Coronavirus - Health aspects

[Nemo2]

Being that bat consumption in China is being at least partially attributed to the outbreak, reminded me of a cookbook I brought back from the Seychelles in the late 1980s:

 

[NW-Bound]

I read somewhere that China does not really have a tradition of eating bats. It is more common in Indonesia.

Well, wait until the virus spreads to chicken. If that does not turn more people vegetarian, I don't know what will.

Of course, some people always look for a chance to get "stronger".

 

[NW-Bound]

It is now widely recognized that the most virus deaths are older people. Someone on the Web points out that not too many children are not hospitalized either. In fact, even some younger adults are able to shake off the virus like a common cold or flu.

Given the above observations, one has to ask "What countries have more old people".

Here's the median age for some countries.

Vietnam 30.5
China 37.4
USA 38.1
South Korea 41.8
Germany 47.1
Japan 47.3
Monaco 53.1

 

[tmm99]

Considering the news below, I wonder if the virus test is erratic, or the virus can lay undetected for almost as long as 2 weeks.

I was wondering about the same thing, reading a similar article.

1/29 - Japanese man who lives in Wuhan flies back to Japan on a charter flight. The test comes back negative. Quarantine in a hotel.
2/7 - Admitted to a hospital due to fever and coughs.
2/8 - He gets tested again on the morning of 2/8 and the test again comes back negative.
2/10 - He's tested again and this time, the test comes back positive.

Maybe the test can only detect the virus when the viral load is high enough?

 

[Born2Fish]

I was wondering about the same thing, reading a similar article.

1/29 - Japanese man who lives in Wuhan flies back to Japan on a charter flight. The test comes back negative. Quarantine in a hotel.
2/7 - Admitted to a hospital due to fever and coughs.
2/8 - He gets tested again on the morning of 2/8 and the test again comes back negative.
2/10 - He's tested again and this time, the test comes back positive.

Maybe the test can only detect the virus when the viral load is high enough?

Well, that's just great news!!!

 

[NW-Bound]

In the past such as with MERS, CDC considered multiple tests were needed to prove a person was not infected.

About the current test kit for 2019-nCoV, here's what I found.

CDC has developed a new laboratory test kit for use in testing patient specimens for 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The test kit is called the “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase (RT)-PCR Diagnostic Panel.” It is intended for use with the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast DX Real-Time PCR Instrument with SDS 1.4 software. This test is intended for use with upper and lower respiratory specimens collected from persons who meet CDC criteria for 2019-nCoV testing. CDC’s test kit is intended for use by laboratories designated by CDC as qualified, and in the United States, certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) to perform high complexity tests. The test kits also will be shipped to qualified international laboratories, such as World Health Organization (WHO) Global Influenza Surveillance Response System (GISRS) laboratories. The test will not be available in U.S. hospitals or other primary care settings. The kits will be distributed through the International Reagent Resource (IRR).

It looks like the test kit availability is still limited, and not widely distributed to US hospitals.

 

[NW-Bound]

Here's a similar false-negative test in the US. The patient however was released from a hospital back to quarantine, not into the public.

An evacuee from China who had been evaluated for coronavirus was briefly released from a San Diego hospital before further testing alerted authorities that the person was infected, health officials say.

The person was among four cleared Sunday for discharge from UC San Diego Health after testing negative for the virus, the health system said in a statement. They went back to quarantine at a nearby air station. But on Monday morning, more testing that came back positive led one evacuee to return to the hospital for “observation and isolation,” the statement said.

 

[MichaelB]

Bad news continues https://www.scmp.com/news/china/soc...ted-coronavirus#click=https://t.co/2rgk73fSqn

At least 500 hospital staff in Wuhan had been infected with the deadly new strain of coronavirus by mid January, multiple medical sources have confirmed, leaving hospitals short-staffed and causing deep concern among health care workers.
While the government has reported individual cases of health care workers becoming infected, it has not provided the full picture, and the sources said doctors and nurses had been told not to make the total public

 

[explanade]

So if by mid January, they should be out of the incubation period?

 

[brewer12345]

Bad news continues https://www.scmp.com/news/china/soc...ted-coronavirus#click=https://t.co/2rgk73fSqn

And another 600 suspected cases amongst medical personnel. Ugh. The Chinese regime's numbers are bull pucky.

The 6 pack of Tyvek suits I bought at the end of January are sold out on Amazon. Wow. I knew masks were in short supply, but suits?

 

[Another Reader]

And another 600 suspected cases amongst medical personnel. Ugh. The Chinese regime's numbers are bull pucky.

The 6 pack of Tyvek suits I bought at the end of January are sold out on Amazon. Wow. I knew masks were in short supply, but suits?

Guess we will have to pick up a roll of Tyvek house wrap from the local building supply store and stitch them up ourselves... Coating the seams, of course.

I wonder what the TSA would do if you showed up at the airport in full corona virus battle dress - Tyvek suit, respirator, and goggles.

 

[brewer12345]

I wonder what the TSA would do if you showed up at the airport in full corona virus battle dress - Tyvek suit, respirator, and goggles.

Don't forget the gloves and booties.

 

[tmm99]

Section 2: Japan (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) published:

As of Feb 10 at 12:00

They tested 174 people (non-charter flights related), 16 positive (12 from Wuhan) all showed symptoms. 9 has been discharged. 7 still admitted. all 7 with light-medium symptoms (no one in ICU or with artificial ventilation)

They tested 764 people (charter flights related), 10 postive (all came back from wuhan), 3 with no symptoms, 7 with symptoms. All 7 admitted. 4 with light-medium symptoms, 3 being investigated. Non one in ICU or with artificial ventilation.

It's not defining what the "light-medium symptoms" are or if some people have ever been equipped with artificial ventilation.

None has died as of yet.

The bottom part shows the age range of each patient (non-charter flight related) and how they got the virus and who they transmitted the virus to (if they know.) - non-charter flight related and charter flight related. I only see one person in his 60s and only a few people in their 50s.

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_09418.html

 

[Bongleur]

Persistance & Disinfection

Need higher than 70% ethanol. BAC more effective at smaller concentration, getting it not too high or low will require careful measuring. Sodium hypochlorite at 1:50 dilution which is double the usual hospital concentration of 1:100. Pay attention to the time required to achieve results:

Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and its inactivation with biocidal agents
Günter Kampf, Daniel Todt, Stephanie Pfaender, Eike Steinmann
PII: S0195-6701(20)30046-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.022
Reference: YJHIN 5905
To appear in: Journal of Hospital Infection
Received Date: 31 January 2020

https://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.022

online:
https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(20)30046-3/fulltext

 

[Bongleur]

Clorox Regular

Note that Clorox "splash proof" is "not for disinfection. Use Clorox Regular."
Also it stays fresh "enough" for 6 months if stored cool enough (say 60 deg F). But that adice probably presumed the 1:100 dilution, not the recommended guess of 1:50.

Diluted stays fresh longer than highly concentrated.

The generic brands may not have the name-brand's additives which keep it fresh longer.

 

[Another Reader]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/12/asia/hong-kong-coronavirus-pipes-intl-hnk/index.html

Ugh. The sewage system is spreading this virus through a high rise apartment building.
Apparently the same problem occurred during the SARS epidemic.

 

[JoeWras]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/12/asia/hong-kong-coronavirus-pipes-intl-hnk/index.html

Ugh. The sewage system is spreading this virus through a high rise apartment building.
Apparently the same problem occurred during the SARS epidemic.

They don't call it DWV for nothing. Venting is critical. The summary of the article is this: the thought is someone modified, as in disconnected, the vent pipe on a toilet.

This can cause the trap to siphon out. The trap stops sewer gases. These don't just smell, they can carry aerosolized droplets.

Floor drains can be a problem when the traps dry. Better solutions today avoid this problem by constant recharge.

I haven't traveled to Asia, only Europe. I've seen some funky venting there. I can see how easy it is to modify. In the USA, properly designed systems pretty much hide all venting away from any chance of modification.

 

[tmm99]

This article shows ridiculous photos of cats and dogs wearing masks as their owners (in China) are afraid that their pets will also catch coronavirus, but that's not the point of my post. Look at the very first/top photo of the article. I imagine the photo was taken in China? Two women are doing something to a bunch of new masks ready to be shipped (maybe to the US). I can't tell for sure, as there are no explanations for this particular photo in the article, but this worries me.

How sanitary is that You would expect the masks to arrive germ-free, but now, I'm not so sure.

https://jp.sputniknews.com/asia/202002127099549/

 

[MichaelB]

Not sure which covid-19 (new official name for coronavirus) thread to post this. Kathy Mak From Hong Kong singing about the virus, to the tune of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn”

 

[Nemo2]

"Hurry up Darl...our flight's just been called!"

 

[NW-Bound]

This article shows ridiculous photos of cats and dogs wearing masks as their owners (in China) are afraid that their pets will also catch coronavirus, but that's not the point of my post. Look at the very first/top photo of the article. I imagine the photo was taken in China? Two women are doing something to a bunch of new masks ready to be shipped. I can't tell for sure if that's happening, as there are no explanations for this particular photo in the article, but at least, that's the way it looks to me.

How sanitary is that You would expect the masks to arrive germ-free, but now, I'm not so sure.

https://jp.sputniknews.com/asia/202002127099549/

Funny to see cats wearing masks. I am surprised they don't scratch it off.

About the workers with the new masks, they are sewing on the straps, I think.

 

[NW-Bound]

I am just glad that I do not live in a place of high-density housing. Not everyone has this choice.

Up in my high-country boondocks second home, I can turn the stereo on full-blast and do not disturb anyone. Buying grocery means a round trip of 62 miles.

Even at my in-town home, a loud stereo would not be heard from outside, as long as I keep my windows closed, which I do all the time.

 

[jollystomper]

One of my thoughts on this, which I am happy to be corrected on, as I have made a few assumptions based on what I have read...

It seems those most susceptible to be killed by the coronavirus are those over 60 and/or already in bad health.

Since the coronavirus impacts the respiratory system, those with respiratory health issues are most at risk.

Smoking can cause respiratory health issues, even for those who have stopped smoking.

China has a lot of smokers, the older Chinese probably have a higher percentage of smokers than the rest of the population, and likely more smoking related health issues with not as good treatment.

Perhaps this is a factor (not the only one) in why the coronavirus is so lethal there?

Just wondering. I know China is not even in the top 10 of countries in terms of percentage of smokers in population, but maybe it is high enough for it to be a factor.

 

[Brat]

I agree. In my observation, most of the smokers in China are older men.

 

[Ian S]

Need higher than 70% ethanol. BAC more effective at smaller concentration, getting it not too high or low will require careful measuring. Sodium hypochlorite at 1:50 dilution which is double the usual hospital concentration of 1:100. Pay attention to the time required to achieve results:

Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and its inactivation with biocidal agents
Günter Kampf, Daniel Todt, Stephanie Pfaender, Eike Steinmann
PII: S0195-6701(20)30046-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.022
Reference: YJHIN 5905
To appear in: Journal of Hospital Infection
Received Date: 31 January 2020

https://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.022

online:
https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(20)30046-3/fulltext

I wish they had more info on chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG). 0.02% is an extremely low concentration when you consider that the scrub often prescribed for cleansing skin prior to surgery is 4%. The thing about CHG is that its antimicrobial activity persists for hours and it is safe for use on the skin with suitable precautions. I wondered why part of my preop home preparation for my rotator cuff surgery involved thorough washing of the site at home the day of the surgery. I figured what good would it do as it would just get recontaminated not knowing of CHG's persistence on the skin. Simple washing and/or use of alcohol based sanitizers don't do anything about the ease of recontamination.