# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2021 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [January 1, 2021, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428 "2021-01-01T08:03:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 36
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/731 "2021-03-04T04:46:42Z")
That first one is interesting. Though, as with all of the studies I’ve seen on long COVID, nearly all the symptoms are self-reported (I realize there probably isn’t a good alternative at this point) and likely hard to disentangle from non-COVID causes. The Lancet study reports > At 6 months after acute infection, COVID-19 survivors were mainly troubled with fatigue or muscle weakness, sleep difficulties, and anxiety or depression. Patients who were more severely ill during their hospital stay had more severe impaired pulmonary diffusion capacities and abnormal chest imaging manifestations, and are the main target population for intervention of long-term recovery. Pretty much the entire world is suffering from increased anxiety, depression, and fatigue - with or without a COVID diagnosis. How does the studied population compare to a control group? Lumping the serious, abnormal chest imaging patients in with people experiencing some degree of mental distress seems pretty low-information to me. The second study: > The CDC report is based on telephone surveys of 274 COVID-19 patients. Ehhhh… this is on the quality level of self-reported Facebook groups for me. The headline “One-third of COVID-19 patients who aren’t hospitalized have long-term illness” is absurdly misleading. Found the cite I was looking for: [LINK](https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.19.20214494v2.full-text) > We analysed data from 4182 incident cases of COVID-19 who logged their symptoms prospectively in the COVID Symptom Study app. > > 558 (13.3%) had symptoms lasting \>=28 days, > 189 (4.5%) for \>=8 weeks and > 95 (2.3%) for \>=12 weeks > > Long-COVID was characterised by symptoms of fatigue, headache, dyspnoea and anosmia and was more likely with increasing age, BMI and female sex. There’s obviously a ton a research still to be done, but for me, based on my understanding of the stats at this moment in time, serious, long-term symptoms shouldn’t be terribly large concern for the majority (again closer to 100% than 50%) of the population. As more and better data comes out I will adjust my opinion. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2021, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/732 "2021-03-04T05:09:58Z")
115,768,952 total cases 2,571,785 dead 91,469,136 recovered In the US: 29,456,377 total cases 531,652 dead 20,003,325 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 115,302,067 total cases > 2,560,647 dead > 91,127,373 recovered > > In the US: > > 29,370,705 total cases > 529,214 dead > 19,905,322 recovered ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/733 "2021-03-04T08:35:25Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > A majority is slightly more than 50%; what kind of majority we talking about here? We know from the data that a majority of patients aren’t hospitalized but anywhere from 70-90% (somewhere in that range) who do end up being admitted have persistent noticeable symptoms more than six months after discharge. That’s a lot of people who don’t necessarily die but have major problems afterward. > [@Trom](#): > > There’s obviously a ton a research still to be done, but for me, based on my understanding of the stats at this moment in time, serious, long-term symptoms shouldn’t be terribly large concern for the majority (again closer to 100% than 50%) of the population. As more and better data comes out I will adjust my opinion. I created a thread to discuss long term covid here. Please join if you care to. > [@Long Covid - what's the prevalence and prognosis?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-covid-whats-the-prevalence-and-prognosis/937157): > > I broke out a discussion on long covid from the breaking news thread. I’m interested in seeing more info on this. Continuing the discussion from [Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2021 Breaking News](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/729): [https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/729?u=heffalump\_and\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/729)[https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/730?u=heffalump\_and\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/730)[https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/m…](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/monumental-acknowledgment-cdc-reports-long-term-covid-19-patients-n1234814) ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/734 "2021-03-04T14:09:17Z")
i use the multi-layer gaiter at the office. much more comfortable and easier on/off. then i wash it when i leave so it is ready for the next day. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/735 "2021-03-04T17:46:08Z")
Brazil is making the news on another freont , not only is it claimed to be the source of another variant, it has just hit its all time high for daily deaths. > **[Covid: Brazil's daily deaths reach all-time high](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-56264425)** > > The daily toll reached 1,910 on Wednesday, Brazil's highest figure since the pandemic started. Worth noting that Brazil’s leadership is closest to that of Trump when it comes to Coronavirus management. So that means not supporting maks mandates or social distancing, and interference in the covid repoirtiung structure. Meantime individual Brazilian states are trying to do the best they can, so if you want to see where Texas and Mississippi are headed, just maintian observation on Brazil ---
**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:** [March 4, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/736 "2021-03-04T23:03:27Z")
Oklahoma: > **[The Latest: San Diego zoo vaccinates 9 great apes for virus](https://apnews.com/article/sri-lanka-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-indian-ocean-russia-810fd365381bfa0e924548acdc06295a)** > > BERLIN — Germany’s health minister says the country’s independent vaccine committee has formally approved giving the AstraZeneca shot to people age 65 and over... This seems high. The entire population of Oklahoma is only 4 million people. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/737 "2021-03-05T00:25:02Z")
Unemployment claims over the last 10–12 months have consistently been higher than ever before in history. Only the Great Recession came anywhere close. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2021, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/738 "2021-03-05T07:03:10Z")
116,233,565 total cases 2,581,943 dead 91,902,761 recovered In the US: 29,526,086 total cases 533,636 dead 20,093,442 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 115,768,952 total cases > 2,571,785 dead > 91,469,136 recovered > > In the US: > > 29,456,377 total cases > 531,652 dead > 20,003,325 recovered ---
**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:** [March 6, 2021, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/739 "2021-03-06T05:20:26Z")
116,674,473 total cases 2,592,128 dead 92,285,355 recovered In the US: 29,593,704 total cases 535,563 dead 20,183,329 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 116,233,565 total cases > 2,581,943 dead > 91,902,761 recovered > > In the US: > > 29,526,086 total cases > 533,636 dead > 20,093,442 recovered ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/740 "2021-03-06T08:05:53Z")
A small but significant step in vaccine nationalism - Italy used an EU provision to block the export of Astra-Zeneca vaccine to Australia, saying it was not vulnerable, which is true, but also neatly eliding over the lower than expected take-up of AZ vaccine in Europe, leading to potentially significant wastage. > **[Government says Italy and EU block on vaccine shipment to Australia is...](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-05/italy-eu-block-250000-astrazeneca-doses-to-australia/13218348)** > > Italy and the European Union block a shipment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine destined for Australia amid a stoush over contract commitments between the pharmaceutical company and the EU. [Doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 Vaccine Pile Up in Europe Amid Government Restrictions - WSJ](https://www.wsj.com/articles/doses-of-astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine-pile-up-in-europe-amid-government-restrictions-11614715968) [paywall might apply] ---
**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:** [March 6, 2021, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/741 "2021-03-06T19:37:48Z")
Here’s some news: > **[Europe staggers as infectious variants power virus surge](https://apnews.com/article/europe-variants-coronavirus-surge-2b4e8c5092db92c38194884a4b8049e4)** > > MILAN (AP) — The virus swept through a nursery school and an adjacent elementary school in the Milan suburb of Bollate with amazing speed. > [@](#): > > Europe recorded 1 million new COVID-19 cases last week, an increase of 9% from the previous week and a reversal that ended a six-week decline in new infections, WHO said Thursday. > > “The spread of the variants is driving the increase, but not only,” said Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, citing “also the opening of society, when it is not done in a safe and a controlled manner.” ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/742 "2021-03-06T19:48:22Z")
You can get gaiters with pockets in them for inserting filters that will cover your nose and mouth if you position them properly. Three layers of fabric + however many the filters are. ---
**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:** [March 6, 2021, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/743 "2021-03-06T21:07:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Europe recorded 1 million new COVID-19 cases last week, an increase of 9% from the previous week and a reversal that ended a six-week decline in new infections, WHO said Thursday. 😢 😬 Not surprising. I guess we can expect something like that here soon. ---
**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:** [March 7, 2021, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/744 "2021-03-07T05:49:59Z")
117,081,763 total cases 2,600,048 dead 92,656,095 recovered In the US: 29,653,891 total cases 537,119 dead 20,273,915 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 116,674,473 total cases > 2,592,128 dead > 92,285,355 recovered > > In the US: > > 29,593,704 total cases > 535,563 dead > 20,183,329 recovered ---
**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:** [March 8, 2021, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/745 "2021-03-08T06:42:50Z")
117,449,675 total cases 2,605,347 dead 92,964,137 recovered In the US: 29,696,250 total cases 537,838 dead 20,336,656 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 117,081,763 total cases > 2,600,048 dead > 92,656,095 recovered > > In the US: > > 29,653,891 total cases > 537,119 dead > 20,273,915 recovered ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/746 "2021-03-08T06:50:46Z")
Thank you so much for giving us our daily depressing numbers @Snowboarder_Bo. Its been a long slog and I hope you know that many of us appreciate your efforts. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/747 "2021-03-08T08:37:53Z")
> [@PoppaSan](#): > > My beard pokes through my gaiter in places. Tells me all I need to know about gaiter pathogen effectiveness. In the last year, more research has been done on masks than was done in the previous 50 years, and we’re still in the dark ages of ignorance. [Hydrating the respiratory tract: an alternative explanation why masks lower severity of COVID-19: Biophysical Journal (cell.com)](https://www.cell.com/biophysj/fulltext/S0006-3495(21)00116-8) " We demonstrate that normal breathing results in an absorption-desorption cycle inside facemasks, in which supersaturated air is absorbed by the mask fibers during expiration, followed by evaporation during inspiration of dry environmental air." "We propose that the recently reported, disease-attenuating effect of generic facemasks is dominated by the strong humidity increase of inspired air. " Your beard is providing an enhanced transpiration volume and path length: your mask is serving the same function it does in cold weather. (That’s a legitimate research report, not some crazyness, but it’s a legitimate research report, not a recommendation on what kind of mask to wear) ---
**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:** [March 8, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/748 "2021-03-08T14:41:06Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > Thank you so much for giving us our daily depressing numbers @Snowboarder_Bo. Its been a long slog and I hope you know that many of us appreciate your efforts. [![](https://i.imgur.com/3xIDvWG.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/3xIDvWG.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/749 "2021-03-08T14:46:58Z")
I agree. Have you decided on an end condition? A point where you will decide daily tracking isn’t worth the effort any more, because the data isn’t as relevant? There may be a point where looking at them weekly makes more sense. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/750 "2021-03-08T16:39:37Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > [Hydrating the respiratory tract: an alternative explanation why masks lower severity of COVID-19: Biophysical Journal (cell.com)](https://www.cell.com/biophysj/fulltext/S0006-3495(21)00116-8) > > " We demonstrate that normal breathing results in an absorption-desorption cycle inside facemasks, in which supersaturated air is absorbed by the mask fibers during expiration, followed by evaporation during inspiration of dry environmental air." > > "We propose that the recently reported, disease-attenuating effect of generic facemasks is dominated by the strong humidity increase of inspired air. " Super cool. I thought that humidity within the mask would help to keep droplets to large to make it far enough along the respiratory tract. The authors are suggesting that the humidity helps by promoting a nice mucus layer allowing for cilia to push pathogens back up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=35) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=37)