Corona Virus

[angelface555]

From BestLife; "Early on in the pandemic, rumors surfaced that the warm temperatures that come with summer might kill the coronavirus. And while there is evidence that the increased UV rays of the summer sun can disable the virus, it also turns out that there may be one seasonal weakness for COVID-19 in the summer: High humidity levels can make the virus more infectious. But, according to a biologist, there is a certain humidity level that makes it difficult for COVID to survive in the air.

"There's sort of a 'Goldilocks' zone for the coronavirus, between 40 and 60 [percent] humidity, where it doesn't survive for very long," says Erin Bromage, PhD, an associate professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Bromage—the author of a viral blog post outlining the risks of airborne coronavirus transmission—told CNN that when humidity climbs above 60 percent (as it does in many places during the summer), droplets become weighed down with moisture and fall to the ground. "[This] sounds like a great thing," Bromage said. "But it actually drops onto surfaces much faster and being wet actually keeps the virus alive and infectious for longer."

Alternatively, when conditions fall below 40 percent humidity, as they do in the winter, infected aerosol droplets are able to stay afloat and travel in the air more easily.

"When the humidity is lower, the air is drier and it makes the aerosols smaller," Michael Ward, an epidemiologist at the University of Sydney, said in a statement regarding his study on winter and COVID-19. "When you sneeze and cough, those smaller infectious aerosols can stay suspended in the air for longer. That increases the exposure for other people."'

[angelface555]

Today, from CNN;

"The US saw another record daily rise in reported Covid-19 cases, with 60,646 yesterday. If the numbers weren't enough, health experts and local leaders are saying it loud and clear: Parts of the US reopened too fast, and now we're reaping the consequences. Need proof? It took less than a month, from June into July, for nationwide case numbers to jump from 2 million to 3 million. And no, more testing isn't to blame. Things are dire in India and Mexico, too. Both countries reached record Covid-19 tallies recently. India has reported 100,000 new cases of the virus in the last five days alone and surpassed Russia to become the third-worst hit nation."

[RAMMEL]

X

[Marilyne]

Rick -  Good to see you here in the Coronavirus discussion.  You were in the thick of things for a while, living so close to so much illness.    Everyone in NYC, was good about doing the right thing, and it sure did pay off for your entire state.  I think your Governor Cuomo,  had the right attitude.  I hope things continue to improve.

[RAMMEL]

Back at the end of Jan to Feb we all had "something".  Lasted 5 -6 weeks. I ended up going to local hospital's emergency room twice but after testing all day long (the first time) they told me there was nothing wrong with me and sent me home.  The second time they said I had a nasal drip causing my coughing, gave me some nasal spray and an antihistamine and sent me home again. A while back my son was at his doc for routine visit and he said we probably had "the virus". It was early on so they probably didn't recognize what it was.

I don't go out very much but dislike that I/we can't go out.

I will refrain from commenting about our Gouv --- or the NYC Mayor.

[angelface555]

A French bus driver has died after passengers who refused to wear masks, attacked him for trying to enforce the rules.

https://tinyurl.com/ybndza2j

[Amy]

Patricia, that is so sad. Here he was trying to keep others safe and he dies. My friend runs a business in the city and said customers not all but some were being rude to the ladies working for her because they were told to wear a mask . Those customers should not be allowed back into that store. Those ladies  are working in difficult times and should not have to put up with rude people. I don't understand why people can't get a grasp on this.

[angelface555]

It's political. A woman in her thirties died in a San Antonio, Texas hospital from the virus. She had gone to a party given by someone diagnosed with the disease. The party host and the attendees all thought the virus was a hoax.

[jane]

I'm so &^%$ BLOODY sick of hearing it's a "HOAX."  Where are these people's brains and common sense?
 My blood pressure rises everytime I see someone on TV talk about "their freedom" to do what they want.  To them "It's all about ME...I am the only one who matters."  GRRRRR!!!!

The soaring numbers in the South and where they'll be in 2 weeks is incomprehensible.  And then the talk of sending the kids back to school by a Sec of Educ who has no idea about public education and a President....well, you know where I stand on that. 

jane

[angelface555]

Sadly, a Rutgers poll stated that the ones believing it's a hoax are the same ones who are against vaccinations. Primarily, White Nationalists, Rightwing Evangelists, and Republicans. Of course, this poll was taken at the beginning of reopening so that figure may have changed slightly.

Another disrespectful thing is the ones rabidly against wearing masks. Some have gone as far as attacking and, in one case, killing someone, and in destroying store displays which only means low paid rushed off their feet store employees will have to clean up their messes.

https://tinyurl.com/y7glc2x6

[angelface555]

There are a lot of news sites both right and left that have false news or strong biases regarding not only the COVID-19 pandemic as well as day to day life.

https://lifehacker.com/check-a-news-sources-bias-with-this-chart-1844330891?utm_source=lifehacker_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020-07-11

https://www.adfontesmedia.com/static-mbc/

[Marilyne]

So much news, and so many different stories and slants on the same subject, that you can get dizzy trying to figure things out for yourself.  Finally . . . something new and different has surfaced that will be of interest to most of us.   It now appears that our blood type, has something to do with how serious of a case of Covid-19, we will get, if we contract the virus. Lots of sites online to Google and check out. It looks like those with blood type 0, are having the lighter cases and getting well quicker. Those who are blood type A, are the most vulnerable, and staying sick the longest.  Mixed reports on people who are type AB.

This is on Web MD, Los Angeles Times Science, 23 and Me, and others.  It may turn out to be untrue, but I thought I would mention it, to give us something else to worry about!          

[jane]

Oh, good. I'm A type.   

[FlaJean]

I wasn't happy when I read about that yesterday.  My husband and I and our three children are all type A+

I've never even had the flu or bronchitis in my lifetime.  We only go to the grocery store and we have on masks and disposable gloves.

[angelface555]

I've seen that before but I believe I'd need more research, Marilyne. To me, it sounds a bit odd. I found this on Healthline, "The March study came out of Wuhan, China, where the first known cases of COVID-19 were discovered.

It's published on a website, but it hasn't yet been reviewed by peers.

In the study, scientists looked at the blood types of 2,173 people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and compared that with the blood types of the general population in that region.

They found that in the normal population, type A was 31 percent, type B was 24 percent, type AB was 9 percent, and type O was 34 percent.

In those with the virus, type A was 38 percent, type B was 26 percent, type AB was 10 percent, and type O was 25 percent.

The researchers concluded that "blood group A had a significantly higher risk for COVID-19 compared with non-A blood groups. Whereas blood group O had a significantly lower risk for the infectious disease compared with non-A blood groups."

The CDC recommends that all people wear cloth face masks in public places where it's difficult to maintain a 6-foot distance from others. This will help slow the spread of the virus from people without symptoms or people who do not know they have contracted the virus. Cloth face masks should be worn while continuing to practice physical distancing.
Note: It's critical to reserve surgical masks and N95 respirators for healthcare workers.

Reaction to the study
Experts expressed concerns after the recent study that people with blood types other than type A might "let their guard down."

Similar sentiments were expressed after the March study.

"This is an interesting study," said Patricia Foster, PhD, a microbiologist and professor emerita of biology at Indiana University, told Healthline in March. "But it needs verification. If they can come up with more solid numbers and bigger studies, it's something to look out for."

"It still requires full peer review, but it looks like the methods were generally appropriate," Cushman said. "They interpret specific findings for certain blood groups, but I think the essence of what they observed is that people with O blood group have a lower risk of infection than all the other blood groups."

"It's very compelling and the results are not entirely surprising since we know blood group is important in other settings and other viruses," she added.

Blood types and diseases
Experts say research shows many diseases have been linked to blood types.

"We found that type AB is related to stroke risk and in general, to cognitive impairment risk. Although not all studies have observed that," Cushman said.

"Type O, compared to other types, also protects against heart attacks and blood clots in the veins, known as venous thrombosis," she added.

"We don't know the mechanisms yet, but we know there are differences by blood type in certain clotting factors and factors in the circulation that relate to blood vessel lining cell connections," Cushman said.

Dr. Foster has looked at the connection between intestinal illnesses such as norovirus and blood types.

"Norovirus has a clear biological reason why blood type would make a difference," she said. "The norovirus actually uses the sugars on the cell surface to attach itself to the cell."

In general, people who don't make the H1-antigen and those with B type blood will tend to be resistant, whereas people with A, AB, or O blood types will tend to get sick.

Things to keep in mind
"At the end of the day, we won't know what to do about this information to prevent or treat infection," Cushman said. "For example, I wouldn't ease precautions for healthcare workers who are type O. This finding does not mean they are immune."

"Everyone needs to continue washing their hands, keeping a physical distance from others, and following all the things public health experts are recommending," she said."

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/does-your-blood-type-increase-your-risk-for-coronavirus#What-the-earlier-study-reported

[angelface555]

"Claim: People with blood type A are more likely to catch the coronavirus
Outlets have reported that people with type A blood type are more likely to contract the new coronavirus, although many failed to emphasize that the research lacks peer-review, a large sample size and that experts have told the public not to be concerned.

The claim gained popularity through a series of widely shared Facebook posts. Its momentum has continued with Science Focus, MSN, the South Florida Sun Sentinel and local broadcast news outlets in Iowa and Virginia running stories.

Newsweek, Express, Science Alert and Medical News Today also published stories on the findings.

What experts say: It's premature to assume there is a link
The claim is based on new research from a group of medical experts at hospitals and universities in China. The researchers come from an array of institutions, including the National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, the Renmin Hospital at Wuhan University and the School of Medicine at the Southern University of Science and Technology in China.


The study was published in March on medRxiv, a nonprofit founded by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Yale University and BMJ. MedRxiv is a preprint server where researchers share preliminary findings before peer review. The model makes research accessible to other experts without having to wait for the often-lengthy peer review and journal publication process.

Researchers studied 2,173 people from three hospitals in Wuhan and Shenzhen, China, who tested positive for the coronavirus.


Their conclusions showed 37.75% of the sampled people were blood type A, 26.42% were blood type B, 10.03% were blood type AB and 25.80% were blood type O. These data, when compared to the proportions of blood groups of the public in the region, led researchers to conclude that blood group A was more susceptible to the virus than other blood groups, while blood group O had a lower chance.

But this research has not been peer reviewed or published in a medical or academic journal, which means other experts in the field have not analyzed its research methodology, citations or significance. Its intent is primarily to "generate debate among experts," PolitiFact wrote.

"Preprints are preliminary reports of work that have not been certified by peer review," medRxiv's site reads. "They should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information."

Preet Chaudhary, chief of hematology at the University of Southern California, said the research is not conclusive because researchers didn't replicate their results. On page 7 of the study, a trial with 285 patients from Shenzhen did not show blood group A to be more susceptible. He also said differences between the blood groups of the noninfected group and the group with COVID-19 were only a few percentage points.

"It's only marginal basically," Chaudhary said. "This is preprint. It's not published yet. Let it get published and let it get peer reviewed."

Fact check: Common cold does not produce positive coronavirus test
Fact check: CDC did not add flu and pneumonia cases to its COVID-19 death count
Fact check: Masks are effective against COVID-19; OSHA doesn't say they offer no protection
Fact check: Doctors studying whether COVID-19 could trigger diabetes
Chaudhary expressed concern that the findings may prompt people with blood type O to be less cautious due to the possibility that they may be less susceptible.

Sakthivel Vaiyapuri, associate professor at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, said in a statement to PolitiFact that the research should be ignored because it lacks scientific validation and may cause individuals with blood type A to panic.

"It's better to safely ignore any article that hasn't been properly scrutinized by peer review and published in a rigorous scientific journal," Vaiyapuri said in the statement.

The South China Morning Post covered the findings and interviewed Gao Yingdai, a researcher with the State Key Laboratory of Experimental Haematology in Tianjin who was not involved in the study and critiqued the research. She said the study would be stronger with a larger sample size. A sample of 2,000 is not necessarily small, but is only a fraction of the nearly 700,000 confirmed cases worldwide as of March 30, according to the World Health Organization.

Gao also said the study lacked a clear explanation for the phenomenon "such as the molecular interaction between the virus and different types of red blood cells."

Our ruling: False
Although this research shows the possibility of a link between blood type and susceptibility to the virus, the research has not been peer reviewed or published in an academic journal and relies on a relatively small sample size. Multiple experts, as well as the site on which the research is published, have advised against deeming the link as being established.

There is not enough evidence to definitively state a relationship between blood type and susceptibility to the new coronavirus.

Our fact-check sources:
PolitiFact
World Health Organization
South China Morning Post
MedRxiv
About medRxiv
Medical News Today
Express
Newsweek
WHSV
KCRG
South Florida Sun Sentinel
MSN
Science Focus
Science Alert
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/04/01/fact-check-coronavirus-blood-type-a-more-susceptible/2922465001/

[RAMMEL]

I read somewhere above about this being political and then see all the political comments.
Not to worry. Sleepy Joe will take care of everything.

BTW --- I live in a dominantly Dem/Lib area and see all sorts walking around without masks and in groups.

This site is starting to remind me of the old SrNet site.

[Marilyne]

Rick - speaking of Governors, our Mr. Newsom, is releasing 8,000, EIGHT THOUSAND, prisoners from our California State Prisons, starting on Monday!  Most of these from San Quentin.  This is to help curb the spread of corona virus in the prisons.  Is there something wrong with that picture, or is it just me?     

[RAMMEL]

Don't spread it in the prisons, spread it out on the streets.

[Shirley]

Since my blood type is also A negative maybe I really did have the virus, called my doctor but he talked me out of it being the virus after I told him I thought it was probably gall bladder attack. He laughed when I told him what all I had eaten (half a can of tamales, chocolate bunnies (before Easter), pots of coffee, etc.... he thinks I'm the healthest old lady he knows & lets me call him any time I'm concerned about anything. That doesn't happen often, but I trust him & he actually listens to me. Anyway, I've never been so sick in my whole life, only food I had for 2 days one one small soda cracker, ate half one day & half the next. That is the only time I have thrown up except when pregnant and at 85, husband dead 7 years so no danger of that.

With all the changes of symptoms they come up with, I'm still not sure what I had but decided it wouldn't do me any good to insist on the test for antibodies... I do wear a mask because our gov says we must, but drop it down to catch my breath now & then, when not close to anyone. Don't know if it makes a difference that my cardio had diagnosed me with congestive heart failure, but so far I'm still upright, sassy & will go until I drop. At this age & stage I don't want to waste any of the remaining days. I shop, my car know it's way through fast food drive throughs & before I always went inside to order take out. I don't like to eat in any place alone so bring home to eat in front of TV, that hasn't changed.

As far as politics go, seems to me we should shot 'em all and start over with limits to time in office. No pensions (did you know how little Truman got when he was no longer president???) You know I'm not serious about shooting them, just fire them all.    I have registered as a Democrat and as a Republician and consider myself independent, NOT an Independent... you know what I mean. I also believe that who ever is president is President of the US so MY President, even if I didn't vote for him. Frankly, I voted for Trump, liked him from the start because he was the only one that came in with his own money... and look what mansions others bought when they retired after going in a very poor person. Something wrong with that in my opinion.

SO, enough out of me. I do hope everyone stays healthy & I agree we need to do whatever we can to keep from spreading. I am unhappy that various state & federal parks are not making it easy to go camping, and that's the safest thing we can do right now. A week in the mountains of CO because my sons made the reservations before the first of the year to get the sites we wanted. Camp host sanitized the little house a number of times a day but we all took our Clorox wipes since they sanitize in seconds where sprays take 10 min or more to work.... I am sure tired of smelling Clorox on my hands every time I grab a Kleexex with my allergies. I could go on but better stop ... nice to see so many hanging out in here. I probably won't drop in again, get a full dose of the virus on the computer & TV, but just wanted to see how y'all felt about it.

Marilyne, I also wondered about the reasoning behind that release.  Rick, I approve of your dry sense of humor.....  

[RAMMEL]

.............Rick, I approve of your dry sense of humor.....    

Thanks. I think I need a friend   

I do think we're all in for another go-around of this virus thing.  Hope it will end some day.

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Rammel..

quoting Rammel: " think we're all in for another go-around of this virus thing "

...you maybe right, possibly come back with a vengeance just when we start to drop our guard-think we have left it behind..this virus-pandemic will still be floating around..

[angelface555]

"According to NPR, research shows that widespread mask-wearing "could help prevent between 17,742 and 28,030 deaths across the United States before Oct. 1."

With more than 130,000 Americans dead from the virus and positive cases on a steady rise in most states, wearing a mask is the least we should expect from our fellow citizens. "

[angelface555]

Key Metrics for COVID Suppression
Researchers and Public Health Experts unite to bring clarity to key metrics guiding coronavirus response

Cambridge, July 1, 2020 -- Uncertainty is the currency of pandemics. As evidence on the new coronavirus, how it spreads and who falls ill from it emerges slowly, policy makers and the public have to base their decisions on the best information available. Experts help interpret the evidence, but they may differ on details that can be confusing for non-experts -- and filtering out what matters from a rising sea of misinformation has become a daunting task.

To help cut through the noise and sometimes conflicting advice, a network of research, policy and public health experts convened by Harvard's Global Health Institute and Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics today launches a Key Metrics For COVID Suppression framework that provides clear, accessible guidance to policy makers and the public on how to target and suppress COVID-19 more effectively across the nation.

How severe is the pandemic where you live?
Browse our COVID Risk Levels Dashboard

https://globalepidemics.org/key-metrics-for-covid-suppression/

[angelface555]

"People who have recovered from Covid-19 may lose their immunity to the disease within months, according to research suggesting the virus could reinfect people year after year, like common colds.

In the first longitudinal study of its kind, scientists analysed the immune response of more than 90 patients and healthcare workers at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS foundation trust and found levels of antibodies that can destroy the virus peaked about three weeks after the onset of symptoms then swiftly declined.

Blood tests revealed that while 60% of people marshalled a "potent" antibody response at the height of their battle with the virus, only 17% retained the same potency three months later. Antibody levels fell as much as 23-fold over the period. In some cases, they became undetectable.

"People are producing a reasonable antibody response to the virus, but it's waning over a short period of time and depending on how high your peak is, that determines how long the antibodies are staying around," said Dr Katie Doores, lead author on the study at King's College London.

The study has implications for the development of a vaccine, and for the pursuit of "herd immunity" in the community over time.

The immune system has multiple ways to fight the coronavirus but if antibodies are the main line of defence, the findings suggested people could become reinfected in seasonal waves and that vaccines may not protect them for long."

https://tinyurl.com/ybhv3c33

[angelface555]

Just in time for school?

Four months after the coronavirus pandemic started to hit the northeastern and northwestern parts of the U.S., it's now spreading across many other parts of the country at an alarming rate. In particular, you've likely heard Texas, Arizona, California, and Florida named time and time again in recent weeks as the states where COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are frighteningly high. However, looking even deeper at where coronavirus is spiking, there are many more hotspots emerging. Now, a leaked document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) obtained by Yahoo! News shows that there are 10 counties emerging as new "areas of concern" amid the pandemic.

The CDC document defines an "area of concern" as a county where the "disease burden is high and still growing," looking at the incidences of COVID and the change in daily incidences over the last two weeks. According to the CDC data, the numbers in the following 10 counties—which span states from Arkansas to Colorado, and Nebraska to Virginia—are raising the most red flags. These could very well be the next coronavirus hotspots.



https://bestlifeonline.com/next-coronavirus-hotspots-cdc-july/?utm_source=nsltr&utm_medium=email&utm_content=next-coronavirus-hotspots-cdc-july&utm_campaign=launch

[RAMMEL]

I just noticed an abundance of extra vehicles in our area so stepped out to see what was up. Looks like a nearby neighbor who is a retired ranking police officer is having a "get together" (He does have a pool and it is warm out). Of the people I saw heading toward his house, none were wearing masks. Certainly a good example for all.

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Rammel...
... little do they realise...this " get together " maybe their last.. if they have flouted or feel they are above the rules..

[angelface555]

14 Coronavirus myths busted by science

"As the novel coronavirus continues to infect people around the world, news articles and social media posts about the outbreak continue to spread online. Unfortunately, this relentless flood of information can make it difficult to separate fact from fiction — and during a viral outbreak, rumors and misinformation can be dangerous.

Here at Live Science, we've compiled a list of the most pervasive myths about the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, the disease it causes, and explained why these rumors are misleading, or just plain wrong."

https://tinyurl.com/yczf34o4

[angelface555]

Alaska is seeing the highest new cases in people in their twenties and then thirties through forties.

"Alaska is reporting an increase in cases in younger adults, said State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin. It's a trend in other cities and states where cases are surging.

"The case counts are highest among adults in their 20s, followed by adults in their 30s and then 40s and then 50s," McLaughlin said at Monday's news conference. "And this is likely the main driver behind the lower incidents of hospitalizations and deaths that we've been experiencing."

McLaughlin encouraged Alaskans to monitor for symptoms and get tested even if they only feel a little ill.

"Because one of the things we're seeing with COVID is many, many people just present with very mild symptoms," he said. "They have a mild sore throat or just feel a little achy. They may have a slight cough and they may have a fever. But remember that only half of people with COVID actually develop a fever, so you don't have to have a fever to have COVID."

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/07/13/alaskas-number-of-active-covid-19-infections-tops-900-as-case-count-again-grows-by-dozens/