Coronavirus in the US

Parent Cafe
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Israel deploys cyber-monitoring against coronavirus, tells people not to leave home

The Israeli government began deploying cellphone-monitoring technology against the coronavirus on, and issued directives urging people not to leave home.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet approved emergency regulations that will enable the Shin Bet internal security service to tap into cellular data to retrace the movements of people infected by the virus.

The data, customarily used for anti-terrorism, will be used by the Health Ministry to locate and alert those who have been in their vicinity, the government said.

Robbers grab 100,000 surgical masks at gunpoint as Ukraine enters shutdown

Shops, restaurants and transport were shutdown in Ukraine after the country tightened restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus, while police arrested five people suspected of trying to rob 100,000 surgical masks at gunpoint in Kiev.

The country has seven confirmed cases of the coronavirus so far, including one death. The government has encouraged people to stay at home wherever possible except to buy food and medicine, but has stopped short of introducing curfews.

Iran warns virus could kill ‘millions’ in Islamic Republic

Iran issued its most dire warning yet about the coronavirus ravaging the country, suggesting “millions” could die in the Islamic Republic fails to take the necessary precautions.

A state television journalist, who also is a medical doctor, gave the warning hours after hardline Shia-Muslim faithful pushed their way into the courtyards of two major shrines that had just been closed over fears of the virus.

Iran’s supreme leader issued a religious ruling prohibiting “unnecessary” travel in the country.

At least 37 suspected COVID-19 patients flee Afghan hospital

At least 37 patients thought to be suffering from COVID-19 fled from a hospital in Afghanistan’s western Herat province, a health ministry spokesperson said.

The people in question were in isolation because of the virus. They escaped the hospital with the help of their relatives after beating up staff members at the medical centre, ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar said.

Pakistan’s Imran Khan calls for lifting of sanctions against Iran, suggests debt-write off

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called for the lifting of sanctions against Iran amid the coronavirus outbreak, and said the international community would have to think of a “debt-write off” for “vulnerable” nations like his.

“I think the world community has to think of some sort of a debt-write off for countries like us [Pakistan] which are very vulnerable,” he told Bloomberg News.

“I actually fear for what is happening in Iran too, beacuase the sanctions have already, you know, impoverished Iran. So that should be a classic example of a place where at least now sanctions should be lifted, because they are in a terrible state right now,” Khan added.

Al Jazeera

7502

@yucca10 that’s a really good point.

45mm+/- people have been seriously injured in car crashes over the past 10years. 400,000 people have died unfortunately in car crashes.

“The NSC estimates that in 2018, 40,000 people died in car crashes—a 1 percent decline from 40,231 deaths in 2017 and 40,327 deaths in 2016. An estimated 4.5 million people were seriously injured in car crashes in 2018, also a 1 percent decrease from 2017 figures”

7503

China approves vaccine for clinical trials: state media
China has authorised clinical trials on its first vaccine developed to combat the new coronavirus, according to a report in the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily.

The researchers are led by Chen Wei, of China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences, it said.

Lufthansa preparing ‘air bridge’ to supply Germany

Germany’s largest airline, Lufthansa, is working with the government to prepare an"air bridge" to ensure that necessary goods would continue to arrive in Germany during the coronavirus epidemic, the airline’s boss said

Lufthansa chief Carsten Spohr told Bild newspaper that the airline was preparing to deploy its 747 and Lufthansa Cargo fleets to that end, and was working on revised crew schedules to ensure adequate staffing

France could nationalise big companies: Finance minister

The French government is prepared to use all means to support big companies suffering amid financial market turmoil, including nationalisation if necessary, the finance minister said.

“I won’t hesitate to use all means available to protect big French companies,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on a conference call with journalists.

“That can be done by recapitalisation, that can be done by taking a stake, I can even use the term nationalisation if necessary,” Le Maire added.

Australian researchers say immune response to coronavirus mapped

As scientists scramble to develop a vaccine, researchers at Australia’s Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity said they had taken an important step in understanding the virus by mapping the immune responses from one of country’s first coronavirus patients.

By examining the blood results from an unidentified woman in her 40s, they discovered that people’s immune systems respond to coronavirus in the same way it typically fights the flu.

The findings are an important step in developing a vaccine and treatment, the country’s health minister said on Tuesday regarding the virus which has more than 168,000 people worldwide and killed at least 6,610.

While the bulk of those infected experience only mild symptoms, it is severe or critical in 20 percent of patients. The virus mortality rate is about 3.4 percent, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated.

The findings help scientists understand why some patients recover while others develop more serious respiratory problems, the researchers said.

“People can use our methods to understand the immune responses in larger COVID-19 cohorts, and also understand what’s lacking in those who have fatal outcomes,” said Katherine Kedzierska, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Melbourne, which took part in the research.

Accurate prediction
As researchers monitored the Australian patient’s immune response, they were able to accurately predict when she would recover.

Researchers did not name the patient, but said she was an Australian citizen who was evacuated out of Wuhan the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China.

Al Jazeera

7504

I’m guessing - Testing, Closed quarters, Super Spreaders.

7505

^^All that and many, many people traveling abroad.

7506

They tested 10, 000 people in the last 24 hours. Yesterday or the day before there were 65 people in ICU. I think you have to approximate based on those numbers. The testing is just catching up with the real scope.

7507

Not sure it explains away rapid increase. Compare NY to Seattle or SF. They are not sparsely populated rural and they had more cases and had cases longer and yet somehow managed to tone down the rate of spread. The last I looked only a week ago, there were only one or two cases in Manhattan. I can’t imagine they are testing so many more than Seattle to SF.

7508

This will make you smile :smiley:

Chicago aquarium releases penguins after exhibits close due to coronavirus

After Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium was forced to close amid the coronavirus pandemic, staff decided to let a few waddling residents out of their enclosures for a field trip.

The aquarium shared videos on Twitter of three penguins checking out exhibits from the other side of the glass.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/17/chicago-aquarium-releases-penguins-after-closes-due-coronavirus/5065917002/

:smile:

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Seattle Chidrens prepares to admit young adults to free up beds at nearby hospitals:

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-childrens-to-serve-young-adults-freeing-up-beds-for-coronavirus-patients-at-other-hospitals/

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Does anyone know the average age of people worldwide who have died from COVID-19? One family member said 87; another said an age of less than 60 years. I think the 87 is more likely to be correct, but that’s just an educated guess. Thanks.

7511

Fed announces establishment of Primary Dealer Credit Facility

https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20200317b.htm

7512

Well so much for West Virginia not having any cases. It’s now in all 50 states, per CNN

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“I trust people are smart enough to check proof. By now, we all know we need 60% alcohol minimum.”

I had been using 100 proof vodka (50%) for the airlock when home brewing. My thought was that if a bit get sucked into the beer or hard cider it will not be harmful to the final product nor to the human who consumes the final product.

One good thing from this thread is that I now know that I need to get some stronger stuff for my airlock.

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There is a blood shortage in Los Angeles
From CNN’s Cheri Mossburg

Social distancing has led to the cancellation of 160 major blood drives in the Los Angeles area in the past few weeks, which haas resulted in a blood shortage.

Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of L.A. County Health Services, said there are 5,500 fewer blood donations than usual.

“It is safe to give and receive blood,” she said, noting a lack of evidence that coronavirus can be spread through blood.

Disaster plans are being activated and Ghaly said she feels confident that the medical system will be able to manage the surge in patients.

Hospitals are also prepping for need of respirators and blood supplies, she said.

The county is receiving and filling requests from hospitals for personal protective equipment, including masks, gloves, gowns, and hand sanitizer. California Emergency Services delivered additional stockpiles of these supplies on Monday, Ghaly said.

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@doschicos we have one here in MI too. UMich put out a call begging for blood.

7516

Agree. I think there are places not doing a lot of testing that don’t realize yet what they might have in their midst.

Post #7339 states the average age is 80.3 in Italy. Given that Italy is an old country, it might mean a slightly lower number elsewhere.

7517

Do any of you remember that cruise ship that had maybe 5 Asian passengers on it (maybe Chinese?) who had been quarantined to their rooms most of the trip that docked near maybe Ft. Lee or someplace before there were almost any cases in the US? The ship was allowed to have passengers get off without any screening. There were pictures of the ill Asian passengers being taken off the boat by paramedics who were not wearing gloves or masks or proper gear. The patients were sent to the hospital for ‘testing’ but later I read the CDC talk about testing and I think they didn’t even have the ability to test for Covid-19 at that time. They declared they were fine. At the time people in comment sections of news stories on it predicted the virus would spread massively in NYC in a month or two and they were right. I wonder if those people did indeed have the virus and if any of the spread now is from that.

There was also that man who returned to Brooklyn from a trip to Japan and had a head ache and cough and maybe sore throat and could not get tested because Japan wasn’t on the list at a time that Japan was having massive amounts of cases. Crazy. How many people like that didn’t get tested and were spreading it around. Even that guy who tried to do the right thing must have exposed people as he went to the hospital and back to his apartment where he self-quarantined. He will never know if he had it or not.

That one super spreader in New Rochelle certainly set the numbers jumping quickly, though. :frowning:

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I have read it is a widespread issue.

7519

WA DOH released new numbers. 13,117 negatives, 1,012 positive test results back. Steady 7% coming back positive.

7520

Two more California counties ask residents to shelter in place
From CNN’s Sarah Moon

Monterey and San Benito counties in Northern California are asking residents to shelter in place.

What we know about the orders:

Monterey County: The order begins at midnight on Wednesday and will last for three weeks until April 8, the county tweeted.

San Benito County: The order starts midnight on Wednesday until April 7.

The counties join seven others in the Bay Area that have ordered its residents to shelter in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Those counties include Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz.