Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

How Covid-19 Might Spread to You

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts


  • Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
    it's been blown way out of proportion.
    Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

    Comment



    • Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
      it's been blown way out of proportion.
      Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

      Comment


        • COVID-19 triggers mental health crisis in teens, new study finds

        The global coronavirus pandemic has triggered a rise in mental health issues across the country, especially among teens.

        In a new survey commissioned by the National 4-H Council and conducted by the Harris Poll, researchers found seven in 10 teens are dealing with depression, anxiety or increased stress, or a combination of the three.

        These figures alone are alarming, but what’s most concerning, researchers say, is the number of teens who report they need to suffer in silence. Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed said they feel more pressure to keep their feelings to themselves than to do drugs. Similarly, 67% pretend to feel fine when they’re really not because they don’t want to worry anyone. Over half of respondents indicated increased feelings of loneliness.

        News 8 spoke with Ann Lagges, PhD and child psychologist with Riley Children’s Health. She talked about the short and long-term effects of poor teen mental health, the dangers of suppressing feelings and what parents/caregivers can do should they suspect their teen is suffering.

        What’s the difference between anxious, stressed and depressed? I imagine these feelings don’t exist in isolation.

        These are all words that can be used to describe distress. They are sometimes used interchangeably, but for others they can mean different things. Anxious generally means fearing something bad is going to happen. Stressed can mean a range of things for different people such as anxious, overwhelmed, frustrated, etc. Depressed generally means feeling down and perhaps experiencing little enjoyment. All of these emotions are part of the human condition, and just experiencing an emotion does not mean someone has a disorder. People can experience strong feelings and actually be quite healthy if the emotion fits the situation.

        What are some possible reasons teens are feeling lonely? And why would a teen want to spend more time alone…when they are already feeling lonely…to deal with their feelings?

        Teens, like adults, have been feeling more lonely during the pandemic because social interaction has been so markedly restricted. Their activities have been cancelled, and video chatting is not the same as getting together in person. Given that no one knows when it will truly be possible to resume normal interactions, it’s harder to cope than if there were a known end point.

        Sometimes teens are just sick of video chatting and even though they are lonely, will decline another video chat to just be alone. Some say it’s a reminder of how things are not normal and others just feel the same “Zoom fatigue” that adults who are working from home are experiencing.

        Much more: https://www.wishtv.com/news/coronavi...w-study-finds/
        • Coronavirus Cases: 11,404,116

        Deaths: 533,970

        Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
        it's been blown way out of proportion.
        Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

        Comment


        • ‘No evidence’ that vitamin D can prevent or treat COVID-19

          A review from health experts in the United Kingdom has found no evidence that vitamin D deficiency is an independent risk factor for COVID-19. However, the country’s National Health Service recommend taking a daily vitamin D supplement to compensate for any lack of sunlight exposure during lockdown.

          Vitamin D is vital for maintaining healthy bones and muscles. There is also some evidence that it may help protect against viral respiratory infections and play a regulatory role in the body’s immune response.

          This has led to a proposal that taking vitamin D supplements could help prevent or even treat COVID-19, the primarily respiratory disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2.

          Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

          While no clinical trials have tested the vitamin’s efficacy as a treatment or a preventive measure, several studies have found an association between low levels of vitamin D and COVID-19.

          However, a review of five of these studies by the U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which compiles guidelines on best practices, concludes that the studies provide no evidence that vitamin D levels influence the risk of getting COVID-19 or dying as a result.

          None of the five studies had been designed to investigate the effects of the supplements on the risk of the infection or as a treatment for the disease, the authors point out. Either investigation would have required an intervention study, such as a randomized controlled trial.

          The existing studies, therefore, provide no insights into the vitamin’s efficacy, appropriate doses, or possible adverse effects as a means of treating or preventing COVID-19.

          Confounding factors
          Moreover, only one study in the review accounted for confounding factors, which may provide alternative explanations for the observed associations between vitamin D status and COVID-19.

          Higher body mass index (BMI), older age, and socioeconomic deprivation, for example, are all factors that could affect both the risk of COVID-19 and levels of the vitamin.

          This makes it impossible to draw any firm conclusion about whether having a lack of the vitamin increases the risk of contracting the virus that causes COVID-19 or dying as a result of the disease.

          One of the studies, reported by Medical News Today, found an association between average levels of vitamin D and numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths by country. But the research had limitations — it did not, for example, account for the proportions of older people in these populations.

          The only study reviewed by NICE that had adjusted for potential confounding factors — including preexisting illnesses, sociodemographic factors, ethnicity, and BMI — found no independent association between COVID-19 and vitamin D levels.

          As the authors of the review observe:

          “There is no evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to specifically prevent or treat COVID-19. However, all people should continue to follow U.K. government advice on daily vitamin D supplementation to maintain bone and muscle health during the COVID-19 pandemic.”: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/art...unding-factors



          Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
          it's been blown way out of proportion.

          Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

          Comment



          • Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
            it's been blown way out of proportion.

            Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

            Comment


              • Hundreds of scientists say coronavirus is airborne, ask WHO to revise recommendations

              Hundreds of scientists say there is evidence that the novel coronavirus in smaller particles in the air can infect people and are calling for the World Health Organization to revise recommendations, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

              The WHO has said the coronavirus disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes or speaks.

              In an open letter to the agency, which the researchers plan to publish in a scientific journal next week, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined the evidence showing smaller particles can infect people, the NYT said nyti.ms/2VIxp67.

              “We are aware of the article and are reviewing its contents with our technical experts,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said in an email reply to a Reuters request for comment.

              Whether carried by large droplets that zoom through the air after a sneeze, or by much smaller exhaled droplets that may glide the length of a room, the coronavirus is borne through air and can infect people when inhaled, the scientists said, according to the NYT.

              However, the health agency said the evidence for the virus being airborne was not convincing, according to the NYT.

              “Especially in the last couple of months, we have been stating several times that we consider airborne transmission as possible but certainly not supported by solid or even clear evidence,” Dr. Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO’s technical lead of infection prevention and control, was quoted as saying by the NYT.: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-h...-idUSKBN2460O7
              • Early update

              Coronavirus Cases: 11,579,773

              Deaths: 537,173

              Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
              it's been blown way out of proportion.
              Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

              Comment



              • Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
                it's been blown way out of proportion.
                Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

                Comment


                  • Thailand - Economists predict further economic contraction from Covid-19 fallout

                  Up to 30 per cent of total bank loans may be restructured under the government’s scheme, while local corporates may need up to Bt1.7 trillion liquidity injection to survive the Covid-19 fallout, economists warned, predicting that it will take a while for the economy to fully recover.

                  The Thai economy this year is expected to contract even deeper than it did during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, said Charl Kengchon, executive chairman at Kasikorn Research Centre.

                  The Bank of Thailand recently projected that the GDP will contract 8.1 per cent, though there is a risk that it will drop even further due to the threat of a second wave of Covid-19 infections, he said at an exclusive roundtable hosted by the Nation Group and Nation TV on July 2.

                  This crisis is different from the one in 1997-1998, because banks now are far stronger, he said.

                  “The most important thing to focus on now is the asset quality, as restructured debts were estimated to be 21 per cent of Bt15 trillion of total bank loans in the first quarter, and it might spike to 29.9 per cent in the second quarter,” he said.

                  Though the government has implemented financial aid to support corporates, these measures wrap up in October. If by then the economy rebounds and businesses survive, then banks will not have much trouble with the quality of assets, but if it doesn’t, then banks will have huge problems with a large number of debts needing restructuring. This is when we will see if the government implements extra support measures, he said.

                  “Everyone is like a Covid-19 patient, surviving with the help of ventilators, but what happens after that is still not clear. Nobody knows if businesses will be able to come back,” he said.

                  Another key issue is the rate of unemployment, Charl said, adding that businesses need large sums of money to keep their employees, so the government may need to provide more support via the national budget.

                  It is also the government’s job to boost confidence in the economy, so banks are willing to lend and affluent consumers are willing to spend. Thus, changes to the tax policy may be necessary, he added.

                  Somprawin Manprasert, head of Krungsri Research and chief economist at Krungsri Bank, said the government has been successful in controlling the spread of the virus, but it was at the cost of an economic downturn.

                  “How long can we continue to live like this?” he asked. “According to stress-test trials, we found that corporates need an injection of Bt1.7 trillion to survive the crisis. As many as 90,000 companies are suffering from liquidity squeeze,” he said, adding that the government’s repeated stimulus packages may not answer the problem – an injection of cash would be better.

                  “If government policies fail to address economic woes, the recovery will be L-shaped, and it may take more than three years for the economy to recover,” he warned.

                  The Krungsri Research team has predicted that the economy will contract 10.3 per cent this year, only growing 2.9 per cent next year, before expanding 4 per cent in 2022. The economy is only expected to return to pre-crisis levels in 2023.

                  Despite Thailand having large international reserves, economic policies have not yet been effective in using available resources, he added.

                  Burin Adulwattana, chief economist at Bangkok Bank, said the impact the virus has had on the economy is possibly the worst in 120 years.

                  “A stronger baht is also making exports worse, while other economies are also weakening, and the Thai tourism and auto industries are contracting sharply,” Burin said.

                  The expected number of foreign arrivals is only expected to hit 9 million, compared to more than 30 million yearly normally, he said.

                  The economy has also been constrained by the dwindling labour force, while the country becomes an ageing society, he said.

                  Planned investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) may not be enough to upgrade the economy into a 4.0 economy that is driven by information technology.

                  While 30 per cent of the labour force is in the agriculture sector, which accounts for just 8 per cent of GDP, the challenge is to boost their productivity or help them migrate to the industrial sector.

                  The high tax environment does not encourage highly-skilled foreign workers to move to Thailand either, he said, adding that they prefer to work in Hong Kong or Singapore where the tax rate is much lower.

                  Yunyong Thaicharoen, first executive vice president of Economic Intelligence Centre (EIC) at Siam Commercial Bank, said the ongoing crisis is worse because it affects both demand and supply sides. Though the government has started relaxing lockdown restrictions, debts and fragility of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain issues of concern.

                  “Recovery will be U-shaped because Thailand depends too much on the global market, while every country is affected now. We have revised our projection of the GDP to contract 7.3 per cent from the previous projection of a 5.6 per cent shrinking,” he said.

                  Though the government has responded quickly in supporting the economy, its next step should be to support targeted groups that need immediate help, he said. While further lowering interest rates may not help much, the most important thing is to help banks gain more confidence and give liquidity support to SMEs, he said.

                  “Covid-19 has exposed the Thai economy’s weak point, which is our limited technology capacity. China, for instance, successfully upgraded its technology and so it was able to restore consumer confidence quickly. Now Thailand’s biggest challenge is to have a clear roadmap and strong cooperation between public and private sectors,” he added.: https://www.nationthailand.com/busin...ernal_referral

                  Originally posted by Somchai Boonporn View Post
                  Perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Golden Land.


                  Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
                  it's been blown way out of proportion.
                  Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

                  Comment


                    • Spanish Covid-19 antibody study suggests herd immunity infeasible

                    Researchers in Spain, one of Europe's worst-hit countries, randomly selected more than 61,000 people, but found that even in places with high infection rates like Madrid, relatively few people tested positive for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

                    Even in areas hard-hit by Covid-19, few people test positive for antibodies, meaning that hopes for herd immunity against the disease may be futile without a vaccine, according to a new Spanish study.

                    Conducted by researchers at the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid and published in The Lancet Monday, the study included 61,075 people in 35,883 randomly selected households throughout the country. After completing a questionnaire between April 27 and May 11 on Covid-19 symptoms, participants received a point-of-care antibody test, followed by a blood draw for a laboratory immunoassay test if they agreed to it. Overall, the study found that only 5% of participants showed a positive result on the point-of-care test, while 4.6% showed a positive result on the lab test. Results varied considerably by region, with residents of Madrid showing a prevalence greater than 10%, while residents of coastal areas showed a prevalence of less than 3%.

                    Among 195 participants who had received a positive RT-PCR test for Covid-19 more than two weeks prior, positive tests for antibodies ranged from around 88-92%. In 7,273 individuals who had lost their sense of smell or showed at least three symptoms, 15.3-19.3% tested positive for antibodies, while 21.9-35.8% of those who were asymptomatic did as well, meaning that about one-third of infected people did not show symptoms.

                    “The relatively low seroprevalence observed in the context of an intense epidemic in Spain might serve as a reference to other countries,” the researchers wrote. “At present, herd immunity is difficult to achieve without accepting the collateral damage of many deaths in the susceptible population and overburdening of health systems.”

                    With 250,545 confirmed cases and 28,385 deaths as of Monday, Spain has the third-highest prevalence of Covid-19 cases in Europe, after Russia and the U.K. The U.S. leads by far, with 2.9 million of the world’s 11.5 million cases and 130,007 of its 535,185 deaths. Spain issued new lockdown orders in its Galicia and Catalonia regions amid renewed outbreaks of Covid-19 in those areas, though Europe in general has managed to get the outbreak largely under control. By contrast, the U.S. has seen record spikes in states that reopened prematurely, and it is among those countries whose failure to control the outbreak has resulted in its citizens being mostly barred from traveling to the European Union.

                    Absent a vaccine being proven safe and effective – which may not become available until next year – there was some hope early on among some experts that herd immunity could provide protection against the disease. However, it remains unclear how protective antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are or for how long. Moreover, countries that attempted to use herd immunity, such as the U.K. and Sweden, have been among those experiencing the most difficulty getting the outbreak under control.: https://medcitynews.com/2020/07/span...t-be-possible/ - https://www.thelancet.com/journals/l...483-5/fulltext
                    • Brazil’s President Bolsonaro tests positive for Covid-19/Bolsonaro confirmed the test results while wearing a mask and speaking to reporters in Brasilia.

                    Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro says he has tested positive for Covid-19 after months of downplaying the virus’ severity.

                    Bolsonaro confirmed the test results while wearing a mask and speaking to reporters in capital Brasilia.

                    “I’m well, normal. I even want to take a walk around here, but I can’t due to medical recommendations,” Bolsonaro said.: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...ovid-19-350516
                    • Coronavirus Cases: 11,779,975

                    Deaths: 541,755

                    Underreported US death count: 133,041

                    Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
                    it's been blown way out of proportion.
                    Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

                    Comment


                      • Coronavirus Deaths to Reach Nearly 210,000 by November, Model Projects

                      Some 45,000 lives could be saved over the next four months if nearly everyone wore a mask in public, new modeling shows.

                      NEW MODELING PROJECTS that the coronavirus death toll in the U.S. will exceed 200,000 by November, but more than 45,000 lives could be saved if the vast majority of people wore masks in public.

                      The U.S. will see roughly 78,000 more coronavirus deaths from now until Nov. 1, bringing the death toll to 208,000, according to projections based on a respected model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. The current death toll sits at 131,000.

                      News deaths would be reduced by nearly 60% and the overall death toll would be slashed to 163,000 if 95% of people wore masks while in public, the model projects. Mask use at that level would likely only occur through state or local mask mandates, Christopher Murray, the institute's director, told reporters Tuesday. Only a handful of states have instituted a mask mandate amid a recent surge in cases.

                      The model has a wide range, and forecasts that, while the 208,000-death figure is most likely, the U.S. could see from 186,000 deaths up to 244,541 by November, assuming that universal mask use is not a reality.

                      "We can now see the projected trajectory of the epidemic into the fall, and many states are expected to experience significant increases in cases and deaths in September and October," Murray said in a statement released with the new projections. "However, as we all have come to recognize, wearing masks can substantially reduce transmission of the virus. Mask mandates delay the need for re-imposing closures of businesses and have huge economic benefits. Moreover, those who refuse masks are putting their lives, their families, their friends, and their communities at risk."

                      The model assumes that most schools reopen in the fall and also assumes the reimposition of social distancing restrictions and lockdown measures in states where deaths reach a level of 8 per 1 million people. According to the projections, both Florida and Massachusetts are expected to reach that death rate.

                      In Florida alone, the total death toll is expected to reach nearly 17,500 by Nov. 1., but that figure drops to less than 10,000 if mask wearing becomes universal. The state's death toll currently sits at about 3,800, according to Johns Hopkins University.

                      Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have been surging nationwide in the last month, especially in the South and Southeast. The forecast shows deaths increasing in many states in September due to seasonality.

                      Data shows that more cases are being detected in younger people, who are at a lower risk of death. But if the current surge in infections spreads to higher-risk populations, death toll projections could rise, the institute said.

                      The model previously predicted about 175,000 deaths through Oct. 1. Tuesday's projections are the first to be extended to November.: https://www.usnews.com/news/national...model-projects



                      Leadership or the lack of come to mind?

                      Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
                      it's been blown way out of proportion.
                      Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

                      Comment


                        • Increase in delirium, rare brain inflammation and stroke linked to COVID-19

                        Neurological complications of Covid-19 can include delirium, brain inflammation, stroke and nerve damage, finds a new UCL and UCLH-led study.

                        Published in the journal Brain, the research team identified one rare and sometimes fatal inflammatory condition, known as ADEM, which appears to be increasing in prevalence due to the pandemic.

                        Some patients in the study did not experience severe respiratory symptoms, and the neurological disorder was the first and main presentation of Covid-19.

                        Joint senior author Dr. Michael Zandi (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) said: "We identified a higher than expected number of people with neurological conditions such as brain inflammation, which did not always correlate with the severity of respiratory symptoms.

                        "We should be vigilant and look out for these complications in people who have had Covid-19. Whether we will see an epidemic on a large scale of brain damage linked to the pandemic—perhaps similar to the encephalitis lethargica outbreak in the 1920s and 1930s after the 1918 influenza pandemic—remains to be seen."

                        The study provides a detailed account of neurological symptoms of 43 people (aged 16-85) treated at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, UCLH, who had either confirmed or suspected Covid-19.

                        The researchers identified 10 cases of transient encephalopathies (temporary brain dysfunction) with delirium, which corresponds with other studies finding evidence of delirium with agitation. There were also 12 cases of brain inflammation, eight cases of strokes, and eight others with nerve damage, mainly Guillain-Barré syndrome (which usually occurs after a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection).

                        Most (nine out of 12 cases) of those with brain inflammation conditions were diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). ADEM is rare and typically seen in children and can be triggered by viral infections: the team in London normally sees about one adult patient with ADEM per month, but that increased to at least one per week during the study period, which the researchers say is a concerning increase.

                        The virus causing Covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, was not detected in the cerebrospinal brain fluid of any of the patients tested, suggesting the virus did not directly attack the brain to cause the neurological illness. Further research is needed to identify why patients were developing these complications.

                        In some patients, the researchers found evidence that the brain inflammation was likely caused by an immune response to the disease, suggesting that some neurological complications of Covid-19 might come from the immune response rather than the virus itself.

                        The findings add clinical descriptions and detail to another recent study, which also involved Dr. Zandi and co-author Dr. Hadi Manji (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) identifying 153 people with neurological complications from Covid-19. This paper also confirms the previously reported findings of a higher than expected number of patients with stroke which results from the excessive stickiness of the blood in COVID-19 patients.

                        Joint first author Dr. Ross Paterson (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) said: "Given that the disease has only been around for a matter of months, we might not yet know what long-term damage Covid-19 can cause.

                        "Doctors needs to be aware of possible neurological effects, as early diagnosis can improve patient outcomes. People recovering from the virus should seek professional health advice if they experience neurological symptoms," he added.

                        Joint first author Dr. Rachel Brown (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and UCL Infection & Immunity) said: "Our study advances understanding of the different ways in which Covid-19 can affect the brain, which will be paramount in the collective effort to support and manage patients in their treatment and recovery."

                        Joint senior author Dr. Hadi Manji said: "Our study amalgamates, for the first time, the clinical presentations of patients with Covid-19 neurological disease with MRI and laboratory features including, in one case, a brain biopsy.

                        "This now sets up a template for other researchers around the world, facilitating coordinated research to optimise the diagnosis and treatments of these complications, which to date, has proved difficult. In addition, patients are going to require long term follow up.": https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-...on-linked.html
                        • United warns employees it may furlough 45% of its U.S. workforce

                        United Airlines warned its employees on Wednesday of furlough notices going out to 36,000 employees, or about 45% of its U.S. workforce, by October, according to a company memo obtained by Axios.

                        Why it matters: Demand for air travel has plummeted amid the coronavirus pandemic. Despite a slight rebound from its lows in April, United's scheduled capacity for July is down 75% compared to the same time last year, per the memo. It expects scheduled capacity for August to be down 65% compared to last year.

                        What they're saying: "[G]iven the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases across the country, it’s increasingly likely that travel demand will not return to normal until there is a widely available treatment or vaccine," the company wrote.

                        "The reality is that United simply cannot continue at our current payroll level past October 1 in an environment where travel demand is so depressed. And involuntary furloughs come as a last resort, after months of company-wide cost-cutting and capital-raising."

                        The big picture: The company told employees it was able to stave off the furloughs by cutting costs and raising capital, but leadership had believed for months its workforce was too large to match demand.

                        Not everyone who receives a notice will be laid off, according to the memo. The company expects the need for some layoffs to be offset via "increased participation in new and existing voluntary programs as well as continued discussions with our union partners about creative ways to help reduce furloughs."

                        Under the union contracts, United employees who are furloughed have recall rights when demand returns — meaning they may be able to return to the company in two or three years.: https://www.axios.com/united-employe...4d2c8322a.html
                        • US records more than 60,000 coronavirus cases to set new single-day record

                        The U.S. set a somber single-day record for coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with 60,000 new cases reported, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics.

                        The number breaks the nation's previous single-day record of more than 54,000 new cases reported on Thursday.

                        Throughout all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C., and other territories, the U.S. currently has 2.9 million diagnosed cases of the virus as well as at least 131,480 related deaths. The rise in daily cases nationwide began in late May, by which point all states were in some phase of reopening, first reaching about 20,000 cases a day before increasing to more than 50,000 last week for the first time, ABC News noted.: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcar...gle-day-record
                        • Yesterday’s update.

                        Coronavirus Cases: 12,054,064

                        Deaths: 548,934

                        World population: 7,800,000,000 projection: 355,206,775 deaths

                        Underreported US death count: 134,300

                        Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
                        it's been blown way out of proportion.
                        Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

                        Comment


                        • Air Conditioning May Be Spreading COVID

                          As COVID-19 cases rise rapidly throughout the South, some scientists believe there could be an important, but overlooked factor in the spread of the virus in the region--air conditioning.

                          Just as chilly winter temps create the perfect conditions for passing colds and flu—driving people indoors and into closer proximity for more hours of the day where it’s easy to swap germs, researchers believe broiling heat in the southern U.S. could be having the same effect, sending people indoors where whirring air conditioners are running full blast.

                          “You go indoors for the cool, just as in the northeast and other cool places you go in for the warmth in winter, so you’re less socially distanced,” says Edward Nardell, MD, professor of environmental health and immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “You’re more likely to be touching the same surfaces that have been contaminated by people speaking and coughing etc.,” he says.

                          And that’s not the only problem.

                          Air conditioning is also risky because of the way air handlers work. When outdoor temperatures are extreme, HVAC systems adjust the mix of fresh air they pull in to save energy. That means the hotter it is outside, the more indoor air recirculates, which means, “You’re breathing a higher percentage of the same air that other people are exhaling,” Nardell says. If someone in the building is shedding the new coronavirus, it can build up in the recirculated air.

                          And this may seem obvious, but air conditioners have fans that blow the air around. That gives the smallest viral particles—aerosols--extra lift to say suspended in the air for longer. “The air currents that are produced by air conditioners and also fans and other air moving devices can carry particles further than they might otherwise go,” he says.

                          Air conditioners also remove moisture from the air, “and we know viruses prefer dry air,” he says.

                          In certain situations, that combination of factors may create the perfect conditions for contagion.: https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/2020...preading-covid



                          Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
                          it's been blown way out of proportion.

                          Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

                          Comment


                            • Study Suggests Fetal Coronavirus Infection Is Possible

                            A small study strengthens evidence that a pregnant woman infected with the coronavirus might be able to spread it to her fetus.

                            Researchers from Italy said Thursday that they studied 31 women with COVID-19 who delivered babies in March and April. They found signs of the virus in several samples of umbilical cord blood, the placenta and, in one case, breast milk.

                            Women shouldn’t panic. This doesn’t mean there’s viable virus in those places and “it’s too early to make guidelines” or to change care, said the study leader, Dr. Claudio Fenizia, an immunology specialist at the University of Milan.

                            But it does merit more study, especially of women who are infected earlier in their pregnancies than these women, said Fenizia, who discussed the results at a medical conference being held online because of the pandemic.

                            Since the start of the pandemic, doctors have wondered whether in-the-womb infection could occur. HIV, Zika and some other viruses can infect a fetus this way. Several early reports from China suggested the coronavirus might, too, although doctors suspect those women may have spread the virus to their babies during or after birth.

                            The new study involved women at three hospitals during the height of the outbreak in northern Italy. The virus’s genetic material was found in one umbilical cord blood sample, two vaginal swabs and one breast milk sample. Researchers also found specific, anti-coronavirus antibodies in umbilical cord blood and in milk.

                            In one case, “there’s strong evidence suggesting that the newborn was born already positive because we found the virus in the umblilical cord blood and in the placenta,” Fenizia said.

                            In another case, a newborn had antibodies to the coronavirus that do not cross the placenta, so they did not come from the mother and were “due to direct exposure of the fetus to the virus,” Fenizia said.

                            In any case, the possibility of fetal infection seems relatively rare, he said. Only two of the newborns tested positive for the coronavirus at birth and neither became ill from it.

                            Dr. Ashley Roman, a pregnancy specialist at NYU Langone Health, said she and colleagues also detected viral particles on the fetal side of the placenta in several of the 11 cases they examined. The new report adds evidence that in-womb transmission is possible, but it seems rare and to not cause serious problems in the infants, she said.

                            “The most important thing that pregnant women need to know is it’s important to socially distance. It’s important to wear a mask, wash their hands,” Roman said. "Women don’t need to be cut off from society entirely, but they should be concerned about the impact of getting COVID on their own health during pregnancy."

                            Dr. Anton Pozniak, a conference leader and virus expert at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, said the implications of the Italian research “have to be worked out.”

                            Children under age 3 rarely get seriously ill from coronavirus, and “I would suspect that even if there was transmission to babies, it was not harmful,” he said.

                            UNICEF, the United Nations’ children’s agency, recommends that new moms with COVID-19 wear a mask while breastfeeding, he added.: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-n...on-is-possible
                            • Update.

                            Coronavirus Cases: 12,308,042

                            Deaths: 554,851

                            Underreported US death count: 135,500

                            Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
                            it's been blown way out of proportion.
                            Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

                            Comment


                            • Thailand - Govt urged to open checkpoints after border trade falls almost 10%

                              The Department of Foreign Trade has asked the government to reopen nine border checkpoints closed amid the virus crisis, saying the move would boost the flow of goods.

                              Border trade from January to May was worth around Bt524.35 billion, falling 9.71 per cent from the same period of last year, said the department.

                              Exports totalled Bt305.72 billion while imports were worth Bt218.632, a drop of 9.03 per cent and 10.65 per cent respectively. The resulting trade surplus was Bt87.093 billion, said director general Keerati Rushchano, adding that the main hindrance to border trade was Covid-19, which prompted the government to close some checkpoints.

                              Malaysia was Thailand’s top partner in border trade from January to May, with trade worth Bt87.854 billion – 32.4 per cent down on the same period in 2019.

                              Laos was next highest with trade worth Bt77.172 billion, down by 6.59 per cent. Trade with Myanmar fell 10.96 per cent to Bt73.740 billion, though trade with Cambodia rose 5.20 per cent to Bt70.872 billion.

                              Globally, China was Thailand’s top partner with trade rising 15.74 per cent to Bt90.740 billion. Next came Singapore with trade rising 20.83 per cent to Bt36.102 billion.

                              The initial 2020 target for border trade of Bt1.5 trillion has been revised to Bt1 trillion-Bt1.1 trillion amid the impact of Covid-19.

                              Keerati said his department has asked the government to reopen the nine of the 69 border checkpoints that were closed for lockdown. Thailand has a total of 97 checkpoints, but only 28 remain open during the virus crisis.: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/...ernal_referral

                              Originally posted by Somchai Boonporn View Post
                              Perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Golden Land.


                              Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

                              Comment


                                • Asymptomatic and presymptomatic people transmit most COVID-19 infections

                                Silent transmission of the novel coronavirus could account for more than half of infections, according to one new mathematical model by U.S. and Canadian researchers.

                                The researchers utilized data on asymptomatic and presymptomatic transmission from two different epidemiological studies and estimated that more than 50% of infections were attributable to people not exhibiting symptoms.

                                Since the study is based on a mathematical model, the 50% finding is an estimation based on probabilities and approximations, rather than a precise figure.

                                The findings were published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

                                A different study, published in June in the journal Nature, found that in one Italian town in which the majority of residents were tested for COVID-19 while the town was under a 14-day quarantine, approximately 40% of individuals who tested positive had no symptoms.

                                The findings could have real-world implications for leaders deciding how to rein in outbreaks in their respective countries or regions.

                                Widespread testing, isolating infected people, and ordering a community lockdown stopped the Italian outbreak in its tracks, the authors of the Nature study concluded.

                                "Even if all symptomatic cases are isolated, a vast outbreak may nonetheless unfold," the PNAS study's authors wrote.

                                "Understanding how silent infections that are in the presymptomatic phase or asymptomatic contribute to transmission will be fundamental to the success of postlockdown control strategies," they said.: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/asympt...ry?id=71647268 - https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2.../02/2008373117
                                • Update.

                                Coronavirus Cases: 12,415,766

                                Deaths: 557,925

                                Underreported US death count: 135,828

                                Originally posted by Boon Mee View Post
                                it's been blown way out of proportion.
                                Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

                                Comment

                                Valentina Jewels gets pounded like a btich dog ?????? ??????? ????????? ???????? ???? diferentes tipos de bajinas
                                antalya escort bayan
                                Working...
                                X