Covid-19 in China

[Allon]

I just hope we can stay patient here in the US for a little while longer. I am troubled by the hesitancy of some of the researchers to conclude firmly that the recovered victims have impunity for a longer time than what I have been hearing. If things open up, that 2nd wave will take weeks to handle, with an already taxed health care system.

 

Also, today in the news (translate: Tweet) that immigration to the US will be suspended. The admin is looking (translate: going crazy) at how to implement. That means no H1-B or similar permits, and families will have to wait longer to get together with their family here.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/coronavirus-trump-suspend-immigration/2020/04/21/464e2440-838d-11ea-ae26-989cfce1c7c7_story.html

 

(you may have first time rights to read WAPO.)

[Randy W]

from the NY Times -in plain language, why Covid-19 is so taxing to our medical resources - "we are not detecting the deadly pneumonia the virus causes early enough and that we could be doing more to keep patients off ventilators — and alive."

 

A "silent but deadly" killer.

 

The Infection That’s Silently Killing Coronavirus Patients

 

This is what I learned during 10 days of treating Covid pneumonia at Bellevue Hospital.

By Richard Levitan

Dr. Levitan is an emergency doctor.

 

To my amazement, most patients I saw said they had been sick for a week or so with fever, cough, upset stomach and fatigue, but they only became short of breath the day they came to the hospital. Their pneumonia had clearly been going on for days, but by the time they felt they had to go to the hospital, they were often already in critical condition.

In emergency departments we insert breathing tubes in critically ill patients for a variety of reasons. In my 30 years of practice, however, most patients requiring emergency intubation are in shock, have altered mental status or are grunting to breathe. Patients requiring intubation because of acute hypoxia are often unconscious or using every muscle they can to take a breath. They are in extreme duress. Covid pneumonia cases are very different.

 

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs in which the air sacs fill with fluid or pus. Normally, patients develop chest discomfort, pain with breathing and other breathing problems. But when Covid pneumonia first strikes, patients don’t feel short of breath, even as their oxygen levels fall. And by the time they do, they have alarmingly low oxygen levels and moderate-to-severe pneumonia (as seen on chest X-rays). Normal oxygen saturation for most persons at sea level is 94 percent to 100 percent; Covid pneumonia patients I saw had oxygen saturations as low as 50 percent.

To my amazement, most patients I saw said they had been sick for a week or so with fever, cough, upset stomach and fatigue, but they only became short of breath the day they came to the hospital. Their pneumonia had clearly been going on for days, but by the time they felt they had to go to the hospital, they were often already in critical condition.

In emergency departments we insert breathing tubes in critically ill patients for a variety of reasons. In my 30 years of practice, however, most patients requiring emergency intubation are in shock, have altered mental status or are grunting to breathe. Patients requiring intubation because of acute hypoxia are often unconscious or using every muscle they can to take a breath. They are in extreme duress. Covid pneumonia cases are very different.

A vast majority of Covid pneumonia patients I met had remarkably low oxygen saturations at triage — seemingly incompatible with life — but they were using their cellphones as we put them on monitors. Although breathing fast, they had relatively minimal apparent distress, despite dangerously low oxygen levels and terrible pneumonia on chest X-rays.

We are only just beginning to understand why this is so. The coronavirus attacks lung cells that make surfactant. This substance helps the air sacs in the lungs stay open between breaths and is critical to normal lung function. As the inflammation from Covid pneumonia starts, it causes the air sacs to collapse, and oxygen levels fall. Yet the lungs initially remain “compliant,” not yet stiff or heavy with fluid. This means patients can still expel carbon dioxide — and without a buildup of carbon dioxide, patients do not feel short of breath.

Patients compensate for the low oxygen in their blood by breathing faster and deeper — and this happens without their realizing it. This silent hypoxia, and the patient’s physiological response to it, causes even more inflammation and more air sacs to collapse, and the pneumonia worsens until oxygen levels plummet. In effect, patients are injuring their own lungs by breathing harder and harder. Twenty percent of Covid pneumonia patients then go on to a second and deadlier phase of lung injury. Fluid builds up and the lungs become stiff, carbon dioxide rises, and patients develop acute respiratory failure.

By the time patients have noticeable trouble breathing and present to the hospital with dangerously low oxygen levels, many will ultimately require a ventilator.

Silent hypoxia progressing rapidly to respiratory failure explains cases of Covid-19 patients dying suddenly after not feeling short of breath. (It appears that most Covid-19 patients experience relatively mild symptoms and get over the illness in a week or two without treatment.)

A major reason this pandemic is straining our health system is the alarming severity of lung injury patients have when they arrive in emergency rooms. Covid-19 overwhelmingly kills through the lungs. And because so many patients are not going to the hospital until their pneumonia is already well advanced, many wind up on ventilators, causing shortages of the machines. And once on ventilators, many die.

Avoiding the use of a ventilator is a huge win for both patient and the health care system. The resources needed for patients on ventilators are staggering. Vented patients require multiple sedatives so that they don’t buck the vent or accidentally remove their breathing tubes; they need intravenous and arterial lines, IV medicines and IV pumps. In addition to a tube in the trachea, they have tubes in their stomach and bladder. Teams of people are required to move each patient, turning them on their stomach and then their back, twice a day to improve lung function.

 

 

[Randy W]

Security Alert - U. S. Embassy Beijing and All Consulates, People's Republic of China (April 24, 2020)

Location: People's Republic of China

Event: In response to reports of discrimination against foreign citizens the Chinese government has reiterated that all public health measures, including mandatory testing and quarantine policies, apply equally to both Chinese citizens and foreigners. Government officials have also stated that they are committed to preventing or resolving instances of discrimination against foreign citizens present in China. If you believe that you are experiencing discrimination by private or public institutions based on your nationality, ethnicity, or skin color, you may report it by calling the police by dialing 110.

If you choose to report, identify yourself as an American citizen and ask for an English-speaking officer, if needed, then report the discrimination you are experiencing and ask them to respond. Do not leave the scene unless you feel your life is in danger, because police might not respond if the aggrieved person departs. After reporting the incident, please contact the nearest American Citizens Services Unit, using the contact information below, to inform us of the circumstances and resolution. U.S. diplomatic posts in the People’s Republic of China are tracking these incidents and bringing them to the attention of the authorities as citizens request and circumstances warrant.

 

 

Consulate contact information is at

 

http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/50068-consulates-open-for-routine-services-acs/?p=644664

[Randy W]

Hu Says (and the Global Times) on Facebook

 

Quote

【#HuSays】The last hope for Trump and the GOP is to blame China, campaign for compensation from China, and stir up more anger among Americans for China than for their own federal government: Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/115591005188475/posts/915278145603197

Edited June 8, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[eseum]

This just keeps getting uglier and uglier. I am beginning to wonder how bad relations between China and the U.S. will be, by the time the November election comes around. Both sides need to take a good look at themselves to see what went wrong in the handling of the reaction to the virus. Then they need to learn from it and work towards finding solutions for the future. They don't just owe it to their countries, but to the world as well.

[amberjack1234]

As long as money is involved China will never own up to any wrongdoing and try to cover things up and not accept any help for fear of disclosure of wrongdoing. This is not the first time you remember.

 

But, I do wish we could get along better but as long as China has it's sites set on being the top dog it will never happen.

Edited April 29, 2020 by amberjack1234 (see edit history)

[Allon]

I think China would like to be the top dog but more important to stay in power. It's the social contract that has existed for centuries and been broken usually by earthquakes or floods.

[tsap seui]

For many years I've laughed and said the phase and laughed about my belief that "China's leaders don't need a single bullet or bomb to take down America"

 

China's leaders recent actions clearly shows the world EXACTLY how they would lead once in power. I was especially touched at their show of extreme 'compassion' for the humanity of the world as their actions run rampant among us.

[Randy W]

from the Global Times

 

Vitality is back in Wuhan's Night Market

 

Published on May 3, 2020

The night has come alive at the Hankou Water Tower, one of Wuhan ’s popular night markets, with people lining up to buy local snacks. Dine-in services are also partially restored. But to keep safe distance, shops have cut the number of seats by two-thirds compared to last year.

 

 

 

[Allon]

Thanks for posting that, Randy. To me, it's good news. I hope there is no second wave.

[DocMartin817]

It is the last day of the May holiday today and things in Wuhan are really opening up. We were lucky that Liwen's brother and sister-in-law got a much deserved break and were able to come back to their apartment. We all went to different birding spots in the city -- we are still restricted from leaving Wuhan. And the town was alive with open businesses, many restaurants with outdoor seating were crowded and many of the parks were jammed with people picnicking and relaxing. People are still wearing masks -- not all but most. And we have our temperature taken when we leave and enter the apartment complex. But things are slowly normalizing here.

[Randy W]

Can wearing masks kill you?

 

from the Shanghaiist

 

Two students suddenly drop dead while running laps at school with masks on

While there is no evidence that the masks caused the deaths, public fears have been ignited

 

 

On April 30, a 14-year-old boy died suddenly during a 1 km fitness test at his school in Changsha, Hunan province. During the run, the boy was wearing an N95 mask.

His death followed that of another schoolboy in Henan province who also collapsed when running laps while wearing a mask on April 24. He was 15 years old.

Following the coronavirus outbreak, kids across China have been returning back to school over the past month but are required to wear face masks at all times while on school grounds.

 

 

[Randy W]

[Randy W]

from CGTN

 

Why the White House has backed down from the 'Wuhan Lab Theory'

 

 

Editor's note: Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. He writes on topics pertaining to China, the DPRK, Britain and the U.S. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

 

 

 

After aggressively pushing a false and misleading accusation, why is the White House now retreating and downplaying it? The answer is because widely rejected by allies and scientific bodies, the theory has in fact only served to discredit America's reputation and isolate it from coordinating a global response to the virus.

Despite using elite channels to push the theory and false dossiers, the idea of a lab leak did not gain any international traction or legitimacy. Other countries haven't bought it. Washington believed by doing this, they could ferment greater retribution against China. It hasn't worked. As a result, the White House had no other option than to back down and accept the established consensus, lest they suffer for their own disinformation campaign.

The claim that the COVID-19 originated from a Wuhan laboratory as a kind of unintentional biological warfare was a snake oil conspiracy theory based on no scientific premise whatsoever, and rejected by pretty much everyone. Experts around the world, including the World Health Organization, stressed that COVID-19 was of a natural origin and derived from animals.

Not only did scientists reject it, but so did the allies of the United States. Countries who spoke out against the theory included Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Australia, the latter being very closely affiliated with America's strategic goals. In fact, U.S. intelligence itself did not accept the idea at any point.

 

 

 

[eseum]

This administration may not continue to push this "Theory" at an international level, but it will still try to give it credence here in the U.S. It plays to well to its base to let it drop.