The absence of a national plan has led to the politicization of a pandemic and the exploitation of disparate data https://t.co/EPSTHw6JeU
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) August 24, 2020
Finding a safe, effective Covid vaccine is the single most important thing we can do, but it's not going to bring an end to this pandemic overnight. We're still going to need to do the basics of preventing the virus, finding it, and stopping it.
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) August 23, 2020
Plasma therapy for #COVID19 — behind the scenes.
Economic advisor #Navarro yelled in person @US_FDA leaders.
"Navarro had aggressively confronted FDA officials, saying, "You are all Deep State and you need to get on Trump Time." https://t.co/td28G5nf3Q— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) August 23, 2020
A good overview of how little we really know about convalescent plasma, from @jetjocko https://t.co/foosxahXqf via @wired
— Carl Zimmer (@carlzimmer) August 23, 2020
This 35% reduction in deaths number….
Comes from a NON-PEER REVIEWED STUDY from June.
We have an FDA emergency use authorization based on a study that has not even been accepted by a medical journal.
If it was REMOTELY good, that study would be in a medical journal already.
— Jeremy Faust MD MS (ER doc, policy 🤓) (@jeremyfaust) August 23, 2020
It’s important to note that COVID-19 convalescent plasma has risks. Transfusion of plasma and other blood products that contain antibodies, particularly anti-HLA or anti-HNA antibodies, can cause acute lung injury. It’s well known as transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI).
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) August 23, 2020
From a longer thread:
Today's "breakthrough" announcement is unlikely to be any breakthrough.
1. Convalescent plasma has no randomized trials. It contains many antibodies that have no neutralizing effect. If it has efficacy, it will be be relatively modest, at best.— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 23, 2020
4. True breakthroughs in medicine are exceedingly rare.
It is even more rare—actually unprecedented—for they to be announced by a politician, no less a @POTUS
In the context of other magic and cures that have similarly been proclaimed in recent months, this all aligns well.— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 23, 2020
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Global #coronavirus deaths top 800,000 as countries ramp up measures in the wake of rebounds and expanding clusters https://t.co/OEjhs6XbVe pic.twitter.com/ZhFobQSF18
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) August 23, 2020
South Korea emphasizes physical distancing measures as #coronavirus rebound nears spring levels https://t.co/Zq0XqOi6Yw via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) August 23, 2020
A superspreader event in S. Korea, and Starbucks was ground zero https://t.co/YfbgNzWZ5b
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) August 23, 2020
VIDEO: 🇮🇳 India's confirmed #coronavirus case tally has surged past 3 million, with the figure increasing from 2 million in just 16 days. India now has the third-highest number of confirmed cases globally after the US and Brazil. pic.twitter.com/GvxAprhrEZ
— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 23, 2020
Experts have flagged risks in India's use of rapid tests for #coronavirus. The tests have boosted India's testing levels ~5-fold in 2 months. Some parts of the country may have become over reliant on the screenings, which can miss infections https://t.co/Fn9hirxP4X .
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) August 23, 2020
The Philippines has seen a downward trend in the coronavirus’ reproductive rate following the two-week implementation of stricter quarantine measures in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, a group of researchers said. https://t.co/9R1oGsdwks
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) August 24, 2020
Italy sees 7th straight day of increasing daily coronavirus infections, mostly driven by returning vacationers. Testing centers have been set up in major airports and ports. https://t.co/lHuKSQ9JnV
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) August 23, 2020
Coronavirus in South Africa: Whistleblower questions winter tent deaths https://t.co/qac19tAQxJ
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 23, 2020
Australia’s state by state coronavirus lockdown rules and restrictions explained https://t.co/mfXM55uXIT
— Guardian news (@guardiannews) August 24, 2020
New Zealand extends coronavirus curbs in largest city https://t.co/OvYMW7tVia pic.twitter.com/YQrmRTRtAB
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 24, 2020
Genomic sequencing reveals the New Zealand outbreak that occurred as a surprise in Auckland is the result of a single cluster—except for one case https://t.co/Ns46Csh2tu via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) August 23, 2020
Ten countries kept out Covid. But did they win? https://t.co/W0cyTpvIzN
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 23, 2020
Mexico posts lowest weekly coronavirus death toll in two months https://t.co/6CGNi8s2M5 pic.twitter.com/IpHAb9nw9M
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 24, 2020
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Russia, expecting praise for its vaccine, is miffed by the cool reception https://t.co/A7MXAXEbpX
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) August 24, 2020
"The challenge … is to push back & not sign off on any vaccine or drug unless there is credible evidence that it meets the criteria the agency uses to assess safety and effectiveness." — @pharmalot on the difficult days ahead for @US_FDA director Hahn. https://t.co/dWgeGkc71L
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) August 22, 2020
Israel's cellphone surveillance for coronavirus contact-tracing may have overcome challenges by privacy watchdogs, but the state tracking policy is hard put to deal with low-tech evasion methods seemingly lifted from TV cop shows https://t.co/gncrAv8o6a by @DanWilliams pic.twitter.com/kq124f36Za
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 24, 2020
Some have said herd immunity is possible when 20-30% of a population is infected. That doesn't make sense. When more people are immune, infection spreads more slowly. But spread occurs unevenly and many communities remain vulnerable even if a high proportion has been infected.
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) August 23, 2020
======
176,797 confirmed #covid19 deaths in the United States so far https://t.co/gadJKxkufH
— Carl Zimmer (@carlzimmer) August 24, 2020
The U.S. could save nearly 70,000 lives by December if universal mask mandates are implemented, according to an analysis by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation https://t.co/sAc76Axu0N
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) August 23, 2020
Georgia becomes 10th state to exceed 5000 #coronavirus deaths. The Georgia Department of Public Health said there have been at least 5092 fatalities in the state caused by COVID19 and more than 252,000 confirmed COVID cases. https://t.co/LBntRQjv40 via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) August 23, 2020
Florida is a cautionary tale for America. Public health funding for contact tracers and nurses dropped precipitously, leaving it especially unprepared for the worst health crisis in a century. #UnderfundedUnderThreat @AP/@KHNews https://t.co/bI7ynqC3Iz
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 23, 2020
South Carolina’s governor opted for a reopening plan written by the state restaurant association instead of one devised by his health experts. An infection surge later forced him to dial back. Records obtained by AP show it’s a story echoed in many states. https://t.co/FwQzIXEUah
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 23, 2020
1/ New piece in @CalSunday. I spent months investigating the country's 1st nursing home outbreak -at the Life Care Center of Kirkland WA. 46 people died. Were those deaths inevitable, once the virus got inside the building? Or could it have been otherwise? https://t.co/kIeHYMu3MA
— Katie Engelhart (@katieengelhart) August 23, 2020
6/ I look at regulation. For decades, infection control violations have been categorized as low-level offenses. Often nursing homes aren’t even fined for them. We see the effects now. In March, mid-pandemic, 1/3 of nursing homes had staff who didn’t wash their hands properly.
— Katie Engelhart (@katieengelhart) August 23, 2020
Kenosha Wisconsin Protests Are Ongoing!
CarolDuhart2
Lets say we discover the right vaccine. The distribution is going to be weeks away at best as we test for safety, efficacy. And then have to build/buy facilities and materials for manufacture and get doses out to medical facilities. In the mean time, people will be getting sick during the rampup.
This leads to my biggest fear: that something will be announced and many people who have taken precautions will stop doing them in anticipation or even (God Forbid) the belief that there’s a cure around the corner. And that the services that the must vulnerable need will be cut in anticipation of the end for that need.
oatler.
https://crooksandliars.com/2020/08/man-has-bizarre-encounter-kappa-sigma
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s daily numbers. Seven new cases. Five cases from local infection, all in Sarawak: two Malaysians, one screened at work and one (presumably a woman) screened in hospital before giving birth; three non-Malaysians, two screened at work and one screened ahead of repatriation (deportation?). Two imported cases, both Malaysians, returning from the Philippines and the US. Cumulative reported total 9,274 cases.
Six more patients recovered and were discharged, for a total of 8,965 patients recovered — 96.7% of the cumulative reported total. Active and contagious cases currently being isolated/treated in hospitalt rose by one to 184 patients; eight are in ICU, of whom five are on respirators.
No new deaths since 31st July. The total stands at 125 deaths — 1.35% of the cumulative reported total, 1.38% of resolved cases.
Jack Canuck
Updates for Australia/Victoria:
Nationally:
216(?) new cases in the last 24 hours (but I think that’s for the previous period, because it doesn’t make sense with the lower count from Victoria today)
4261 active cases (estimated)
19228 recovered cases
502 total deaths
Victoria:
116 new cases in the last 24 hours (lowest since early July)
3731 active cases
430 total deaths
15 deaths in the last 24 hours (all associated with aged care)
If the Flying Spaghetti Monster loves me then we’ll be seeing two digit numbers for increases soon. The overall trend is doing what it should though. Halfway through the Stage 4 restrictions, and fingers crossed that things can actually be relaxed (not go back to normal, nobody expects that) in mid-September.
Amir Khalid
Aw, poor Vlad.
Shalimar
So Peter Navarro turns out to be an answer to the question, “Sure, all of these Trump Administration officials are grifting incompetents, but are any of them as clinically insane as he is?”
a thousand flouncing lurkers was fidelio
143,937 total cases—an increase of 1,854
104,054 recovered—an increase of 628
1,567 deaths—an increase of 4
Davidson County (Nashville) has 3,559 active cases; Shelby County (Memphis 3,551.
More data at the Tennessee Department of Health website:
https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov/data.html
Also, 28-day stats are discussed in thIs tweet:
https://twitter.com/spleck/status/1297611122254782465?s=21
YY_Sima Qian
Yesterday, China reported 0 new domestic confirmed cases and 0 new domestic asymptomatic case, for the 3rd day in a row.
In Ürumqi, there are currently 183 confirmed and 57 asymptomatic cases at Ürumqi, with 12 cases in serious condition. 15 confirmed cases recovered yesterday and were released from hospitals, 12 asymptomatic cases were released from medical quarantine, 2 serious cases improved to moderate conditions. There are 4,193 close contacts remaining under quarantine and medical observation.
At Dalian in Liaoning Province, 8 cases are currently in the hospital. There are 467 individuals remaining under quarantine.
Yesterday, China reported 16 new imported confirmed cases, 29 imported asymptomatic cases, and 1 imported suspect case:
* Shanghai Municipality – 5 confirmed cases, 2 Chinese nationals returning from Singapore, 1 each from the US and the UK, and 1 Taiwanese residents coming from Taipei; 1 suspect case, no information released
* Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 3 confirmed cases, 2 Chinese nationals returning from Nigeria, 1 (previously identified as asymptomatic) from Singapore; 8 asymptomatic cases, 7 Chinese nationals returning from Nigeria, 1 from the United Arab Emirates (via Cairo)
* Kunming in Yunnan Province – 3 confirmed and 1 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Indonesia
* Quanzhou in Fujian Province – 2 confirmed cases, both Chinese nationals returning from the Philippines
* Xiamen in Fujian Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from the US; 6 asymptomatic cases, 5 Chinese nationals returning from Singapore, and 1 from the Philippines
* Weihai in Shandong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese nationals returning from South Korea
* Qingdao in Shandong Province – 1 asymptomatic cases, a Chinese nationals returning from the Philippines
* Taiyuan in Shanxi Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese nationals returning from Poland
* Zhengzhou in Henan Province – 5 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Russia
* Xi’an in Shaanxi Province – 3 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Singapore
* Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning from Singapore
* Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Saudi Arabia
* Foshan in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Australia
* Tianjin Municipality – 1 asymptomatic case, a Filipino crew member off a cargo ship
Today, Hong Kong reported 9 new cases, 7 from local transmission, the first time new case count is single digits. Given 1/4 – 1/3 of local cases have not had sources of transmission identified, and there has not been any targeted lock down like in Mainland China or in Melbourne, Australia, it does suggest that driving Rt < 1 does not necessarily require draconian measures, nor apparently thorough contact tracing…
The Taiwanese case in Shanghai is the second in the past week coming from Taiwan into Mainland China, and follows a string of exported cases to the rest of Asia (Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Japan, etc.). Taiwan has not reported any domestic cases for several months, but its testing rate is down at Japanese levels, and has been since the start of the pandemic. Some of the early cases had potential alternative explanations: one case exported to Japan was weakly positive, could have been a false positive, and for some reason the Japanese authorities refuse to retest the case; a Belgian engineer who arrived in Taiwan months ago tested positive for RT-PCR and IgG antibody, so could have been infected while in Belgium, now shedding dead viral particles; a case exported to Vietnam was housed with returnees from the US and the UK while under quarantine (not sure why arrivals into Vietnam are not quarantined individually), so could have been infected there, though the fellow returnees seemed to have tested negative. Taiwanese health authorities have emphasized that they have done thorough contact tracing of each exported case, and none of the close contacts in Taiwan have tested positive. On the other hand, it is hard to believe all of the recent exported cases are false negatives. The two cases coming into Mainland China are deemed confirmed cases, so not only did they test positive on RT-PCR at least twice, they are also presenting at least some of COVID-19 symptoms.
Taiwan has been lauded for its COVID-19 response, and largely deserved IMO, though the low testing rate is a concern, and clearly a policy decision whose justification I do not understand. See Japan, very low testing rate, but also low infection and death rate, so observers were left with guessing why the country seemed to have a handle on things. Then infection and death rate started to climb a couple of weeks ago. COVID-19 is probably transmitting in the community at low levels in Taiwan, but has not hit a super spreading event. The authorities there is probably not missing high levels of transmission, that should show up in hospitalizations of atypical pneumonia, and excess deaths. Taiwans has never locked down, and has relaxed most of the social distancing measures, and masking rate is declining, too.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
Amir Khalid
@Shalimar:
There is a collective delusion in the White House that politicians outrank scientists, and therefore politics matters more than scientific truth.
prostratedragon
Around the beginning of July, New York State had a substantial lead among the States for days with 1000 or more new cases, at 80. As of the end of Aug. 23:
That Illinois number especially concerns me personally, as that’s where I am. Though our lockdown probably kept deaths from skyrocketing back in the spring, cases never really levelled off as they did out East. I’ll look at some other counties later today, but here’s Cook County (60% Chicago), looking between linearly and exponentially increasing. For comparison, NYC 5 Boroughs; in terms of absolute numbers, still far too high, but much lower and stable.
prostratedragon
@prostratedragon: No edit button. Data are from Johns Hopkins.
lowtechcyclist
Ooh, I bet the pro-lifers are all excited about this easy way of saving a whole bunch of lives!
I kid, I kid…
satby
@lowtechcyclist: I wish the mask mandates were enforced, and that they would especially go after those bogus plastic shield things people are using as masks, because those don’t block exhalations from the wearers, just divert them around the edges of the plastic barriers. And they’ve become very common around here with the anti-maskers, to fake compliance with mask mandates.
Amir Khalid
@satby:
Face shields aren’t actually bogus — many healthcare workers use them — but they need to be worn with a mask to properly protect the wearer.
WereBear
@Amir Khalid: You have pinpointed it, Amir.
It’s about power differentials, not what the facts are. They get all drunk with power and yell, “I make the facts,” like Rove did during the W administration.
satby
@Amir Khalid: I’m calling them bogus because they’re being used without masks as a way to evade mask mandates calling for a cloth face covering as shown here.
(In the large picture at link.) You would think it’s obvious how useless those are.
germy
Some krazy in kalifornia:
Cameron
I know this has been posted before, but it bears repeating. Asimov wrote it in 1980:
It’s hard to quarrel with that ancient justification of the free press: “America’s right to know.” It seems almost cruel to ask, ingenuously, ”America’s right to know what, please? Science? Mathematics? Economics? Foreign languages?”
None of those things, of course. In fact, one might well suppose that the popular feeling is that Americans are a lot better off without any of that tripe.
There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
rikyrah
@CarolDuhart2:
A vaccine from THIS ADMINISTRATION?
UM, NO
Let all the Red States MAGA folks take it first.
I’ll see you in 6 months after them 😒
rikyrah
@Amir Khalid:
Like, did he honestly think that the rest of the world would take him seriously?
After it was proven that they were hacking others trying to get vaccine data?😒
debbie
@satby:
The name alone say’s it’s bullshit: Smile Visible Fashion Mouth Shield Mask.
rikyrah
@satby: .
What is that foolishness 😠😠
Kay
I have no idea how I’m supposed to trust these people. They destroy their own credibility by going along with this.
Stand up to him. Refuse. Resign publicly and loudly. It’s not really a “choice”. If they don’t stand up to him their credibility is destroyed anyway, so they’re protecting nothing by giving in to him. The one and only way they keep it is to stand up to him.
Ascap_scab
After reaching a peak of over 800k tests per day a month ago, testing is slowing to under 700k now.
Looks like Trumps call to”slow the testing down” is being heeded.
Robert Sneddon
Scotland — 66 new cases reported overnight, a test positivity rate of 1%. No deaths of confirmed cases reported again. Note as always the weekend numbers are not definitive due to some health department offices being closed on Saturday and Sunday. Hospitalisations remain at about the same numbers as before.
The Tayside outbreak centred around the 2 Sisters food processing plant continues to grow with over a hundred cases now linked to it, mostly workers at the factory. The Dundee special-needs school outbreak is now up to 22 cases, mostly adults working there and it is still closed. Schools across Scotland generally are open and the debate at the moment is whether and in which circumstances should face masks be worn by pupils in secondary schools. Some students have tested positive and are self-isolating but the evidence is generally that they were community-spread infections and not school-centred. This may change.
The hard lockdown in Aberdeen is being lifted in stages with some restrictions removed today and, it is expected, hospitality venues will be open on Wednesday.
Basically it’s no bad news and no good news, more of a steady-state situation. The disease is still present in Scotland, outbreaks are happening, tracing and tracking is being done. The Big Win is that the schools are fully open for attendance with no part-time schedules and online teaching required and the government has made it clear they will clamp down on other parts of society such as hospitality (pubs, clubs, restaurants etc.) to keep this going. This may change.
Kay
The other justification for giving in to Trump doesn’t make sense either. If the idea is you keep your mouth shut and go along in order to keep your job, the question becomes why does anyone want people who go along with this bullshit in those jobs?
One can’t just “go back” to being ethical and science-based with a new President. They’re either ethical and science-based or they’re not. If they’re not ethical under political pressure then they’re not ethical. They can’t say “we follow the science” and then carve out exemptions, “except for when Trump’s political appointees bully us”.
Kristine
Every treatment that shows even a hint of a possibility of having some effect is going to be pushed through the same way. The internal polling numbers must be horrific.
Plus, everything Kay said. If you care about your career more than your job, you’re the wrong person for both. So many lousy hires.
Robert Sneddon
@debbie: Nearly all the masks being sold to Joe Public are of questionable utility to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially the simple cloth masks. Real medical-grade face masks are made and QAed to a much higher specification than colourful Etsy masks and even they have their limitations when worn properly under supervision and replaced on schedule.
Kay
@Kristine:
It’s just that there’s no practical application of being “ethical” other than standing up to unethical people and practices. It’s not a permanent state of being one can just announce. It comes with a duty. “I’m ethical except when I’m faced with an ethical dilemma” is meaningless.
Some of the people studying climate change resigned under Trump because they (rightly) recognized claiming to be ethical and science based is wholly inconsistent with caving to the President and his shitty, corrupt hires. It’s not a choice.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@rikyrah: More importantly see how the rest of the world reacts to it. What Trump and Narvaro (Trump’s mini me) don’t get other countries have their own regulatory agencies. Like what happen to Putin’s BS “vaccine”.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@satby: The reason for the shields is keep something from getting in your eyes and infecting you that way. None of those masks will do that.
Brachiator
@Kay:
I disagree. Ultimately, these people work for the people of the United States, not just for Trump. They need to stay in place, if possible, and wait for the Biden Administration.
Sloane Ranger
Glad to see Robert Sneddon back with his detailed report from Scotland. I missed you over the weekend!
The figures shown on the Government dashboard today don’t add up but I’ll give them anyway. According to the Dashboard there were 853 new cases in the UK today, 758 in England, 200 in Northern Ireland, 19 in Wales and the 66 Robert Sneddon reported from Scotland.
According to the calculations I’ve just done on the back of the traditional fag packet that makes 1043 cases, but perhaps they used the new maths? 1043 new cases does seem more in line with what we’ve been seeing over the last weeks but that’s a big jump in the number of cases in Northern Ireland.
The Dashboard shows 4 deaths, 3 in England and 1 in Wales. Given the above, I offer this without comment on its accuracy.