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| Cardboard bed, Columbia |
Epidemic
In the USA about 37000 deaths have been attributed to nursing homes, about 37% of the national total. and another 500 to correctional facilities.
As the disease moves into rural areas in the USA, inadequacies in local health care provision are becoming more obvious. The movement of the disease is not a wave but a series of checkerboard hotspots that come and go.
Manypeople have been flouting distancing and crowd restrictions for Memorial Day celebrations in Florida, Houston and North Carolina. An uptick in hospitalisations is probably associated with re-opening while infections are still very active (deaths are still around 2000 per day in the USA). The general impression is that large parts of the USA have pretty much given up trying to control the disease.
On the positive side, the New York pandemic is more or less under control, though new cases have been falling much more slowly at about 2% a day than they rose (25% a day).
A majority of patients in some areas of the USA are Latinos, because they live in very crowded environments and have had to find low paid work during lockdown, often illegally.
The meat processing industry seems to be particularly affected, everywhere. Tyson Industry, the biggest processor in the USA, now has 7000 associated cases, and there are 4000 more in two other firms.There are calls for greater automation, as in Denmark.
The CDC has correctly determined that very few parameters of the disease have been adequately established . In our opinion, it should not have been so difficult and represents a failure of planning.
A French study has revealed even mild cases produce antibodies, though it is not clear for how long or to what degree they are effective.
Kenya has hit triple-digit figures in new cases for the first time.- joining a number of other sub-Saharan African countries.Nigeria and other larger West African countries passed 200 a day more than a month ago. So far, only Sudan and Nigeria have had more than 100 deaths.
As the disease moves into rural areas in the USA, inadequacies in local health care provision are becoming more obvious. The movement of the disease is not a wave but a series of checkerboard hotspots that come and go.
Manypeople have been flouting distancing and crowd restrictions for Memorial Day celebrations in Florida, Houston and North Carolina. An uptick in hospitalisations is probably associated with re-opening while infections are still very active (deaths are still around 2000 per day in the USA). The general impression is that large parts of the USA have pretty much given up trying to control the disease.
On the positive side, the New York pandemic is more or less under control, though new cases have been falling much more slowly at about 2% a day than they rose (25% a day).
A majority of patients in some areas of the USA are Latinos, because they live in very crowded environments and have had to find low paid work during lockdown, often illegally.
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| Automated meatpacking, Denmark |
The CDC has correctly determined that very few parameters of the disease have been adequately established . In our opinion, it should not have been so difficult and represents a failure of planning.
A French study has revealed even mild cases produce antibodies, though it is not clear for how long or to what degree they are effective.
Kenya has hit triple-digit figures in new cases for the first time.- joining a number of other sub-Saharan African countries.Nigeria and other larger West African countries passed 200 a day more than a month ago. So far, only Sudan and Nigeria have had more than 100 deaths.
Response
The major response of the Australian government to the crisis and lockdown was Jobkeeper, a program that paid AU$1500 a fortnight to affected workers (this is more than the wage of many low-paid part-time workers, and the age pension is about $1000). About 6.6 million workers were supposed to be eligible but only 3 million qualified, a "saving" of $60 billion to the government - more than the output of some large national industries.
There is a strong incentive to stores to conceal COVID cases if they can get away with it. Infected or dead workers were covered up at more than 30 supermarkets, and managers retaliated against workers who voiced concerns. 5500 grocery workers have tested positive in the USA, and big clusters have been associated with several Walmarts.
The UK has unveiled its test-and-trace system, involving 25,000 call handlers working from their homes. Anyone with symptoms can now get a test.. Initially it will be advisory as people are "expected to cooperate". They will be eligible for sick leave o a government grant while they do so. As in Sweden however, doctors have advised that half of all contacts are refusing to isolate voluntarily. They were unwilling or unable to pass on contact details or to stop work because they would lose money or their employer would not approve their absence. It has been estimated the system will reduce transmissions by 5% to 15%.
The National Shielding Service in Britain is no longer covering those with cancer, liver disease and severe asthma. They texted individuals before they were advised by their doctors, upsetting many.
The lack of a coordinated national response continues to plague the USA. While individual states have been looking at bluetooth tracing apps, there are no proposals for a national system.
In Latin America, Columbian designers have come up with a cardboard hospital bed that doubles as a coffin if necessary.Cardboard coffins were distributed during the earlier outbreak in Ecuador. Columbia is relaxing its two month lockdown just as cases are rising to 1000 per day.
A senior CSIRO health scientist Dr Rob Grenfell has described a "global war against the virus" and says leaders will be judged accordingly. He stressed Brazil's catastrophic response, where health authorities are not being listened to at all, and the USA where states have had to rally against the President. The media spreading false accusations was "unhelpful".
There is a strong incentive to stores to conceal COVID cases if they can get away with it. Infected or dead workers were covered up at more than 30 supermarkets, and managers retaliated against workers who voiced concerns. 5500 grocery workers have tested positive in the USA, and big clusters have been associated with several Walmarts.
The UK has unveiled its test-and-trace system, involving 25,000 call handlers working from their homes. Anyone with symptoms can now get a test.. Initially it will be advisory as people are "expected to cooperate". They will be eligible for sick leave o a government grant while they do so. As in Sweden however, doctors have advised that half of all contacts are refusing to isolate voluntarily. They were unwilling or unable to pass on contact details or to stop work because they would lose money or their employer would not approve their absence. It has been estimated the system will reduce transmissions by 5% to 15%.
The National Shielding Service in Britain is no longer covering those with cancer, liver disease and severe asthma. They texted individuals before they were advised by their doctors, upsetting many.
The lack of a coordinated national response continues to plague the USA. While individual states have been looking at bluetooth tracing apps, there are no proposals for a national system.
In Latin America, Columbian designers have come up with a cardboard hospital bed that doubles as a coffin if necessary.Cardboard coffins were distributed during the earlier outbreak in Ecuador. Columbia is relaxing its two month lockdown just as cases are rising to 1000 per day.
Geopolitical
As Turkey and Greece emerge from their lockdowns, Greece has rushed riot police to its border in anticipation of refugees trying to cross.A senior CSIRO health scientist Dr Rob Grenfell has described a "global war against the virus" and says leaders will be judged accordingly. He stressed Brazil's catastrophic response, where health authorities are not being listened to at all, and the USA where states have had to rally against the President. The media spreading false accusations was "unhelpful".
Economy
Major supermarket chains in Australia that put on about 32,000 casual workers to deal with the panic buying episode in March are now reducing their hours as normal trading is resumed. They are also stuck with excess product bought to cope with the panic buying.
420,000 of the richest residents of New York left during the pandemic, which has "gutted the city". The "party is over" which for some was the main attraction of city life. More economic than fun - city rents are very expensive and only justified if one has work.
In Australia only 4% of flour has typically gone to domestic sales in the past, but stay-at-home has boosted that by 135%, while commercial sales have fallen. Flour mills have had difficulty repackaging into smaller containers.
The US is on the point of a crisis of evictions as protections and payments to the 36 million out of work begin to run out. In the meantime - there is a run of interested parties.
420,000 of the richest residents of New York left during the pandemic, which has "gutted the city". The "party is over" which for some was the main attraction of city life. More economic than fun - city rents are very expensive and only justified if one has work.
In Australia only 4% of flour has typically gone to domestic sales in the past, but stay-at-home has boosted that by 135%, while commercial sales have fallen. Flour mills have had difficulty repackaging into smaller containers.
The US is on the point of a crisis of evictions as protections and payments to the 36 million out of work begin to run out. In the meantime - there is a run of interested parties.
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