I joined Twitter recently to follow my DS21’s football recruiting activities (and yay, he just got invited to MIT’s summer football camp!) having stayed away from it up till now due to the general ridiculousness of Twitter. However, right now I’m following quite a few scientists, including the head and former head of FDA, and I’m actually getting even more information from their tweets than from anywhere else.
I’m actively following a thread from Felix Yang, a physician in Brooklyn, directed at Gilead Sciences. He posted a scary image of a lung CT for a 30 year old male physician colleague who appears to be close to total respiratory failure. He’s asking Gilead for help TODAY (Sunday) getting immediate access to their Remdesivir HIV anti-viral clinical trials. He’s actually begging for help. It is utterly terrifying and heartbreaking. 30 years old!
It is awe-inspiring to watch from the sidelines as these scientists tweet specific drug cocktails and other treatment ideas to Dr. Yang.
I found myself getting quite caught up and upset in the thread, overwhelmed by the high level technical conversation between these doctors and the fact that they keep repeating that our hospitals are not equipped to deal with the coming numbers needing life-saving respiratory interventions.
Friends - please, stay home whenever possible. Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands.
Yikes! I was thinking one of the reasons they took so many CTs of my dad in the hospital was likely to be sure he DIDN’T have COVID-19 and wasn’t giving it to everyone. Awful folks are dying and I sure hope he gets the antiviral and that it helps this young patient!
ALBANIA - 1st confirmed cases - father and son returned from Italy.
SOUTH KOREA - 341 new cases totaling 7,382 and 3 new deaths totaling 51.
3rd death in WA State today, 1st death in Grant Co WA
GRANT COUNTY, WA – Grant County Health District (GCHD) has received notice that the patient with confirmed COVID-19, previously reported, has sadly passed away.
There are many conversations in the community and on social media regarding whether this is serious. Yes, many of our residents will recover quickly with mild to moderate symptoms. However, we all need to take precautions to protect our most vulnerable populations and slow this disease. This illness can be fatal. Please heed our advice.
Marine Corps Base Quantico status ‘Code Yellow’ after coronavirus case
From CNN
Marine Corps Base Quantico will operate under a “Code Yellow” status beginning Monday, according to a tweet from the base’s official Twitter account, after a Marine on the base tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Code Yellow status authorizes unscheduled leave while “mission essential” personnel are expected to report to work. The tweet indicated schools on the base will be closed for cleaning until March 11. Additionally, the tweet indicated the sick Marine is improving in the hospital. “Risk exposure to the virus remains low,” the base’s statement read.
I keep wondering if this will ultimately affect the October 1st deadline to obtain a Real ID driver’s license? I have seen repeatedly on NBC nightly news that some states were quite behind in implementation, and there were long wait times for appointments.
Seems like BMV is one of the places elderly and those with underlying conditions may want to avoid. Granted, flying may be something for them to avoid, also.
Father of woman diagnosed with coronavirus attended school function against orders of health officials to isolate, official says
From CNN
"The father of a woman with a presumptive positive case of coronavirus attended a school function with another child Saturday against the orders of health officials to isolate, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said during a Sunday press conference.
The presumptive positive case in St. Louis County was identified as a woman in her 20s who had recently returned from Italy…The only reported case in the state, the woman had fever and respiratory issues…The woman’s father and other family members had been in daily contact multiple times a day since March 5 and knew they were supposed to isolate at home…
Health officials have since spoken to the father and told him he needs to stay home. They will obtain a court order for quarantine if necessary…Page did not know how many people attended the school function or what the possibility for exposure was. The father and other members of the family are not exhibiting symptoms"
Other countries have instituted hefty fines, even jail time in Russia.
To say the government is not taking this seriously is just pure opinion. Imho incorrect.
Are they being effective. That’s a conversation to be had, as all ideas are worth hearing.
However Americans travel and we can’t prevent them from returning. Perhaps mandatory quarantine faculties for anyone returning from any areas of concern. Watch how that’s received by the public.
However individuals are taking separate flights from areas of concern and connecting out of other areas. And not being honest back home.
The only thing is to continue to push for risk reduction measures of all types. Push for tests. And to get that vaccine in place.
“Australia’s chief medical officer Brendan Murphy says screening at the airport “hasn’t picked up many people so far. Most people end up becoming unwell when they come here. But we certainly do have very enhanced screening at the moment.”” (Guardian)
@suzyQ7 I think the 15 minute test could be useful for this purpose. Even if it is only 89% accurate, it would catch more incoming people than current screening. Then, if someone tests positive, they can be retested with a more accurate, longer timeframe test. Sounds like it would be better than what is currently being used. China and Singapore are both testing any people entering the country now with quicker tests.
I am not suggesting that to the exclusion of all other ideas in any way. It’s the last thing mentioned in a string of ideas.
However, any positive results of a vaccine will alleviate some tension.
In fact my first three suggestions prior to mentioning a vaccine, are forced quarantines perhaps on returning citizens, serious risk reduction ie large gatherings, sports and big events perhaps and then pushing for more testing and test kits that are in the way to help identify and isolate quickly.
Then I mentioned a vaccine.
Why didn’t you mention the other suggestions and focus that one?
A vaccine will be vip and I also think is very important to reduce the fear and anxiety of many. Including those predisposed to those Issues already.
Two family members of previous coronavirus case in Nebraska have tested presumptive positive, raising state’s total to 3
From CNN’s Hollie Silverman
Two new presumptive positive cases of coronavirus have been identified in Nebraska, according to a press release from the state Department of Health and Human Services. The new cases bring the state total to three.
Both new cases are family members of the first case, a woman in her 30s in Douglas County who recently returned from England.
The two new cases are experiencing mild symptoms. They are also Douglas County residents and have been in self-quarantine since Friday, the release said.
The woman continues to be treated at the Biocontainment Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the release said.
I mentioned the vaccine because I’ve seen you suggest it several times.
Tests and quarantine are a good idea but throwing vaccines on that list seemed to imply that it is a shorter term solution along with the tests and monitoring.
By the time the vaccine gets here, this will probably be an old news story. It’s not a solution.