[News] Coronavirus

A place to discuss the now-global coronavirus outbreak.

Coldstream wrote:
thrawn82 wrote:

Got my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine this morning.

Nice! I got the second dose today. Definitely some arm soreness at the injection site, but otherwise thus far I feel completely fine. Still no secret messages from Bill Gates, so I'm assuming my microchip is broken.

It was a bit strange tbh. I didn;t have any pain during injection {even though it seemed like a HUGE volume in the syringe) and no pain for a few hours, then last night I felt like someone had beat my arm and shoulder w a billy club... then this morning just slight soreness in my tricep. Overall it has been less painful than this years flu shot.

“Selfish Idiocy:” Infected lawmaker blasts Republicans for bunkering maskless [Updated]

UPDATE 1/12/2021, 11:15am EST: And now there is a third. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill) announced Tuesday morning that he, too, has tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering with maskless Republican colleagues.

In a statement, Schneider said that during the insurrection, he was "forced to spend several hours in a secure but confined location with dozens of other Members of Congress," and "several Republican lawmakers in the room adamantly refused to wear a mask."

Schneider reported that so far, he has not experienced symptoms but was nevertheless concerned. "Today, I am now in strict isolation, worried that I have risked my wife’s health and angry at the selfishness and arrogance of the anti-maskers who put their own contempt and disregard for decency ahead of the health and safety of their colleagues and our staff," he said. “Wearing a mask is not a political statement, it is public health guidance, common courtesy, and simply what should be expected of all decent people."

Like Rep. Jayapal before him, he too called for maskless lawmakers to be sanctioned and immediately removed from the House floor. The original story follows.

In a look back at the various "celebrities" of covid "discussion" last year, anyone know what happened to that Dr Franks Models page? The website is not updated and the Facebook page is private or gone. I'm curious if there was ever a public follow up or he just disappeared.

CDC to require all air travelers to US to show negative coronavirus test

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/12/healt...

That is going to stop a lot of air travel.

But unless they require it of all air travelers within the US, it's not going to stop a lot of covid.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

But unless they require it of all air travelers within the US, it's not going to stop a lot of covid.

Citation needed / define "a lot".

I realize I'm using out of date data that doesn't reflect coronavirus impacts on air traffic, but in 2018, roughly 1 in 4 commerical flights in or out of the US was international.

I'll grant you that that proportion is likely lower these days, but I'd call that a lot nonetheless.

Normal lung vs Smoker's lung vs COVID lung
By wjfox2011

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/bN0c8jZ.jpg)

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2021/01/13/...

Even those who were asymptomatic "show a severe chest X-ray 70 to 80% of the time."

Researchers Discover New Variant of COVID-19 Virus in Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State University Wexler Medical Center wrote:

Scientists at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine have discovered a new variant of SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The new variant carries a mutation identical to the U.K. strain, but it likely arose in a virus strain already present in the United States. The researchers also report the evolution of another U.S. strain that acquired three other gene mutations not previously seen together in SARS-CoV2.

These findings are under review for publication in BioRxiv as a pre-print.

The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center has been sequencing the genome of SARS-Cov-2 viruses in patients with COVID-19 since March 2020 in order to monitor the evolution of the virus. The new variant was discovered in one patient from Ohio, so researchers do not yet know the prevalence of the strain in the population.

In contrast, the evolving strain with the three new mutations has become the dominant virus in Columbus during a three week period in late December 2020 and January.

“This new Columbus strain has the same genetic backbone as earlier cases we’ve studied, but these three mutations represent a significant evolution,” said study leader Dr. Dan Jones, vice chair of the division of molecular pathology. “We know this shift didn’t come from the U.K. or South African branches of the virus.”

Like the U.K. strain, mutations detected in both viruses affect the spikes that stud the surface of SARS-Cov-2. The spikes enable the virus to attach to and enter human cells. Also like the U.K. strain, the mutations in the Columbus strain are likely to make the virus more infectious, making it easier for the virus to pass from person to person.

“The big question is whether these mutations will render vaccines and current therapeutic approaches less effective,” said Peter Mohler, a co-author of the study and chief scientific officer at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and vice dean for research at the College of Medicine. “At this point, we have no data to believe that these mutations will have any impact on the effectiveness of vaccines now in use.”

farley3k wrote:

Normal lung vs Smoker's lung vs COVID lung
By wjfox2011

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/bN0c8jZ.jpg)

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2021/01/13/...

Even those who were asymptomatic "show a severe chest X-ray 70 to 80% of the time."

Pfft, those don't even look like same person. I call BS on that before/after/after image!

ClockworkHouse wrote:

But unless they require it of all air travelers within the US, it's not going to stop a lot of covid.

If you can keep out the super-contagious (according to best data available) South-African/British strains for a little while longer, or more realistically prevent more people bringing it in, while upping the vaccination rate, that might save thousands of lives. It's a race against the clock right now, and buying even a few more days already means hundreds of lives saved.

Not sure this is the right thread, if not I'll move it.

I went to our office for the first time in 4 months or so, as it was a follow-up to our global sales kick-off with workshops and a chance to see some colleagues for the first time. There were also some encouraging mails from our general manager, one of the reasons I stayed home for so long as he didn't wear a mask while walking around. He specifically stated in an e-mail that groups could not mix, that everyone needed to wear masks while not seated, always keep your distance, etc.

None of that happened, and the worst part: it was management and management alone who mixed groups, didn't wear masks, started hovering over people sitting at their desk, you name it. On top of that, we were huddled together in a badly ventilated room all day, while management kept closing the door.

Those e-mails were just a charade, a CYA in case we got an inspection. This after all the talk from management about accountability, leadership by example, and a full bingo card of other corporate clichés during the kickoff.

Needless to say I won't be going to the office until we're all vaccinated. Management does not seem to realize that all the peptalk about going for target in Q1 is vapid air if even one of the 40 people in the office yesterday had COVID.

dejanzie wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

But unless they require it of all air travelers within the US, it's not going to stop a lot of covid.

If you can keep out the super-contagious (according to best data available) South-African/British strains for a little while longer, or more realistically prevent more people bringing it in, while upping the vaccination rate, that might save thousands of lives. It's a race against the clock right now, and buying even a few more days already means hundreds of lives saved.

Unfortunately I think the UK strain is already present in the US. Given the level of control there that boat has probably already sailed I’m afraid.

We did have controls in the UK and it hasn’t been enough. The new strain is now accountable for over 60% of new infections. We are in a fairly stringent 3rd national lockdown at the moment (still not as stringent as the first, however currently we have many more people in hospital and a similar infection rate) to try and deal with it.

Sorbicol wrote:
dejanzie wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

But unless they require it of all air travelers within the US, it's not going to stop a lot of covid.

If you can keep out the super-contagious (according to best data available) South-African/British strains for a little while longer, or more realistically prevent more people bringing it in, while upping the vaccination rate, that might save thousands of lives. It's a race against the clock right now, and buying even a few more days already means hundreds of lives saved.

Unfortunately I think the UK strain is already present in the US. Given the level of control there that boat has probably already sailed I’m afraid.

We did have controls in the UK and it hasn’t been enough. The new strain is now accountable for over 60% of new infections. We are in a fairly stringent 3rd national lockdown at the moment (still not as stringent as the first, however currently we have many more people in hospital and a similar infection rate) to try and deal with it.

Even then it's a less bad situation if you are able to block additional entry points from which the new strain can spread, while vaccination catches up.

dejanzie wrote:

Needless to say I won't be going to the office until we're all vaccinated. Management does not seem to realize that all the peptalk about going for target in Q1 is vapid air if even one of the 40 people in the office yesterday had COVID.

I hate this so much.

My wife's company is the same, while mine is extremely strict. For me, it's been 10 months since I've been in the office and the only people allowed in the office are those who must be there (because they do laboratory work). We now have a system in place where non-lab people must request permission to go to the office from the head of HR at least 24 hours in advance (not inform the head that they're going in - request access).

So frustrating to watch the loosey-goosey approach of CYA instead of, you know, not infecting people.

Speaking of loosey-goosey

1,500 flights and rising as Canadians seek sunny escapes despite surging COVID-19 crisis

Am I getting sick of covid restrictions? Kinda. I'm in a good position personally that I can suck it up until the weather gets nice again. I think I'm getting more annoyed that cases in Canada have surged and the government has no backbone to actually do anything.

We are stuck in lock down limbo. Government ratcheting up 'restrictions' and warnings while apparently there's a tier of citizen that can continue to do whatever they want. We have had a string of politicians from all different levels of government (local, provincial, federal) resigning from positions because they were tone deaf and all traveled during December for holidays.

I think the frustrating part is we are coming up on 10 months of dancing between lockdown levels. You would figure that when things started trending up again in the fall there would of been more definite leadership especially on international travel. Obvious counter argument is freedoms/liberties so instead we get the slow never ending burn.

jowner wrote:

I think the frustrating part is we are coming up on 10 months of dancing between lockdown levels. You would figure that when things started trending up again in the fall there would of been more definite leadership especially on international travel. Obvious counter argument is freedoms/liberties so instead we get the slow never ending burn.

Not to mention these people are traveling to countries that are less prepared/able to deal with Covid and the odds are that some of these travelers are asymptomatic. Talk about selfish... I wonder what percentage of the world's population actually understands that this is a GLOBAL PANDEMIC that is impacting the entire world.

It's not just Canada...

MADRID (AP) — While most of Europe kicked off 2021 with earlier curfews or stay-at-home orders, authorities in Spain insist the new coronavirus variant causing havoc elsewhere is not to blame for a sharp resurgence of cases and that the country can avoid a full lockdown even as its hospitals fill up.

The government has been tirelessly fending off drastic home confinement like the one that paralyzed the economy for nearly three months in the spring of 2020, the last time Spain could claim victory over the stubborn rising curve of cases.

I will never understand this- "We know what's happening, we know what helps to reduce cases and allow us to get ahead of this thing, so we're not going to do that."

It's just made me realize that all those dumb movie plots are far more believable and usually over complicated.

JC wrote:

I will never understand this- "We know what's happening, we know what helps to reduce cases and allow us to get ahead of this thing, so we're not going to do that."

It is pretty simple - money is more important than people. Well more accurately power is more important that people.

And while that may be immoral it is not new. We didn't build pyramids, etc. worrying about human life. Human life is a commodity to be weighted against other commodities. That wasn't about money it was about power, about showing how powerful pharaoh was.

I suppose that goes back to apes and who is the leader of the group so it is probably biological or at least deeply ingrained in history.

JC wrote:

I will never understand this- "We know what's happening, we know what helps to reduce cases and allow us to get ahead of this thing, but we don’t like doing that so we're not going to do that."

Emphasis mine. I think it’s important to note that people aren’t not-doing because they know it’s the correct course of action - ie, people aren’t purely being contrary - people are not-doing because they don’t like what they would have to do - ie, people are being purely selfish.

I think it's less they don't like doing it, as they feel they don't need to. Due to reasons such as lack of education in science, extreme distrust of the federal government, lack of care about their fellow humans they feel they don't have to.

Tach wrote:
dejanzie wrote:

Needless to say I won't be going to the office until we're all vaccinated. Management does not seem to realize that all the peptalk about going for target in Q1 is vapid air if even one of the 40 people in the office yesterday had COVID.

My wife's company is the same, while mine is extremely strict.
.....

So frustrating to watch the loosey-goosey approach of CYA instead of, you know, not infecting people.

Same with my company. There's a paper on the door downstairs about all precautions being taken and how no visitors are allowed except with masks, 1.5 m distance, etc. Boss also bought two cloth masks for everyone, although one of the ones I got shrunk to child size after the first wash.

According to current law, masks are required in all common and traffic areas of a company. Nobody at my company cares (boss believes it's overblown hoopla and that we're doing more damage combating the virus than the virus would do by itself). I'm the only one who wears a mask.

The good part about where I work is that everyone has their own office with a door they can close. Rarely is a space ever shared.

AUs_TBirD wrote:

The good part about where I work is that everyone has their own office with a door they can close. Rarely is a space ever shared.

But your ventilation system is shared...

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/632rpUi.jpg)

JC wrote:
AUs_TBirD wrote:

The good part about where I work is that everyone has their own office with a door they can close. Rarely is a space ever shared.

But your ventilation system is shared...

Our ventilation system is called "windows that can be opened".
Actually, there is a small exhaust fan in the toilet that turns on with the light.

JC wrote:
AUs_TBirD wrote:

The good part about where I work is that everyone has their own office with a door they can close. Rarely is a space ever shared.

But your ventilation system is shared...

Has there been more evidence of just shared ventilation being a problem? And I don't mean that restaurant example where they are in the same room.

lunchbox12682 wrote:
JC wrote:
AUs_TBirD wrote:

The good part about where I work is that everyone has their own office with a door they can close. Rarely is a space ever shared.

But your ventilation system is shared...

Has there been more evidence of just shared ventilation being a problem? And I don't mean that restaurant example where they are in the same room.

I haven’t seen any, but I haven’t been looking for it either. I was thinking of the S. Korea example of the apartment building infections back in August as well as the “new” research/info on it being aerosolized.

Weren't several of the slaughterhouse super-infection events related to the ventilation systems? Or was it just because they work in close quarters in very cool environments (which helps the virus survive)?

Kroger stores in my area are offering the rapid antibody test. Is there any value to getting it done? Whether I have the antibodies isn't going to change my behavior in public, wearing masks, social distancing, etc.