Coronavirus thread for June

Parent Cafe
3801

400,000 people under new lockdown in China’s Hebei province
From CNN’s Shawn Deng in Beijing and Isaac Yee in Hong Kong.

Some 400,000 residents in Anxin County in China’s Hebei province near Beijing have been placed under new lockdown measures amid a small increase in coronavirus cases.

Under the new lockdown measures, “all villages, communities and buildings will be fully closed off,” according to an Anxin County government statement posted on the Weibo microblogging site.

The statement adds that families are only permitted to send one family member out of their house each day to purchase supplies, and that all non-locally registered vehicles are not permitted to enter the area.

Hebei’s Provincial Health Commission said that ever since Beijing’s Xinfadi market cluster was discovered on June 11, Xiong’an New District – where Anxin County is located – has reported 13 locally transmitted cases and six asymptomatic cases.

The Anxin local government announcement also mentions that they have implemented the new lockdown because the pandemic prevention and control situation in the county is “still serious.”

Anxin, a relatively rural and sparsely populated county, is located around 90 miles (145 km) south of China’s capital Beijing, which had seen a spike in coronavirus cases linked to the Xinfadi market in the past two weeks. Officials have since said the outbreak in Beijing has been “basically contained.”

China reported 12 new cases of the virus on Sunday, including seven local infections in Beijing and five imported cases across Sichuan, Liaoning and Shanghai.

3802

India records highest daily increase in new coronavirus cases for eighth consecutive day
From CNN’s Swati Gupta in New Delhi

India has recorded its biggest one-day jump in new coronavirus cases for the eighth consecutive day, after 19,459 new cases were reported on Monday, according to the country’s health ministry.

India has now seen more than 100,000 new Covid-19 infections in the past six days alone.

The total number of coronavirus infections recorded in India now stands at 548,318, with 16,475 deaths, the ministry said.

Of those infected, more than 320,000 have recovered from the virus.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, more than 8 million tests have been conducted in India, with more than 170,000 tests conducted Sunday.

Japan registers largest increase in new coronavirus cases since lifting emergency
From CNN’s Yoko Wakatsuki in Tokyo

Japan recorded 112 new coronavirus infections on Sunday – the highest single-day jump since May 25 when the country lifted its state of emergency, the country’s health ministry announced Monday.

The ministry said it also registered one additional coronavirus-related death.

New coronavirus cases have been steadily rising in Japan in recent days, with more than 100 new daily cases registered for the second time in the past three days.

The country’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday that the government does not believe it’s necessary to reimpose a state of emergency.

Suga said the recent surge is the result of the increased proactive testing of those in close contact with the patients who have tested positive for the virus.

Japan’s capital, Tokyo, recorded its highest daily increase in new cases in about two months, posting 60 new cases on Sunday. Tokyo has reported a total of 6,114 cases.

Japan has reported a total of 18,366 coronavirus cases, including 972 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Australian state of Victoria sees highest daily coronavirus case count in months
From CNN’s Angus Watson in Sydney

The fourth day of a coronavirus “testing blitz” in the Australian state of Victoria returned 75 positive results on Sunday, Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announced Monday.

Sunday’s count was the 14th consecutive day of double-digit increases in new coronavirus cases in Victoria – and the largest single-daily increase reported by the state since March 30.

Of the 75 cases, 74 were considered to be locally transmitted, according to the Victorian Department of Health.

“I think it’s a concerning number,” said Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, adding: “I think it will get worse before it gets better.”

Testing blitz: Victorian authorities said 15,000 people were tested on Sunday and 53,000 since the “blitz” began on June 25, with tests being offered to all people living in 10 targeted hotspots in the state. The Victorian state government has sought help from the Australian Defence Force to conduct extra tests.

There are currently 288 active cases in Victoria, with nine people in hospital in intensive care, according to the Victorian Department of Health. Victoria is home to one of Australia’s largest cities, Melbourne.

Elsewhere in Australia: New South Wales – home to Sydney, and Australia’s worst hit state since the beginning of the pandemic – recorded just seven new daily cases as of 8 p.m. local time Sunday, according to its health department.

Australia has reported a total of 7,764 coronavirus cases, including 104 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

3803

Fauci says Covid-19 vaccine may not get US to herd immunity if too many people refuse to get it
From CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen

Dr. Anthony Fauci says he would “settle” for a Covid-19 vaccine that’s 70% to 75% effective, but that this incomplete protection, coupled with the fact that many Americans say they won’t get a coronavirus vaccine, makes it “unlikely” that the US will achieve sufficient levels of immunity to quell the outbreak.

With government support, three coronavirus vaccines are expected to be studied in large-scale clinical trials in the next three months.

“The best we’ve ever done is measles, which is 97 to 98% effective,” said Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “That would be wonderful if we get there. I don’t think we will. I would settle for (a) 70, 75% effective vaccine.”
A CNN poll last month found one-third of Americans said they would not try to get vaccinated against Covid, even if the vaccine is widely available and low cost.

In an interview Friday, CNN asked Fauci whether a vaccine with 70% to 75% efficacy taken by only two-thirds of the population would provide herd immunity to the coronavirus.

“No – unlikely,” he answered.

Herd immunity is when a sufficient proportion of a population is immune to an infectious disease, either through prior illness or vaccination, so that spread from person to person unlikely.

more…

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/28/health/fauci-coronavirus-vaccine-contact-tracing-aspen/index.html

3804

The US government’s final scheduled shipments of remdesivir are going out today
From CNN Health’s Arman Azad

The US government’s last scheduled shipments of the Covid-19 drug remdesivir will be distributed today, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. It’s unclear how the drug will be procured and distributed moving forward.

What is remdesivir? Remdesivir isn’t a Covid-19 cure, but it has been shown to speed the recovery of some hospitalized patients. Gilead Sciences, the maker of the antiviral drug, donated nearly a million vials to the US government – enough to treat about 121,000 Covid-19 patients. But that donation will run out this week.

“As of June 26, 2020, the full amount of donated remdesivir has been allocated, and shipments will begin on June 29, 2020,” HHS says on its public health emergency website.
“HHS continues to work with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to determine how Gilead’s anticipated inventory of 2 million doses of remdesivir by year’s end will be allocated and when.”
On its website, Gilead says its goal is to produce a total of more than 2 million treatment courses by December 2020. Each treatment course requires either six or 11 doses. CNN has reached out to HHS for comment about whether the figure on its website is accurate.

According to HHS data, some coronavirus hot spots will see relatively large shipments this week, with Arizona receiving enough remdesivir to treat approximately 1,800 patients.

Florida will receive about the same amount, and Texas’ allocation will be enough for about 2,300 patients. State health departments, not the federal government, decide which hospitals get the drug.

What happens next? It’s unclear what will happen now that the government’s entire donated supply of remdesivir has been allocated. Under the terms of remdesivir’s emergency authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration, the drug’s distribution is controlled by the government.

The government could procure the drug directly, or it could be sold through regular channels like other drugs. Gilead, for its part, has not yet said how much it plans to charge for remdesivir.

CNN has reached out to both Gilead and HHS for comment.

3805

From what I have read, lockdowns in China are very different than US stay at home orders. Different culture and more importantly different style of government.

Seems like India will only get worse and a lot worse. Much of the population is poor and population density in many areas is high.

3806

Regarding road trips and bathroom needs, there are a number of products (Go Girl is another one), but Tinklebell gets the best reviews. Available on Amazon. Folds and fits into a purse-sized pouch. Practice in shower. Advice I saw somewhere is to open both doors on one side (if you have a 4 door), and noone will see you. Without something like this, some of us are truly still stay-at-home. Restrooms were closed but are now open in my area, but I would not use them. I worry more about the air than the surfaces.

3807

I checked out the Tinklebell based on your recommendation. One style was sold out. lol

About those country music concerts … man, things got ugly on social media over the weekend. So many artists and others in the biz are furious that those shows were held. Basically they’re saying, yeah, dude, we ALL miss our fans and want to be out there, but we aren’t doing it because it’s not safe. You are endangering your audience and all our livelihoods.

3808

I have found state-funded highway rest stops to be frequently cleaned and lightly used since the pandemic started, although it’s been a month or so since I had to travel. I prefer those over the more crowded truck stop restrooms.

3809

I loved this story about a Starbucks barista getting over 80K in tips after a customer tried her darndest to get him in trouble for doing his job:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/starbucks-karen-barista-san-diego-84000-dollars-tips-mask-encounter/

"When Amber Lynn Gilles expressed her indignation over a Starbucks worker’s suggestion that she follow the company and county’s public health mandate by wearing a face mask, she likely had no idea how profitable it would prove — for the barista she blasted.

Gilles is the latest social media participant to be dubbed a “Karen,” a name now used to reference white women acting entitled in public. The San Diego resident on Monday posted a photo of Starbucks employee Lenin Gutierrez on Facebook, saying the young barista “refused to serve me cause I’m not wearing a mask. Next time I will wait for cops and bring a medical exemption.”

The self-described activist and yoga instructor did not respond to a request for comment, but made clear in multiple posts that she rejects medical data and science showing masks curb the spread of the coronavirus.

…

The widely shared and commented-upon post promoted many expressions of support for Gutierrez, including from those who wrote they’d like to give him a tip, prompting a sympathetic stranger, Matt Cowan, to start a virtual tip jar for the worker on GoFundMe. The donation page entitled “Tips for Lenin Standing Up To A San Diego Karen” had raised more than $84,000 for Gutierrez as of Sunday night.

…

Gutierrez, an aspiring dancer, posted a Facebook video expressing gratitude for the donations, and relaying his surprise that an unpleasant incident that lasted just a few minutes could result in something “so big.”

He described being assigned the front register and asking Gilles if she had a face mask, leading her to curse and storm out, only to return moments later to snap a photo of Gutierrez, ask his name and threaten to phone Starbucks corporate headquarters before leaving again.

It would be nice if that would catch on - if employees having to put up with jerks could get a similar tip jar and at least get something out of what they put up with.

3810

Only 4 US states are seeing a decline in new coronavirus cases
From CNN’s Christina Maxouris

Weeks after most US states began lifting their lockdowns, parts of the country are clamping down on renewed restrictions hoping to slow staggering surges in new case numbers.

With July 4 approaching, officials are trying not to repeat scenes of Memorial Day, when thousands across the country flocked to beaches, bars and parties while experts cautioned the crowds could lead to spikes in cases down the road. At least 12 states have hit a pause on their reopening plans hoping to contain the spread.

Here’s where states stand on Covid-19 cases:

At least 31 states are now seeing an increase in new cases compared to the previous week: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

At least 15 states are going steady: Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington state

Only four states are seeing a decline: Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

3811

I would drive 10 hours rather than fly. I’ve seen the gamut regarding planes-that they are mostly empty to being almost full. The passenger has no control over what kind of environment they are boarding. So that would be a no for me! I’d drive, I’d pack a cooler of my own food and drink, and I’d also pack a little kit with hand sanitizer, clorox wipes or a cleaner and some paper towels and I’d just mask up, give the bathroom stall a quick clean before I touched anything, and then sanitize myself on exit!

3812

I wonder how much tourism is spreading the virus. My coastal town in MA was quiet until Memorial Day and absolutely everyone wore masks (there is a big electronic sign up downtown saying “wear a mask”). Daytrippers, people staying in inns and motels, and people who own summer homes are all in town now. Many visitors come from other states and of course snowbirds have come back from Florida. Now, 50% on our streets are not wearing masks, and at the same moment in time when restaurants and shops are opening.

Folks who visit another area need to be respectful of the rules of that area. I am writing my town selectmen about doing something about the situation. We went a few weeks with no new cases but there were new cases last week.

Visitors and summer residents double the number of people in grocery and drug stores as well.

3813

This does not bode well for central Wisconsin:

This just came up on my Facebook feed. An RN friend of ours was tagged in the post, which is why I could see it, although looking through the photos, I recognize other people I know.

The post is a series of photos of a retirement party for an oral surgeon (!). Thirty people, not a mask in sight, all inside a home, sharing a buffet meal and drinks, heads together for photos. Many of the people are other local health care providers and the staff of the retiring oral surgeon.

Sheesh. I am honestly shocked that this particular group of people would have an indoor, unmasked, non-physically distanced, buffet party.

This is the same town where a graduation party was the source of a Covid cluster a few weeks ago.

3814

Isn’t looking at percentage increase in cases too simplistic? States with a small number of cases can see big percentage increases based one event. And when we opened things back up, we expected to see more cases, right? More interactions will lead to more infections (even if precautions such as masks are taken). Also, if you test more people, you expect to see an increase in the number of cases. Increases in numbers are often a combination of opening things back up and increased testing. Neither one of which is necessarily problematic. Overwhelming medical systems and rapid growth though obviously are.

3815

From the Wall Street Journal
https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-pandemic-led-to-surge-in-alzheimers-deaths-11593345601?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1

And it’s not just for Alzheimer’s. The care provided by family, even for residents in Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Facilities, is extensive, as posters on the Parents Caring for Parents thread know. And that care went to zero when the senior facilities locked down because of Covid.

3816

I was looking up the rates of COVID for various counties. The rate per 100,000 is based on the cumulative case numbers. A current case number rate would be more instructive as to what the situation is now. IOW remove the recovered cases.

3817

New data highlights shortage of contact tracers in hotspot states
From CNN Health’s Jacqueline Howard

Health officials have long called contact tracing — following and monitoring the contacts of a person infected with the coronavirus — a key to help stop the spread of Covid-19. Yet many of the hardest hit states still haven’t built up contact tracing to meet what has been recommended.

In April, the National Association of County and City Health Officials estimated that communities across the United States would need 30 professionals per 100,000 people in the community to be involved in contact tracing, given the magnitude of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now in eight Covid-19 hotspots emerging nationwide, there are far fewer contact tracers than that estimate, according to new data obtained by CNN from Nephron Research, an independent health care research firm that has been monitoring contact tracing across states. The group’s latest data report shows that as of Monday:

Nevada has about 13 tracers per 100,000.
Florida has about 7 tracers per 100,000.
Arizona has about 5 tracers per 100,000.
Idaho has about 14 tracers per 100,000.
Texas has about 11 tracers per 100,000.
Tennessee has about 9 tracers per 100,000.
Georgia has around 2 tracers per 100,000.
South Carolina has about 8 tracers per 100,000.

“The majority of ‘hot spot’ states fall short on tracing,” the Nephron Research report says.

The only states in the nation that have at least 30 contact tracers per 100,000 people, according to the Nephron Research data, are:

Utah, with about 37 tracers;
South Dakota, with about 39;
New York, about 49;
North Dakota, about 46;
Nebraska, about 38;
Massachusetts, about 36;
and although it’s not a state, the District of Columbia has about 42.

When asked how the United States is doing with contact tracing, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told CNN: “I don’t think we’re doing very well.”

What the experts say: Instead of doing contact tracing just by phone, communities need to have “boots on the ground” and do it in person, Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during an interview with CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen that aired Sunday night as part of the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Fauci noted that it’s difficult to do contact tracing with coronavirus, since in hotspots, 20% to 40% of those infected are asymptomatic, and in those cases, “contact tracing doesn’t work no matter how good you are because you don’t know who you’re tracing.”

3818

US reports busiest weekend for air travel in months
From CNN’s Gregory Wallace and Pete Muntean

Air travel reached a new pandemic high point this past weekend, surging to as much as 24% of usual traveler volumes.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) figures show about 2.3 million people passed through airport security checkpoints between Thursday and Sunday, down from the 10.4 million people the agency screened on the same days last year.

The busiest day was Sunday, when TSA screened nearly 634,000.

Sunday was American Airlines’ second busiest day in terms of passengers since March, when air traffic was cratering. The airline has been capping flight capacity but recently announced that starting Wednesday it will allow every seat on each flight to be purchased.

Experts predict a surge of travel over the upcoming July 4 holiday weekend.

3819

^good for the airlines bottom line and great for Covid-19

thevirusiswinning

3820

Maryland’s numbers today.

Positivity rate down 0.05% to 4.84% (7 day average). This average was 5.03% a week ago.

Hospitalizations up 1 to 447.

This past week has seen 103 deaths statewide. That’s a continuation of a down ward trend from 128 and 164 the prior two weeks.

Our hospitalizations are down 155 in the past week and down 295 from this point two weeks ago.

There is a slight uptick in cases statewide this week going from adding 2571 two weeks ago to adding 2651 this week. I looked at the testing volume and these past two weeks have been very equal in that regard Hopefully most of those are younger/heathier people with better outcomes.

All in all, good news.