Sunday, November 15, 2020

week 34 and week 35



 The NYT reports that a study by the CDC found that symptomatic pregnant women were more likely to develop complications and die from covid than non pregnant women.

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Whole genome sequencing of SARS-COV-2 in the Netherlands on mink farms has revealed virus transmission from humans to minks and back to humans. 

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New research shows that 20% of those that recover from the coronavirus develop some form of mental illness...a psychiatric disorder, dementia, anxiety or insomnia...within two weeks to three months of testing positive. 

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Pfizer announced Nov. 9th that its vaccine in its latest trial looked to be 90% effective but there is still a lot they don't know like how long the immunity lasts, if it's as effective on older people as younger, if it will be effective if/when the virus mutates. Trials continue but once approved by the FDA it will still be April next year before it would be available to the general public. Trump, of course, took credit for the rapid development claiming it was part of his Operation Warp Speed vaccine development. Pfizer immediately denied Trump's claim. They do have a $1.95 Billion deal but it's an advance purchase agreement and Pfizer won't get paid until they deliver a vaccine. Pfizer took no money from Trump's administration to develop the vaccine. 

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The virus is expanding exponentially since the election and the US has seen new infections over 100,000 a day, each day higher than the day before (181,000 on Friday the 13th), soon to break over 200,000 a day at this trajectory, deaths have also been over a thousand every day since the election with an increase over the day before. Hospitals are nearing capacity with some cities like El Paso TX completely overwhelmed with a 20+% positivity rate. Trump's response? Nada, zero, zilch, not even lip service while Republicans in the White House and some state legislatures try to hide their infections purposely exposing Democrats across the aisle. On the other hand, President-elect Biden has put together an excellent pandemic team full of scientists and doctors and is developing a national response but we will have to wait til he's sworn in before they can get to work.

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The CDC now says that masks not only protect others, but protect the wearers as well. Can I get a big DUH!

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From Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter for today...”He (Trump) has not gone to a coronavirus task force meeting in at least five months, rarely reads the daily reports on the virus, and is no longer briefed about the crisis by doctors. He has apparently decided simply to let the conflagration burn. At the same time, he is refusing to let his staffers talk to incoming Biden staff about the pandemic.” 

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Texas and California each have over 1 million total infections.

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General wisdom gathered from doctors and nurses who tweet...some deniers who think covid is a hoax but sick with it enough to be in the hospital scream at them that it's just the flu and why are they dressed like that all the way up to when they are intubated; our health care professionals are exhausted; the virus is transmitted more by the aerosols in your exhale than the big droplets and the small ones don't fall to the ground but disperse into the air where they accumulate and 6' apart in an enclosed space will not protect an unmasked you; their pleas for help from the federal government fall on deaf ears; stay home because you won't like the ICU if they have any beds and if you think wearing a mask makes it hard to breathe you really won't like intubation; they don't want you to clap or honk in appreciation at some appointed hour, they want you to wear a mask and stay away from crowded places.

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Covid is rampant. Stay home, wear a mask when you do go out, keep your distance, do not attend group functions, limit your time in enclosed buildings, wash your hands, and seriously, tell your kids not to travel home for Thanksgiving or Christmas and if you do gather make it small and short. Visit via FaceTime or Zoom. One infected person went to a wedding in Maine with 55 attendees which resulted in 177 new infections and 7 deaths. None of the people who died attended the wedding. There is light at the end of the tunnel but we still have to get there.

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Current US statistics as of today 11/15/20, 16:35 GMT: cases – 11,237,159; deaths – 251,287.



10 comments:

  1. 20% is significant- just what this country needs, more mentally ill people!

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  2. You did it again - excellent summary of our scary situation.
    I feel like beating my head against the wall that no one is broadcasting from rooftops Trump's non-attendance at the task force meetings and his complete avoidance of Covid.

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  3. We have to just bite the bullet and stay home. You're right. There is no other way to be safe these days. Especially these days. Trump's negligence is a crime against all of humanity.

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  4. We are living in such challenging times. It really demands that we accept reality and manage as best we can. That we are still having conversations about masks blows my mind. It's no surprise that our infection rate is the highest in the world. Yikes.

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  5. I am so stressed because we are having a baby shower for my nephew & his wife. They've been in South Korea (Army) and are coming home this week. We're going to do it in a large space (or outside if the weather permits) & limit the time she spends with each person, but WHY ON EARTH would they agree to go through this? Maybe they haven't grasped how bad it is here. If I were them I would stay in South Korea until the baby's born! (Not that they have an actual choice since it's the military.)

    Also, my best friend has COVID. Her main symptom right now is REALLY bad headaches from an inflamed nerve from the infection - they often don't respond to meds, and they make her cry. I can see where that might lead to a mental issue. I hope she comes out the other side ok :'(

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  6. Awesome! You hit the nail repeatedly and struck home every time.

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  7. But hey, a second vaccine trial with promising results.
    Although, I can just see it: Vaccines become available and all we need is one shitty youtube video where someone whines about supposedly dreadful side effects and the whole immunity plan may go down the drain. This happened in Israel with the HPV vaccine where someone posted a video of having suffered cardiac arrest after the vaccine (fake news it turned out) and the vaccination rate went to almost zero as a result.

    Stay safe, stay home, look after that lovely cat and the yappy little darling dog.

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  8. The vaccine news has been promising. Fingers crossed!

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  9. Great Summary of this terrifying situation with the Plague. The exponential increase in spread is alarming and some Covidiot Run States have infection rates well over 35% to over 50% now, which is beyond ridiculous! We certainly need Unity of Purpose as a Nation and have people realize the Virus could give two shits who you align with Politically... people can be so stupid!

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  10. This is all good information to have. I'm hopeful about the vaccines.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.