woman who had contact with family visiting from Wuhan, China.

READ MORE: B.C. has tested 114 people for the novel coronavirus, but has only confirmed 1 case

Henry said the woman, a resident of the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) region, and her family remain at her home, and VCH is following up with the entire group.

“The test came back positive yesterday, and Vancouver Coastal is doing the detailed investigations today,” said Henry.

“We’ll be testing, we’ll also be making sure that they trace back any movements that these people have had, and make sure we are in contact with anybody that may have had close contact with any of them.”

British Columbia Second nCoV Case ex-Wuhan
===

Hard to believe only two cases - jus sayin.

===

.
.
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
(fair use applies)

FDA Takes Significant Step in Coronavirus Response Efforts, Issues Emergency Use Authorization for the First 2019 Novel Coronavirus Diagnostic
Critical Milestone Reached in Response to this Outbreak
For Immediate Release:
February 04, 2020

Today, the U.S Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to enable emergency use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2019-nCoV Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel. To date, this test has been limited to use at CDC laboratories; today’s authorization allows the use of the test at any CDC-qualified lab across the country.

“Since this outbreak first emerged, we’ve been working closely with our partners across the U.S government and around the globe to expedite the development and availability of critical medical products to help end this outbreak as quickly as possible. This continues to be an evolving situation and the ability to distribute this diagnostic test to qualified labs is a critical step forward in protecting the public health,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. “Our collaboration with the CDC has been vital to rapidly developing and facilitating access to this diagnostic test. The FDA remains deeply committed to utilizing our regulatory tools and leveraging our technical and scientific expertise to advance the availability of critical medical products to respond to this outbreak in the most expeditious, safe and effective manner possible.”

The 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019, is a new type of coronavirus that can cause severe respiratory illness in humans. Most patients with confirmed 2019-nCoV infection have developed fever and/or symptoms of acute respiratory illness (e.g., cough, difficulty breathing). However, limited information is currently available to characterize the full spectrum of clinical illness associated with 2019-nCoV infection. To date most reported cases of 2019-nCoV infection outside of China have been linked to residence in or travel to Wuhan, China. At this time, federal health officials continue to believe that the threat to the general American population from this virus is relatively low.

Under this EUA, the use of 2019-nCoV Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel is authorized for patients who meet the CDC criteria for 2019-nCoV testing. Testing is limited to qualified laboratories designated by the CDC and, in the U.S., those certified to perform high complexity tests. The diagnostic is a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that provides presumptive detection of 2019-nCoV from respiratory secretions, such as nasal or oral swabs. A positive test result indicates likely infection with 2019-nCoV and infected patients should work with their health care provider to manage their symptoms and determine how to best protect the people around them. Negative results do not preclude 2019-nCoV infection and should not be used as the sole basis for treatment or other patient management decisions. Negative results must be combined with clinical observations, patient history and epidemiological information.

The FDA can issue an EUA to permit the use, based on scientific data, of certain medical products that may be effective in diagnosing, treating or preventing such disease or condition when there is a determination, by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), that there is a public health emergency or a significant potential for a public health emergency that has a significant potential to affect national security or the health and security of U.S. citizens, and a declaration that circumstances exist justifying the medical products’ emergency use.

On Jan. 31, HHS Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency recognizing the potential threat that 2019-nCoV poses and reiterating the government’s dedication to leveraging all available resources to help prevent, mitigate and respond to this threat. As there are no commercially available diagnostic tests cleared or approved by the FDA for the detection of 2019-nCoV it was determined that an EUA is crucial to ensure timely access to diagnostics. The HHS Secretary accordingly today made the necessary EUA determination and declaration and the FDA issued this EUA in response to a request from the CDC. This action is the result of the close collaboration between the FDA, the CDC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which provides oversight for U.S. laboratories, to prioritize the efficient development and implementation of critical medical products in response to emerging infectious disease outbreaks, such as novel coronavirus.

The FDA outlined its approach to expediting the development and availability of critical medical products to prevent, diagnose and treat 2019-nCoV using all applicable regulatory authorities to respond to this outbreak on Jan. 27. The agency remains committed to working with developers, international partners and the U.S. government to help support this public health response. The FDA is dedicated to actively working with other 2019-nCoV diagnostic developers to help accelerate development programs and requests for EUAs, in fact several have already requested and received the EUA template for this outbreak. The FDA, among other steps, is providing its highest level of attention to helping expedite the development and review of a variety of medical products being developed to diagnose, treat and prevent the spread of this outbreak.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
I've read every post on this thread and don't remember seeing this. Maybe it was reported as a NY case without this much detail? Or is this new?

(fair use applies)

Public Health Update: Novel Coronavirus
February 3, 2020

Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student and campus life, and Sharon McMullen, assistant vice president of student and campus life for health and wellbeing, issued the following statement on Feb. 3.

On Sunday, a Cornell student presented symptoms that met criteria for testing for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the only entity in the U.S. able to test for Novel Coronavirus, they are currently processing the laboratory tests and results could take a full week. The student, who does not reside on campus, is currently in isolation, safe and receiving ongoing care. At this time, there are no confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus in New York state.

Cornell is working in concert with the Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) to monitor and support the health and safety of the individual and the broader community. A contact investigation is underway through TCHD. Anyone who has had close contact, as defined by the CDC, with the individual will be contacted by TCHD.

As Provost Kotlikoff noted in his message to campus last week, this is a challenging time for many of our community members. Cornell is an international community of scholars and we understand that many of you are worried not only about your own health and well-being, but also for that of your friends and family living abroad.

It is understandable to feel uncertain or anxious during a public health crisis, and we need to remember to care for one another and not make assumptions about others’ perceived symptoms or any characteristics of identity. This is a time for the Cornell community to support one another. Your compassion and empathy for each other makes a difference.

As the CDC continues to monitor this evolving public health issue, it is also important to acknowledge that it is also flu season in the U.S. Symptoms of Novel Coronavirus and influenza can be similar, including fever (above 100.4 F), along with cough and shortness of breath. If you have recently traveled to China, and have developed fever with respiratory symptoms within 14 days of your travel, or have had contact with someone who is confirmed to have Novel Coronavirus, you should seek medical care immediately.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent Novel Coronavirus. CDC recommends preventive actions to reduce the risk of developing influenza and other respiratory illnesses, including:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
We will continue to monitor and update the community as this situation evolves. For additional information about the coronavirus and steps that Cornell is taking to protect the health and safety of our community, please visit the Cornell University novel coronavirus website.
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
I *think* (reading way too much and in a hurry... meatworld is crazy lately as well) besides his apparent physical recovery, his tests also changed to negative. But I could be wrong about that...

Summerthyme

Can we rely on tests? I know they can't hold a patient indefinitely, but do they know how contagious a person may still be after they seem to recover? I don't know how they test that unless they have volunteers willing to risk getting ill...(or, wait and see if any of his contacts after he is released get sick)

HD
 

jward

passin' thru
Some Info debunking the idea that masks can be recycled or reused----j

Source: 水煮、喷酒精、照紫外线…… 防病毒口罩不能用这些方法循环使用 - 冠状,都是,再利用,防病毒,很难 - 科技日报 - 汉丰网

Boiled, sprayed with alcohol, irradiated with ultraviolet light ... Anti-virus masks cannot be recycled in these ways
2020-02-03 02:40:28 Source: Science and Technology Daily

Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Quanchao

With the continued development of the epidemic, anti-virus masks such as N95 (KN95) and medical surgery are still on the market, and the inventory of masks in many families is about to bottom out. So, the Internet began to spread the "remedy" for reusing used masks in the pot, steaming them, boiling them in water, baking them under the ultraviolet lamp, spraying them with alcohol and then drying them.

At first glance, these methods are completely consistent with the weakness of the new type of coronavirus that is afraid of high temperature, alcohol, and ultraviolet rays, and it can indeed kill the virus on the mask. But can anti-virus masks labeled with "disposable" really be on the "infinite cycle" of use, disinfection and reuse?

The reporter from Science and Technology Daily interviewed Prof. Jin Xiangyu, the deputy director of the Industrial Textile Engineering Center of the Ministry of Education and the Department of Nonwoven Materials and Engineering of Donghua University. He has presided over the completion of the "Development of Anti-SARS Virus Protective Textiles" project for the SARS epidemic.

According to the "New Coronavirus Infected Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Scheme (Trial Version 4)", "56 ° C for 30 minutes" can effectively inactivate the virus. Can masks be reused by "steaming and boiling"?

Jin Xiangyu: No.
Whether it is N95 or medical surgical masks, their means of achieving "anti-virus" rely on the "filter layer" to adsorb and block micro particles (aerosols) such as viruses, and the filter layer is mainly composed of polypropylene melt-blown ultrafine fibers.

According to design requirements, masks must achieve comfortable barrier ventilation while achieving good barrier effects. Generally, the suction resistance to medical masks cannot exceed 343.2 Pascals (Pa), and the suction resistance of daily protective masks is less than 135 Pascals ( Pa).

Therefore, the mask filter material often needs to undergo "electret treatment" to make it carry a small amount of charge, so that it can still effectively adsorb various particles in the air under relatively fluffy conditions.

There is no doubt that whether it is "steaming" or "boiled", the entry of water will quickly eliminate the charge in the filter layer, resulting in a significant reduction in the filtering effect. At the same time, polypropylene meltblown materials have very thin fibers, which are ten times thinner than hair, with an average of only two microns. They are not resistant to high temperatures. When the temperature is higher than 80 ° C, they will shrink and deform, resulting in structural damage and reduced protective effects.

According to the "New Coronavirus Infected Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Scheme (Trial Version 4)", 75% ethanol can effectively inactivate the virus. Can the used masks be disinfected with alcohol and then dried and reused?

Jin Xiangyu: No.
On the one hand, the outer surfaces of medical surgical masks and medical N95 masks have undergone a "water-repellent treatment". Alcohol, water, blood, saliva, etc. are difficult to penetrate. The purpose is to strengthen the protection of doctors and prevent liquid spray from coming into contact with patients. Cause cross infection.

Therefore, it is difficult for the surface to be smeared and sprayed with alcohol to disinfect the inside of the medical mask. On the other hand, alcohol can also damage the waterproof structure of the outer layer of the mask. The reason is that the surface tension of alcohol is very different from that of water. The mask material treated with alcohol will enhance the absorption of water (blood, saliva), which will speed up the mask. Filter layer failed.

According to the "New Coronary Virus Infected Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Scheme (Trial Version 4)", the virus is sensitive to ultraviolet rays. Can UV masks and disinfection cabinets be used to disinfect masks for reuse?

Jin Xiangyu: No.
Polypropylene meltblown material is a thermoplastic polymer material, which has poor aging resistance and is very sensitive to ultraviolet rays. After being irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the structure will be destroyed or oxidatively degraded, which will greatly reduce the filtration performance.

The research team has conducted experiments. If N95-level masks are steamed, washed, and sterilized by UV lamps, its filtration efficiency will be rapidly reduced from 95% to less than 60%, which is similar to ordinary gauze masks and cotton masks.

So is there any way to achieve disinfection and reuse of masks?

Jin Xiangyu: For ordinary people, no.
The disinfection method adopted in the mask production process is ethylene oxide gas disinfection, which cannot be achieved by ordinary households. Moreover, the mask continuously absorbs the water vapor exhaled by the human body during use, which gradually causes the charge loss of the filter layer and the decrease of the adsorption capacity. It cannot be recovered even after disinfection and drying, and it will not provide a good protective effect. Under the current epidemic conditions, disinfection and reuse of disposable anti-virus masks should not be promoted.

Although medical surgical masks and medical N95 masks are both "disposable", from the designer's point of view, ordinary people do not need to use a protective mask before throwing them away unless they go to hospitals, large supermarkets or contact with suspected patients. It can be used two or three times to reduce the consumption of mask resources.

Further reading

Why medical masks are mostly blue

The outer layer of the medical surgical mask is blue, on the one hand, to relieve the visual fatigue of the doctor at work. The white coat + white mask will be more "dazzling" under the light, which is not conducive to the doctor's long-term work. On the other hand, the blue surface is water-repellent, and different colors are also reminding the user that this face is outward.

What is the difference between medical surgical masks and N95 (KN95)? From the perspective of appearance, ordinary medical surgical masks are flat masks, while N95 masks are often arched design, and fit better to the face. But the filter layers of both are made of polypropylene meltblown material, but the thickness is different. In general, the area density of the filtering layer of general medical surgical masks is about 20 to 30 grams per square meter, while the density of the filtering layer of N95 masks is about 55 to 60 grams per square meter.
 

rondaben

Veteran Member
Can we rely on tests? I know they can't hold a patient indefinitely, but do they know how contagious a person may still be after they seem to recover? I don't know how they test that unless they have volunteers willing to risk getting ill...(or, wait and see if any of his contacts after he is released get sick)

PCR is typically a very specific and sensitive test but any lab test will be limited by the quality of the specimen that is submitted. I would trust that positive tests are probably truly positive, but that negative tests perform somewhat less reliably. to that end, it is why they are using it for confirmation in patients with a clinical and medical history.

Essentially, if you are positive you most likely have it, if you test negative-you probably are negative but maybe not.
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
PCR is typically a very specific and sensitive test but any lab test will be limited by the quality of the specimen that is submitted. I would trust that positive tests are probably truly positive, but that negative tests perform somewhat less reliably. to that end, it is why they are using it for confirmation in patients with a clinical and medical history.

Essentially, if you are positive you most likely have it, if you test negative-you probably are negative but maybe not.

I agree. We've already seen articles of patients who tested negative 3 times before they test positive.


HD
 
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