robbo203
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I have been monitoring the spread of the virus on this very useful site:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
In Spain where I live , we have been in lockdown for a few days but still the numbers of confirmed cases and deaths are rising relentlessly. I had to go with my wife to a local hospital a few days ago for a check (nothing to do with the virus) and saw a very sick woman only a few feet away coughing continuously. Its quite unnerving. The first few deaths from the virus in my city of Granada have been recorded. These are worrying times. Spain is on track to overtake Iran as the third mostly badly affected country in the world after China and Italy
However looking at the above site I notice that the US has been steadily rising up the league table (along with the UK). I have a hunch that the epicentre of the pandemic will shift from Europe to the US in the next few weeks ( just as it has now shifted from China to Europe)
There is some quite disturbing information in this article which seems to support this view
On the Front Lines of the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Doctor’s View
Just to slightly change the focus to more practical matters should any comrades here have the misfortune to contract the virus…
I am certainly no expert on the subject and cannot vouch for any of the remedies offered though they dont appear to be listed among those discounted as mere quackery. Two or three stand out should you find yourself in self isolation anxious about your own condition, but not yet in a severe enough condition to warrant hospitalisation. This is likely to be the case in the UK which does not have the capacity to accommodate the expected increase in the numbers of confirmed cases
The first involves increased consumption of vitamin C . You could supplement consumption of citrus fruits with chewable tablets https://medium.com/@MaraLeverkuhn/vitamin-c-dramatically-helps-against-coronavirus-infection-romanian-biophysicist-2341dc7e7a38
The second is the use of Sudafed spray decongestant. A number of anecdotal reports on FB have suggested it could make a discernible difference
Thirdly, it is believed that the coronavirus like other viruses cannot withstand high temperatures and for which reason it tends to proliferate in the sinuses which is the coldest part of the head. The remedy involves using a simple hairdryer and water spray to direct heated water molecules into the nostrils to penetrate the sinuses. Here is the link in question
https://video.fgrx1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t42.3356-2/10000000_3137921649605593_1942141082901179688_n.mp4/video-1584608672.mp4?_nc_cat=1&_nc_sid=060d78&_nc_ohc=V_Frse0Ot1AAX8cTjhj&vabr=470626&_nc_ht=video.fgrx1-1.fna&oh=b9ead3872e6f43b0910541ddd2b7142b&oe=5E744C65&dl=1There is finally this Internal email for staff in St George’s Hospital
Virus Detection:
The simplest way to distinguish Coronavirus from a Common Cold is that the COVID-19 infection does not cause a cold nose or cough with cold, but it does create a dry and rough cough.
The virus is typically first installed in the throat causing inflammation and a feeling of dryness. This symptom can last between 3 and 4 days.
The virus typically then travels through the moisture present in the airways, goes down to the trachea and installs in the lungs, causing pneumonia that lasts about 5 or 6 days.
Pneumonia manifests with a high fever and difficulty breathing. The Common Cold is not accompanied, but there may be a choking sensation. In this case, the doctor should be called immediately.
Experts suggest doing this simple verification every morning: Breathe in deeply and hold your breath for 10 seconds. If this can be done without coughing, without difficulty, this shows that there is no fibrosis in the lungs, indicating the absence of infection. It is recommended to do this control every morning to help detect infection.
Prevention:
The virus hates heat and dies if it is exposed to temperatures greater than 80°F (27°C). Therefore hot drinks such as infusions, broths or simply hot water should be consumed abundantly during the day. These hot liquids kill the virus and are easy to ingest.
Avoid drinking ice water or drinks with ice cubes.
Ensure that your mouth and throat are always wet, never DRY. You should drink a sip of water at least every 15 minutes. WHY? Even when the virus enters water or other liquids through the mouth, it will get flushed through the oesophagus directly into the stomach where gastric acids destroy the virus. If there is not enough water, the virus can pass into the trachea and from there to the lungs, where it is very dangerous.
For those who can, sunbathe. The Sun’s UV rays kill the virus and the vitamin D is good for you.
The Coronavirus has a large size (diameter of 400-500 nanometers) so face masks can stop it, no special face masks are needed in daily life.
If an infected person sneezes near us, stay 10 feet (3.3 meters) away to allow the virus fall to the ground and prevent it from falling on you.
When the virus is on hard surfaces, it survives about 12 hours, therefore when hard surfaces such as doors, appliances, railings, etc. are touched, hands should be washed thoroughly and/or disinfected with alcoholic gel
The virus can live nested in clothes and tissues between 6 and 12 hours. Common detergents can kill it. Things that cannot be washed should be exposed to the Sun and the virus will die.
The transmission of the virus usually occurs by direct infection, touching fabrics, tissues or materials on which the virus is present.
Washing your hands is essential.
The virus survives on our hands for only about 10 minutes. In that time many things can happen, rubbing the eyes, touching the nose or lips. This allows the virus to enter your throat. Therefore, for your good and the good of all, wash your hands very often and disinfect them.
You can gargle with disinfectant solutions (i.e. Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide) that eliminate or minimize the amount of virus that can enter the throat. Doing so removes the virus before it goes down to the trachea and then to the lungs.
Disinfect things touched often: cellphone, keyboard, mouse, car steering wheel, door handles, etcJust to slightly change the focus to more practical matters should any comrades here have the misfortune to contract the virus…
I am certainly no expert on the subject and cannot vouch for any of the remedies offered though they dont appear to be listed among those discounted as mere quackery. Two or three stand out should you find yourself in self isolation anxious about your own condition, but not yet in a severe enough condition to warrant hospitalisation. This is likely to be the case in the UK which does not have the capacity to accommodate the expected increase in the numbers of confirmed cases
The first involves increased consumption of vitamin C . You could supplement consumption of citrus fruits with chewable tablets https://medium.com/@MaraLeverkuhn/vitamin-c-dramatically-helps-against-coronavirus-infection-romanian-biophysicist-2341dc7e7a38
The second is the use of Sudafed spray decongestant. A number of anecdotal reports on FB have suggested it could make a discernible difference
Thirdly, it is believed that the coronavirus like other viruses cannot withstand high temperatures and for which reason it tends to proliferate in the sinuses which is the coldest part of the head. The remedy involves using a simple hairdryer and water spray to direct heated water molecules into the nostrils to penetrate the sinuses. Here is the link in question
There is finally this Internal email for staff in St George’s Hospital
Virus Detection:
The simplest way to distinguish Coronavirus from a Common Cold is that the COVID-19 infection does not cause a cold nose or cough with cold, but it does create a dry and rough cough.
The virus is typically first installed in the throat causing inflammation and a feeling of dryness. This symptom can last between 3 and 4 days.
The virus typically then travels through the moisture present in the airways, goes down to the trachea and installs in the lungs, causing pneumonia that lasts about 5 or 6 days.
Pneumonia manifests with a high fever and difficulty breathing. The Common Cold is not accompanied, but there may be a choking sensation. In this case, the doctor should be called immediately.
Experts suggest doing this simple verification every morning: Breathe in deeply and hold your breath for 10 seconds. If this can be done without coughing, without difficulty, this shows that there is no fibrosis in the lungs, indicating the absence of infection. It is recommended to do this control every morning to help detect infection.Prevention:
The virus hates heat and dies if it is exposed to temperatures greater than 80°F (27°C). Therefore hot drinks such as infusions, broths or simply hot water should be consumed abundantly during the day. These hot liquids kill the virus and are easy to ingest.
Avoid drinking ice water or drinks with ice cubes.
Ensure that your mouth and throat are always wet, never DRY. You should drink a sip of water at least every 15 minutes. WHY? Even when the virus enters water or other liquids through the mouth, it will get flushed through the oesophagus directly into the stomach where gastric acids destroy the virus. If there is not enough water, the virus can pass into the trachea and from there to the lungs, where it is very dangerous.
For those who can, sunbathe. The Sun’s UV rays kill the virus and the vitamin D is good for you.
The Coronavirus has a large size (diameter of 400-500 nanometers) so face masks can stop it, no special face masks are needed in daily life.
If an infected person sneezes near us, stay 10 feet (3.3 meters) away to allow the virus fall to the ground and prevent it from falling on you.
When the virus is on hard surfaces, it survives about 12 hours, therefore when hard surfaces such as doors, appliances, railings, etc. are touched, hands should be washed thoroughly and/or disinfected with alcoholic gel
The virus can live nested in clothes and tissues between 6 and 12 hours. Common detergents can kill it. Things that cannot be washed should be exposed to the Sun and the virus will die.
The transmission of the virus usually occurs by direct infection, touching fabrics, tissues or materials on which the virus is present.
Washing your hands is essential.
The virus survives on our hands for only about 10 minutes. In that time many things can happen, rubbing the eyes, touching the nose or lips. This allows the virus to enter your throat. Therefore, for your good and the good of all, wash your hands very often and disinfect them.
You can gargle with disinfectant solutions (i.e. Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide) that eliminate or minimize the amount of virus that can enter the throat. Doing so removes the virus before it goes down to the trachea and then to the lungs.
Disinfect things touched often: cellphone, keyboard, mouse, car steering wheel, door handles, etcNo, not yet. Just hit the ‘General Discussion‘ button to see the latest posts. There is no quick fix which doesn’t risk the whole forum crumbling.
OMG you wouldn’t want that to happen! What does the slow fix entail?
I just don’t believe the hysteria surrounding this Corona cult. Also I find it dubious that governments suddenly want to “Wrap Arms” around every worker.
In terms of mortality figures alone this whole con trick doesn’t make senseOzy
Look at it another way – if this is all a con trick why would the ruling class inflict such grievous damage on the economy for some unknown or vaguely defined objective? Why shoot themselves in the foot and incur astronomical losses in profits for the sake of achieving this supposed objective.? If anything doesn’t make sense it is that
The fact that celebrities , politicians and billionaires can succumb to the virus as easily as workers may be one reason for the scale of the official reaction. But more importantly, it may be because if governments are, as you say, suddenly wanting to “Wrap Arms” around every worker, it is because the material reality of the capitalist class’ total dependence on the workers gives them no other option but to do so. They need to protect the working class as the source of future profits. They dont want the geese that lays their golden eggs killed off in such large numbers
You refer to the mortality figures. Yes they are comparatively small compared to death toll resulting from flu. But you forget that it is early days yet. COVID-19 was only just discovered in December last year. The eventual death toll may well become much much higher than that of flu. Countries like China and South Korea have reduced the rate of increase in infections but ONLY because they have taken effective steps to limit the spread. In others by treating the virus as a serious threat.
The key variable is the mortality rate. There is no doubt that the mortality rate is significantly higher than flu. Granted it may not be as high as WHO originally thought – 3.4% – because quite a large number of people present only mild symptoms or are asymptomatic and may not realise they carry the virus. The best estimates to date for the proportion of asymptomatic carriers of the virus is about 50 percent of the people infected. But even allowing for this the mortality rate is still significant higher than flu and accordingly the eventual death toll could be much higher too.
Also, the virus has yet to make significant inroads in places like Africa. Though it is ironic that, to date, poor countries such as in Africa have fared comparatively better than rich countries – probably for reasons to do with mobility and relative isolation – this could change dramatically. I was looking at a programme on the situation in South Africa and the commentator made the point that given the extreme population density of the black townships outside cities like Cape Town, the virus, once it got a foothold , could spread like wildfire. Social distancing is almost impossible to effectively implement in these cramped circumstances.
Even in wealthier countries containment might become increasingly problematic beyond a certain tipping point if the number of cases grow to the point where they start to overwhelm the available resources. Furthermore the impact on the economy could be such that it begins to threaten basic supplies such as food and water causing people to take risks to secure these supplies (e,g panic buying in the shops and social protests on the street) and so risk spreading the virus further. It is a nightmarish prospect. China and South Korea have seemingly nipped this in the bud but we cannot be complacent about this. The vast majority of their populations have not been infected. Any relaxation of the measures they have adopted could precipitate a massive new wave of infections.
In the long run, only the development of a vaccine or a form of treatment using plasma can absolutely ensure the worst case scenario does not materialise. But a readily available vaccine is at least a year off from now even though human trials have already begun
Finally you mention Gordon Brown calling for a temporary Global Government. Brown is an idiot. There is no prospect of such a government being formed whatsoever. You only have to consider the deep animosities between leading capitalist powers like China and the US to see this. If anything globalisation has gone into reverse in recent years with the rise of populist nationalism. COVID-19 is accentuating this trend by closing borders.
There is of course the UN but the UN has always been a largely toothless tiger and a mere talking shop – not to say a front behind which the various rival capital powers pursue their own divergent interests. “World government” presupposes a degree of common interest which simply does not exist in reality
Oh dear the capitalists are suffering. Would a whip round be in order. comrades
Has anyone come across updated information on the mortality rate of the virus? I keep coming across conflicting information. So much depends on what proportion of the population infected are asymptomatic or only mildly affected. Many may not be aware they are infected and depending on how many that makes quite a big difference. To know how many requires large scale testing whereas I believe countries like the UK only test those who arrive at a hospital. South Korea is the outstanding example where there has been large scale testing and tracing contacts and this has helped quite a lot in reducing the rate of increase in infections
Half the population of the UK may already be infected according to this Oxford study. If true this could be significant: “If the results are confirmed, they imply that fewer than one in a thousand of those infected with Covid-19 become ill enough to need hospital treatment”
Mike
What plans do the EC have to try to encourage as many members as possible to participate in online activity? In the absence of face-to-face activity for the foreseeable future this has become crucial to the very survival , let alone future growth, of the Party
We need to develop a strategic plan as a matter of the utmost urgency
The Ten-Minutes-a-Month-for-Socialism Campaign (see below) is one small way in which we can all contribute but there are other ways too. Comrades need to start thinking about this and coming up with innovative ideas. I urge branch secretaries to initiate discussion on this matter within their branches.
Best Regards
http://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/search?q=ten+minutes
I hope all comrades in Wales and elsewhere will join in this activity since physical or face-to-face activity has been suspended. Spread the word
http://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/search?q=ten+minutes
Also sanctions in place against countries like Iran, Venezuela and Syria have not only weakened the general health of the people there but also the health service and access to medicines, drugs and medical equipment. It is therefore not surprising that Iran is being particularly hit by the virus.
It is ironic that America, the instigator of these sanctions, has now surged ahead of Iran in terms of the number of confirmed cases and is now third in the world behind China and Italy
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
“Confirmed cases” does not go anywhere near to reflecting the true extent of the infection because so many people who may have the virus may not have been tested . South Korea has probably got the most effective testing and tracking capacity of any country in the world. By contrast the US is very weak in this area and this combined with the unique deficiencies of the healthcare system there and the dithering bumbling and contradictory approach of the Trump regime is a recipe for disaster.
I have a hunch that the epicentre of the virus is soon going to move from Europe to America just as it earlier moved from China to Europe. In a month’s time the picture could be dramatically different.
Could America become the new epicentre of the virus?
On the Front Lines of the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Doctor’s View
Also this
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/us/coronavirus-deaths-estimate.html
