Corona Virus Updates Part 6

Okay, here is an Illinois update:

The county in which I reside, Macon county, in the more rural middle part of the state, seems to be doing comparatively well at the moment. The number of COVID-19 patients in the unit at my hospital is down to 3 positive patients + 2 more possible patients waiting on test results. That is a lower number of patients in the hospital now than have been 'in house' over the last few weeks. We have had 159 total positive patients in our county, and 17 deaths. Interestingly, ALL the local deaths have been due to spread between patients and staff within local nursing home facilities.

Here is an article that talks about the deaths in Illinois, and the high association with nursing home facility patients. I apologize, the article is from ZeroHedge, and it is unfortunately a little political, but if you can ignore the politics, the numbers are informative:

www.zerohedge.com...


Chicago is suffering the worst in Illinois, but that is where people are most densely concentrated, and there are more people in Chicago regardless. The rural parts of the state are doing better.

At our hospital, we had some physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers test positive, some with symptoms, but they cracked down hard on our break-room habits. Apparently, some of the spread happened in staff break rooms, it is thought. Since the crackdown, there have been no more infected healthcare providers. Let us hope that trend continues! Also, we have enough PPE stockpiled now, that we are cautiously opening up the healthcare system for elective procedures and surgeries again.

The Illinois government COVID-19 statistics page is also worth seeing, for anyone interested, linked at:

www.dph.illinois.gov...

Numbers from around the world are taken from Worldometers for May 16th.

Spain - Pop: 44.6 M
276,505 Positive tests…….. or 1 out of 169 Spaniards
9.96% Deaths of positive tested
National Deaths (27,563) 1 per 1,693

Italy - Pop: 60.4 M
224,760 Positive tests….. or 1 out of 269 Italians
14.13 % Deaths of positive tested
National Deaths (31,763) 1 per 1,904

UK – Pop: 66.6 M
240,161 Positive tests….. or 1 out of 278 UKers
14.35 % Deaths of positive tested
National Deaths (34,466) 1 per 1,934

France – Pop: 67.0 M
179,506 Positive tests….. or 1 out of 373 French
15.33 % Deaths of positive tested
National Deaths (27,529) 1 per 2,433

Sweden – Pop: 10.2 M
29,677 Positive tests….. or 1 out of 340Swedes
12.37 % Deaths of positive tested
National Deaths (3,674) 1 per 2,784

Denmark – Pop: 5.8 M
10,858 Positive tests….. or 1 out of 534 Danes
5.00 % Deaths of positive tested
National Deaths (543) 1 per 10,681

US - Pop: 330 M
1,485,912 Positive tests.... or 1 out of 222 Americans
5.95 % Deaths of positive tested
National Deaths 1 per 3,727

US death rates (2017):
1. Heart Disease …………….…………647,457 annual or 1,773 daily average
2. Cancer ……………………..……….….599,108 annual or 1,641 daily average
3. Accidents (unintentional injuries): 169,936 annual or 465 daily average
6. Alzheimer’s disease:…….……….121,404 annual or 332 daily average

COVID-19 ………………………………………. 88,550 (77 Day) or 1150 daily average

*** SURPASSED *****

7. Diabetes:………………………………….83,564 annual or 228 daily average
8. Influenza and Pneumonia …………55,562 annual or 152 daily average
9. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis:..50,633 annual or 138 daily average
10. Intentional self-harm (suicide):..47,173 annual or 129 daily average
X. Auto accidents ………………….………37,461 annual or 102 daily average
X. H1N1 2009 ESTIMATED (8,868 – 18,638) for 1 year or 24 – 50 daily average

originally posted by: McGinty
a reply to: Byrd

This’ll probably further accelerate the vaccine research. The pharma will want their $$-product on sale before we possibly find that we don’t need it. Even more reason to scrutinise and question any vaccine that emerges.

Research is going on at a very rapid pace. Whoever wins the race (there will be several, I suspect) will end up with world government contracts. They won't want to sell something like this to individuals... not profitable enough.

This also means that there will be a race to make it affordable. The minute someone comes up with a technology for it, others will be copying and reverse-engineering it for their governments (so they don't have to pay that price.) so we should see several similar vaccines.

In countries with universal health care systems, the people at risk (like my husband) will be able to get the vaccine at no cost -- preventing a lot of those deaths.

In America, I suspect it'll be a mess. Family members who work on "the front lines" (grocery clerks, warehouse personnel) may not be able to afford it. Hospitals will probably give it to all employees who request it. Nursing home aides might not be able to afford it, either (that's a job I've done, long, long ago, and it was long hours and miserable pay.) Cities will probably make it available for low or no cost to fire departments and police departments and others who interact with the public. As for the big epicenter businesses (large box stores, meat packing plants, other factories) -- who knows?

Teachers are probably going to be on their own. Again.

And the high-risk elderly who are on social security? No telling if Medicare/Medicaid will provide.

But you can sleep easy, knowing all your local politicians will be able to get it quickly and on demand.

originally posted by: McGinty

originally posted by: Byrd
Interestingly enough, there were more of these lesions on the right lung than on the left in every case.

First thought is it relates to the body’s slight a-symmetry. Am I right in thinking there’s a-symmetry in the chest’s lymph nodes? Could that mean they do a better job of assisting the left lung?

Or conversely if the virus is using the immune system against us, could that ‘assistance’ in fact be transporting more virus to that region?

Sorry if that’s dumb, I. Know. Nothing...

Yes, the human body is asymmetrical... and symmetrical at the same time.

No, lymph nodes aren't found inside the lung (which is where they're finding the lesions.) The right lung is larger than the left, has three lobes (instead of two) and has two major branches of the main airway (one for the left.) A quick to glance at page on the differences is here

So basically there's more there to damage and infect.

originally posted by: Fowlerstoad
a reply to: McGinty

Slight asymmetry ... hmm. You got me thinking McG:

I wonder if the right lung vs left lung difference in lesion number has anything to do with the fact that the left lung sits closer to the heart (in the vast majority of people), and that leads to more mechanical agitation of the left lung from the beating heart, and perhaps even slightly better drainage back to the (closer) heart through the left pulmonary veins.

No.

Two different structures. (quick reference page on differences in the two lungs)

To prove this you may need to find a bunch of people with the heart on the right side, to compare findings. These would be people with 'situs inversus' of the organs in the chest. These people are born with the positions of their organs reversed left to right. Hahahha ... but - that would be a hard study to do ... because situs inversus is uncommon.... But wow, fun to consider. You might be onto something McG

If you want the gory details, check out the section on the respiratory system in the online version of Gray's Anatomy The actual detail of the lungs begins here.

One of my favorite books... no kidding. Taught from it when I taught human anatomy labs. Still valid.

5/16/2020

Breaking - Model used to shut-down the United Kingdom over CoronaVirus had severe problems.

www.foxnews.com...

originally posted by: Byrd

originally posted by: McGinty

originally posted by: Byrd
Interestingly enough, there were more of these lesions on the right lung than on the left in every case.

First thought is it relates to the body’s slight a-symmetry. Am I right in thinking there’s a-symmetry in the chest’s lymph nodes? Could that mean they do a better job of assisting the left lung?

Or conversely if the virus is using the immune system against us, could that ‘assistance’ in fact be transporting more virus to that region?

Sorry if that’s dumb, I. Know. Nothing...

Yes, the human body is asymmetrical... and symmetrical at the same time.

No, lymph nodes aren't found inside the lung (which is where they're finding the lesions.)

Thanks as ever for your expertise! In my brief google trip I saw there was apparently lymph in the chest cavity, which puts it adjacent to the lung, rather than within the lung itself.

However, your further information on the right lung being bigger, hence more to damage makes sense. Thanks!

And this just in (press release)

Canadian biomedical company, Medicago, announces a successful trial of their vaccine in mice. ("success" means that they gave the vaccine to a group of mice and within 10 days saw antibodies for Covid-19 in the mice.)

They're seeking approval for human trials and will start them as soon as they've gotten the approval.
Press release at this link

a reply to: Fowlerstoad

Although Byrd has kindly provided a more probable reason for the right lung’s greater damage, it’d still be interesting to compare cases with left hearted patients. Might reveal some other unexpected Covid insight relating to symmetry. Though as you say, highly unlikely to be possible.

originally posted by: carewemust
5/16/2020

Breaking - Model used to shut-down the United Kingdom over CoronaVirus had severe problems.

www.foxnews.com...

Yes, anecdotal evidence has since proven that model was indeed highly unreliable. The U.K. has the second highest deaths on the planet, whilst for the most part those that locked down quickly have low death count (NZ being the benchmark of how it should’ve been done).

There’s no shortage of facts that point to this. He locked down too late and his mantra was that he’s following the science, very, very bad science.

originally posted by: McGinty
a reply to: Fowlerstoad

Although Byrd has kindly provided a more probable reason for the right lung’s greater damage, it’d still be interesting to compare cases with left hearted patients. Might reveal some other unexpected Covid insight relating to symmetry. Though as you say, highly unlikely to be possible.

Depending on what else was involved (if heart only or other organs) they may well not have survived into adulthood. Generally the only ones that survive have the heart (only) reversed rather than mirroring of the other organs. So yes, the right lung would still be the most heavily impacted.

Numbers Update for Europe, and Elsewhere ( No BNO) :







www.worldometers.info...

What is the track record for corruption in our government and the agencies it supports?
Why now do we think that the motivation of Fauci is pure as snow.
Is it because he has a big resume with big credentials from Universities.
Did any of those achievements reveal the Integrity of this man who is now the Tom Brady of medicine.

It’s getting ridiculous folks. Watch the video, and tell me everything will be okay.

The vaccine is impossible to be made safe, and if they do how effective will it be after all the mutations.
The Flu vaccine now is 10% effective? Are we going to really lock down our economy for 12 months just for a vaccine that is 10% effective.....

What are they not pouring money into treatments!!!!!
Get these brilliant scientists working on these promising treatments.

Wasting our time and resources looking for a Unicorn vaccines.
So lets use our best military minds to go look for Bigfoot.

Covid-19 Mission Accomplished!

USNS Mercy Departs Los Angeles

twitter.com...

LA County Update:

Today........Insanity



“The safer at home order does not end today... this is just something the entire world and all of us we will have. Public health direction until there is a cure or herd immunity”

“Wearing a face covering is love...”

Basically, deal with it and if you don’t you are not a good person.

Can I get my ventilator now.... Get me out of here.

With regard to Russia's lower death count they have said they count their deaths 'more accurately' with one official saying they never fiddle official data. Just like those two intelligence officers visited Salisbury Cathedral on holiday and didn't release a deadly toxin!!

New data released on Sunday by the Moscow government indicated that the number of deaths in the capital was approximately 18% higher this April than an average of the number of deaths registered that month for the past 10 years.

So like many countries they have excess deaths, but theirs is counted as not coronavirus if they had other conditions.
www.theguardian.com...

I'm not sure I've seen it explicitly talked about here but months ago, near the start of the crisis some mentioned on here that the UK agencies downgraded the virus from high significance and some took this to mean it was less virulent than thought. Turns out the downgrading was so the govt could change PPE guidelines so staff could be forced to work in plastic aprons instead of proper gowns.

There are even concerns over the decision to downgrade Covid-19 from a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID), a category of disease that mandates the government to provide full PPE

www.independent.co.uk...

I have friends who are nursing in ICU who have isolated from their partner/family for months now because they don't want to put them at risk.

Since Boris' made the decision for lockdown lite in England (but not Wales, NI, Scotland) my local area looks like a typical seaside town. People munching ice cream on the sea front. Lads out on jet skis and speedboats, roller skate groups, yoga groups on the grass. Social distancing not possible when it's that busy.

A poor local baby has died of this potential Kawasaki like illness. Told by our illustrious 111 telephone service that he initially possibly had mumps.

www.dailymail.co.uk...

But it's ok to send kids back to school in 2 weeks as long as they don't go to Eton. In which case it's better to wait until September.

a reply to: Observationalist


Guy sounds like you do it or else...

Like I've been saying, get the hell out of them big cities.

Update May 17, 2020 Sunday 10 pm Tokyo

I mention earlier on one of my post that I'd try to make my updates a bit more international and perhaps more on "what's happening in your front yard" type of post. The reason is because: Chinese updates are rare and Japanese updates are beginning not to be of much of interest these days to what is happening to the outside world. So if any of you have suggestion on how I should add more to my updates, just let me know.

1. Brazil's Health Ministry registered 14,919 new confirmed cases in the prior 24 hours, taking the total to 233,142, behind only the U.S., Russia and the U.K. Brazil has done just a fraction of the testing seen in those three countries.

2. This was one of my MIM's Street Talk on how this will become world-wide. Funny because I was kind of laughed at.



A law enforcement officer wearing the helmet could do any of the following: Measure the temperature of a specific individual; measure the temperatures of people passing by in larger crowds; scan a person's QR code for personal data; recognize license plates; spot people in the dark; or recognize people using facial recognition.

( I just want to say stay tune for MIM's June 12th "a day of awakening" coming. )

3. This is why I recommend not to go to bowling alleys or bars or even restaurants.
The South Korean government says the number of coronavirus cases linked to a cluster that originated in Seoul nightclubs has risen to 168. ( see people, the virus is so easy to catch while indoors )

4. The impact of the new coronavirus pandemic is likely to be hard on international air travel, with recovery only projected to come in 2024.
The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, released new analysis of air travel demand on Wednesday.
The association said that it expects overall passenger demand, both domestic and international, in 2021 to be 24 percent below 2019 levels. ( remember I said we will have 3 years of uncertainty, I guess my street talk was off , but then again it is over a month old, times do change quickly )

5. This was my Street Talk that I didn't share publicly with you folks on the forum, but I sent out a few PM's regarding this. The reason was, I didn't want to be known as one full of BS. But here it is now people, no longer MIM's Street Talk: The virus that causes COVID-19 can be present in the semen of patients who have the coronavirus, as well as those recovering from it, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open.
Fifty men were enrolled in the study's testing, however only 38 were able to provide a semen sample.
Twenty-three of the participants who were able to provide a semen sample recovered from their COVID-19 infection. Two of these recovered patients had COVID-19 in their semen, which is particularly noteworthy, the study said.

6. Five sailors from the embattled aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 retested positive this week, officials confirmed Friday.
The sailors had previously returned to the ship, which has been sidelined in Guam as leadership works to get the crew free of the novel coronavirus and back to work.

7. There have been 281,752 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 2,631 deaths.

8. Today, all the Israeli insurance companies no longer cover travel to the United States!

9. What will it take to let a tourist enter the country? Look at Austria, which recently unveiled a brand-new concept: Travelers wanting to enter Austria and avoid a two-week quarantine are charged approximately $200 to prove they are free of COVID-19. If travelers elect not to pay, they must go into quarantine. It is a three-hour test that is done upon arrival and the tourist must wait for the results.

Japan update: Sunday May 17, 2020

On the 17th, 27 people were confirmed nationwide, including 8 in Hokkaido and 5 in Tokyo. In addition, eight deaths have been announced nationwide.

By the 17th, there were 16,337 people infected in Japan, including quarantine at the airport, and 712 passengers and crew members on cruise ships, for a total of 17,049 people.

The number of people who died in Japan is 756, and the number of passengers on cruise ships is 13, which is 769 people.

According to each municipality, the total number of people confirmed to be infected in Japan is as follows:
▽ Tokyo: 5055
▽ Osaka: 1770
▽ Kanagawa: 1266
▽ Hokkaido: 1014
▽ Saitama: 985
▽ Chiba 892 people
▽ Hyogo prefecture 700 people
▽ Fukuoka prefecture 658 people
▽ Aichi prefecture 509 people
▽ Kyoto prefecture 358 people
▽ Ishikawa prefecture 287 people
▽ Toyama prefecture 225 people
▽ Ibaraki prefecture 168 people
▽ Hiroshima prefecture 166 people
Number of people ▽ 150 in Gifu prefecture
147 in Gunma prefecture
142 in Okinawa prefecture
122 in Fukui prefecture ▽
99 in Shiga prefecture ▽
90 in Nara prefecture ▽
88 in Miyagi prefecture ▽
82 in Niigata prefecture
▽ Fukushima prefecture 81 people
Nagano prefecture 76 people
Kochi prefecture 74 people
Shizuoka prefecture 73 people
Ehime prefecture 71 people
Yamagata prefecture 69 people
Wakayama prefecture 63 people
Tochigi prefecture 60 people
Oita prefecture 60 people
▽ Yamanashi prefecture 57 people
▽ Kumamoto prefecture 48 people
▽ Saga prefecture 47 people
▽ Mie prefecture 45 people
▽ Yamaguchi prefecture 37 people
▽ Kagawa prefecture 28 people
▽ Aomori prefecture 27 people
▽ Okayama prefecture 25 people
▽ Shimane prefecture 24 people
▽ Nagasaki prefecture 17 people
▽ Miyazaki prefecture 17 people
▽ Akita prefecture 16 people
▽ Kagoshima prefecture 10 people
▽ Tokushima prefecture 5 people
▽ Tottori The prefecture has 3 people.

In addition,
there were 317 people confirmed by quarantine at airports, and
14 people returned from China by charter aircraft.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of seriously ill persons was 230, and the number of people on board a cruise ship was four, totaling 234 by 17th.

Well, keep you physical distance from everyone, wear mask and eye wear. Save your money for a rainy day.

originally posted by: Byrd
In considering the hidden costs of Covid-19, it seems that recovery from the virus isn't like recovery from the flu. People are reporting weeks (and months) of associated symptoms.

Only in people who have weakened/depressed immune systems, and fail to realize this and start supplementing to boost things up so their body can actually eliminate the problem.

We need a surgeon general in this country that is not afraid of or beholden to the pharmaceutical/industrial complex, who will tell people the truth.

originally posted by: Byrd
And a third article, less of a comfort to read... Chest Computed Tomography Findings in Asymptomatic Patients with COVID-19

It's full of technical terms, but the bottom line is that even in people who don't show symptoms, lung lesions are present (the "ground glass opacity" mentioned.)

10 'asymptomatic' patients... who were hospitalized.

Sorry, that doesn't really mean much. I'm wondering what iatrogenic diseases or HAIs they may have contracted while there.