Coronavirus in the US

Parent Cafe
2701

**USA - 1 newly confirmed case in Cook Co IL.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/cook-county-state-health-officials-confirm-coronavirus-case/2228843/

"The person, who has not been identified, remains hospitalized in isolation, health officials said. Additional details about the patient, including their condition, weren’t immediately available…the case was confirmed in suburban Cook County.

Tests conducted in Illinois came back with positive results for the new coronavirus, COVID-19, however the results have yet to be confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention…

The state of Illinois also plans to ask the CDC to deploy a team for assistance…

Earlier this month, Illinois became the first state to conduct its own tests for the coronavirus, allowing for quicker results…Gov. J.B. Pritzker said as a precautionary measure, the state will expand to two additional testing labs in central and southern Illinois in the coming week."

2702

@Tigerle - Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry you aren’t feeling 100%. Two things to consider: you could self-isolate, quarantining yourself for 2 weeks. Yes, a nuisance but… Also, getting he flu shot doesn’t mean you don’t have the flu. From CDC data:

According to a Feb. 21 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the current influenza vaccine has been 45% effective overall against 2019-2020 seasonal influenza A and B viruses. Specifically, the flu vaccine has been 50% effective against influenza B/Victoria viruses and 37% effective against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09

2703

CANADA - 5 new cases yesterday including 5 new cases in Canada including:

  • a woman in York Region, 34, who had just returned from Iran
  • a woman in Durham region, 51, who had just returned from Iran, and her husband, 69
  • a man, always in Ontario, in his 80s with a travel history to Egypt

MEXICO - 4th coronavirus case, 20-year-old who recently traveled to Italy

"The Mexican foreign ministry added that it had not received official word from Washington regarding possible transit restrictions over the US-Mexico border.

“The Secretary of Health implements mitigation measures, in accordance with those recommended by WHO and similar to those of countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom, staying alert at points of entry into the country, in order to inform and assist people who manifest symptoms related to COVID-19 and come from countries with local community transmission of this new disease," the ministry said." (CNN)

GREECE - 3 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 7. The patients are a woman in Thessaloniki and two men in Athens. The woman and one of the men are close contacts of previously announced confirmed cases. The third case, a man in Athens, had recently traveled to Italy.

2704

Oh thanks @thumper1 . I heard a little sarcasm in that comment? Anyway, I haven’t received the masks yet and told DH I’m calling and canceling 20 of them. He said to keep them, you never know when we might need them for something else down the road as we get older. I think they have a shelf life though.

I keep reading that they won’t do any good. Why is that?

2705

**SOUTH KOREA - update to my previous post, South Korea reported 2 other amounts - first another 376 cases then later in their afternoon another 210 (in addition to the 813 previously reported), bringing the national total to 3,736. They also reported 3new deaths bringing the total to 20.

There are usually 35,000 runners in the Tokyo Marathon. Today there were 300.

The Men’s Elite Group competes in the Tokyo Marathon.

"The Tokyo Marathon is usually one of Japan’s biggest sporting events of the year, attracting up to 35,000 participants and 10,000 volunteers.

However this year, there were just 300 elite runners allowed, and about 600 volunteers, as coronavirus fears swept through the region…

The streets were empty and quiet, devoid of the cheering crowds that would typically pack the sidewalks. The few runners that passed by were applauded only by a handful of people on the sidelines. The marathon’s typical festive, energetic atmosphere was nowhere to be found." (CNN)

American Airlines is suspending some flights to Milan

“American Airlines is suspending flights from Miami International Airport and New York’s JFK Airport to Milan, Italy, the airline said on Saturday night. The suspensions are effective as of March 1, and flights will resume on April 25. The carrier typically operates one flight to and from each city per day.”

2706

Masks must seal completely to provide adequate protection which requires a fit test.

People are still exposed via their eyes. Viruses get on surfaces and transferred later.

The masks are better used by sick people to keep from spreading it than by well people to avoid getting it. It’s much better to have them available for sick people than to board them for personal protection.

There are never going to be enough masks to actually protect everyone. It’s better to focus on the sick people.

Everyone else should be disinfecting, washing hands, avoiding contact, etc.

2707

@doschicos , I had no idea the flu vaccine had such a low resistance rate. That is unsettling. We think we are protected, but not so well. I often wonder out of the thousands who die every year from the flu, how many were vaccinated.

2708

**ADVICE FROM WHO

People over 60 and those with underlying health conditions should try to avoid “crowded areas” and “places where you might interact with people who are sick”, according to the head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. His tweets:

To reduce your risk from the new #coronavirus infection:

-if you are sick, stay at home; eat & sleep separately from your family; use different utensils & cutlery to eat
-if you develop shortness of breath, call your doctor & seek care immediately

If you are 60+, or have an underlying condition like cardiovascular disease, a respiratory condition or diabetes, you have a higher risk of developing severe #COVID19. Try to avoid crowded areas, or places where you might interact with people who are sick. #coronavirus

ITALY - Italy to dedicate nearly $4 billion to fighting coronavirus which amounts to 0.2% of Italy’s GDP.

Italian hospitals facing ‘tsunami’ of cases - “top Italian health official has warned of a “tsunami” effect on the hospital system…“It is the equivalent of a tsunami for the number of patients with major diseases being hospitalised all together. For example, on Friday, before the new wave of cases arrived in Lombardy, there were 85 beds occupied by patients intubated for Covid-19, that’s a significant share of those available.” Authorities in the Lombardy region, where 552 people are infected, have asked for a hospital to be made available solely for treating coronavirus and to be able to hire retired doctors and nurses to help with the workload. There have been 29 deaths in Italy, the latest eight victims ranging between the ages of 79 and 90. Those who have died so far were suffering other serious health problems. Some 401 people have been hospitalised – 105 of them in intensive care – and 543 are at home. Fifty people have recovered.” (Guardian)

MALAYSIA - 4 new cases bringing the total to 29. All patients are Malaysian and all had recent travel history to Italy or China.

SOUTH KOREA - South Korea closes churches to limit virus spread. Churches were closed in South Korea on Sunday, many holding services online instead, according to Reuters.

2709

It’s really nothing new. The last few years, the flu vaccine hasn’t been a good match for the seasonal strains that developed. However, 50% protection is better odds than nothing.

If everybody ups there hand washing because of COVID-19, that will help with reducing the spread of the flu, as well.

2710

IRAN - 385 new cases for a total of 978, and 11 new deaths for a total of 54. Health experts warn that based on the known mortality rate of Covid-19 the number of confirmed cases is likely to be much higher than the Iranian authorities are reporting.

SPAIN - 10 new cases since yesterday totaling 73 confirmed cases.

"Speaking on Sunday morning, Fernando Simón (Diector of the Spanish Health Ministry) said that 90% of the cases were imported or related to imported cases of the virus, adding that Spain would not be raising its alert level for the time being. Nor, he said, would it be enacting the drastic measures seen in France and Italy.

A fifth person (an Italian national) has tested positive for the virus at the hotel in Tenerife that has been locked down after four other people staying there were diagnosed with the coronavirus…

Meanwhile, it appears that Ecuador’s first case of the virus could have originated in Spain after a 70-year-old Ecuadorian woman living in Spain tested positive for the virus after flying from Madrid to Ecuador’s second city, Guayaquil, on 14 February. According to Ecuadorian health authorities, the woman showed no symptoms of the illness on the flight." (Guardian)

JAPAN - Another death not related to Diamond Princess, a man in his 70s died on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. The patient was hospitalised on Jan. 17 for another disease, but started to show flu-like symptoms a few weeks later and tested positive for the coronavirus on Feb. 25.Authorities suspect the man may have caught the virus while in hospital. The man’s death marks the sixth fatality from Covid-19 in Japan, excluding six deaths among those aboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess. Source: Guardian

2711

I think it is interesting to see how different countries tackle Covid-19, testing and other related matters.

This is from the Guardian this morning, talking about efforts to track and control in the UK which, as has been discussed here, also utilizes “drive-in” testing.

"A “surveillance network” of GP practices in Scotland will test patients with coughs and fevers and submit samples, even if patients have not travelled to an area affected by coronavirus, as part of the Scottish government plans.

The measure described as an “early warning” system to alert health professionals to possible spread of the virus.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood said: “Hospitals and GP surgeries will now conduct tests on some patients with coughs, fevers or shortness of breath - regardless of whether they have travelled to a place where the virus is known to be spreading.” “Not everyone with flu will be tested, but this is a sensible step to take as a precautionary measure to give us an early warning of community transmission.”…

in the coming days it will jointly publish an updated action plan with the UK government…outlining the steps that will be taken…if there is a sustained epidemic."

The Guardian also reports that UK"s Health Secretary “Matt Hancock has said it may be necessary to follow China’s example by shutting down cities to prevent the spread of coronavirus. He also confirmed plans to bring doctors and nurses out of retirement if the outbreak escalates in the UK.”

2712

Serious question: should spouses continue to sleep in same bed/room? Does sharing bedroom put you at higher risk? Or does it not matter if you’re in same house anyway? These are practical questions that I’m not seeing addressed anywhere.

2713

JAPAN - "Japan’s controversial decision to close schools in March could make it harder for the country to battle not only coronavirus but also provide general health care, as nurses face a stark choice: go to work or stay home to look after their children, the Asahi newspaper reported.

The country’s northernmost province of Hokkaido closed schools Friday, ahead of the rest of the country, as it has seen a spike in cases.

The immediate knock-on effect was a shortage of nurses at a hospital in Obihiro city in the east of the island, forcing authorities to turn away patients who did not already have a reservation or were facing a medical emergency.

More than 20 percent of the hospital’s 700 staff have school-age children…

The paper quoted a nurse in Tokyo as saying staff had also been told to stay home if they displayed even the slightest symptoms such as a fever or respiratory problems to prevent further infections, while the hospital has also stopped accepting volunteer support staff." (MSN)

FRANCE - French official advises against kissing due to coronavirus fears

"A French official has advised against a long-time French tradition – cheek kissing – over coronavirus fears. "Reduction of physical social contact is recommended. This includes “la bise,” French health minister Olivier Véran told reporters on Saturday in Paris. Véran also said people should avoid handshakes as well. What is “la bise”? The tradition of planting an kiss on a person’s cheek multiple times, is a well-known French greeting. " (CNN)

POPE - Pope cancels more events due to illness

"Pope Francis said on Sunday that a cold will prevent him from participating in a week-long spiritual retreat outside of Rome…The Vatican did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday on whether Francis has been tested for coronavirus.

On Thursday, the Vatican said the Pope was suffering from a “mild ailment” that has caused him to cancel his public events in the last four days, and on Friday, officials said the Pope was continuing to hold private meetings at his residence in the Vatican.

Sunday was the first time the Pope was seen in public since last Wednesday." (CNN)

@romanigypsyeyes Not exactly a denial but no confirmation either.

2714

He is about a month late. We’d be better now had he and a few other gov stopped kowtowing to China.

2715

My speculation is that you would expose each other anyway living together in day to day life unless you had a mansion with separate wings.

2716

Easy to say. What would you have suggested that the WHO do differently with a sovereign country known for “saving face”?

2717

The WHO isn’t a political organization. In this crisis, the WHO has done a better job than our own CDC. The WHO has warned multiple times about the narrowing window of opportunity to combat the disease. If more countries had taken the advises from the WHO to be more vigilant, we’d all be better off.

2718

Yes, because the implication is that it’s some extreme underlying condition that most people don’t have. Except most of us do have something (that we may not even be aware of) that could be classified as an “underlying condition”. How many people even know that they have cardiac disease until they have symptoms.

2719

Our family has always gotten the flu vaccine and so far it seems we have not gotten the flu. The current news on the coronavirus and discussion around flu got my wife and I discussing the vaccine. Her sister lives in Norway and indicated that no one there gets the shot. We tried to figure out the rate of death in Europe compared to the US and while we could not find a great site, it seems that it is not higher in Europe.

Does anyone have any knowledge or sources that discuss the US rate of flu and deaths compared to Europe?

2720

That hasn’t been my interpretation from what I’ve seen. Diabetes, hypertension, respiratory problems have all been mentioned as putting people at greater risk. Unfortunately, given the US health care system, many are undiagnosed and uncontrolled because going to the doctor is so expensive.