Covid-19 News & Updates

[Big Boy]

Why are they testing cats, when they've only tested just over 20% of the population?

[pharvey]

Why are they testing cats, when they've only tested just over 20% of the population?

Fair point, and not disputing the 20% figure (certainly sounds realistic) but where has it come from?

As for the cat..........

"A private vet initially diagnosed feline herpes virus - a common cat respiratory infection - but the sample was also tested for Sars-Cov-2 as part of a research programme."

[Big Boy]

not disputing the 20% figure (certainly sounds realistic) but where has it come from?

Worldometers - 217,848 tests per 1M population.

[pharvey]

not disputing the 20% figure (certainly sounds realistic) but where has it come from?

Worldometers - 217,848 tests per 1M population.

Just to be pedantic, it's nearer to 22% , but thanks for the link - one I'll keep looking at.

[Dannie Boy]

Why are they testing cats, when they've only tested just over 20% of the population?

So that you know whether to have tiddles sitting on your lap, or socially distanced in exile!!

To be a bit more serious, this is a new disease and they know very little about it, including whether/how it can be transmitted between humans and animals, but with the consequences being so high if it is possible, then it’s fully understandable why they would want to test a moggy or a pooch that was displaying COVID type symptoms.

[HHTel]

Not looking good in Vietnam. After 3 months with no local infections (Thailand has passed 2 months) an infection was found in Da Nang. 3 more were discovered that weekend.
Yesterday, 27th, 11 more cases and 7 more cases today.

That brings the total to 21 over the last week.
It's thought that it may have come across the border with illegal entries. 3 people have been arrested for aiding illegal entry into Vietnam after finding that there were lots of Chinese in the country illegally.

In response, the government has closed the Da Nang airport for the next 15 days and is assisting 80,000 domestic tourists to evacuate from Da Nang.

Border control is so so important. Keep those borders closed!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_ ... in_Vietnam

[PeteC]

We were just talking about SAF on Friday.

Coronavirus: South Africa virus cases pass half million mark

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53625789. (Video)

More than half million coronavirus have been confirmed in South Africa, according to the country's health minister.

Zwelini Mkhize announced 10,107 new cases on Saturday, bringing the tally to 503,290, along with 8,153 deaths.

South Africa is the hardest-hit country on the continent and accounts for half of all reported infections in Africa.

It also has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world after the US, Brazil, Russia and India.

Researchers have said the true number of deaths in the country may be far higher. (Sub-link)

South African health authorities have said the rate of infection is increasing rapidly, with cases currently concentrated around the capital, Pretoria.

South Africa's outbreak: Eight lessons for the rest of the continent. (Sub-link)

More than a third of all infections have been reported in Gauteng - South Africa's financial hub, and a province that has quickly become the epicentre of the national outbreak. (Sub-link)

Infections are not expected to peak for another month.

South Africa imposed a strict lockdown in April and May that slowed the spread of the coronavirus.

It began a gradual reopening in June but restrictions - including a ban on alcohol sales - were reintroduced last month as infection rates began to rise again. A state of emergency is also in force until 15 August.

The influx of patients has put an incredible strain on South Africa's hospitals, and a BBC investigation found an array of systematic failures that had exhausted healthcare professionals and brought the health service near to collapse. (Sub-link)

President Cyril Ramaphosa said last month that 28,000 hospital beds had been made available for Covid-19 patients but the country still faced a "serious" shortage of doctors and nurses.

Last week the World Health Organization warned that South Africa's experience was a likely a precursor to what would happen across the rest of the continent.

[oakdale160]

A big Trump supporter who was a BIG covid-19 denier, caught covid and died.
What a pisser, dieing fom a disease that is a hoax.

[HHTel]

Desperation!!

Ten men have died in an Indian town after drinking alcohol-based hand sanitiser, as local liquor shops were closed due to a coronavirus lockdown.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/10 ... li=BBoPWjQ

[PeteC]

Desperation!!

Ten men have died in an Indian town after drinking alcohol-based hand sanitiser, as local liquor shops were closed due to a coronavirus lockdown.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/10 ... li=BBoPWjQ

Stupidity!

[PeteC]

Coronavirus: Victoria declares state of disaster after spike in cases

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-53627038. (Video)

The Australian state of Victoria has declared a state of disaster and imposed new lockdown measures after a surge in coronavirus infections.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the restrictions would come into effect on Sunday at 18:00 (09:00 BST).

Under the new rules, residents of the state capital Melbourne will be subject to a night-time curfew.

The city's stay-at-home order will be enhanced, giving residents fewer exemptions for leaving home.

Residents will not be allowed to travel further than 5 km (3.1 miles) from their home, exercise will be restricted to once a day, and one person will be able to go shopping for essentials at a time.

After early success in suppressing the virus, Australia has had fewer cases than many other countries, recording about 17,000 infections and 200 deaths.

But cases are rising rapidly in Victoria, accounting for many of Australia's new infections in recent weeks, promoting the return of lockdown restrictions in early July.

On Sunday, the state reported 671 new coronavirus cases and seven deaths. Those increases brought the totals to 11,557 infections and 123 deaths.

Mr Andrews said the lockdown measures introduced in the Victoria - Australia's most populous state - were working but too slowly.

"We must do more. We must go harder. It's the only way we'll get to the other side of this," Mr Andrews said at a news conference.

[bigston]

And what a happy bunch we are here in Melbourne , NOT.
mass panic buying at supermarkets from very early today, all fresh food off the shelves by noon and queues stretching outside to still get in..
And our rapidly escalating outbreak caused by our illustrious state government putting untrained security guards in charge of hotel quarantine for returned overseas travelers.
what could have possibly gone wrong....

[pharvey]

"More than half million coronavirus have been confirmed in South Africa, according to the country's health minister.

Zwelini Mkhize announced 10,107 new cases on Saturday, bringing the tally to 503,290, along with 8,153 deaths.

South Africa is the hardest-hit country on the continent and accounts for half of all reported infections in Africa.

It also has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world after the US, Brazil, Russia and India.

Researchers have said the true number of deaths in the country may be far higher."

[GroveHillWanderer]

A big Trump supporter who was a BIG covid-19 denier, caught covid and died.
What a pisser, dieing fom a disease that is a hoax.

Yeah, Herman Cain. Ironically enough, one of his last public pronouncements before falling ill and dying, was to say that people were fed up with having to wear masks.

He tested positive 9 days after posting a picture of himself not wearing a mask and surrounded by other maskless people attending Trump's Tulsa rally. Oklahoma health officials have said the rally likely contributed to a dramatic surge in cases shortly afterwards.

https://apnews.com/ad96548245e186382225818d8dc416eb

[Lost]

And what a happy bunch we are here in Melbourne , NOT.
mass panic buying at supermarkets from very early today, all fresh food off the shelves by noon and queues stretching outside to still get in..

Ah, England April 2020, we meet again.