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  • Another study for some of you fat fvcks here at TC to consider
    • Obesity Raises the Risk of Death From Covid-19 Among Men

    The coronavirus has been an unpredictable foe from the start. It triggers silent or barely perceptible infections in some individuals, while in others it sets off a cascade of complications that overwhelm the body and lead to death.

    Why some patients sail through the disease and others are felled by it is a question that has bedeviled doctors.

    Older age and chronic health conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease are known to increase the risk of severe COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also lists extreme obesity as a high risk.

    But is excess weight in and of itself to blame? Or all of the health problems that accompany obesity, like metabolic disorders and breathing problems?

    A new study points to obesity itself as a culprit. An analysis of thousands of patients treated at a Southern California health system identified extreme obesity as an independent risk factor for dying among COVID-19 patients — most strikingly, among younger and middle-aged adults 60 and younger, and particularly among men.

    Among women with the illness, body mass index — a measure of body fat based on height and weight — does not appear to be independently associated with an increased risk of dying at any age, the authors said, possibly because women carry weight differently than do men, who tend to have more visceral and abdominal fat. The study was published in Annals of Internal Medicine on Wednesday.

    “Body mass index is a really important, strong independent risk factor for death among those who are diagnosed with COVID-19,” said Sara Tartof, the study’s first author, a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente of Southern California.

    But “the impact is not uniform across the population,” she added. “You don’t really see it for the older ages, and we didn’t see it as an important risk for females at any age.”

    Obesity and the coronavirus are a dangerous combination for a number of reasons.

    Obesity causes restricted breathing, making it more difficult to clear pneumonia and other respiratory infections. Fat is biologically active and a source of pro-inflammatory chemicals, promoting a state of chronic inflammation in the body even before COVID-19 sets in. Obesity causes metabolic changes and abnormalities, even in the absence of diabetes.

    The study is not the first to finger obesity as a culprit in COVID-19 deaths in younger people. While early reports from China and Italy did not focus on obesity as an independent risk factor, physicians in other parts of the world, where obesity is more prevalent, were quick to notice that younger individuals who became very ill were often obese.

    Only 6% of the Chinese population is obese, compared with 20% of the population in Italy and 24% in Spain. The United States, by contrast, has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world.

    Some 42% of American adults have a body mass index of 30 or more, which classifies them as having obesity, and 9% have a BMI of 40 or more. (Someone who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 270 pounds or more has a BMI of 40, according to federal guidelines.) An individual of that height at 304 pounds has a BMI of 45.

    Normal weight ranges from a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9; people with BMIs of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight.

    A report issued by Public Health England concluded that overweight and obesity increased the risk of complications and death from COVID-19. Hundreds of similar articles on the topic have been published.

    Among them was a study last month from Columbia University, also published in Annals of Internal Medicine, which found that individuals with COVID-19 who were extremely obese were 60% more likely to require mechanical ventilation or to die from COVID-19. The study noted that this was the also case for people under age 65.

    “Is it just that we in the United States have more obese people, so we’re seeing this?” said Dr. David Kass, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University who wrote an editorial accompanying the new study.

    “But this is beyond the proportion that would just be in the general population,” he said. “It’s not just that there are a lot of fat people, so we’re seeing a lot of fat people who are very sick.”

    Kass wrote a letter in the Lancet in April noting that many younger COVID-19 patients admitted to American hospitals suffered from obesity and predicting that as the coronavirus spread through areas where obesity was more prevalent, more younger people would be affected.

    The disparate effect on men who are obese is also understandable, he said, because of differences in fat distribution. “If you take a man and woman side by side with the same BMI, the male is much more likely to have the background problems that we think are a component for being more at risk,” Kass said.

    To carry out the new study, researchers analyzed the health records of 6,916 members of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Health System who were treated for COVID-19, both as inpatients and outpatients, from mid-February to May 2.

    The median age of the patients was 49 years, and the mean BMI of the patients was 30.6; nearly half were obese.

    In general, obesity rates vary by race and ethnicity, according to the CDC. The age-adjusted obesity rate among Blacks is 49.6%, compared with 45% among Hispanics, 42% among whites and 17% among Asian Americans.

    Just over half of the Kaiser Permanente patients were Hispanic, about 1,000 were Asian/Asian-American, and 584 were Black. Many patients had underlying health problems that are linked to poor COVID-19 outcomes. Some 206 — or 3% — of the patients died within 21 days of receiving a COVID-19 diagnosis.

    To figure out whether obesity, in and of itself, was associated with a higher death risk, the researchers tried to factor out conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, which are known to be associated with more severe forms of COVID-19, as well as heart, kidney and chronic lung disease.

    The scientists also wanted to know whether demographic factors, like age, sex and race or ethnicity, played a role.

    While Black and Latino populations have been disproportionately stricken by the virus, with hospitalizations and deaths at higher rates, the study did not find race or ethnicity to be an independent risk factor.

    The researchers did find extreme obesity to be a strong independent risk factor for worse outcomes. “We’re not saying the disparities don’t exist — we’re teasing apart what’s driving the disparities,” Tartof said.

    “We see that racial and ethnic minorities are having more bad outcomes. They are also more likely to be obese, or to have less access to health care, and they’re more likely to have co-morbidities.”

    Among COVID-19 patients in the study, those with extreme obesity — defined as a BMI of 40 or more — were nearly three times at greater risk of dying than those of normal weight. Those with a BMI of 45 were more than four times more likely to die than patients of normal weight, with the risk most striking among men and those under 60, Tartof said.

    The study draws attention to the intersection of two major health concerns, Tartof said, underscoring the need for policies to tackle both.

    “There is a lot of work we can do to better combat COVID, and a lot we can do to improve our strategies on obesity as well,” she said. “It is also an epidemic, and something we need to pay attention to.”: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/77558657.cms - https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-3742
    • Coronavirus Cases: 21,379,516

    Deaths: 763,836

    Underreported US death count: 171,535

    US conflicts and 9/11 Casualties ………

    Civil War (US Army) - 140,414
    American Revolutionary War - 8,000
    War of 1812 - 2,260
    Mexican–American War - 1,733
    Gulf War – 149
    War in Afghanistan - 1,833
    Iraq War - 3,836
    9/11 Casualties - 2,726

    Total US deaths in the conflicts above and 9/11 Casualties: 160,951

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

    Comment


    • Total US deaths in the conflicts above and 9/11 Casualties: 160,951

      Code-named Operation Meetinghouse, the raid on Tokyo saw an armada of 334 B-29 bombers drop 1,665 tons of incendiaries on the Japanese capital, destroying more than 15 kilometres of the city and killing an estimated 100,000 people.
      Originally posted by Ergenburgensmurgen;n186588
      What are you talking about, I don't post on Teakdoor.


      https://thailandchatter.com/core/ima...ies/giggle.gif

      Comment


        • COVID-19 symptoms often appear in this order, according to a new study

        Researchers at the University of Southern California say they've found that the symptoms of COVID-19 tend to appear in a specific order, a discovery that could help enable earlier detection and treatment for numerous patients.

        "This is a good guide of sorts," Dr. Bob Lahita, a professor of medicine who is not affiliated with the study, told CBSN anchor Anne-Marie Green. "We can say safely, studying as they did, I think it was 55,000 patients from China, they looked at the data and looked at the symptoms and found that this order was pretty reproducible."

        According to the study, published in the medical journal Frontier Public Health, the most likely order of symptoms is as follows: fever, then cough and muscle pain, followed by nausea and/or vomiting, and then diarrhea.

        "Fever is number one, followed by cough, followed by aches and pains — and they do not all have to appear in sequence, they can appear together," Lahita said of the first grouping of symptoms. After that, he said, comes nausea and vomiting, followed by diarrhea.

        Not all patients experience the same set of symptoms. But the new findings help underscore how COVID-19 differs from other well-known illnesses. While fever and cough are also associated with a number of other diseases, like the flu, the study notes that it was the timing in which these symptoms appear, and the later gastrointestinal symptoms, that set this virus apart.

        In a press release about the study, USC scientist Peter Kuhn said that understanding the order of virus symptoms is useful during "overlapping cycles of illnesses" like the upcoming flu season.

        "Doctors can determine what steps to take to care for the patient, and they may prevent the patient's condition from worsening," Kuhn said.

        To discover the sequence, the USC researchers, led by doctoral candidate Joseph Larsen, examined medical records and other data on over 55,000 coronavirus cases in China collected over a nine-day span in February, along with a set of over 1,000 cases from December through January. They also compared their findings to data on 2,470 influenza cases in North America, Europe and the Southern Hemisphere from 1994 to 1998.

        "It is important to have this information," Lahita said. "Besides the things that we all talk about like loss of smell and loss of taste, again — fever, cough, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and then diarrhea are very good indicators of the fact that you may have COVID-19.": https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-1...der-usc-study/ - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles...020.00473/full
        • COVID-19 vaccine will be free for Americans

        If a COVID-19 vaccine is proven effective, the US will ensure it's distributed for free to all Americans, officials said Thursday, underscoring there will be no shortcuts on safety.

        "We are not at all reducing the regulatory rigor with which we will evaluate and hopefully approve vaccines," Paul Mango, a senior health department official, told reporters.

        Washington has invested more than $10 billion in six vaccine projects and signed contracts guaranteeing the delivery of hundreds of millions of doses should they be approved following clinical trials.

        The vaccine doses themselves will be paid for by the government.

        Doctors or clinics that administer them will have to be paid but these costs should mostly be covered by private and public insurers.

        "Most" commercial insurers have agreed to waive any out-of-pocket costs to their customers, said Mango.

        "We are on track to deliver hundreds of millions of doses by January 2021," he added.

        Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said he was "cautiously optimistic" that at least one of the six vaccines the US had invested in would come through by the end of the year.

        Critics of President Donald Trump have expressed worries that the administration may bypass safety precautions to announce a vaccine is available before the election on November 3 -- a charge Mango denied.

        "We are not at all reducing the regulatory rigor with which we will evaluate and hopefully approve vaccines," he said.

        Russia this week approved a vaccine even before the start of the last phase of clinical trials, in which the drug is injected into tens of thousands of volunteers to verify its effectiveness and safety.

        "I hope that the Russians have actually definitively proven that the vaccine is safe and effective, but I seriously doubt that they've done that," Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious disease official said at a virtual panel hosted by National Geographic.

        Collins compared Russia's vaccine, which they have dubbed "Sputnik V" after the Soviet Union's pioneering satellites, to a game of "Russian roulette."

        You first: https://www.france24.com/en/20200814...cans-officials
        • Coronavirus Cases: 21,436,825

        Deaths: 764,932

        Underreported US death count: 171,867

        US conflicts and 9/11 Casualties ………

        Civil War (US Army) - 140,414
        American Revolutionary War - 8,000
        War of 1812 - 2,260
        Mexican–American War - 1,733
        Gulf War – 149
        War in Afghanistan - 1,833
        Iraq War - 3,836
        9/11 Casualties - 2,726

        Total US deaths in the conflicts above and 9/11 Casualties: 160,951

        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 serrollt View Post
          Total US deaths in the conflicts above and 9/11 Casualties: 160,951

          Code-named Operation Meetinghouse, the raid on Tokyo saw an armada of 334 B-29 bombers drop 1,665 tons of incendiaries on the Japanese capital, destroying more than 15 kilometres of the city and killing an estimated 100,000 people.
          Yeah forget the atomic bombs, this bombing raid killed more civilians than any other.....ever

          I'm sure Landreth is so proud of this one

          Now keep posting your american casualty list like the dumbass you are

          Comment


          • Originally posted by Mr Tinkles View Post
            ….nobody ever reads his posts



            Originally posted by Mr Tinkles View Post
            Landreth

            Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

            Comment


              • New Big Data Study Investigates How People With Cancer Fare When They Get Covid-19

              New research has provided important information describing which individuals with cancer are more likely to experience severe outcomes or die if they contract the SARS-CoV2 coronavirus.

              The study used data from the Syapse® learning health network, allowing for the analysis of over 154,585 people who had received a diagnosis of cancer and were treated within the last five years across three large health systems in the Midwest United States.

              The work was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Virtual Meeting on Covid-19 and Cancer in mid-July.

              “The rapidity with which we conceived of, designed and analyzed this study is nothing short of impressive, and has enabled us to better understand and anticipate the clinical outcomes of patients with cancer and Covid-19,” said Shirish M. Gadgeel, M.D., Division Head for Hematology/Oncology, Associate Director, Patient Experience and Clinical Care at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, who led the study.

              Of these 150,000+ patients with cancer, 800 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 between February and May this year. The study found that people with cancer diagnosed with Covid-19 were more likely to also have other health conditions (co-morbidities) affecting the kidneys, heart, lungs and blood vessels. Older people with cancer were more likely to die from Covid-19, reflecting what is also seen in people without cancer.

              The researchers hope that this information will help oncologists identify which of their patients might be at a greater risk of severe or fatal outcomes from Covid-19 and take appropriate action to try and prevent the infection, or attempt to treat it quickly if patients do get sick.

              The work also found that non-hispanic Black people with cancer who contracted Covid-19 were more likely to be hospitalized and receive mechanical ventilation than people from other racial groups with cancer. Additionally, people with cancer and a low average household income of $0-30k were also more likely to have worse outcomes with Covid-19 than those with higher household incomes.

              “Our data reflects healthcare disparities that are well recognized in the U.S., relating to both income and race, that are multi-factorial. One can presume that these healthcare disparities are only exacerbated in a healthcare crisis such as the current pandemic,” said Gadgeel.

              The researchers hope to build on their study by expanding the number of patients included, looking at relationships between certain types of cancer therapy and Covid-19 outcomes and figuring out what the long-term effects of Covid-19 are in patients with cancer.

              “We continue to explore ways to leverage real-world evidence in order to optimize treatments for cancer patients — especially those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Thomas Brown, M.D., M.B.A., Chief Medical Officer at Syapse.: https://www.forbes.com/sites/victori.../#3498e37717cf
              • Coronavirus Cases: 21,631,728

              Deaths: 769,220

              Underreported US death count: 172,606

              US conflicts………

              Civil War (US Army) - 140,414
              Korean War - 33,686

              Total US deaths in the conflicts above: 174,233

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

              Comment


                • Quick and affordable saliva-based COVID-19 test developed by Yale scientists receives FDA Emergency Use Authorization

                A saliva-based laboratory diagnostic test developed by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health to determine whether someone is infected with the novel coronavirus has been granted an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

                The method, called SalivaDirect, is being further validated as a test for asymptomatic individuals through a program that tests players and staff from the National Basketball Association (NBA). SalivaDirect is simpler, less expensive, and less invasive than the traditional method for such testing, known as nasopharyngeal (NP) swabbing. Results so far have found that SalivaDirect is highly sensitive and yields similar outcomes as NP swabbing.

                With the FDA’s emergency use authorization, the testing method is immediately available to other diagnostic laboratories that want to start using the new test, which can be scaled up quickly for use across the nation — and, perhaps, beyond — in the coming weeks, the researchers said. A key component of SalivaDirect, they note, is that the method has been validated with reagents and instruments from multiple vendors. This flexibility enables continued testing if some vendors encounter supply chain issues, as experienced early in the pandemic.

                “This is a huge step forward to make testing more accessible,” said Chantal Vogels, a Yale postdoctoral fellow, who led the laboratory development and validation along with Doug Brackney, an adjunct assistant clinical professor. “This started off as an idea in our lab soon after we found saliva to be a promising sample type of the detection of SARS-CoV-2, and now it has the potential to be used on a large scale to help protect public health. We are delighted to make this contribution to the fight against coronavirus.” The preprint on the development and validation of SalivaDirect was recently posted on medRxiv.

                Development of SalivaDirect as a means of rapidly expanding SARS-CoV-2 testing was spearheaded this spring by Nathan Grubaugh and Anne Wyllie, assistant professor and associate research scientist, respectively, at Yale School of Public Health. After finding saliva to be a promising sample type for SARS-CoV-2 detection, they wanted to improve the method further.

                “With saliva being quick and easy to collect, we realized it could be a game-changer in COVID-19 diagnostics,” said Wyllie. With testing urgently needed, the Yale team was determined to decrease both testing times and costs, to make testing widely accessible.

                “Wide-spread testing is critical for our control efforts. We simplified the test so that it only costs a couple of dollars for reagents, and we expect that labs will only charge about $10 per sample. If cheap alternatives like SalivaDirect can be implemented across the country, we may finally get a handle on this pandemic, even before a vaccine,” said Grubaugh.

                One of the team’s goals was to eliminate the expensive saliva collection tubes that other companies use to preserve the virus for detection. In a separate study led by Wyllie and the team at the Yale School of Public Health, and recently published on medRxiv, they found that SARS-CoV-2 is stable in saliva for prolonged periods at warm temperatures, and that preservatives or specialized tubes are not necessary for collection of saliva.

                The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, Connecticut, will partner with Yale to explore how to implement the test for a broader audience. The laboratory already analyzes patient samples for an RNA signature unique to that of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

                “We must continue to invent and implement new ways to conduct SARS-CoV-2 testing faster, more economically and with greater accessibility, while maintaining acceptable test accuracy,” said Charles Lee, the laboratory’s director. “This method is an important next step toward this goal.”

                Grubaugh and Wyllie said that they are not seeking to commercialize the method. Rather, they want the simplified testing method to help those most in need. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 has been a major stumbling block in the fight against the pandemic, with long delays and shortages of testing. Some experts have said that up to 4 million tests are needed per day; SalivaDirect provides one pathway toward that goal, the researchers said.

                “Using SalivaDirect, our lab can double our testing capacity,” said Professor Chen Liu, chair of Yale Pathology, who oversaw the clinical validation of the study.

                “Dr. Liu and Yale Pathology Laboratory were instrumental in our application. We look forward to continuing to partner with them,” said Grubaugh.

                Liu will start offering SalivaDirect as a testing option in their CLIA-certified clinical laboratory in the coming days.

                The related research was funded by the NBA, National Basketball Players Association, and a Fast Grant from the Emergent Ventures at the Mercatus Center, George Mason University.: https://news.yale.edu/2020/08/15/yal...-authorization
                • Coronavirus Cases: 21,719,194

                Deaths: 770,901

                Underreported US death count: 172,836

                US conflicts………

                Civil War (US Army) - 140,414
                Korean War - 33,686

                Total US deaths in the conflicts above: 174,233

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

                Comment


                • Fok off with your seppo-centric whining.

                  Korean War Casualties
                  Nearly 5 million people died. More than half of these–about 10 percent of Korea's prewar population–were civilians. (This rate of civilian casualties was higher than World War II's and the Vietnam War's.)
                  Last edited by serrollt; 08-17-2020, 02:36 AM.
                  Originally posted by Ergenburgensmurgen;n186588
                  What are you talking about, I don't post on Teakdoor.


                  https://thailandchatter.com/core/ima...ies/giggle.gif

                  Comment


                  • Thailand - Q2 GDP shrinks 12.2% y/y, weakest in 22 years/Thailand's GDP contracts 12.2 per cent in second quarter under impact of Coved-19

                    The economy contracted the most in more than two decades, deepening its recession as the nation’s key drivers of trade and tourism remain hobbled by the global coronavirus pandemic.

                    Gross domestic product shrank 12.2% from a year ago, the National Economic and Social Development Council said Monday, its biggest decline since the Asian financial crisis in 1998. The figure wasn’t quite as bad as the median estimate of a 13% contraction in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

                    The outlook for Thailand’s economy this year is the most dire in Asia given its reliance on exports and tourism, both of which have suffered heavy blows amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The pain has been compounded by the strong baht, which gained more than 6% in the the April-June quarter, the second-best performing currency in Asia tracked by Bloomberg.

                    “We are concerned about the economy, especially employment, bad debts” and small and medium enterprises, said Thosaporn Sirisumphand, secretary general of the economic council. “We will try to take care of 16 million workers in the informal sector. We have prepared measures to help them.”

                    The council cut its full-year forecast to a 7.3%-7.8% contraction, from an earlier estimate of a 5%-6% fall. That’s still better than the 8.1% fall seen by the country’s central bank and the 8.5% decline the Finance Ministry expects.

                    “The worst is likely over, but there is still no reason to pop the champagne yet,” said Howie Lee, economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp in Singapore. “From here we expect the pace of economic recovery to be gradual, with many challenges still facing the Thai economy.”

                    The baht was little changed at 31.131 per dollar after the data. The benchmark stock index was steady, paring earlier gains of as much as 0.4%.

                    Fiscal Stimulus

                    Monday’s data reflect the fact that the economy was shut for part of the second quarter, and borders remain closed to most foreigners. The government has gradually eased restrictions on domestic movement since May, and almost all businesses can now open.

                    The government, which has announced $60 billion in stimulus, is in the midst of changing its economic team. New Finance Minister Predee Daochai will need to work with Sethaput Suthiwart-Narueput, who will take over as central bank governor Oct 1, to coordinate fiscal and monetary policy.

                    Anti-government protests, mainly by young people, are starting to gain momentum and add to uncertainty. More than 10,000 people rallied in Bangkok on Sunday, one of the biggest gatherings yet as protesters demand an end to the military-led administration.

                    “Notwithstanding the expected prolonged slump in tourism, the recent unrest in Thailand may also dampen investor sentiment, in addition to the already-fragile consumption trend,” OCBC’s Lee said.

                    Other key points from the briefing:
                    • GDP fell a seasonally adjusted 9.7% in the second quarter compared with the previous three months, the council said Monday, better than the median estimate of a 11.2% contraction in a Bloomberg survey
                    • Exports are expected to decline 10% this year
                    • The second-quarter unemployment rate was at 1.95%, and an additional 1.8 million workers may be at risk of losing their jobs
                    • The government will roll out more aid for business, workers, and exports in coming months: https://www.nationthailand.com/busin...ernal_referral - https://www.bangkokpost.com/business...st-in-22-years

                    Originally posted by Somchai Boonporn View Post
                    Perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Golden Land.
                    Last edited by S Landreth; 08-17-2020, 03:58 PM.
                    Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by serrollt View Post
                      Fok off with your seppo-centric whining.

                      Korean War Casualties
                      Nearly 5 million people died. More than half of these–about 10 percent of Korea's prewar population–were civilians. (This rate of civilian casualties was higher than World War II's and the Vietnam War's.)
                      No sympathy for the North Koreans at all.

                      As for the Covid topic, I think that the Russian vaccine needs more trials.

                      They only tested the trial on 72 people starting 8 weeks ago.

                      Usually thousands take part in a trial over a long period of time in additional phases.


                      LWO Community strong!

                      Comment


                        • Can Air Conditioners Spread COVID-19?

                        In the dog days of August, air conditioning is everywhere.

                        Is that a problem when it comes to the spread of the coronavirus?

                        The answer to that question rests on the way the virus is transmitted — a topic that is still being researched.

                        Droplet transmission is considered the most common method: A virus-filled particle of breath or spittle comes out of the nose or mouth of an infected individual when they breathe, speak, cough or sneeze. These droplets generally disperse within a few feet of the person who expels them. But if they come into contact with someone's eyes, nose or mouth, they can transmit the virus.

                        Then there's aerosol transmission — when an infected person expels microscopic infectious particles so tiny that they linger in the air and spread from person to person in air currents. Since they are much smaller than droplets, aerosols can travel greater distances and get deep into the lungs of someone who inhales them.

                        Among scientists, there is ongoing debate about the extent to which aerosol transmission causes infection. However, it has been generally accepted that it does occur, especially in closed indoor settings. Consequently, there's a possibility that air conditioning may be a potential route of transmission — sucking in virus particles breathed out by an infected person and then blowing those infectious particles back out in the same room or even another room several floors away.

                        In fact, other infectious diseases such as measles, tuberculosis, chickenpox, influenza, smallpox and SARS have all been shown to spread through heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

                        But drawing definitive conclusions about the role that HVAC systems might play in spreading COVID-19 is difficult. There are only a few published studies looking at that issue, and experts admit there has been too little research into the role of HVAC systems in the spread of the novel coronavirus.

                        "We didn't focus on ventilation as much early on as we probably should have," says Abraar Karan, a physician and global health researcher at Harvard Medical School.

                        What we do know is this: HVAC systems primarily recirculate air in a room or a building and don't bring in any fresh air from outside. So yes, theoretically virus-containing aerosols could be sucked into an air conditioning system and then circulated around a building.

                        In one study, which is available online as a pre-print and has not undergone scientific review, researchers in Oregon collected samples from various places inside a hospital's HVAC system and found genetic material from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This demonstrates that it may be possible for the virus to be transmitted through HVAC systems.

                        However, researchers did not assess if the genetic material they found was able to cause infection, and they noted there were no confirmed COVID-19 cases associated with the samples found in the ventilation systems.

                        There is currently no other evidence documenting the possibility of COVID-19 transmission through an air conditioning unit.

                        The bigger risk, says Edward Nardell, a professor of environmental health and immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Medical School, is that hot weather outside causes people to seek air-conditioned comfort indoors. And indoors, there is less ventilation and more opportunity to spread disease.

                        "It is not the air conditioner that is doing anything particularly," Nardell says. "It is the fact that you are indoors, you are not socially distancing and you are rebreathing the air that people have just exhaled."

                        When you shut the doors and windows to keep the hot air outside, you are essentially eliminating the flow of fresh air so everyone in the room is breathing and rebreathing the same air. If someone in the room is infected with COVID-19, then they are breathing out the virus, which can linger in airborne droplets and be inhaled by another person, potentially causing infection.

                        By comparison, if you were outside and near an infected person who breathed out some viral particles, there is a much larger volume of air flowing to disperse and dilute those particles quickly, reducing the risk of spread to another person nearby. That is why infectious disease experts consider outdoor gatherings and activities less risky than indoor ones (though not completely risk-free).

                        The other major risk is that air conditioning units, fans or even an open window can create strong enough air currents to move virus-containing droplets around a room. This happened in January at a restaurant in Guangzhou, China, where a person with COVID-19 infected five other people sitting at neighboring tables from 3 to 6 feet away, according to a study by scientists from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. After examining video footage of the diners who were infected and simulating the transmission of the virus, scientists concluded that the small outbreak was caused by strong air currents from the air conditioning unit above the diners, which was blowing virus-containing aerosols from an infected person to those nearby. The restaurant also had no windows — and thus no ventilation bringing in fresh air and diluting virus particles in the air.

                        The fact that aerosolized viral droplets can move in air currents in this way means that if you are in a room with an infected person and fresh air is not circulating, even if you are socially distancing to keep 6 feet apart at a minimum, you may not be safe, Nardell says. Although there are currently no published studies that have examined exactly how far airborne COVID-19 particles can travel, previous research on influenza found that viral particles may travel upward of 30 feet in the air.

                        To be clear, this is only a concern in shared public places. At home, the risk of contracting COVID-19 through air currents or air conditioning units is no more likely than spreading the virus through close contact or touching contaminated surfaces.

                        And it's not just warm weather and air conditioning that poses a threat. Cold weather in the winter that similarly forces people to go inside and crank the heat also creates an environment with little ventilation where viral particles can be spread through the air and cause infection. Ride-sharing services and taxis are another place where you may be in a closed space with someone who is infected. Virus particles could spread through air currents in the car, Karan points out.

                        Whether you're taking a taxi or escaping the heat or cold indoors, Karan's advice is the same.

                        "I would say keep the windows open and talk to your employers about [whether] they're looking into air filtration systems that are able to filter a wide range of particles," he says. He also adds that we need to design a better protective mask, one that can filter out the virus and is comfortable enough to wear all day.

                        To Karan, the looming question is: How do we live safely indoors with COVID-19? That is the next frontier.: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsan...pread-covid-19
                        • Coronavirus Cases: 21,958,641

                        Deaths: 775,535

                        Underreported US death count: 173,476

                        US conflicts………

                        Civil War (US Army) - 140,414
                        Korean War - 33,686

                        Total US deaths in the conflicts above: 174,233

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

                        Comment


                        • Korean War Casualties
                          Nearly 5 million people died. More than half of these–about 10 percent of Korea's prewar population–were civilians. (This rate of civilian casualties was higher than World War II's and the Vietnam War's.)
                          Originally posted by Ergenburgensmurgen;n186588
                          What are you talking about, I don't post on Teakdoor.


                          https://thailandchatter.com/core/ima...ies/giggle.gif

                          Comment


                            • For many, pandemic affects mental health, study says

                            Symptoms of anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, substance use and suicidal thoughts have increased in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, with over 40 percent of people in June reporting an adverse mental or behavioral health condition, according to a report released Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

                            The results come as public health experts, advocates and officials have been sounding the alarm about the secondary health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Localities have reported spikes in drug overdoses or suicide deaths during the pandemic, and many experts have warned that the nature of the pandemic could worsen overall mental health.

                            “We’re quite worried about it and I think that the evidence we’ve seen so far indicates that that worry is well-placed,” Elinore McCance-Katz, Health and Human Services assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, said in an interview this month with CQ Roll Call. “During this time of social isolation, lockdown and other restrictions lead people to what can be desperate circumstances in terms of job loss, in terms of financial stressors, in terms of just not having the social support available that people rely on and seeing the kinds of fallout.”

                            The study, released Thursday as part of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, was conducted June 24-30 and showed increases in a variety of adverse mental health conditions. However, the report’s authors caution it does not use diagnostic evaluations.

                            Anxiety disorder symptoms were about three times higher than those reported during the second quarter of 2019, rising from about 8 percent to almost 26 percent. Instances of depressive disorders also jumped from about 7 percent to 24 percent compared to the same time last year.

                            The report also found an increase in symptoms directly tied to the pandemic. Twenty-six percent of individuals surveyed reported symptoms of a trauma or stressor-related disorder related to COVID-19. Thirteen percent also reported starting or increasing substance use to cope with pandemic-related stress.

                            Providers and advocates have worried that substance use would increase during the pandemic as alcohol sales have risen nationally and provisional data released from the end of last year found overdose deaths at an all-time high. The added economic and health stressors of the pandemic are likely to increase these numbers.

                            Instances of suicidal ideation, meaning having suicidal thoughts, have also increased compared to last year — and the numbers are especially stark for groups like young people and communities of color.

                            Last week, McCance-Katz said the percentage of emergency department visits related to suicide attempts increased by as much as 50 percent during stay-at-home orders, but has dropped since states have lifted some of these restrictions.

                            But cities like Chicago have continued to struggle with their suicide death rates for minority groups, and in this case, especially Black individuals.

                            “Mental health conditions are disproportionately affecting specific populations, especially young adults, Hispanic persons, black persons, essential workers, unpaid caregivers for adults, and those receiving treatment for preexisting psychiatric conditions,” the report reads. The survey found that 11 percent of respondents seriously considered suicide during the 30 days prior to completing the survey, but that number was much higher for these groups.

                            Suicidal ideation was almost 26 percent among young adults 18 to 24 years old, 19 percent among Hispanic respondents and 15 percent among non-Hispanic Black respondents.

                            Hispanic survey respondents also reported a higher prevalence of symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorders, and COVID-19-related trauma disorders than non-Hispanic White or Asian respondents. Black individuals reported higher rates of substance use more often than White and Asian individuals.

                            But disparities could also be found in unpaid adult caregivers, who are often providing care for an individual at heightened risk for COVID-19, and essential workers. Caregivers showed large increases in the prevalence of substance use and suicide ideation compared to other adults.

                            Thirty-three percent of unpaid caregivers reported increased substance use compared to 6 percent of adults overall, and 31 percent reported suicidal ideation compared to 4 percent of all adults. Among essential workers, suicidal ideation was at 22 percent.

                            The CDC report included survey data from 5,412 respondents.: https://www.indianagazette.com/news/...237855b4a.html
                            • Coronavirus Cases: 22,049,426

                            Deaths: 777,439

                            Underreported US death count: 173,716

                            US conflicts………

                            Civil War (US Army) - 140,414
                            Korean War - 33,686

                            Total US deaths in the conflicts above: 174,233

                            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 - Covid-19 takes huge bite out of restaurant giants


                              Covid-19’s devastating impact on the restaurant business has been revealed in four leading chains’ turnover figures for the first half of 2020.

                              MK Restaurant (MK), After You (AU), S&P Syndicate (SNP), and Zen Corporation Group (Zen) all suffered an unprecedented collapse of their profits.

                              MK saw year on year net profit drop 93.35 per cent, from Bt1.3 billion to Bt93.02 million. AU’s net profit dropped 91.67 per cent to Bt10.23 million – from Bt122.84 million last year.

                              Meanwhile SNP and ZEN fared even worse.

                              SNP’s net profit of Bt87.67 million last year fell 188.73 per cent to a deficit of Bt77.79 million. ZEN was hit by a whopping 291.73 per cent drop in net profit, from Bt65.29 million to a deficit of Bt125.18 million.

                              The main culprit was the Covid-19 outbreak, which prompted the government to shutdown restaurants and entertainment venues from the middle of March to the middle of May.

                              During the shutdown, the chains tried to soften the blow by offering deliveries and takeout services, but to little effect. AU also cut its staff numbers during lockdown.

                              The first-half figures saw the stock price of the chains plummet by 10 to 40 per cent last Friday (August 14). Total market capitalisation of all four fell by Bt22 billion to Bt62 billion.

                              Meanwhile, Minor International Group (MINT) and Oishi Group (OISHI) also suffered a drop in profits. Total revenue generated from MINT’s restaurants fell by 21.12 per cent to Bt9.65 billion, while income from OISHI restaurants fell by 65.76 per cent to Bt630 million.: 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


                              • I'm surprised that the Pizza company saw a fall in profits even if small compared with others.
                                I visited TC a few times as a guest but had to stop. It is a sickening place. - Aging One

                                Comment

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