Emergence of a Deadly Coronavirus

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COVID-19 was silently infecting Americans before first cases emerged in Wuhan: CDC study

CDC to Shorten COVID-19 Quarantine to 10 Days, 7 With Test

Multi-State Report Shows that Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disability (ID/A) Face Higher Risk of Dying from COVID-19 than General Public - Temple University

More than half of Americans say they know someone who has been hospitalized or died due to Covid-19, Pew survey finds

I wonder if the plus covid deaths visually appear in the cemeteries/graveyards. I mean if it can see more graves appeared this year in the cemeteries/graveyards than in the earlier years.

One of the main reasons that the coronavirus pandemic is so difficult to stop is because of the high prevalence of asymptomatic carriers. These are people who are infected with the virus and show no symptoms, yet can spread the virus to others. "Typhoid Mary" was the most infamous asymptomatic carrier in history.

New data from the CDC suggests that more than 50% of COVID transmissions are from asymptomatic and presymptomatic people. (Presymptomatic people are those who are infected but not yet symptomatic. While asymptomatic people will never show symptoms, presymptomatic people eventually will.) The CDC also estimates that those with mild to moderate COVID are likely infectious for about 10 days, while those with severe COVID may be infectious for 20 days.

Source: Asymptomatic Cancer Patient Was A One-Woman Super-Spreader

COVID Infection-Fatality Rates by Sex and Age Group



Source: COVID Infection Fatality Rates By Sex And Age

Short Term Mortality Fluctuations - United States



It compares this years mortality data with the average of prior years [2013-2019] by week. The area in red is an approximation for the excess deaths due to COVID. The last 1-3 available weeks may be incomplete.

This information is from the Human Mortality Database [as of 12/3/2020] which is a joint initiative of the Department of Demographics at the University of California, Berkeley in the United States and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research.

Source: Short-term Mortality Fluctuations

Most of California to enter sweeping new virus lockdown

Discussion on Aerosol Transmission

I read an excellent article on aerosol transmission today. COVID-19 is spread by aerosols: an evidence review Here is a short bottom line:

We can no longer keep our heads in the sand. The evidence is clear. Aerosols play a significant role in the transmission of COVID-19.

I think this is a good development. Currently, we are losing the battle. However, the fact that we have been ignoring the science around aerosols means that we have a path forward. If we start to manage aerosol transmission appropriately, there is a chance we can get this pandemic under control.

The basic steps forward are simple. We need to continue following the current recommendations about physical distancing, hand washing, and masks. In addition, we need to be cognizant of the factors that drive aerosol spread: crowds and long times spent in poorly ventilated environments. We need to acknowledge the limitations of the current approach. There is no such thing as a ‘2 meter rule’ – the farther apart the better. We will need to improve our indoor spaces, with a focus on ventilation, filtration, and potentially ultraviolet light decontamination systems.

Well, it is that time of year. The time to buy Christmas presents. So what to get the children. They love puzzles. Hummm. Perhaps a coronavirus puzzle is in order. Do they make such a thing? Well I guess so. A quick search on Amazon produced the following.



It is bound to appreciate in value rather quickly and will become a collector's item.

Or maybe I should get this one.

This is hilarious. I want both.

Face Mask Construction

The best face mask for inhibiting COVID-19 transmission is N95s. N95 respirators are designed to create a tight seal around the nose and mouth. When worn correctly, they can block at least 95% of small airborne particles. The heart of the N95s is the material used in its construction and the design that produces a tight facial fit. The N95s use spunbond non-woven polypropelene.

May Chu, an epidemiologist at the Colorado School of Public Health, says polypropylene is great as a physical filter but has another benefit: It holds an electrostatic charge. In other words, it uses the power of static electricity. Think of the static cling that can happen when you rub two pieces of fabric together, says Chu. That's basically what's happening with this fabric: That "cling" effect traps incoming — and outgoing — droplets. "That's what you want — the cling is what's important," Chu says.

And unlike other materials, polypropylene keeps its electrostatic charge in the humidity created when you breathe out, says Yi Cui, a professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford University who co-authored the Nano Letters study with Chu.

Cui and Chu note that polypropylene will lose its electrostatic charge when you wash it, but you can recharge it by ironing it or by rubbing it with a plastic glove for around 20 seconds. Once you've got static cling, ka-ching — you're back in business. Cui says a two-layer tight-weave cotton mask alone can filter out about 35% of small particles. But adding a filter made out of two layers of charged polypropylene could boost that filtration efficiency by as much as another 35%, Cui says. You still want a cotton layer closest to your face, he says, because it's a more comfortable material.

Source: A User's Guide To Masks: What's Best At Protecting Others (And Yourself)

I noticed some individuals were constructing face mask from Halyard Health Sequential Sterilization Wraps. These wraps come in various thicknesses from H100 to H600 and come in different sizes. The wraps are like a large bag. They are constructed from two layers of spunbond non-woven polypropelene [one blue, one white]. They are thermally sealed along the two sides. In a hospital setting a metal tray loaded with used surgical instruments is placed inside the bag [wrap] and taped shut and then placed in a sterilization unit. After the instruments have been sterilized they are returned to the operating room. The wrap keeps the instruments in a sterile environment until use. When the surgical instruments are needed they are removed from the wrap and the wrap is discarded.



So using this material to construct a high quality face mask is a very novel idea. This week I was able to get my hands on a couple sample of an H500 wrap [30" x 30"]. They appear to be about the right thickness for a mask. So I think I will try and talk my wife into fabricating a few of these unique face mask.

There is also some good news. One of the features of a high quality mask is the aluminum strip nose clips. They help the mask to conform to the nose to prevent leakage. Well they are back in stock at Amazon.

Vaccine Approval Decision

James Hildreth, a member of the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, said that the agency will vote Thursday [10 Dec.] on whether to provide emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer vaccine and that distribution of the shot could begin the next day. “We'll spend the day on Thursday reviewing the data from Pfizer, and at the end of the day, a vote will be taken. So, by the end of the day next Thursday, there could be a decision made about the vaccine,” he said Saturday on NBC News.

The approval could begin the process of providing much-needed vaccinations across the country as the nation sees an alarming spike in cases. More than 210,000 new coronavirus cases were tallied Friday alone, and the total number of hospitalizations reached a new high of more than 100,000.

Early data shows Pfizer’s vaccine to be 95 percent effective, and the U.K. and Bahrain have already approved it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this week that health workers and residents of long-term care facilities should be the first to receive a vaccine. People older than 65, essential workers and those with underlying medical conditions will be immunized in a second phase.

Source: FDA vaccine adviser says approval decision could come within the week

First Person to Get Officially Vaccinated

Margaret Keenan, 90, reportedly said she felt “privileged” when she became the first person in the United Kingdom to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine early Tuesday in Coventry, England.

Around 800,000 doses of the vaccine were expected to be in place for the start of the immunization program on Tuesday, a day that Health Secretary Matt Hancock has reportedly dubbed as “V-Day,” a nod to triumphs in World War II.

The U.K. was the first country to authorize the vaccine for emergency use. In trials, the vaccine was shown to have around 95% efficacy. Vaccinations will be administered starting Tuesday at around 50 hospital hubs in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also begin their vaccination rollouts the same day.

"I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19, it's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year," Keenan said, according to the report.

Source: 90-year-old woman is first to receive Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in UK

Things are Looking Up!

I was in Lowes Home Improvement Store today and I stumbled upon a box of actual N95 mask. These were not KN95s or masks that were waivered as N95 by the Europeans and then later tested and rejected. This was a box of actual N95s. One of the first things that tripped me off was their description. True N95s are called Particulate Respirators rather than face mask. And the box said "N95 Particulate Respirators".

When I arrived home, I looked up the mask on the CDC website.
NIOSH-Approved N95 Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators
It was on the approved list of NIOSH-approved and FDA-cleared masks.

So after almost a year into this pandemic, N95s are becoming available to the common man.