# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2020 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [February 11, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758 "2020-02-11T01:16:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 179
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3571 "2020-06-23T20:32:43Z")
Keep going further down that Wikipedia article until you get to “specially denatured alcohol”. There are other denaturants that are used for ethanol used in cosmetic products. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3572 "2020-06-23T20:43:16Z")
As the article says, 31 New Yorkers died from drinking the mix during Prohibition. But I guess it makes sense that if the object of the end product is cosmetics to be rubbed on your skin (likewise, hand sanitizer) that they would avoid using methanol to denature it if methanol can be absorbed through the skin. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3573 "2020-06-23T21:53:04Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I am highlighting the text, hitting Reply and then hitting the balloon in the writing/edit window… which quotes the entire post but doesn’t display it as a quote. And I didn’t want the whole post, just the part I highlighted. WTF? Wrong way around. Highlight the text, then hit the quote ballon. That’ll bring up the quote box on its own. I suspect that when you hit Reply first the function’s responding to that, which is taken to mean “quote the whole post”; and it won’t display it as a quote unless somebody posted something else inbetween. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3574 "2020-06-23T23:14:33Z")
Looks like the US is on track for the highest number of Covid cases in a day since May 1. And trending up in many places. Things were relaxed way WAY too early. Not looking good at all. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3575 "2020-06-24T00:23:23Z")
> **[191 new coronavirus cases reported in Oregon, including outbreak at food...](https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/06/191-new-cases-reported-tuesday-including-new-outbreak-at-food-processor-in-umatilla-county-coronavirus-in-oregon.html)** > > Tuesday's numbers continue the growing trend in cases over the past few weeks. " **Ages:** People in their 20s are getting infected the most. Some experts say a big contributing factor: This group too often appears to be socializing or going out without maintaining proper physical distancing or wearing masks. In Oregon, 19% of known cases are among people ages 20-29, 18% are 30-39, 17% are 40-49, 15% are 50-59, 10% are 60-69, 7% are 70-79, 7% are 10-19, 5% are 80 or older, and 3% are 0-9." [https://www.kezi.com/content/news/Bars-parties-played-role-in-several-new-Lane-County-cases-571433131.html?fbclid=IwAR1onqCIzZs1A-DLEaPM1T9S5StF4h3EuCTWF1AG9ieq6Yl5fWBnZ\_o9\_6k](https://www.kezi.com/content/news/Bars-parties-played-role-in-several-new-Lane-County-cases-571433131.html?fbclid=IwAR1onqCIzZs1A-DLEaPM1T9S5StF4h3EuCTWF1AG9ieq6Yl5fWBnZ_o9_6k) “‘Part of the issue that we are identifying is that younger people and other populations don’t feel personally at risk and therefore are engaging in risky behavior.’” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3576 "2020-06-24T01:11:07Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > Highlight the text. A grey box with a quotation mark will appear immediately above the highlighted text. Click on that, not on Reply. No, it isn’t that. Once you highlight some text, then click on either the quote button or Reply, does the same thing either way. I think the problem happens when you try to do a multi-quote, or if you type some of your own text into the Reply window and THEN attempt to import a quote into the Reply window: In that case, it just sticks the imported quote wherever the cursor is, and if that’s positioned wrong, then that’s what you get. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3577 "2020-06-24T01:15:35Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I’m certain that the air filter the church has is efficient at filtering the virus. I’m also certain that the leaders of the Dream City church don’t understand how air filtration works and are mistakenly assuming that means their church will be safe. I’m sure this fantastic air purifier works absolutely miraculously, it just doesn’t sound like it because those church people, as you say, don’t understand it and don’t describe it clearly. I think what it really does is bathe the entire room continuously in high-power ionizing radiation, which will surely destroy every bit of DNA and other protein-like molecules in the room. All the congregants will never need to worry about COVID-19 infections again. ETA: I see flatlined, several posts above, is on the right track! ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3578 "2020-06-24T01:30:13Z")
Looks like Europe is banning Americans, Russians and Brazilians. Can’t say I blame them. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3579 "2020-06-24T01:41:55Z")
> [@susan](#): > > " **Ages:** People in their 20s are getting infected the most. Some experts say a big contributing factor: This group too often appears to be socializing or going out without maintaining proper physical distancing or wearing masks. This varies by state. Since mid-May I’ve been monitoring the demographics here in New Hampshire and by far the most cases are of people ages 50-59, with 15% more cases than the next highest age group: over 80; then 20-29, then 30-39, then 60-69, then 40-49, and then the fewest adult cases in the 70-79 group. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3580 "2020-06-24T02:48:01Z")
True. The article I quoted from was about Oregon. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3581 "2020-06-24T04:04:48Z")
9,355,057 total cases 479,819 dead 5,041,825 recovered In the US: 2,424,364 total cases 123,476 dead 1,020,381 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 9,188,362 total cases > 474,339 dead > 4,937,282 recovered > > In the US: > > 2,388,153 total cases > 122,610 dead > 1,002,929 recovered ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3583 "2020-06-24T12:37:52Z")
**[# Live updates: Federal government to scale back testing support even as hospitalizations reach new highs](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/24/coronavirus-live-updates-us/)** > [@](#): > > New coronavirus cases continued to rise in many parts of the United States, as seven states — Arizona, Arkansas, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas — reported record-high numbers of hospitalizations since the pandemic began. Thirty-three states and U.S. territories reported a higher rolling average than last week. Even as case numbers climb, the federal government [is poised](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/exclusive-feds-about-to-bail-on-supporting-covid-testing-sites-in-texas-and-other-states) to [stop providing](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/As-feds-ready-to-pull-support-for-testing-sites-15360900.php%20/) federal aid to testing sites in some hard-hit states, including Texas, where new cases have spiked sharply in recent weeks. > > President Trump said Saturday he told officials to “slow down” testing to lower the number of newly reported coronavirus cases in the country. While his team initially claimed that the statement was a joke, Trump contradicted that claim Tuesday, saying, “[I don’t kid.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-says-he-wasnt-joking-about-slowing-covid-19-testing/2020/06/23/8ccdb57f-aa55-4fd2-b0ed-3496fe9ffa3b_video.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_5)” But top public health experts testifying before Congress on Tuesday [denied](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/23/fauci-testimony-coronavirus-house/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5) having been told to scale back testing and reiterated the importance of continuing widespread screenings to hamper the spread of the virus. > … But it IS happening: **[# Lawmakers protest as feds pull support from 4 Harris County [Houston] COVID testing sites](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/As-feds-ready-to-pull-support-for-testing-sites-15360900.php%20/)** **[# EXCLUSIVE: Feds About To Bail On Supporting COVID Testing Sites In Texas And Other States](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/exclusive-feds-about-to-bail-on-supporting-covid-testing-sites-in-texas-and-other-states)** ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3584 "2020-06-24T12:49:00Z")
Wow. There are no words. (Because we’re not in the Pit). Between this and the foreign worker visa moratorium, this has not been a week for enhancing our standing in the eyes of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3585 "2020-06-24T13:33:29Z")
> [@susan](#): > > n Oregon, 19% of known cases are among people ages 20-29, 18% are 30-39, 17% are 40-49, 15% are 50-59, 10% are 60-69, 7% are 70-79, 7% are 10-19, 5% are 80 or older, and 3% are 0-9." From the same article: _The breakdown of deaths by age: ages 30-39 (1), ages 40-49 (3), ages 50-59 (9), ages 60-69 (39), ages 70-79 (52), ages 80-plus (88)._ _…_ _At least 969 of the state’s COVID-19 patients, or 14%, have been hospitalized at some point during their illness, according to the health authority._ _Most – at least 712, or 73% – have been 50 or older._ I’m not saying, just kill off all of the old people. But this is a striking representation of the disparate effect on young vs old. It is challenging to urge young people to significantly curtail activities or modify behavior because of a condition which poses them little personal risk of harm. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3586 "2020-06-24T14:09:21Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > I don’t get it. When everybody was scraping to find hand sanitizer, I thought distilleries, which usually produce vodka and what not, started making ethanol for hand sanitizer. But if you don’t denature it, they may drink it. Wikipedia says, " The main additive has traditionally been 10% methanol, methyl alcohol, giving rise to the term “methylated spirits”. There are many ways to denature ethanol depending on its end use. Methanol is bad for any kind of human use so the FDA disallows it as a denaturant for sanitizer. Bitrix and sucrose octaacetate are the only two allowed. On the other hand Isopropyl alcohol is the denaturant allowed in the THC extraction industry. We are going to be seeing a lot more of this. When hand sanitizer went into short supply everyone was scrambling for sources of Ethanol and even the FDA dropped their standards for a couple of days. I’ve seen stories on the news of distilleries using their heads to make hand sanitizer which is mostly methanol and acetone. I also have been offered ethanol sources with up to 1% gasoline, toluene, and benzene. The highest acetaldehyde I’ve seen has been 6,000 ppm and the FDA has declared anything over 50 ppm a short term cancer risk while 10-50 is considered a long term risk. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3587 "2020-06-24T14:31:00Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > > [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > > > I don’t get it. When everybody was scraping to find hand sanitizer, I thought distilleries, which usually produce vodka and what not, started making ethanol for hand sanitizer. But if you don’t denature it, they may drink it. Wikipedia says, " The main additive has traditionally been 10% methanol, methyl alcohol, giving rise to the term “methylated spirits”. > > There are many ways to denature ethanol depending on its end use. Methanol is bad for any kind of human use so the FDA disallows it as a denaturant for sanitizer. Bitrix and sucrose octaacetate are the only two allowed. On the other hand Isopropyl alcohol is the denaturant allowed in the THC extraction industry. > > We are going to be seeing a lot more of this. When hand sanitizer went into short supply everyone was scrambling for sources of Ethanol and even the FDA dropped their standards for a couple of days. I’ve seen stories on the news of distilleries using their heads to make hand sanitizer which is mostly methanol and acetone. I also have been offered ethanol sources with up to 1% gasoline, toluene, and benzene. The highest acetaldehyde I’ve seen has been 6,000 ppm and the FDA has declared anything over 50 ppm a short term cancer risk while 10-50 is considered a long term risk. I don’t say this lightly, but…fuck. My organic chemistry is pretty rusty but I remember when Kitty Dukakis drank the isopropyl but survived. I figured people could tolerate drinking small amounts of this and that. > **[AP News](https://apnews.com/article/19875e7aa55b88c1ae41069a1deb0558)** > > BOSTON (AP) \_ Kitty Dukakis, struggling against alcoholism, was hospitalized for severe reactions to rubbing alcohol, which she drank while exhausted because of flu and depression, her doctor s Perhaps you saw the episode of House. TLDR version: > [@](#): > > Dr. Chase refused to speak with any of the prison inmates, but searched both of his cells. When he called Dr. House and said that there was copier toner in one of the cells, Dr. House figures out that Clarence drank spirit duplicator copier fluid in a [suicide](https://house.fandom.com/wiki/Suicide) attempt. He ordered Dr. Chase back to the hospital. By convincing Clarence he was having a last drink with him, he convinced the patient to have several ounces of [alcohol](https://house.fandom.com/wiki/Alcohol), He then told Clarence he figured out he drank copier fluid and the alcohol would bind with the formic acid which was a by product of the poisonous [methanol](https://house.fandom.com/wiki/Methanol) in the copier fluid and allow it to pass harmlessly in his urine. > **[Clarence](https://house.fandom.com/wiki/Clarence)** > > Clarence was the death row prison inmate in the episode Acceptance. He was portrayed by actor/rapper LL Cool J. Clarence had committed four homicides - he had murdered his girlfriend, a prison guard, and two of his fellow prison inmates. Clarence was... So I’m still confused. House is fiction of course but if he drank the methanol, why didn’t it kill him? And if methanol were used to denature alcohol, wouldn’t mimic what House effectively did, giving him shots of ethanol? WRT gasoline, toluene, benzene…wow. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3588 "2020-06-24T15:23:32Z")
I’m not great at chemistry but I believe you are mostly correct. I do know the cure for methanol poisoning is ethanol since the body prefers ethanol it will release methanol to get ethanol. I’m not sure of the reasoning though. On thing I think you’re missing is that they dropped the ethanol in the case of this Mexican firm or most of the ethanol in the case of distilleries using their heads so there isn’t any ethanol to solve the methanol problem. Also, I just learned in the last couple of weeks is that chemicals that are absorbed through the skin bypass the liver so they create a different toxicity. In wine, for example, there are commonly acetaldehydes up to 100 ppm and they are basically safe since they are processed by the liver before they get a chance to cause cancer but in hand sanitizer it gets directly absorbed into the skin and so the safe limit, long term, is only 10 ppm. As for using methanol as a denaturant I’m not certain of any of the formulas that just allow for methanol. For instance formula #1 is a speciality denaturant for solvents that allows for 4 gallons of methanol and 1/8 oz bitrix per 100 gallons of ethanol. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3589 "2020-06-24T15:36:28Z")
> **[People in their 20s and 30s are spreading the virus | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/22/opinions/20-and-30-year-olds-spreading-covid-19-bromage/index.html)** > > Erin Bromage writes that the emerging data about the infection rate for those under 50 years old is revealing that the 20-40-year-old segment of our population may in fact be the force driving this pandemic. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3590 "2020-06-24T16:22:58Z")
Texas is in the shit now. We’ve now had like 5400 new cases in one day. A children’s hospital in Houston is having to take on adult patients. When Abbott is imploring Texans to stay home, you know it’s bad since he was so eager to reopen. We should probably go back to quarantine mode but wonder if that will happen. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3591 "2020-06-24T18:10:05Z")
[Conn., NY, NJ Announce Travel Advisory Requiring Self-Quarantine of Visitors From COVID-19 Hotspots](https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/coronavirus/lamont-to-make-announcement-with-gov-cuomo-gov-murphy-on-covid-19-pandemic/2292883/) Voluntary … for now. Shit is getting real. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=178) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=180)