I just read about it in response to you mentioning it!
I’m not convinced. What do you think?
I am convinced by the case tracking data that kids get it just as often (in household close contact situations at least), but the “pristine lung” bit seems to me a stretch. It seems like if anything there are FEWER reports of the non-pristine lung kids (asthmatics and such) getting all that sick with COVID-19 as compared to say with influenza or RSV. There should be enough infections in asthmatics and kids with BPD to see that by now I would think. And it isn’t just that kids don’t hit ARDS and/or cytokine storm from COVID-19 all that often, they really don’t seem to get too much of bad symptoms at all.
I’m personally still most attracted to the idea that kids have the most frequent and recent exposures to the other established human coronaviruses, which gives partial at least protection from reinfection from them for maybe three years, and which perhaps in combination gives enough crossover protection, or headstart anyway against a novel one.
I did however have a thought listening to an NPR bit in which they were talking about a German scientist’s podcasts on COVID-19. Not featured but in discussing his podcast he was mentioning how he had been discussing some research (which I cannot find) regarding that those who first get infected in the throat seem to have milder disease, perhaps the throat infection giving the body a chance to mobilize some defenses before the lungs get attacked, while those who start in the lungs tend to do worse. IF SO then maybe it there is just something about where receptors are expressed developmentally, or even the biomechanics of droplet flow and kids getting infected more commonly by hands in mouth, that leads them to lead with the throat and never get as heavy of a viral reproduction level in the lungs?
I am pretty shocked that there hasn’t been anyone even doing something as simple as following how much kids who have been infected (identified in case contact tracing) shed for how long? Even a small study. Shedding does not prove contagiousness but lack of shedding early in the course would still be significant, and unusual for kids and viral infections.
That’ll be tough for ships flying Bolivian and Mongolian flags of convenience. :smack:
Many FOC nations are tiny islands without room for shiploads of refugees. Antigua & Barbuda; Barbados; Bermuda; Comoros; Malta; Mauritius; São Tomé & Príncipe; St. Vincent & Grenadines; Tonga; Vanuatu. How many such flyspecks will block plague ships from their ports? I foresee a generation of Flying Dutchmen forever cresting the waves, never again allowed ashore.
I’ll guess many low-count counties are in low-test states.
I’m not a big fan of the pristine lung hypothesis. I’ve read that even adult asthmatics have to be pretty badly controlled to truly represent a higher risk category - say a history of intubation, hospitalization or ICU.
It’s probably true that upper respiratory involvement is more frequent in children. But if so, this is supposedly a big factor in contagion as there might be more mucus and sneezing. I don’t know what studies are pending but agree it would make sense to rigorously test for viral shedding. I don’t think it would be a bad idea to randomly test a big group of nursing home or community patients either but probably no one wants to deal with the consequences if they are feeling well. The lack of data is one of the more annoying things about this.
US Deaths Day by Day
I keep the updated list here.
1 April 1,049 deaths reported
…
31 March 912 deaths reported
30 March 558 deaths reported
29 March 363 reported deaths
28 March 515 reported deaths
27 March 401 reported deaths
26 March 268 deaths reported
25 March 247 deaths reported
24 March 225 deaths reported
23 March 141 deaths reported
22 March 113 deaths reported
21 March 46 deaths reported
20 March 49 deaths reported
19 March 57 deaths reported
18 March 41 deaths reported
…if the number of ‘confirmed cases’ is accurate. Italy has many unconfirmed deaths because people died before they could be tested. And China and Russia and Iran…
My daughter is a nurse and her fiancé a doctor. They both work in a hospital in western PA near the Ohio border. They were pretty optimistic, having zero cases for awhile. Then all hell broke loose. A nearby (across the street) nursing home was way too slow responding to the crises. The nursing home has 300 residents and is now reporting at least 20 cases.
My daughter and her fiancé are now and until further notice 7 days on/7 days off with 12 hour shifts. They’ve chosen to work opposite shifts to each other because of their dog. A wing of their hospital has been converted to handle COVID19 cases. Shit keeps getting more real.
Thanks for posting this. It helps to know of things to watch for.
I find this morbidly hilarious. “Go on back to your home country. I’m sure the docking fees at Port of Bolivia aren’t too high.”
I have many issues with corporations avoiding US/European taxes and safety and labor regulations by using flags of convenience and similar methods. It’s especially galling when the flag countries are ones that the ship has never even been to. I feel for the passengers, but I hope this serves as a wake-up call.
This crap should not be allowed going forward. The cruise lines get to privatize increased profits by avoiding US taxes, but get to expose the public to the risks of their business. If I were king for a day I would make it so: if you want to base your cruise ship operations in the US, you must register your damn ships here and pay taxes here (funds which could be used in part to prepare for such “sick ship” instances).
Regarding the cruise ships: I think some “genius” in the government thought the following.
You can change your flag quickly and easily (not really true).
The ship owners will change registration to the US, paying all the extra fees, etc. Kaching!
Then the ships can dock in the US and all is well, no harm done. (Except for extra infections, deaths, etc.)
But there’s more to changing to US registered than just filling out some paperwork and paying some dough. There’s a ton of rules US flagged ships have to obey that might not be implementable at all, let alone quickly.