Lots of good news today

[explanade]

My point is that these new methods of developing a vaccine may prove to be the biggest chunk of silver lining to come out of this mess. It has the potential to save a lot more lives in the future, even if it doesn't do that much for CV19 victims.

I don't think this accelerated development schedules is some innovation.

It's more driven by the crisis we're in, with the global economy severely incapacitated by the pandemic.

IOW, if they do research on vaccines for diseases which aren't currently infecting thousands per day and millions per month worldwide, they won't try to push it out within a year.

Now a couple of them are trying to develop mRNA vaccines, which have never been approved before. That research has been going on for years. And from what I gather, the advantage with this new platform is that it's easier to manufacture at scale than inactivated virus vaccines.

But I don't think that the way they're developing these vaccines will become the new normal

 

[harllee]

Some good news from New Zealand--they have gone 100 days without any new cases and life is pretty much back to normal except for limiting who can enter the country.

 

[Chuckanut]

If you are a teacher you can get a free coffee and doughnut at Krispy Kreme for the next few days:

https://krispykreme.com/promos/educatorappreciation

And calling all teachers! All week 8/10 – 8/14, teachers can enjoy a sweet treat on us: one free Original Glazed® doughnut and brewed coffee; just show your teacher ID at checkout to redeem this offer. It’s our way of saying thank you for all that you do.

I am not the biggest fan of Krispy Kreme, but free is free.

 

[easysurfer]

Saliva Direct, a faster, easier, cheaper test, is in the final stages of testing and expecting approval shortly:

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.03.20167791v1

I could go for this .

I curious about the collection method. Will folks be lining up outside a CVS getting ready for a spitting fest? Or will we be spitting from the comfort of our own homes and sending in a sample? Or some other way.

 

[Alan]

I could go for this .

I curious about the collection method. Will folks be lining up outside a CVS getting ready for a spitting fest? Or will we be spitting from the comfort of our own homes and sending in a sample? Or some other way.

The trial currently going on in Southampton, England, has the spitting going on in the home. From the video I saw it looks very similar to supplying a saliva sample for a 23&Me DNA test.

 

[explanade]

Some good news from New Zealand--they have gone 100 days without any new cases and life is pretty much back to normal except for limiting who can enter the country.

Tourism is pretty big for them though.

 

[timo2]

Good news in New Mexico, for as long as it lasts

"Last month in Arizona, a staggering 1 in 4 people tested for COVID-19 received a positive result.

Currently in Texas, it’s about 1 in 6.

Yet in New Mexico, the numbers are very different. About 1 in 30 tests is coming back positive.

The state is performing much better than its neighbors on a key coronavirus metric called the test positivity rate, which measures how many people who get COVID-19 tests turn out to have the disease.

The statistic is an indication that New Mexico is proving itself to be a safer island — epidemiologically speaking — in a sea of states doing a poorer job of monitoring and controlling the virus.

It also helps explain why officials were able to report a steep decline in the state’s COVID-19 transmission rate Thursday, just several weeks after New Mexico experienced a troubling surge."


https://www.santafenewmexican.com/n...4XGtXhaZpxAjXP_HWaDm-XzXeZfj1DsQBib_PIMi_e4uc

 

[harllee]

Good news in New Mexico, for as long as it lasts

"Last month in Arizona, a staggering 1 in 4 people tested for COVID-19 received a positive result.

Currently in Texas, it’s about 1 in 6.

Yet in New Mexico, the numbers are very different. About 1 in 30 tests is coming back positive.

The state is performing much better than its neighbors on a key coronavirus metric called the test positivity rate, which measures how many people who get COVID-19 tests turn out to have the disease.

The statistic is an indication that New Mexico is proving itself to be a safer island — epidemiologically speaking — in a sea of states doing a poorer job of monitoring and controlling the virus.

It also helps explain why officials were able to report a steep decline in the state’s COVID-19 transmission rate Thursday, just several weeks after New Mexico experienced a troubling surge."


https://www.santafenewmexican.com/n...4XGtXhaZpxAjXP_HWaDm-XzXeZfj1DsQBib_PIMi_e4uc

The rest of the Article attributes the low positivity rate in N. Mexico to the high number of people there who wear masks and follow social distancing.

I wonder how they are keeping people from neighboring states out?

 

[MRG]

The rest of the Article attributes the low positivity rate in N. Mexico to the high number of people there who wear masks and follow social distancing.

I wonder how they are keeping people from neighboring states out?

I don't think it's keeping people out as much as you, the visitor, will comply with masks and social distancing.

I was in the next county today and they have a public mask mandate. I didn't notice anyone not wearing a mask, Our county doesn't mandate them, tourists from the same places don't wear them.

 

[brewer12345]

I wonder how they are keeping people from neighboring states out?

Probably because it is New Mexico. Not that hard to keep people out even without a pandemic.

 

[MRG]

Probably because it is New Mexico. Not that hard to keep people out even without a pandemic.

I wasn't going to go there but yeah. [emoji1787]

 

[timo2]

The rest of the Article attributes the low positivity rate in N. Mexico to the high number of people there who wear masks and follow social distancing.

I wonder how they are keeping people from neighboring states out?

That's a sore issue here in NM because when things opened up slightly in early July, many of the tourists were not following mask and physical distancing rules. They would say things like "I don't have to wear a mask back home".
As a result the State Parks are now closed to out-of-staters and the 14 day quarantine was continued, but the rules are all self-enforced, so they end up mostly being an attempt at scaring people away. Plus with inside dining rooms shut, most cultural facilities closed, the State Fair and the annual Balloon Fiesta cancelled, there is less to do than usual.

The State also published newspaper adverts in newspapers in AZ and TX telling people not to visit. https://www.usatoday.com/story/trav...ors-follow-coronavirus-safeguards/5396572002/

The Governor actually singled out Texans in one press conference: "“We don’t want you here now,” she told potential visitors in a July 9 press briefing, taking special aim at Texans. “I want you to stay in Texas.”

Lujan Grisham said New Mexico State Police would “aggressively” enforce her quarantine and mask orders. The force has handed out 13 verbal warnings for mask violations but none for quarantine non-compliance, a spokeswoman said on Monday."
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...rists-still-flock-to-new-mexico-idUSKCN24G16P

Here is a story about how a Taos hotel will only let NM residents stay overnight.
"The Blake said that it would accept reservations only from New Mexico residents and visitors who have spent more than 14 days in the state.

Eduardo Sampere, general manager of The Blake, told the Journal he personally called around 40 out-of-state visitors with reservations to explain the situation and offer a refund.

“It went much better than I thought, to be honest,” Sampere said. “Everyone was very understanding.”

He said the decision was made because resort staffers didn’t feel they could enforce the governor’s new order, which requires visitors traveling to New Mexico to self-isolate for 14 days or their entire stay, whichever is shorter.
https://www.abqjournal.com/1475184/new-mexico-hotels-adjust-to-new-state-virus-rules.html

Link for state park closure: "Recent travel restrictions in New Mexico have left Texas hikers and campers who had hoped to find relief from the COVID-19 pandemic in the Land of Enchantment with fewer options.

State park visitors seeking entry must provide proof of residency, such as a New Mexico ID or license plate. The parks remain closed to overnight camping, and visitors must continue to practice social distancing.

“What we saw for July Fourth was a clear demonstration that we got way too much going on in terms of travelers who provide risk. They bring the virus in. We can’t manage that,” Lujan Grisham said at a news conference Thursday. “If you’re coming to a state park, that is an easy thing to enforce. We will turn you right around. ”https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/n...ictions-quarantine-hiking-camping/5408780002/

 

[timo2]

Probably because it is New Mexico. Not that hard to keep people out even without a pandemic.

Yes, In my estimation the most popular places in the world that people actually want to visit all had the first big coronavirus outbreaks. For instance, Italy was early outbreak, Russia a later outbreak. The same thing with the various States. So yes, NM would be on the later list (which is why I'm here). Like South Dakota and other plains states are on the much later list.

 

[brewer12345]

Yes, In my estimation the most popular places in the world that people actually want to visit all had the first big coronavirus outbreaks. For instance, Italy was early outbreak, Russia a later outbreak. The same thing with the various States. So yes, NM would be on the later list (which is why I'm here). Like South Dakota and other plains states are on the much later list.

I'd say both NM and SD have beautiful spots (Taos/northern NM and the Black Hills respectively). But yeah. You also have the advantage of being in the desert in the summer. Not tons of people looking to experience that.

 

[harllee]

Probably because it is New Mexico. Not that hard to keep people out even without a pandemic.

I have been to New Mexico several times as a tourist (before Covid) and I thought it was a wonderful place to visit. Maybe if they are getting Covid under control I might visit there this winter.

 

[Montecfo]

The rest of the Article attributes the low positivity rate in N. Mexico to the high number of people there who wear masks and follow social distancing.

I wonder how they are keeping people from neighboring states out?

They are requiring quarantine from Tx

 

[timo2]

The rest of the Article attributes the low positivity rate in N. Mexico to the high number of people there who wear masks and follow social distancing.

I wonder how they are keeping people from neighboring states out?

Well here's the rub on that: from the article: In some cases, that frustration among locals has gone far beyond the walls of social media, especially as COVID-19 cases in Taos County have more than doubled over the past month. On July 6, there were 49 cases; on August 6, there were 106.
Residents and tourists have reported instances of cars with out-of-state plates getting keyed, people throwing rocks at visitors and people yelling at tourists to leave Taos.
Multiple times, someone has sprayed a message on the walls of buildings or shops in the Plaza: “Go home.”
One of those shops was Atira’s Southwest, a high-end clothing store. Atira, who declined to give her last name, owns the store and said the message upset many of her out-of-state clients. “My customers are very unhappy with that,” she said. “They found it very offensive.”

https://www.abqjournal.com/1484231/...val-in-northern-nm-and-not-wearing-masks.html

 

[RobbieB]

I just fire roasted another batch of Hatch Chili for a relleno casserole.

I like NM, got a lot of flavor!

 

[ABQ2015]

I'd say both NM and SD have beautiful spots (Taos/northern NM and the Black Hills respectively). But yeah. You also have the advantage of being in the desert in the summer. Not tons of people looking to experience that.

The quarantine does not just apply to the tourists but also to New Mexicans who leave the state and return. When adjacent states reopened in early May, people were going over the state line to dine, go to bars, participate in baseball tournaments, etc. COVID-19 cases started to steadily increase in the NM desert communities near El Paso and remain high today. The quarantine, although not widely enforced, is intended to discourage this behavior.

I spent a few days recently in a popular tourist town near Taos. Only a couple of hotels were enforcing the quarantine. Early in the week, most visitors were obeying the rules. But as it got to the weekend, there were more visitors in larger groups and less compliance. What bothered me were the long lines for outside seating or takeout at popular restaurants. Lots of conversations, few masks, and no social distancing for an extended period of time.

 

[Montecfo]

Nationally Covid 19 hospitalizations declining

Cases and hospitalizations continue to decline nationally. Hospitalizations is the the key stat in my view.

Deaths flat.

https://covidtracking.com/data

 

[USGrant1962]

The Johns Hopkins reopening map looks much better than a few weeks ago.

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/new-cases-50-states

 

[explanade]

Texas went from an average of 36k tests a week to 14k tests this past Saturday.

Positivity rate jumped up to 20% on fewer tests.

So hope that infections are declining because they're declining, not because they're drastically cutting back testing.

 

[audreyh1]

Texas went from an average of 36k tests a week to 14k tests this past Saturday.

Positivity rate jumped up to 20% on fewer tests.

So hope that infections are declining because they're declining, not because they're drastically cutting back testing.

Wow, that’s really bad. This article indicates that

In the week ending Aug. 8, an average 36,255 coronavirus tests were administered in Texas each day — a drop of about 42% from two weeks earlier, when the average number of daily tests was 62,516.

At the same time, the percentage of tests yielding positive results has climbed, up to 20% on average in the week ending Aug. 8. Two weeks earlier, the average positivity rate was around 14%.

https://www.texastribune.org/2020/08/10/coronavirus-testing-texas/

This news belongs on a different thread!

 

[travelover]

It appears that the Russians have a vaccine and the Russian people have volunteered to safety test it for us. LINK

Hopefully not behind a paywall.

 

[brewer12345]

It appears that the Russians have a vaccine and the Russian people have volunteered to safety test it for us. LINK

Hopefully not behind a paywall.

So this is safe and tested like Russia has open, democratic elections?