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news Covid19-Coronavirus updates and news

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Mister Funsky

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Having relatives and friends scattered all over the globe, I am getting an overload of input (some on the record and some off the record).

My intention for this thread is for community members from around the world to post first hand stories and/or links to information sources that, for the most part, should be reliable.

In my community, just outside a major southeastern city, 'assets' have been placed. Only because I have friends in both high and low places have I heard about some of this. At this point it is only some basic medical supplies that should be equally distributed anyway in preparation for a natural emergency (hurricane/wildfire/etc.).

I will start with posting a link to a site with current data that seems to come from an aggregate of sources and hope others will do the same as they come across similar sites/pages.

Because of the 'typhoid Mary' spread-ability of this disease, I feel we may be in for a really large spread globally which will impact the global economy and through extension, retail domain prices.

One thing is for sure...things will get worse before they get better.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa-coronavirus/
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Moderna to test booster shot that targets South African coronavirus variant

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/sci...er-shot-targets-south-african-variant-rcna310

"The development is part of the company's efforts to counter strains of the virus that are already spreading rapidly around the world.

The drugmaker Moderna is set to begin testing a new version of its Covid-19 vaccine that was specifically designed to target an emerging variant of the coronavirus that was first reported in South Africa.

"Moderna is committed to making as many updates to our vaccine as necessary until the pandemic is under control," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement.

There is no evidence yet to suggest that the coronavirus has mutated in a way that makes it able to evade the existing vaccines, but the prospect remains a serious concern for scientists around the world.

Early studies found that Moderna's vaccine was less protective against the South African variant, but the company said the observed level of neutralizing antibodies — which can bind to viruses and block them from getting into cells — stayed above protective levels."
 
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Johnson & Johnson vaccine deemed safe and effective in documents released by FDA

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heal...afe-effective-documents-released-fda-n1258712

"Documents released by the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday indicate that Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine is overall safe and highly effective86 percentagainst the most severe outcomes of the illness.

Assuming the FDA will authorize the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use, the company said it would be able to provide 20 million shots by the end of next month, with an additional 100 million doses over the summer.

The company reported results of its phase 3 clinical trials in late January, finding that in the U.S., the shot was 72 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe disease — essentially, keeping people out of the hospital and dying from Covid-19.

When the company looked just at the shot's effect on preventing severe disease, it was 85 percent effective. The new analysis shows a slight increase, to 86 percent."
 
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People who believe COVID-19 conspiracies have these 7 tendencies

6. IMMUNITY TO EVIDENCE
It’s so hard to change a conspiracy theorist’s mind because their theories are self-sealing. Even absence of evidence for a theory becomes evidence for the theory: The reason there’s no proof of the conspiracy is because the conspirators did such a good job covering it up.

This is the most maddening one. Trying to talk to them is like talking to a closed door -- they always have a canned response and then refuse to discuss any further.
 
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Although I myself personally don't believe in any given conspiracy theory, but believe it or not I don't automatically disregard all conspiracy theories (or any theory for that matter),

I simply assign a percentage of probability to each theory (or claim) of it being true or false and then I adjust that percentage based on what actual scientific or otherwise real evidence is found that can support that theory (or claim).

IMO
 
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^^
Knowledge and experience = increased common sense.
 
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Ghana becomes first African country to receive COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX alliance

Ghana on Wednesday became the first country to receive vaccines from Covax, a global scheme to procure and distribute Covid inoculations for free for poorer countries. Launched last April, Covax said it planned to ship two billion doses by year's end. "The next phase in the fight against this disease can begin -– the ramping up of the largest immunisation campaign in history," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore declared in a statement.

"At last!" World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whose organisation also backs the Covax initiative, said in a tweet. "A day to celebrate, but it's just the first step."

Covax, led by Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), had expected a first round of deliveries in March with some early shipments occurring in late February.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56180161
 
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A third Pfizer dose? The Covid-19 vaccine maker is studying booster shots.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heal...vaccine-maker-studying-booster-shots-n1258775

"Despite the 95 percent effectiveness at preventing coronavirus infection after two doses of its vaccine, Pfizer is now seeing what a third dose might do.

The company announced Thursday that a booster dose is being studied among people who received their first doses of the vaccine more than six months ago.

"We believe that the third dose," Bourla said, "will raise the antibody response 10- to 20- fold."

Pfizer also plans to begin testing whether a modified version of the vaccine works well against the variant from South Africa.

Indeed, as SARS-CoV-2 changes, the vaccines may have to be tweaked. The Food and Drug Administration issued guidance Monday saying vaccine manufacturers may be able to ease away from lengthy clinical trials to prove safety and effectiveness for vaccines that have been tweaked to account for variants."
 
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Current Covid19 death numbers as of 8:00 am EST are below, primarily from the source in the original post (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus). If your country of interest is not listed below, simply go to the link above to do a search for relevant information.

Total: 2,510,889
United States: 518,372
Brazil: 250,079
South Africa: 49,523
United Kingdom: 121,747
Canada: 21,807
Mexico: 182,815
Poland: 43,094
Russia: 84,876
India: 156,742
Bolivia: 11,547
Japan : 7,584
Indonesia: 35,518
Italy: 96,666
Spain: 68,468
Belgium: 21,988
France: 85,321
Netherlands: 15,406
Chile: 20,173
Philippines: 12,201
 
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A third Pfizer dose? The Covid-19 vaccine maker is studying booster shots.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heal...vaccine-maker-studying-booster-shots-n1258775

"Despite the 95 percent effectiveness at preventing coronavirus infection after two doses of its vaccine, Pfizer is now seeing what a third dose might do.

The company announced Thursday that a booster dose is being studied among people who received their first doses of the vaccine more than six months ago.

"We believe that the third dose," Bourla said, "will raise the antibody response 10- to 20- fold."

Pfizer also plans to begin testing whether a modified version of the vaccine works well against the variant from South Africa.

Indeed, as SARS-CoV-2 changes, the vaccines may have to be tweaked. The Food and Drug Administration issued guidance Monday saying vaccine manufacturers may be able to ease away from lengthy clinical trials to prove safety and effectiveness for vaccines that have been tweaked to account for variants."


It will be interesting to keep an eye on these two elderly Australians aged 88 and 94, who were stupidly given up to four times the recommended dose of Pfizer vaccine earlier this week.

The 88-year-old man was scheduled to have heart-surgery later this week.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02...covid-vaccine-dosage-error-aged-care/13188724

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-25/covid19-vaccine-pfizer-dose-mistake-experts/13191010

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What is the risk from too much vaccine?

According to Professor Buttery, the main risk is a higher chance of localised reactions like tenderness and swelling and what experts call "systemic reactions" such as muscle aches and pains

He said an excessive dose would not be life-threatening and would not lead to the patient developing COVID-19, because the inoculation does not contain live coronavirus.

"[Also] with the COVID vaccine the risk of adverse events is lower in the elderly than young people because the immune system of older people doesn't react as strongly," he said.

Pfizer's early trials included higher dosages and it said it found no impact on the people involved.

The company said it was working with the federal Health Department and the Therapeutic Goods Administration to ensure the vaccine was used safely, and said the federal government provided vaccinators with mandatory training materials.


Questions remain about whether dosage errors can impact a vaccine's effectiveness.

The Pfizer vaccine has been designed to be given in two doses, with the first to start building immunity, and the second to reinforce it.

Professor Buttery said an excessive dose of the vaccine was unlikely to reduce effectiveness, but it didn't improve it either.

"Typically as part of the vaccine's development they give a different range of dosages and come up with the lowest dose possible," he said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-25/covid19-vaccine-pfizer-dose-mistake-experts/13191010
 
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^^
Knowledge and experience = increased common sense.

I agree with your statement to a certain degree, but I would rather change the word "common sense" with "awareness" .

The reason being is that although it is good to have common sense, but we have to make sure that it is the kind of common sense that is derived from people thinking logically and compassionately. Otherwise we as a community or society might start believing in things that might not necessarily be true and accept them as facts simply because they make common sense based on our limited knowledge and mental abilities.

Sometimes it's hard to figure out what's true and what is false because in many cases true facts are mixed in with conspiracy theories and you have to have a certain level of awareness as to how the World works in order to be able to find and separate the truth from deception and fake news that is thrown into the mix by certain people and groups for protecting their own ill gotten interests and furthering their own self serving agendas.

But recognizing the truth becomes one step harder when you start realizing that not all conspiracy theories and claims might be completely false specially when you put into consideration the way that we currently have certain official and private groups in the three major competing ideologies and doctrines of Capitalism, Communism, and Religious Fundamentalism who stop at nothing for getting an upper hand on one another.

There are two ways that one can achieve awareness,

Either by running a Big Data analysis which hopefully will result in some insights emerging through the visualization of some massive amount of data which might give you a certain level of awareness depending on the accuracy of the data that has been compiled,

Or you can reach awareness through your soul by tapping into the natural network of life which consists of all the brain power of all the living things in the World (including humans) in which could be considered as a massive quantum computer in itself which we affectionately call "God".

How does all this relate to the topic of this thread, well you never know, but this whole Pandemic could have been the result of certain people experimenting with giving their people the power of creativity (which they have been lacking) by exposing them to certain pathogens and microorganisms in order to stimulate their brains and jump start their mental abilities. (but then it seems like things went out of control big time.)

IMO
 
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Researchers find worrying new coronavirus variant in New York City

(CNN)Two separate teams of researchers said this week they have found a worrying new coronavirus variant in New York City and elsewhere in the Northeast that carries mutations that help it evade the body's natural immune response -- as well as the effects of monoclonal antibody treatments.

Genomics researchers have named the variant B.1.526. It appears in people affected in diverse neighborhoods of New York City, they said, and is "scattered in the Northeast."

One of the mutations in this variant is the same concerning change found in the variant first seen in South Africa and known as B.1.351. It appears to evade, somewhat, the body's response to vaccines, as well. And it's becoming more common.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/25/health/variants-coronavirus-new-york-city/index.html

Beware the B.1526.
 
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Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine appears to fare better against worrisome COVID-19 variants than first reported

Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine appears to provide more protection against worrisome virus variants than the drug giant initially reported, according to new trial data released before an advisory panel votes Friday on whether to recommend the vaccine as the third one cleared for emergency use in the United States.

Briefing documents posted on the Food and Drug Administration website Wednesday provide the most compelling evidence yet that the vaccine prevents serious illness despite the emergence of resistant variants. Those include variants that first surfaced in South Africa and Brazil and have since led to confirmed cases in the United States.


 
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Nursing Homes, Once Hotspots, Far Outpace U.S. in Covid Declines

Since the arrival of vaccines, which were prioritized to long-term care facilities starting in late December, new cases and deaths in nursing homes, a large subset of long-term care facilities, have fallen steeply, outpacing national declines, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data. The turnaround is an encouraging sign for vaccine effectiveness and offers an early glimpse at what may be in store for the rest of the country, as more and more people get vaccinated.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/02/25/us/nursing-home-covid-vaccine.html
 
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People who believe COVID-19 conspiracy theories tend to struggle with scientific reasoning, study finds

Individuals with a better grasp of scientific reasoning are less likely to fall prey to false conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research published in the Journal of Health Psychology.

“At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic there was too much uncertainty and confusion regarding the best measures to protect oneself against the coronavirus,” said study author Vladimira Cavojova of the Centre for Social and Psychological Sciences at the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

“Scientists became the center of attention and we hypothesized that people who understand the workings of science better would be better able to navigate the sea of conflicting information and resist pseudoscientific and unfounded beliefs.”


The researchers found that those who strongly endorsed the coronavirus conspiracy beliefs tended to score low on the test of scientific reasoning. Belief in coronavirus conspiracy theories, in turn, was associated with a reduce willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Participants with low scores on the scientific reasoning test were also more likely to endorse unfounded general health-related beliefs and anti-vaccination attitudes. The findings are in line with previous research, which has found “that people who have one kind of epistemically suspect belief tend to have other kinds of such beliefs as well,” the researchers said.
 
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Pfizer and BioNTech Submit COVID-19 Vaccine Stability Data at Standard Freeze Temperature to the U.S. FDA

https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-r...ontech-submit-covid-19-vaccine-stability-data

"NEW YORK and MAINZ, GERMANY, February 19, 2021 — Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) today announced the submission of new data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) demonstrating the stability of their COVID-19 vaccine when stored at -25°C to -15°C (-13°F to 5°F), temperatures more commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators. The data have been submitted to the FDA to support a proposed update to the U.S. Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Prescribing Information, which would allow for vaccine vials to be stored at these temperatures for a total of two weeks as an alternative or complement to storage in an ultra-low temperature freezer."


US approves Pfizer vaccine storage at normal freezer temperature

20210212-health-coronavirus-vaccines.jpg


Frozen vials of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine may be stored at temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for a period of up to 2 weeks, the US Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.

The move loosens a previous requirement that the vaccine should be stored at ultra-low temperatures, between -112 and -76 degrees Fahrenheit (-80 to -60 degrees Celsius).

"The alternative temperature for transportation and storage will help ease the burden of procuring ultra-low cold storage equipment for vaccination sites and should help to get vaccine to more sites," said Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

The FDA said it would update its fact sheet for health-care providers accordingly.



 
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Researchers find worrying new coronavirus variant in New York City

(CNN)Two separate teams of researchers said this week they have found a worrying new coronavirus variant in New York City and elsewhere in the Northeast that carries mutations that help it evade the body's natural immune response -- as well as the effects of monoclonal antibody treatments.

Genomics researchers have named the variant B.1.526. It appears in people affected in diverse neighborhoods of New York City, they said, and is "scattered in the Northeast."

One of the mutations in this variant is the same concerning change found in the variant first seen in South Africa and known as B.1.351. It appears to evade, somewhat, the body's response to vaccines, as well. And it's becoming more common.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/25/health/variants-coronavirus-new-york-city/index.html

Beware the B.1526.

New coronavirus variant in NYC has vaccine-evading mutation

Two "branches" or versions of the B.1.526 lineage exist, both with worrisome mutations. One branch has a mutation called E484K, which has also been seen in other coronavirus variants, including those identified in South Africa and Brazil. This mutation may reduce the ability of certain antibodies to neutralize, or inactivate, the virus, and may help the coronavirus partially evade COVID-19 vaccines, Live Science previously reported. The other branch has a mutation called S477N, which may help the virus bind more tightly to cells, the Times reported.
 
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Chinese coronavirus jab brings relief, and concern in Hungary

"We should be happy to get any vaccine," said Laszlo Cservak, a pensioner queueing in Budapest for China's Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine shot after Hungary became the first EU member to start using it.

The inoculations began Thursday as some Hungarian doctors fret that Sinopharm's Chinese maker has provided only minimal information on clinical trials of its vaccine, particularly for those aged over 60.

Neither Sinopharm nor Russia's Sputnik V jab, which Budapest also started rolling out this month in another EU first, are approved by the EU's European Medicines Agency (EMA).


In surveys of preferences among the five vaccines now used in Hungary, Sinopharm ranks last behind three western-developed vaccines -- Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca -- as well as Sputnik V.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban and health officials have urged citizens to put aside concerns about the Chinese vaccine while pro-government media have promoted its benefits.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/chinese-coronavirus-jab-brings-relief-104012299.html
 
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Current Covid19 death numbers as of 8:00 am EST are below, primarily from the source in the original post (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus). If your country of interest is not listed below, simply go to the link above to do a search for relevant information.

Total: 2,521,336
United States: 520,852
Brazil: 251,661
South Africa: 49,667
United Kingdom: 122,070
Canada: 21,865
Mexico: 183,692
Poland: 43,353
Russia: 85,304
India: 156,861
Bolivia: 11,577
Japan : 7,647
Indonesia: 35,786
Italy: 96,974
Spain: 68,813
Belgium: 22,006
France: 85,582
Netherlands: 15,438
Chile: 20,310
Philippines: 12,247
 
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Individuals with a better grasp of scientific reasoning are less likely to fall prey to false conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research published in the Journal of Health Psychology.

But who is supposed to keep an eye on the scientists and technology as a whole to make sure that no one comes up with some kind of a Frankenstein experiment out of everyone’s sight.

That’s why I suggested the need for creating the Global (Universal) Security, Safety, and Preparedness Task Force (or Organization) in my previous post in order to be able to keep an eye on, be prepared for, and preempt any kind of threat that might face Humanity and our Home Planet whether manmade or natural.

For Humanity's sake and for our Home Planet's sake lets start doing the right thing for a change instead of continuing to do business as usual and keeping the status quo around the World that is no longer adequate enough to meet the existential challenges and threats that are facing us in this third millennium.

IMO
 
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New Zealand's city of Auckland goes into 7-day lockdown following two cases of community transmission

Scientific experts say two or three key factors specific to Auckland's latest Covid-19 cases forced the Government to impose a seven-day lockdown.

The snap move applies from 6am tomorrow and follows confirmation of two new Covid community cases.

A man, 21, known as case M, went to the GP on Friday afternoon for a Covid test - then went to the gym. His positive test result was confirmed this afternoon. It has since been confirmed the man's mother has also tested positive.

Epidemiological and public health experts agreed the length of time the new Case M was exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms while mingling in public would have concerned Cabinet and the Ministry of Health.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid...own-experts-react/WPI6OQJTVJQHGCMQ6DADRGKESA/
 
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But who is supposed to keep an eye on the scientists and technology as a whole to make sure that no one comes up with some kind of a Frankenstein experiment out of everyone’s sight.

That’s why I suggested the need for creating the Global (Universal) Security, Safety, and Preparedness Task Force (or Organization) in my previous post in order to be able to keep an eye on, be prepared for, and preempt any kind of threat that might face Humanity and our Home Planet whether manmade or natural.

For Humanity's sake and for our Home Planet's sake lets start doing the right thing for a change instead of continuing to do business as usual and keeping the status quo around the World that is no longer adequate enough to meet the existential challenges and threats that are facing us in this third millennium.

IMO

Isn't that sort of what the UN (incl. WHO) does?

The problem is that these international organizations tend to become political chess pieces on the world stage.
 
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Current Covid19 death numbers as of 8:00 am EST are below, primarily from the source in the original post (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus). If your country of interest is not listed below, simply go to the link above to do a search for relevant information.

Total: 2,531,285
United States: 523,091
Brazil: 252,988
South Africa: 49,784
United Kingdom: 122,415
Canada: 21,915
Mexico: 184,474
Poland: 43,656
Russia: 85,743
India: 156,970
Bolivia: 11,609
Japan : 7,722
Indonesia: 35,981
Italy: 97,227
Spain: 69,142
Belgium: 22,034
France: 86,147
Netherlands: 15,503
Chile: 20,400
Philippines: 12,289
 
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Another nasty is raising its head again.

CDC announces travel restrictions for countries hit by Ebola

(CNN)Travel precautions will be imposed for individuals coming to the US from Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo -- two countries fighting recent outbreaks of the Ebola virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday.

Next week, the US government will start directing travelers from Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo to six US airports, according to the CDC. Airlines will collect information from all passengers boarding flights to the US who were in either country within the previous 21 days, and share the data with the CDC and local health departments for monitoring purposes.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/27/health/cdc-travel-restrictions-ebola/index.html
 
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Another nasty is raising its head again.

CDC announces travel restrictions for countries hit by Ebola

(CNN)Travel precautions will be imposed for individuals coming to the US from Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo -- two countries fighting recent outbreaks of the Ebola virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday.

Next week, the US government will start directing travelers from Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo to six US airports, according to the CDC. Airlines will collect information from all passengers boarding flights to the US who were in either country within the previous 21 days, and share the data with the CDC and local health departments for monitoring purposes.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/27/health/cdc-travel-restrictions-ebola/index.html

I used to think that Ebola would be the big threat as far as world-wide pandemics go, but from what I have been reading, it is extremely infectious but not extremely contagious. And it usually kills its host.


Ebola Fast Facts

Ebola is considered moderately contagious because the virus is not transmitted through the air. Humans can be infected by other humans if they come in contact with body fluids from an infected person or contaminated objects from infected persons. Humans can also be exposed to the virus, for example, by butchering infected animals.

Typically, symptoms appear eight to 10 days after exposure to the virus, but the incubation period can span two to 21 days.

Ebola is not transmissible if someone is asymptomatic and usually not after someone has recovered from it.

https://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/11/health/ebola-fast-facts/index.html


Why Is Covid-19 More Deadly Than Ebola? An Infectious Disease Doctor Explains

In the pantheon of infectious disease killers, Ebola virus stands out as one of the deadliest. The Zaire species of Ebola kills somewhere between 40% to 90% of its victims, and usually upwards of 60% of infected people die. Only a handful of infectious diseases can claim such high death rates, including rabies, pneumonic plague, and inhalational anthrax.

... How could a disease that usually kills greater than 60% of its victims be outgunned by Covid-19, which “only” kills about approximately 4% of its victims, by the latest numbers.

The answer relates to one fundamental aspect of most viruses. They don’t really like to kill their hosts. They can have a much wider impact if their hosts don’t die. This allows them to circulate in the community much longer and spread far and wide across the world for far greater impact.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/corona...ious-disease-doctor-explains/?sh=24625440f734
 
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