COVID-19 Coronavirus Containment Efforts

In summary, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) Coronavirus named 2019-nCoV. Cases have been identified in a growing number of other locations, including the United States. CDC will update the following U.S. map daily. Information regarding the number of people under investigation will be updated regularly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
  • #4,131
Trump has had a fever since Saturday morning, according to CNN.
I assume this is Saturday morning New Zealand time, i.e. now, not nearly a week ago.
 
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Biology news on Phys.org
  • #4,132
mfb said:
I assume this is Saturday morning New Zealand time, i.e. now, not nearly a week ago.
I would think so.
 
  • #4,133
StevieTNZ said:
Trump has had a fever since Saturday morning, according to CNN.
I read a short message attributed to the NY Times that Trump had a fever, congestion and cough, as of some time today (Friday in US). Hope Hicks was 'not feeling well' 48 hours ago, so she was already infectious.
 
  • #4,134
Ardern had asked for New Zealand's representatives in the United States to pass on the message wishing the president a "speedy recovery".

She had previously personally messaged UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson when he contracted Covid-19 earlier in the year, but that was because she had his phone number. As you could expect, Ardern said, it would not be common for people to have the personal number of the US President -- and she didn't.

"We've used our official channels to pass on that message."

and

Asked about the possible implications for New Zealand, such a disruption to the US presidency could have, Ardern said it was "too early to say".

"We still haven't even seen out of the administration the likely effect they believe it will have on the election campaign. Of course, we haven't seen an election date moved before [in the US] and it's quite a process for that to happen.

"So at this stage, I'd say it would all be highly speculative we just haven't heard anything official from the White House in that regard."

-- https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/po...ent-donald-trump-first-lady-a-speedy-recovery
 
  • #4,135
According to CNN,
Shortly before midnight, the President's physician, Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley finally gave an update on the President's condition, saying in a memo that the President is "doing very well" and has not required any supplemental oxygen, but that doctors have initiated the antiviral drug remdesivir, which has been shown to shorten recovery time for some Coronavirus patients.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/03/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-walter-reed/index.html

Melania Trump remained at the White House with what the White House physician described as a mild cough and a headache.
Meanwhile, Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Friday night that she has tested positive for coronavirus, and Trump's campaign manager Bill Stepien has tested positive for coronavirus, who expressed 'mild flu-like symptoms.' Three journalists who work at the White House tested positive on Friday, according to a series of memos from the White House Correspondents Association.

Update: Three US Senators, Mike Lee (R - Utah), Thom Tillis (R - North Carolina) and now Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin). Johnson had quarantined for two weeks after exposure to someone who tested positive, he was again exposed to Coronavirus after his quarantine ended and he returned to Washington!

Cleveland (Politico) - Eleven new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Cleveland stemming from the presidential debate held in the city this week, the city government disclosed Friday.
 
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  • #4,136
Frequent testing is clearly not a viable substitute for social distancing and PPE usage
 
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  • #4,137
Its my understanding from news reports that even though they had the resources for frequent testing, they failed to make use of those opportunities.
In addition to their other failings with with distancing and PPE.

Not taking it seriously.
Discouraging others in their circle from taking precautions.
 
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  • #4,138
Astronuc said:
According to CNN,
Shortly before midnight, the President's physician, Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley finally gave an update on the President's condition, saying in a memo that the President is "doing very well" and has not required any supplemental oxygen, but that doctors have initiated the antiviral drug remdesivir, which has been shown to shorten recovery time for some Coronavirus patients.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/03/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-walter-reed/index.html

Many news outlets are also reporting that the President has been given an experimental monoclonal antibody cocktail currently in testing as a potential COVID-19 therapy:
Trump received a single 8 gram dose of Regeneron's dual antibody cocktail Friday and completed the infusion without incident, the President's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said in a statement.

"In addition to the polyclonal antibodies, the President has been taking zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and a daily aspirin," Conley said.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/02/health/trump-regeneron-antibody-treatment/index.html

Dale said:
Frequent testing is clearly not a viable substitute for social distancing and PPE usage

This is also apparent from outbreaks that have occurred the among the Tennessee Titans NFL team (which has forced the league to postpone the team's game this weekend). The team has seen a Coronavirus outbreak spread to six players and seven team personnel despite testing all players and personnel six days a week.
 
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  • #4,139
Ygggdrasil said:
Many news outlets are also reporting that the President has been given an experimental monoclonal antibody cocktail currently in testing as a potential COVID-19 therapy:
Yes, apparently it's two monoclonal antibody compounds, which were administered at the White House. Remdesivir was started at the hospital as a prophylactic, and treatment will continue over 5 days. The president seems to have responded as he apparently has no fever and is without need of supplemental oxygen (his oxygen levels are good).

About Regeneron's treatment
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/provocative-results-boost-hopes-antibody-treatment-covid-19
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6506/1014.abstract
 
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  • #4,140
Astronuc said:
Remdesivir was started at the hospital as a prophylactic

It's not a prophylactic if he is already is infected with the virus.

Experience with other antivirals (such as tamiflu) suggests that these types of treatments are more likely to be effective at preventing severe symptoms if administered early in the course of the disease.
 
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  • #4,141
Ygggdrasil said:
It's not a prophylactic if he is already is infected with the virus.

Experience with other antivirals (such as tamiflu) suggests that these types of treatments are more likely to be effective at preventing severe symptoms if administered early in the course of the disease.
I heard an interview today that used the term prophylactic with respect to Remdesivir, since it was started early, and the use was intended to prevent worsening of the infection. Apparently, in earlier patients, it was tried once they were on a ventilator, as was the case in one of the earliest infections in New Jersey. Perhaps, it took so long to get a dose approved. I believe Remdesivir was rationed to the worst cases.
 
  • #4,142
Astronuc said:
I heard an interview today that used the term prophylactic with respect to Remdesivir, since it was started early, and the use was intended to prevent worsening of the infection. Apparently, in earlier patients, it was tried once they were on a ventilator, as was the case in one of the earliest infections in New Jersey. Perhaps, it took so long to get a dose approved. I believe Remdesivir was rationed to the worst cases.

A prophylactic drug would be given to healthy individuals to prevent them from being infected with the disease (e.g. pre-exposure prophylaxis [PrEP] for HIV). For example, see this page about using tamiflu for treatment vs prophylaxis:
Q. What do the terms treatment of the flu and prevention (prophylaxis) of the flu mean?
A. Treatment is used when a person is given Tamiflu because they have the signs and symptoms of the flu or have been diagnosed with the flu. Tamiflu has been shown to lessen the amount of time people are sick with the flu.

Prevention (prophylaxis) is a term used when someone who does not have flu symptoms is given Tamiflu to help stop them from getting the flu because they are exposed to or come into close contact with someone (for example live with or take care of someone) who has the flu.
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarke...viders/tamiflu-consumer-questions-and-answers

Treatment with antiviral drugs should generally be started early in order to prevent worsening of the infection. For example, Tamiflu, an antiviral drug from the Influenza virus, is effective at decreasing the duration and severity of illness, but only if taken within 36-48 hours of the onset of symptoms.

"One of the problems is that Tamiflu is seen by the public as a drug that will save you from all cases of the flu," he says. "Tamiflu can decrease the duration of illness by 30% to 40%, and decrease flu severity by about 40% -- but only if taken in the first 36 to 48 hours of illness. And you know that will not happen all the time."
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20121114/does-tamiflu-work-questions-continue

For clinical trials of Remdesivir, it is true that the drug has generally been given only to severe cases, though this is likely due to limited availability of the drug and it's method of administration (it can only be delivered intravenously and not orally).
 
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  • #4,143
Interesting, I've read this elsewhere.

Updated at 4:55 p.m. ET

President Trump tweeted early Friday morning that he tested positive for the coronavirus. But questions remain about what exactly happened before and after — when the president was first diagnosed, started experiencing symptoms and what treatment he received and when.

On Saturday, for example, White House physician Sean Conley told reporters Trump was "72 hours" into his diagnosis, but later said in a memo later on that he meant to say Day 3. Conley refused to say whether Trump had ever received supplemental oxygen this week, and another doctor said Trump received treatment 48 hours ago — also quickly walked back by the White House.

Good information

https://www.npr.org/sections/latest...e-know-of-president-trumps-covid-19-diagnosis
 
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  • #4,144
Also this:
US President Donald Trump went through a “very concerning” period and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care as he battles the Coronavirus at a military hospital, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has said.

The comments came after it was revealed that Trump was administered supplemental oxygen on Friday morning (local time) at the White House before he was transported to the hospital, although staff insisted he had only mild symptoms.
...
According to a person familiar with Trump’s condition, Trump was administered oxygen at the White House on Friday before he was transported to the military hospital. The person was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

-- https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/ameri...er-very-concerning-period-in-coronavirus-care
 
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  • #4,145
I am so old I remember when anonymous sources required confirmation. This is how we get Kim Jong-Un dying in April. And again in August.

I'm also so old I remember when news organizations did not leak medical information to the press. (In this case, not just the President's, but also Hope Hicks').
 
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  • #4,147
@Vanadium 50 So you remember Woodrow Wilson's wife, Edith - who essentially ran the country while WW was incapacitated by a stroke for last years of his term?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Wilson

Apparently, she and some inner circle advisers managed to keep WW's actual very poor health a secret. From 1919 until the end of his term in 1921.
 
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  • #4,148
US President Donald Trump has released a new hospital video in which he says he's starting to feel better and hopes to “be back soon”.
In the four-minute video posted to Twitter, Trump says he “wasn't feeling so well” when he was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after testing positive for the coronavirus.

...

The Trumps diagnosis joins a growing number of other Republican figures who have also tested positive, most recently including former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who helped Trump prepare for last week’s debate with former Vice President Joe Biden.

Other prominent people within Trump’s circle who have also tested positive include his campaign manager Bill Stepien and his former advisor Kellyanne Conway.

-- https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/ameri...rom-military-hospital-after-covid19-diagnosis
 
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  • #4,149
jim mcnamara said:
So you remember Woodrow Wilson's wife, Edith

I'm not that old.

But I do know the story.
 
  • #4,150
Ygggdrasil said:
For clinical trials of Remdesivir, it is true that the drug has generally been given only to severe cases, though this is likely due to limited availability of the drug and it's method of administration (it can only be delivered intravenously and not orally).
Back in March, that was the situation, and supplies were extremely limited, and trials had only just begun. Enrollment for Adaptive Covid-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT-1) began on February 21, 2020, and ended on April 19, 2020.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2007764
 
  • #4,151
Well, we can only hope he has a fast and good recovery. There will always be secrecy around a President's health, so the secrecy here is nothing new.

The issue , I guess, is this president's denial of the ease of spread of the virus, against all medical advice, so I guess that will be a good thing.

I just want to know why the President didn't insist on being treated by only hydroxychloroquine!
 
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  • #4,152
Evo said:
I just want to know why the President didn't insist on being treated by only hydroxychloroquine!

And that he called it COVID-19 in his initial tweet, rather than "Chinese (or China) virus".
 
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  • #4,153
Evo said:
The issue , I guess, is this presidents denial of the ease of spread of the virus, against all medical advice, so I guess that will be a good thing.

Yes, it's not a good look to go from mocking his opponent's mask wearing habits in the debate on Tuesday to announcing that he's been diagnosed with Covid just three days later.
 
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  • #4,155
Conley left murky the issue of whether the president needed supplemental oxygen and declined to discuss exactly when he fell ill. Conley also revealed that Trump began exhibiting “clinical indications” of Covid-19 on Thursday afternoon, earlier than previously known.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/ameri...er-very-concerning-period-in-coronavirus-care
He was administered supplemental oxygen, but there seems to be no indication that he needed oxygen, nor that he didn't need it. I would imagine that doctors were being cautious.

I've read statements that Trump would be released on Monday, now it may be Tuesday. Either way, it was earlier reported that the treatment with Remdesivir would last 5 days (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue), which has been the minimal treatment. Perhaps he has a mild case and is improving, but then stopping treatment prematurely would seem risky. Others have seemingly recovered only to take a turn for the worse.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Wisconsin has seen an increase in hospitalizations for COVID-19.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/30/health/us-coronavirus-wednesday/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-us-maps-and-cases/
 
  • #4,156
From my previous link:
US President Donald Trump has “improved”, according to White House physician Sean Conley, but experienced significant oxygen drops on Friday and Saturday (local time). His doctors said he has had no fever since Friday morning and could be discharged as early as Monday.

and

At a news briefing on Sunday morning, Conley publicly acknowledged for the first time that the president was administered supplemental oxygen on Friday at the White House and had a “high” fever at the time.
 
  • #4,157
Astronuc said:
I've read statements that Trump would be released on Monday, now it may be Tuesday.
Monday in the US is Tuesday in New Zealand (- a few hours).
 
  • #4,158
As a determination of the team based predominantly on the timeline from the initial diagnosis that we initiate dexamethasone. – White House physician Dr. Sean Conley
and apparently some comment that supplemental oxygen was needed.
 
  • #4,159
mfb said:
Monday in the US is Tuesday in New Zealand (- a few hours).
True, however the source I read was from some medium in the US. I assume there is some positive spin on the recovery, but from Friday to Monday would be inconsistent with a 5-day course of Remdesivir. So, we wait and see.
 
  • #4,162
WHO estimates that ~10% of the world population got infected. That's a factor 20 above the official case counts, but it means 90% are still at risk - hoping it will go away because of herd immunity won't work generally. We have seen how the healthcare systems struggled with these 10% spread over almost a year now.

Astronuc said:
It's odd to use a stock photo from a volcano for that article. But what's going on in Kansas?
Kansas
If you're in any of the following categories, you need to quarantine for 14 days after arrival in Kansas (this includes residents and visitors):
-- Traveled to Aruba on or after September 24.
-- Attended mass gathering events (out-of-state) of 500 people or more.
-- Took a sea or river cruise ship since March.
Aruba only is oddly specific, and being on a cruise ship in April means you need to quarantine now?
 
  • #4,163
mfb said:
WHO estimates that ~10% of the world population got infected. That's a factor 20 above the official case counts, but it means 90% are still at risk - hoping it will go away because of herd immunity won't work generally. We have seen how the healthcare systems struggled with these 10% spread over almost a year now.

It's odd to use a stock photo from a volcano for that article. But what's going on in Kansas?

Aruba only is oddly specific, and being on a cruise ship in April means you need to quarantine now?
I don't know why anyone should have confidence in an estimate done by the WHO.
 
  • #4,164
Jarvis323 said:
I don't know why anyone should have confidence in an estimate done by the WHO.
Do you have any more specific criticism, or do you just dismiss it because you don't like the WHO?
 
  • #4,165
mfb said:
Do you have any more specific criticism, or do you just dismiss it because you don't like the WHO?
They have a bad track record, not peer reviewed, tend to contradict the scientific community, influenced by politics, and have been criticized by their own employees as being unreasonably hard headed.

I would try to carefully review their work if you can before taking anything they say seriously.
 

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