COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday/Saturday, Feb. 19-20

14Comments

1. 1.

   Amir Khalid

   February 20, 2021 at 5:58 am

   Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 2,461 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 280,272 cases. He also reports eight new deaths today, for a cumulative total of 1,051 deaths — 0.37% of the cumulative reported total, 0.43% of resolved cases.

   There are currently 34,468 active and contagious cases; 207 are in ICU, 91 of them intubated. Meanwhile, 4,782 patients recovered and were discharged, for a cumulative total of 244,753 patients recovered – 87.3% of the cumulative reported total.

   10 new clusters were reported today: Jalan Tanjung Enam, Jalan Wawasan 14, Batu Dua Setengah, and Jalan Lapangan Terbang in Johor; Perdana Tiga and Jalan Perusahaan Satu in Selangor; Batu Sebelas and Jalan Pelabuhan in Perak; Jalan Pasar in Sabah; and Kasia building site in Negeri Sembilan. All are workplace clusters.

   All 2,461 new cases today are local infections. Selangor reports 1,001 cases: 359 in older clusters, 50 in Perdana Tiga and Jalan Perusahaan Satu clusters, 348 close-contact screenings, and 244 other screenings. Kelantan reports 257 cases: 196 in existing clusters, 58 close-contact screenings, and 244 other screenings. Johor reports 233 cases: 50 in older clusters; 56 in Jalan Tanjung Enam, Jalan Wawasan 14, Batu Dua Setengah, and Jalan Lapangan Terbang clusters; 73 close-contact screenings, and 54 other screenings. Kuala Lmpur reports 230 cases: 89 in existing clusters, 76 close-contact screenings, and 65 other screenings.

   Sarawak reports 134 cases: 43 in existing clusters, 26 close-contact screenings, and 65 other screenings. Sabah reports 109 cases: 47 in older clusters, two in Jalan Pasar cluster, 40 close-contact screenings, and 20 other screenings. Perak reports 108 cases: 47 in older clusters, two in Batu Sebelas and Jalan Pelabuhan clusters, seven close-contact screenings, and six other screenings. Kedah reports 101 cases: 10 in existing clusters, nine close-contact screenings, and 82 other screenings.

   Negeri Sembilan reports 89 cases: two in older clusters, 19 in Kasia building site cluster, 21 close-contact screenings, and 47 other screenings. Penang reports 87 cases: 35 in existing clusters, 15 close-contact screenings, and 37 other screenings. Pahang reports 42 cases: 34 in existing clusters, seven close-contact screenings, and one other screening.

   Melaka reports 32 cases: 15 in existing clusters, four close-contact screenings, and 13 other screenings. Terengganu reports 22 cases: 14 in existing clusters, six close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. Putrajaya reports 13 cases: nine in existing clusters, three close-contact screenings, and one other screening. And Perlis reports three cases, all close-contact screenings.

   Labuan reports no new cases today.

   The deaths reported today are a 78-year-old woman in Sarawak with hypertension and dyslipidaemia; a 49-year-old man in Sarawak with diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and critical limb ischaemia; a 46-year-old man in Sarawak with hypertension and chronic kidney disease; a 67-year-old man in Perak with laryngeal cancer; a 58-year-old man in Sarawak with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease; a 70-year-old woman in Kelantan with hypertension; an 81-year-old woman in Selangor with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease; and an 81-year-old man in Sabh, DOA with hypertension.​​​
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2. 2.

   Mary G

   February 20, 2021 at 6:01 am

   I’m still in awe of how you do these Anne Laurie, day in and day out, missing only one day? Won’t it be nice some day when there won’t be enough news to do them every day?

   That heart damage in half of hospitalized patients makes me glad to have been so paranoid. We only have a year’s worth of data on this bugger bug, and there is so much research left to do.

3. 3.

   NeenerNeener

   February 20, 2021 at 6:21 am

   Monroe County, NY yesterday:

   New cases = 129. Reported deaths at 1108. Positivity at 2.2%
   237 in the hospital, 65 in the ICU
   40% hospital beds available, 37% ICU beds available.

4. 4.

   Amir Khalid

   February 20, 2021 at 6:22 am

   I can see why the Japanese Olympic Committee is so loath to admit that the ’21 Olympics are not happening: money. Broadcasters and sponsors will want their billions back, hotels will not refund any deposits already paid, all that spend on souvenirs and mascot dolls and advertising and promotions will go poof. There will be no loss of face, since no one could blame them for the scale of the pandemic. There will just be huge and not necessarily survivable financial losses.

5. 5.

   YY_Sima Qian

   February 20, 2021 at 6:22 am

   On 2/19 China reported 0 new domestic confirmed & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases.

   Hebei Province

   Hebei Provincial Health Commission reported that 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There are currently 148 domestic confirmed cases (129 moderate and 19 mild) & 9 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province:

   • At Xingtai, there are currently 21 domestic confirmed cases in the city.
   • At Shijiazhuang, 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There are 127 confirmed cases & 9 asymptomatic cases. Gaocheng District remains at Medium Risk.

    

   Heilongjiang Province

   Heilongjiang Provincial Health Commission reported that 9 domestic confirmed cases recovered & 7 domestic asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently 20 domestic confirmed (15 moderate and 5 mild) & 31 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.:

   • At Suihua, 7 confirmed cases recovered & 4 domestic asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently 20 domestic confirmed & 22 domestic asymptomatic cases there. Wangkui County remains at Medium Risk.
   • At Harbin, 2 domestic confirmed case recovered & 3 domestic asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently 9 asymptomatic cases there.

    

   Jilin Province 

   Jilin Provincial Heath Commission reported that 11 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There are currently 54 domestic confirmed (1 critical, 3 serious, 37 moderate and 13 mild) & 5 domestic asymptomatic cases:

   • At Songyuan, there are 2 domestic confirmed cases there.
   • At Tonghua, 6 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There are currently 44 domestic confirmed & 3 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 1 building & 4 residential compounds remain at Medium Risk.
   • At Changchun, 5 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There are currently 8 domestic confirmed & 2 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city.

    

   At Shanghai Municipality, 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There are 16 domestic confirmed cases remaining.

   Imported Cases

   On 2/19 China reported 8 new imported confirmed cases, 13 imported asymptomatic cases:

   • Shanghai Municipality – 2 confirmed cases, both Chinese nationals returning from Ethiopia
   • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 2 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from the DRC (via Nairobi) & Cambodia; 2 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Kenya & Turkey
   • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from the US
   • Dalian in Liaoning Province – 1 confirmed & 1 asymptomatic cases, no information released
   • Changsha in Hunan Province – 1 confirmed & 2 asymptomatic cases, no information released
   • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 1 confirmed & 3 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Algeria
   • Xi’an in Shaanxi Province – 5 asymptomatic cases, 4 Chinese nationals returning from Uzbekistan & the UAE, all off flights diverted from Beijing

    

   Overall in China, 38 confirmed cases recovered, 18 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation and 2 were reclassified as confirmed cases, and 515 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 454 active confirmed cases in the country (198 imported), 5 are in critical/serious condition (1 imported), 331 asymptomatic cases (282 imported), 4 suspect cases (all imported). 8,233 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.

   On 2/20 Hong Kong reported 15 new cases, 5 imported (from India, Pakistan & the Philippines) & 10 domestic (4 of whom do not yet have source of infection identified).

6. 6.

   NotMax

   February 20, 2021 at 6:58 am

   U.S. reported deaths pass 500,000.

   Brazil becomes the third country to report total cumulative cases in eight digits, exceeding 10,000,000.

7. 7.

   OzarkHillbilly

   February 20, 2021 at 7:43 am

   Florida’s Republican governor accused of ‘playing politics’ with Covid vaccine

   Say whaaaaat? Why I never would have expected that!

   Florida Democrats have slammed the state’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, claiming that he is “playing politics” with Covid-19 vaccine distribution after a new pop-up vaccination site was set up in a wealthy area with predominantly white residents.

   The pop-up vaccination site in Manatee county, just south of Tampa, was set to offer additional vaccinations for residents of two zip codes covering well-off neighborhoods, rather than residents across the county.

   “You’re taking the whitest demographic and richest demographic in Manatee county and putting them before everyone else,” the county commissioner Misty Servia, a Republican, said of the location at a meeting this week.

   DeSantis defended the site, saying it had been chosen for the “high levels of seniors living in there” but following the criticism, he also threatened to send future pop-up sites to other parts of Florida.

   “Threatening retribution and less vaccine access for communities that criticize the vaccine rollout for its problems is shameful and inhumane,” said Manny Diaz, who heads Florida’s Democratic party.

   OK, that is exactly what I would have expected.

8. 8.

   PaulB

   February 20, 2021 at 8:46 am

   @OzarkHillbilly:  It gets even better when you see the follow-up:

   “A Manatee County, Florida, commissioner broke protocol for equitable vaccine distribution, which she had previously voted in favor of, when planning a vaccine drive initiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

   Vanessa Baugh admitted on Thursday that she “wanted to make sure certain people were on the list” for vaccination after emails revealed that she directed county officials to create a list to let her and others jump the line. In response to criticism that county officials had only permitted residents from the two richest zip codes in the county to get vaccinated at the event, Baugh further admitted that she picked the zip codes herself.

   In a public county commissioner meeting on Thursday, Baugh apologized for the criticism regarding the “pop-up” vaccination site,but said that if presented with the opportunity again, “I will do exactly what I did this time.” Baugh further explained that she “did exactly what (DeSantis) wanted” in organizing the vaccine drive.

9. 9.

   Ohio Mom

   February 20, 2021 at 9:35 am

   Article in today’s Cincinnati Enquirer (originating in the sister Gannett paper, USA Today) on all the ways the Ohio vaccine approach differs from CDC guidelines.

   We are prioritizing in part people who have certain medical conditions since childhood whether or not those conditions put them more at risk, e.g., epilepsy.

   And autism, which is why Ohio Son will be getting his second shot on Thursday. I’m happy he’s getting vaccinated but it hard to argue he deserves to be a priority.

   That there are wildly different approaches across the country, which may or may not follow any medical and ethical best practices is of course, our inheritance from the “former guy.”

10. 10.

    Sloane Ranger

    February 20, 2021 at 10:34 am

    The UK figures.

    Yesterday we had 12,027 new cases. This is a decrease of 30 from the day before and a reduction of 20.3% in the rolling 7-day average. Additionally, the R number, as of 19 February, is now 0.6 – 0.9. So, overall – good news. New cases by nation,

    England – 10,296 (down @440)

    Northern Ireland – 313 (down 29)

    Scotland – 885 (up 200)

    Wales – 533 (up 243).

    I can’t see any evidence of a developing trend so, hopefully, the jumps for Scotland and Wales are anomalous.

    Deaths – There were 533 deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday. This is a decrease of 27.7% in the rolling 7-day average. Deaths by nation, England – 481, Northern Ireland – 5, Scotland – 31 and Wales – 16. On 5 February, 521 people had COVID mentioned on their Death Certificate as a cause of death. This number is also showing a steady downward trend.

    Testing – On Thursday, 18 February, 560,400 tests were conducted out of a capacity of 788,913. This is a decrease of 20.1% in the rolling 7-day average.

    Hospitalisations – On Wednesday, 17 February, 19,392 people were in hospital and 2535 people were on ventilators on Thursday, 18th. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admissions has decreased by 24.3%.

    Vaccinations – By 18 February, 16,875,536 people had received their 1st dose of a vaccine and 589,591 had received both doses. We are currently averaging about 400,000 initial vaccinations a day and about 15,000 2nd shots.

    General – Despite the nationwide news being positive, where I live is currently bucking the national trend  and undergoing a surge. The 7-day average for positive tests in my town having increased by 10%. The cases seem to be linked to care homes and specific businesses (our Royal Mail Sorting Office had a major outbreak recently). Our MP has asked the Health Secretary to organise a mass testing event for the entire North Northamptonshire area recently, as nearby Corby is even worse than us and Kettering (only a few miles away) not much better. Mr Hancock is reportedly thinking about it.  In the meantime, I am re-doubling my precautions.

11. 11.

    Suzanne

    February 20, 2021 at 12:28 pm

    @Ohio Mom:

    We are prioritizing in part people who have certain medical conditions since childhood whether or not those conditions put them more at risk, e.g., epilepsy.

    And autism, which is why Ohio Son will be getting his second shot on Thursday. I’m happy he’s getting vaccinated but it hard to argue he deserves to be a priority.
     

    I was able to get the vaccine yesterday in PA because I have a history of epileptic seizures. Again, happy to be vaccinated, but I don’t know if it puts me at any higher risk. Though, I will note, sometimes it’s not the condition itself, but the medication used to treat the condition that probably creates more risk. One anti-seizure med that I was on for years had a side effect of potential liver damage, which obviously is an immune system problem. So some of this is not straightforward. Also will note that seizures can produce injuries that may require significant medical care, so maybe the thought is that it is good to keep epileptics out of the hospital altogether.

    But I also am resisting the framing that people who qualify for it under their state guidelines should consider passing it up in favor of someone else more at risk. I think that needs to stop. If there is anything I have learned from my interactions with the healthcare system, it is that you have to be a good advocate for yourself and for those around you, and we also elect policymakers and pay taxes to make good choices on our behalf. Also, I think this is often a gendered thing; all the working women I know routinely neglect their own illness and medical care to save limited sick days to take care of their kids.

    I want minority and low-income communities to have at least equal and possibly priority access to the vaccine, but passing up my own individual shot doesn’t make that happen.

    Sorry. I have been thinking about this because my in-laws still can’t access it in their state. My FIL has basically gone nowhere for the last year, because he has epilepsy and almost died last year after surgery to correct some scarring on his (already-replaced) heart valve. He is a very gregarious guy. He keeps saying, “Well, I can stay home, let an essential person get it before me,” but he is really suffering. He is so lonely and it’s having some significant effects on him, he hasn’t gone to the dentist, hasn’t been going to the gym, which he really needs to do. I hate that he is feeling like he needs to pass it up in order to get it to someone else.

12. 12.

    Ruckus

    February 20, 2021 at 2:02 pm

    @Suzanne:

    I took the vaccine as soon as I could get it because I have comorbidities that could easily kill me if I caught it. Also me being inoculated protects others, which is part of the entire point of being vaccinated. I remember taking that sugar cube with the blue dot, the polio vaccine, when I was 5. I remember seeing and knowing people who had polio, what it does to you. On of my neighbors had polio as a very young child and while she said the effects pretty much went away in her early 20s, they have come back and she now lives in a wheelchair. She’s lucky, a girl I went to school with had it in both legs and I wonder what happened to her. Haven’t seen nor heard about her since our 10 yr HS reunion.

    Deadly and debilitating disease has been with us for ever, and being in more confined populations always makes disease worse. We have knocked down so many of them that I think we often forget what it was like in the world when effectively we had no vaccines for easily transmitted diseases. Because it is still that way in many parts of the world, like the counties in Africa.

13. 13.

    Nedicks

    February 20, 2021 at 3:01 pm

    @PaulB: A number of nations and areas appear to be exhibiting signs of decreasing cases, including but not limited to the U.S. The articles (the Atlantic, Vox, USA Today, NYT) I’ve read about these decreases all deny any knowledge of just why this appears to be happening but describe a variety of explanations that could possibly be correct. What I haven’t seen is any global evaluation of these alleged trends that takes into account what’s happening in more than one country. Does anyone know of any online sources that look at the world picture? Is this thing really starting to fade? Are the variants (the ones we know about) still such wild cards that no generalizations can be made? With (apparently) hundreds of thousands of the most highly trained scientists world-wide focused on the pandemic there ought to be some interesting guesses, at the very least, about what is really going on. (No, conspiracy theorists need not apply.)

14. 14.

    Zelma

    February 20, 2021 at 3:51 pm

    I think that a major problem with vaccine distribution in some states is the seeming randomness of the process.  New Jersey seems particularly bad and Cape May County seems even more problematic.  Why did the patients of one health system get easier access to the vaccine than others?  Why is one local supermarket chain a vaccine site and not others?  Why does one CVS in the county have vaccine and not others?  And why CVS and not Walgreen’s?  Actually, these questions are moot since none of these sites are accepting appointments anyway.  Why isn’t the county health department receiving vaccine?  Who is getting the prized local appointments and why them and not others?

    Basically, these are all problems of supply and demand and the state made a mistake when they opened the age range too fast with little discrimination.  A friend tried to sign into the mass site in Atlantic City today.  There were 30,000 people vying for 1200 spots.  She’s 78 with underlying conditions.  At this rate, she’ll be lucky to get an appointment by April.  I signed up ten days ago and will get my first shot in a month.  It’s a mess.