Coronavirus in the US

Parent Cafe
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Georgia postpones Democratic Primary
From CNN’s Dianne Gallagher

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is postponing the state’s Democratic Primary scheduled for March 24 because of concerns about coronavirus, according to Walter Jones, Secretary of State spokesman.

The primary is being re-scheduled for May 19.

“In light of the public health emergency posed by COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, in-person voting presents increased risk to voters and poll workers,” Raffensperger said. "Governor (Brian) Kemp has declared a public health emergency. President Trump has declared a national emergency. Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is protecting the health of our poll workers, their families, and the community at large.”
Georgia is the second state to delay its primary. Louisiana postponed its primary earlier this week.

Raffensperger said all votes already cast in person and all absentee ballots will be counted. He also said every eligible voter who has not yet had a chance to cast a ballot in the March 24 elections will be able to do so on May 19, along with the elections already scheduled for that date.

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Vail Resorts suspending North American operations
From CNN’s Hollie Silverman and Kim Bui

Vail Resorts, a management company that owns 37 resorts across 15 states and three countries, is suspending all of its North American operations from Sunday to March 22 as a result of coronavirus, according to a news release from the company.

“All our scheduled employees, both seasonal and year-round, will be paid during this upcoming eight-day period, without needing to use any vacation or sick time,” the company said in the release.

Lodging and property management operations will remain open to service guests who are already on location or have existing reservations, according to the release.

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Whatever you quoted did not mention that, in the US, masks are also associated with criminals trying to hide their identity from victims and witnesses. Walking into a bank wearing a mask may trigger suspicion that you may be about to commit robbery, for example.

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Coronavirus: Donald Trump trying to poach German scientists working on experimental vaccine, report claims

Die Welt report says the experimental drug would be ‘only for the United States’

The United States and Germany are vying to produce an exclusive vaccine against the coronavirus which is being developed in a German laboratory, Die Welt daily reported Saturday.

According to the paper, US President Donald Trump is trying to poach German scientists working on an experimental vaccine against a global health threat that has now killed some 5,500 people with a view to having an exclusive licence rolled out in the United States.

Such a vaccine would be “only for the United States,” a source close to the German government told Die Welt, though Berlin would reportedly is looking to make offers of its own to biotech firm CureVac, based in the German state of Thuringia.

The firm markets itself as specialising in “development of treatments against cancer, antibody-based therapies, treatment of rare illnesses and prophylactic vaccines.”
The lab is currently working in tandem with the Paul-Ehrlich Institute, linked to the German ministry of health.

“The German government is very interested in having the development of vaccines and active substances against the novel coronavirus undertaken in Germany and Europe,” a health ministry spokesman told Die Welt, adding that the government was in “intensive” talks with CureVac.

As CureVac CEO, Daniel Menichella found himself invited on March 2 to the White House to meet with Trump, his vice-president Mike Pence and representatives of pharmaceutical companies working on how to respond to the pandemic, the company revealed on its website without indicating if financial offers had been put on the table. “We are very confident that we will be able to develop a potent vaccine candidate within a few months,” CureVac quoted Menichella – who has since given way to founder and incoming CEO Ingmar Hoerr – as saying following his Washington visit.

(SCMP)

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If anything has demonstrated that national borders matter little, this virus has. The vaccine needs to be for the whole world.

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I read that Japan is still holding fast on its commitment to host the Summer Olympic Games. This was as of today.

I’m sure that situation is fluid.

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“only for the United States,” ???

That can’t be right.

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Here is a good article from one of my favorite (and not overwhelming) sources, KevinMD.com: https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/03/an-er-physicians-advice-to-the-general-public-how-to-flatten-the-curve.html

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[quote=“privatebanker, post:6566, topic:2080517”]

I read that Japan is still holding fast on its commitment to host the Summer Olympic Games. This was as of today.

News from yesterday.

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@doschicos

Did they change their minds. It’s hard to keep up?

Also did anyone else see the Italian high rise neghbors all singing together. I don’t have an Facebook or Instagram account so this could be old news too. I thought it was lovely and very human.

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I did see that, @privatebanker. Very moving.

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Delta to offer pilots partial paid time off

Delta and the union that represents its more than 14,000 have agreed to let the carrier offer partially paid time off for aviators through June, and possibly longer, as coronavirus devastates travel demand.

Delta and other carriers are scrambling to cut costs, instituting hiring freezes, asking employees to take unpaid leave and other measures to save cash.

The Atlanta-based carrier on Friday announced it would cut its flying by 40% in the next few months, the biggest cuts in the airline’s more than 90-year history.

Some executives have told CNBC that they expect further cuts from other airlines.

GOP Chairwoman awaiting test results

Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, is awaiting results from a coronavirus test, the RNC’s communications director said on Twitter.

McDaniel tested negative for the normal flu and strep throat, and she and her family are self-quarantining, according to the statement.

McDaniel is the latest high-profile Republican to either take a test or self-quarantine because of the virus. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has also taken the test and is awaiting results. Several Republican senators, including Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, are self-isolating after coming into contact with people who contracted the virus.

Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were at a major RNC donor event in Florida last weekend.

Trump says he has the right to remove Powell as Fed chair

President Donald Trump launched another barrage of criticism at the Federal Reserve, saying Saturday that the central bank is behind its global peers in the economic fight against the coronavirus.

He said he is not yet looking at removing Jerome Powell as chairman, though he believes he has the right to do so. He has harshly criticized Powell previously, saying the Fed should be more aggressive in easing the stance of monetary policy.

“I have the right to remove him. No, I’m not doing that,” Trump said. “I also have the right to put him in a regular position and put someone else in charge, and I haven’t made any decisions on that.”

All CNBC

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It’s also on Twitter.

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not a designated hospital, but definitely moving patients to less affected areas if needed. It’s also what he said at press conference

@NYGovCuomo
·
Mar 12
Our priority is treating infected patients, and we are carefully watching the hospitalization rate and looking at options:

-Accelerating staffing
-Identifying State facilities that could serve as temporary hospitals if needed
-Coordinating among upstate/downstate hospitals

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Israel close to having oral vaccine. I wonder how long it will take to get out to general public from this point. Sounds like maybe faster than vaccines that are injected but unsure.

“We are in the middle of this process, and hopefully in a few weeks we will have the vaccine in our hands. Yes, in a few weeks, if it all works, we would have a vaccine to prevent coronavirus,” he added.

According to MIGAL CEO David Zigdon, the vaccine would be made to be taken orally and could “achieve safety approval in 90 days.”

“We are currently in intensive discussions with potential partners that can help accelerate the in-human trials phase and expedite completion of final-product development and regulatory activities,” he said.

from article, ‘Top Iranian cleric: No problem to use potential Israeli coronavirus vaccine’ By Aaron Sull, World Israel News

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http://www.migal.org.il/Migal.covid says that MIGAL is trying to adapt a vaccine against Infectious Bronchitis Virus for chickens into a vaccine against COVID-19 for humans, because of similarities between IBV and COVID-19.

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Someone else mentioned this great site upthread, but this link is the correct one which shows the actual state by state data:
https://covidtracking.com/notes/
Note the huge range of denominators (total # tested). I can’t understand how there can be such difference in access to testing (other than the states with outbreaks such CA, WA, NY: of course they’ve been able to get more tested).

Also, as an MD, I second the article by the ED doc posted above by @rosered55. Please don’t show up in my clinic with a stuffy nose “just wanting to get tested” unless you have a known positive contact. If you’re that worried, self-quarantine at home and let us take care of the patients who really are sick.

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Question for any MDs or other health care workers: what COVID-19 treatments exist to:

a. Reduce the likelihood of a mild case becoming severe or life threatening?
b. Reduce the likelihood of death or permanent damage from a severe or life threatening case?

There does not seem to have been much said about how much going to the hospital and getting treatment for a COVID-19 infection affects the risk associated with being infected.

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In some states, I think it is kind of a chicken and egg thing. Of course you’ll find more cases with more tests. Florida as an example. From what I’ve read, a lot has to do with how robust in state labs are - either private or public. WA and NY have good resources in state. Maine just became able to test in state to my knowledge.

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I googled around trying to find some science for the
‘elderberry is dangerous’ for corona virus. I can’t find any. the article linked to on page 238 is, to me, light on the science.

Can you point me in any other direction? I often use elderberry flavored zinc lozenges for colds because I like the flavor better.