COVID-19 Outbreak (Update: More than 2.9M cases and 132,313 deaths in US) (14 Viewers)

[Goatman Saint]

Agree, any person practicing singing is constantly clearing their throat/coughing. Not a single person in a full choir coughing during a singing session is darn near impossible. Furthermore, the more you sing or even just talk for long stretches, the more prone you become to saliva accidentally flying out of your mouth, especially when making the F, S, or T sounds, which requires you to secrete air forcefully. I frequently have to give presentations, and one of the first things I make sure I always have is drinking water nearby, because as your mouth gets dry, not only does it become harder to talk and your throat starts to hurt, but pockets of saliva also start to build around the dryness and come out of your mouth.

There was microscopic saliva specks all over that place; it is unavoidable in that setting.

I know as a teacher I drink 80 ounces of water as I don’t have an overly strong voice naturally, and my throat does get sore on any given day just from presenting lessons and such. This last few weeks when we still had school I had my class do an experiment. They took a black piece of paper and went from quietly talking, to talking louder, finally a pretend cough all while looking at what was happening on the paper as water drops obvious on dry black construction paper. Hence a way to drive home quiet voices. Louder you get, the more stuff comes out of your mouth.

 

[Goatman Saint]

It makes me think about Louisiana culture. What if a virus - like a flesh eating virus - mutated to where it could be passed by shrimp or crawfish during raw or live handling when the sharp points pierce the skin

This is something I've wondered about but have not really seen addressed. Isn't it possible for those coughed, sneezed, or aerosolized droplets to simply land on the eyeball itself? It's moist and seems like the perfect landing spot without needing to be inhaled or transferred by hand.

Saint Rob it’s called vibrio vulnificus. Flesh eating bacteria is marshy waters. Look it up. It’s fun stuff.
Your eyes are a mucus membrane. Eyes are a perfect habitat for infection by bacteria or virus. Look at how quickly pinkeye spreads. Everyone thinks nose and mouth for transmission, but that mucus lining extends into the eye. Rub you eye, particles land in your eye works the same way. That’s why I think masks that don’t seal are worthless. Ever wear a mask with glasses? They fog up instantly because of the natural holes on either side of the nose. Which then brings most of the air being inhaled right by the eyes. Not doing any good there.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

So pray tell, how are there enough officers to set up checkpoints at every single entry point, into Florida? There are tons of back roads. And what would stop people from Louisiana driving into Georgia first, then entering Florida via a Georgia/Florida backroad? Would we expect an encounter from officer Buford T. Justice? Please!

Anyone who can work a Smokey & the Bandit reference into a thread in the year 2020, gets a thumbs up from me.

 

[DaveXA]

The thing about masks. Masks, unless they are an N95 or better, and fitted correctly, do good only for particles of a certain size. However, anyone who plays around with engine air leaks, what’s the easiest path for air to get in. Is it going through the mask or the sides? You wear a surgical cheap mask, it in no way seals. So air, traveling the path of least resistance will come in through any non filtered part first. Thereby taking and making said mask worthless really. Also, no mask will stop viral particles. All you can do is hope the fluid holding them will get soaked up by the mask. My friend is making masks out of fabric and is using a vacuum cleaner bag for the middle. Great stuff. That may probably work. Except I put one on and it doesn’t seal worth anything, and the filtering potential of the mask was rendered worthless because all the inhalation/exhalation was coming around the holes by the nose.

I hear what you're saying, but if the masks aren't widely available for people to wear properly, then that's just another preventative measure taken away from people who want to use them properly. They're currently not readily available to a lot of people, and I think they should be. And despite all you stated, i do think wearing them, even improperly, does make it less likely to get infected. If nothing else, the masks help remind people not to touch their faces. I just don't see any good reason to discourage people from wearing masks even if they're not perfectly keeping the virus out.

 

[Sun Wukong]

I posted this in the main thread but so far the death rate is as follows.

Breakdown of preexisting conditions among louisiana deaths due to covid. Many people had more than one of these conditions.

Condition / % of deaths
Pulmonary: 18%
Cardiac: 23%
Diabetes: 41%
Chronic Kidney Disease: 31%
Chronic Liver Disease: 1%
Immunocompromised: 4%
Neurological: 5%
Obesity: 28%
No Underlying Conditions: 5%

That isn't sufficient data to support the claim you're making. I actually don't think there is data to support the claim you're making, at least not yet.

Death rates are wholly different than overall hospitalization rates. And there are plenty of people who don't get hospitalized that are still getting extremely sick. Yes, having underlying conditions make you more susceptible to severe complications, but the idea that this is simply a disease that's hitting people who are already sick is not true and has not ever been true.

 

[triumph]

Heard somewhere on the radio yesterday, medical professionals are resorting to scuba mask etc., to help as a means of PPE? Is this factual? Anyone else hear this?

https://twitter.com/drjamesdinic/status/1242829171509866496?s=20

https://twitter.com/drjamesdinic/status/1243125949744517120?s=20

 

[kat5s]

Johnson & Johnson Announces a Lead Vaccine Candidate for COVID-19; Landmark New Partnership with U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; and Commitment to Supply One Billion Vaccines Worldwide for Emergency Pandemic Use

Johnson & Johnson and BARDA Together Commit More than $1 Billion to Novel Coronavirus Vaccine Research and Development; Company Expects to Initiate Phase 1 Human Clinical Studies of Vaccine Candidate at Latest by September 2020 Johnson & Johnson Will Establish New U.S. Vaccine Manufacturing…

www.jnj.com

 

[FWtex]

I hear what you're saying, but if the masks aren't widely available for people to wear properly, then that's just another preventative measure taken away from people who want to use them properly. They're currently not readily available to a lot of people, and I think they should be. And despite all you stated, i do think wearing them, even improperly, does make it less likely to get infected. If nothing else, the masks help remind people not to touch their faces. I just don't see any good reason to discourage people from wearing masks even if they're not perfectly keeping the virus out.

If everyone wore a mask, surgical type or N95 type, then the virus would be less likely to become airborne. They should change the focus from protecting yourself with N95 to protecting the surrounding by requiring some type of mask in stores at a minimum.

 

[CapitalCitySaint]

Understood, but I don't find that very reassuring. I think allowing each country discretion regarding beaches is a bad idea because people will all simply go the next country over. It really needs to be a statewide directive. I'd rather it be national, but federal powers do have limits and this really tests that.

DeSantis needs to do a statewide order and close all of the beaches, otherwise there will be continued spreading until they take a unified approach. Jmho.

Yeah, all the beaches here in Cali are closed. I went for a drive yesterday along sunset cliffs and in Ocean Beach. They have the beach blocked off with yellow police tape and officers out patrolling to ensure people aren't going anyways.

 

[Saint_Ward]

The thing about masks. Masks, unless they are an N95 or better, and fitted correctly, do good only for particles of a certain size. However, anyone who plays around with engine air leaks, what’s the easiest path for air to get in. Is it going through the mask or the sides? You wear a surgical cheap mask, it in no way seals. So air, traveling the path of least resistance will come in through any non filtered part first. Thereby taking and making said mask worthless really. Also, no mask will stop viral particles. All you can do is hope the fluid holding them will get soaked up by the mask. My friend is making masks out of fabric and is using a vacuum cleaner bag for the middle. Great stuff. That may probably work. Except I put one on and it doesn’t seal worth anything, and the filtering potential of the mask was rendered worthless because all the inhalation/exhalation was coming around the holes by the nose.

The main point of wide spread use of masks isn't to prevent catching the virus. it's to prevent possibly spreading it. Thus, lowering your odds of catching it.

It lowers the probability of virus matter being on various high touch surfaces. It also allows for less than 6 feet between people, so long as someone isn't having a coughing fit.

 

[DaveXA]

If everyone wore a mask, surgical type or N95 type, then the virus would be less likely to become airborne. They should change the focus from protecting yourself with N95 to protecting the surrounding by requiring some type of mask in stores at a minimum.

Until there are enough masks to meet the demand that would require, this really isn't feasible.

 

[Saint_Ward]

This is the most comprehensive list I can find of the beaches that have been closed.

Best Florida Beaches Closed Due to Coronavirus—UPDATED - Orlando Magazine

Covid-19 is seriously cramping the style of beachgoers in The Sunshine State. And for now, that seems like the best way forward.

www.orlandomagazine.com

Northern East Coast Florida Beaches

• Duval County (Jacksonville Beaches): Beaches closed beginning 3/20 and will remain closed until further notice.
• Flagler County (Flagler Beach, Palm Coast, Marineland): Closed as of 3/22
• Nassau County (Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island): Closed as of 3/22
• St. Johns County (Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Augustine): Public beach parking closed as of 3/23 and will remain closed until further notice

Central East Coast Florida Beaches

• Brevard County (Cocoa Beach): Beachside parking is closed, but beaches remain open
• Volusia County (Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach): All vehicular access ramps are now closed until further notice. County off-beach parking remains open

Central West Coast Florida Beaches

• Hillsborough County (Ben T. Davis Beach): Closed as of 3/19 and will remain closed until further notice; county is under a “Safer at Home” advisory as of Friday, 3/27 at 10 a.m., which restricts all movement throughout the county that is not deemed essential, with no end date at update time (3/27, 11:46 a.m.)
• Pinellas County (Clearwater): Closed as of 3/21 and will remain closed until 4/6

Panhandle Beaches

• Bay County (Panama City Beaches): Closed beginning 3/20 at least through 4/9
• Okaloosa County (Fort Walton Beach, Destin Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Henderson Beach State Park, Gulf Islands National Seashore): Closed as of 3/20 through 4/30
• Walton County (Seaside, Sandestin, Grayton): Beaches closed for 30 days effective 3/19

Southeast Florida Beaches

• Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties (Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami Beach, Palm Beach, South Beach): All Broward and Miami-Dade beaches closed by order of Governor Ron DeSantis
• Monroe County (All of the Florida Keys): Lodging is closed to all leisure visitors until further notice; the Monroe County Sheriff’s office implemented southbound traffic stops restricting road access to non-residents beginning 3/27

Southwest Florida Beaches

• Collier County (Naples, Marco Island): All beaches closed as of sunset 3/19 and will be closed until further notice
• Lee County (Ft. Myers Beach, Sanibel, Captiva; South Seas Island Resort Beaches remain open, as do some other private beaches) All public beaches are closed for 30 days beginning 3/20

Miami and Ft. Lauderdale started it on March 15th.

Looks like the ones up north were a week behind. So, we're mostly 1 week into most major beaches being closed. And 2 weeks for the ones down south where the most cases were.

 

[DaveXA]

The main point of wide spread use of masks isn't to prevent catching the virus. it's to prevent possibly spreading it. Thus, lowering your odds of catching it.

It lowers the probability of virus matter being on various high touch surfaces. It also allows for less than 6 feet between people, so long as someone isn't having a coughing fit.

Interestingly enough, the way I read the article Chuck posted, the masks do more to prevent catching than it does prevent expelling.

In all cases, a mask is better than no mask. There's no good reason not to wear one when outside the home.

 

[Saint_Ward]

Until there are enough masks to meet the demand that would require, this really isn't feasible.

China does it. I think we can get there.

I fully expect the future of air travel to have all passengers wearing masks.

 

[Optimus Prime]

I hope this isn't true but I wouldn't be surprised
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A South Carolina restaurant has been accused by customers of reselling frozen pizza from Costco and passing it off as homemade, according to a report in The Post and Courier.

According to the paper, Chip Grimalda, chef and owner of wine bar and restaurant Coquin in Charleston, was seen going from the store to an apartment nearby, then going out on a delivery run "with corrugated cardboard boxes that read, 'Fresh Pizza, Oven Baked.'"

A reporter then found four-packs of Kirkland Signature Cheese Pizza with Breadcrumb Crusts, which are sold at Costco (not shown in the photo above) in the trash cans near the apartments.............

Like many restaurants, Coquin, which opened in October of last year, has transitioned to delivery or pick-up only in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. The restaurant began selling pizzas last weekend, which it describes as "gourmet Roman-style thin crust pizza, with house made marinara sauce and whole milk mozzarella.”........

A Restaurant Is Being Accused Of Reselling Costco Frozen Pizza For A 700% Mark-Up