2019–20 Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) Thread

[Fay]

The Cup of Kremlin tennis tournament has been cancelled in Moscow. 

[Sombreuil]

Here we go with lockdown no.2.  Extremely depressing but not surprising.  I managed to squeeze a few social meetings with friends in during the time we had some limited freedom.  Glad I grabbed the opportunity I had.

[SitTwizzle]

1 hour ago, Sombreuil said:

Here we go with lockdown no.2.  Extremely depressing but not surprising.  I managed to squeeze a few social meetings with friends in during the time we had some limited freedom.  Glad I grabbed the opportunity I had.

So sad. Particularly, general lockdown (at least, European sort of lockdown) being of no use CoViD-wise, and so destructive, psychologically for the weaker, and economically.

I wish you the best.

[SitTwizzle]

More light-hearted, but it needs confirmation on other sites and larger samples (and maybe further checks to avoid biases), the survey population being of only 276 patients at Suizhou hospital, China.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2770872

Whereas in the general population, 30% wear glasses all along the day, only 6% of the contaminated do.

They see two possible explanations.

1) Eyeglasses protect the eyes and around from contaminated droplets.

2) People wearing eyeglasses may tend to touch their eyes and around less than others.

 

My husband, who is clever , sees other possible explanations.

3) The pads exert a pressure on the nasal cavity and/or sphenoidal and maxillary sinuses, limiting contamination in a way or another.

4) Eyeglass wearers may wash hands oftener, for instance when washing their glasses (not very convincing).

 

There was a 5) but both of us forgot, I'll edit if we remember.

[barbara]

I'm curious how well other countries, provinces, states are doing with testing. I live in Tucson, AZ and cannot get a test if I want one.  Currently it is set up "based on test kit availability, and only those who meet criteria will be tested." As you all know, there is no federal testing program and haphazard testing and generally slow return of results for those that do get tested (up to a week to 10 days). I understand it's easier to get a test in Phoenix. How is the rest of the Planet doing?

[rockstaryuzu]

On 9/18/2020 at 8:16 PM, Sombreuil said:

Here we go with lockdown no.2.  Extremely depressing but not surprising.  I managed to squeeze a few social meetings with friends in during the time we had some limited freedom.  Glad I grabbed the opportunity I had.

Oh, dear. That's depressing. We're also under threat of returning to lockdown or something like it. The province is opting to go heavy on targeting the main offenders first - it's a particular subset of the population that is ignoring all medical advice and holding house parties etc  - before forcing us all back into lockdown mode. We'll see if it works. 

 

31 minutes ago, barbara said:

How is the rest of the Planet doing?

Rollercoaster here. At first testing was very limited, then, as more resources trickled in and the initial rush of high-risk patients subsided, testing opened up to be freely available to everyone. At one point I even considered starting to go every two weeks given my work circumstances. That lasted all summer. Then school started and the demand for testing shot way up, resulting in multi-hour-long lineups to get it done, so now they're trying to expand testing capacity again while also reminding people that you only need to get tested if certain criteria apply. And the Ontario College of Pharmacists has started pressuring the government to let them offer testing in pharmacies. 

 

So how we're doing on testing definitely depends on what day you ask the question. 

[SitTwizzle]

24 minutes ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Oh, dear. That's depressing. We're also under threat of returning to lockdown or something like it. The province is opting to go heavy on targeting the main offenders first - it's a particular subset of the population that is ignoring all medical advice and holding house parties etc  - before forcing us all back into lockdown mode. We'll see if it works. 

 

Rollercoaster here. At first testing was very limited, then, as more resources trickled in and the initial rush of high-risk patients subsided, testing opened up to be freely available to everyone. At one point I even considered starting to go every two weeks given my work circumstances. That lasted all summer. Then school started and the demand for testing shot way up, resulting in multi-hour-long lineups to get it done, so now they're trying to expand testing capacity again while also reminding people that you only need to get tested if certain criteria apply. And the Ontario College of Pharmacists has started pressuring the government to let them offer testing in pharmacies. 

 

So how we're doing on testing definitely depends on what day you ask the question. 

I've read that in Québec too, there were more and more queues, and they are so competent that whoever manage to get registered for a test but have to leave the queue before being effectually tested, receive a mail telling them they were tested positive... :-/

Anyway, @barbara I am sorry there are countries/states where one cannot be tested if asymptomatic. It is well known that a prophylactic treatment to a person infected lowers sharply the risk of complications and spreading.

In Germany I think it is still under medical advice but I understand it is easy to get; depending on the doctor of course; and except for people returning from holidays abroad (if I'm not mistaken, it is now mandatory from some countries, free for the others; and given many German tourists unbridled behaviour, I think it is much safer). In France, contrary to the beginning and the pike of the epidemic, there is much wider access now, but there are queues in several centres, in these centres people who are neither in need of frequent testing for their jobs, nor symptomatic or targeted as having been in contact with contaminated people, have to wait before getting an appointment.

 

[Lunna]

2 часа назад, barbara сказал:

I'm curious how well other countries, provinces, states are doing with testing. I live in Tucson, AZ and cannot get a test if I want one.  Currently it is set up "based on test kit availability, and only those who meet criteria will be tested." As you all know, there is no federal testing program and haphazard testing and generally slow return of results for those that do get tested (up to a week to 10 days). I understand it's easier to get a test in Phoenix. How is the rest of the Planet doing?

Here you can get a free test (in Moscow at least) in usual clinic (though I don't see a point in doing it myself currently), though I think in smaller towns it might be harder to get a test.

[sallycinnamon]

3 hours ago, barbara said:

I'm curious how well other countries, provinces, states are doing with testing. I live in Tucson, AZ and cannot get a test if I want one.  Currently it is set up "based on test kit availability, and only those who meet criteria will be tested." As you all know, there is no federal testing program and haphazard testing and generally slow return of results for those that do get tested (up to a week to 10 days). I understand it's easier to get a test in Phoenix. How is the rest of the Planet doing?

 

Here (Hungary) more and more people are doing tests but it takes some time to get results. Maybe the situation is better in smaller towns becase I live in the capital which may have less capacity.

My co-worker's son got sick with a fever last week, and it took them 4 days for him to get tested, which was on Friday and they're still waiting for the result. I don't have personal experience with testing so I can't say a lot about it.

[yuzuangel]

 

 

 

[ralucutzagy]

17 hours ago, sallycinnamon said:

 

Here (Hungary) more and more people are doing tests but it takes some time to get results. Maybe the situation is better in smaller towns becase I live in the capital which may have less capacity.

My co-worker's son got sick with a fever last week, and it took them 4 days for him to get tested, which was on Friday and they're still waiting for the result. I don't have personal experience with testing so I can't say a lot about it.

In Bucharest the testing goes rather fast if you pay. My sister and  brother in law did the test, bc her father in law got infected and  they got the result in 2 days. Usually costs around 80 E. 

[SitTwizzle]

13 minutes ago, ralucutzagy said:

In Bucharest the testing goes rather fast if you pay. My sister and  brother in law did the test, bc her father in law got infected and  they got the result in 2 days. Usually costs around 80 E. 

It costs 50€ in Germany (I think it is free for customers) and 74€ in France (I know it is free for everybody). I have read though, that in France some laboratories would charge 100€ (not reimbursable by Social Security) to get prioritised, an audit is on the way, so the same as in Bucharest.

The State asserts the results are "usually available" within 24h, but many have complained of longer delays, often 2 days, sometimes 3 or more.

[barbara]

9 hours ago, yuzuangel said:

 

 

 

It's really embarrassing (and scary) to be in America.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/22/trump-coronavirus-young-people/

 

 

[sallycinnamon]

4 hours ago, ralucutzagy said:

In Bucharest the testing goes rather fast if you pay. My sister and  brother in law did the test, bc her father in law got infected and  they got the result in 2 days. Usually costs around 80 E. 

 

Yeah I think it goes faster here too if someone goes to a private clinic. The price of one test is fixed here since last week (ca. 54€) everywhere, private clinics included.

[barbara]

2 hours ago, sallycinnamon said:

 

Yeah I think it goes faster here too if someone goes to a private clinic. The price of one test is fixed here since last week (ca. 54€) everywhere, private clinics included.

It sounds pretty pricey to get a test at a private clinic in other countries, but if the tests are accurate and you get results quickly, it would be worth it - especially if it would make travel possible.  If I could get a test here (and I can't), I wouldn't have to pay anything.  My insurance would cover it.  I guess that is the only positive about being in the US.  Of course, it doesn't matter if you can't get one.