Coronavirus in the US

Parent Cafe
6541

More signs that coronavirus takes less of a toll on children

In two studies looking at a combined 16 cases, Chinese researchers say the disease tends to be mild in minors

But the virus continued to appear in faecal samples long after nose and throat swabs no longer show evidence of an infection, according to one paper

Children infected with the new coronavirus tend to recover from the illness, with most showing at worst mild symptoms, according to two small-scale studies by Chinese researchers. The studies appear to support earlier research that the coronavirus takes less of a physical toll on children than older people.

But a specialist also cautioned that the studies were small and the mild symptoms might have led to fewer children being tested.

“We still do not understand why there are so few children among the confirmed cases worldwide,” Ben Cowling, a public health professor from the University of Hong Kong, said. “We don’t yet know how common are infections in children and whether children can spread infection.”

In a paper published in the journal Nature Medicine on Friday, researchers from the Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Centre, in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, examined the cases of 10 infected children – six boys and four girls ranging in age from two months to 15 years. The 10 were among 745 children tested for the virus between January 22 and February 20.

The children had been tested because they either had close contact with diagnosed patients or were part of a family with an outbreak in the previous two weeks.

Five of these children had a cough, four had a sore throat, three had diarrhoea and two had nasal congestion and a runny nose – symptoms similar to that of a cold or a flu.

“Chest X-rays lacked definite signs of pneumonia, a defining feature of the infection in adult cases,” the paper said. All of the children recovered and none required respiratory support or treatment in an intensive care unit.

But the researchers also found that the virus continued to appear in faecal samples long after nose and throat swabs no longer show evidence of an infection. Rectal swab testing might be a more effective way to determine how long to quarantine children, the researchers said.

Meanwhile, another Chinese study looked at the cases of six children who tested positive for the coronavirus and hospitalised in Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the disease was first detected.

The six were among 366 children admitted with respiratory infections to Tongji Hospital from January 7 to January 15, according to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday. The six children, aged one to seven, all recovered in a median 7½ days after hospital admission, with the most seriously ill child taking 13 days to recover and requiring admission to a paediatric intensive care unit.

Nevertheless, four of the six patients had pneumonia, with radiographic assessments and CAT scans showing typical viral pneumonia patterns in the children. In Guangdong, the chest X-rays of the 10 children were “either normal or showed only coarse lung markings without unilateral or bilateral pneumonia. Chest CAT scans showed isolated or multiple patchy ground-glass opacities in five patients but were within normal ranges in the other five.”

In a report published on February 28, a World Health Organisation team sent to China said that from data available “it is not possible to determine the extent of infection among children, what role children play in transmission, whether children are less susceptible or if they present differently clinically – [that is] generally milder presentations”.

Yet the report also noted that the disease in children appeared to be relatively rare and mild with roughly 2.4 per cent of the total cases report among individuals aged under 19 years and only 2.5 per cent would develop severe reactions, while 0.2 per cent have recorded critical disease. (SCMP)

The article also has a 5 minute video of medical staff on the front lines in Wuhan.

6542

I’m guessing Israel’s cyber monitoring measures are really intended to combat bioterrorism. Anyone willing to carry a suicide bomb would be willing to try and infect the populace. That could also be the reason for the limit of only 10 people - much easier to identify strangers and limit the spread.

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I have said since early in this thread that the Diamond Princess testing indicated that this virus spreads much more commonly than any other through asymptomatic people. I know there were experts who were in China who have poo poohed this idea but to me the Diamond Princess testing made clear that this was surely going on.

A New report from CNN indicates that experts interviewed by CNN said while it’s unclear exactly what percentage of the transmission in the outbreak is fueled by people who are obviously sick versus those who have no symptoms or very mild symptoms, it’s become clear that transmission by people who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic is responsible for more transmission than previously thought. One said that it’s “absolutely clear” that asymptomatic infection “surely can fuel a pandemic like this in a way that’s going to make it very difficult to control.”

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https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/technology-51717164

I would believe that Israel has the ability to do these scans among the populace and borders for sure.

The same technology to scan people who may have fevers. with algorithms that also scan for indications of a suicide bomber or bio terrorist in terms of facial markers as well. Many terrorism people believe the bio terrorist doesn’t come in with a beaker or vial. They would self infect prior to entry.

6545

The quote below is from a JAMA article published online yesterday by Italian doctors about critical care during this emergency. A suggestion for other countries who are behind Italy in the curve is to set up a system which transports patients away from outbreak areas, to hospitals in less densely populated areas where resources are not so stretched. They talk about an “ICU network” which presumably means that hospitals are communicating to manage the patient load more evenly.

The last line says, “Health care systems not organized in collaborative emergency networks should work toward one now.” Because our health care system is not unified, and the federal government does not organize hospitals in this way, I hope the hospitals will communicate between themselves. Although this is also hard because whose job is it to figure out how to distribute critical care patients evenly among all different types of differently owned/run hospitals?

I also wish that we had a system to get resources such as masks, PPE, ventilators and HCW to the hotspots when/where they are needed. And that we had frequent testing and quarantining in relatively corona-free places in order to keep them that way.

Source: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763188

6546

Unfortunately, rural hospitals have been closing down in large numbers and there’s soon not going to be any non-hot spot areas.

6547

@3SailAway

The doctor in charge of the 51 hospital group in the northwest, in the middle of all of this, said they are doing exactly as you’ve described.

They are building a ventilator coalition and working with the national guard as well. She was very much in favor of this and seemed like everyone was on board.

It’s a very smart idea and approach.

6548

FYI: when asked, administration says steep cuts to the CDC aren’t off the table despite the virus outbreak

"The president’s blueprint proposed cuts to both the CDC and the Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund. "

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/486817-trump-budget-chief-holds-firm-on-cdc-cuts-amid-virus-outbreak

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-administration-isn-t-backing-proposed-cuts-cdc-budget-n1155411?cid=sm_fb_maddow&fbclid=IwAR2r9TJzW35g1ivv-a68P9EyBEVKoyUm5PJSsUR2HWh-gBkz-tx3rbQNHP0

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Coronavirus vs the human immune system: the brutal microscopic war for survival

Deadly ‘dance’ between Sars-CoV-2 and the body’s defences is playing out in thousands of cases the world over, immunologists say ‘The lung is the worst place to have that happen,’

When a virus enters the human body, it’s in a race against time to hijack cells, reproduce and spread. Its survival depends on it, because once the body’s immune system detects the intruder an all-out microscopic war follows.

While the Sars-CoV-2 virus behind the present pandemic has killed thousands and spread fear around the world, the immune system – which has evolved over millions of years of fighting pathogens – shows no such trepidation. It responds with ferocity to obliterate the invader, led by armies of killer T-cells. That immune system is one reason the human species still exists, but in some cases its fight against viruses can resemble the scorched-earth policy of warfare, where everything in the area of the conflict takes damage, meaning body tissue itself. The immune system takes no prisoners.

But before the war at the cellular level, the virus slips into the body, navigating past defences in the mucus that gathers in noses and throats, on the hunt for cells it can commandeer. At the same time, it’s trying to disguise its presence to avoid tripping the chemical alarm system of the immune system – a deadly game of hide-and-seek.
In the first few hours after the pathogen’s entry, it was “almost like a dance between the innate immune response and the virus”, said Gene Olinger, an immunologist with the US-based scientific institute MRIGlobal. The virus tries different tricks to dodge the immune system’s many detection devices.

This was the start of what become an “arms race” between the virus and immune system, said Marjolein Kikkert, an associate professor who researches this type of biochemical conflict at Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. “All viruses, including this one, will have multiple ways that they look to circumvent or suppress immune response … there’s an arms race, especially in the beginning, when the virus is trying to prevent these first responses,” Kikkert said.

Much more in here - very interesting:
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3075165/coronavirus-how-sneezes-coughs-and-fevers-set-stage-brutal

The article above mentions “cykotine storms”. I saw this online today. No idea if it is accurate but figured I’d pass the info along because I’ve seen a lot of people recommending elderberries:

"Warning on ElderBerries if used for COVID-19 Coronavirus
Elderberry is all the rage for the seasonal FLU … but you may increase your chances of death when used on COVID19 Coronavirus.

Elderberries are a natural remedy many use for colds and flu every year. Recent studies show it can help stimulate cytokines to help your immune system kick into gear earlier in a typical flu infection.

HOWEVER … many people dying from COVID19 are found to be from a “Cytokine STORM” … meaning adding more cytokines might be even deadlier … so Elderberries might not be such a good idea. Cytokine Storms are even more prevalent in patients that relapse with COVID19."

https://trendflare.com/site/elderberry-warning-for-covid19-coronavirus/

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Oh, they definitely HAVE the ability. They are trying to get permission to use it on their own citizens.

6551

There was a post here or an article I read somewhere was already starting this. One community hospital would be the Covid-19 designated hospital. I have to remember where that was…

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FYI. From the article posted above in “The Hill” please see below to avoid any unnecessary anxiety.

Also it was a just a budget hearing. The congress approves and sets spending budgets, not the executive branch, as always. This is a starting point in the dialogue.

“An OMB spokesman said that the CDC cuts in the budget request did not affect infectious disease, and said Trump’s request included a total of $4.3 billion in funds for Infectious Diseases and Preparedness, in funds that deal with the flu, opioids, and global health security.

“The $4.3 billion funds all of the CDC programs that focus on infectious disease and emergency preparedness activities," they said.

“This figure reflects that the Administration is prioritizing funding for infectious disease and emergency preparedness efforts at CDC, compared to non-infectious activities, like studying the health and safety risks of infrequent bathroom breaks for taxi drivers,” they added.”

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I do think the new report on asymptomatic transmission lays waste to the idea that we could have gotten on top if this by contact tracing. This isn’t Ebola or SARS. The most novel thing about this virus is that so many people get so few or no symptoms but are passing it on.

6554

South Korea’s done a good job without shutting down cities.

6555

German cities shut down public venues to fight the spread of coronavirus
From CNN’s Jennifer Hauser and Nadine Schmidt

The German cities of Berlin and Cologne ramped up their responses to the coronavirus pandemic Saturday, ordering the shutdown of all bars, nightclubs, theaters and concert halls and public venues.

“The Berlin Senate decided today that from now on all public and non-public events in Berlin with more than 50 people or more participants are forbidden," Berlin’s state government said in a statement, adding that swimming pools, museums, gyms and brothels will also close.

The city of Cologne said in a statement that bars, discos, theaters as well as amusement arcades will shut until April 10. The city is also banning church and religious services.

Both cities said that restaurants will remain open.

Earlier on Saturday, Germany’s health ministry urged citizens returning from Italy, Switzerland and Austria to self-isolate for up to two weeks to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, even if they don’t have symptoms.

Spanish PM’s wife tests positive for coronavirus

The Spanish government has just announced that the prime minister’s wife, Begoña Gómez, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Both Gomez and her husband, Pedro Sánchez, are doing well and remain at their official residence in Madrid, the Moncloa palace, the government said in a statement.

Earlier this week, two of Sánchez’s ministers also tested positive for the virus. (Guardian)

Scientists warn against UK government’s ‘herd immunity’ strategy

More than 245 scientists and mathematicians have denounced the government’s plan to achieve “herd immunity” by delaying measures to prevent the virus spreading, saying acting now would save “thousands of lives”.

It comes as the NHS announced an unprecedented partnership with the private health sector in an emergency plan to combat the coronavirus crisis, as fears grow that publicly funded hospitals will soon be unable to cope with the number of patients suffering from the virus. (Guardian)

6556

Isn’t that UK plan going to cause panic? You’d think people would just flee so as not to be the herd.

6557

They started very early with massive testing and contact tracing and strictly enforced quarantines. Is the horse too far out of the barn in the US for the South Korea model to work here?

6558

I don’t think it’s too late for certain regions. But for some, yes, sadly.

6559

Face masks and coronavirus: how culture affects your decision to wear one

In East Asia, wearing face masks is often seen as a collective responsibility to reduce disease transmission and can symbolise solidarity

But while epidemic fears could temporarily reduce resistance to masks in the West, changing this deep-seated cultural aspect long-term will be difficult

Panic over the global spread of Covid-19 has seen face masks sold out in stores worldwide, but whether people wear them when they go outside often depends on where they are from.

In East Asia, where memories of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak 17 years ago remain strong, wearing face masks when out has become the norm. Many see it as a collective responsibility to reduce transmission of the coronavirus, with more than 120,000 confirmed cases in more than 100 countries.
Some businesses have signs barring customers without masks from entering, while authorities in major cities in China – including Beijing and Shanghai – have made the wearing of masks compulsory in public.

But in many European countries and the United States, face masks can be used to racialise and stigmatise those of East Asian descent, including when a Chinese student from Britain’s University of Sheffield was verbally and physically harassed in January for wearing a mask, and a Chinese woman was assaulted and called “diseased” in New York in February for doing the same.

The World Health Organisation has said healthy people generally do not need to wear face masks. US surgeon general Jerome Adams, the top federal government spokesperson on public health, urged Americans on Twitter to stop buying masks, as it could limit stocks for health care workers.

“Seriously people – STOP BUYING MASKS!” he wrote. “They are NOT effective in preventing [the] general public from catching coronavirus, but if health care providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!”

Health experts have mixed views on the efficacy of face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, believed to be transmitted through respiratory droplets that can come from coughing or sneezing. Some argue handwashing is more important, while others say masks can help stop transmission from people who are asymptomatic.

But whatever the opinions on efficacy, experts say cultural context plays a key role in whether people are willing to wear masks. Face masks are commonplace in East Asia, not just for virus outbreaks but also to block air pollution and even fend off cold weather. Japan, for example, has a long history of mask-wearing dating back to the Spanish influenza outbreak of 1918-19. The practice has since become socially embedded as a self-protection ritual and part of people’s collective responsibility.
“In Japan, [face masks] became a very common [preventive] practice against the flu, and in the seventies and eighties people started using them for hay fever,” Mitsutoshi Horii, a professor at Shumei University who has researched mask-wearing in Japan, said. “More recently, there was kind of a public scare about polluted air from China and people started wearing masks for that.”

People in Japan also wore masks to cover facial blemishes, keep warm in winter and help with shyness, he said. “People [in Japan] just naturally wear masks to feel safer. But in the West, because of strong resistance and belief in the importance of showing your face, people tend to have negative ideas about masks.”

Officials in Hong Kong and China were reprimanded at the start of the coronavirus outbreak for not wearing face masks or not wearing them properly, with Sars undiminished in the public’s collective memory. In a more collectivist culture, the wearing of a mask takes on more significance than it does in the Western world
Harris Ali, a sociologist at Canada’s York University.

Maria Sin Shun-ying from the University of Hong Kong wrote in 2014 about how Sars became connected with mask-wearing “to a degree that the mask itself served to delineate the disease’s identity” and later became implicitly linked in Western media to censorship and cover-ups during the outbreak. “Dramatic photos of masked crowds walking the streets of Asian cities, such as Hong Kong, were disseminated globally,” she wrote. “The mask was invariably racialised and construed in the Western media as a distinctly ‘Asian’ phenomenon.”

But since Sars, face masks as protection against pollution have been increasingly popularised in Asia by fashion designers with their “smog couture” and by celebrities including members of Korean boy band sensation BTS. Western stars including Bella Hadid, Kate Hudson and Gwyneth Paltrow have posted masked selfies on social media during the coronavirus outbreak. Croatian designer Zoran Aragovic launched a speciality “cheerful” face mask collection earlier this month, and 220 masked couples took part in a mass wedding in the Philippines’ city of Bacolod in February.

In North America, mask-wearing retained its association with Asian people, Harris Ali, a sociologist at Canada’s York University, said. “It’s still seen as kind of outside the norm, and therefore not accepted. So the mask in that sense does become a stigmatising symbol, especially if that’s not the norm. In a Chinese context, in a Hong Kong context, it’s lost that stigmatised aspect, and in fact may have the opposite value,” he said.

During Sars, face masks in Hong Kong became a symbol of solidarity against the disease and even of government distrust when the outbreak coincided with mass protests against Article 23, a proposed anti-subversion bill, that saw half a million people take to the streets on July 1, 2003, Ali said. “In a more collectivist culture, the wearing of a mask takes on more significance than it does in the Western world,” he said.

Fears of an epidemic could temporarily reduce culturally informed resistance to masks but in a wider context it would be “very difficult to change this deep aspect of Western culture”, Horii said. People would be inclined to seek out scientific evidence that supports or rejects their pre-existing ideas about masks, he said. (SCMP)

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White House says President Trump tests negative for coronavirus