Coronavirus/COVID in the U. S. & Elsewhere

[True Blue]

Florida now has more COVID19 cases than every country in the world except 4

 

1 USA excluding Florida

2 India

3 Brazil

4 Russia

5 Florida

 

COVID19 deaths in Florida now exceed China+Taiwan+Hong Kong

The infection intensity here per 1 million people is higher than Wuhan at its peak.

 

Oddly enough, the NBA decided to play all its games in Orlando

[eseum]

We had our highest single day total for deaths yesterday, with 28. Vegas area hospitals have added additional beds due to the recent spike in cases. One hospital has restricted visitor access. Casinos are reporting a decline in the number of tourists.

[amberjack1234]

Thanks for the updates.

[Randy W]

Yes, thank you.

 

South Korea's first known case occurred on the same day as in the US. This is from the WSJ

 

https://www.facebook.com/8304333127/posts/10160196752628128/

 

 

South Korea reported one of the first major coronavirus outbreaks outside China, yet has kept infections low compared to the U.S. Here's how smartphones have become one of the country’s most effective weapons against the pandemic.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/8304333127/posts/10160196752628128/

[eseum]

Things here in Las Vegas are still sputtering along. Station Casinos, which operates numerous neighborhood casinos, has said that it may never reopen at least four of them. That includes the Palms that underwent an expensive makeover not that long ago. The Tropicana has said that it will delay reopening later into the Fall. The Sahara has had to put out several statements to fight rumors that it is closing permanently.

 

Smash Burger closed three of their operations here permanently. Yelp stated that about 20% of restaurants that had been closed temporarily, were now closed permanently. Unemployment stands at 18% compared to 10% nationwide. Casinos that reopened are under the gun to do a better job protecting employees. There are worries starting to surface that the convention business will never fully recover.

[Randy W]

South Korea may be on the verge of "massive nationwide outbreak"

 

from the SCMP on Facebook

 

 

 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=317761276136106&id=355665009819

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/355665009819/posts/317761276136106/

 

[Randy W]

a free article from the WaPo

 

First coronavirus reinfection documented in Hong Kong, researchers say

• The 33-year-old man tested positive after returning from Europe, but showed no symptoms the second time round, likely because of his immune response

 

The paper described that while the patient had no detectable antibodies at the time of the second infection, he developed them afterward — a sign Iwasaki called “encouraging.”

 

Studies that look at antibodies after a coronavirus infection have reached differing conclusions about the level of immunity that can be expected months later. Experts have noted with the common cold, another illness caused by a coronavirus, people are often reinfected each season.

“What we are learning from this new case report is that SARS-CoV-2 may persist in the global population, similar to other common cold-associated human coronaviruses, even if patients have some degree of acquired immunity,” Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City said in an interview.

 

. . . and the SCMP video on Facebook

 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=338662537272169&id=355665009819

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/355665009819/posts/338662537272169/

 

[Randy W]

Covid-19 alarm raised through effluence monitoring - from the WaPo

 

The University of Arizona says it caught a dorm’s covid-19 outbreak before it started. Its secret weapon: Poop.

 

 

As 5,000 students prepared for move-in day at the University of Arizona this week, the school warned they would be tested periodically for the coronavirus. One test, though, doesn’t involve a nose swab. The university is regularly screening the sewage from each dorm, searching for traces of the virus.

On Thursday, officials said the technique worked — and possibly prevented a sizable outbreak on campus. When a wastewater sample from one dorm came back positive this week, the school quickly tested all 311 people who live and work there and found two asymptomatic students who tested positive. They were quickly quarantined.

“With this early detection, we jumped on it right away, tested those youngsters, and got them the appropriate isolation where they needed to be,” said Richard Carmona, a former U.S. surgeon general who is directing the school’s reentry task force, in a news conference.

 

[Randy W]

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/355665009819/videos/879681996127124/

 

Quote

Hunting down the origins of the coronavirus

The WHO’s mission to uncover the origins of Covid-19 is going ahead in Wuhan, with international experts working alongside Chinese scientists on the ground.

 

or YouTube

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

from the SCMP

Taiwan’s strong 2020: Covid-19 success, investment gains and US support

• The island’s coronavirus containment measures paid off, giving it a platform to push its international profile and renew efforts to join the WHO
• Businesses relocating from mainland China buoyed an economy that held up during the pandemic, while Washington approved arms sales and sent officials

Windows of the Grand Hotel in Taipei were illuminated to form the word “zero” after Taiwan first reported no new Covid-19 cases for consecutive days in April. Photo: AFP

Quote

With just seven deaths and 776 cases as of Wednesday, the self-ruled island has been recognised as one of the few global economies to have contained its coronavirus outbreak effectively. The pandemic had by then caused 77 million infections and 1.7 million deaths worldwide.
Relative success in controlling the outbreak has allowed the island’s people to enjoy a fairly normal life at a time when most parts of the world have been subjected to lockdowns and severe restrictions with infections rampant.
“Though I can’t go abroad, I can still go sightseeing at scenic spots in Taiwan, watch baseball and basketball games, and go with my friends to concerts, restaurants and parties,” David Lee, who teaches children English in Taipei, said. “I should be grateful, because we don’t have lockdowns here.”

 

[Randy W]

from the SCMP on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/229189745360678/

Quote

The coronavirus has reached Antarctica, the last continent on Earth that had previously been free of Covid-19.

[eseum]

I saw where Johnson and Johnson has developed a one shot covid19 vaccine. Results from preliminary trials are due by the end of this month. They plan to seek emergency approval if the results are good enough. The vaccine doesn't require deep refrigeration like the currently approved vaccines do.

I am currently not in a priority class for vaccination here in NV. I'm still to young at 68 😄. I hope that this new vaccine is approved and I can get it instead of the two shots. At the rate vaccinations are going here it really is a possibility.

[Randy W]

from the SCMP on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/1111046419322159/

Quote

First 3D scan of the real coronavirus revealed
An Austrian company has made the first 3D image of the actual virus that causes Covid-19. Before this, all we had were 3D computer graphics or models.

[Randy W]

from the NY Times

China Wanted to Show Off Its Vaccines. It’s Backfiring.
Delays, inconsistent data, spotty disclosures and the country’s attacks on Western rivals have marred its ambitious effort to portray itself as a leader in global health.

Brazilian indigenous people waiting in São Paulo to receive a coronavirus vaccine from the Chinese company Sinovac. Brazilian officials have complained that Chinese companies have been slow to ship the doses and ingredients.Credit...Victor Moriyama for The New York Times

Quote

China’s coronavirus vaccines were supposed to deliver a geopolitical win that showcased the country’s scientific prowess and generosity. Instead, in some places, they have set off a backlash.
Officials in Brazil and Turkey have complained that Chinese companies have been slow to ship the doses and ingredients. Disclosures about the Chinese vaccines have been slow and spotty. The few announcements that have trickled out suggest that China’s vaccines, while considered effective, cannot stop the virus as well as those developed by Pfizer and Moderna, the American drugmakers.
In the Philippines, some lawmakers have criticized the government’s decision to buy a vaccine made by a Chinese company, Sinovac. Officials in Malaysia and Singapore, which both ordered doses from Sinovac, have had to reassure their citizens that they would approve a vaccine only if it had been proved safe and effective.

 

[eseum]

My brother in Germany said they are still pretty restricted in activities. He had originally thought that he and his wife would get vaccinated at the beginning of this month. However, he is now not sure as there have been some problems with availability.

Here in Nevada they are still not giving vaccines in my age group. Last month was the deadliest month for the virus in the State. Statistics for gaming and travel through McCarran International Airport are down by about 50%. A number of casinos are still closing mid-week due to low traffic volume. Others have just remained closed since early last year.

I had high hopes for the one shot J&J vaccine, but it looks like it is not as effective as the others already approved. Reports say that overall effectiveness is about 60%, although it is higher for some ages than others. That makes it about as effective as a flu shot. I don't get yearly flu shots because I haven't had the flu since I was six years old. I still may go with it over the two shot vaccines depending on availability.