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Dear Reader:
This is the record of new deaths reported for yesterday, Sept 9, 2020 in the 14 countries with the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world (from over 6.5 millions in the U.S. -> to over 344 thousand cases in France): 1,209 in the USA, 1,168 in India, 1,136 in Brazil, 703 in Mexico, 253 in Argentina, 236 in Columbia, 142 in Russia, 127 in Iran, 113 in Peru, 82 in South Africa, 30 in France, 34 in Spain, 20 in Chile, 8 in the U.K..
Here is a record of new deaths yesterday in some of the countries considered to be “first world countries” (Wikipedia’s definition: “any country with little political risk and a well functioning democracy, rule of law, capitalistic economy, economic stability, and high standard of living”): 34 in Spain, 30 in France, 16 in Japan, 14 in Italy, 11 in Australia, 3 in Belgium, 3 in Ireland, 3 in Greece, 3 in Portugal, 3 in South Korea, 2 in Canada 1 in Germany, 1 in Switzerland, 1 in Finland, zero in Sweden, zero in Denmark.
The U.S.A has long been considered a first world/ developed country, yet the number of Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. is the highest in the world, and the three countries closest to its number of deaths are Brazil, India and Mexico, all developing countries.
Why is a first world/ developed country, first in number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in the world?
My answer: because it is fitting less and less the definition of a first world country. Let’s look again at the definition:
“any country with little political risk“- the president of the United States of America said publicly, and it is recorded, that the only way he will lose the elections this coming November, is if the elections are rigged (corrupted), meaning, if he loses the election.. he doesn’t really lose, in his mind and in his supporters’ minds.
He was asked if he will vacate the White House if he loses, and he suggested that he might not leave. There is a widespread concern that he will not leave the White House willingly, if he loses. All this and more creates a significant political risk.
More of the definition: “a well functioning democracy“- the president of the USA hired his friend, one of his most generous campaign donors, to be in charge of the U.S. Postal Service, a man with no experience with the post office, hired for the purpose of interfering with the November elections, that is, to rig, or corrupt the elections.
More of the definition: “rule by law“- the president of the U.S. broke too many rules and laws to list, from using the White House property for his reelection campaign, to interfering with criminal investigations, to repeatedly telling the American people most recently to commit the felony of voting twice (one by mail, second in-person).. to encouraging vigilante justice (“If you don’t allow police to do their job, then the American people have to defend themselves some way”), and on and on and on .. so much more.
More of the definition: “economic stability, and high standard of living“- the president has been terribly hurting the economy by his negligent and corrupt handling of the pandemic in the U.S. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing and growing, which is a characteristic of developing countries.
Overall: we have a criminal president, one who lies every day, again and again, one who breaks countless rules and laws, and no one stops him.. what do you call a leader who breaks the law repeatedly, in all kinds of ways, one who is chipping into democracy every day?
If Trump is reelected in November, it is a game changer of humongous proportions for the U.S.: the U.S. will bid its farewell to democracy, and hello to dictatorship.
If Trump is not reelected, and if he leaves or is removed from the White House, and if he and his supporters/ fans do not interfere with the change of power to a Biden presidency, then the United States of America has a chance to recover from what I hope to become one day, a distant (but not forgotten and not repeated) Trump Nightmare.
anita
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This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by .
Dear Reader:
Worldometer, Sept 21: Over 31.4 million cases and over 967.5 thousand deaths worldwide. Over 7.4 million cases and over 204 thousand deaths in the U.S. Over 33 thousand new cases and 294 new deaths in the U.S. yesterday.
Health, Dr. Fauci warns, don’t go there, Sept 20: “There’s a lot of advice about how to stay safe from the coronavirus this fall, but the nation’s top infectious-disease expert wants you to keep one tip at top of mind: stay out of restaurants and bars—basically, away from any indoor spaces with crowds.
“In many states, restaurants and bars were closed early in the pandemic. Some states reopened bars, only to close them again when several outbreaks were linked to bars. Eight months into the COVID-19 era, New York is only just now allowing indoor restaurant service (at 25% capacity) as of Sept. 30; there, bars are still outdoor-only… Why? Fauci said that if you look at the figures on the CDC website, ‘that’s really telling.,, It shows the … risk of different types of situations that give you a higher risk of transmissibility, and coming right out at you from the figure is restaurants, bars, and gyms,’ said Fauci. ‘When you have restaurants indoors in a situation where you have a high degree of infection in the community [and] you’re not wearing a mask, that’s a problem… There’s no doubt about that.. those are things that are crystal clear’. In June, Fauci told a Congressional hearing, “Congregation at a bar inside is bad news. We’ve really got to stop that. Right now.” That month, 107 coronavirus cases were linked to a single bar in East Lansing, Michigan. In recent weeks, many colleges have welcomed students back to campus, only to cancel in-person classes because of COVID-19 outbreaks linked to indoor parties and gatherings.
“Fauci has repeatedly advised that “outdoors is better than indoors.” Several studies have shown that the coronavirus can spread readily indoors via recirculated air in ventilation systems, while transmission outdoors is much less likely. Fresh air causes coronavirus particles to disperse before they can be inhaled or otherwise invade the mucous membranes, which experts believe are the primary means of COVID-19 transmission.
“As for yourself, do everything you can to prevent getting—and spreading—COVID-19 in the first place: Mask, get tested if you think you have coronavirus, avoid crowds (and bars, and house parties), practice social distancing, only run essential errands, wash your hands regularly, disinfect frequently touched surfaces, and to get through this pandemic at your healthiest”.
The Washington Post, the CDC says Covid-19 is airborne and spread by aerosols, warns of badly ventilated spaces, Sept 20: “For months, scientists and public health experts have warned of mounting evidence that the novel coronavirus is airborne, transmitted through tiny droplets called aerosols that linger in the air much longer than the larger globs that come from coughing or sneezing. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees. The CDC recently changed its official guidance to note that aerosols are ‘thought to be the main way the virus spreads’ and to warn that badly ventilated indoor spaces are particularly dangerous.
“’There is growing evidence that droplets and airborne particles can remain suspended in the air and be breathed in by others, and travel distances beyond 6 feet (for example, during choir practice, in restaurants, or in fitness classes),” the agency stated. “In general, indoor environments without good ventilation increase this risk. ‘While the CDC has not called for any new action to address the airborne threat of a virus that has now killed nearly 200,000 Americans, experts said the change should help to shift policy and public behavior…
“‘Researchers long suspected that the virus could travel much farther, especially indoors and in places where people talk loudly or sing. Infamously, one infected person in March unknowingly passed covid-19 to 52 others at a choir practice in Washington state. Similar indoor ‘superspreader’ events added weight to the idea of an airborne threat… ‘Cloth masks are not designed to block aerosols. And 6 feet apart may be insufficient, [especially] indoors [with] poor ventilation.’ The change should drive people to adopt concrete solutions to slowing airborne transmission, Jimenez said, such as wearing more tightly fitting masks, improving ventilation and keeping as much distance as possible from others when indoors.”
Reuters, U.S., to surpass grim milestone of 200,000 Covid-19 deaths (Sept 21): “Trump has frequently questioned the advice of scientific experts on everything from the timing of a vaccine to reopening schools and businesses to wearing a mask. He has refused to support a national mask mandate and held large political rallies where few wore masks. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield recently told Congress that a face mask would provide more guaranteed protection than a vaccine, which would only be broadly available by ‘late second quarter, third quarter 2021.’
“Trump refuted the timeline for the vaccine and said that it may be available in a matter of weeks and ahead of the Nov. 3 election. On Friday he said he expects all Americans to have a vaccine by April. Biden, who often wears a mask and has said he would require masks nationwide, has warned against a rushed release of a vaccine, saying, ‘Let me be clear: I trust vaccines, I trust scientists, but I don’t trust Donald Trump.’…
“The University of Washington’s health institute is forecasting coronavirus fatalities reaching 378,000 by the end of 2020, with the daily death toll skyrocketing to 3,000 per day in December. Over 70% of those in the United States who have lost their lives to the virus were over the age of 65, according to CDC data. The southern states of Texas and Florida contributed the most deaths in the United States in the past two weeks and was closely followed by California. California, Texas and Florida – the three most populous U.S. states – have recorded the most coronavirus infections and have long surpassed the state of New York, which was the epicenter of the outbreak in early 2020. The country as a whole is reporting over 40,000 new infections on average each day. Six out of every 10,000 residents in the United States has died of the virus, according to Reuters data, one of the highest rates among developed nations. Brazil follows the United States in the number of overall deaths due to the virus, with over 136,000 fatalities.”
anita
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This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by .
Dear Reader:
Worldometer (Sept 22): Almost 32 million cases and over 972 thousand deaths worldwide. Over 7 million cases and over 205 thousand deaths in the U.S. Over 30 thousands new cases and 384 new deaths yesterday, in the U.S.
CNN, Anthony Fauci U.S. 200,000 Coronavirus deaths (Sept 22): “Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday said the US reaching 200,000 coronavirus deaths is ‘very sobering, and in some respects, stunning,’ while adding that Americans should trust medical experts despite at times conflicting signals from the highest levels of government.
“‘The idea of 200,000 deaths is really very sobering, and in some respects, stunning,’ the nation’s top infectious doctor told CNN’s Sanjay Gupta during the Citizen by CNN conference shortly before the US reached the grim milestone late Tuesday morning. ‘We do have within our capability — even before we get a vaccine, which we will get reasonably soon — we have the capability by doing things that we have been speaking about for so long, Sanjay, that could prevent the transmission, and by preventing transmission, ultimately preventing the morbidity and mortality that we see.’ He mentioned measures such as frequent hand washing and mask wearing.
“Fauci said he is concerned about the country not having control of the virus’ spread ahead of the winter season that could exacerbate it. And depending upon your own social situation, indoors for you or another person may mean poor ventilation, poor air flow. And difficulty getting the kind of removal of anything that would lead to spread,’ adding that he’d like to see the US go into the fall and winter months ‘at such a low level that when you have the inevitable cases, you can handle them.’
“‘I don’t want to really make this kind of a dark thing that ‘oh, my goodness, it’s inevitable that we are going to get into serious trouble,’ he continued. ‘We can’t throw our hands up and say, ‘It’s hopeless, it’s going to happen anyway.’ That is unacceptable to take that approach. On the other hand, it’s not acceptable to not realize that we are entering into a risk period and we’ve got to act accordingly as we enter into that risk period.’
“President Donald Trump had praised his administration’s response to the pandemic on Monday, telling “Fox & Friends” that “we’ve done a phenomenal job’ and giving himself an “A+” on how he has handled the virus.
“Fauci, answering a question Tuesday from a viewer on what grade he would give Trump’s pandemic response, said, ‘Take a look at the numbers and make up your own mind.. I mean, you know, we don’t need a sound bite from me. Take a look at the numbers,’ he said.
“On Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention abruptly reverted to its previous guidance about how coronavirus is transmitted, removing language about airborne transmission it had posted days earlier. The move added to confusion about the virus spurred by mixed messaging from the White House on preventative measures and mask wearing.
“Many doctors and researchers have also cautioned for months that the virus can be transmitted through small airborne viral particles. Asked where people should get trusted information about the virus, Fauci said Tuesday, ‘they need to get it by following the scientific data and the scientific evidence… The fact is you’ve got to go with the scientific data,’ he said.
“‘One of the things that the public needs to understand is that this is an evolving situation and the people who say, ‘Well, how can I trust anybody because things change,’ what changes is the fact that we are in an evolving outbreak. And the things that we did not know a few months ago allowed us to at the time use the scientific information to make recommendations that were appropriate at the time and because the data were telling us at the same time. As we learned more, things changed. It’s appropriate to make changes in recommendations based on the additional knowledge that you know.’
“He also said one can assume ‘that some aspect of transmission can be and is by aerosol’ and said ‘it doesn’t change anything that we have been saying: It means wear your mask.'”
anita
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This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by .
Dear Reader:
Worldometer (October 2): over 34.6 million cases and over a million deaths worldwide. Over 7.5 million cases and almost 213 thousand deaths in the US, with over 47 thousand new cases and 920 new deaths yesterday.
There are 2,628 new cases and 129 new deaths in Florida yesterday, 2,277 new cases and 47 new deaths in North Carolina, 1,965 new cases and 26 new deaths in Missouri.
The Washington Post, Trump says he and first lady have tested positive for coronavirus, Oct 1: “President Trump and his wife, Melania, have contracted the novel coronavirus, he announced early Friday, after months in which he has often played down a pandemic that has killed more than 205,000 Americans and sickened millions more.
“Trump, 74, was diagnosed hours after it became publicly known that Hope Hicks, a top Trump aide who traveled with him on Air Force One and Marine One this week, tested positive Thursday morning… Vice President Pence tested negative for the virus Friday morning, a spokesman said…
“Even as the virus exploded across the nation, Trump has continued to hold large events indoors and outdoors featuring mostly maskless crowds of people who squeezed together to greet the president… Trump has regularly appeared in public and in private without a mask — and has mocked Biden for wearing one and for curbing his campaign events for safety’s sake. The president has insisted that the virus is mostly dangerous to older people — a group to which he belongs — or those with health complications, although medical experts say the virus can strike anyone…
“At Tuesday’s debate, Trump was pressed on his insistence on having huge campaign rallies where no one is required to wear facial coverings or to socially distance. ‘We’ve had no negative effect, and we’ve had 35 to 40,000 people at some of these rallies,’ Trump said. Biden shot back: “He’s been totally irresponsible the way in which he has handled the social distancing and people wearing masks, basically encouraged them not to. He’s a fool on this.’ Trump replied: ‘If you could get the crowds, you would have done the same thing. But you can’t. Nobody cares.’”
AFP, Trump age and weight add to Covid risks, Oct 2: “As a 74-year-old obese man, Donald Trump has several known risk factors after contracting Covid-19, but experts say it is difficult to predict how the American president will be affected by a disease that leaves some without symptoms but is deadly to others…
“At his most recent medical check-up, published in June, Trump weighed-in at 244 pounds (110.67 kg). For his height of six feet and three inches (1.91 meters), this means he exceeded the official threshold of obesity for a second year in a row. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person in this category is three times as likely to need hospital care than someone with a lower weight. Another high risk factor is age. The CDC reports that eight of 10 Covid-19 related deaths in the US are of people over 65…
“Coronavirus infection can begin on a slow burn, often taking several days before symptoms appear ‘Most studies suggest that those with symptomatic COVID-19 infections could remain outside hospital during the first 5-7 days of the illness but thereafter it may become more serious requiring hospitalisation — or they start to recover by themselves,’ said Julian Tang, Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Leicester.
“Trump is the latest world leader to become infected. Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson was hospitalised with the virus in April and spent three nights in intensive care, before recovering and returning to work… Tang said it was ‘not so surprising’ that both men had caught the virus, given the large number of contacts they would have as part of their everyday duties.
“Trump has also been reluctant to endorse protective measures. He first appeared in public in a mask in July, but has since rarely been seen wearing one… Trump sparked uproar earlier this year by saying he was taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure, against the advice of many medical authorities. The drug, which he later stopped, has shown in several trials to have no benefit as a Covid-19 treatment.”
abc News, ‘Aerosol’ vs. ‘airborne’ vs. ‘droplets’ amid Covid-19, what you need to know, Oct 2: “Aerosol is a catch-all term for any solid or liquid particle so tiny and lightweight it can become suspended in air and float. Smoke and dust are examples. Some viruses can become aerosols, making airborne transmission possible… Airborne is when a droplet containing a virus is small enough to float in the air, and airborne transmission occurs when that infectious particle is inhaled by someone else. An example would be catching a cold from someone across the room who sneezes, with those particles making their way into your body and infecting you.
“Droplets are large mucus or saliva particles heavier than air that fall toward the ground as soon as they’re expelled, and droplet transmission typically occurs when a droplet containing a virus comes in contact with another person’s eyes, nose or mouth. An example might be a loud-talking person whose droplets make contact with your face. Viruses travel much farther when airborne compared with when they’re contained in droplets.
“COVID-19 originally was thought to be spread only by droplet transmission — 6-foot social distancing guidelines were based on research that showed droplet transmission occurred most easily at such short distances. Scientists still believe this is the primary way coronavirus spreads person to person.
“But more evidence is mounting that the virus could become an aerosol, leading to airborne spread. Although many scientists now believe airborne transmission is possible, many agree the majority of infections happen when people are crowded close together, exchanging the heavier droplets.
“The World Health Organization updated its online COVID-19 guidance in July to include information on airborne transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed suit on Sept. 18 but retracted the information a few days later, stating it was posted in error. The CDC has yet to issue an update on airborne transmission. For many scientists, the CDC’s confusing, disjointed stance on airborne transmission has been discouraging. The scientific community decried the mixed messaging, emphasizing the need for clear, unified public information.
“‘The science supporting [airborne transmission] is not as strong as we would like,’ added Schaffner, saying there’s still debate over the exact role airborne transmission plays in spreading COVID-19. Still, infectious disease experts like Schaffner say it’s important for the CDC to at least acknowledge it’s possible — particularly in indoor spaces with poor ventilation. With clearer guidance from the CDC, Schaffner said, businesses operating indoor spaces can better prepare themselves by taking precautions, like adding new ventilation systems and limiting crowds, to defend against possible transmission.”
anita
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This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by .
Dear Reader:
Worldometer (October 11): over 37.7 million cases and over 1.08 million deaths worldwide. Almost 8 million cases and almost 220 thousand deaths in the U.S., with over 54 thousand new cases and 723 new deaths yesterday. The greatest recent daily increases in new cases (from most to least) are in Illinois, Wisconsin, California, Texas and Tennessee, each with a recent increase of over 2 thousand cases.
Over 15 thousand new cases and 81 new deaths yesterday in the U.K., in this Northern Hemisphere (Canada, U.S. Europe) Winter Pandemic Wave.
There were over 74.5 thousand new cases and 921 new deaths yesterday in India.
anita
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This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by .
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This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by
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