COVID-19

Clusterf**k at UNC — The CDC Sanitized Version

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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

Update 09.29.20 aka The Sanitized CDC version of events:

Citation Wilson E, Donovan CV, Campbell M, et al. Multiple COVID-19 Clusters on a University Campus — North Carolina, August 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 29 September 2020. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6939e3

A North Carolina university experienced a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases and clusters within 2 weeks of opening the campus to students. Student gatherings and congregate living settings, both on and off campus, likely contributed to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in this setting.

The CDC is not naming names. But the NC university not mentioned is pretty obvious.

The Beginning of the End

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Airlines want more from the government printing press.

American Airlines was also the airline that blew, incinerated, wasted, and trashed more than any other airline on share buybacks. Buybacks ceased in the second quarter, but from 2013 through Q1 2020, American Airlines incinerated $13.1 billion in cash on share buybacks. That cash would now come in very handy. 2013 was also the year Mr. Parker became CEO of American Airlines. Delta blew, wasted, and incinerated $11.7 billion in cash on share buybacks over the period; Southwest Airlines, $10.9 billion (starting in 2012); and United $8.9 billion. In total, the big four airlines blew, wasted, and incinerated $44.6 billion in cash on share buybacks from 2012 through Q1 2020, and now the airlines want an additional $25 billion bailout, for a total of $50 billion, much of it in forms of grants, from taxpayers (data via YCharts)

Facing Crappiest Recovery Ever, Airlines Demand New $25-Billion Bailout, for $50 Billion Total, after Having Burned $45 Billion on Share Buybacks — https://wolfstreet.com/2020/09/28/facing-crappiest-recovery-ever-airlines-demand-new-25-billion-bailout-for-50-billion-total-after-having-burned-45-billion-on-share-buybacks/

Just. Say. NO.

Changing Age Distribution of the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, May–August 2020

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During June–August 2020, COVID-19 incidence was highest in persons aged 20–29 years, who accounted for >20% of all confirmed cases. Younger adults likely contribute to community transmission of COVID-19. Across the southern United States in June 2020, increases in percentage of positive SARS-CoV-2 test results among adults aged 20–39 years preceded increases among those aged ≥60 years by 4–15 days.

This report provides preliminary evidence that younger adults contributed to community transmission of COVID-19 to older adults. Across the southern United States in June 2020, the increase in SARS-CoV-2 infection among younger adults preceded the increase among older adults by 4–15 days (or approximately one to three incubation periods). Similar observations have been reported by the World Health Organization.*** Further investigation of community transmission dynamics across age groups to identify factors that might be driving infection among younger adults and subsequent transmission to older adults is warranted.

citation for this article: Boehmer TK, DeVies J, Caruso E, et al. Changing Age Distribution of the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, May–August 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 23 September 2020. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6939e1external

All I can think of right now are the colleges and universities who have sent infected students back home. No one could have seen this coming said no one with a shred of intelligence!

Higher education committed suicide with its dual racketeering model. First was the college loan racket, in which schools colluded with the federal government to jam too many “customers” through the pipeline who didn’t belong there, and who buried themselves under a lifetime debt obligation they could never escape. The second was the intellectual racket of creating sham fields of study that contaminated all the other “humanities” with poisonous bullshit theory, and eventually even invaded the STEM disciplines. Covid-19 screwed the pooch on all that, scotching the four-year party-hearty in-residence part of the deal. For now, who needs an online class in Contemporary Sexual Transgression ($2000-a-credit) when you can just click on Porn-hub for free? Hundreds of colleges and universities will be going out of business in the years ahead.

James Howard Kunstler — https://kunstler.com/clusterfuck-nation/things-going-by/#more-‘

Africa’s Covid-19 Death Rate

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The most widely accepted factor is Africa’s youthful population. Only about 3 per cent of Africans are over the age of 65, the age group in which illness and death from the coronavirus are most common. (By comparison, about 18 per cent of Canada’s population is over the age of 65.)

Africa’s low COVID-19 death rate has multiple causes, WHO says — https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-africas-low-covid-19-death-rate-has-multiple-causes-who-says/
  • Case fatality rate of 2.4
  • lower testing rates
  • youthful population
  • 90% of cases in people <65 years of age
  • more rural areas, more time outdoors
  • strict lock downs early
  • poor road network, limited international flights

Covid-19 – Kids Have Better Immune Response, D614G Mutation and I Don’t Want to Live in an Assisted Living Facility

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Saturday mornings are my time to catch up on news. Here are a few articles that caught my eye today.

Researchers studied 65 children and 60 adults with COVID-19 at a hospital system in New York City and found the children stayed in the hospital shorter periods of time, needed ventilators less often, and had a lower death rate, according to the study published in Science Translational Medicine. Those findings fell in line with what other scientists had noticed: Children don’t get as sick with coronavirus as adults do. The CDC, for instance, says around eight children per 100,000 were hospitalized with COVID-19, compared to 164.5 adults per 100,000. But scientists are not sure why this happens.

Citation: Children Have Better COVID Immune Response Than Adults – Medscape – Sep 25, 2020 — https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/938059?src=rss

The virus is mutating and appears to be more infectious.

The study, published as a preprint on the medRxiv server (https://bit.ly/306RWDt), found that nearly all (99.9%) of the strains in the second wave had a mutation, known as D614G, which has been shown to increase the number of “spikes” on the crown-shaped virus, increasing its ability to infect cells.

Citation: Houston Study: More Contagious Coronavirus Strain Now Dominates – Medscape – Sep 24, 2020 — https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/937975?src=rss

And the first study I’ve stumbled upon on Covid-19 mortality in assisted living facilities.

In North Carolina and Connecticut, for example, the proportions of COVID-19 cases that were fatal across the state were 3.3% and 9.3%, respectively. In assisted living facilities in those states, the fatality rate climbed to 13% and 31.6%. Unlike nursing homes, assisted living communities are not subject to federal regulation and are not required to collect and report data on COVID-19, coauthor Helena Temkin-Greener of the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry said in a news release

Citation: High COVID-19 Mortality Seen in Assisted-Living Facilities – Medscape – Sep 24, 2020 — https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/937999?src=rss

We are learning there may be an underlying genetic and immunological basis in cases of severe Covid-19.

The researchers found that more than 10% of people who develop severe COVID-19 have misguided antibodies―autoantibodies―that attack the immune system rather than the virus that causes the disease. Another 3.5% or more of people who develop severe COVID-19 carry a specific kind of genetic mutation that impacts immunity. Consequently, both groups lack effective immune responses that depend on type I interferon, a set of 17 proteins crucial for protecting cells and the body from viruses. Whether these proteins have been neutralized by autoantibodies or―because of a faulty gene―were produced in insufficient amounts or induced an inadequate antiviral response, their absence appears to be a commonality among a subgroup of people who suffer from life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia.

Scientists discover genetic and immunologic underpinnings of some cases of severe COVID-19 — https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/scientists-discover-genetic-immunologic-underpinnings-some-cases-severe-covid-19

Finally from my long read of the day is a quote from our Covid-19 rock star in the U.S. I’ve got the full article open in my browser to read later. Enjoy!

You know, you just do it: you tell things the way they are. Sometimes that’s not in agreement with what people would like to hear. But I learnt a long time ago that people will ultimately have sustained respect for you if you give them the information based on science and are not afraid to tell people things they do not want to hear. Whether they act on the things you tell them is beyond my power. The only thing that I can do is analyze the situation, look at the scientific data, and make whatever recommendation they ask me to make. But you can be assured that it will be always based on scientific evidence and data.

Citation: BMJ 2020;370:m3703 — The BMJ interview: Anthony Fauci on covid-19 — https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3703

Today’s Old are “Younger” (if you are a Finlander)

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Hundreds of Finlanders aged 75-80 were given a battery of physical and cognitive tests 30 years ago. The same tests were recently repeated, in 2017-2018, with Finlanders aged 75-80. The modern group showed substantial differences:

walking speeds .2-.4 meters per second faster

grip strengths 5%-25% stronger

knee extension strengths 20%-47% higher

better verbal fluency, reasoning, and working memory

This means that the modern group moves and thinks “younger.” “Performance measurements reflect one’s functional age,” says lead author Taina Rantanen, professor of gerontology and public health at the University of Jyväskylä.

Today’s Older People Really are Younger — https://www.fastcompany.com/90554646/todays-older-people-really-are-younger-than-in-previous-generations

You can access the study abstract here: https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/gerona/glaa224/5901594?redirectedFrom=fulltext

And if you’re Covid obsessed like I am here you go:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:COVID-19_pandemic_data/Finland_medical_cases_chart

I would not extrapolate the older age study findings to the general population. Clearly there are cultural, societal, dietary, climate and other differences in Finland that do not exist elsewhere. But at my age I’ll take good news about getting older anywhere I can find it.

Finland is different. They developed a real interesting rapid Covid-19 test.

Four Covid-19 sniffer dogs have begun work at Helsinki airport in a state-funded pilot scheme that Finnish researchers hope will provide a cheap, fast and effective alternative method of testing people for the virus.

‘Close to 100% accuracy’: Helsinki airport uses sniffer dogs to detect Covid — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/24/close-to-100-accuracy-airport-enlists-sniffer-dogs-to-test-for-covid-19

The State of Obesity 2020

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Obesity rates vary considerably between states and regions of the country. Mississippi has the highest adult obesity rate in the country at 40.8 percent and Colorado has the lowest at 23.8 percent. Twelve states have adult rates above 35 percent, they are: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. As recently as 2012, no state had an adult obesity rate above 35 percent; in 2000 no state had an adult obesity rate above 25 percent.

The State of Obesity 2020: Better Policies for a Healthier America — https://www.tfah.org/report-details/state-of-obesity-2020/

Meanwhile in Oklahoma we are ranked #4 in the nation with an obesity rate of 36.8% — (SOURCE: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, CDC).

I seem to recall being ranked #5 in the nation in another report on Covid-19 — Meanwhile in Oklahoma – 09.17.20.

Interesting comparison don’t ya think?

People of any age with the following conditions are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19:

Cancer

Chronic kidney disease

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant

Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher)

Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies

Sickle cell disease

Type 2 diabetes mellitus

CDC website accessed 08.25.20 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html

Colleges’ Opening Fueled 3,000 COVID Cases a Day (College Clusterfuck Update)

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The study, done jointly by researchers at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Indiana University, the University of Washington and Davidson College, tracked cellphone data and matched it to reopening schedules at 1,400 schools, along with county infection rates.

Colleges’ Opening Fueled 3,000 COVID Cases a Day, Researchers Say — https://khn.org/news/colleges-opening-fueled-3000-covid-cases-a-day-researchers-say/

Parosmia and Covid-19

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Of more than 4,000 respondents to a multilingual, international study of people with recent smell loss published in Chemical Senses in June, 7 percent reported parosmia, or odor distortion. Facebook support groups dedicated to parosmia and phantosmia, the clinical names for specific smell disorders, have grown drastically in the past few months. Instead of a scentless world, an increasing number of people who lost their sense of smell because of Covid-19 are complaining that things just don’t smell right…

Smell loss, or anosmia, is such a prevalent symptom of Covid-19 it can be used for diagnosis. A May study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found 86 percent of the Covid-positive patients experienced smell loss. Most people who suffer from sudden onset anosmia from the SARS-CoV-2 infection recover their smell quickly, within four weeks for 89 percent of those in a recent study in JAMA Otolaryngology. But the remaining 10 percent continued to experience smell loss or distortions.

Why Covid-19 Patients Are Suffering From Distorted and Phantom Smells — https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-covid-19-patients-are-suffering-distorted-and-phantom-smells-180975826/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+smithsonianmag%2Fscience-nature+%28Science+%26+Nature+%7C+Smithsonian.com%29

Meanwhile From Iran… more Covid-19 Research!

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In recent months, nearly all countries tried to decrease human-to-human contact as the principal mode of transmission of SARS-CoV-2. However, other modes of transmission also need to be clarified in more depth, especially, the foodborne transmission. We assessed the effect of animal origin foods consumption on the pandemic of COVID-19. For this purpose, we studied the relationship among 20 food supply as independent variables, and the parameter of Total Cases as dependent variable. Here we show a relationship between a group of animal origin foods and total cases. Regression, Bayes, and Lasso results showed that eggs and fresh water fish have positive coefficient. So, among the transmission ways of COVID_19, the role of foodborne transmission should be more significant than previously thought. The possibility of animal origin foodborne transmission should be taken into more consideration. The perspective is to expand the surveillance of SARS-Cov-2 during the food production chain. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that one important vehicle for SARS-Cov2 may be some of animal origin foods. It is recommended that virologists examine the possibility of freshwater fish and chickens eggs being as excellent vehicles/preservatives for SARS-Cov2.

Keen relationship between COVID_19 and food supply suggest some animal origin foods as excellent vehicle of SARS-Cov-2 — https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.16.20132464 This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review — https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.16.20132464v5

Seriously people I don’t want you to get the idea I sit around on a Sunday afternoon reading research studies on the preprint server.

OK, maybe this Sunday…

DALE FISHER, SINGAPORE-BASED DISEASE EXPERT AND CHAIR OF THE GLOBAL OUTBREAK ALERT AND RESPONSE NETWORK COORDINATED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION:

If we want to store virus, we freeze it. So if virus is packed with frozen product then it would survive. We normally talk about less than a week, but we know that the colder it is, the longer it will last

Can frozen or chilled food spread coronavirus? — https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-food-factbox/factbox-can-frozen-or-chilled-food-spread-coronavirus-idUSKBN23N1JL

Hmm…

The first person in the cluster to test positive was a woman in her 50s who had been symptomatic for five days. Of the woman’s six family contacts, three also tested positive Tuesday: a baby boy, a woman in her 20s, and her husband, who is thought to be the first to become infected and developed symptoms approximately July 31, according to the The New Zealand Herald. One of the family members works at the lending company Finance Now, and the man works at a facility operated by Americold, an Atlanta, Georgia-based company that transports and stores goods at controlled temperatures. Americold operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Argentina, as well as New Zealand.

The infected Americold employee’s job involved handling frozen foods destined for grocery stores and food service companies. He had been on sick leave for nine days at the time that he tested positive, according to Americold NZ Managing Director Richard Winnall, who spoke to the Herald.

New Zealand baffled by new COVID-19 cases, eyes frozen-food packaging — https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/08/new-zealand-baffled-by-new-covid-19-cases-eyes-frozen-food-packaging/

I don’t know why I love connecting the dots so much.