news Covid19-Coronavirus updates and news

[Mister Funsky]

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/

 

[Mister Funsky]

Current Covid19 death numbers as of 9:00 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: 1,258,303
United States: 243,290
Brazil: 162,286
South Africa: 19,789
United Kingdom: 48,888
Canada: 10,490
Mexico: 94,808
Russia: 30,537
India: 126,225
Bolivia: 8,790
Japan : 1,809
Indonesia: 14,614
Italy: 41,063
Spain: 38,833
Belgium: 12,907
France: 40,169
Netherlands: 8,004
Chile: 14,499
Philippines: 7,539

 

[Sutruk]

Pfizer’s Early Data Shows Vaccine Is More Than 90% Effective


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/health/covid-vaccine-pfizer.html

Pfizer announced stunning early results from its coronavirus vaccine trial, cementing the lead in a frenzied global race that has unfolded at record-breaking speed.

"The company said that the analysis found that the vaccine was more than 90 percent effective in preventing the disease among trial volunteers who had no evidence of prior coronavirus infection. If the results hold up, that level of protection would put it on par with highly effective childhood vaccines for diseases such as measles. No serious safety concerns have been observed, the company said."

 

[Mister Funsky]

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: 1,263,916
United States: 243,771
Brazil: 162,397
South Africa: 19,809
United Kingdom: 49,044
Canada: 10,522
Mexico: 95,027
Russia: 30,793
India: 126,683
Bolivia: 8,795
Japan : 1,812
Indonesia: 14,689
Italy: 41,394
Spain: 38,833
Belgium: 13,055
France: 40,439
Netherlands: 8,004
Chile: 14,543
Philippines: 7,647

 

[JB Lions]

Impressive lineup

Biden-Harris Transition Announces COVID-19 Advisory Board
https://buildbackbetter.com/press-r...transition-announces-covid-19-advisory-board/

 

[Mister Funsky]

Utah governor issues statewide mask mandate amid coronavirus surge

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has declared a state of emergency and ordered a statewide mask mandate in an attempt to stem a surge in coronavirus hospitalizations that is testing the state’s hospital capacity.

https://www.latimes.com/world-natio...sues-statewide-mask-mandate-coronavirus-surge

 

[Sutruk]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Monoclonal Antibody for Treatment of COVID-19

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/pre...orizes-monoclonal-antibody-treatment-covid-19

"Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the investigational monoclonal antibody therapy bamlanivimab for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adult and pediatric patients."

"Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful antigens such as viruses. Bamlanivimab is a monoclonal antibody that is specifically directed against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, designed to block the virus’ attachment and entry into human cells."

 

[Mister Funsky]

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: 1,271,511
United States: 244,470
Brazil: 162,638
South Africa: 19,845
United Kingdom: 49,238
Canada: 10,564
Mexico: 95,225
Russia: 31,161
India: 127,104
Bolivia: 8,802
Japan : 1,818
Indonesia: 14,761
Italy: 41,750
Spain: 39,345
Belgium: 13,216
France: 40,987
Netherlands: 8,043
Chile: 14,588
Philippines: 7,661

 

[koolishman]

Moderna Covid vaccine could have similar results to Pfizer drug, Fauci says

Positive results from a potential coronavirus vaccine announced by the drug maker Pfizer could indicate that two vaccines will be available, as biotech firm Moderna has relied on similar technology to produce its drug, according to Dr Anthony Fauci.

The nation’s leading infectious disease expert told The Washington Post that Pfizer’s reported results of a “90 per cent effective” vaccine are “really quite good, I mean extraordinary.”

 

[Mister Funsky]

Brazil halts trials of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-brazil-halts-trials-chinese-covid-.html

 

[J Sokol]

Moderna Covid vaccine could have similar results to Pfizer drug, Fauci says

A friend of mine is in the clinical trial for this drug. The study goes through next August.

 

[koolishman]

A friend of mine is in the clinical trial for this drug. The study goes through next August.

So, their vaccine is likely post Aug-21?

 

[J Sokol]

So, their vaccine is likely post Aug-21?

Participants receive two doses, and after the second dose researchers need to see two months of participants showing no reactions and staying healthy. My friend is well past the two-month period. Phase 3 of the trial was started in August, so those people should also be finished by now. I read that the vaccine should be available in early December. The researchers continue the trial for several months after administering the doses so they can test how much vaccine is left in the blood. Like the Pfizer product, this is a messenger RNA vaccine based on proteins.

 

[CraigD]

Scientists Just Found a Mysteriously Hidden 'Gene Within a Gene' in SARS-CoV-2

Researchers have uncovered a mysterious gene in the genetic code of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 – a segment virtually hidden from view in the virus's genome, and largely overlooked until now.

https://www.sciencealert.com/scient...-within-gene-hidden-in-the-coronavirus-genome

 

[Mister Funsky]

Current Covid19 death numbers as of 10:00 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: 1,282,631
United States: 245,965
Brazil: 162,842
South Africa: 19,951
United Kingdom: 49,770
Canada: 10,632
Mexico: 95,842
Russia: 31,593
India: 127,735
Bolivia: 8,808
Japan : 1,829
Indonesia: 14,836
Italy: 42,330
Spain: 39,756
Belgium: 13,561
France: 42,207
Netherlands: 8,215
Chile: 14,611
Philippines: 7,710

 

[Sutruk]

Limiting Indoor Capacity Can Reduce Covid Infections Significantly, New Study Shows

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/health/covid-indoor-venues-infections.html

"Restaurants, gyms, cafes and other crowded indoor venues accounted for some 8 in 10 new infections in the early months of the U.S. coronavirus epidemic, according to a new analysis that could help officials around the world now considering curfews, partial lockdowns and other measures in response to renewed outbreaks."

 

[Sutruk]

Mink and the Coronavirus: What We Know

"Mink are the only animal known to both catch the virus from people and transmit it to them."

https://www.nytimes.com/article/mink-coronavirus-mutation.html

Can mink infect people with the coronavirus?
Yes. In Denmark, mink have contracted the virus and spread it to people. The same happened in the Netherlands this year.

Does the virus mutate in mink?
Yes. In more than 200 people, Danish authorities have documented several variants of the virus that contain mutations originating in mink. The virus also mutates in people.

Is the mutated virus more dangerous?
No. There is no evidence that any of the mutations that originated in mink make the coronavirus more transmissible in humans or make humans sicker.

Will the mutations diminish the value of vaccines?
The World Health Organization and independent experts said there was no evidence so far that the cluster 5 variant would diminish the value of vaccines currently in development.

Did Denmark overreact?
Scientists say that there are reasons beyond this particular mutated virus for Denmark to act. Mink farms have been shown to be reservoirs for the coronavirus, and mink are capable of transmitting the virus to humans. They are the only animal known to do so.

This set of mutations may not be harmful to humans, but the virus will doubtless continue to mutate in mink as it does in people, and the crowded conditions of mink farms could put evolutionary pressures on the virus different from those in the human population. The virus could also jump from mink to other animals. These are all worrisome possibilities, particularly in the midst of a resurgence of the virus in the human population.

 

[koolishman]

Large, delayed outbreaks of endemic diseases possible following COVID-19 controls

Measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as mask wearing and social distancing are a key tool in combatting the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. These actions also have greatly reduced incidence of many other diseases, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Current reductions in these common respiratory infections, however, may merely postpone the incidence of future outbreaks, according to a study by Princeton University researchers published Nov. 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 

[Compassion]

Utah governor issues statewide mask mandate amid coronavirus surge

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has declared a state of emergency and ordered a statewide mask mandate in an attempt to stem a surge in coronavirus hospitalizations that is testing the state’s hospital capacity.

https://www.latimes.com/world-natio...sues-statewide-mask-mandate-coronavirus-surge

 

[Sutruk]

Pfizer's Ultra-Cold COVID-19 Vaccine: Needs Minus 70 Degrees Celsius

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pfi...accine-needs-minus-70-degrees-celsius-2323000

"The main issue is that the vaccine, which is based on a novel technology that uses synthetic mRNA to activate the immune system against the virus, needs to be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius (-94 F) or below."

"The cold chain is going to be one of the most challenging aspects of delivery of this vaccination," said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security."

"This will be a challenge in all settings because hospitals even in big cities do not have storage facilities for a vaccine at that ultra-low temperature."

"Indeed, one of the most prestigious U.S. hospitals, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said it does not currently have that capability."

"We're talking about a vaccine that needs storage at minus 70 or 80. That's a tremendous logistical issue not only in the U.S. but outside the Western world," said Dr Gregory Poland, a virologist and vaccine researcher with the Mayo Clinic."

"We're a major medical center and we don't have storage capacity like this. That will be true for everybody. This is a logistical obstacle."

 

[koolishman]

Amid cold chain blues, Pfizer looks to powder vaccine formula in 2021: report

Pfizer on Monday revealed stellar early results from its phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial, but the news was quickly met with concerns about access as the vaccine comes with hefty cold chain requirements. Pfizer, for its part, already has its sights set on a next-generation formula that could help resolve those storage concerns, the drugmaker's top scientist said.


The drugmaker is weighing several options for an improved vaccine that could be ready as early as 2021. "For the COVID-19 disease, I think we'll roll out next year a vaccine in powder format," Pfizer's chief scientist, Mikael Dolsten, told Business Insider Monday.

While Dolsten didn't specify the storage temperature requirements for a powder-form vaccine, the second-generation version "could be just for refrigeration," providing at least "one simplification" over the drugmaker's current version. The first-generation form must be stored frozen at negative 94 degrees Fahrenheit, executives have said.

 

[Mister Funsky]

Current Covid19 death numbers as of 2:00 pm 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: 1,295,631
United States: 247,870
Brazil: 163,492
South Africa: 20,076
United Kingdom: 50,365
Canada: 10,745
Mexico: 96,430
Russia: 32,032
India: 128,686
Bolivia: 8,818
Japan : 1,851
Indonesia: 14,933
Italy: 43,589
Spain: 40,461
Belgium: 13,758
France: 42,960
Netherlands: 8,304
Chile: 14,699
Philippines: 7,721

 

[J Sokol]

China Is Inoculating Thousands With Unapproved COVID-19 Vaccines. Why?

As countries around the world race to develop the first viable coronavirus vaccine, China's two biggest vaccine companies have already begun inoculating hundreds of thousands of mostly state workers in a bid to get a head start. But deploying unproven vaccines carries huge risks – both for those receiving the vaccination and epidemic control efforts. The major worry is that vaccinations will give people who've had them a sense of invincibility that is not warranted – and that could help spread the virus.

A vaccine may work to prevent bad outcomes from infection, but Jerome Kim, director-general of the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul, South Korea, warns that in some cases it may not prevent infection itself. "That could mean that a person could still transmit the virus after they've been vaccinated," he said.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsa...ousands-with-unapproved-covid-19-vaccines-why

 

[J Sokol]

SeaDream 1: five passengers test positive for Covid-19 on Caribbean cruise ship

One of the first cruise ships to ply through Caribbean waters since the pandemic began ended its trip early after five passengers tested positive for Covid-19.

The SeaDream is carrying 53 passengers and 66 crew, with the majority of passengers hailing from the US, according to Sue Bryant, a cruise ship reporter who is aboard the ship.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/12/caribbean-cruise-ship-coronavirus-seadream

 

[Compassion]

IMPORTANT!​

 

[JB Lions]

Was just checking latest numbers

Covid Cases USA

On October 12, there were 46,139 cases

Yesterday, November 12, there were 161,451 cases, that's one day

It jumped over 115,000 cases per day in just one month

Deaths up 50% in last month

643,000 new cases Worldwide yesterday

Which means United States while being only 4% of the population had 25% of the new cases

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/