Author: SupremeCmdr

The Latest in COVID-19 News: Week Ending 08.22.20 – NEJM Journal Watch

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Click on the link for the NEJM Journal Watch weekly update.  NO paywalls on any of the links in this article.  (paywalls bother me)

https://www.jwatch.org/fw116961/2020/08/22/latest-covid-19-news-week-ending-aug-22

Meanwhile in Harrah, Oklahoma…

The corned beef became an unexpected, additional source of sadness: The flavors I love have become associated with the bitterness of closing down. I can only taste the sourness of worry. I can only smell the rottenness of having to furlough six people who depended on the pub for a paycheck. Years of enjoyment have boiled down to a few long months of anxiety, endless discussions about to close or stay open—and if we can reopen safely, how we will survive.

We own an Irish Pub in Harrah, Oklahoma. When Covid-19 hit, we had to eat our own corned beef and potatoes for weeks. https://thecounter.org/covid-19-essay-irish-pub-harrah-oklahoma-corned-beef-potatoes/

Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid-19

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“I was surprised by the high levels of virus we found in children of all ages, especially in the first two days of infection,” says Lael Yonker, MD, director of the MGH Cystic Fibrosis Center and lead author of the study, “Pediatric SARS-CoV-2: Clinical Presentation, Infectivity, and Immune Reponses,” published in the Journal of Pediatrics. “I was not expecting the viral load to be so high. You think of a hospital, and of all of the precautions taken to treat severely ill adults, but the viral loads of these hospitalized patients are significantly lower than a ‘healthy child’ who is walking around with a high SARS-CoV-2 viral load.”

Massachusetts General Hospital. “Researchers show children are silent spreaders of virus that causes COVID-19: Comprehensive pediatric study examines viral load, immune response and hyperinflammation in pediatric COVID-19.” ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200820102442.htm (accessed August 20, 2020).

This article is a must read for parents and politicians. In person school around the country has started. Be prepared in case your kid brings back more than just homework from school.

Eat More Broccoli

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Published in the British Journal of Nutrition the research has found higher consumption of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, is associated with less extensive blood vessel disease in older women.

Using data from a cohort of 684 older Western Australian women recruited in 1998, researchers from ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences and The University of Western Australia found those with a diet comprising more cruciferous vegetables had a lower chance of having extensive build-up of calcium on their aorta, a key marker for structural blood vessel disease.

Dr Blekkenhorst said women in this study who consumed more than 45g of cruciferous vegetables every day (e.g. ¼ cup of steamed broccoli or ½ cup of raw cabbage) were 46 percent less likely to have extensive build-up of calcium on their aorta in comparison to those consuming little to no cruciferous vegetables every day.

Edith Cowan University. “Broccoli and Brussels sprouts a cut above for blood vessel health.” ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200820102434.htm (accessed August 20, 2020).

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200820102434.htm

Photo by Buenosia Carol on Pexels.com

Clusterf**k at UNC

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Screenshot_2020-08-18 COVID-19 cases at UNC are ‘cluster #$%,’ student newspaper says in scathing editorial

The Daily Tar Heel, UNC Chapel Hill’s independent student newspaper, wasn’t holding back in an editorial published Monday, August 17, 2020, criticizing the university’s administration after four COVID-19 clusters were reported on campus. Editor’s note: Letters in the headline were blurred by McClatchy News. The Daily Tar Heel

Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article245017180.html

As of Monday, 177 students were in isolation at UNC-Chapel Hill after testing positive for COVID-19, and hundreds more were in quarantine. Through last week, the test positivity rate on campus jumped over 10 percentage points to 13.6 percent. Such a high positivity rate indicates that the virus is spreading through the campus community. (According to the World Health Organization, anything over 5 percent is cause for concern.) There are likely students infected with the virus who aren’t showing symptoms, and they could leave campus without knowing they’re sick.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/18/21373482/unc-covid-outbreak-students-home-testing-university

UNC is sending some students back home without testing them for COVID-19

Using a public restroom? Mask up!

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Flushing public restroom toilets or urinals can spew clouds of particles carrying viruses, including COVID-19

The researchers’ work clearly shows public restrooms can be dangerous places for potentially becoming infected from a virus, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other work has shown that both feces- and urine-based virus transmission is possible.

What the simulations revealed is disturbing. The trajectory of the tiny particles ejected by flushing a urinal “manifests an external spread type, with more than 57% of the particles traveling away from the urinal,” said Liu.

Journal Reference: Ji-Xiang Wang, Yun-Yun Li, Xiang-Dong Liu, Xiang Cao. Virus transmission from urinals. Physics of Fluids, 2020; 32 (8): 081703 DOI: 10.1063/5.0021450

Using a public restroom? Mask up!

Wear a mask.  Don’t flush.  Hold your breath.

Better yet, don’t pee in a public restroom.

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Pune coronavirus sero survey results find 51.5% seroprevalence — Science Chronicle

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The sero survey carried out in five zones in Pune has found 51.5% seroprevalence, with the spread ranging from 36.1% in the lower bound to 65.4% in higher bound. The spread of the virus was found across all types of dwellings. Those living in hutments (62%) and tenement (56.2%) had the highest seroprevalence, while those […]

“With the peak yet to reach, 51% seroprevalence is intriguing,” Dr Giridhara Babu, epidemiologist from Public Health Foundation of India, Bengaluru says in a tweet.

via Pune coronavirus sero survey results find 51.5% seroprevalence — Science Chronicle

Only a scientist would refer to 51% seroprevalence as “intriguing”.

I find the following more “intriguing”.

The role of shared toilets in increasing virus spread has once again become apparent in this study. While the seropositivity was 45.3% among people (1,045 adults) who have access to independent toilets, 619 adults who share toilets have a high 62.2% seroprevalence. “There is no difference between men (n=861, 52.8%) and women (n=803, 50.1%), while 171 persons of older age (above 66 years) have a lower prevalence (39.8%),” the report posted on the University website says. Those in the age group 51-65 years had the highest seroprevalence of 54.8%. Those in the age group 18-30 years and 31-50 had seroprevalence of 52.5% and 52.1%, respectively.

I’m headed down to Texas next weekend.  If I limit fluids prior to starting the trip maybe I won’t have to stop along the way…

Metabolic Syndrome and Stroke Risk

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To evaluate the association between ischemic stroke and metabolic syndrome, DeBoer and Gurka reviewed more than 13,000 participants in prior studies and their stroke outcomes. Among that group, there were 709 ischemic strokes over a mean period of 18.6 years assessed in the studies. (Ischemic strokes are caused when blood flow to the brain is obstructed by blood clots or clogged arteries. Hemorrhagic strokes, on the other hand, are caused when blood vessels rupture.)

DeBoer developed the scoring tool, an online calculator to assess the severity of metabolic syndrome, with Matthew J. Gurka, PhD, of the Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics at the University of Florida, Gainesville. The tool is available for free at https://metscalc.org/.

Journal Reference: Mark D. DeBoer, Stephanie L. Filipp, Mario Sims, Solomon K. Musani, Matthew J. Gurka. Risk of Ischemic Stroke Increases Over the Spectrum of Metabolic Syndrome Severity. Stroke, 2020; 51 (8): 2548 DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.028944

This online calculator can predict your stroke risk

Presented with the following caveat:

I tried the calculator but I’m not quite sure how useful it will be in clinical settings.  As far as insurance underwriting is concerned I probably won’t use it.

The Implosion of Freelance Work

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I live in LA, and the article is really about people who work in entertainment/media — every tv show, commercial, music video and movie is the result of anywhere from a few dozen to hundreds of people who work for the run of the project, then move on to another project. It’s everything from the building trades – carpentry, electrical, rigging/framing – to business services — legal, accounting, HR – to tech heavy work – video/sound editing — and finally, a lot of musicians — people who write and play the music you hear. All of these people are employees of the production, not AB5 type gig workers.

It’s a lifestyle/career choice and not for everyone. People hustle, build relationships and are always on the lookout for the next gig. But the work has been steady for decades, and then very suddenly the whole sector shut down hard.

Los Angeles Hit Hard by Implosion of Freelance Work

 

The pandemic has only exacerbated tenuous financial conditions for many in the flexible workforce.  According to a survey of more than 1,100 U.S.-based respondents interested in flexible work, more than half (53%) of people are currently earning half or less of their pre-pandemic income. Approximately one-third (31%) of respondents have lost their entire income since the pandemic started. This survey was conducted by FlexJobs, fielded in partnership with Prudential (1), in late June 2020.

Demographic breakdown of the 1,100 U.S.-based respondents interested in flexible work. Gender: female (81%), Male (17%) Prefer not to identify (2%) Ages: 20-39 (29%), 40-59 (53%), 60+ (18%); Education: high school degree or equivalent (4%), some college but no degree (15%), associate or bachelor’s degree (48%), graduate degree (33%); Career level: entry-level (11%), experienced (56%), manager (21%), senior level or higher (12%). Household income: Less than less than $50,000 (35%), $50,000 to less than $75,000 (18%); $75,000 to less than $100,000 (17%), $100,000 to less than $150,000 (17%), $150,000+ (13%). 34% of respondents were unemployed and looking for work.

Survey Finds 53% Earning Half Or Less Of Their Pre-COVID-19 Income

As a former freelancer my heart goes out to all of the gig workers whose lives have been upended by the pandemic.  I transitioned back to the world of W-2 work quite some time ago and haven’t regretted the move.

Meanwhile in Georgia…

“I think quite honestly this week went real well other than a couple of virtual photos,” Gov. Brian Kemp said at a news conference with the U.S. surgeon general.

Georgia governor: School openings going well except photos of crowded hallways

3rd Cherokee County school closes due to new COVID-19 cases

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FDA Approval – SalivaDirect

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The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday authorized emergency use of a new and inexpensive saliva test for Covid-19 that could greatly expand testing capacity.

The new test, which is called SalivaDirect and was developed by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health, allows saliva samples to be collected in any sterile container. It is a much less invasive process than the nasal swabs currently used to test for the virus that causes Covid-19, but one that has so far yielded highly sensitive and similar results. The test also avoids a key step that has caused shortages of chemical reagents used in other tests.

The research team validated SalivaDirect in part by testing NBA players, coaches, and staff, and Yale said the test is now being studied in asymptomatic people through the program with the NBA and its players union.

FDA clears saliva test for Covid-19, opening door to wider testing

Get tested and wear a mask.

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To understand why this is a potential game changer this article on rapid screening tests.

First, frequent testing catches the vast majority of cases. Someone who is infected but gets a false-negative and slips through the cracks is likely to be caught the next time they’re tested. For a test that misses 20% of positive cases, the chance of an infected person getting two false negatives in a row may be as low as 4%. It’s like bailing a boat with a leaky bucket: You just have to bail more quickly to get the job done.

Second, most people who get false-negative results are unlikely to be contagious. Antigen-based screening tests are good at detecting the high virus levels needed to be contagious. By design, screening tests sacrifice accuracy where it matters least to achieve low costs, speed and ease of use.

AND I learned that the SalivaDirect test was funded by the NBA.

“My goal is not to test athletes,” Grubaugh said. “That’s not my target population. My target population is everybody. There were concerns about partnering with the NBA when all these other people need testing. But the simple answer ended up being the NBA was going to do all this testing anyway, so why not partner with them and try to create something for everyone?”

The NBA, Yale and the players’ association do not intend to take royalties from any use of the testing method, Grubaugh and others said. The NBA and union contributed more than $500,000 combined to fund the Yale work, sources told ESPN.

Saliva-based coronavirus test funded by NBA, NBPA gets emergency authorization from FDA