Dear Reader:

Worldometer: almost 14 million cases worldwide, almost 600 thousands deaths worldwide, about 5 million active cases worldwide, of which 99% are in mild condition, and 1% is in serious or critical condition.

Almost 3.7 million cases are in the US, and over 140 thousand deaths. Almost 72 thousand new cases yesterday, July 15 (second highest since the beginning of the pandemic), and 1,001 deaths yesterday (highest was 2,748 deaths on April 21)

Almost 2 million cases in Brazil, and more than 75 thousand deaths. More than 39 thousand new cases, and 1,261 deaths yesterday.

Over 1 million cases in India, and over 25 thousand deaths. More than 32 thousand new cases yesterday (the highest number of new cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic), and 614 deaths yesterday.

Within the US, New York, with more cases and deaths than any other US state, with over 430 thousand cases and over 32 thousand deaths, has flattened the curve, reporting 999 new cases and 33 deaths yesterday (the highest number of cases was 11,661 on April 15, and the highest number of deaths was 1,025 on April 17).

California, with more than 350 thousand cases and over 7 thousand deaths, reported almost 10 thousand new cases yesterday, more than any other day since the pandemic began, and 126 deaths yesterday (highest number of deaths was 150 on July 8).

Florida, with over 300 thousand cases and over 4 thousand deaths, reported more than 10 thousand new cases yesterday (highest was more than 15 thousand new cases on July 12), and 112 new deaths yesterday (highest was 132 on July 14).

Texas, with almost 300 thousand cases and over 3 thousand deaths, reported over 12 thousand new cases yesterday (highest number since the pandemic started), and 154 new deaths yesterday (also, the highest number since the pandemic started).

New Jersey, with less than 200 thousand cases and over 15 thousand deaths, like New York, has flattened the curve, reporting 321 new cases and 43 new deaths yesterday.

Other states whose active case numbers are rising: Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Utah.

msn. com/ en-us/ health/ medical/ dr fauci says this is where covid-19 could strike next (July 16): “This week, as many states are breaking records in not only the number of new Covid-19 infections but hospitalizations and deaths, the nation’s top infectious disease expert is increasingly concerned… ‘We’ve got to figure out, how can we get our control over this now, and, looking forward, how can we make sure that next month, we don’t have another example  of California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona, because those are hot zones now, and I’m looking at the map, saying we got to make sure it doesn’t happen in other states.’ He also added that the surge of cases was ‘inevitable’ as ‘pictures and photos and films of people at bars with no masks, congregating in crowds’ starting emerging.

msn. com/ en- us/ health/ medical/ can you get infected with Covid-19 twice experts say possibility is certainly real (July 16): “Recovery from the disease provides antibodies to fight off the infection. The shelf life of those antibodies, however, may be insufficient to protect a patient for very long or promote  long-term immunity across populations…

“work on other coronaviruses demonstrated people were just as likely to be reinfected a year later as people who were never infected. Studies show Covid-19 antibodies declining in all patients after two months and becoming negative in a high percentage of patients.. ‘It’s concerning for those of us who hope this virus is just a one-and-done for our patients,’ Griffin said.

“blood tests revealed that while 60% of people presented a ‘potent’ antibody response while battling the virus, only 17% retained that potency three months later… which could prove the death  knell for the hope of herd immunity through a one-shot vaccine”.

anita

Dear Reader:

Worldometer: over 14 million cases worldwide, over 600 thousand deaths worldwide; over 3.7 million cases and over 142 thousand deaths in the US.

Just under 75 thousand new cases yesterday, July 17, in the US, the highest number so far in the pandemic (the graph of daily new cases and the graph of active cases are still on the way up, going to heights that were never seen before since the beginning of the pandemic in March, four months ago). There were 946 deaths in the US yesterday (2,748 was the highest number of deaths per day, and that was April 21).

* There were just over 23 thousand new daily cases and 822 daily deaths on March 30 (close to the number of deaths on July 17). It took 22 days to arrive at 26 thousand new daily cases, and the highest number of daily deaths on April 21.

Within the US, Florida reported 11,466 new cases yesterday, July 17, its third highest number since the pandemic began, and 128 deaths. California reported 9,608 new cases yesterday, its second highest number since the pandemic began, and 122 deaths. Texas reported 9,496 new cases yesterday, its 8th highest number, and 162 deaths, its highest number of daily deaths in all of the pandemic.

Brazil reported 33,959 new cases yesterday, and 1,110 deaths yesterday. India reported 34,820 new cases yesterday (its 2nd highest number so far), and 676 deaths. Mexico reported 6,406 new cases and 668 new deaths yesterday.

Almost 44 thousand new cases and 1,299 deaths were reported yesterday in Brazil, both are increases from yesterday’s numbers. In India, more than 35 new cases (the highest daily number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic) and 680 deaths were reported yesterday.

msn. com/ en- us/ news/ us/ reports white house has blocked cdc director Redfield and other officials from testifying on school reopenings (July 18):

“Washington- The White House has blocked Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield from testifying before congress next week on how to safely reopen schools amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic… It is alarming that the Trump administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the Committee at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical for the health and safety of students, parents, and educators.. The administration’s strategy of prioritizing politics over science has had a devastating impact on our country throughout the pandemic…The original CDC recommendations on in-school practices called for wearing face masks, separating desks.. Trump has threatened to ‘cut off funding’ if schools don’t reopen their classrooms this fall”-

My note: Trump wants the schools to reopen while infections and deaths are increasing, while the flattening of the curve for the US hasn’t begun,  because he believes that he has a better chance to get reelected as president for a second term (Nov this year) if schools reopen. So, he threatened to stop federal money from going to schools if they don’t reopen. He is a bully who practices bullying strategies as the president of this great country.

The US has the great misfortune of having a president who is unintelligent, uneducated, ignorant, selfish and self centered, and bully, a man whose only concern is his own interests. He has no concern for the welfare of people other than himself.

When I first heard him months ago, saying that the pandemic will soon be over, I felt a much needed relief, even though it was he who was talking. I felt better, I almost liked him at that time because denial of danger feels good, it is comforting to hear things like: we are handling it, we have it under control, it will be over soon, it will be a distant memory soon, and.. it isn’t really happening.

But it is happening. And action has to be taken to confront what is really happening.

msn. com/ en- us/ news/ us/ it’s not only coronavirus cases that are rising now covid deaths are too (July 18):

“For weeks this summer, it was a seeming paradox of the coronavirus pandemic: cases in the United States were rising but deaths were falling. To the Trump administration, this was evidence that its strategy for combating covid-19 was working. To medical experts, it was  only a matter of time before the trajectory changed. And now it has. Nationwide, deaths have begun to rise again… As a virus- scarred summer wears on, public health specialists say the numbers are almost certain to continue to climb…

“Public health experts have long said that the death count is a lagging indicator- with patients typically taking two to three weeks after diagnosis to succumb.. States where numbers are surging will have to take dramatically more aggressive action if they, too, want to bend the fatality curve, experts say.

States where numbers are surging will have to take dramatically more aggressive action if they, too, want to bend the fatality curve, experts say.”

msn. com/ en- us/ health/ medical/ why more young people are getting sick in the latest covid-19  outbreaks (July 18):

“At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the US, most Covid-19 cases seemed to be in older folks, who were getting very sick.. But now, especially in states where Covid-19 cases have been rising in June and July, the median age has been dropping. We are seeing it in a much younger group, of 20- to 40- years olds… In Florida.. the median age of positive cases in March was 65. As of July 17, the median age of new cases from the previous 14 days was 39.5. In Arizona, 61 percent of Covid-19 cases are in people under the age of 45. In Texas’s two largest counties.. about half of the new cases have been in people under 40… In California, which just reclosed bards and indoor dining, as of July 15, people ages 18 to 34 made up the largest proportion of new cases (24.3 percent), with 35- to 49 year olds as the second-largest group (19.3 percent of new cases)…

“Younger people, on average, are less likely to become severely ill and die of Covid-19- although many do. They can also spread it to  older people who are much more vulnerable to severe infections and death. This seems to already be happening, with assisted living facility cases climbing in Houston and Phoenix, as well as in Florida now.”

anita

Dear Reader:

Worldometer(July 21): Almost 15 million cases worldwide, over 615 thousand deaths worldwide; very close to 4 million cases, and over 144 thousand deaths in the US. Almost 63 thousand new cases and 545 new deaths were reported in the US yesterday, July 20.

Within the US, Florida reported over 10 thousand new cases and 90 new deaths yesterday, California reported close to 9 thousand new cases and 56 new deaths, and Texas reported close to 8 thousand new cases and 118 new deaths yesterday.

Brazil reported close to 22 thousand new cases and 718 new deaths yesterday, and India reported close to 37 thousand new cases and 596 new deaths yesterday.

msn. com/ en- us/ health/ medical/ how deadly is covid-19 researchers are getting closer to an answer (July 21):

“research.. suggests that Covid-19 kills around 0.3% to 1.5% of people  infected. Most studies put the rate between 0.5% and 1.0%, meaning that for every 1,000 people who get infected, from five to 10 would die on average.

“The estimates suggest the new coronavirus is deadlier than the seasonal flu, though not as lethal as Ebola and other infectious diseases that have emerged in recent years. The coronavirus is killing more people than the deadlier diseases, however, in part because it is more infectious.. Covid is very contagious.. It’s the combination of the fatality rate and the infectiousness that make this such a dangerous disease… The fatality rate for an individual varies, sometimes markedly, depending on factors such as age, sex and the presence of pre-existing medical conditions, studies show… Researchers in the U.S. and Switzerland.. found those over 65 had an infection-fatality rate of 5.6%- 40 times the risk of someone in their 50s.

“Quality and access to health care and treatment could shift the mortality rate.. An infection-fatality rate of roughly 0.6% is six times greater than the 0.1% estimate for seasonal influenza, which is based on CDC data. Though researchers point out .. flu estimate doesn’t take asymptomatic cases into account.

“Diseases such as SARS.. MERS.. and Ebola are much deadlier, with case fatality rates ranging from roughly 10% to 50%. There have been far fewer deaths from those diseases than the new coronavirus and even the seasonal flu because they aren’t nearly as infectious or widespread. SARS and MERS have killed 774 and 858 people, respectively. More than 11,300 people have died from Ebola.

“Also, many doctors worry Covid-19 might result in longer-term complications for some patients, especially those who have spent weeks in the hospital before being discharged. ‘There’s this narrative I think a lot of people have that you get the disease and you die, or you’re fine. And that’s not true,’ Dr. Toner said. ‘There’s a large range of health-care consequences for people who get severely ill, not just death.'”

msn. com/ en- us/ health/ medical/ most people with severe coronavirus can’t get rid of these 2 symptoms (July 20):

“Leaving the hospital after recovering from Covid-19 is certainly a cause for celebration. But a new study suggests that more than half of patients continue to suffer from multiple symptoms of the trauma caused by the SARS-Cov2 coronavirus for weeks after they’ve been discharged… most of them were still dealing with two symptoms in particular: extreme tiredness and labored breathing.

“The study tracked 143 patients, ages 19 to 84, who spent an average of two weeks in a Rome hospital; one fifth of them needed ventilation support. Five weeks after being sent home, more than half of the patients (53%) reported fatigue and nearly half (43%) were still experiencing shortness of breath. The next two most common symptoms among the patients were joint pain (27%) and chest pain (nearly 22%), according to the study. Only 13% were completely free of Covid symptoms..

“but researchers aren’t necessarily surprised at the long recovery period. After the 2003 SARS outbreak, a study published in JAMA International Medicine found that some survivors interviewed four years after recovery still experienced chronic fatigue. ‘The harsh reality is that many patients continue to experience lingering symptoms for weeks and months after being diagnosed with and ‘recovering’ from Covid-19,’ Robert Glatter, MD, emergency medicine physician at New York City’s Lenox Hill Hospital, told HealthDay. ‘While this small (Italian) study found that fatigue and shortness of breath were the two most common symptoms, many people also experience many other lingering symptoms including low-grade fevers, and neurological symptoms such as numbness and tingling.’

“Some researchers believe that the ongoing health problems may be due to chronic inflammation as the body’s immune system continues to attack the viral infection.”

anita

Dear Reader:

Worldometer (July 23): Over 15.5 million cases and over 632 thousand deaths worldwide.

Over 4 million cases and over 146 thousand deaths in the US; almost 72 new cases and 1,205 new deaths yesterday, July 22.

Within the U.S yesterday, California reported over 12 thousand new cases (the highest number during the pandemic) and 156 new deaths (also the highest number during the pandemic)- California wave of infections and deaths (both) was at its highest yesterday, July 22.

Texas reported over 10.5 thousand new cases yesterday, and 202 new deaths (the highest number so during the pandemic),and Florida reported less than 10 thousand new cases and 140 new deaths yesterday.

Brazil reported over 65 new cases yesterday (the highest number during the pandemic), and 1,293 new deaths. India reported over 45.5 thousand new cases yesterday (the highest number during the pandemic), and 1,120 new deaths (a sharp increase from yesterday).

Here are parts of what I posted regarding the pandemic in previous threads I started and in this one:

Coronaviruses are a group of related viruses that cause respiratory tract infections in mammals and in birds. In humans, 7 coronaviruses have been identified, including the most recent, SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is responsible for the current pandemic.

In humans, currently, coronaviruses cause the common cold (in combination with other viruses), as well as Covid-19.

SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (contained, no longer ongoing), was caused by SARS-Coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The SARS outbreak of Nov 2002-July 2002 started in Southern China, spread to Hong Kong, producing most of the 8,098 cases and 774 deaths in these two countries, and spreading just a bit to 15 other countries before being declared contained by WHO on July 5, 2003.

MERS stands for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (not contained but has been considered a fairly low risk to the global population) was caused by MERS-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This outbreak started in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, spreading beyond the Middle East to South Korea, causing under 2 thousand cases.

The common cold affects the upper respiratory tract. It is the most frequent infectious disease in humans. The average adult gets 2-3 colds per year while the average child gets 6-8, and infections occur more commonly during the winter. People usually recover in 7-10 days, but some symptoms may last up to 3 weeks. Occasionally those with other health problems may develop pneumonia. There is no vaccine or cure for the common cold. The primary methods of prevention are the same as those for preventing Covid-19: handwashing, not touching the eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands, and staying away from sick people.

Influenza, commonly know as the flu, is caused by 4 types of influenza viruses, not by coronaviruses. Symptoms can be mild to severe. Complications may include viral pneumonia, secondary bacterial pneumonia and worsening of previous health  problems such as asthma and heart failure. It spreads through the air from coughs or sneezes, and by touching surfaces contaminated by the virus and then touching the eyes, nose or mouth. Yearly vaccinations are recommended by the WHO for those at high risk. A vaccine made for one year may not be useful in the following year because the flu viruses evolve rapidly. Influenza spreads around the world in yearly out, resulting in about 3-5 million severe cases and about 290 thousands to 650 thousands deaths globally ever year. About 20% of unvaccinated children and 10% of unvaccinated adults are infected each year. Death occurs mostly in high risk groups: the young, the old, and those with other health problems. In the 20th century, 3 influenza pandemics occurred: The Spanish Influenza of 1918 resulting in 17-100 million deaths, The Asian Influenza on 1957 resulting in about 2 million deaths, and The Hong Kong Influenza of 1968 resulting in about 1 million deaths. In the 21st century, The Swine Flu pandemic occurred in 2009, caused by a new influenza virus strain called H1N1.

Approximately 33% of people  with influenza are asymptomatic. It can be difficult to distinguish between common cold and influenza in the early stages. As the disease progresses, symptoms become more severe.

The current pandemic was declared a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Jan 11, 2020 by WHO, and a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

The Basic Reproduction Number of a virus is equal to how many new people get infected as a result of contact with one infected individual in a population that is not vaccinated or otherwise immune. The number is a result of the inherent infectiousness of the virus itself and how people behave. Quarantines, lockdowns, social distancing and wearing masks lower the Basic Reproduction Number of a virus.

In March 19, there were 250 thousand global cases (over 15.5 millions today, an increase of 62 times), and there were 10 thousand deaths at the time (over 632 thousand deaths today, an increase of 63 times). At the time, March 19, China was still the epicenter of the pandemic. Italy was #2. The USA at the time had 11,355 cases and 171 deaths (over 4 million cases and over 146 thousand deaths today).

anita

Dear Reader:

Summary and some editing of my posts in my previous thread on Covid-19:

The official name of the disease behind this pandemic is COVID-19, an acronym for Coronavirus Disease- 2019 (I personally type “Covid-19”). The official name of the virus causing the disease is SARS-Cov-2, an acronym for Severe Acute Respiratory Disease Corona Virus 2.

As the name suggests, it is a Severe and Acute respiratory disease.

There are currently 7 known coronaviruses that infect humans, all of them attack the respiratory system. A few are mild, others are severe. They differ in how contagious they are (their basic reproductive number, R0 is different; Ro means how many healthy individuals get infected by one infected individual, an Ro of 2 means that each infected individual infects two others) and how deadly they are (mortality rate/ fatality rate).

The first two coronaviruses that attack humans  were discovered in the 1960s, and both cause the common cold (in combination with other viruses). A third coronavirus was discovered in 2003 in China, and it was responsible for the first of the two SARS outbreaks 2002-2003, 8,422 cases spread to 17 countries. The second outbreak developed to our current pandemic, over 16 million cases today, July 25). SARS-Cov, the coronavirus responsible for the first SARS outbreak was less contagious, and more deadly (11% fatality rate). The current SARS-Cov-2 is way more contagious, and therefore, over time, way more deadly.

MERS-Cov is the virus behind the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)  outbreak of 2012 in the middle east, having spread to South Korea and a bit elsewhere, total under 2,000 cases. MERS-Cov was more deadly than SARS-Cov and way more deadly than SARS-Cov-2 (36% fatality rate). But it was way less contagious than our current SARS-Cov-2, and therefore, the latter, over time, is more deadly.

Smallpox (Ro= 3.5-6), Mumps (Ro= 4-7), Rubella (Ro= 5-7), Polio (Ro= 5-7) and Measles (Ro 12-18) are all  more contagious than SARS-Cov-2 (Ro= 1.4-3.9). The reason for the current virus being as successful as it is (that is, being as destructive to us humans, as it is), is that it got out of hand, meaning, too many people in different areas in the world were infected: a lot of people infected with a virus of a lower R0, bring about many more infected individuals, than a small number of people infected with a virus with a higher Ro.

Another factor that influences how infectious a virus is, is the method by which it gets transferred from one individual to the next. Viruses that get transferred by body having sexual intercourse are less contagious than viruses that get transferred by breathing/ through the air (we can avoid sexual intercourse, but we can’t avoid breathing). Of the viruses that are transferred through the air, those that transfer in bigger droplets of liquid are less contagious than those transferred in very small droplets aka airborne viruses, because bigger droplets respond to gravity and fall down way sooner than very small droplets that remain suspended in the air for a long, long time.

Regarding the viral diseases I mentioned above, those with high R0s-  there are effective vaccines for all thee, but none yet for SARS-Cov-2.

-Summary and editing to continue later.

anita

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by .

Dear Reader:

Worldometer (July 26): over 16 million cases and over 649 thousand deaths worldwide, roughly 16 millions cases and 0.65 million deaths worldwide. Roughly 4.3 million cases and 0.15 million (almost 150 thousand) deaths in the US. Most cases in the US, roughly 0.45 million, are in California, and most deaths occurred in New York, roughly 0.03 million deaths.

msn. com/ en-us/ news/ us/ coronavirus country tops 1000 coronavirus deaths 4 days in a row as experts urge to shut down (Sunday, July 26):

“models project that there will be up to 175,000 deaths linked to the virus by August 15, according to an ensemble forecast published  by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… on Thursday, more than 150 prominent medical experts, scientists, teachers, nurses and other experts signed a letter urging leaders to shut the country down and start over to contain the rampant spread of the virus.

“‘Right now, we are on a path to lose more than 200,000 American lives by November 1st. Yet, in many states people can drink in bars, get a haircut, eat inside a restaurant, get a tattoo, get a massage, and do myriad other normal, pleasant, but non-essential activities,’ the letter read, which was sent to the Trump administration, members of Congress and state governors”.

anita

Dear Reader:

Worldometer (July 31): over 17.5 million cases and over 678 thousand deaths worldwide. Over 4.6 million cases and over 155 thousand deaths in the US, over 68 thousand new cases and over 1.4 thousand new deaths were reported yesterday.

Yesterday (July 30), Almost 10 thousand new cases were reported in Florida, over 8.8 thousand new cases were reported in Texas, and over 8.1 thousand new cases were reported in California.

The following were reported for yesterday: a pandemic record high in Texas: 322 new deaths, a pandemic record high in Florida: 252 new deaths, and 114 new deaths were reported in California were reported .

Over 2.6 million cases and over 91 thousand deaths in Brazil; over 1.6 million cases in India- a pandemic record high of almost 55 thousand new cases were added yesterday, and over 36 thousand deaths,  783 new deaths were added yesterday.

msn. com/ en-us/ health/ medical/ us coronavirus cases on cusp of hitting 4-5 million (Friday, July 31): “Thirty six states had more deaths in the past week than they had the week prior.. On 11 of the past 14 days, more than 900 deaths have been reported across the U.S. On seven of those days, more than 1,000 deaths were reported… That has pushed the seven day average of deaths in the U.S. to 1,056…

“Infections and fatalities continued to surge in California.. Florida.. has the second highest infection total in the U.S.. In New York, where cases exploded early in the pandemic, city officials on Thursday laid out the conditions that will force the temporary closure of a school building as schools prepare to open this fall. Schools will switch to distance learning if, for example, two students in different classrooms who get the virus have some link, like using a locker room at the same time.

“But even as the city looks to reopen schools in the fall, regulators are struggling to get residents and businesses to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Authorities cited nearly 40 establishments in the city on Wednesday, half of which occurred at bars and restaurants in Manhattan, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday…

“Outside the U.S., infection rates continued to rise in areas that had seen early success in containing the virus.. Vietnam reported 45 new coronavirus cases Friday, the highest single-day rise since the start of the pandemic… It has sparked serious concern in the country known for one of the fastest and fiercest government responses the coronavirus. Vietnam has recorded a total of 509 cases.

“The British government announced new lockdown requirements across parts of northern England after an increase in coronavirus infections raised fears that another wave of contagion could arrive. More than 4 million people were ordered not to visit other people in their homes in the Greater Manchester area, along with areas of West Yorkshire and East Lancashire, though they could still visit pubs and go to work. Thursday’s move came after the U.K. announced its higher number of infections in more than a month. On Friday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expanded a requirement to wear masks in indoor pubic places.. He also delayed, until Aug. 15, plans to further ease restrictions on opening of more of the economy, including casinos and bowling alleys..

“Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, reported another 2,040 coronavirus infections Friday and 73 new deaths.. Kuwait, meanwhile, will allow citizens and some residents to travel in and out of the country beginning Saturday, nearly five months after it suspended all international passenger flights to slow the spread of the virus. The Gulf state is slowly reopening its economy..

“Case numbers in Australia’s southeastern Victoria state remained high. Authorities reported on Friday 627 new cases- just shy of a new nationwide record of 723 that the state set the day before… China recorded 127 new confirmed cases… In the Indian financial capital of Mumbai, a city- commissioned study found that more than half of the residents of the city’s densely populated slums had been exposed to the coronavirus.. 57% of people in those areas had been exposed to the virus and developed antibodies. That was the case for only 16% of samples taken from outside the densely packed areas…

“Tokyo on Friday reported 463 new cases, topping 400 for the first time, and Japan had a daily tally of more than 1,000 each day for the past two days as infections spread across the country. Hospitalizations and the number of seriously ill patients are also rising, officials said”.

msn. com/ en-us/ news/ politics/ Fauci to tell house panel it is unclear how long coronavirus pandemic will last (July 31): “Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Friday is expected to tell a House panel on the coronavirus pandemic hat it is ‘unclear’ how long the crisis will last. Fauci is expected to urge lawmakers to embrace social distancing and mask-wearing, a public health guidance that has become a partisan issue across the country.”

Another virus news: msn. com/ en-us/ health/ medical/ LA County announces 1st human cases of West Nile this season (July 31): “As people around the world deal with the coronavirus pandemic, Los Angeles County is reporting its first two human cases of West Nile virus this season. An older adult with no underlying health conditions was hospitalized with West Nile earlier this month and is now recovering. The second case was detected in late July in a healthy person identified as a blood donor… The virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, and health officials are warning residents to take preventative steps such as disposing of standing water that can attract the insects

Wikipedia on the West Nile Virus: “In humans, West Nile virus can cause a disease known as West Nile fever. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 80% of infected people have few to no symptoms, around 20% of people develop mild symptoms (such as fever, headache, vomiting, or a rash), and less than 1% of people develop severe symptoms (such as encephalitis- inflammation of the brain, or meningitis- acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and the spinal chord, with associated neck stiffness, confusion, or seizures)… The risk of death among patients with nervous system symptoms is about 10%. Recovery may take weeks to months. Risks for severe disease include age over 60 and other health problems… While there is no specific treatment, pain medications may be useful…

“All ages are equally likely to be infected but there is a higher amount of death.. in people 60-89 years old. People of older age are more likely to have adverse effects of being infected… Despite the commercial availability of 4 veterinary vaccines for horses, no human vaccine has progressed beyond phase 2 clinical trials… The best method to reduce the risk of infections is avoiding mosquito bites. This may be done by eliminating standing pools of water.. Mosquito repellent, window screens, mosquito nets, and avoiding areas where mosquitoes occur may also be useful.”

anita