Weststander
Well-known member
In that case, let’s get it distributed.
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[News] The Coronavirus Good News thread
- Thread starter Bozza
- Start date
In that case, let’s get it distributed.
thedonkeycentrehalf
Moved back to wear the gloves (again)
- Jul 7, 2003
- 9,340
M&S Holmbush intially had a small selection of non-food for sale during lockdown. When you entered via the café, there was a little maze you went through with a mix of clothing and home wares before you got into the food section. When we visited on Saturday evening, you could go around the whole store.
LamieRobertson
Not awoke
Ye initially it was ‘’essentials’’ like underwear and vests
They are still furloughing staff though...and a chat in Tescos tonight with a lady who worked in the food department and hers has been extended until end of July
LamieRobertson
Not awoke
I think this deserves a place here
Brazilian nurse Rusia Goes gave birth while unconscious and breathing through a ventilator tube in April as she suffered severe Covid-19 symptoms. It would be nearly a month before the 42-year-old was reunited with her newborn daughter. She has told Reuters:
Only God knows how much I missed that little one, who had been inside me, and all of a sudden was taken out because of all of this.
Goes is one of at least 374,000 Brazilians infected by the virus, now the world’s second-biggest outbreak after the United States. Over 23,000 people have died.
While she normally works as a nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit, Goes stayed home once the pandemic started. But her husband Ednaldo Goes suspects he may have transmitted the virus to her as he continued to go out to work and shop for the family.
When Rusia Goes checked into a Rio de Janeiro hospital with shortness of breath and other Covid-19 symptoms, she was just beginning the eighth month of her pregnancy. Doctors recommended a premature birth by cesarean section to better treat the mother’s condition.
The baby tested negative for the virus and was isolated from Goes, who was transferred to another hospital as her condition worsened.
She said the battle with the respiratory disease was hard and “very painful,” but slowly she was able to recover. She first met her daughter Luisa virtually, via a video link to her husband and the baby in another hospital.
Goes was finally released from the hospital after two weeks and first met her daughter in person on 20 May – some 26 days after giving birth. Masked medical staff gathered with balloons and applauded as Goes left the hospital with her baby in her arms.
“To hold her to my chest was so emotional,” she said.
Brazilian nurse Rusia Goes gave birth while unconscious and breathing through a ventilator tube in April as she suffered severe Covid-19 symptoms. It would be nearly a month before the 42-year-old was reunited with her newborn daughter. She has told Reuters:
Only God knows how much I missed that little one, who had been inside me, and all of a sudden was taken out because of all of this.
Goes is one of at least 374,000 Brazilians infected by the virus, now the world’s second-biggest outbreak after the United States. Over 23,000 people have died.
While she normally works as a nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit, Goes stayed home once the pandemic started. But her husband Ednaldo Goes suspects he may have transmitted the virus to her as he continued to go out to work and shop for the family.
When Rusia Goes checked into a Rio de Janeiro hospital with shortness of breath and other Covid-19 symptoms, she was just beginning the eighth month of her pregnancy. Doctors recommended a premature birth by cesarean section to better treat the mother’s condition.
The baby tested negative for the virus and was isolated from Goes, who was transferred to another hospital as her condition worsened.
She said the battle with the respiratory disease was hard and “very painful,” but slowly she was able to recover. She first met her daughter Luisa virtually, via a video link to her husband and the baby in another hospital.
Goes was finally released from the hospital after two weeks and first met her daughter in person on 20 May – some 26 days after giving birth. Masked medical staff gathered with balloons and applauded as Goes left the hospital with her baby in her arms.
“To hold her to my chest was so emotional,” she said.
The Wizard
Well-known member
- Jul 2, 2009
- 18,399
NHS England announce significantly lower fatalities than the last bank holiday weekend, today’s number of 183 is the expected uptick from the weekend data lag but far lower than last bank holiday weekend data lag which was 350 two weeks ago.
And this is even including the systems being down for an extended period on Sunday.
NOTE: The Covid Patient Notification System did not operate between 0455 and 1500 on Sunday 24 May due to connectivity issues experienced by an external supplier. The number of deaths reported today by NHS England and NHS Improvement may therefore reflect this situation.
And this is even including the systems being down for an extended period on Sunday.
NOTE: The Covid Patient Notification System did not operate between 0455 and 1500 on Sunday 24 May due to connectivity issues experienced by an external supplier. The number of deaths reported today by NHS England and NHS Improvement may therefore reflect this situation.
[tweet]1265331999146946565[/tweet]
It would be interested to know how they're treating their patients differently as they seem to have similar numbers of icu patients to us but far fewer deaths?
Sorry - bit long but saw this posted elsewhere and worth a read - pretty much nails things for me. This is from a cardiologist and faculty member at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Dr James Stein.
___________
Managing COVID-19 risk as we leave our cocoons
The purpose of this post is to provide a perspective on the intense but expected anxiety so many people are experiencing as they prepare to leave the shelter of their homes. My opinions are not those of my employers and are not meant to invalidate anyone else’s – they simply are my perspective on managing risk.
In March, we did not know much about COVID-19 other than the incredibly scary news reports from overrun hospitals in China, Italy, and other parts of Europe. The media was filled with scary pictures of chest CT scans, personal stories of people who decompensated quickly with shortness of breath, overwhelmed health care systems, and deaths. We heard confusing and widely varying estimates for risk of getting infected and of dying – some estimates were quite high.
Key point #1: The COVID-19 we are facing now is the same disease it was 2 months ago. The “shelter at home” orders were the right step from a public health standpoint to make sure we flattened the curve and didn’t overrun the health care system which would have led to excess preventable deaths. It also bought us time to learn about the disease’s dynamics, preventive measures, and best treatment strategies – and we did. For hospitalized patients, we have learned to avoid early intubation, to use prone ventilation, and that remdesivir probably reduces time to recovery. We have learned how to best use and preserve PPE. We also know that several therapies suggested early on probably don’t do much and may even cause harm (ie, azithromycin, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir). But all of our social distancing did not change the disease. Take home: We flattened the curve and with it our economy and psyches, but the disease itself is still here.
Key point #2: COVID-19 is more deadly than seasonal influenza (about 5-10x so), but not nearly as deadly as Ebola, Rabies, or Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever where 25-90% of people who get infected die. COVID-19’s case fatality rate is about 0.8-1.5% overall, but much higher if you are 60-69 years old (3-4%), 70-79 years old (7-9%), and especially so if you are over 80 years old (CFR 13-17%). It is much lower if you are under 50 years old (<0.6%). The infection fatality rate is about half of these numbers. Take home: COVID-19 is dangerous, but the vast majority of people who get it, survive it. About 15% of people get very ill and could stay ill for a long time. We are going to be dealing with it for a long time.
Key point #3: SARS-CoV-2 is very contagious, but not as contagious as Measles, Mumps, or even certain strains of pandemic Influenza. It is spread by respiratory droplets and aerosols, not food and incidental contact. Take home: social distancing, not touching our faces, and good hand hygiene are the key weapons to stop the spread. Masks could make a difference, too, especially in public places where people congregate. Incidental contact is not really an issue, nor is food.
What does this all mean as we return to work and public life? COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon. It may not go away for a year or two and may not be eradicated for many years, so we have to learn to live with it and do what we can to mitigate (reduce) risk. That means being willing to accept *some* level of risk to live our lives as we desire. I can’t decide that level of risk for you – only you can make that decision. There are few certainties in pandemic risk management other than that fact that some people will die, some people in low risk groups will die, and some people in high risk groups will survive. It’s about probability.
Here is some guidance – my point of view, not judging yours:
1. People over 60 years old are at higher risk of severe disease – people over 70 years old, even more so. They should be willing to tolerate less risk than people under 50 years old and should be extra careful. Some chronic diseases like heart disease and COPD increase risk, but it is not clear if other diseases like obesity, asthma, immune disorders, etc. increase risk appreciably. It looks like asthma and inflammatory bowel disease might not be as high risk as we thought, but we are not sure - their risks might be too small to pick up, or they might be associated with things that put them at higher risk.
People over 60-70 years old probably should continue to be very vigilant about limiting exposures if they can. However, not seeing family – especially children and grandchildren – can take a serious emotional toll, so I encourage people to be creative and flexible. For example, in-person visits are not crazy – consider one, especially if you have been isolated and have no symptoms. They are especially safe in the early days after restrictions are lifted in places like Madison or parts of major cities where there is very little community transmission. Families can decide how much mingling they are comfortable with - if they want to hug and eat together, distance together with masks, or just stay apart and continue using video-conferencing and the telephone to stay in contact. If you choose to intermingle, remember to practice good hand hygiene, don’t share plates/forks/spoons/cups, don’t share towels, and don’t sleep together.
2. Social distancing, not touching your face, and washing/sanitizing your hands are the key prevention interventions. They are vastly more important than anything else you do. Wearing a fabric mask is a good idea in crowded public place like a grocery store or public transportation, but you absolutely must distance, practice good hand hygiene, and don’t touch your face. Wearing gloves is not helpful (the virus does not get in through the skin) and may increase your risk because you likely won’t washing or sanitize your hands when they are on, you will drop things, and touch your face.
3. Be a good citizen. If you think you might be sick, stay home. If you are going to cough or sneeze, turn away from people, block it, and sanitize your hands immediately after.
4. Use common sense. Dial down the anxiety. If you are out taking a walk and someone walks past you, that brief (near) contact is so low risk that it doesn’t make sense to get scared. Smile at them as they approach, turn your head away as they pass, move on. The smile will be more therapeutic than the passing is dangerous. Similarly, if someone bumps into you at the grocery store or reaches past you for a loaf of bread, don’t stress - it is a very low risk encounter, also - as long as they didn’t cough or sneeze in your face (one reason we wear cloth masks in public!).
5. Use common sense, part II. Dial down the obsessiveness. There really is no reason to go crazy sanitizing items that come into your house from outside, like groceries and packages. For it to be a risk, the delivery person would need to be infectious, cough or sneeze some droplets on your package, you touch the droplet, then touch your face, and then it invades your respiratory epithelium. There would need to be enough viral load and the virions would need to survive long enough for you to get infected. It could happen, but it’s pretty unlikely. If you want to have a staging station for 1-2 days before you put things away, sure, no problem. You also can simply wipe things off before they come in to your house - that is fine is fine too. For an isolated family, it makes no sense to obsessively wipe down every surface every day (or several times a day). Door knobs, toilet handles, commonly trafficked light switches could get a wipe off each day, but it takes a lot of time and emotional energy to do all those things and they have marginal benefits. We don’t need to create a sterile operating room-like living space. Compared to keeping your hands out of your mouth, good hand hygiene, and cleaning food before serving it, these behaviors might be more maladaptive than protective.
6. There are few absolutes, so please get comfortable accepting some calculated risks, otherwise you might be isolating yourself for a really, really long time. Figure out how you can be in public and interact with people without fear.
We are social creatures. We need each other. We will survive with and because of each other. Social distancing just means that we connect differently. Being afraid makes us contract and shut each other out. I hope we can fill that space created by fear and contraction with meaningful connections and learn to be less afraid of each of other.
___________
Managing COVID-19 risk as we leave our cocoons
The purpose of this post is to provide a perspective on the intense but expected anxiety so many people are experiencing as they prepare to leave the shelter of their homes. My opinions are not those of my employers and are not meant to invalidate anyone else’s – they simply are my perspective on managing risk.
In March, we did not know much about COVID-19 other than the incredibly scary news reports from overrun hospitals in China, Italy, and other parts of Europe. The media was filled with scary pictures of chest CT scans, personal stories of people who decompensated quickly with shortness of breath, overwhelmed health care systems, and deaths. We heard confusing and widely varying estimates for risk of getting infected and of dying – some estimates were quite high.
Key point #1: The COVID-19 we are facing now is the same disease it was 2 months ago. The “shelter at home” orders were the right step from a public health standpoint to make sure we flattened the curve and didn’t overrun the health care system which would have led to excess preventable deaths. It also bought us time to learn about the disease’s dynamics, preventive measures, and best treatment strategies – and we did. For hospitalized patients, we have learned to avoid early intubation, to use prone ventilation, and that remdesivir probably reduces time to recovery. We have learned how to best use and preserve PPE. We also know that several therapies suggested early on probably don’t do much and may even cause harm (ie, azithromycin, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir). But all of our social distancing did not change the disease. Take home: We flattened the curve and with it our economy and psyches, but the disease itself is still here.
Key point #2: COVID-19 is more deadly than seasonal influenza (about 5-10x so), but not nearly as deadly as Ebola, Rabies, or Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever where 25-90% of people who get infected die. COVID-19’s case fatality rate is about 0.8-1.5% overall, but much higher if you are 60-69 years old (3-4%), 70-79 years old (7-9%), and especially so if you are over 80 years old (CFR 13-17%). It is much lower if you are under 50 years old (<0.6%). The infection fatality rate is about half of these numbers. Take home: COVID-19 is dangerous, but the vast majority of people who get it, survive it. About 15% of people get very ill and could stay ill for a long time. We are going to be dealing with it for a long time.
Key point #3: SARS-CoV-2 is very contagious, but not as contagious as Measles, Mumps, or even certain strains of pandemic Influenza. It is spread by respiratory droplets and aerosols, not food and incidental contact. Take home: social distancing, not touching our faces, and good hand hygiene are the key weapons to stop the spread. Masks could make a difference, too, especially in public places where people congregate. Incidental contact is not really an issue, nor is food.
What does this all mean as we return to work and public life? COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon. It may not go away for a year or two and may not be eradicated for many years, so we have to learn to live with it and do what we can to mitigate (reduce) risk. That means being willing to accept *some* level of risk to live our lives as we desire. I can’t decide that level of risk for you – only you can make that decision. There are few certainties in pandemic risk management other than that fact that some people will die, some people in low risk groups will die, and some people in high risk groups will survive. It’s about probability.
Here is some guidance – my point of view, not judging yours:
1. People over 60 years old are at higher risk of severe disease – people over 70 years old, even more so. They should be willing to tolerate less risk than people under 50 years old and should be extra careful. Some chronic diseases like heart disease and COPD increase risk, but it is not clear if other diseases like obesity, asthma, immune disorders, etc. increase risk appreciably. It looks like asthma and inflammatory bowel disease might not be as high risk as we thought, but we are not sure - their risks might be too small to pick up, or they might be associated with things that put them at higher risk.
People over 60-70 years old probably should continue to be very vigilant about limiting exposures if they can. However, not seeing family – especially children and grandchildren – can take a serious emotional toll, so I encourage people to be creative and flexible. For example, in-person visits are not crazy – consider one, especially if you have been isolated and have no symptoms. They are especially safe in the early days after restrictions are lifted in places like Madison or parts of major cities where there is very little community transmission. Families can decide how much mingling they are comfortable with - if they want to hug and eat together, distance together with masks, or just stay apart and continue using video-conferencing and the telephone to stay in contact. If you choose to intermingle, remember to practice good hand hygiene, don’t share plates/forks/spoons/cups, don’t share towels, and don’t sleep together.
2. Social distancing, not touching your face, and washing/sanitizing your hands are the key prevention interventions. They are vastly more important than anything else you do. Wearing a fabric mask is a good idea in crowded public place like a grocery store or public transportation, but you absolutely must distance, practice good hand hygiene, and don’t touch your face. Wearing gloves is not helpful (the virus does not get in through the skin) and may increase your risk because you likely won’t washing or sanitize your hands when they are on, you will drop things, and touch your face.
3. Be a good citizen. If you think you might be sick, stay home. If you are going to cough or sneeze, turn away from people, block it, and sanitize your hands immediately after.
4. Use common sense. Dial down the anxiety. If you are out taking a walk and someone walks past you, that brief (near) contact is so low risk that it doesn’t make sense to get scared. Smile at them as they approach, turn your head away as they pass, move on. The smile will be more therapeutic than the passing is dangerous. Similarly, if someone bumps into you at the grocery store or reaches past you for a loaf of bread, don’t stress - it is a very low risk encounter, also - as long as they didn’t cough or sneeze in your face (one reason we wear cloth masks in public!).
5. Use common sense, part II. Dial down the obsessiveness. There really is no reason to go crazy sanitizing items that come into your house from outside, like groceries and packages. For it to be a risk, the delivery person would need to be infectious, cough or sneeze some droplets on your package, you touch the droplet, then touch your face, and then it invades your respiratory epithelium. There would need to be enough viral load and the virions would need to survive long enough for you to get infected. It could happen, but it’s pretty unlikely. If you want to have a staging station for 1-2 days before you put things away, sure, no problem. You also can simply wipe things off before they come in to your house - that is fine is fine too. For an isolated family, it makes no sense to obsessively wipe down every surface every day (or several times a day). Door knobs, toilet handles, commonly trafficked light switches could get a wipe off each day, but it takes a lot of time and emotional energy to do all those things and they have marginal benefits. We don’t need to create a sterile operating room-like living space. Compared to keeping your hands out of your mouth, good hand hygiene, and cleaning food before serving it, these behaviors might be more maladaptive than protective.
6. There are few absolutes, so please get comfortable accepting some calculated risks, otherwise you might be isolating yourself for a really, really long time. Figure out how you can be in public and interact with people without fear.
We are social creatures. We need each other. We will survive with and because of each other. Social distancing just means that we connect differently. Being afraid makes us contract and shut each other out. I hope we can fill that space created by fear and contraction with meaningful connections and learn to be less afraid of each of other.
LamieRobertson
Not awoke
If you have a little time on your hands this podcast is worth a listen ....if you can get to the end of the story involving the brothers and the twins there is an example of hope (for the future) over adversity...hence it would be waste on the main Covid thread
LamieRobertson
Not awoke
The lockdown in Switzerland will be eased even further. As of Saturday groups of up to 30 people can meet, rising from five currently. "We need to stay humble, but I think we have the situation under control," Health Minister Alain Berset reportedly said
From bbc website
From bbc website
Weststander
Well-known member
Just one confirmed new covid fatality in Spain yesterday!!
On 1st April the figure announced was 950.
On 1st April the figure announced was 950.
From the BBC :
At 111, Juana Zúñiga has become the oldest patient in Chile to recover from Covid-19.
Zúñiga tested positive after an outbreak at her care home near Santiago, where she is the oldest resident.
Despite suffering from respiratory problems even before the pandemic, Zúñiga - who is known as Juanita - was not seriously affected by the virus, the director of her care home explained.
"She did not have any sypmtoms and very few bouts of fever, which was good," María Paz Sordo said.
Sordo added that they had to move Juanita to a different part of the home to keep her isolated from other residents. "Taking her out of her habitat was the most difficult thing."
Juanita has been a resident of the care home ever since her sister, with whom she lived, died six years ago. Juanita, who never married and has no children, will turn 112 in July.
At 111, Juana Zúñiga has become the oldest patient in Chile to recover from Covid-19.
Zúñiga tested positive after an outbreak at her care home near Santiago, where she is the oldest resident.
Despite suffering from respiratory problems even before the pandemic, Zúñiga - who is known as Juanita - was not seriously affected by the virus, the director of her care home explained.
"She did not have any sypmtoms and very few bouts of fever, which was good," María Paz Sordo said.
Sordo added that they had to move Juanita to a different part of the home to keep her isolated from other residents. "Taking her out of her habitat was the most difficult thing."
Juanita has been a resident of the care home ever since her sister, with whom she lived, died six years ago. Juanita, who never married and has no children, will turn 112 in July.
LamieRobertson
Not awoke
Not sure if I actually pasted the link ..so doing this again
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aH...a1dKSU9pRy1NS1VmbUtVdDQ1c3N1NDg?hl=en-GB&ep=6
Keep in mind Spain has been recently updating the total figures, adding some deaths that weren't reported before but also removing others that apparently weren't caused by covid. That's what happened yesterday: 38 were deducted from the total amount. The correct figures are 39 for Wednesday, 35 for Tuesday, 50 for Monday. Very encouraging numbers anyway - it's less than half of the daily reported figures just one week ago.
Something similar is happening with the new reported cases, which are always less than the total added as some of them are not currently active cases. Daily figures are around 200 for the last few days. It also shows a huge improvement compared to just a few days ago, let alone weeks ago.
This thread has become my favourite place on the internet. Awesome job guys - keep it going.
Marshy
Well-known member
Brighton and Sussex NHS Trust are currently treating 31 inpatients with COVID-19, of whom 3 are in Critical Care
Getting better all the time.
Getting better all the time.
[yt]EGlo9LzmOME[/yt]
Weststander
Well-known member
I posted something similar in the Covid deaths thread yesterday. On Sunday, with a one-off minus tally, Spain reverted to only counting specifically confirmed covid deaths, rather than reported. The polar opposite of the Belgians who count all deaths in care homes as covid19 and even the UK where we've always included suspected covid deaths in non-hospital settings (based on a doctor's view on signing a death certificate) and hospitals deaths with covid rather than deaths specifically due to covid.
Spain going for low-balling. But it will all eventually come out in the wash with total excess deaths per nation.
dejavuatbtn
Well-known member
I think his advisers wished they had clubs just now - Boris inviting people to have barbecues! Didn’t think that one through did he?
The Wizard
Well-known member
- Jul 2, 2009
- 18,399
Patrick Vallance appeared quite ruffled after Boris spoke I thought, he can appear a bit abrasive though I’ve noticed.
Good news is under 2000 new infections today, for the first time since March 26th, the deaths have been a little higher the last few days but the rolling average shows its still declining, appears there was some data issues over the weekend that led to much lower numbers.
Also care home/all settings coming down
Good news is under 2000 new infections today, for the first time since March 26th, the deaths have been a little higher the last few days but the rolling average shows its still declining, appears there was some data issues over the weekend that led to much lower numbers.
Also care home/all settings coming down