Coronavirus: Discussion and Information

[Oreo]

Redding disappoints me in so many ways. Our county sheriff office/local police has made it clear they will not enforce the mask regulations anywhere. As far as the homeless. Redding has made it illegal to be homeless. It is more important for new pictures of the city council to be painted. Plus, erecting waterfalls in the downtown area, and artwork on the freeway. The county jails have also been sued for not having any accommodations for the disabled inmates.

[Haibane]

Facebook freezes the page of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for 30 days over COVID misinformation videos as well as deleting a video which promotes a thyme herb solution to cure the disease.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-56551350

[stormwyrm]

Welp, looks like I'm going back into serious lockdown again. Hopefully it's just a week.

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/27/ECQ-2021-NCR-Plus-bubble.html

This after new daily cases have suddenly gone over 9000 per day for three days in a row after months of having them below 2000. The government here has made a real mess of things. It's scant consolation that we've done better than the United States or Brazil under most metrics, but seriously, we're really not all that far ahead.

[Haibane]

Mexico has revised its COVID-19 death toll upwards by 60%.

[Chaeronea]

It's scant consolation that we've done better than the United States or Brazil under most metrics, but seriously, we're really not all that far ahead.

To quote a friend of mine, that would be a low bar to slither over.

Still, at least the Philippine government hasn't suddenly revised the COVID body count up by two thirds. Stay safe, and my best wishes to you and your loved ones.

[Oreo]

Was checking the flu count for myself and it was way lower than even I thought. Reason for wearing masks...

During the 2019 flu season from Sept. 29 to Dec. 28, the CDC reported more than 65,000 cases of influenza nationwide. During the same period this flu season, the agency reported 1,016 cases.

Health experts said that high vaccination rates against the flu – combined with social distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing employed to stop the spread of the coronavirus – played a huge role in preventing influenzatransmission.

[Humble Scribe]

Thanks to spending the entire winter in lockdown our influenza rate actually dropped to almost zero - it shows just how much more transmissible Covid is.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/flu-cases-covid-england-phe-latest-b1805124.html

[Haibane]

This is wonderful and very compelling information. I wonder how your typical anti-masker would respond?

[Regina Minx]

Thanks to spending the entire winter in lockdown our influenza rate actually dropped to almost zero - it shows just how much more transmissible Covid is.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/flu-cases-covid-england-phe-latest-b1805124.html

Same in the US. For some reason there have been virtually zero deaths of the flu this year. I really hope we unmask the reason for it someday.

[Lilias]

Same in the US. For some reason there have been virtually zero deaths of the flu this year. I really hope we unmask the reason for it someday.

I see what you did there.

[Mechelle]

This is wonderful and very compelling information. I wonder how your typical anti-masker would respond?

I did see something about that a little while ago, actually, but it annoyed me too much to read it properly and I don't have  a link.

I think the gist was that as all the people who normally die of flu are not reported as doing so, it must be the case that the people who are reported of dying from covid have really died of flu, therefore explaining the shortfall. It's a case of twisting the evidence to fit your own theory.

On a happier note, a deal has been agreed for 60,000,000 doses of the Novavax vaccine to be manufactured in Stockton-on-Tees, and to be bottled by GSK at its plant in Barnard Castle of all place (the site of Dominic Cummings' famous drive to test his eyesight)!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-56570168

[Beguile's Mistress]

Pfizer, Moderna vaccines are 90% effective after two doses in study of real-life conditions, CDC confirms

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/03/29/vaccine-effective-essential-workers-study/?utm_campaign=wp_to_your_health&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_tyh&wpmk=1&pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJjb29raWVuYW1lIjoid3BfY3J0aWQiLCJpc3MiOiJDYXJ0YSIsImNvb2tpZXZhbHVlIjoiNTk2OTljNzk5YmJjMGY2ZDcxYzU3ZmZkIiwidGFnIjoiNjA2MjMzZDE5ZDJmZGExZTU2ZDg3ZGJlIiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL2hlYWx0aC8yMDIxLzAzLzI5L3ZhY2NpbmUtZWZmZWN0aXZlLWVzc2VudGlhbC13b3JrZXJzLXN0dWR5Lz91dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249d3BfdG9feW91cl9oZWFsdGgmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3R5aCZ3cG1rPTEifQ.tp4fnPK-O9nGJidGv10rIugMV3YBumTYxG_QuQqIstc


The Post obtained the World Health Organization's report from its investigation into the outbreak's origins. The authors say it's likely the virus spread from animals to humans, and did not leak from a lab.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/who-wuhan-report-/2021/03/29/cb6ca64e-7778-11eb-9489-8f7dacd51e75_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_to_your_health&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_tyh&wpmk=1&pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJjb29raWVuYW1lIjoid3BfY3J0aWQiLCJpc3MiOiJDYXJ0YSIsImNvb2tpZXZhbHVlIjoiNTk2OTljNzk5YmJjMGY2ZDcxYzU3ZmZkIiwidGFnIjoiNjA2MjMzZDE5ZDJmZGExZTU2ZDg3ZGJlIiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL3doby13dWhhbi1yZXBvcnQtLzIwMjEvMDMvMjkvY2I2Y2E2NGUtNzc3OC0xMWViLTk0ODktOGY3ZGFjZDUxZTc1X3N0b3J5Lmh0bWw_dXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXdwX3RvX3lvdXJfaGVhbHRoJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJndwaXNyYz1ubF90eWgmd3Btaz0xIn0.Jd3StQE741ytzGRQ-LIStwJNcwBDU7eYtXRJjbsPlyo

[Haibane]

The Post obtained the World Health Organization's report from its investigation into the outbreak's origins. The authors say it's likely the virus spread from animals to humans, and did not leak from a lab.

Its so frustrating - because we already knew that. Its worrying that the WHO inspection in Wuhan wasn't able to uncover anything new at all and was hounded and obstructed by Chinese authorities at every turn. Those sorts of actions can only build suspicion. Understanding exactly how it started and agreeing internationally what to do about that is critical to preventing similar outbreaks.

[RedRose]

We're in the third wave, supposedly lock downed in some kind, and still MOST people don't cover their nose.

[Regina Minx]

Your girl had her second vaccine shot today.

[RedRose]

Wow. You need to be old in France (or a medical profession and even those struggle)

[Haibane]

Brazil is becoming a massive tragedy. Yesterday two members of President Bolsano's cabinet resigned. One was forced to over his lack of co-operation with other nations and supplies of vaccines and today, in disagreement over the issue of the fact that the armed forces serve to uphold the country's constitution rather than to support the president ALL THREE of the commanders in chief of the armed services resigned. Bolsano is now facing his gravest political crisis since January 2019. Not enough vaccine is available and people were crowded together over the New Year celebrations.

The pandemic in the USA has been terrible but Brazil is perhaps the even greater tragedy and almost entirely because of a stupid and ineffective president who at every turn placed the economy above people's lives.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-56581131

[Bezukhov]

Wow. You need to be old in France (or a medical profession and even those struggle)

Italy here. I had Covid in December and yesterday I got my first vaccine shot (according to the guidelines, having already suffered from Covid, one shot is enough for me!) because I work at the university. I'm 31 and never had any serious medical condition. My parents, who are well into their sixties, will have to wait. My 72-y.o. aunt - will have to wait, too.

Go figure...

[RedRose]

It's insane. My teacher cousin isn't part of those who can get vaxed. Me neither (private teacher). Some say they're going to close school here, which means each family with two working parents will have to sacrifice someone's job, or the kids' education and possible safety (little kids home alone aren't a good idea, big kids outside alone aren't a good idea, not to mention those who rely on school for eating, those who will be all day sleeping, all night outside or on games). My cousin says, during the first lockdown he lost tracks of 10% of his students. Families do not care, do not manage, or simply have ONE computer and several kids. Among those not lost, about half aren't on level, with some experiencing regression to last year level.

[TheGlyphstone]

I just booked my first shot appointment, two weeks from now. My state has opened up vaccinations to all residents now, scaling by age.

[Beorning]

Back here, the government gave us a really bad April Fools joke!!! 

So far, they have been vaxing the seniors, along with doctors and other "important jobs" types of people. Recently, they started saying that they will be increasing the vaxing rate - with the possibility of people of my age (40 - 50) being allowed to get their shots sometime in May. If things would go well, that is.

So, imagine everyone's shock this morning... when it turned out that the vaccinations for people in the 40+ group turned out to be suddenly open!!!

What happened? The government decided that - with the vaxing rate among the seniors dropping - they would allow younger people to schedule appointments. At least those of them that submitted their names on the waiting list between January and March. So, these people were allowed to register for shots. But...

...nobody was informed about it beforehand.

Nobody. No notice on the government pages, no mention during any pandemic-related press conference, nothing.

Nobody *knew*.

So, this morning there was a country-wide shock... then, thousands of people started trying to enter the registration system in a hurry. And it crashed...

Nevertheless, some people managed to get their appointments. My superior at work got an appointment for April 15th or so. Some people actually managed to get their appointments for *today or tomorrow*. So, those people were happy...

... until, a few hours later, the government declared that there was a mistake. That people in the 40+ were supposed to be allowed to register, but only for May appointments. So, all the April appointments made today were cancelled. The government people will be calling all these people to try and schedule new appointments in May for them...

As for why there was no previous announcement of people from the 40+ group being allowed to register... the government's statement was simply "We're sorry, there was a small hiccup, we should've been more effective in spreading this information". "More effective" my a**, they simply didn't tell anyone about it! Even the doctors at the vaccination points weren't informed! Heck, even the freaking Minister of Health wasn't informed about it!

Seriously, what the hell? Is anyone in the government actually in control of the vaccination process??? Can't this government do anything right???

[Haibane]

UK police stop a Good Friday church gathering. I was upset at the quoted words of an un-named representative of the Polish Catholic Mission Balham, which runs the church:

"government requirements have been complied with" and they added worshippers "obeyed" the police "without objection".

"We believe, however, that the police have brutally exceeded their powers by issuing their warrant for no good reason," the spokesman added. "We regret that the rights of the faithful have been wronged on such an important day for every believer, and that our worship has been profaned."

[Emphasis added by me]

Under the COVID-19 UK laws being in a church is no different to being at any other public gathering and had masks been worn and social distancing been adhered to in accordance with the rules the police would not have intervened.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-56623839

[Beorning]

I'm wondering what are UK's police rules for handling situations like this?

[Mechelle]

I'm wondering what are UK's police rules for handling situations like this?

That's difficult to answer, as the interpretations appear to vary between different police forces, and, to be fair, the laws and guidance regularly change.

My local force, Greater Manchester Police, have been more relaxed than the neighbouring forces in Derbyshire and Cheshire. Derbyshire, in particular, have come under criticism for having drones filming  and  the police then criticising  socially distanced walkers in the National Park in the area, and also for fining two women who had gone for a short walk while drinking a coffee. Later, when this came to public attention, they apologised and withdrew the fine.

I don't know about the specifics at the Roman Catholic Church in Balham, but suspect it may have been over-zealous officers, either senior or junior.

[Haibane]

The rules are very clear and freely available to anyone with access to the internet. From the report it sounds like the congregation was breaching the rules.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july/celebrating-religious-festivals-during-coronavirus-covid-19