COVID-19 >>"True and Helpful" Covid Information Thread

[Anonymous]

The number of infections is dropping in Manitoba. But, it has not been the results that were expected.

This likely why our premier has demanded evidence based results before agreeing to new restrictions..



So, our new restrictions focus on where one of the large sources of transmission is in Alberta and that's private gatherings.

[cc]

Seems that's the main transmission point everywhere .. and makes a lot of sense as to why .. especially if indoors which most everything is this time of year

[Thiel]

Seems that's the main transmission point everywhere .. and makes a lot of sense as to why .. especially if indoors which most everything is this time of year

I can't recal where I read it, but I did read that indoor dining was not the super spreader that we are lead to believe.

[Anonymous]

Seems that's the main transmission point everywhere .. and makes a lot of sense as to why .. especially if indoors which most everything is this time of year

I can't recal where I read it, but I did read that indoor dining was not the super spreader that we are lead to believe.

I've heard that is true for my province, provided social distancing and mask wearing are practiced.

[Anonymous]

I don't know what to make of this.



Johns Hopkins University Newspaper Pulls Down Article Questioning COVID-19 Death Tolls



The CDC data showed that the number of total deaths in the United States between mid-March and mid-September was 1.7 million, of which 200,000 are COVID-19-related. Briand looked at the total deaths in each age group and cause of death, and used that information to evaluate the impact of the pandemic.



"Surprisingly, the deaths of older people stayed the same before and after COVID-19," the JHN article read. "Since COVID-19 mainly affects the elderly, experts expected an increase in the percentage of deaths in older age groups. However, this increase is not seen from the CDC data. In fact, the percentages of deaths among all age groups remain relatively the same."



When it comes to causes of deaths, Briand found that the total decrease in deaths by other causes almost exactly equals the increase in deaths by COVID-19. She said this is likely because that many deaths have been incorrectly labeled as COVID-19 deaths when they would have been attributed to heart diseases, respiratory diseases, influenza, and pneumonia.



"The reason we have a higher number of reported COVID-19 deaths among older individuals than younger individuals is simply because every day in the U.S. older individuals die in higher numbers than younger individuals," Briand said, reported the JHN.



Briand concluded that she has found "no evidence that COVID-19 created any excess deaths," meaning that the number of deaths this year isn't particularly higher than that of a normal year.



"If [the COVID-19 death toll] was not misleading at all, what we should have observed is an increased number of heart attacks and increased COVID-19 numbers. But a decreased number of heart attacks and all the other death causes doesn't give us a choice but to point to some misclassification," Briand said.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/johns-hopkins-university-newspaper-pulls-down-article-questioning-covid-19-death-tolls_3595884.html?utm_source=morningbriefnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mb-2020-11-28">https://www.theepochtimes.com/johns-hop ... 2020-11-28">https://www.theepochtimes.com/johns-hopkins-university-newspaper-pulls-down-article-questioning-covid-19-death-tolls_3595884.html?utm_source=morningbriefnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mb-2020-11-28

[Anonymous]

A lot of detailed information coming from Alberta.



Alberta offers even more data on COVID-19 deaths



Alberta continues to offer even more nuanced data about persons who have died from COVID-19 and the underlying conditions they were facing.



The other week, the province revealed that over three quarters of Albertans who had died were also grappling "with 3 or more conditions." As of last update, only 11 persons — or 2.3% of total deaths in Alberta – had died with zero underlying conditions, or co-morbidities.



These conditions range from common ones such as diabetes and hypertension to severe ones including cancer, dementia and liver cirrhosis.



While other provinces do not report this level of detail, a recent StatsCan report revealed these numbers to be fairly consistent throughout the country.



Now, Alberta Health Services has also provided information about co-morbidities for each specific death announced.



On Wednesday, when nine new deaths were announced, the tally was as follows: Woman in her 90s, unknown; male 90s, unknown; female 50s, had co-morbidities; female 80s, had co-morbidities; female 90s, no co-morbidities; male 80s, unknown; male 80s, unknown; male 80s, had co-morbidities; male 70s, had co-morbidities. Only the last two individuals were not linked to an outbreak at a retirement or care facility.



The value of this sort of data lies in being able to better identify and protect the people most at risk of COVID-19 while also finding ways to ease the potentially damaging restrictions on low-risk people, medical experts have told the Sun.



Dr. Prabhat Ja, an epidemiologist at St. Michael's Hospital and expert in mortality data, says it's "useful information" and that all of the statistics in Canada should be released.



Ja told the Sun that while co-morbidity data helps sort through who is at higher risk, he notes that co-morbidities are a less significant risk factor compared to whether or not the person was living in a long-term-care facility or not, a much greater indicator of risk given that the overwhelming majority of COVID deaths in Canada were in LTCs.



"When the post-mortem of all COVID responses will be done in the future, governments who got out data fast will come across better," Ja predicts.



But the data also provokes some challenging conversations.



"It's a very delicate question, nobody wishes ill on anybody, but what we're having trouble discussing is at what point is someone really at the end of their natural life and it could have been COVID or influenza or another virus or they died of aspiration-related issues like pneumonia," says Dr. Martha Fulford, a professor at McMaster University and infectious diseases physician at Hamilton Health Sciences.



"Sometimes the real reason is that it's the natural end of a life and we can't avoid this. Nobody wants to have a premature death, but how many of these deaths were truly premature deaths?" Fulford asks.



"I in no way think we should have the doors wide open and our hospitals overwhelmed, but I also think there's no context about COVID."



Dr. Neil Rau, an infectious diseases specialist and medical microbiologist based out of Oakville, Ont., says the other added benefit of this data is that it can help policy-makers determine who should be closer to the front of the line for vaccines.



"You're not going to have a vaccine available for every person on Day 1," Rau says.



"People can have a co-morbidity and have a very good quality life," Rau adds. "But I think it's important to be honest with people about the risk stratification of this disease."

https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/furey-alberta-offers-even-more-data-on-covid-19-deaths">https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnis ... -19-deaths">https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/furey-alberta-offers-even-more-data-on-covid-19-deaths

[cc]

Sorry to say Fash that Alta hit 1,731 new cases today ... so far any improvement from regulations have not kicked in yet



We rarely get weekend info. You guys are of late

[Anonymous]

Sorry to say Fash that Alta hit 1,731 new cases today ... so far any improvement from regulations have not kicked in yet

Fuuuuuck!!!!

[Odinson]

Coronavirus has been close to zero for a while in China..



What is their secret?

[Anonymous]

Coronavirus has been close to zero for a while in China..



What is their secret?

5 /day for a  mere country of mere 1.4 billion. Everything the white North Amerian tells us is true.

[Odinson]

Coronavirus has been close to zero for a while in China..



What is their secret?

5 /day for a  mere country of mere 1.4 billion. Everything the white North Amerian tells us is true.

I saw it before you edited it.

I was gonna say that I dont speak chinese.





I have a hard time believing those numbers.  ac_biggrin

[cc]

Despite efforts to slow things down, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta continue increasing or at best trending higher



BC does not put out weekend #s but was on an increasing path  last few days



And this is all with various restrictions designed to slow things down in place

[Anonymous]

https://scontent.fyxd1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/s1080x2048/128387419_3923847967627700_1900027690141746142_o.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=2&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=P2okogFg2X4AX8xDmuV&_nc_ht=scontent.fyxd1-1.fna&tp=7&oh=9348411667c9607266291d11f39dc3c3&oe=5FEA0AB5">

[cc]

Yup. It continues. Online giants win .. Regular decent folk lose

[cc]

Another day not trending well with many new cases .. far more than expected .. all on the high side of last week



Ontario  1,708



Quebec  1,395



Alberta 1,608



We will find out tomorrow how we are doing here in BC