Thowback America: Politicizing face masks & ignoring social distancing repeats mistakes of the 1918 Pandemic when crowds caused deadly local outbreaks. Hollywood's Douglas Fairbanks entertained the crowd at a Liberty Loan rally during the pandemic's height https://t.co/PUJJQzaosq pic.twitter.com/srF2BiwElm
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) July 5, 2020
Read the whole thing — if only for the links!
… “Face masks, or the lack thereof, was an issue in 1918-1919 as well. People didn’t have enough masks, just as we didn’t at the start of this pandemic, and then when more masks were available, again like today, there was no national leadership on the importance of wearing them,” he said.” Some of the big male Hollywood stars saw wearing a mask as cowardly — they felt they’d look like a weakling if they wore a mask. Douglas Fairbanks attended a huge public rally and pointedly did not wear a mask.”…There was another 1918 mistake, which Mann in April warned authorities not to repeat, reopening too soon.
“Oftentimes these closings were lifted in 1918 way too soon People were still dying of this in March and April and May of 1919. Mary Pickford, who was the biggest movie star of the time, she gets it in early 1919, so the movie theaters would reopen and nobody would come and then they’d close as the death rate continued to climb,” he said. There needs to be a greater consistency — there is understanding, hopefully, that we’ve learned from 1918.”…
Most of today’s tweets will be below the fold, so that the wizards behind the screen can see if this helps with the slow / herky-jerking loading problem. Just click ‘more’, as you’ve been doing, for the rest!
The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 11,432,600 people, according to official counts. As of Monday morning, at least 533,800 people have died, and the virus has been detected in nearly every country, as these maps show. https://t.co/2yDzUUcJqf
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 6, 2020
Teaser for soccer fans: Human foosball pitch…
What you need to know about the coronavirus right now https://t.co/dUQGPpof4S pic.twitter.com/8f3yyVeWv8
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 6, 2020
Really interesting review comparing #SARSCoV2 (the cause of #Covid19), SARS1, MERS, the 2009 & the 1918 flu pandemics from @MarionKoopmans and some colleagues. Risk of needing ICU care is 5-6X higher with Covid than during the 2009 pandemic. https://t.co/FsEf1qEtbE pic.twitter.com/DHAD1exPIP
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) July 5, 2020
This isn’t a COVID-19 wave — it’s a tsunami https://t.co/vxsUdSC2kP pic.twitter.com/03gvBMJoEo
— The Verge (@verge) July 5, 2020
Coronavirus: FDA chief refuses to back Trump's vaccine prediction https://t.co/1e6lIFg6F7
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 5, 2020
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Coronavirus: India overtakes Russia in Covid-19 cases https://t.co/m4VkBw255S
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 6, 2020
Countries with a #coronavirus leadership plan know that pandemic viruses don't magically disappear: France moving ahead on a 'large scale' coronavirus testing campaign to identify any dormant infection clusters https://t.co/ri2uH66n2d … via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) July 5, 2020
Iran's supreme leader publicized an image of himself in a mask in recent days, urging the nation's 80 million people to wear them. But public opinion polling and a walk through Tehran's streets show the widespread apathy felt over the pandemic. https://t.co/HrLgGVbMM6
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 5, 2020
Saudi Arabia announces haj health measures for domestic pilgrims https://t.co/VoTkShraWn pic.twitter.com/n4sGFyoXOd
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 6, 2020
S. Africa deploys military medics to virus hotspot. The deployment to East Cape province comes a day after South Africa recorded more than 10,800 new #coronavirus cases, its biggest 1-day jump in the pandemic. Dozens of military medics have been deployed https://t.co/l9DZ63DN2w pic.twitter.com/h9AiQhLqp0
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) July 5, 2020
Brazil registers 26,051 new cases of coronavirus, 602 deaths https://t.co/HuoM7eHtwp pic.twitter.com/ZAMbkpwqMy
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 6, 2020
Coronavirus: Mexico's death toll passes 30,000 https://t.co/Cb8YRfsXbT
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 5, 2020
Mexico reports 4,683 new coronavirus cases, total now 256,848 https://t.co/O7xKxblV88 pic.twitter.com/2MTYM1YlXt
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 6, 2020
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Smart piece from @kakape about how one well-designed clinical trial — UK's Recovery — has come up with 3 answers about drugs for #Covid19 & why other trials — including @WHO's Solidarity — have not. https://t.co/396irXHNmd
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) July 4, 2020
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The United States still doesn’t have a handle on testing six months into the coronavirus pandemichttps://t.co/RGL8lCRqMa
— POLITICO (@politico) July 5, 2020
In Los Angeles County, the number of patients with confirmed #COVID19 infections in intensive care units are up 35% in the last two weeks.https://t.co/1XvwyGmc1m
— Deborah Blum (@deborahblum) July 5, 2020
Arizona protesters gathered on Saturday to protest restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the virus https://t.co/FIZsGPdnzL pic.twitter.com/8WFJ2sbDsW
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 6, 2020
“What’s been disheartening over the past week or two has been that it feels like we’re back at square one." — Houston critical care doctor Mir Alikhan.@sherifink reports from Houston hospitals struggling with #Covid19 cases. https://t.co/3Gia1c0FVV
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) July 5, 2020
Texas Doctor: I got 10 calls yesterday for young people who will die if they don’t get ICU support, but I only have three beds left. pic.twitter.com/qAAQSuu6bk
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) July 5, 2020
Florida (pop: 21.5M) has now recorded more #Covid19 cases than Germany (pop: 83.8M). https://t.co/qBAnCtIYTR pic.twitter.com/ld9jXE0IRA
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) July 5, 2020
Maybe Mexico will pay for a wall after all. https://t.co/lpIKRh0sWM
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) July 3, 2020
Bruce K
Meanwhile, in Greece, on Sunday, July 5: nine new cases. Seven of those involved tourists testing positive upon arrival into the country. That would make for two indigenous cases in the last 24 hours … in a country with a population of 10 million.
La Nonna
In Italy, we are still masking for entry into shops and markets, but not for outdoor cafes, bars, or restaurants. Lidos (beach clubs) are supposed to impose social distancing between sunbeds, umbrellas, etc., but no evidence of this on our local Adriatic beaches. We have resorted to 6 a.m. swims each day, off the beach by 8 a.m. when most people arrive, no dining out even in open air, no bars, cafes, outdoor gatherings. Italians have followed the guidelines better than anyone expected, but summertime outdoor and beach life will take its toll. As elders 70+, it’s just not worth it, we think we are staying home, except for 1x a week shopping, until at least March.
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s daily numbers. Five new cases: two cases from local infection, one Malaysian and one non-Malaysian; three cases from imported infection, two Malaysians returning from the UK and New Zealand respectively, and a non-Malaysian returning from Indonesia. Cumulative total 8,668 cases.
11 more patients recovered and were discharged, total 8,476 recovered or 97.8% of the cumulative total. 71 active and contagious cases remain in hospital for isolation/treatment; two of them are in ICU and receiving respiratory assistance.
No new deaths: Malaysia has gone 22 days without reporting a death from Covid-19. Infection fatality rate is down to 1.39% and case fatality rate is 1.41%.
Mary G
@Amir Khalid: Now you’re just rubbing it in. Congrats on your country’s success; it is superb.
terben
From the Australian Dept of Health:
‘As at 3pm on 6 July 2020, a total of 8,586 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 106 deaths, and 7,420 have been reported as recovered from COVID-19.
Over the past week, there has been an average of 90 new cases reported each day. Of the newly reported cases, the majority have been from Victoria.
Of cases with a reported place of acquisition, 58% have recent international travel history, including over 1,300 cases associated with cruise ships.
To date, over 2,759,000 tests have been conducted nationally. Of those tests conducted 0.3% have
On 3 July, 189 historic cases reported in crew members on board a ship were classified as Australian cases and included in New South Wales totals.’
A net increase of 137 new cases today. Both NSW and Western Australia had new cases in quarantined returnees, a total of 13 cases. Victoria had 127 new cases today and reclassified 3 cases. There were 2 deaths in Victoria today.
Details of the lockdown in Melbourne are emerging, including a resident who tried to ‘escape’ and resorted to biting a police officer while being arrested.
The major news is that the border between NSW and Victoria is to be shut. These two states and the Australian Capital Territory have been the only states/territories not to shut their borders to interstate travel during the pandemic.
Mary G
Orange County CA up again. Idiots who own bars and restaurants squawking about their FREEDUMBS. Still not quite 200 patients in ICU, nowhere near the usual capacity of 703 beds, plus plans in place to convert wards. Worrisome percentage of tests that are positive. Went from 4.7 maybe 10-14 days ago to 8 to 10 to 12 to 14 today. Not as insane as Florida or Arizona, but concerning because the state as a whole is only 6.3. We’re a hot spot! Hurray!
p.a.
Does Merkel qualify to run for governor in any red states? (Not that they deserve saving, but there are decent people there too.)
Dirk Reinecke
The way to think about the Eastern Cape province of South Africa is this:
The Mississippi or Alabama of South Africa. The government is either corrupted, mismanaged or both. It is South Africa’s thirds most populous province, but has very little economic activity. It is mostly a place where people are from.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-07-03-eastern-cape-admits-patients-to-a-field-hospital-while-a-second-is-inspected-for-safety-ramaphosa-deploys-soldiers-until-september/#gsc.tab=0
https://www.2oceansvibe.com/2020/06/29/horror-hospital-stories-as-eastern-cape-healthcare-collapses/
low-tech cyclist
MAALAGAGAIA – Make America At Least As Great As Greece And Italy Again.
Yeah, I know, won’t fit on a cap. Maybe a t-shirt.
Trump has broken our country, and Americans are paying for it with their lives. We should have had this thing at least as much under control as the European countries that the more Neanderthal elements among us are used to deriding as basket cases, for crying out loud.
And having done so, in a better time, we’d have been helping countries deal with it that simply don’t have the resources to do so. Instead, we’re the world’s helpless, pitiful giant. And the deaths – here and around the world – continue to pile up.
It makes me want to weep.
YY_Sima Qian
Yesterday, Beijing reported 1 new domestic confirmed and 1 new asymptomatic case. The confirmed case lives in the Fengtai District, has been under self-quarantine since 6/13, was identified as a close contact and placed under centralized quarantine on 6/19. She tested positive on 7/4, and results confirmed on 7/5. From 6/11 to 7/5, Beijing has collected swab samples from > 11M individuals, and tested a a similar amount. Beijing has updated its policy so that residents living in Low Risk areas are no longer required to present negative RT-PCR test report within 7 days before traveling outside of the city. However, it is not clear if other provinces/cities China have lowered their requirements for Beijingers entering their jurisdictions (many have required RT-PCR tests upon arrival + 14 days of quarantine). Furthermore, companies and organizations often take a few steps further, currently are still refusing visitors from Beijing (and may not loosen their restrictions for several more weeks, assume there is no rebound in cases in Beijing). I suppose as long as such company policies do not significantly interfere with business operations, companies will always error on the side of caution. A single confirmed case is enough to shut down a plant/office tower/business park/college campus, and that is far more disruptive.
Wuhan government has described its preparations for a potential second wave in the fall: ~ 10K hospital beds in isolation units, including ~ 1800 ICU beds, ~ 1200 beds in negative pressure rooms, and ~ 100 ORs with negative pressure. Every hospital will increase their volumetric flow capacity for oxygen and vacuum. All to be completed by end of Sept. A lot of the work will be building on top of all the modifications already done at the dozens of COVID-19 designated hospitals during the height of the epidemic. However, the modifications at that time were often done quickly and haphazardly, the effort is now to make them more robust and convertion easier. The two temporary hospitals (that were built in 2 weeks) are mothballed, but stand ready to be put into operations quickly; they have 2400 ICU beds between them. Many of the ventilators and ECMOs at the two temporary hospitals were pooled from hospitals around China, however, I do not know if they have now been re-distributed back. Wuhan can also quickly convert the arenas/conference centers and other indoor spaces into makeshift medical facilities, if the situation becomes dire again, as they did in Feb. Since Feb., other cities in China have been making modifications to hospitals so that entire wings can be easily converted to COVID-19 only, as well as building/modifying medical centers at city suburbs to be dedicated COVID-19 facilities.
However, in light of very rapid and effective responses (including sacking of accountable officials) to outbreaks in Harbin & Mudanjiang (Heilongjiang Province), Jiling City (Jilin Province) and Beijing, as well as small cluster in Ji County (Henan Province) and Qingdao (Shandong Province), I doubt the authorities will ever let the situation get out of hand again.
YY_Sima Qian
@La Nonna: I think Italy (and to some extent Spain) has really defied expectations (stereotypes, really) in getting the epidemic under control and so far preventing a major resurgence. I remember the sneering commentaries back in Mar.: that the Italian politics is too dysfunctional, and Italians too ill-disciplined, to make the hard choices necessary in face of COVID-19, and stick to them. Instead, it appears the epidemic response was largely technocratic and led by expertise, and Italy’s superb health care system (especially in the North of the country) and its health care professionals have really shined, although paying a steep price. The population ultimately and large bought into the government response, and complied with the social distancing regulations.
Laura Too
I’m so grateful for the daily coverage. The international perspective is really valuable if depressing for the mirror for the US to reflect upon. YY_Sima Qian It is concerning to see the amount of time from quarantine to positive increasing so much, depending on when they start being able to spread Covid will be the real key. I’m glad you have so many trained, brilliant scientists to help figure it out.
YY_Sima Qian
@Laura Too: Yeah, China National Health Commission has been saying since the Harbin (likely introduction from the US) and Mudanjiang (likely introduction from Russia) outbreaks in early May that the strain currently prevalent in Europe, reintroduced into China, appears to often have > 14 days incubation, and that it presents a significant challenge from contact tracing and containment perspective. I have not heard any reports from Europe on this matter, though.
Soprano2
So, this happened down in Lampe, which is directly south of Springfield near the Arkansas border https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2020/07/03/kanakuk-kamp-campers-counselors-covid-stone-county-missouri-coronavirus/5371936002/
So, they went there, got sick, and then went home. Extremely poor judgment on the part of the camp to even open in the first place. I’m sure the locals aren’t worried at all, though, since none of the campers actually live in their county.
Soprano2
Also, someone was commenting yesterday about wanting someone to make a mask that was comfortable and protected the user. I heard this story on Morning Edition today about people who are trying to do just that. https://www.npr.org/2020/07/06/881504418/want-to-create-a-better-mask-its-harder-than-it-seams