COVID-19 updates and discussion

It was established over a century ago that mortality rates during the Spanish Flu were significantly lower among patients who spent their time outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight.

There are plenty of historical records out there—so do yourself a favor: go outside, take a walk, drive around, just don't be an idiot... and for heaven's sake, maintain some distance from others just in case.

It’s becoming pretty clear that the real issue with COVID-19 boils down to one thing: the ultra-wealthy elite:

1) The Chinese authorities covered things up because China is an industrial powerhouse facing an economic plateau built on environmental degradation and climate change.

2) People in the Northern US faced much higher mortality rates because the virus hit areas where PM2.5 air pollution was already through the roof.

3) The US waited way too long to close its borders, and that decision was driven purely by economics. Now, the long-term exposure to PM2.5 particles is taking a massive toll on the people living in those heavily polluted zones. I wouldn't be surprised if Trump attacks the WHO just to protect the fossil fuel industry and all that sweet revenue it generates.

4) The relatively low death counts in smaller American towns aren't just thanks to late-arriving restrictions—though everyone is probably infected by now anyway. It’s mostly just pure luck that our smaller cities have much less exposure to those nasty particulates.

5) Why does Belarus seem so "brave"? It’s simply because they're a northern, isolated nation with clean air and cold fronts. Those cold fronts and the lack of PM2.5 particles basically keep everything contained. COVID-19 can easily manage the immune systems there when there aren't other environmental stressors fighting them.

6) Honestly, fresh and clean air pretty much only exists out in the middle of nowhere right now. That’s the real reason behind the #stayhome orders; the air across the entire planet is trashed, but the oil lobby makes sure nobody talks about it.

Pollutants and nasty gases essentially crowd out oxygen in our atmosphere. And since oxygen is absolutely vital for everything from fueling our cells to just keeping us upright, you really have to wonder about the connection between dirty air and respiratory infections. It’s a question that keeps coming up.

With the flood of COVID-19 research coming in constantly, a recent study investigated the potential tie between poor air quality in the Northern US and the increased COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates in the region. The researchers point to evidence showing that folks living in spots with heavy air pollution are naturally more susceptible to chronic respiratory issues and long-term inflammation—which we already knew. Based on that, they argue that air pollution in the Northern US should be considered an additional co-factor of the high COVID-19 mortality rate in the area, though they didn't actually provide specific data to prove that hypothesis.

There’s also another preprint out there—so it hasn't even gone through peer review yet—that looks at a similar connection across China, Italy, and the US. In this case, this study did actually analyze air pollutant data from these locations using information from ground monitoring stations and Sentinel-5 satellite data. While it's true that they control for population density in statistical analyses, they seem to overlook the possibility that the density itself, rather than the smog, might be driving the higher infection rates. They also don't really touch on the socio-economic factors that often overlap with poor air quality and lead to higher death rates. The researchers highlight how closely poor air quality aligns with SARS-CoV-2 spread and high mortality in places like Italy, but they totally skip over the fact that since that country has one of the oldest populations globally, they were already facing a much higher risk of mortality regardless of the air.

Additionally, a further study looking at cases taken from 66 administrative regions in Italy, Spain, France, and Germany also used satellite data to look for an association between NO2 levels and COVID-19 fatalities. But, honestly, it runs into many of the same hurdles mentioned earlier. Relying on data from broad administrative regions can be pretty tricky because there are huge, meaningful differences within those zones that can mess with the analysis.

...

https://www.technologynetworks.com/t...otspots-334058

Hey, has anyone else on here caught COVID-19?

Ever since COVID-19 kicked off, trying to get anyone on the phone at my local Health department has become a total mission impossible. It’s either ringing endlessly or just busy—probably because someone else is stuck on hold—but nobody picks up for hours on end. Sometimes I can't even get through for days, and I just need them to handle a prescription.

Since I live right around the corner, one Friday I finally hit my limit with the calling (honestly, I think my own cell phone blocked me after I tried dialing the same number about 70 times), so I just walked over there. Not a soul in sight. I rang the bell, and eventually, a nurse opened the door....

I have no clue what’s going on, but I know other people have been complaining that nobody answers the phone either. Meanwhile, Vili Beroš is out here talking nonsense about telephone call volumes...🙂

Joshua Cox2 said:Ever since COVID-19 kicked off, trying to get anyone on the phone at my local Health department has become a total mission impossible. It’s either ringing endlessly or just busy—probably because someone else is stuck on hold—but nobody picks up for hours on end. Sometimes I can't even get through for days, and I just need them to handle a prescription.

Since I live right around the corner, one Friday I finally hit my limit with the calling (honestly, I think my own cell phone blocked me after I tried dialing the same number about 70 times), so I just walked over there. Not a soul in sight. I rang the bell, and eventually, a nurse opened the door....

I have no clue what’s going on, but I know other people have been complaining that nobody answers the phone either. Meanwhile, Vili Beroš is out here talking nonsense about telephone call volumes...🙂

Maybe the doctor is just on vacation, so you might have better luck calling during a different shift. That was the case with my pediatrician once.

ironangler22 said:Maybe the doctor is just on vacation, so you might have better luck calling during a different shift. That was the case with my pediatrician once.

No.

ironangler22 said:Hey, has anyone else on here caught COVID-19?

Looks like a few people over here have already chimed in

Mark Robinson said:Looks like a few people over here have already chimed in

Thanks.
Well, it unfortunately made its way into our house too.
We're doing alright for now—just keeping our fingers crossed for the road ahead.

I'm really hoping everything works out for the best, you know?

Mark Robinson said:I'm really hoping everything works out for the best, you know?

Thanks!
So far, so good. My wife is on day 7 of symptoms—nothing too crazy, just some mild stuff.
I'm checking my temperature every single day, and I'm still feeling fine so far.

Even my pathophysiology professor was supportive, and she actually sat in on our exam one day.

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