Category: Covid-19

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Amidst the debate about the Trump administrations response to the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic that began in early 2020, which many critics contended was too slow because the president initially failed to acknowledge the severity of the issue, social media users circulated a meme that supposedly documented a marked contradiction in the U.S. presidents statements on the issue across time:

According to this meme, as late as March 9, 2020, Donald Trump was still criticizing the press for supposedly inflam[ing] the CoronaVirus situation and quoting the U.S. surgeon general as asserting that, The risk is low to the average American. Yet a mere eight days later, according to the meme, Trump claimed he felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.

However observers might choose to interpret them, both of these statements are accurately dated and attributed to Trump in the meme. Trump tweeted the first statement on March 9:

The latter was a statement Trump made during a Coronavirus Task Force press briefing from the White House on March 17. As can be seen in the following video (at the 1:05:00 mark), as Trump fielded a question from a reporter about whether his tone on the pandemic had suddenly changed the previous day, he declared, This is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic. All you had to do is look at other countries; I think now its in almost 120 countries all over the world. No, Ive always viewed it as very serious. There was no difference yesterday from days before:

The New York Times chronicled this statement from Trump and contrasted it with others he had made in the weeks leading up to it:

For weeks, President Trump has minimized the coronavirus, mocked concern about it and treated the risk from it cavalierly. On [March 17] he took to the White House lectern and made a remarkable assertion: He knew it was a pandemic all along.

This is a pandemic, Mr. Trump told reporters. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.

This is what Mr. Trump has actually said over the past two months:

On Jan. 22, asked by a CNBC reporter whether there were worries about a pandemic, the president replied: No, not at all. We have it totally under control. Its one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. Its going to be just fine.

On Feb. 26, at a White House news conference, commenting on the countrys first reported cases: Were going to be pretty soon at only five people. And we could be at just one or two people over the next short period of time. So weve had very good luck.

On Feb. 27, at a White House meeting: Its going to disappear. One day its like a miracle it will disappear.

On March 7, standing next to President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil at Mar-a-Lago, his club in Palm Beach, Fla., when asked if he was concerned that the virus was spreading closer to Washington: No, Im not concerned at all. No, Im not. No, weve done a great job. (At least three members of the Brazilian delegation and one Trump donor at Mar-a-Lago that weekend later tested positive for the virus.)

On March 16, in the White House briefing room, warning that the outbreak would wash away this summer: So it could be right in that period of time where it, I say, wash it washes through. Other people dont like that term. But where it washes through.

But his assertion that he had long seen the pandemic coming was the most abrupt pivot yet from the voluminous number of claims and caustic remarks he has made about the disease.

Go here to read the rest:

Did Trump Say This About the COVID-19 Pandemic? - Snopes.com

Webster Countys first positive case of novel coronavirus, COVID-19, was confirmed on Thursday, according to the Webster County Public Health.

The individual has recovered from the virus, the Health Department reported.

The Webster County resident is in the 18-40 age group, according to Kelli Bloomquist, public information officer for the Emergency Operations Center for Webster County.

Test results typically take between four and seven days to be returned from the date of the testing, Bloomquist reported.

A specific date for when this individual was tested cannot be released, according to Bloomquist. Other identifying information such as what city the patient lives in can also not be released as it violates the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and other guidelines set forth by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Bloomquist said Webster County Public Health was informed of the test results Thursday morning, which was the same time the Iowa Department of Public Health was informed.

In terms of people who may have had contact with the ill patient, Bloomquist said, The people who met the criteria for notification were notified by Webster County Public Health.

Meanwhile, Wright County also confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on Thursday. That individual, who is aged 41-60, is self-isolating at home, according to Wright County Supervisor Karl Helgevold. Helgevold is serving as the public information officer for that county.

Webster County Public Health Director Kari Prescott continues to urge caution and responsibility in regards to slowing the spread of the virus.

While this is Webster Countys first case, it may not be the last, and thats why we encourage all residents to continue to make prevention a priority, Prescott said.

According to Prescott, these actions include: washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm and staying home when ill.

Approximately 80% of Iowans infected with COVID-19, will experience only a mild to moderate illness, Prescott said. Most mildly ill Iowans do not need to go to their health care provider or be tested to confirm they have COVID-19.

Sick Iowans must stay home and isolate themselves from others in their house, according to the Health Department.

The Health Department advises people to stay home and isolate from others in the house until: you have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers) and other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved) and at least seven days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.

People who believe they need health care are asked to call first. Providers can assess whether patients need to be seen in the office or if they can recover at home. There may also be options for patients to talk to a medical provider from home using technology.

For additional questions, contact Webster County Health Department at 515-573-4107 or after hours call 515-227-7153.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the IDPH webpage at https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-IssuWebster Countys first positive case of novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been confirmed, according to the Webster County Health Department.

Fort Dodge and Webster County community leaders share in these videos how the emergency operations team is responding to the COVID-19 emergency.

The videos can be viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh_vw3k5iFZFWBJu9PUbk19l6Cm4PWypr

Webster County Public Health has videos on their Facebook page to help answer questions the public might have.

ALGONA Supplies like disposable gloves and masks for first responders and health care workers are needed in ...

As the number of COVID-19 cases increases statewide, UnityPoint Health Clinic and Berryhill Center are ...

See more here:

First case of COVID-19 confirmed in Webster County | News, Sports, Jobs - Fort Dodge Messenger

Nearly a week and a half after Googles sister company Verily launched its COVID-19 screening and testing website, the company has published a video of its in-person drive-through testing process.

As the video explains, anyone looking to be tested first has to take an online screening questionnaire, the details of which were revealed last week when the website launched. The screener is designed to help prioritize testing. The criteria include exposure to existing cases of the virus, current symptoms, age, previous health conditions, and at-risk locations or occupations. Those criteria determine whether you qualify.

If you qualify for testing, youll get a reference ID number and appointment details, including the time and location. Then, youll head to the testing site, which consists of three stations. At the first station, youll get your ID and reference ID checked through the closed window of your vehicle to prevent possible infection. Once confirmed, youll drive to the second station, which will match your ID to a lab kit. Then youll head to the final station, where youll receive a nasal swab. That sample will get sent to a lab, with results delivered between two to four days later.

Right now, Verilys Project Baseline testing is still limited to just Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. As the video notes, Verilys website and testing process is part of the larger, California-based COVID-19 testing program, which is a state-directed program with federal input. Despite muddled statements from the White House regarding a Google-built screening website earlier in March, its not clear that Verily has plans to expand the program beyond California, or even whether the Verily Project Baseline site was the Google website that President Trump had been referring to at the time.

Read more from the original source:

Verily details drive-through COVID-19 testing in new video - The Verge

The study, published in the medical journal JAMA Cardiology on Wednesday, found that among a group of Covid-19 patients hospitalized in Wuhan China, 19.7% suffered cardiac injury, which was found to be a risk factor for dying in the hospital.

Cardiac injury, also referred to as myocardial injury, occurs when there is damage to the heart muscle, and such damage can occur when blood flow to the heart is reduced -- which is what causes a heart attack.

The new study, conducted from January to February, included data on 416 adults who were confirmed to have Covid-19 and were hospitalized at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University in China.

The data also revealed that the death rate was higher among patients with cardiac injury versus those without: 42 of the patients with cardiac injury, or 51.2%, died versus 15 of those without, or 4.5%.

"We know that cardiac damage is a marker for more mortality," Michos said. "This study clearly showed that even after you account for age and pre-existing cardiovascular disease, there was a still four-fold increased risk of dying. That's really important."

The new study had some limitations, including that the findings are based on observational data, and more research is needed to determine whether similar findings would emerge among a larger and more diverse group of Covid-19 patients.

Though the study showed cardiac injury is a common condition among patients hospitalized with Covid-19, it did not indicate whether Covid-19 directly causes cardiac injury. The mechanism of cardiac injury, or the process in which it occurs, among the patients with Covid-19 remains uncertain, and more evidence is needed to demonstrate whether Covid-19 directly injures the heart, the authors said.

"We need to figure out the mechanism of why do people with evidence of cardiac injury have higher morbidity or mortality? Is it related to the fact that they have underlying conditions that make them more susceptible to dying? Is it a marker of individuals that have a more robust immune response that is leading to heart damage?" said Michos of Johns Hopkins.

This and other studies suggest that those with elevated troponin, which measures cardiac injury, seem to be at a greater risk than when the elevation of other types of markers are present, such as inflammatory markers, Michos said.

The researchers also offered some ideas, writing in the study that people with preexisting cardiovascular diseases might be more susceptible to heart injury induced by Covid-19.

"Approximately 30% and 60% of patients with cardiac injury in the present study had a history of coronary heart disease and hypertension, respectively, which were significantly more prevalent than in those without cardiac injury," the researchers wrote in the study.

Also, acute inflammatory responses due to an infection can lead to reduced blood flow in patients with preexisting cardiovascular diseases, the researchers noted. They wrote that "based on these lines of evidence, we hypothesize that an intense inflammatory response superimposed on preexisting cardiovascular disease may precipitate cardiac injury."

A 'potentially important long-term issue'

When it comes to the public health impacts of Covid-19 and cardiac injury, the study suggests that "two key take-aways are that it's an important marker of those at high-risk for mortality as a consequence of Covid-19 infection and it may be an indicator of future risks associated with the cardiovascular injury from this infection, even if you recover," Gump said.

"Even though they're not dying from that cardiac injury, something about that biomarker is providing some prognostic value beyond other risk factors that were controlled, so it could still be important in terms of identifying high-risk patients that enter the hospital with Covid-19," Gump said.

"The other key here is the potentially important long-term issue," he said. "Many patients who pull through may still have cardiac injury and associated long-term cardiovascular issues as a consequence of Covid-19 infection."

They noted in the editorial that so far there have been only scarce data with respect to cardiovascular complications of Covid-19.

"To date, many patients with COVID-19 are still hospitalized in China and other countries, such as Italy and Iran. Therefore, continued observations of the cardiovascular complications of the disease are needed. In addition, further assessment is needed to identify risk factors for poor prognosis," Yang and Jin wrote. "Emerging as an acute infectious disease, COVID-19 may become a chronic epidemic similar to influenza because of genetic recombination. Therefore, we should be ready for the reemergence of COVID-19 or other coronaviruses."

CNN's Gina Yu contributed to this report.

See original here:

Cardiac injury among hospitalized Covid-19 patients tied to higher risk of death in new study - CNN

On March 5th, as COVID-19 began to reshape American life, I noted here that big tech companies had responded with unusual alacrity. Where they once had been loath to intervene in matters of fact, suddenly Facebook and Twitter were prominently featuring links to high-quality information from the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization in their respective feeds and search results. Google followed suit shortly thereafter.

In the weeks since, Big Tech has only accelerated its efforts at doing good. They have donated tens of millions of dollars to relief efforts. They have contributed large stocks of precious N95 masks acquired during last years wildfires to medical organizations. They have added sections to their apps highlighting accurate news about COVID-19. And as unemployment surged, Facebook pledged $100 million in grants to small businesses, and Amazon said it would hire 100,000 people.

In a dramatic change from only weeks before, news about Big Tech has been a bright spot at a time of great fear and, increasingly, of grief. Increasingly, journalists are asking whether the backlash against technology companies that has defined coverage of them for the past three and a half years might have come to an end.

In Wired on Friday, Steven Levy asked the question plainly: has the coronvirus killed the techlash? He writes:

Now that our lives are dominated by these giants, we see them as greedy exploiters of personal data and anticompetitive behemoths who have generally degraded society. Before the pandemic, there was every expectation that those companies would be reined in, if not split apart.

But the deus ex machina of an overwhelming public health crisis has changed things. The pandemic may have the effect of a justifiable war waged by an embattled president with low popularity. While Big Techs misdeeds are still apparent, their actual deeds now matter more to us. Were using Facebook to comfort ourselves while physically bunkered and social distancing. Google is being conscripted as the potential hub of one of our greatest needsCovid-19 testing. Our personal supply chainliterally the only way many of us are getting food and vital suppliesis Amazon.

Who knew the techlash was susceptible to a virus?

At CNBC, Salvador Rodriguez explored the same issue on Saturday, focused on Facebook. After rounding up everything the company had done so far, he said: Facebook wont be able to rebuild trust with the public overnight, but when the company was presented with an opportunity to rebuild goodwill by being proactive and helpful during global health and financial crises, Facebook sprung to action and seized the moment.

Subsequent articles have noted that, however magnanimous tech giants have acted in the crisis so far, they have much to gain from successfully navigating the coronavirus response. In The Information, Cory Weinberg noted that the companies work so far would likely have a recruiting benefit:

It is too early to know how big tech companies might seize the moment. And their own businesses certainly arent immune to economic fallout. But one area where they stand to benefit is recruiting. In recent years, big tech firms have had to compete with fast-growing startups for skilled computer scientists, especially as scandals and questions about abuses of power have tainted the reputations of the bigger firms. But tech workers who once might have preferred the dynamic surroundings of a small startup now might welcome the safer bet of a big enterprise.

One software engineer, who declined to be named to protect his job prospects, said he has been ignoring dozens of emails and calls from recruiters at Facebook in the last few months as he sought to develop his own company or join younger firms. But with venture capital firms expected to pull back from investing in nascent businesses, this month he scheduled an interview with the social media giant. His rationale: Stock gains from an equity package at Facebook could eventually help him self-fund his startup.

And perhaps even more importantly, the crisis represents an opportunity for tech companies to entwine themselves ever more deeply into customers lives. Already Ive had friends who had sworn off Facebook for good return to check on friends and family; will they be so quickly to delete it when a more normal way of life resumes? Amazon Prime may be groaning under the weight of increased demand, but after it gets your family through this crisis, would you ever dream of canceling it?

Daisuke Wakabayashi, Jack Nicas, Steve Lohr and Mike Isaac explore this question in the New York Times:

While Amazon has changed shopping habits for items like books, getting customers to trust it with groceries has been challenging. Now, as more people are forced to stay home, one of the last strongholds of physical retailing may be coming under pressure. [...]

As more customers try different Amazon services, they may create permanent shifts in buying habits, said Guru Hariharan, a former Amazon employee and the founder of CommerceIQ, a company whose automation software is used by major brands like Kelloggs and Kimberly-Clark.

For now, I think the prevailing sentiment is accurate: tech giants have probably turned a corner in public opinion. I imagine that the next time The Verge does its survey of Americans, it will find that the decline in trust has at least slowed, if not entirely reversed. One pressing question is whether that shift in sentiment, assuming its real, will affect the many ongoing state and federal investigations into competition and privacy issues that are still under way. Since late 2016 we have been focused on the problems that emerge from the size of giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon; in the past several weeks the benefits that come from that size have become more apparent.

Still, its possible that even a perfect response to the COVID-19 crisis could plant the seeds for a future backlash. So much of the frustration with tech companies in recent years has originated from the fact that they are inescapable. Dependence breeds resentment, and the fewer alternatives consumers have to tech giants, the more resentful they are likely to become in time. Its also possible and even likely that tech companies will make significant errors in their handling of the crisis, which could set back any progress they haver made.

But all that can wait for another day. For better and for worse, Americans are relying on technology companies to get them through the next several months. If there was ever a moment for these companies to prove their worth, its now.

Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.

Trending up: Volunteers from Amazon, Alphabet, and Apple worked every night for a week to make a website called covidnearyou that tracks the virus as it spreads.

Trending up: The World Health Organization has partnered with Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Microsoft for a hackathon dedicated to solving problems related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ten Amazon warehouses in the United States have had workers test positive for COVID-19. The news comes as the e-commerce giant races to hire 100,000 more workers to meet the rising demand. Heres Jay Greene at The Washington Post:

The company has recently adopted new policies for its warehouses, including more regularly cleaning door handles, stairway handrails, touch screens and more, Levandowski said. Its nixed stand-up meetings, staggered start and break times to aid social distancing, and suspended screening workers as they leave to improve the flow of workers, she said.

Amazon, though, is struggling to get workers all the protection it wants them to have. The company placed orders for millions of face masks to give to employees and contractors who cannot work from home, Bezos wrote in a letter to employees Saturday. Because of the global shortage of those masks, though, very few of those orders have been filled, he wrote.

Also: Amazon told workers at its warehouse in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, that it will keep the facility shut indefinitely after three people tested positive for COVID-19. The workers will continue to receive their scheduled pay. (Matt Day / Bloomberg)

Still, Amazon could come out of this crisis stronger than ever. The shutdown of many retail stores, along with a general anxiety about going out in public, could end up increasing the companys share of overall retail by prompting shoppers to buy more stuff over the internet. (Priya Anand and Ashley Gold / The Information)

Amazon appears to be prioritizing shipments of its own hardware devices, like the Amazon Echo, while delaying distribution of other nonessential items as demand continues to soar. (Priya Anand / The Information)

Singapore is open-sourcing its coronavirus contact-tracing app, called TraceTogether. The app uses Bluetooth to identify people whove been in close contact with COVID-19 patients. Heres Hariz Baharudin at The Straits Times:

Launched last Friday, the TraceTogether app can identify people who have been within 2m of coronavirus patients for at least 30 minutes, using wireless Bluetooth technology. Its developers say the app is useful when those infected cannot recall whom they had been in close proximity with for an extended duration.

For the app to start tracing, the Bluetooth setting on mobile phones has to be turned on.

If a user gets infected, the authorities will be able to quickly find out the other users he has been in close contact with, allowing for easier identification of potential cases and helping curb the spread of the virus.

Russia is using facial-recognition technology to track people who are supposed to self-quarantine. Its also threatening prison time for those who dont self-isolate. (Robyn Dixon / The Washington Post)

Nextdoor has become the place for neighbors to connect, organize, and help one another amid the coronavirus outbreak. But relics of the old Nextdoor are still there, conspiracy theories and all. (John Herrman / The New York Times)

Facebook, Tesla, and Apple have pledged to donate thousands of masks to combat the medical equipment shortages caused by the novel coronavirus. Experts say it makes sense that these companies have vast stockpiles, since California is no stranger to natural disasters. (Blake Montgomery / Daily Beast)

Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook is just trying to keep the lights on as traffic continues to soar amid the coronavirus outbreak. The challenge is compounded by the company struggling to transition to a fully work from home culture. (Mike Isaac and Sheera Frenkel / The New York Times)

Also: Heres what Facebook said about dealing with the spike in traffic.

The World Health Organization plans to reach at least 50 million people with a WhatsApp chat service that delivers information about the novel coronavirus. The service garnered 10 million users within three days of launching. (Antony Sguazzin / Bloomberg)

Twitter temporarily locked the account of The Federalist after the conservative opinion site published a piece proposing the deliberate spread of the coronavirus in order to boost immunity to the disease. Fast, decisive, positive action from Twitter here. (Zachary Petrizzo / Mediaite)

Apples Screen Time feature has become a horrifying reminder of how much were using our devices now that were all stuck at home. Im up to 16 hours a day across my devices, how about you? (Travis M. Andrews / The Washington Post)

Pinterest launched a new Today tab to bring people curated boards and coronavirus information. The company plans to include expert information from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control. (Nathan Ingraham / Engadget)

Foxconn and Wistron, two iPhone makers, have suspended production at their Indian plants to comply with a nationwide lockdown ordered. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered the population to stay at home for three weeks. (Debby Wu / Bloomberg)

The coronavirus pandemic isnt (yet?) hurting TikTok stars at The Hype House in Los Angeles. Some say theyve seen enormous growth since the virus started to spread. (EJ Dickson / Rolling Stone)

Hundreds of tech employees are getting laid off amid the coronavirus outbreak and now its all happening over Zoom. Heres how it went down at TripActions. (Biz Carson / Protocol)

Theres a conflict playing out in the more orthodox factions of the Jewish community about whether or not to allow Zoom for virtual Seders. (Arutz Sheva)

Why youre getting coronavirus emails from every brand youve ever interacted with. Theyre all making decisions out of an abundance of caution. Abundance OCaution is going to be a great drag name for someone when this is all over. Or now! (Rebecca Jennings / Vox)

The internet was designed to adapt to huge spikes in traffic just like the one were living through. But the platforms and apps that make the internet useful are less tested. (Adam Clark Estes / Recode)

Americans who primarily get their news through social media are less likely to closely follow coronavirus news coverage. Theyre also the most likely to report seeing misinformation about the pandemic. (Pew Research Center)

Total cases in the US: 54,453

Total deaths in the US: 737

Cases reported in California: 2,853

Cases reported in New York: 26,358

Cases reported in Washington: 2,469

Information from the CDC. California data from the Los Angeles Times.

Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.

Crunch is now offering free online workout classes for 45 days.

The Verge launched a newsletter called Home Screen about life on the internet during the pandemic. Its designed to show you fun distractions from the disaster highly recommended.

A new app called Find My Pasta tells you the availably of products at nearby stores.

The popular game Heads Up is now free to download.

Send us tips, comments, questions, and backlash against this newsletter: casey@theverge.com and zoe@theverge.com.

Read the original post:

How COVID-19 is changing public perception of big tech companies - The Verge

On March 24, a headline in the Financial Times proclaimed that "Coronavirus may have infected half of UK population," suggesting that many people in the region may have already recovered from and developed some immunity to COVID-19.

But is that actually true?

The news article focused on a new study from the University of Oxford, which has not been peer reviewed or published in a scientific journal. The study authors collected available data about deaths tied to the novel coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, reported in both the United Kingdom and Italy, and used these numbers to model how the virus might have spread through the U.K. so far.

In one hypothetical scenario, the authors estimated that viral transmission began 38 days before the first recorded death in the U.K., which took place March 5. They found that, given this start date, 68% of the population would have been infected by March 19. This statistic made headlines in the Financial Times, and later, outlets like the Evening Standard, Daily Mail and The Sun, according to Wired U.K.

But this mathematical narrative rests on several key assumptions that are not backed by real-world data, experts told Wired.

To begin, the authors write that their overall approach "rests on the assumption that only a very small proportion of the population is at risk of hospitabitable illness." In their most extreme model, the authors estimate that just 0.1% of the population, or one in every 1,000 people, will require hospitalization.

"We can already see just by looking at Italy ... that that figure has already been exceeded," Tim Colbourn, an epidemiologist at University College Londons Institute for Global Health, told Wired U.K. In the region of Lombardy alone, more than one in 1,000 people have been hospitalized, and that number continues to grow every day, Wired U.K. reported.

Related: 10 deadly diseases that hopped across species

Several scientists posted additional critiques of the study through the Science Media Centre, an independent U.K.-based press office that works with researchers, journalists and policy makers to disseminate accurate scientific information.

"The work models one of the most important questions how far has the infection really spread in the total absence of any direct data," wrote James Wood, head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge, who researches infection dynamics and disease control. While the paper poses an important question, the assumptions underlying the model leave the authors' conclusions "open to gross over interpretation by others," Wood said.

"As far as I can tell, the model ... assumes that all those infected, whether they are asymptomatic, mildly ill or severely ill are equally infectious to others," Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, wrote on the Science Media Centre site. "This is almost certainly false." Data suggest that asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic people may actually fuel the rapid spread of COVID-19.

In addition, the model assumes that the U.K. population would become "completely mixed" over time, meaning any given individual has an equal chance of running into another within the region, Hunter wrote. "We do not all have an equal random chance of meeting every other person in the U.K., infected or otherwise," he said. Without some acknowledgement of the structure of social networks within the U.K.; the relative risk of running into a mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic person; and the risk of severe infection tied to different demographics, the simplified model "should not be given much credibility," Hunter said.

In comparison, a recent study from Imperial College London included numbers from several Italian villages where every resident received a diagnostic test and might provide more realistic benchmarks for the extent of infection elsewhere, lead author Niall Ferguson told the Science and Technology Committee, according to Wired U.K. "Those data all point to the fact that we are nowhere near the [Oxford study] scenario in terms of the extent of the infection," Ferguson said.

Despite its flaws, the Oxford paper did highlight an important point, upon which all the Science Media Centre experts and those who spoke to Wired U.K. agreed:

The U.K. needs to determine how many people have already been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 to shape public health policy going forward. This feat can be accomplished with widespread serological testing (blood tests), which would reveal who has antibodies to the novel coronavirus circulating in their blood. The U.K. has ordered 3.5 million antibody tests and must now validate the kits before selling them to the public, Wired U.K. previously reported.

"As the authors say [in their paper], a proper test will come from serological surveys which will tell us how many people have been exposed," Mark Woolhouse, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh wrote on the Science Media Centre. If data gathered through serological testing does support the Oxford model, it would have "huge implications," Woolhouse added. For instance, the finding would suggest that many people in the U.K. now have immunity against COVID-19, which would help break the chains of viral transmission to those who are still vulnerable. This phenomenon is known as herd immunity.

"It would imply that the main reason why COVID-19 epidemics peak is the build-up of herd immunity," he wrote. "Though that would not change current policy in the UK, which is focused [on] reducing the short-term impact of the epidemic on the [National Health Service], it would change enormously our long-term expectations making a second wave significantly less likely and raising the possibility that the public health threat of COVID-19 will diminish all around the world in the coming months."

Originally published on Live Science.

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Has half the UK already caught COVID-19? Probably not. - Live Science

RAYMONDVILLE A 4-year-old has become the first case of coronavirus confirmed in Willacy County.

On Thursday, Mayor Gilbert Gonzales said health officials were not releasing the childs sex or home town in this sparsely populated farming area.

However, he said the childs infection was not related to travel.

The state health departments Region 11 offices is conducting an investigation to determine whether others have contracted the virus, Frank Torres, the countys emergency management coordinator, said.

The individuals family has been notified and is being treated and (officials are) following up with an investigation to determine whos been in contact with the person or persons infected, Torres said. Theyve been put under quarantine.

Torres urged residents to follow federal guidelines recommending they keep six-foot distances between themselves and others to help prevent the spread of the virus.

We have to make sure we practice social distancing to keep this from spreading, Torres said.

Fernando del Valle is a Reporter for the Valley Morning Star. He can be reached at fdelvalle@valleystar.com or (956) 430-6278.

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4-year-old becomes first COVID-19 case confirmed in Willacy County - Monitor

Garbage contaminated with bodily fluids or other infectious materials is becoming a bigger concern for hospitals as they brace for a surge in patients sick with COVID-19 in the US. Patients and health care workers are quickly going through medical supplies and disposable personal protective equipment, like masks. Eventually all that used gear piles up as medical waste that needs to be safely discarded.

In Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus first emerged, officials didnt just need to build new hospitals for the influx of patients; they had to construct a new medical waste plant and deploy 46 mobile waste treatment facilities too. Hospitals there generated six times as much medical waste at the peak of the outbreak as they did before the crisis began. The daily output of medical waste reached 240 metric tons, about the weight of an adult blue whale.

Theres already been an uptick of garbage from personal protective equipment in the US, according to medical waste company Stericycle, which handled 1.8 billion pounds of medical waste globally in 2018. And some things that arent usually considered medical waste, like food, now need to be handled more carefully after coming in contact with a COVID-19 patient. Stericycle didnt provide numbers for how much of an increase its seeing so far, adding that it believes it has the capacity to handle the swell and may add shifts to the companys 50 treatment centers in the US if necessary. Additionally, the drop in elective surgeries might offset some of the rise in waste were seeing from the pandemic, a spokesperson for Stericycle tells The Verge.

Its a rapidly changing environment right now and forecasting volumes is challenging, Stericycle Vice President of Corporate Communications Jennifer Koenig wrote in an email to The Verge. We are closely monitoring the situation with all relevant agencies to determine next steps.

The CDC says that medical waste from COVID-19 can be treated the same way as regular medical waste. Regulations on how to treat that waste vary by location and can be governed by state health and environmental departments, as well as by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Department of Transportation. Generally, to make sure contaminated trash from health care facilities doesnt pose any harm to the public before going to a landfill, its typically burned, sterilized with steam, or chemically disinfected.

Theres more to worry about than waste from medical centers. The disease is spread out beyond hospitals. Some people who have minor symptoms are recovering at home. Others who are asymptomatic might not know that the trash theyre throwing out could be contaminated. That means people may be generating plenty of virus-laden trash. Thats worrying for sanitation workers, as the virus can persist for up to a day on cardboard and for longer on metal and plastic, according to one study of the virus in lab conditions.

But if garbage is properly bagged instead of kept loose and workers are wearing personal protective equipment, especially gloves, then there shouldnt be a risk of catching the virus, David Biderman, CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America, tells The Verge. Practicing social distancing while on the job, including maintaining appropriate distances from people, may also help reduce sanitation workers risks, says Elise Paeffgen, a partner with the firm Alston & Bird who works on medical waste issues.

People handling health care waste in particular should wear appropriate gear, including boots, aprons, long-sleeved gowns, thick gloves, masks, and goggles or face shields, according to recommendations from the World Health Organization. Luckily, protective efforts so far seem to have paid off. There is no evidence that direct, unprotected human contact during the handling of health care waste has resulted in the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, according to a March 19th technical brief from the WHO. As the pandemic grows, so will the waste, and keeping that garbage safe and contained will continue to be a challenge for communities until the crisis is over.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is generating tons of medical waste - The Verge

Dyson the British technology company best known for its high-powered vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, and fans has designed a new ventilator, the CoVent, in the past several days, which it will be producing in order to help treat coronavirus patients, via CNN.

The company reportedly developed the ventilator in 10 days based on Dysons existing digital motor technology. Dyson is still seeking regulatory approval in the UK for the rapidly designed device, but its already received an order from the UK Government for 10,000 ventilators, of which the National Health Service (NHS) is in dire need.

The CoVent is a bed-mounted and portable ventilator, with the option to run on battery power should the need arise. This new device can be manufactured quickly, efficiently and at volume, company founder James Dyson noted in a letter to the company obtained by Fast Company, adding that the CoVent was designed to address the specific clinical needs of Covid-19 patients. Dyson also pledged in the letter to donate an additional 5,000 ventilators to the international effort, 1,000 of which will go to the United Kingdom.

The race is now on to get it into production, Dyson noted in his letter, with a company spokesperson telling CNN that the ventilators would be ready in early April.

Ventilators which provide assisted breathing for patients who are unable to breath themselves are critical for the treatment of severe cases of COVID-19, which causes respiratory symptoms in some patients. Dyson isnt the only major company thats pivoted to ventilator design and production in recent days carmarkers like Ford, Tesla, and General Motors have also pledged to repurpose their plants toward developing the critical treatment devices as shortages around the world continue to grow.

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Dyson developed and is producing ventilators to help treat COVID-19 patients - The Verge

Some of them, previously recognized as CNN Heroes for their work to fix problems in their communities, now find themselves helping stem the tide of the virus.

"Covid-19, aka coronavirus, aka 'Rona' -- what we call it in my neighborhood -- it's pretty scary," Gore told CNN. "I'm not going to lie. It's scary times."

New York City is now considered the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States, with about 60% of the new cases in the country. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state is experiencing an "astronomical surge" in cases, which are now doubling every three days.

"I've worked in disaster zones in the past," Gore said, noting his relief work in post-earthquake Haiti, South America and East Africa. "This feels like it's a culmination of all of them."

For Gore, this crisis isn't a typical natural disaster, like Haiti's 2010 earthquake, but he said he sees similarities in terms of lack of resources, access to care, and fear. Shortages of equipment such as ventilators, gloves and masks have been widely reported in New York City.

Tents are set up outside Gore's hospital to assess and contain Covid-19 cases. And Gore is now living at an Airbnb to avoid infecting his family. For how long? He's not sure.

"Right now with coronavirus, we don't know how many patients are going to keep coming in," he said. "We don't know when it's going to end."

But the pandemic has given his work an even greater sense of urgency.

"People that we have out here on the streets ... may be at higher risk in some ways for the Covid infection that's coming," said Withers, who spoke with CNN from the field, where he was helping screen people for the virus. "It's very important ... to not forget members of our community that may not be able to make it to standard testing areas."

Withers' group has been designated by the city's mayor to lead virus management for the homeless. His team is giving out soap and jugs of water, and educating people about how they can protect themselves. They also have masks, tents and sleeping bags available for those who need to isolate but don't want to go to the hospital.

In addition to helping contain the spread of the virus, Withers said he believes his work might help in the larger fight against Covid-19, increasing knowledge of how it's spreading and who may be at the greatest risk.

His mission is now one of the most vital ways to keep the virus from spreading.

"All of a sudden we have woken up to a new reality ... where everyone is talking about handwashing with soap," said Lakhani, a 2017 CNN Hero. "And it is our job to meet that demand and provide as much soap to people around the world as humanly possible, especially right now."

During the past two and a half months, his group has provided 375,000 bars of soap to people in 10 countries, ranging from rural communities in south Asia to people in slum communities in East and South Africa. His team has also started making surgical masks out of recycled hotel linens. But soap -- and hygiene education -- remain his primary focus.

"We are on track, should this virus still persist, to reach 2.5 million people by the end of this year with the soap that they need to keep themselves healthy," Lakhani said.

While they're consumed with battling the virus in their own ways, all of these CNN Heroes see reasons to be positive.

Gore recommends using this time of social distancing for self-reflection, and as an opportunity to find ways to help others.

"Think about who you are and what kind of problems you want to fix," Gore said. "Contemplate these issues that you may have had in the back of your mind that you've always wanted to tackle. ... Try to make the best of these times."

Lakhani said he believes this crisis will ultimately show humanity at its best.

"We can adapt to almost any crisis that we face, and that is something that we should be proud of," he said. "All of a sudden, I feel a sense of closeness to people. ... It is as if the color of our skin and boundaries have just dissipated and dissolved in front of our eyes."

Withers said he, too, feels the lessons we're learning now can help us build a better future.

"We're all in this together. These are our brothers and sisters out here," he said. "Hopefully, the lessons that we learn here of being together and taking care of each other will last far beyond this Covid epidemic."

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How these CNN Heroes are fighting Covid-19 on the front lines - CNN