Breaking News: The U.S. reported a record of more than 500,000 cases this past week, as the coronavirus raged across the country. https://t.co/0w9ieU9qf4
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 28, 2020
Frankly, just ‘not obstructing progress’ would be a considerable improvement:
Should he win next week’s presidential election, Joe Biden is vowing to begin combating the coronavirus before he even takes office. But a medical expert cautions: “There are no magic wands.”https://t.co/8SZRTLx15t
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 27, 2020
======
Global coronavirus cases top 44 million.
? For all COVID-19 news, follow our coverage here: https://t.co/W7Y0Ss9XSW pic.twitter.com/oO14e71oJL
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 28, 2020
“These are difficult days:” Europeans push back with protests, some violent, as governments attempt to impose more coronavirus restrictions. https://t.co/SdX8xkf7Ac
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) October 27, 2020
Doctors in Italy are “in grave danger” as #COVID19 surges suddenly all over the country.https://t.co/UHq3Jtqxcg
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) October 27, 2020
SARCoV2 out of control in France, doctor says https://t.co/VwbWASZFdZ
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) October 27, 2020
UK PM under pressure for new lockdown to tackle second COVID-19 wave: Telegraph https://t.co/9JkOhnSdAB pic.twitter.com/FeU8pecDKi
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 28, 2020
Merkel wants to close bars, gyms, restaurants to halt virus spread: draft https://t.co/RAqWMSjQwv pic.twitter.com/c0JVRQDyPt
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 28, 2020
Russia confirmed 16,550 Covid-19 cases Tuesday, bringing its official number of cases to 1,547,774. A record 320 people have died in the past 24 hourshttps://t.co/4yFWmUQO2z
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) October 27, 2020
As infections soar and bodies pile up, medics in hospitals across Russia’s regions are voicing frustration that authorities failed to use the summer respite to prepare for a second coronavirus wave, @PjotrSauer reportshttps://t.co/cdyiqNa537
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) October 27, 2020
Russia steps up restrictions as coronavirus infections surge across the country https://t.co/7uqjdOjSTb
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 27, 2020
A prominent Russian news anchor has sparked backlash after publicly backing the anti-mask movement and questioning the dangers of Covid-19 in a since-deleted Instagram commenthttps://t.co/E6uzysX9RW
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) October 27, 2020
Grave-counting satellite images seek to track Yemen’s COVID death toll https://t.co/u5tuJ1suwB pic.twitter.com/pncD0YOETx
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 28, 2020
“It’s a catastrophe for the camp”
Inside a Syrian refugee camp where Covid is spreading “out of control”https://t.co/nZaOl04ph5 pic.twitter.com/81xlv5AH3H
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 27, 2020
Mainland China reports most new COVID-19 cases in more than two months https://t.co/0I69D7Y6mS pic.twitter.com/r3pbTBc3c3
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 28, 2020
South Korea’s conscripted doctors feel like ‘human shields’ in virus battle https://t.co/EQ5pg8HFFL pic.twitter.com/YIJcf9QCQJ
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 28, 2020
Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, emerges from nearly four months of lockdown, with restaurants, cafes and bars opening and outdoor contact sports resuming. https://t.co/EMxfoSg87D
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 28, 2020
It’s been said that a week is a long time in politics. With Covid, it’s an eternity. New Zealand acted quickly and communicated effectively. As a result, the country has been able to achieve control of the virus decisively. A global model. https://t.co/nLHVnpnXnm pic.twitter.com/tDMxcVz5KJ
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) October 27, 2020
Venezuela has a shortage of nurses and doctors, so family members of those with the coronavirus risk their lives to feed and bathe their loved ones in hospitals. “If that person is your blood relative, you don’t even hesitate,” said Elena Suazo. https://t.co/5hE2lW3NTf
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 27, 2020
Mexico passes 900,000 confirmed coronavirus cases https://t.co/REyCOYMQxb pic.twitter.com/GjLCL64ZtN
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 28, 2020
Canada’s Trudeau predicts ‘tough winter,’ deaths top 10,000 https://t.co/3LrI0Tr2Vg pic.twitter.com/1Okw31azv9
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 28, 2020
======
Huge, *if* it proves true:
HUGE— A Flu Shot Might Reduce Coronavirus Infections, Early Research Suggests
➡️Hospital workers who got flu shot vaccinated were significantly less likely to develop #COVID19 than those who did not, early study shows. https://t.co/Ic2v3pMi0y pic.twitter.com/kh5aUeriPA
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) October 27, 2020
It may take longer than vaccine companies have projected to get a sense of whether/how well #Covid19 vaccines work. Pfizer, which expected to have interim results this week, told investors today their trial hasn’t yet undergone its first interim analysis. https://t.co/jX9T0bofjU
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 27, 2020
Russia has applied to the World Health Organization for accelerated registration and prequalification of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the country’s sovereign wealth fund saidhttps://t.co/192vYnELT3
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) October 28, 2020
EEGs are revealing what COVID19 does to the human brain https://t.co/r4aN9NKDEc via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) October 27, 2020
People recovering from COVID-19 may suffer from significant brain function impacts, with the worst cases of the infection linked to mental decline equivalent to the brain ageing by 10 years, researchers warn https://t.co/VT3FTKzbG3 1/5 pic.twitter.com/dhwCiC6IW7
— Reuters Science News (@ReutersScience) October 27, 2020
Don’t panic:
… Scientists not directly involved with the study, however, said its results should be viewed with some caution.
“The cognitive function of the participants was not known pre-COVID, and the results also do not reflect long-term recovery – so any effects on cognition may be short term,” said Joanna Wardlaw, a professor of applied neuroimaging at Edinburgh University.
Derek Hill, a professor of medical imaging science at University College London, also noted that the study’s findings could not be entirely reliable, since they did not compare before and after scores, and involved a large number of people who self-reported having had COVID-19, who had no positive test.
“Overall (this is) an intriguing but inconclusive piece of research into the effect of COVID on the brain,” Hill said…
======
Louisiana COVID milestone:
1 in 800 residents dead.If it was a country it would now have *the highest death toll per capita on the planet.*
But it’s only the 5th deadliest U.S. state.
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) October 28, 2020
Spain’s population is slightly larger than California’s. #
At Spain’s current daily death rate, 50,000 Californians would die from COVID in a year.
Rand Paul thinks this is good news. https://t.co/4x3PKvWTt8
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) October 27, 2020
Most Americans have been wearing masks since spring, the C.D.C. says https://t.co/U15DcKOVyl
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) October 28, 2020
Covid19 is pushing the twin cities of El Paso and Juarez across the border in Mexico to the brink. On the US side, a nightly curfew is in place w/ the aim of curtailing human interactions to prevent more infections https://t.co/h7AWVG85Cg via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) October 27, 2020
Understatement: “People really need to stop hosting big parties.” — Gov. Charlie Baker as the Mass. #Covid19 situation worsens. Clusters of cases among hockey teams exacerbated when teams refuse to cooperate with contact tracers. https://t.co/dvyVgpTaJO
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 27, 2020
Baud
Apparently, I had covid.
TS (the original)
AP explaining that in 10 days time it will be all Biden’s fault that the pandemic hasn’t been fixed.
No-one could have done a worse job than trump. The trump administration doing nothing would have resulted in a better outcome for the US than what they have done.
TS (the original)
@Baud:
Good morning Baud – you’re doing just fine. trump makes everyone feel like they have aged 10 years in the last 3 months.
YY_Sima Qian
Yesterday, China reported 22 new domestic confirmed cases and 19 new domestic asymptomatic cases, at Shufu County in Kashgar Prefecture, in Xinjiang “Autonomous” Region. There are currently 22 confirmed and 161 asymptomatic cases there. All the new confirmed cases were previously asymptomatic, and the 19 new asymptomatic cases were caught during the mass screening that has just been completed at the prefecture (verified with 2X individual testing after the the pools came up positive). Not sure if the new asymptomatic cases are close contacts of previous cases or not, or whether they are also from the same factory. With the relatively large number of asymptomatic turning symptomatic (meaning they were pre-symptomatic), it appears the authorities really caught the cluster very early. In one sense they were luck the first case was caught during regular screening, but it also illustrates the utility of regular screening of people in high risk occupations. Chinese media reports that Xinjiang is testing people in high risk occupations (including factory workers) every 7 – 14 days, with sample pooling of 5 – 10.
Xinjiang Health Commission has declared that the Kashgar outbreak is not related to the Ürumqi outbreak two months ago, based on genomic sequencing of viral samples. Chinese media reports show the garment factory with the outbreak is one of over a dozen in Shufu County, developed as part of the national poverty elimination program (as I suspected). Each of the 25 villages in the county deemed “Poor” by the authorities has at least 1 such factory built. The garment factory in question employs 287 workers (mostly young and female, which might explain the high ratio of asymptomatic cases), with 500 sq. meter area (or less than 2 sq. meter per worker), mainly making school uniforms. Workers are payed 20K yuans per year, or ~ 3K USDs per year. That is less half of what garment factory workers can make in the coastal industrial zones, but on par with the going rate in Xinjiang, and also ~ 3X of the “dire poverty” line as defined by the Chinese government. The workers are young women who often have recently given birth, with infants that prevent them going farther afield to work for better pay. The workers at the factories in the villages typically do not live in dormitories, but at home (which rules them out being the alleged factories for “graduates” of detention camps reported in western MSM). The first case works at a factory located in a industrial park in the seat of Shufu County, farther from home, therefore lived in the dorms when not on weekend leave.
Yesterday, China reported 20 new imported confirmed cases and 19 imported asymptomatic cases:
Today, Hong Kong reported 2 new cases, all imported, 3rd consecutive day without local cases reported in the city.
Mary G
OC went the wrong way, average daily new cases increased from 4.6 per 100K to 5.1.
Percentage of positive tests stayed at 3.2.
No moving to easier tier in sight.
WereBear
It occurred to me that soldiers in the trenches never said, “This sucks! I’m going to No Man’s Land for a pint.”
J R in WV
That should be a felony arrest, contact tracers who have to make an in-person or second visit to someone with a history of non-cooperation should have a police officer assigned to the contact tracer. Without total and convincing cooperation, the individual causing the problem should be taken into custody, assumed to be willfully and deliberately spreading the disease and put in a camp until their contact history can be identified and tracked.
Once a few hundred assholes are living in tents surrounded by barbed wire and motion detectors and armed guards, living on Mrats with no tv or internet, they may start to take the situation as seriously as they need to. Out of patience with assholes killing people by not following the rules!
WereBear
@J R in WV:
While I agree with you, they will scream persecution as a result. And call US the Nazis, etc.
I don’t know what anyone can do about that. They want to do whatever they want and blame us if there are any consequences. We might have to classify such blatant logic breaking as a mental disease, as we do with people who think they are Napoleon.
Sab
So working on my little plague doctor scarecrow protest against the giant unmasked halloween protest (party- freudian slip on my part) across the street. Nixed my husband nixing the project. So going ahead, but much smaller scarecrow. Three or four feet high.
Did plague doctors have/carry/ relate to Aesculipius’ twisty staff with a snake? I want my little guy to look like he respects medicine.
ETA my 6 am spelling on a mobile is atrocious. My cat could do better and he is ( i hope) illiterate.
Chief Oshkosh
@TS (the original):
Similar to Trump’s financial situation. If he had done NOTHING with his inheritance from Fred (stolen or otherwise), he’d be a wealthy man today. Instead, he’s a soulless bag of skin with a poorly installed carpet on his head and a gaping maw of debt where his wallet used to be.
Chief Oshkosh
@J R in WV:
It’s a start…
Sab
@Chief Oshkosh: Inheritances don’t last if you spend maniacally. Rich guys get rich by useful investment and much thrift. Fundamental law of economics.
Ken
@Sab: I still think you should build a trebuchet and hurl plague-ridden rat corpses through their windows. However if you don’t have a handly supply of rats, I suppose a scarecrow will do.
MagdaInBlack
@J R in WV: I have a friend in Lowell MA, and I’ve pretty much lost all patience with her. Crying about how scared she is and how stupid people are, then I learn she drives up to NH every other weekend to see her daughter ( who works as a home health aide) and grandson, and in the next breath I learn shes taking her other grand-kids to a Punkin Patch. This after working all week in a vet clinic, meeting people all day.
Add her to the list of Massholes, please.
I just don’t f-n get the stupidity.
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. DG of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 801 new cases today for a cumulative reported total of 29,441 cases, and four new clusters. He reports eight deaths including two non-Malaysians, for a total of 246 deaths — 0.84% of the cumulative reported total, 1.27% of resolved cases.
Dr Noor Hisham said that despite two recent days when new cases spiked above the 1,200 mark, the national R0 number had been brought down, from 2.2 at the start of the current third wave, to about 1.1 for the whole country. This is still not good enough; he said the goal was still to bring the national R0 down below 1.0, and this would take about another couple of weeks in Sabah.
799 new cases are from local infection. Sabah has 546 cases: 89 cases in all clusters including the new Seri Gaya cluster (11), 271 close-contact screenings, and 186 other screenings. Selangor has 88 cases: 35 in existing clusters, 33 close-contact screenings, and 20 other screenings. Labuan has 29 cases: 23 in existing clusters, two close-contact screenings, and four other screenings. Kedah has 28 cases, all in existing clusters. Sarawak has 27 cases: 21 in the new Greenhill cluster, and six other screenings. Negeri Sembilan has 24 cases: 10 in existing clusters, 12 close-contact screenings, and two other screenings.
Penang has 19 cases: 13 in existing clusters, four close-contact screenings, and two screened for severe acute respiratory illness. KL has 13 cases: six in all clusters including the new Idaman cluster (two), five close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. Terengganu has 11 cases, all in existing clusters. Johore has eight cases: seven in all clusters including the new Bayu cluster (one), and one other screening. Perak has six cases: five in existing clusters and one close-contact screening.
No new cases were reported today in Pahang, Melaka, Perlis, and Putrajaya.
There are two imported cases, including one non-Malaysian; they arrived from Iran and Saudi Arabia.
573 more patients recovered and were discharged, for a total of 19,072 patients recovered. 10,128 active and contagious cases are currently in hospital; 94 are in ICU, 25 of them on ventilators.
The eight deaths are a 66-year-old man with diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia; a 73-year-old woman with chronic pulmonary disease; a 35-year-old woman with hypertension, asthma, dyslipidaemia, and stroke; a 67-year-old man with heart disease and gout; a 73-year-old woman; a 70-year-old non-Malaysian man with diabetes and hypertension; a 56-year-old non-Malaysian man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and a 61-year-old woman in Selangor with diabetes and hypertension.
satby
The vet clinic that does low cost spay neuters for the area has shut down due to a “covid exposure”. TNR groups now have to stop trapping for two weeks. Hospitals in the area are reaching capacity, all elective and postponable procedures have been put on hold. And still, mask compliance is only about 80% here. It’s all so insane.
Kathleen
My county is one of 3 in Ohio tilting purple which is not good. Worries about hospital capacity.
Sloane Ranger
Yesterday in the UK there were 22,885 new cases reported. This is about 2000 more than the day before but, for the first time, I can see the much talked about reduction in the rate of increase. Hoping it continues. Of the new cases,
England – 19,629 (up @2000)
Northern Ireland – 722 (down by 5)
Scotland – 1327 (up by @200)
Wales – 1207 (up by @50).
Deaths – 367 nationwide. This is a massive increase from the high 100’s, low 200’s we’ve been seeing recently. I hope it’s an anomaly. 322 deaths were in England, 13 in Northern Ireland, 25 in Scotland and 7 in Wales. The trend continues upwards.
Testing – 261,855 tests were processed out of a capacity of 447,723.
Hospitalisations – 9199 people were in hospital as of last Sunday. 852 were on ventilators as of Monday, 26th October. All trending upwards.
No new general news apart from all of Nottinghamshire rather than just specific parts will go into Tier 3 (the highest tier of restrictions) due to a massive spike in the county.
Amir Khalid
@MagdaInBlack:
My brother is a physician. I was riding with him one day, on our way to attend to some family business. When I got in his car, he had his mask down; he said it was okay because you didn’t need one in a car.
“Yes,” I replied, “but you and I are not from the same household.”
He put his mask up. Some days, even the best of us need to be reminded.
Amir Khalid
@YY_Sima Qian:
I’m curious. Why does China regard virus-positive but asymptomatic cases as unconfirmed?
MagdaInBlack
@Amir Khalid: I try to remember that. Thank you for reminding me =-)
Fair Economist
@Mary G: Schools, restaurants, and bars are open here, so cases are going up. It’s practically a law of nature.
IMO the fix is simple. No eating or drinking indoors, enforced mask ordinances, and half day schooling. But no, too many delusionals who want to be “normal”. Well, the new normal is hospitals full of people gasping for their lives. Time to change.
Boris Rasputin (the evil twin)
I think I should send a new baseball bat to Rand Paul’s neighbor, with a note hoping he puts it to good use. “nudge, nudge”
LongHairedWeirdo
So, let me get this straight. The Republican Party’s platform is “lots more are *getting* it, but the odds of survival seem to have increased, so stop talking about our piss-poor response, because *other* people have saved lives. See, we TRULY ARE the party of personal responsibility!”
And, not-too-surprisingly, it doesn’t cause heads to explode, since it’s from Republicans.
I hope everyone will push, push, push, for investigations into this administration, and criminal prosecution of *only* the most well-supported, objective, charges that can be filed. We need to show that these glass house dwellers are firing their AR-15-style rifles. (Technically, it’s throwing (lead) stones, with mechanical assistance.)