ALL THINGS COVID

[barnswallow]

My question now is with all the disinfecting we've done, what about all the super bugs that have been a major problem before this . How did this impact those?

Interesting idea, InThisMoment. I hadn't thought about that at all. When I saw your question, I thought about disinfecting surfaces or hand sanitizer. At the start of the pandemic, grocery store shelves were empty of lysol products because all were diverted to hospitals (I think). Other products were there but not that one. I looked up Lysol's active ingredient, benzalkonium chloride. I decided to check out how it worked.

From Wikipedia entry on 'benzalkonium chloride':

Biological activity​

The greatest biocidal activity is associated with the C12 dodecyl and C14 myristyl alkyl derivatives. The mechanism of bactericidal/microbicidal action is thought to be due to disruption of intermolecular interactions. This can cause dissociation of cellular membrane lipid bilayers, which compromises cellular permeability controls and induces leakage of cellular contents. Other biomolecular complexes within the bacterial cell can also undergo dissociation. Enzymes, which finely control a wide range of respiratory and metabolic cellular activities, are particularly susceptible to deactivation. Critical intermolecular interactions and tertiary structures in such highly specific biochemical systems can be readily disrupted by cationic surfactants.[citation needed]

Benzalkonium chloride solutions are fast-acting biocidal agents with a moderately long duration of action. They are active against bacteria and some viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Bacterial spores are considered to be resistant. Solutions are bacteriostatic or bactericidal according to their concentration. Gram-positive bacteria are generally more susceptible than gram-negative bacteria. Its activity depends on the surfactant concentration and also on the bacterial concentration (inoculum) at the moment of the treatment.[47] Activity is not greatly affected by pH, but increases substantially at higher temperatures and prolonged exposure times.

I kind of thought that this sort of action wouldn't be subject to an organism developing resistance. A cell leaking is a cell leaking... so basic and vital that I thought it would certainly lead to cell death (as basic as soap and handwashing) and there wouldn't be a way for a cell to prevent that. Oh. No. Not so. Widely Used Benzalkonium Chloride Disinfectants Can Promote Antibiotic Resistance [Applied and Environmental Microbiology; 2018 Aug 17] Hmmm.... I do grab a disinfectant wipe and wipe off the cart handle when I go to the grocery store. Maybe better to be careful to not touch my face and then wash my hands when I get home.
One other academic article on the topic: Beware of Superbugs in a Post-COVID World [2021 May 3]]

 

[DiminutiveRocker]

So, indoor masks mandates have lifted in LA.... I still carry one and have it handy when I go in a crowded store. People still wear them in outdoor crowded places as well.

When it comes to viruses, you vaccinate and proceed with caution - what else can you do?

 

[maplenpg]

So, indoor masks mandates have lifted in LA.... I still carry one and have it handy when I go in a crowded store. People still wear them in outdoor crowded places as well.

When it comes to viruses, you vaccinate and proceed with caution - what else can you do?

This was our 'plan' - drop all rules, inc self-isolation rules.

I'll let you guess at what point all our Covid rules were dropped using the graph of our hospital admissions below. In Scotland there are currently more people hospitalised with Covid than at any point during the pandemic.

 

[DiminutiveRocker]

OMG. We have been hearing about upticks happening... I am in a area where the numbers are decreasing but we cannot let our guard down. At this point, I say do whatever you have to do to stay safe, (masking, avoiding crowded indoor settings, etc.)

 

[maplenpg]

OMG. We have been hearing about upticks happening... I am in a area where the numbers are decreasing but we cannot let our guard down. At this point, I say do whatever you have to do to stay safe, (masking, avoiding crowded indoor settings, etc.)

As soon as self-isolation goes that's it, it's everywhere (although to be fair, many people who can are still isolating regardless). I'm in the minority by still wearing a mask, but my hubby is vulnerable, so I do what I can. Anecdotally, I know more people with it now than at any point in the pandemic, though it's unsurprising. There's not really any avoiding it now.

I hope numbers continue to decrease in your area. As you say, we can only all do what we can. We have fourth booster rollout starting in a month or so, so hopefully that'll help the most vulnerable.

 

[Bluesbaby]

I wear my mask. I will keep doing so.

 

[DiminutiveRocker]

As soon as self-isolation goes that's it, it's everywhere (although to be fair, many people who can are still isolating regardless). I'm in the minority by still wearing a mask, but my hubby is vulnerable, so I do what I can. Anecdotally, I know more people with it now than at any point in the pandemic, though it's unsurprising. There's not really any avoiding it now.

I hope numbers continue to decrease in your area. As you say, we can only all do what we can. We have fourth booster rollout starting in a month or so, so hopefully that'll help the most vulnerable.

I guess there was an uptick in my city so although the mandate is lifted, many people continue to wear masks indoors, myself included. But as I edge closer to returning to the office, I guess wondering/worrying if you're truly safe or can get it will be the norm. As far as I know, I have managed to dodge the 'rona for 2 years.... I am fully vaccinated and boosted so there is not much else I can do. We are all in the same boat, I suppose. I will never understand why some eligible people refused to get vaccinated - more vaccinated people would have brought this virus down, but it is what it is.

 

[maplenpg]

I guess there was an uptick in my city so although the mandate is lifted, many people continue to wear masks indoors, myself included. But as I edge closer to returning to the office, I guess wondering/worrying if you're truly safe or can get it will be the norm. As far as I know, I have managed to dodge the 'rona for 2 years.... I am fully vaccinated and boosted so there is not much else I can do. We are all in the same boat, I suppose. I will never understand why some eligible people refused to get vaccinated - more vaccinated people would have brought this virus down, but it is what it is.

We're quite well vaccinated over here. The narrative that 'You've had your vaccines, there's nothing else we can do' has become the norm. Our hospitals have now reached crisis point now, they are riddled with Covid patients. Some places now have more people hospitalised that at any point in the pandemic so far, and sadly, many of these are vaccinated. This is what comes of dropping all of the rules, inc the need to self-isolate. These are today's latest official figures. It's got worse since March 29th.

 

[DiminutiveRocker]

We're quite well vaccinated over here. The narrative that 'You've had your vaccines, there's nothing else we can do' has become the norm. Our hospitals have now reached crisis point now, they are riddled with Covid patients. Some places now have more people hospitalised that at any point in the pandemic so far, and sadly, many of these are vaccinated. This is what comes of dropping all of the rules, inc the need to self-isolate. These are today's latest official figures. It's got worse since March 29th.
View attachment 1180

Are these fully vaccinated and fully boosted covid patients in your ICUs? Those in ICU here are fully vaxed are few and far between, and likely immune compromised. Most of the covid wards here are filled with unvaccinated people.

 

[maplenpg]

Are these fully vaccinated and fully boosted covid patients in your ICUs? Those in ICU here are fully vaxed are few and far between, and likely immune compromised. Most of the covid wards here are filled with unvaccinated people.

I don't know Dimi, there's no data anymore. The wards have a mix of both vaxxed and unvaxxed, but I don't know about ICU. It's very safe to say that getting rid of all the restrictions has been a catastrophe. My yoga teacher had someone coughing continually in her class today. She was asked to leave in case it was Covid, but the lady refused stating that it didn't matter if it was Covid as there was no need to self-isolate anymore anyway. People won't pay for tests now. Dumb Brits.

 

[DiminutiveRocker]

The idea that fully vaxed people are in the hospital kind of makes no sense - unless they are immune-compromised. <--- U.S. stats seem to be more current and accurate.

The UK covid stats kinda suck
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has recently started to report hospital admissions—not just those to intensive care—alongside vaccination status. The latest figures show that in the week to 29 December 2021 a total of 815 people with confirmed omicron infection were admitted from an emergency department to hospitals in England. Of these, 74% had not had three doses of vaccine—including 25% (206) who were unvaccinated, 6% (49) who had received one dose, and 43% (352) who had received two doses. Twenty three percent (189) had received a booster dose, and the remainder were unknown or had had their first dose less than three weeks ago.4

Further analysis by the agency has concluded that unvaccinated adults are as much as eight times more likely to be admitted to hospital than those who have been vaccinated and that booster doses are 88% effective at preventing hospital admission.4

A separate report published by the UKHSA showed that, although unvaccinated individuals made up only a small proportion of the overall population, they accounted for 27% of those with a confirmed case of omicron admitted to hospital in England and for 39% in London.5

The Office for National Statistics’ latest report on deaths from covid-19 covering the period from January to October last year in England found that the age adjusted rate of death was 96% lower in people who had received a second dose of vaccine than in those who were unvaccinated.6

Do we need better data in the UK? ​

The UK has a wealth of data on the positive impact of vaccination, but the figures are held in different places and piecing them together is not simple. This has led to calls for the UK to follow the lead of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which publishes daily information on the progress of the pandemic, including infection rates by vaccination status.

 

[maplenpg]

The idea that fully vaxed people are in the hospital kind of makes no sense - unless they are immune-compromised. <--- U.S. stats seem to be more current and accurate.

The UK covid stats kinda suck
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has recently started to report hospital admissions—not just those to intensive care—alongside vaccination status. The latest figures show that in the week to 29 December 2021 a total of 815 people with confirmed omicron infection were admitted from an emergency department to hospitals in England. Of these, 74% had not had three doses of vaccine—including 25% (206) who were unvaccinated, 6% (49) who had received one dose, and 43% (352) who had received two doses. Twenty three percent (189) had received a booster dose, and the remainder were unknown or had had their first dose less than three weeks ago.4

Further analysis by the agency has concluded that unvaccinated adults are as much as eight times more likely to be admitted to hospital than those who have been vaccinated and that booster doses are 88% effective at preventing hospital admission.4

A separate report published by the UKHSA showed that, although unvaccinated individuals made up only a small proportion of the overall population, they accounted for 27% of those with a confirmed case of omicron admitted to hospital in England and for 39% in London.5

The Office for National Statistics’ latest report on deaths from covid-19 covering the period from January to October last year in England found that the age adjusted rate of death was 96% lower in people who had received a second dose of vaccine than in those who were unvaccinated.6

Do we need better data in the UK? ​

The UK has a wealth of data on the positive impact of vaccination, but the figures are held in different places and piecing them together is not simple. This has led to calls for the UK to follow the lead of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which publishes daily information on the progress of the pandemic, including infection rates by vaccination status.

The problem here is that we have our very own Trump in charge, who deals only in propaganda and lies, and not in reality, so it's hard to know what is truth and what is fiction. The chief scientists have all gone silent or resigned, but even the government admit they're not following the science anymore. The white text you quoted comes from Dec, when they were desperate to get people to come forward for boosters. In Feb, that all changed, when they switched to the 'It's all over' narrative. The bit you quoted in red is exactly right. What we have here at the min is no testing, no masks, no self-isolation, and very little reliable data. The media are complicit in pushing the government narrative and deaths are sadly rising at an alarming rate (excess deaths are also way higher than normal for this time of year). The fourth booster has just been started, so now the papers are starting with the 'your 3rd booster has waned, you need a 4th' for certain groups of people (though, ironically, not for nurses working on Covid wards). In classic Trumpian style, we are divided, Johnson and his ilk say it's all over, the scientists on social media say it's not, and the public have to pick a team.

 

[DiminutiveRocker]

BREAKING NEWS

Boris Johnson will be fined for breaking U.K. lockdown rules, making him the first prime minister to be found breaking the law in living memory.​

Tuesday, April 12, 2022 9:30 AM EST

Though London’s Metropolitan Police did not name any of those fined in an inquiry into allegations of breaches of Covid lockdown rules in the British government, Downing Street later said that Mr. Johnson and the chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, had both been told they will receive fixed penalty notices for breaking the law.

Read the latest

 

[maplenpg]

​

BREAKING NEWS

Boris Johnson will be fined for breaking U.K. lockdown rules, making him the first prime minister to be found breaking the law in living memory.​

Tuesday, April 12, 2022 9:30 AM EST

Though London’s Metropolitan Police did not name any of those fined in an inquiry into allegations of breaches of Covid lockdown rules in the British government, Downing Street later said that Mr. Johnson and the chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, had both been told they will receive fixed penalty notices for breaking the law.

Read the latest

Yup, I've started a thread on it. Some fucking MP defending him said teachers and nurses were going for drinks in the staffrooms after their shifts. NO THEY WEREN'T. I'm furious. Johnson needs to resign, but he won't, because like Trump, he'll only go when he's dragged out and the country is in tatters.

 

[DiminutiveRocker]

COVID-19 OUTBREAKS IN US Since the middle of March, the US has averaged between 25,000 and 30,000 new daily COVID-19 cases. But some health experts believe the country may be experiencing a new surge of cases, fueled by the Omicron BA.2 subvariant and masked by incomplete data from unreported at-home testing, a lack of testing among milder cases, and reduced access to testing centers. Numbers of new cases are beginning to rise in the northeast region of the country; of the 10 states with the highest 7-day case rates per 100,000 people, 7 are in the northeast. Average daily COVID-19 case numbers have increased approximately 53% in Rhode Island and 64% in both New Jersey and New York over the last 2 weeks. Other northeastern states experiencing increases in COVID-19 case loads include Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont. COVID-19 levels in wastewater have increased nationwide over the last 3 weeks, with the northeast showing the highest levels, according to Biobot Analytics. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced April 11 it will reinstate a citywide indoor mask mandate beginning April 18, including all public spaces such as schools, restaurants, government buildings, and other settings. The city’s number of new COVID-19 cases has increased 50% over the last 10 days, according to the department. Additionally, the federal government may extend the mask mandate for public transportation, which is set to expire April 18, according to White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha.

Several recent outbreaks among high-profile politicians and celebrities could represent the tip of the iceberg in understanding ongoing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the US. Health officials note that politicians and celebrities are tested more frequently than the average individual, and increases in cases among their ranks might signal that more people are becoming infected but experiencing mild or no symptoms. More than 70 high-profile people tested positive after an event known as the Gridiron Dinner in Washington, DC, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak, US Attorney General Merrick Garland, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, several US lawmakers, and many others. Some of those who were infected are reportedly up-to-date on their vaccinations. Meanwhile, less than 10% of the US population feels that COVID-19 represents a serious crisis in the country, 17% say it is not a crisis at all, and 73% feel the pandemic is a manageable problem, according to an Axios-Ipsos poll. Notably, an average of 500 people in the US die daily from COVID-19.

 

[maplenpg]

Meanwhile, less than 10% of the US population feels that COVID-19 represents a serious crisis in the country, 17% say it is not a crisis at all, and 73% feel the pandemic is a manageable problem, according to an Axios-Ipsos poll. Notably, an average of 500 people in the US die daily from COVID-19.

17% think it's not a crisis at all - this is the UK today, we are about to overtake our winter deaths, unheard of at this time of year. This is what happens when you remove masks, tests and self-isolation. I do hope he US don't make the same mistake. We would have no clue if a new strain had started, and our hospitals are at the point of collapse.

 

[DiminutiveRocker]

Some areas in the U.S. might - the death numbers do not phase these non-believers in covid.

 

[DiminutiveRocker]

Well, we finally got our back to work orders. No one is happy nor excited about it. It'll be hybrid - 2 from home, 3 in office ---> that is until someone tests positive and then we all go home, test and stay there or not for a week. We keep getting told "we cannot cultivate a culture in this company unless we are there in person" <---- hello? the culture is that most people want to work from home!

 

[barnswallow]

In case you need incentive to continue to take precautions against getting the virus… have a look at this video.

 

[Ahmir7]

In case you need incentive to continue to take precautions against getting the virus… have a look at this video.

I've caught covid in march, my cousins don't take it seriously and one of them caught it and spread it in the whole family. Since then, it's hard for me to breathe, I'm usually sleeping on my back, it's almost impossible now. What I also kind of notice is some type of dizzyness I can't really explain. But it doesn't matter if I sit or stan/walk. It doesn't happen often but when it does it's really noticeable. Also the brain foggieness some describe. Mask mandates are dropped in germany and they look at me weird because I still wear it when I go to the store. I'm scared that if I catch it again, that the issues with my lungs will get worse.