Coronavirus in the United States - news and thoughts

The NY Times ran a story about Israel, and what happened when they reopened schools too early. The results aren't pretty. The schools became a petri dish for the virus, which spread into the community. Part of the problem is when a heat wave hit, they turned on the A/C and closed the windows. I can tell you, in the Phoenix area, highs are supposed to be around 110 for the next week, and A/C is a necessity. This time of the year in Florida, with the high humidity, the difference is pressure cooker versus straight oven.

Israel, a country of about 9 million people, also had about 50 cases a day before reopening schools. Arizona is still averaging around 2,000, and we have about 7.2 million people. The margin of error in Arizona is much smaller.

Have everyone wear a mask and keep their distance will help, but you are still relying on kids to keep their hands to themselves and wear masks, which is something plenty of adults either refuse to do or whine about. And it's not like masks can be worn all day, as you have to eat during the school day. Hard to eat with a mask on covering your mouth.

Reopening schools in hot spots right now is a disaster waiting to happen. It will lead to more cases, which will lead to more people in the hospital and more people dead.

 

Holy crap.

 

Do you know which school that is? I believe Cherokee and Paulding went back in person today. Gwinnett which had planned on all digital starting August 12, now plans to phase in, in-person school in two weeks. Not sure what difference the two weeks makes, maybe they’re giving the 260 faculty members that reported positive and opportunity to recover? We don’t even understand exactly what’s happening. They released the classes last week. That was based on all digital, now 3 days later they changed it up to in person if you want. So what does that do as far as teacher assignments and classes? Will my kid be getting a new teacher and new classmates after two weeks since we’re digital? The teachers have been finding information out a few minutes before the county emails all the parents.

 

I think I saw it was Paulding.

 

Wow Georgia. SMH

 

I believe I read that the Georgia DOE recommended that the schools wait until after Labor day to reopen. Ultimately it is the choice of the local school boards but I have to wonder what the hurry is.
Aa an aside, the governor of South Carolina recomended after Labor Day as well.

 

My son wants to go back to school for his senior year. It has been made clear to him that in order to do so he must not put my or my wife's life at risk. He understands what is on the table but will be reminded with frequency. He will mask up, wash down, sanitize, take a lunch, and eat in the parking lot or whatever other outdoor area that they make available. His sport is sailing and he sails solo so that should be safe for maintaining social distancing other than when collecting gear out of the lockers at the sailing center.

 

masks are better than that when it comes to exhale. numbers you are quoting are to protect you, not if you and other person are both wearing masks

 

in that environment goggles or safety glasses would help. our son will be wearing safety glasses in hallways along with his mask and they have made hallways one way only while increasing the time in between periods to allow for the longer walk one way hallways will require

 

not good...people in general seem to either be uninformed or dismissive of the down range effects. Might have to move some money into investing in dialysis centers

More than 33 percent of the patients that survive did not regain the same kidney function they had prior to becoming sick.
………………………….
Prior the pandemic, there were 37 million Americans suffering from chronic kidney disease and may be in need of dialysis or organ transplants, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

This number is expected to skyrocket now that coronavirus had been shown to affect the kidneys.

'The next epidemic will be chronic kidney disease in the US among those who recovered from the coronavirus,' Dr Steven Coca, associate professor of nephrology at Mount Sinai Health System and co-founder of RenalytixAI, told CNBC.

'Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic we have seen the highest rate of kidney failure in our lifetimes. It's a long-term health burden for patients, the medical community - and the US economy.'

 

Trump says coronavirus death toll 'is what it is' as he insists pandemic is 'under control' in U.S.

"They are dying. That's true, and — it is what it is," Trump said. "But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control as much as you can control it," Trump said in the interview, which took place July 28 and aired Monday night on HBO.

 

The look on the reporters face for that portion of the interview was incredible.

 

Just read this on The Hill. I don't know if I have ever seen such an abysmal lack of leadership.

 

The weather cleared out quickly today, so I did the companion hike to the one I did last week. This was the bluff on the left of my Friday picture. Still Harpers ferry in the distance.

 

I mean, how do they expect this to turn out?

Neither masks nor social distancing required | First look inside Georgia's schools

Masks aren’t required nor is social distancing. These are metro Atlanta suburbs. Atlanta is absolutely a hot spot.

 

I can't recall so many people defending it. the lack of leadership is bad but the amount of people defending it is incredulous. If the dems can't make effective commercials out of these sound bytes they don't deserve to win.

 

Lot of info at link. Too much for me to cut and paste but it seems that the virus is causing communication issues between T cells and B cells (those that produce antibodies). B cells doesn't answer so T cell keeps cranking out cytokines which causes problems to get worse. Early detection and treatment seems to be critical, much like use of Tamiflu. Rapid testing can't get to market quick enough imo

Need someone more versed in medicine/biology to give me the dummy version of this

Scientists Uncover Biological Signatures of the Worst Covid-19 Cases

Scientists are beginning to untangle one of the most of the coronavirus pandemic: Why do some people get severely sick, whereas others quickly recover? In certain patients, according to a flurry of recent studies, the virus appears to make the immune system go haywire.Unable to marshal the right cells and molecules to fight off the invader, the bodies of the infected instead launch an entire arsenal of weapons — a misguided barrage that can wreak havoc on healthy tissues, experts said.

Researchers studying these unusual responses are finding patterns that distinguish patients on the path to recovery from those who fare far worse. Insights gleaned from the data might help tailor treatments to individuals, easing symptoms or perhaps even vanquishing the virus before it has a chance to push the immune system too far.

“A lot of these data are telling us that we need to be acting pretty early in this process,” said John Wherry, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania who recently published a study of these telltale immune signatures. As more findings come out, researchers may be able to begin testing the idea that “we can change the trajectory of disease,” he said.

 

Sad commentary on today's Republican Party. Self-identified Republicans are more likely to believe Trump than Dr. Anthony Fauci. They put more trust in a failed real estate developer and reality television star with no medical training than they do in one of the most respected virologists in the world. At one time Republicans tended to be better educated than Democrats. Certainly not the case anymore.
https://www.newsweek.com/most-repub...d-advice-nearly-70-believe-trump-poll-1522648

 

E over I. They are smart, they are just blinded by their emotions, ie beat the liberal left wing. They are more afraid of what the liberal left might do than the virus.

 

So early identification meaning testing early and often. Not meaning, make it so difficult to get tested that you’re either fortunate enough to have mild to no symptoms or end up in the hospital before your results come in...