I tried so very hard not to post anything about Covid-19 this week.
But this is just too good not to share.
Most of us have already witnessed the viral picture of the party in the Ozarks. I guess wearing a mask is too hard for some.
Sub Project #1 went to the zoo today. Wear a mask? Not a problem.
Citation: California Border Hospitals Hit by Surge in COVID-19 Cases From Mexico – Medscape – May 20, 2020.
Here’s the link:
California Border Hospitals Hit by Surge in COVID-19 Cases From Mexico
Here’s an excerpt:
Imperial County has registered fewer than 800 known coronavirus infections and just 15 deaths to date. Baja California, by comparison, has reported 3,458 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 134 deaths. Two main medical centers in Baja’s state capital – Mexicali Hospital General and IMSS Regional Hospital 30 – are both “saturated” by the outbreak, Mario Cervantes, head of relief services for the Red Cross of Mexicali, told Reuters. Some arriving ambulances have had to wait hours to deliver new patients, while others were turned away altogether, he said. Baja health department officials said neither Mexicali hospital had exhausted its bed space, but Dr. Rafael Abril, president of the Mexicali College of Surgeons, told local news in April that half the IMSS hospital’s doctors were infected with COVID-19, which could lead to staffing shortages.
Coronavirus: hamster research shows effectiveness of masks ‘huge’
Hamsters placed in adjoining cages with infected subjects were infected at a 66.7 per cent rate; the introduction of a barrier saw the percentage drop to 16.7%.
The study, which the team called the first of its kind, found the rate of non-contact transmission – in which the virus was transmitted via respiratory droplets or airborne particles – dropped by as much as 75 per cent when masks were present.
“I know wearing masks will be difficult during the summer time. My advice is especially when you are in an indoor or closed environment where there’s no free air exchange, in crowded places or on public transport, you must wear a mask.”
I follow physicians on the front line so that I can understand the risks of our new normal better and to periodically adapt my behavior to minimize those risks to my health and well being. An example follows:
The credentials from Emory University School of Medicine:
Dr. Milad Sharifpour is an anesthesiologist and intensivist at Emory University Hospital. His clinical expertise includes perioperative care of patients undergoing neurosurgical and vascular surgical procedures, as well as postoperative care of patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery in the intensive care unit. His clinical and research interests include perioperative stroke, perioperative fluid resuscitation, intraoperative mechanical ventilation, and postoperative pulmonary complications.
The May 15, 2020 tweet:
For those protesting social distancing (doubt they would read this) – a small group of my friends got together for lunch 10 days ago: 1 is on a vent, another admitted to a regular floor bed, 5 others are COVID + at home. You can be asymptomatic and have COVID19.
The state of Georgia started reopening a few weeks ago.
Yikes.
“We have a very large country and the dynamics of the outbreak are different, in different regions of the country.”
Anthony Fauci MD
We have better numbers in Oklahoma as the state enters Phase Two of our reopening and I still haven’t gone to a restaurant for a dine-in meal.
The YMCA has reopened and I’ve not gone for a work out yet.
My dentist called. I haven’t called back yet.
I have been highly selective regarding which stores to shop at for essentials.
My barber has reopened and I have an appointment for May 31st.
It will be nice to get a real haircut.
There has clearly been a lot of media interest in PIMS-TS but it is still an extremely uncommon disease entity in the context of all children presenting to emergency and acute care services. The vast majority of children, including those who were critically ill, have made a good recovery.
Click on the link for the NEJM Journal Watch weekly update. NO paywalls on any of the links in this article.
The Latest in COVID-19 News: Week Ending May 16
Meanwhile in Oklahoma…
A Muskogee County man accused of coughing on police and claiming he had COVID-19 is now facing felony charges.
Muskogee man accused of coughing on officers, claiming to have COVID-19
As coronavirus forces us to keep our distance, city density matters less than internal density
Elek Pafka is Lecturer in Urban Planning and Urban Design at the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning – University of Melbourne. His research focuses on the relationship between material density, urban form and the intensity of urban life, as well as methods of mapping the ‘pulse’ of the city. He has participated in research on transit orientated development, functional mix and high-density living. He has co-edited the book Mapping Urbanities: Morphologies, Flows, Possibilities.
So what kind of density is relevant for the spread of coronavirus? It has become increasingly clear COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through extended close contact, particularly in enclosed spaces, where droplets and aerosols accumulate. The density that matters is internal population density – generally measured as square metres per person. Thus, high-risk places can include dormitories, open-plan offices, churches, hospitals, public transport, planes and cruise ships. The evidence to date points to much less transmission through casual contacts in outdoor spaces such as streets or parks.
An interesting viewpoint from outside of the medical and political realms.
