corona virus alerts - Latest cruising Information for vessels/locations/rules

[Singularity]

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

...One of the reasons that we get fewer colds the older we get (in general) is that we do develop immunities to some of the viruses that we've encountered earlier in life. We are all in fact familiar with this phenomenon though we might not have given it any thought: "oh don't worry, I've already had it".

My understanding is that this is not correct. I'd love to be corrected with something showing that older people accrue myriad corona antibodies rendering them more protected with age...

Instead, cold-symptoms in the first place are ~simply an over-aggressive response to a virus that doesn't merit the aggressive response. Because older people have a less robust reaction to ~any viral/bacterial insult, they simply are not as symptomatic when infected with a do-nothing little cold virus.

To elucidate a common misconceptualization, let's expose 3 groups of people to the same do-nothing (i.e. transient, annoying only) viral infection:
A) Healthy exercising young person who eats/sleeps well
B) Couch potato eats chips non-exercising young person who doesn't sleep enough
C) Average elderly person

All three groups will ingest the same annoying-only virus. All three will get infected. Thing is, groups A&C will similarly have relatively few symptoms. Group B will have the most symptoms.
-Group A has few symptoms ~because of a fit, non-stresed immune system (that doesn't over-react)
-Group C has few symptoms ~because of a less robust immune system (that can't over-react)
-Group B has the most symptoms because of a chronically stressed immune system that's operating at high levels all the time (that over-reacts to everything)

NOT understanding this causes people who "always get sick" to forever seek out things to "boost their immune system." First-world dwellers exist in a space where most people are Group B. Accordingly, the group-think on immunity really misleads away from the basic concepts of how/why people get annoying cold symptoms in the first place. But anyone who lives in a city and mills about invariable is infected half-dozen to dozens of times per year, only having symptoms proportionate to their individual immune ~over response (or not).

Otherwise, for purposes of Covid...the "old people's immune system doesn't respond as much" phenomenon occurs with vaccinating older people. Generally speaking, older people don't produce as many antibodies in response to a vaccine; whether or not this "lower antibody titer response" ultimately matters with respect to ultimately conveying protection from a virus is hard to generalize; sometimes a weak response to a vaccination is enough....sometimes multiple vaccinations over a period of weeks or months may be advised. Typically this takes years to determine...

[Montanan]

Disconcerting data Guys: A "concerning trend" from Italy is showing that "mortality in males seems to be twice in every age group of females," White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said at a briefing Friday.

[JPA Cate]

Whoa down, Montanan,

With regard to your post #318, could you please leave a citation? Do you have any Idea where the White House doctor got the information? It is that the warning will have more validity if the source is substantiated.

Thank you.

Ann

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Whoa down, Montanan,

With regard to your post #318, could you please leave a citation? It is that the warning will have more validity if there is a good source.

Thank you.

Ann

Oops forgot to post the link. Here you go. To take a Cup Half Full outlook, ladies are half as likely to die from COVID-19 illness.

https://nypost.com/2020/03/20/men-tw...n-expert-says/

One of the top doctors on President Trump’s coronavirus task force warned Friday that data suggests that men are more than twice as likely as women to die from the pathogen — and that no one is immune.

“From Italy we are seeing another concerning trend. The mortality in males seems to be twice in every age group of females,” Dr. Deborah Birx said at the White House daily briefing.

“This should alert all of us to continue our vigilance to protect Americans that are in nursing homes.”

Birx also said the data showed that younger people remain at risk of contracting the disease, but in most cases recover.

“We continue to review the data and we continue to see signs that individuals under 20, 19 and under may have severe disease but the majority have all recovered to date,” she said, adding that containing the virus will take a whole-community effort.

“Frankly, this requires all the communities, and when you see the sacrifices that many Americans have made and service industries have made to close their restaurants and bars so the spread can stop and you understand how all Americans must have to make the same sacrifice,” she said.

And she insisted that anyone can contract the virus.

“Finally, no one is immune. I sometimes hear people on radio or others talking about being immune to the virus. We don’t know if the contagion levels are different in age groups, but it is highly contagious to everyone,” she said.

“Do not interpret mild disease as lack of contagion or you are immune. The ability to fight the virus in a way that older people or people with existing medical conditions can’t.”

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Oops forgot to post the link. Here you go. To take a Cup Half Full outlook, ladies are half as likely to die from COVID-19 illness.

https://nypost.com/2020/03/20/men-tw...n-expert-says/

Elsewhere in the same publication:
Did Disney’s ‘Tangled’ predict the coronavirus pandemic?

Given the seriousness of the current crisis, and the rapidity with which new information is emerging, I think we owe it to each other to avoid verbatim posts from the, um... less rigorous of the media outlets.

[Montanan]

The Governors of Illinois and Connecticut issue statewide Stay At Home orders, essential travel only and essential services workers only.

California and New York have previously gone into similar lock down mode.

Getting very real.

[Singularity]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

..Given the seriousness of the current crisis, and the rapidity with which new information is emerging, I think we owe it to each other to avoid......

...to avoid simply repeating here so many/every unnerving for want of greater context headline found elsewhere. It adds zero to anyone's preparation planning while ultimately the stress contributes to disease. If people want to be frightened they can peruse the primary source of such "Oh my gosh!" type stories elsewhere.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Elsewhere in the same publication:
Did Disney’s ‘Tangled’ predict the coronavirus pandemic?

Given the seriousness of the current crisis, and the rapidity with which new information is emerging, I think we owe it to each other to avoid verbatim posts from the, um... less rigorous of the media outlets.

I believe that you will find that Dr. Deborah Birx is a highly credible source for information regarding SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19.

Backgrounder:

Deborah Leah Birx is an American immunologist / physician and diplomat who serves as the Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Birx has served as Ambassador-at-Large and United States Global AIDS Coordinator since 2014. In this role, she has been responsible for PEPFAR's US$6.6 billion program in 65 countries supporting HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs

Birx served as a physician in the United States Army, rising to the rank of colonel before she retired from military service. She started her career with the United States Department of Defense as a clinician in immunology, focusing on HIV/AIDS vaccine research. She then served as an Assistant Chief of the Hospital Immunology Service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center from 1985 to 1989. In 1996, she became the Director of the United States Military HIV Research Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, a role she held until 2005.

From 2005 to 2014, Birx served as the director of CDC's Division of Global HIV/AIDS (DGHA), which is part of the agency's Center for Global Health.

She was nominated by President Barack Obama as United States Global AIDS Coordinator and confirmed by the Senate; she was sworn in April 4, 2014. In her role as ambassador she has led the organization to meet the HIV prevention and treatment targets set by Obama in 2015 with the goal of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. PEPFAR has cut pediatric HIV infection rates by 50 percent in several African countries.

On February 27, 2020, Vice President Mike Pence named Ambassador Birx as response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Montanan

I believe that you will find that Dr. Deborah Birx is a highly credible source for information regarding SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19.

I have no issue with Dr Birx, just the newspaper and how they choose to edit and relay her remarks.

[El Pinguino]

Some would consider this positive news, some may not..

'Italy's death rate of 8.6 percent among those registered with infections is significantly higher than in most other countries.

Medical experts attribute this to Italy's average age of 45.4 -- seven years higher than in China.

The overwhelming majority of Italy's fatal cases involved elderly people with at least one pre-existing condition.

The National Health Institute (ISS) said Friday that the average age of Italy first 3,200 victims was 78.5.

Almost 49 percent of them had three or more pre-existing conditions.

Just 1.2 percent of those who died had no other ailments.'

That is from SBS https://www.sbs.com.au/news/italy-ti...-deaths-rocket

[Montanan]

Finally Some News New Yorkers Can Be Thankful For!

Liquor stores will remain open under New York mandate.

The New York State Liquor Store Association reminded business owners and patrons on Friday that all liquor shops are considered essential and will remain open under the new mandate.

"Liquor stores have been deemed an essential business and may remain open. You do not need to reduce your workforce. This applies to all SLA-licensed entities as per the SLA," the association said in a statement.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that all workers in non-essential businesses across the state are required to stay home in an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Businesses like liquor and grocery stores are excluded from the order.

According to the state's website, "grocery stores including all food and beverage stores" are considered essential retail.

[Montanan]

The Florida Keys will close to visitors starting Sunday night.

https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/cor...unday-evening/

Government officials at the Florida Keys are closing the island to visitors this weekend, citing concerns about coronavirus transmissions threats.

The announcement came from officials late Thursday evening.

The island destination will be closed to visitors beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 22. Florida Keys lodging businesses are directed to close at that time.

The only exception is for long-term renters in vacation homes and R/V parks with contracts of 28 days or more, who are presently in the Keys. They are to be allowed to remain until the conclusion of their contracts.

Hotels are directed to stop taking new reservations effective immediately, officials said. They added that they will re-evaluate the tourism closures and make changes when appropriate.

There are no confirmed coronavirus cases in the Keys, according to Bob Eadie, the administrator and health officer for the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County. But officials were concerned about increases in cases in the U.S. and a growing potential risk to Keys visitors and residents.

“We know that closing down the tourism industry is a major inconvenience for our visitors,” said Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers. “But the health and safety of our visitors and residents are paramount.

“We certainly hope our visitors will return to the Keys once the coronavirus crisis has passed,” she added. “We also understand the economic impacts all Keys businesses and families will likely face.”

Carruthers said that Monroe County continues to follow the directives of the Centers for Disease Control, the Florida Department of Health, and State of Florida Governor’s Office Executive Orders.

The Florida Keys will be temporarily closed to visitors starting at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, a press release from officials said.

Hotels and other lodging properties on the Keys have been ordered to closed, the release said.

The first case on the island chain was announced Thursday and spurred the decision to close to visitors, the release said.

“We understand that this is a tremendous inconvenience to our visitors as well as to our businesses, and more than an inconvenience to our workers — our families who live here,” said Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers in the release. “But the health and safety of both our visitors and our residents is paramount.”

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/...552d82a9fa6aae

[JPA Cate]

Here is a link to an article about a town in the center of the epidemic in northern Italy, that has seemed to contain the corona virus outbreak by using a testing program, and social isolation. It vindicates Dr. Brilliant's statement about the necessity for general testing, as opposed to waiting for symptoms to justify testing. It also supports the social isolation policy.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-...curve/12075048

[rbk]

To counter the doom and gloom here are some hopeful treatments, not a cure or a vaccine but two promising treatments to reduce the severity and duration of the virus. These have been heralded by doctors in China, Italy and France as being effective in combating the virus on the front lines. All three pharmaceuticals are approved and have been in use from 70 to 6 years.

HCQ (hydroxychloroquine) in combination with azithromycin (both can be prescribed for off label use by physicians)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41421-020-0156-0
https://drive.google.com/file/d/186B...IlWSHnGbj/view

Avigan- Japanese anti-viral used on Chinese frontline
https://nypost.com/2020/03/18/japane...officials-say/

(I know the NY post as with many other online sources are not credible but this is just starting to be reported around the globe and looks like another top candidate for treatment that has been used effectively in China)

Small clinical trials as well as use in the field show promise and larger clinical trials have been underway for almost a month. Might not be the answer but if it helps cut the mortality rate in half or more that’s a big win for now.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by rbk

To counter the doom and gloom here are some hopeful treatments, not a cure or a vaccine but two promising treatments to reduce the severity and duration of the virus.

That was a nice respite. Thank you.

Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled doom and gloom.

The World Health Organization has distributed 1.5 million coronavirus lab tests around the world and they will need 80 to 100 times that, according to Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organization health emergencies program.

Speaking at a WHO briefing on Friday, Ryan said, “If we look forward in this epidemic, and we project ourselves forward a number of months, and the amount of testing that is going to be needed, we need to scale that up approximately 80 to 100 times.”

“So, it’s not about doubling the availability of lab tests, it’s not about tripling it, it’s about potentially increasing that 80-fold. Now that’s an extreme analysis, but that’s what we need to aim for,” Ryan warned.

Addressing the impact on health systems, Ryan said, “Look at the intensive care units, completely overwhelmed, the doctors and nurses utterly exhausted. This is not normal. This isn't just a bad flu season. These are health systems that are collapsing under the pressure of too many cases. This is not normal, this is not just a little bit worse than we're used to."

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/...552d82a9fa6aae