Health Issues The Everything Covid 19 Thread

[Urban Gardener]

Today, I worked with a guy who told me he had COVID back in March. He said it was like the flu, but it lasted for a month. He was young-ish and in good shape.

The fatality rate is going down, but the number of daily deaths in the US is rising again. We lost about 1300 people yesterday.

United States COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer

United States Coronavirus update with statistics and graphs: total and new cases, deaths per day, mortality and recovery rates, current active cases, recoveries, trends and timeline.

www.worldometers.info

Here in NYC, we still have bodies in refrigerated trucks, awaiting burial.

It's also distressing to witness the toll that it's taking on older people. Many are still stuck in their homes, trying to get by, concerned for their safety. The way the whole thing has been handled is really disrespectful towards those who are at greatest risk.

 

[KLS52]

COVID-19: Full-Fledged Quarantine Checkpoints Set Up At Major NY Entry Points

In an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in New York as it continues to spike in other states, quarantine checkpoints are being set up at major entry points.This week, New York City began establishing registration checkpoin…

dailyvoice.com

 

[KLS52]

One of my doctors told me that temps of under 100 are of no concern.

I don’t quite understand that since people who are asymptomatic can supposedly transmit the virus. So then why can’t someone with a fever under 100 not be of concern? I’m getting so confused with everything.

In the case where my daughter had to quarantine for 14 days after returning to NY from SC, it’s assumed, since she didn’t come down with symptoms, that she’s free and clear. But isn’t it possible that she could be one of the asymptomatic people? The only way to know that would be to get tested. So why aren’t they making testing mandatory after the 14 day quarantine to be sure? I feel like I’m missing something.

 

[silva]

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced late Thursday that he had tested negative for the virus, hours after a positive result from a different test prevented him from meeting with President Trump. The initial positive came from an antigen test, which is faster but thought to be less reliable than a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, the method that delivered the negative result.

Of course most felt he just trying to get a pass from meeting rump here in Cleveland!
I'm very glad for him

 

[Urban Gardener]

I don’t quite understand that since people who are asymptomatic can supposedly transmit the virus. So then why can’t someone with a fever under 100 not be of concern? I’m getting so confused with everything.

In the case where my daughter had to quarantine for 14 days after returning to NY from SC, it’s assumed, since she didn’t come down with symptoms, that she’s free and clear. But isn’t it possible that she could be one of the asymptomatic people? The only way to know that would be to get tested. So why aren’t they making testing mandatory after the 14 day quarantine to be sure? I feel like I’m missing something.

Yeah, you would think they would make testing part of the mandatory quarantine.

Ever since testing became widely available here, it's been strongly advocated. Every time I enter a healthcare setting for any reason, someone offers me a COVID test and counters when I say no. (I'm asymptomatic.)

The message in my area is very much, "Please get tested. Be safe," regardless of whether or not you have symptoms.

 

[Emma JC]

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced late Thursday that he had tested negative for the virus, hours after a positive result from a different test prevented him from meeting with President Trump. The initial positive came from an antigen test, which is faster but thought to be less reliable than a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, the method that delivered the negative result.

Of course most felt he just trying to get a pass from meeting rump here in Cleveland!
I'm very glad for him

or tRump didn't wish to meet with him and so his aides lied about the test? it was the first thing I thought of when I heard he tested positive, I even said to my honey that I bet he tests negative when he gets home....

Emma JC

 

[Lou]

I don’t quite understand that since people who are asymptomatic can supposedly transmit the virus. So then why can’t someone with a fever under 100 not be of concern? I’m getting so confused with everything.

In the case where my daughter had to quarantine for 14 days after returning to NY from SC, it’s assumed, since she didn’t come down with symptoms, that she’s free and clear. But isn’t it possible that she could be one of the asymptomatic people? The only way to know that would be to get tested. So why aren’t they making testing mandatory after the 14 day quarantine to be sure? I feel like I’m missing something.

When I asked my doctor about a temperature I was running and it was under 100 he said it was of no concern. A couple of things that are implied, or I'm assuming.
There are daily variations of body temp. Temp of 99 might just well be within daily variations.
But a temp of 100 or more is not. Basically he was telling me not to call him until it goes over 100. And then I'm assuming he would want me to come in for an examination. (keep in mind that I'm in a high-risk group).

Yes your daughter or anyone can be asymptomatic and spread the disease. That's why we wear masks and keep socially distant. It's my understanding that the quarantine is reserved for peeps that have had some exposure and are "more likely" to come down with covid. After the quarantine period is over they are no more likely to contract and/or spread the disease than anyone else. A person who had covid 2 weeks ago is probably not able to spread the disease. There is a lot of guesswork involved but the general consensus is that the disease is only transmittable from day one to day 14.

 

[Lou]

Yeah, you would think they would make testing part of the mandatory quarantine.

Ever since testing became widely available here, it's been strongly advocated. Every time I enter a healthcare setting for any reason, someone offers me a COVID test and counters when I say no. (I'm asymptomatic.)

The message in my area is very much, "Please get tested. Be safe," regardless of whether or not you have symptoms.

I think there is a rationing mentality with the test kits. "Save them for when we really need them". So they are not testing just "in case" but testing when there is some real risk involved.

I also think that the tests have a limited value. The time that it takes for the results is a real problem. If a person has had some contact and exposure then he should be quarantined. but if he gets tested and its negative do we decide to let him out of quarantine? It could be that he has it but the virus is still building up in his system so not enough virus to make the test positive. Or it could be a false negative - that seems to be a major concern. Until the test is more accurate and the results come in faster the value of it as a diagnostic tool is limited.

I think the test's main value is as a statistical tool and looking at the big picture. If the rate of positives increases more measures are necessary.

We also need to learn more about immunity. How long is a person immune after a positive?

 

[Val]

Yeah, you would think they would make testing part of the mandatory quarantine.

Ever since testing became widely available here, it's been strongly advocated. Every time I enter a healthcare setting for any reason, someone offers me a COVID test and counters when I say no. (I'm asymptomatic.)

The message in my area is very much, "Please get tested. Be safe," regardless of whether or not you have symptoms.

I suspect that when work restarts (a.k.a. the new school year), we (teachers) will get tested, no matter if we want it or not. Elijah (sister's husband) got tested when the new season at Mariinsky theatre started. This all sounds nice, and it would be very useful, if all the places that leople go to, were home and work. But, besides work and home, public transportation exists, and grocery stores, and banks, barbers shops, health care clinics, etc. And their relatives go wherever they want. Where's the guarantee that a person gets tested, and it shows that he's clean, and that the next minute he won't go outside and get contaminated (e.g. in a grocer, like that composer Pleshak Jr. did)? This testing is a good idea initially, but when all restrictions and LD are being lifted, it rapidly turns into "Sisyphean labour". I heard some stories about people who had been tested and they had been clean, however, after that, they developed covid symptoms, but as soon as they thought they were clean, they didn't ask for help, until it was too late. Or there were stories about people who got contaminated in clinics. I'm afraid to go to our clinic too: recently, one nurse died of covid there. Clinics is dangerous stuff.

 

[Urban Gardener]

@Lou - I agree with your points about the limitations and best uses of the tests. That said, they're not being rationed here. We're being encouraged to get tested often. Of course, that is in areas that had high fatality numbers. But I see that messaging being aimed at the whole city too (ads).

 

[KLS52]

Thanks Lou, that makes sense.

 

[Lou]

I suspect that when work restarts (a.k.a. the new school year), we (teachers) will get tested, no matter if we want it or not. Elijah (sister's husband) got tested when the new season at Mariinsky theatre started. This all sounds nice, and it would be very useful, if all the places that leople go to, were home and work. But, besides work and home, public transportation exists, and grocery stores, and banks, barbers shops, health care clinics, etc. And their relatives go wherever they want. Where's the guarantee that a person gets tested, and it shows that he's clean, and that the next minute he won't go outside and get contaminated (e.g. in a grocer, like that composer Pleshak Jr. did)? This testing is a good idea initially, but when all restrictions and LD are being lifted, it rapidly turns into "Sisyphean labour". I heard some stories about people who had been tested and they had been clean, however, after that, they developed covid symptoms, but as soon as they thought they were clean, they didn't ask for help, until it was too late. Or there were stories about people who got contaminated in clinics. I'm afraid to go to our clinic too: recently, one nurse died of covid there. Clinics is dangerous stuff.

Yes! those are my concerns as well. Even to the point that a negative test could give a person a false sense of security. And a positive antibody test also could result in a false sense of security.

Bottom line - no matter what the test results are masks, distancing, and hygiene are our first line of defense.

I did hear a new report that seemed very positive. Something that may be happening in Michigan. Maybe at one of their large universities.

Except for the swabs, you can do what I'm calling bulk testing. You can test a whole bunch of people at once. I think its like you put all the specimens in one container and test for the virus in all of them at the same time. Not only do you get X tests done in the same time as you would get one test done, you use a lot less testing supplies.

So what i understand is you set up what they are calling cohorts. Like at the university one cohort could be the residents of Swan hall and another cohort could be the people in LIT 101. If there is a positive result in both groups it can be narrowed down to the student who are in both groups. And just they need to be re-tested.

 

[Urban Gardener]

So what i understand is you set up what they are calling cohorts. Like at the university one cohort could be the residents of Swan hall and another cohort could be the people in LIT 101. If there is a positive result in both groups it can be narrowed down to the student who are in both groups. And just they need to be re-tested.

Ah, but there are many confounding variables. The positive people could have been exposed separately, not from the same person, not necessarily on campus. What if they both got it at the local bar, where they were drinking illegally with fake ID's?

Contact tracing isn't that simple. It needs to account for real life and what people won't tell you.

 

[Lou]

Ah, but there are many confounding variables. The positive people could have been exposed separately, not from the same person, not necessarily on campus. What if they both got it at the local bar, where they were drinking illegally with fake ID's?

Contact tracing isn't that simple. It needs to account for real life and what people won't tell you.

This isn't really about contact tracing. Just testing. if the LIT 101 group tests positive ( which means just one or more people in the cohort is positive.) And the Swan Hall group tests positive, then all they have to do is test the few people who are in both groups. *
Let's say the U has 10,000 students. and they break them up into 1000 cohorts. The cost will be a fraction and speed can be 10 times as great. Each student may only provide a specimen once a week. but the specimen could be included in a dozen or more different testing cohorts.
The stats and stuff can be tricky but it's not like there aren't going to be a bunch of math geeks handy to figure it out.

*This won't work if there are hundreds of positive students. Think of it as a long term monitoring project for once the infection rate is under control. which is sort of a given. if the infection rate is not under control the students probably won't be in dorms or in classrooms.

 

[Urban Gardener]

I keep hearing, even here, that COVID kills about as many people as the flu. I'm surprised this myth is still circulating.

The flu kills up to 62,000 people in the US each year.

Preliminary In-Season 2021-2022 Flu Burden Estimates

CDC's weekly cumulative in-season estimates of flu cases, medical visits, hospitalizations and deaths in the United States.

www.cdc.gov

COVID has killed over 164,000 people in the US so far this year. It's August 7th.

I hope we get a vaccine soon. And a new president.

 

[silva]

I keep hearing, even here, that COVID kills about as many people as the flu. I'm surprised this myth is still circulating.

The flu kills up to 62,000 people in the US each year.

Preliminary In-Season 2021-2022 Flu Burden Estimates

CDC's weekly cumulative in-season estimates of flu cases, medical visits, hospitalizations and deaths in the United States.

www.cdc.gov

COVID has killed over 164,000 people in the US so far this year. It's August 7th.

I hope we get a vaccine soon. And a new president.

Ok, but we're still gonna be left with the trum-pets, and the antivaxxers. They're fully charged.
Oh, and a president who wants to include everybody, so everyone who's suffered still suffers

 

[Urban Gardener]

Ok, but we're still gonna be left with the trum-pets, and the antivaxxers. They're fully charged.
Oh, and a president who wants to include everybody, so everyone who's suffered still suffers

Yeah, it's sad that the anti-vaxxers are advocating against a COVID vax.

If you want to avoid vaccinating a young child and can take the necessary precautions (home schooling, keeping them away from kids who can't be around unvaccinated kids*, reducing disease exposure risk), ok.

If you want to opt out of vaccines for yourself, and can take other measures instead, ok.

But people are advocating against COVID vaccination in general. That's really selfish and irresponsible.

*For example, I've heard concerns raised by parents of kids with cancer.

 

[KLS52]

Is anyone else surprised that theories aren’t circulating about Isaias not being a real storm but rather computer generated to keep us with no power/internet/cell service so that “they” can control us?

 

[Urban Gardener]

Is anyone else surprised that theories aren’t circulating about Isaias not being a real storm but rather computer generated to keep us with no power/internet/cell service so that “they” can control us?

I bet that is circulating somewhere.

 

[Urban Gardener]

Vaccine news:

These 3 Covid-19 vaccines have been in the news. Here's what you need to know about them | CNN

The US government is pouring billions into Covid-19 vaccines, and candidates from three companies are moving along quickly: Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax.

www.cnn.com

Several companies are making progress on the development of a vaccine. One is testing more than one vaccine.

I bet we'll have something in about six months and life will begin to return to normal again.

But it won't be "normal." We'll be forever changed by this. I hope we learn from it and change for the better.