Coronavirus 2

[clueliss]

First it's Samaritan's Purse setting up a field hospital in Central Park NYC now it's Doctors without Borders sending a team to the Navajo Nation.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

We don't want to pay front line workers adequately because that cuts into the CEO's bonuses and shareholder profits. I'm glad there are no Krogers around here.

 

[clueliss]

You might have a Kroger with a different name.  I used to work for Dillons in Kansas (in college) - owned by Kroger.  Locally we have Gerbes (which is really a different name for Dillons as I recall) - owned by Kroger (my Dillons shopper card from before I moved works at Gerbes and I never changed it - just the address etc tied to the card.  

[HerNameIsBuffy]

5 minutes ago, clueliss said:

You might have a Kroger with a different name.  I used to work for Dillons in Kansas (in college) - owned by Kroger.  Locally we have Gerbes (which is really a different name for Dillons as I recall) - owned by Kroger (my Dillons shopper card from before I moved works at Gerbes and I never changed it - just the address etc tied to the card.  

Yeah - our Kroger is a Food 4 Less.  

[GreyhoundFan]

29 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Yeah - our Kroger is a Food 4 Less.  

I looked it up, here is the Kroger "family":

 

I didn't realize Kroger bought Harris Teeter, which is in my area. I haven't shopped there in years because I haven't been impressed with their prices and selection. I'm a Wegman's woman! Wegman's treats their employees well.

 

[clueliss]

I knew Dillon's/Gerbes/King Soopers because they were all part of the same 'family' of stores tied to Dillons.  

This tidbit from my local library - book returns are open, books will be on a 3 day quarantine.  And they are opening holds back up on May 15.  (with what sounds like curbside pickup at the library)

Spoiler

 

Book Drops Reopen Tuesday, May 12

As part of our phased-in reopening plans, we are reopening the book drops first. This includes the book drops at the libraries, in the parking lots near the Library-To-Go lockers and at all the other locations in Columbia. This will allow us to begin our three-day quarantining process for all returned materials. (Please note this will result in a delay in staff checking in your items, and returned items may not be removed from your account until at least three days after their return.)

Thank you for holding on to all those library materials while we’ve been closed!

Start Placing Holds Again on May 15

We know many of you are anxious to get your hands on new books to read! You will be able to place new holds online starting May 15. We’ll be able to take phoned-in requests beginning Monday, May 18. We’ll be starting curbside holds pickup next week at our library buildings. Please wait until you have received an email that your holds are ready for pickup as our staff needs time to fulfill the large number of requests that we expect to receive.

How Curbside Pickup Will Work

You will receive an email notice that your hold is ready to pick up. Please do not come to the library until you have received an email that your holds are ready. Pull into one of the designated curbside pickup parking spaces and call the number on the sign in front of your space. Staff will ask for your name, library card number and parking space number. Please have your trunk open and stay in your vehicle. Staff will bring your holds to you and place them in your vehicle. Please put all your returns in the book drops or designated bins. Staff will not be able to take your returns in person.

Curbside pickup is limited to holds placed online or over the phone. For personal safety, staff will not be able to take any in-person requests.

Curbside service will be offered in Ashland, Columbia and Fulton. Holts Summit patrons can pick up holds at the Library-To-Go lockers. Bookmobile stops will resume in June. In adherence with social distancing guidelines, each community visit will be limited to holds pickup only. Bookmobile patrons will be able to pick up holds at the door; browsing on board will not be permitted at this time.

I miss the library - I'm attempting to get into my writing again and the library was a good place for me to do that without a bunch of at home distractions (ahem - tv).  

[clueliss]

More oddities in the coronavirus linked syndrome in children.

 

And up to 5 children dead from this

Spoiler

 

 

[fraurosena]

Tuesday's update:

• There were 54 new corona related deaths reported in the past 24 hrs, bringing the total number of deaths in the Netherlands up to 5510.
  There were 35 new hospitalisations, bringing the total number of hospitalisations up to 11.378.
  There were 196 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases up to 42.984.
  The numbers on Tuesday's are often higher because of the lag in reporting during the weekends.
  The number of corona patients needing ICU care went down by 35 to a total number of 4623. For the first time in months, there are now more non-corona patients in the ICU's than corona patients.
  Dutch blood bank Sanquin has joined an 'international plasma-alliance', which is going to process antibodies from plasma into medication against CoVid-19. The medicine is meant for patients with high risk of serious complications with the illness. The alliance was founded last month by a number of pharmaceutical companies. The alliance's goal is to speed up the development of possible medication.
  The RIVM (Dutch CDC equivalent) has warned that fast working tests, that are supposed to tell if you are (or were) infected within half an hour, are unreliable. They give false results too often. 16 of these tests were analysed. Preliminary conclusions are that none of the researched fast working tests meets the requirements for individual patient diagnostics. Last month the WHO had also advised against using fast working tests. 
• The spokesperson for Russian president Vladimir Putin, Dmitri Peskov, has been infected with the virus. Peskov is being treated in hospital. It's unclear if his hospitalisation has consequences for Putin or members of his cabinet. The Kremlin said that everything is being don to keep Putin healthy. The president has been working from his residence outside of Moscow for some time and is holding virtual meetings. Putin was in the same room as Igor Setsjin, head of Rosneft, on Tuesday though. 
  Peskov is not the first person in Putin's entourage to be infected. Last month, prime minister Misjoestin announced he would temporarily stop working because of a corona infection. Earlier, the minister of Culture, Ljoebimova, and the minister of Construction, Jakoesjev, also confirmed they had been infected. 
  The number of new confirmed cases in Russia rose with 10.899, bringing the total number of cases up to 232.243, the third highest number in the world. Yesterday Putin said there were less new confirmed cases in the country, hours after a record number of new cases (11.600) had been confirmed. Authorities say the rapid rise in cases is due to stricter testing policies.
  There were 107 corona related deaths reported yesterday, bringing the total number of deaths up to 2116.
  Russia has tested more than 5.8 million people. 
• Food banks in the US are having difficulties in keeping up with demand now that one in five people is unemployed. A mega drive-in food bank has been erected on a deserted airport in Atlantic City, where they can provide 2000 people with food in two hours. People have been waiting for more than six weeks for their unemployment benefits. Payments are delayed because the system has been overloaded. This is why people are destitute and desperate. 30.000 people in the region lost their jobs. 
  A large billboard in Times Square, New York, that shows how many corona related deaths could have been prevented. The creator of 'The Trump's Death Clock', filmmaker Eugen Jarecki, says that if Trump had acted sooner, these deaths wouldn't have occurred. 
  The death count now stands at 50.000 deaths. These people wouldn't have died if the administration had mandated social distancing and closed schools and institutions one week earlier, Jarecki said. "Just as there are names of deceased soldiers on monuments to remind us of the price we pay for war, the counting of lives that were lost because of the delayed corona reaction by the president has a crucial public function.
  The US has more than 80.000 corona related deaths, the highest number is the world.
• Authorities in Wuhan, China, are planning to test the whole of its population, about 11 million people, for the corona virus. The metropolis, where the pandemic started, has seen new cases confirmed in the past couple of days. It's unclear when the mass testing of residents is going to begin. Plans are being made on how to proceed. 
  The lockdown in the city was lifted at the beginning of April and in other area's of the country the outbreak seems to mostly be under control. However authorities fear that the virus will start to spread again and are refusing most foreigners entry into China.
• For the first time in two months there were less than 50 new hospitalisations in Belgium. In the past 24 hrs there were 43 new corona patients admitted in hospitals. 
  There were 65 new corona related deaths, bringing the total up to 8761.
• The Spanish government has announced a two week quarantine period for all travellers entering the country after May 15. This measure will remain in place as long as the emergency situation continues. Incoming travellers must remain at home or in their lodgings and may only leave to do necessary shopping, go to health centres or in case of emergency. Wearing a mask is mandatory when going outside. 
  The total number of corona related deaths in Spain is 26.744. 
  The total number of confirmed cases is 227.436, making Spain the second worst hit country in the world, after the US.
• The corona epidemic in Denmark is still going rapidly down even though the lockdown measures have been eased. The replication rate of the virus was 0.7 in the first week of May, far less than when the epidemic was at its height in March, when the replication rate was almost 2.
  The total number of corona related deaths in Denmark is 530.
• The number of confirmed cases that were infected in nightclubs in Seoul, South Korea, has gone up to 94. The outbreak is difficult to follow, because infections also occurred in nightclubs for gays. Because South Korea is relatively homophobic, some visitors gave false names or addresses, or a non-existent phone number. Health authorities are now offering anonymous corona tests. Mayor Park Won-soon warns that people who won't get tested risk a fine of 2 million won (about 1500 euro).
  The new outbreak is a blow to the South Korean authorities, who had been able to successfully contain the spread of the virus by offering free testing to its residents. Authorities also began carefully tracking citizens, among other things by using an app that keeps track of ones location. This meant the lockdown in South Korea could be much less restrictive than in other countries. 
• Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has declared hairdressers, beauticians and gyms as essential jobs; these businesses are allowed to re-open again. Earlier the president had forcefully opposed lockdown measures that had been instated in many Brazilian states and cities.
  According to Bolsonaro the opening of the businesses is essential for the health of all Brazilians. Staying at home has a negative effect, he said. "But if they can go to the gym they can live healthier."
  However, it's unclear if Bolsonaro's declaration will have any effect. Last month Brazil's Supreme Court decided that governors and mayors have the last say about instating or easing corona measures. For now, a presidential decree cannot change that. 
  There are more than 166.000 confirmed cases in Brazil, with more than 11.000 corona related deaths. 
• It looks like Italy is going to speed up the easing of corona measures in a number of Italian regions. These regions had asked to start phase to of easing measures sooner, and the Italian government has granted this request. This means that regional authorities can decide if restaurants, cafes, hairdressers and beauticians can reopen on May 18, instead of the earlier plan to do so on June 1. 
  If necessary, prime minister Conte's government can rescind their decision.
• After seven weeks of strict lockdown, India is allowing its railways to reopen again. Special trains will be leaving from a number of large cities, such as Delhi and Mumbai. Passengers are only allowed on train stations if they have their temperature taken and they don't have any symptoms. They will also need to wear masks and have to use disinfectant hand gel upon boarding and leaving the train. On board everyone will have to keep their social distance and passengers must download a corona-app to facilitate contact tracing.
  Trains are an important form of transportation in India. Normally about 20 million people use the train daily. Hours after the announcement that railways would be reopened, more than 45.000 tickets had been sold. 
  There are worries about the possible spread of the virus by passengers. There are 70.756 confirmed cases in India, with 2293 corona related deaths, but experts say that number is probably much higher. 

[ADoyle90815]

I got my stimulus check today, and it was just the check so no bragging letter from the Toddler in Chief. Will deposit it today.

[clueliss]

Missouri passes 10k cases - and today's hike is cases is partly fueled by one location 'catching up' (they were expecting a Friday/Weekend delay here because May 8 is Truman's Birthday and a state holiday - but I think based on the date range this might be something else) (deaths at 524)

Broadway Theaters closed through at least Sept 6
 

Spoiler

 

Twitter will be letting some people work from home 'forever' 

Quote

 

Missouri will allow districts to return early due to how long they have been out of school 

Quote

 

 

[clueliss]

CNN Piece on the threat of Americans' savings, not spending - credit card debt is falling

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/12/investing/jobs-coronavirus-consumer-spending-debt/index.html

 

Quote

Americans create new economic threat with their own savings

By Matt Egan, CNN Business

Updated 7:50 AM ET, Tue May 12, 2020

 

New York (CNN Business)Americans are slashing their spending, hoarding cash and shrinking their credit card debt as they fear their jobs could disappear during the coronavirus pandemic.

US credit card debt suddenly reversed course in March and fell by the largest percentage in more than 30 years. At the same time, savings rates climbed to levels unseen since Ronald Reagan was in the White House.

The dramatic shifts in consumer behavior reflect the unprecedented turmoil in the US economy caused by the pandemic. Although caution is a logical response to that uncertainty, hunkering down also poses a risk to the recovery in an economy dominated by consumer spending. A so-called V-shaped recovery can't happen if consumers are sitting on the sidelines.

Here's when the US job market will recover

More than 33 million Americans have filed for initial unemployment claims since mid-March, and economists warn the jobs market won't return to pre-crisis levels for years.

"Consumers are very cautious," said Russell Price, chief economist at Ameriprise Financial. "We're right in the middle of the storm."

 

 

'Uncertainty and fear'

The unemployment rate soared to 14.7% in April — the most severe unemployment crisis since the Great Depression — and Americans are bracing for more challenging times ahead.

The perceived probability of losing one's job over the next 12 months soared to nearly 21% in April, according to a New York Federal Reserve survey released Monday. It was the second straight month of a record high for this metric in the survey, which the NY Fed launched in 2013.

Workers are also worried about how they'll land another job if they lose theirs. The perceived probability of finding a job in the next three months tumbled 6.1 percentage points to 47% in April, the largest monthly decline ever recorded.

The survey described "considerable deteriorations" in household expectations, including record lows for expected earnings, income and spending growth.

"We know that Covid has not gone away," said Danielle DiMartino Booth, CEO and chief strategist at Quill Intelligence. "That is going to keep in place an element of uncertainty and fear and hold back consumers' ability or desire to spend."

Credit card debt collapses

Worried Americans are drastically scaling back their credit card debt, the most expensive form of typical borrowing.

In March, revolving credit outstanding collapsed at an annual rate of 31%, according to a Federal Reserve report released last week. It was the largest one-month decline since January 1989.

Part of that drop, economists say, is that banks have pulled back on credit lines as more people become unemployed.

But consumers are also becoming more frugal and reining in their borrowing in case their income is wiped out.

The NY Fed survey found that the perceived probability of missing a minimum debt payment over the next three months rose to 16.2% in April, well above the 12-month trailing average of 11.9%.

"People have seriously reined in their spending. You have to wonder when they will feel comfortable splurging," said Booth.

Savings rate spiked to Reagan-era levels

Credit card borrowing and spending probably declined further in April.

For example, Visa (V) reported that credit card payment volumes plunged 31% through April 28. Visa said the only category of US payments volume that is growing is food and drugstores, along with Walmart (WMT), Costco (COST) and Target (TGT). Spending on everything else was down in April.

Visa has warned that payments volume in the "hardest-hit" categories of travel, fuel, restaurants and entertainment plunged by more than 50% in April. Travel spending collapsed by about 80% last month.

"The consumer that constitutes the beating heart of the real economy is preparing for a much longer slowdown than what policymakers are telling them," said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, a consultancy.

For now, Americans are building cash reserves to help them get through the storm.

The savings rate in the United States climbed from 8% in February to 13.1% in March. That was the highest savings rate since November 1981. And given the disastrous economic news, the savings rate will likely go even higher when April statistics are released.

"When you have a depression-like shock, households will increase savings," said Brusuelas, who called the March spike in savings rate "insane."

Main Street is hurting

The shifts in consumer behavior are another reminder of the pain on Main Street that often gets lost given the near-euphoria on Wall Street. The US stock market has raced back to life since late March as investors have celebrated the response from the federal government and signs of hope on the health front.

Although investors are optimistic about the future of the large companies that make up the S&P 500, it's clear that small and medium-sized businesses are hurting badly.

About 83% of middle-market businesses reported a general decline in economic prospects in April, according to a survey released Monday by RSM. And more than half expect a decline in conditions over the next six months. About 46% of executives reported a drop in April hiring and nearly a third noted a decline in compensation being offered.

J.Crew bankruptcy: Uncle Sam can't bail everyone out

RSM's middle-market business index collapsed to record lows in April on the bleak findings.

RSM said the survey strongly implies the federal government's stimulus efforts "will not be sufficient to revive the beating heart and soul of the real economy in the near term."

Reopening the economy

Although the shifts in consumer behavior are rational, they point to longer-term challenges for an economy that is dominated by consumer spending, which makes up more than two-thirds of US GDP.

Economists warn that even after stay-at-home orders are lifted, many Americans won't spend as aggressively as before until there is a vaccine. It's not as simple as reopening the economy.

Many consumers, especially senior citizens and those with preexisting conditions, will probably shy away from crowds for the foreseeable future. And that means the economy can't get flipped back on like a light switch.

"Even if you are a multimillionaire, you're going to be much more reluctant to go to restaurants, baseball games and travel on airplanes," Ameriprise's Price said.

 

[Ozlsn]

Australia continues to have low numbers and to inch towards staged reopening.  Victoria had 17 new cases yesterday, which are probably linked to the abbatoir outbreak. NSW had 6 new cases this morning, three have currently uncertain origins. Schools are going back in stages in starting in about two weeks (we're coming up to our mid-year break, so hoping we can get some of term 2 in at school!) Victoria and NSW relaxed gathering restrictions slightly over the weekend and Monday, the last two states to do so.  The Victorian testing blitz has found 20-30 cases that aren't currently linked to previous cases and which were in low symptom people, so there is definitely some ongoing transmission and everyone's working out how to manage that. 

[Dandruff]

I broke my once-a-month shopping "rule" today, out of concern for the potentially premature opening of the DC metro area.  When things lighten up some people might get reckless.  This time the gap was two weeks.  I stayed local and went to two stores.  Since I got less stuff than before I managed to sanitize nearly all of it before putting it into my car (in bags I brought) and disposed of the bags the groceries came in.  It was a PITA but made things easier once I got home.

My area is crawling with COVID-19 but I'm worried that the ongoing economic problems may be starting to bias politicians toward risking lives for $$s.  Bad enough that masks aren't fully mandated here.  It's like wandering through a fucking minefield.

I'm getting rather tired of all this.

[Ozlsn]

Oops, got distracted and didn't finish what I was going to say about the graph in the previous post before it timed out (damn work)! Basically it's the tests needed to find one positive case, so an indication of spread. Obviously it's dependent on both the number of tests being done, and who has access to testing. I thought it was interesting though - countries like South Korea, who have essentially contained the virus fairly well, and who are testing widely test a huge number of people to find one positive. Countries like the UK who I think are only testing symptomatic people and contacts of known cases are finding a lot more positives with fewer tests. Hopefully as more tests become available the numbers will spread out across the board.

[AmericanRose]

As it turns out, life in Sweden actually isn't going on like normal, as people like to throw at me on Twitter:

Foreign Minister: It's a myth that life goes on as normal in Sweden
https://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?artikel=7454617

[JMarie]

https://www.inquirer.com/news/drexel-model-estimates-philadelphias-coronavirus-lockdown-saved-6200-lives-20200512.html?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20coronavirus%2005-12-20&utm_content=Daily%20coronavirus%2005-12-20+CID_38b8d7a080e3e9bb3e42747a2d978b18&utm_source=newsletter_edit&utm_term=Drexel%20researchers%20estimate%20Philadelphias%20coronavirus%20lockdown%20saved%206200%20lives

Quote

As the hardships of coronavirus shutdowns grow and pressure to reopen mounts, public health researchers at Drexel University are modeling the deaths and suffering that have been — and could be — averted by these unprecedented measures.

Using an interactive model developed by the New York Times, Drexel’s Urban Health Collaborative estimated how many hospitalizations and deaths were prevented in 30 big cities, including Philadelphia, where stay-home orders took effect March 23.

Compared with imposing no safeguards, the first 45 days of the City of Brotherly Love’s shutdown was estimated to have avoided about 57,000 hospitalizations and 6,200 deaths.

Keeping the city hunkered down until May 22 would be even better, preventing 68,000 hospitalizations and saving 7,100 lives.

 

[clueliss]

More things linked to Covid

 

[fraurosena]

Wednesday's update:

• There were 52 corona related deaths in the Netherlands, bringing the total number of deaths up to 5562.
  There were 52 new hospitalisations, bringing the total number up to 11.430. The number of Dutch corona patients in the ICU went down by 31, to a total number of 432.
  There were 227 new confirmed cases, bringing the total up to 43.211.
• Lesotho has confirmed its first case of Covid19 in a patient that had recently returned from Saudi Arabia. With Lesotho's confirmation, the corona virus has officially spread across the whole African continent. Lesotho went into lockdown on March 29 to prevent the spread of the virus from South Africa, that entirely encircles the small kingdom. (South Africa is the worst hit country in Africa, with 11.350 confirmed cases and 206 corona related deaths.) The lockdown in Lesotho was eased on May 6, enabling all non-essential services and businesses to reopen temporarily.
• Belgium is easing more of its corona measures. Starting next Monday hairdressers and other contact jobs may open their businesses again, by appointment and with a number of strict safety measures. Zoos may also reopen, but they must use a strict and limited online ticket system, just as a number of museums do. 
  Small open air markets with a maximum of 50 stalls will be allowed from May 18 and gyms may restart their outdoor training sessions with a maximum of 20 people. 
  Marriages and funerals with a maximum of 30 guests are also allowed, without a reception afterwards. 
• Spanish María Branyas was 11 years old when the Spanish flu outbreak started. She survived the Spanish civil war, and now she has also survived Covid-19. So far the 113-year-old is the oldest person in the world to have recovered from the virus. 
  Early March she celebrated her 113th birthday with her family. It would be the last time she would see her family for quite some time, as soon after the virus spread throughout Spain. Many care homes were hit hard by corona. María lives in a care home in Olot. Remarkably she hardly had any symptoms when she tested positive in April. She was isolated from the outside world for weeks, and only had contact with her family by phone. 
  Her family is relieved that she has survived, and are looking forward to being able to visit her again.
• The easing of corona measures in London has lead to a great amount of people using public transport. Minister of Transport, Grant Shapps, had requested his countrymen to use bicycles or to walk to work, but people massively ignored his advice. Commuters are complaining on social media about full busses and trains. Many passengers aren't wearing masks and keeping distance is hardly possible. 
•  Panda's Er Shun and Da Mao, celebrated residents of the Calgary Zoo, Canada, have to return to China because of a shortage of bamboo caused by the corona crisis. Calgary Zoo fears that the supply of bamboo will be uncertain in the coming months, especially as a second wave of the virus is expected. 
  On a daily basis the panda's eat about 40kg of bamboo, that is in rich supply in China. Er Shun and Da Mao came to Canada for a period of 10 years in 2013. Er Shun has had twins in Canada, the fist panda's ever born in Canada. The twins are already on their way to China.
• Iceland is planning to offer tourists a corona test upon arrival. Anyone refusing the test will have to go into a two week quarantine. The country wants to open its borders by June 15. Visitors must also download a tracing app. About 40% of the Icelandic populace already has the app.
  When the borders reopen, visitors may also show documentation that they aren't infected. Next Friday the quarantine measures will be lifted for certain occupational groups, such as researchers and athletes. Iceland hasn't had new cases in five days. There is one corona patient still being treated in hospital. There are 1800 confirmed cases, with 10 corona related deaths in Iceland.
• Austria wants its border with Germany to be reopened by June 15. Austrian tourism is largely dependent on German holiday makers and they want clarity on which corona measures will be in place during the coming summertime. 
  Austria is also striving to ease the border measures with its other neighbouring countries, but these countries must have the outbreak under control.
• Unicef fears a higher child mortality rate because of the corona crisis. Based on research reported in The Lancet Global Health Journal, 6000 additional children could die because of the pandemic in the coming six months. The health and future of millions of children are at risk. In the worst case scenario the number of children that dies before their fifth year could increase for the first time in decades. 
  The research shows a possible increase of infant mortality  of 1.2 million children younger than five years old. That is on top of the 2.5 million children that would die of other causes in the coming six months.
• Russian authorities have banned the use of one model of ventilator machine pending investigations into two deadly hospital fires. The Aventa-M machines have been preliminarily linked to the blazes, which left six coronavirus patients dead. Five coronavirus patients died in a fire allegedly caused by a short circuit or some other fault in an Aventa-M machine in the ICU of a St. Petersburg hospital on Tuesday. One patient died in similar blaze at a Moscow hospital three days earlier. While short circuits have been discussed as probably causes in both fires, the incidents remain under investigation.
  Putin sent dozens of the ventilators of the same model to the United States — part of a larger shipment of medical supplies — in early April as aid to the US, and then sent a bill for them for almost 660.000 dollar.
  FEMA has said those ventilators went to New York and New Jersey, but were never used. They "have not been deployed to hospitals," FEMA spokeswoman Janet Montesi said. "Out of an abundance of caution, the states are returning the ventilators to FEMA."
• There were 10,028 new confirmed cases in Russia, bringing the total number of cases up to 242,271. This was the 10th day in a row that there were more than 10.000 new confirmed cases per day. The death toll, which remains a topic of intense speculation given its relative low number compared to countries with similar-sized outbreaks, climbed to 2,212, with 96 new deaths registered in the past day.
  This week the Kremlin eased a national lockdown introduced to slow the spread of the virus despite a steady rise in infections that has now placed Russia's outbreak second, behind only the U.S., in terms of confirmed cases.
• Australian Finance Secretary, Josh Frydenberg, had a coughing fit in parliament yesterday. After being tested, he announced on social media his results were negative. Frydenberg was standing next to prime minister Scott Morrison during his speech. 
• The number of corona related deaths in the US rose considerably in comparison to the two previous days. There were 1894 deaths reported yesterday, bringing the total number of corona related deaths up to 82.246. There are more than 1.3 million confirmed cases. 

[CTRLZero]

Quote

Australian Finance Secretary, Josh Frydenberg, had a coughing fit in parliament yesterday. After being tested, he announced on social media his results were negative. Frydenberg was standing next to prime minister Scott Morrison during his speech.

I'm glad he was able to get a quick test and that the results were negative.  We've had an unusually high amount of pollen in our region this spring and, even though we know our masks don't filter out the Covid-19 virus, we've found that wearing masks seems to help with that.  

It concerns me that some people think that because the disease occurrence has flattened in some areas, that the virus isn't still out there.  We are seeing evidence of that in these second wave outbreaks.*  As people start getting out and about, they still need to take precautions and take this seriously.

*I'm fretting because our daughter is moving for the summer from one hot-spot (New York City area) to another.  She's been very conscientious about self-isolating, and will do so again when she arrives, but just the act of taking a day to drive to another location freaks me out.  /mom fret over

[clueliss]

but you know, all the tests, the tests are fantastic, we have all the tests...

 

[clueliss]

Meatpakcing plant outside of Topeka (Holton) shuts down due to Covid cases.  (Johnsonville plant)

Spoiler

 

Children's Mercy in Kansas City has a case of Multisystem inflammatory disease

Spoiler

 

And Children's Hospital in St. Louis is reporting cases of Kawasaki like disease (which I suspect is the same thing with a different name)

Spoiler

 

Amazon ending increased pay and double overtime in June

Spoiler

 

 

[Alisamer]

On 5/7/2020 at 7:30 PM, Coconut Flan said:

Dawg is developing a great resemblance to a sheep and doggie salons are also closed.

The poodles at work got groomed on Friday - the mobile groomer that comes every couple weeks is still working apparently. She does the grooming in her van, so the only contact is handing over the doggos.

 

[Ozlsn]

4 hours ago, fraurosena said:

The easing of corona measures in London has lead to a great amount of people using public transport. Minister of Transport, Grant Shapps, had requested his countrymen to use bicycles or to walk to work, but people massively ignored his advice. 

I would put this less as "ignored advice" and more as "government appears out of touch with the fact that most people don't live walking or cycling distance from their work, which is why they're on public transport." Also if you underfund public transport for years, ignore overcrowding and assume everyone should/end start within the same frame... you're going to have problems with social distancing requirements.

4 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Unicef fears a higher child mortality rate because of the corona crisis.

I'm assuming this is from secondary factors, like insufficient nutrition?

4 hours ago, fraurosena said:

South Africa is the worst hit country in Africa, with 11.350 confirmed cases and 206 corona related deaths.

South Africa is also one of the countries with the means to test people - without that it's always going to be difficult to tell how bad things actually are. 

1 hour ago, clueliss said:

Amazon ending increased pay and double overtime in June

Geez, nothing says "we value our employees" quite like that. 

2 hours ago, clueliss said:

but you know, all the tests, the tests are fantastic, we have all the tests...

The quote somewhere in one of the threads about how the rapid tests are ineffective made me think that Trump is living in a false sense of security. 

[Ozlsn]

Oh great, the newest cluster in my state is centred around a McDonald's.  This happened in 2009 too when they shut the schools which had become H1N1 transmission centres, and the clusters promptly started appearing at Maccas where all the teenagers hung out instead (because that's where their friends work). Maccas has introduced social distancing and quite good practices (and, like all restaurants here is takeaway only) but it really doesn't take much, and all cases so far have been employees or close contacts of employees - so far no transmission to the public has been identified. I guess we'll see over the next fortnight whether that has occurred.

Edited May 13, 2020 by Ozlsn

[fraurosena]

Thursday's update:

• There were 28 corona related deaths in the Netherlands, bringing the total number of deaths up to 5590. 
  There were 27 new hospitalisations, bringing the total number of hospitalisations up to 11.457.
  There were 270 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases up to 43.481.
  80 years ago today, Rotterdam was bombed by the nazi's, demolishing the heart of the city. Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb laid a wreath at the 'The Destroyed City' statue during a sober remembrance ceremony for the bombing of Rotterdam by the nazi's, 80 years ago today. The ceremony was held without public spectators.
  Personal detail: My grandparents were living in Rotterdam's city centre at the time, and the bombing happened on my grandfather's 26th birthday. He and my heavily pregnant grandmother had to run for their lives, but thankfully managed to get to safety relatively unscathed. Due to all the stress and anxiety, Gran gave premature birth to unexpected twins (both survived) two days later.  
• On the issue of vaccines:
  • According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), in an optimistic scenario a vaccine against Covid-19 would be available in a year's time. "If everything goes according to plan, we foresee the possibility of some vaccines being ready for approval in a year," said the head of Anti-infectives and Vaccines in the Human Medicines Evaluation Division, Marco Cavaleri. He also said that they are looking at more than a hundred other treatments. Some of these could be ready for approval in Europe by this summer. He did not specify which treatments exactly.
  • In an open letter former and world leaders have called for all of humanity to have free access to future vaccines. The letter has been signed by 140 prominent former and current leaders. 
    The co-signers are requesting the WHO for aid.
  • French authorities have said it is unacceptable that pharmaceutical company Sanofi will be favouring the US when it comes to a Covid-19 vaccine. "It is unacceptable that some countries will be favoured for financial reasons," French under secretary of Economy, Agnes Pannier-Runacher said.
    British head of Sanofi, Paul Hudson, said yesterday that Americans will get access first to the vaccine after it has been developed, because the US was the first to finance Sanofi's vaccine research. French health organisations were displeased with Hudson's comments, more so because Sanofi has received tens of millions of euro's in research financing from the French in the past. Pannier-Runacher said that she had immediately contacted the pharmaceutical company. "The head of Sanofi's French department confirmed that there will be a vaccine available in every country, and of course in France too, because the vaccine will be produced there," the under secretary said. 
    Sanofi joined the British GlaxoSmithKline in April to develop a vaccine. Their project is partially financed by the American Department of Health. A successful vaccine is expected by the end of next year at the earliest. 
  • Charity Oxfam Novib has said that governments and pharmaceutical companies must guarantee that a corona vaccine will be distributed fairly between all countries without distinction between rich and poor. Vaccinating the poorest half of the global population will cost less than four months worth of Big Pharma's profits, Oxfam Novib said. The aid organisation is therefore emphasising the importance of a patent free corona vaccine. All countries could then be able produce it so that everyone has access to the vaccine. Oxfam Novib says a vaccine could cost about 2 dollars per dose. "To deliver an affordable vaccine to everyone, an unprecedented global cooperation is necessary," a spokesperson for the charity said.  
• The daily death toll in Spain is on the rise again. There were 217 corona related deaths yesterday. It is the first time since May 8 that the daily number of deaths is higher than 200. A total number of 27.321 corona patients have died so far. 
  Spain has 229.540 confirmed cases.
• According to the renowned Pasteur Institute in Paris, research has shown that about 4.4% of French residents have been infected with the virus, about 2.8 million cases. In the worst hit regions in the north east along the Rhine and in Paris the percentage is about 10%.
  The official numbers, with less than 180.000 confirmed cases, show a much lower percentage: 0.3%.
  The Pasteur Institute has warned that whatever the percentage, the number of infections is still too low to give residents protection by herd immunity. Only when about 65% has been infected will the population have built up enough resistance to the virus to be able to fight it off without a vaccine. 
• Police in England are worried about restarting the Premier League soccer championships. They fear that large groups of supporters will gather at stadiums, despite not being allowed in. "If Liverpool comes to Manchester City, I'm convinced that large groups of people will come here, if they are allowed into the stadium or not," Manchester police's chief commissioner Ian Hopkins said. Soccer clubs in the Premier League are hoping to be able to play again next month.
  There were 428 corona related deaths in the UK, bringing the total number of deaths up to 33.614, making the UK the second worst hit country in the world after the US.
• The corona pandemic is threatening to cause a considerable mental health crisis, the UN has warned. The organisation is calling for countries to take measures to prevent psychological problems for people. 
  The UN believes that the increase of mental problems is being caused by 'decennia of neglect and lack of funding in mental healthcare'. "Even when the corona pandemic is under control, sorrow, anxiety and depression will continue to afflict people and communities," UN's Secretary General António Guterres said. 
  Guterres also said it is improbable that world leaders will come together for the UN's General Assembly in September. The yearly meeting is planned for September 15, but Guterres stated he can't see how the UN could organise such an enormous gathering in Manhattan. During the General Assembly world leaders and thousands of other officials discuss big issues such as peace, economy and human rights. 
• There were 22.000 new confirmed cases in the US, bringing the total number of cases up to at least 1.4 million.
  There were 1813 corona related deaths, bringing the total number of deaths above 84.000. 
  A small team of scientists from Harvard and MIT are working on a new way of detecting the coronavirus: a face mask that lights up if it detects the virus. The team is designing a face mask to produce a fluorescent signal when a person with the corona virus breathes, coughs, or sneezes. If the technology proves successful, it could address flaws associated with other screening methods like temperature checks. The project is in the very early stages, but so far results have been promising. The team is also experimenting with design, and are debating whether to embed sensors on the inside of a mask, or develop a module that can be attached to any over-the-counter mask.
  In the meantime, Trump has said that Anthony Fauc's advice on reopening the American economy is "unacceptable". Fauci warned the Senate on Tuesday against reopening the country too quickly during the corona epidemic, saying it would lead to new corona outbreaks. 
• About 100 people in Mexico have died after drinking illegally brewed alcoholics. The bootlegging is possibly a consequence of the shortage of beer in the country. Breweries have had to close because of corona measures.The first poisonings occurred early this month, and increased rapidly after May 10. In Chicancuautla county in Peubla the number of deaths has risen to 25. Police have confiscated 200 litres of bootlegged alcoholics.
• Burundi, in Africa, is deporting the WHO's highest representative to the country, together with three other experts, who were in Burundi to aid the country during the corona crisis. They will have to leave the country by Friday. Authorities have not given a reason for their deportation, but according to an anonymous official, the minister of Public Health is accusing the WHO of "unacceptable interference" in the way the corona outbreak is managed. The authorities in Burundi are hardly testing for corona infections, making it difficult to assess how big the outbreak is in the country.
• For the first time in 12 days there were less than 10.000 new confirmed cases in Russia yesterday: 9974, bringing the total number of cases up to 252.245.
  Official reporting states 53.530 patients have recovered, and 2305 have died. 
• Almost 37% of patients hospitalised with Covid19 also gets acute kidney injuries, according to research by Northwell Health. Nephrologist Kenar Jhaveri says that many patients develop acute kidney injuries, which occur when kidneys fail and can't filter out detritus. In 14.3% of cases dialysis was necessary.
  Medics also reported that the most, and the most serious problems occur in patients needing ventilation.  
• Despite the fact that Antarctica is the only continent in the world where there are no corona cases, scientists in the antarctic research stations are in lockdown. They are doing everything they can to keep the Antarctic corona free, as an outbreak there could have dramatic consequences. Everyone entering Antarctica must go into a 14 day quarantine. Anyone who shows symptoms of corona, is immediately put into isolation, as well as everyone they came into contact with. 
  An outbreak would completely disrupt life on an antarctic research station. People are stuck there and can't go anywhere. Evacuation could take days, depending on the weather. Medical facilities on the stations are limited and the risk of spreading the virus is high.
• The lockdown in New Zealand is as good as over. People can shop, get a haircut, and exercise. For the most part, normal life has started up again. Malls, cinema's and restaurants have reopened and people can go in to the office to work again. People still need to social distance though.
  There were 1500 confirmed cases in New Zealand, with 21 corona related deaths. There have been no new cases for two days now.